Throughout history, we Palestinians have been systematically left out of decision making processes that determine our fate. From the Balfour Declaration in 1917, to the UN Partition in 1947, and countless instances before and after, Palestinian voices have been continuously deemed irrelevant. On Wednesday, Donald Trump carried on that legacy, unilaterally making a decision that will have a serious impact on Palestinians for years to come.

Trump's naming of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is not simply an act of disregard for our aspirations to justice and freedom, it is a blatant attack against them. It is in line with Trump’s racist, Islamophobic, and anti-Palestinian platform, which is legitimized using white and Christian supremacist rhetoric. As Palestinians, we call on people around the world to follow the leadership of the Palestinian people in our aspirations for justice as we are demanding it. We make this call alongside Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), a Christian ecumenical liberation organization that has been seeking justice in Palestine for over 20 years. We know that none of Trump’s actions are in line with Christian values, and we understand liberation as giving voice to the prophetic leaders of a community to determine their own fate, which is how God liberated his people throughout history.

There has been no lack of clarity on the position of Palestinians around the world when it comes to Jerusalem. Just ahead of Trump’s announcement, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem issued a letter to the president, calling on “the United States to continue recognizing the present international status of Jerusalem,” while in the United States, the Palestine Youth Movement condemned the “sweeping imperial arrogance and ease with which these decisions are undertaken.” Meanwhile, protests erupted across the Middle East. From the streets of Gaza, to Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, Palestinians everywhere have unified and taken to the streets to demand justice, and will continue to do so in the coming days.

As people around the world prepare to observe the Christmas season, it is the duty of all people committed to justice to support Palestinian calls for sovereignty and freedom from Israel's military occupation of our land. Peace will not come to Jerusalem without justice, and today, with Trump's help, Israel continues to colonize the holy city as the world ignores Palestinian voices. This move is, ultimately, one that will help Israel in its campaign to push Palestinians out of the city. We call on everyone to take action today so that Palestinians of all faiths can continue to live in Jerusalem.

• Contact your congressional representatives, and tell them that this holiday season, they should do all they can to ensure that Jerusalem remains accessible to people of all faiths. You can do so online using the tool here and the text on this postcard as a template, or print the postcard and send it yourself.
• Call the White House at (202) 456-1414 to say no to the embassy move. 
• Attend local actions against Trump's embassy move in your city!