Yalla people!

Court Orders and Military Action

2010-05-31T14:28:00.000+01:00

On Thursday I received a message via a fellow 2007 Sabeel-er that saddened me. The Tent of Nations, where we'd spent a day clearing rocks amongst their community, had that day received not one but nine demolition orders from the Israeli government. These orders are to remove: tents, animal shelters, a metal roof in front of two older houses, restrooms (shelters), water cistern, metal container and two underground renovated cave structures.

Daoud, who received the orders, said:
"The demolition orders were written in Hebrew and I refused to sign them. We have only 3 days to react against those demolition orders. The timing for delivering the demolition orders were plant properly and purposefully on Thursday, in order to make it difficult for us to try and stop the orders through the Israeli court within 3 days, because of the Jewish weekend (Friday and Saturday). The idea is to make it impossible for us to act quickly. I have contacted our Lawyer and he will write an objection and send it to the military court on Sunday morning. We hope to get a paper from the court through our Lawyer on Sunday morning to stop the demolition orders. We would like to ask you to be prepared and alert for actions, if anything might happen."

It's now Monday (I've been away since receiving the e-mail) and I'm not sure what's happened. But this community has already been through so much - fighting the encroaching Israeli settlement upon land that has belonged to their family for generations. These buildings which the government want demolished provide a base for a centre that provides education and support for Palestinian young people as well as informing people from all over the world about the political situation. They're not a threat - they're simply trying to keep what is rightfully theirs.

Listening to the Nassar family's story.

(Under one of the shelters whose demolition has been ordered.)

'People Building Love'

While thinking about this post while at the gym this morning, I overheard a news bulletin mentioning Israeli military action. A flotilla bringing aid to Gaza has been attacked and at least 10 activists (peaceful, unarmed activists) have been killed. It's an outrageous piece of unprovoked military action that is being widely condemned internationally. Friends of mine around the world are concerned for people they know who were on board the ship - these are innocent people trying to ensure that people can enjoy their human rights. Along the way they've lost their fundamental right to life. Currently, the Guardian are running a live blog as events unfold...

Palestine and the Methodist Conference

2009-07-09T16:25:00.005+01:00

It's been too long...it's too hard sometimes to keep up with the myriad news reports coming out of Israel-Palestine.

The Methodist Church in Britain has long supported the Palestinian community, regularly passing resolutions at its annual Conference. This year was no different, yesterday saw two Notices of Motion adopted on the subject.

Firstly:

Notice of Motion 210: Supporting the work of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)

"The Methodist Conference, recognising the need for peace and justice for all groups in Palestine and Israel and noting President Obama’s statement in Cairo about the “intolerable” suffering of Palestinians,

(i) restates its opposition to violence by all groups and its opposition to the continuing military occupation by Israel of the Palestinian Territories (condemned in UN Resolution 242), and noting the many Israelis who work for peace and justice at considerable personal cost especially Jeff Halper, a Jewish American, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006;

(ii) commends the work of ICAHD who work to prevent the illegal demolition of Palestinian homes by Israel and help in rebuilding homes destroyed by Israeli forces; and

(iii) encourages Methodists to find out about the practical and prophetic work of ICAHD working for a just and sustainable peace for both Israelis and Palestinians."

Secondly, a proposal to establish a Working Group in order to "bring to Conference 2010, a statement of the Methodist Church’s position on Israel/Palestine, taking into account past resolutions of Conference and international law".

On a personal level, such actions by the Conference were reassuring following the revelation a few weeks ago that the Israeli Ministry of Tourism had been given an exhibition slot at the Conference. Once this matter had been brought to the attention of those organising Conference (and the fact that it contradicted the spirit the church has had towards Palestinians in recent years), the slot was rescinded. A further Notice of Motion was passed to ensure that in future "only those organisations with strong Methodist links, and those whose policies are not inconsistent with Methodist policies or Statements, be invited to exhibit".

(Courtesy of the Daily Record for July 8th)

A summary of events

2009-01-07T22:28:00.002Z

If you don't understand the major ins and outs of the Gaza conflict, or the situation in Israel/Palestine in general, today's Guardian has a great article that goes into various aspects of it.

The bonus is that it's written by Avi Shlaim, a professor of international relations at Oxford and an Israeli.

'How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe'

Dialogue

2009-01-07T21:33:00.000Z

Since the weekend, I've been having the most amazing e-mail dialogue with a total stranger, thanks to the wonders of the internet.

Having posted my protest photos on flickr on Sunday, I received a comment on one of them from an Israeli girl in Haifa, who asked how I had become so interested in the Palestinian situation. It wasn't a confrontational comment, simply a genuine enquiry, so I replied and every day this week has seen a continuation of the conversation. It's not angry or attacking, just two people sharing their thoughts regarding a conflict that they don't agree with, but for different reasons.

