Post by Fr David Neuhaus SJ | 24 July 2026
What is terrorism?
In my book Conquest or Leaven, there is a chapter about violence (“Reflections on Violence in Palestine Israel,” 23-30). I believe that as disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, we must take a stand against violence in all its forms. Terrorism is indeed violence so Christians must stand against terrorism. It cannot be denied that the Palestinian resistance has used and continues to use violence. Some call this violence resistance but others call it terrorism. The Israeli state uses considerably greater and more sophisticated violence and calls it self-defence, insisting on presenting this violence as “just war”. I rejoice that recent pontiffs have been questioning the doctrine of “just war”, asking whether war can ever be just? The question remains how can legitimate self-defence take form in our world?
I consistently ask myself if I would succeed in being non-violent in the face of unmitigated brutality that seeks not only to destroy me, but my family, my children, my loved ones? And if not, what actions might I take to defend my loved ones? These are very real questions in times of war.
It is in the face of these questions, that I read the +972 interview with Rima Hassan. She is on trial, accused of supporting terrorism. In this interview she is reflecting deeply on these same questions. What should our stand be, resisting conquest, seeking to be leaven?
Hassan was born to a Palestinian father and a Kurdish Syrian mother in a refugee camp in Aleppo, Syria, leaving her stateless at birth. She arrived in France as a child, and later built her political career around the conviction that the struggle for Palestinian liberation belongs as much in Europe as in Palestine. In 2024, Hassan was elected to the European Parliament, quickly emerging as one of Europe’s most influential advocates for Palestine. Long denied entry to her homeland, she seeks to raise awareness of the catastrophe that is ongoing in Palestine/Israel.
In the +972 interview, Rima clearly defines the taboos she is trying to break in her political activism: “The first is recognizing Zionism as a colonial ideology. The second is defending the right of return for Palestinian refugees. The third is discussing the legitimacy of Palestinian armed struggle. And the fourth is moving beyond the two-state paradigm and advocating for a single state. Those taboos need to be broken once and for all.”
A careful reading of this interview challenges many of our assumptions, provoking us to think further.
Read the interview here: https://www.972mag.com/europe-palestine-taboo-france-rima-hassan
PS. The Israeli authorities are holding a Christian Palestinian young woman apparently charged with supporting a terrorist organization. Natalie Abuddayeh, a Lutheran student and sportswoman was arrested two months ago. Her arrest follows the release of another Christian Palestinian student Layan Nasir, who had been held for two months’ long periods of imprisonment in 2024 and again in 2025.
Read an impassioned plea for Natalie from her bishop here: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/55496
Read about Layan’s release here: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/55040