I'm not going to say much (because I have other plans for this dialogue in the future and I've not asked her permission to show the messages in full), but I just wanted to share with you a few of her comments that have really got me thinking.

Firstly, challenging my belief in pacifism:
"I wish I had the privilege to be a pacifist. I can't. For every fact that you will raise, I have a thousand counter backs. That only shows you that both sides are right- Israeli and Palestinians. There is not only one truth as there is not only one solution."

Secondly, an interesting philosophical dilemma:
"Now i wish to ask you a question. Is there a difference between a situation with the same result, but with different intentions? When a terror bomber explodes himself on a bus wishing to kill many people, including children, or when a soldiar wishing to kill someone with blood on his hand mistakenly kills a child, does it count that the first guy wished for it and the second one didn't?"

I've replied to both these comments with my own views and feelings, but philosophically, it's hard. Pacifism is an idealistic belief which hasn't yet seen any success in political circles, as many years of studying history has taught me. Similarly, I believe that all killing is wrong, but that God will judge those who kill in the end. But accidents do happen, and I have sympathy for soldiers who kill civillians unintentionally. I have even more sympathy for soldiers forced to be in the military, like those in Israel on their compulsory military service.

The bottom line is that I'm really grateful that this person has got in touch with me and is leading me into a fascinating and challenging discussion about something that I am hugely passionate about. And I'm even more grateful that it's happening in a peaceful and non-confrontational way.

And I need you to start small in...Palestine

2009-01-06T10:27:00.004Z

This is a Christmas Poem written by one of my colleagues for our office Christmas service. I was really moved by it at the time (especially as the was an image of the nativity against the background of the Wall on the screen as he read it) and asked for a copy - not realising he had written it himself. I asked him for a copy and got it when I came back to work yesterday.

And the Father said to Jesus…

I’m having a re-think, I need to reorganise,
So I need you to be flexible as part of that exercise.
Don’t worry if you feel you’re not fully skilled
Personnel provide training, it’s part of the deal.

It’s a big job of course, it’s about life and death.
It will mean incarnation among those who have breath -
In Iraq and the Congo, as well as Come Dancers,
Sublime, ridiculous; life’s poorest, financiers.
They all have their life, yet will all die in time,
And I need you to start small in - Palestine.

It’s a big job of course, it’s about saving the earth,
From itself, from each other; new values, new worth,
Where there’s love for each other, where peace will reign;
There’ll be justice for all, even joy through the pain.
Where all work together, people cease saying ‘mine’,
And the best place to start work is in – Palestine.

It’s a big job of course, and it must involve Hope,
If it works as expected, not sure how you’ll cope.
I won’t leave you alone, watch out for the dove!
But in order to save them, it needs demonstrable love -
Beyond anything, anywhere, in the annals of time,
And the best place to show hope is in – Palestine.

It’s a fixed term contract, with negotiable wages
Mary’s expecting you, as are the three sages.
You’ll start work in a manger, but rise to Team Leader.
And as for your targets, we’ll review those next Easter.

MPK
Dec 2008

Glimpses of the demo

2009-01-03T20:48:00.004Z

Just a few of my favourite images from today. I have a particular thing for taking photos of signs I like.

The rest of them are here.

Standing Up to be Counted

2009-01-03T20:12:00.001Z

Today thousands of people marched from Embankment to Trafalgar Square showing their support of Palestine, and demanding a response from the international community to the violence in Gaza.

As I write, media reports are concentrating on arrests made at the end of a subsequent protest at the Israeli Embassy and are putting the number of people at the march at around 6,000. In fact, the police this afternoon estimated it at 50,000 - I know, I heard it announced in Trafalgar Square, where I stood in the freezing cold to show my solidarity.

It's highly likely that today's demonstration was actually the largest ever to take place in the UK in support of Palestine. It was an eclectic mix of the Stop the War Coalition; Islamic groups; Rabbis for Peace; Socialist Workers and Christian Groups. There were families with small children as well as a diverse range of races. (See the adjacent photo of child's placard.) It was peaceful and people were cheerful.

To hear on my return home that Israeli ground troops have entered Gaza was rather galling.

At the same time, I've also discovered a set of three Gaza related cartoons on Asbo Jesus- this is my favourite:

The praying for peace continues.

Gaza Demo

2009-01-01T23:54:00.005Z

Having failed to make any of the protests outside the Israeli Embassy this week, I'm planning on going to one this Saturday in Parliament Square.

Here are the details:
Saturday 3rd January, assembling at the Embankment at 12.30pm.

More info from Stand Up For Gaza.

Holy Land?

2008-12-29T23:50:00.001Z

I'm almost pleased that the violence in Gaza has erupted during the dead-time between Christmas and New Year - at least it means it gets the news coverage it deserves. At a time when this holy land is at the forefront of our minds, it seems fitting that the unholy conflict taking place there should be brought to our attention again.

There's almost nothing I can write about it, I certainly can't be profound.
I've not been there, but I know people who have. I also know people whose lives have been directly affected by the conflict. But you don't need to have been there to be affected by what's taking place - just look at the stark statistics:

Death toll since bombing began on Saturday - 315
Injured since Saturday - 1,400+
Number of Israelis killed by Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza over the last 8 years - 18 (approx)
[Source: 'Gaza death toll tops 300...', today's Guardian]

It's a time when all I can do is read the articles and watch the reports and pray. If I get the chance I'll head over to one of the demos outside the Israeli embassy. At the same time, I inwardly seeth when I see that a friend on facebook has become a supporter of Tzipi Lvini, the current Israeli Foreign Minister, standing for PM in their next elections.

I've got a request though...
Whatever happens in the next few days, weeks and months; don't forget about Gaza, the West Bank, the Palestinian people and the Israelis. When it disappears from the news and front pages there will still be people whose day to day lives are being destroyed by this conflict. If you pray, then pray for peace. If you don't, just stay informed - it's that simple.

Finding some real meaning

2008-12-13T12:43:00.004Z

I'm in the middle of Christmas rehearsals and if I have to sing "O Come All Ye Faithful" once more this year, I may scream.

Actually, I've got to sing it at least once today (probably twice given as it's a rehearsal) and then at least 3 times tomorrow...not to mention the office carol service on Wednesday, church next Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day...

It's no wonder that my dear Choir Directors keep yelling at us to "remember the meaning" of the words we're singing. It's hard when the alto line for some carols is essentially a middle C on repeat. Fun stuff.

One carol I have no problem in remembering the meaning of is "O Little Town of Bethlehem", which is why I was somewhat surprised to hear that my friend's Dad (who's a vicar, like so many of my friends' parents) has banned the carol from his church. It seems he feels that the words really don't reflect the state of Bethlehem today.

When I was in Bethlehem last summer, I reflected on the irony of the line "how still we see thee lie". Last Christmas, I couldn't sing the carol without remembering the children of Aida refugee camp, the wall snaking its way around the town and the division of the Church of the Nativity. The same's true this year.

People may find the words trite, the poetry quaintly Victorian, but within the carol is the real meaning of Christmas:
"How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in."

In the mean time, check out Amos Trust's Christmas in Bethlehem appeal and Christmas cards (as above).

Case studies of regional discord

2008-05-20T17:00:00.002+01:00

Rethinking Mission (a joint venture between the British Methodist Church, USPG & the Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies - SOCMS) is a forum for articles relating to various aspects of mission. Usually, there's a specific topic that runs for a couple of months. Currently it's "Peace & Reconciliation".

Today I had an e-mail listing 3 articles added to the site this month, including an interesting case study on Palestine, in the context of regional discord between North & South Korea. Well worth reading, and uses Sabeel's principles as its basis.

Case studies of Regional Discord - Salwa Duaybes (Palestine)

Same place, different motives

2008-05-08T21:01:00.000+01:00

As I write this, one of my closest friends is mid-way between Heathrow and Ben Gurion airports. She's travelling to Bethlehem to spend 3 months there, with a view to going longer term in the future, if it's possible.

Part of me would love to be going back there with her. Sitting at my desk, I've got the photo of the Sabeel team in the desert on the wall next to my monitor. Looking at it whilst reading the news, it makes it seem rather unreal that I was ever there at all.

My friend mentioned last week that she was planning on visiting Gilo early on in her trip. This immediately brought memories of the checkpoint there flooding back. The video clip we had copies of still brings tears to my eyes when I watch it.

She was last in Bethlehem around 10 years ago, and pretty much ever since she's felt God calling her back there. Having spent 3 years in Hong Kong until late last year, she had little idea of the changes that had taken place there. Seeing my pictures was something of a shock for her. Yet she was still determined to go.

Over the last few months we've talked a lot about Israel. My perspective is obviously shaped by what I saw and experienced last summer. The things I read tend to mould my opinions in the same direction. Whilst it's never going to be a black and white issue, in my mind I have a set idea of what needs to happen - and that's essentially justice and a restoration of the Palestinians' human rights.

My friend on the other hand, wants to stay out of the political side. Her reading of the situation is first & foremost shaped by the Bible. A good place to start it's true, but it doesn't really illustrate what's been happening over the last 60 years. She's met with people in the UK with a variety of opinions (great!) and is going to Israel with an open mind. Her purpose isn't to dive into the political situation, but to bring the Gospel to those who haven't heard it.

When she spelt it out like that as we said goodbye, it really brought home to me just how different our motives are. Whilst my faith is at the centre of everything, it is my faith that really brings home to me the immense injustice faced by so many people there. It was the presence of God that stopped me from totally despairing in otherwise desperate situations. It will be interesting to hear how she gets on once she's immersed in that community, and whether she is able to avoid the politics after all.

I'm not criticising her approach. I'll just be watching with a lot of interest what happens next!

Counting down to the Nakba anniversary

2008-05-08T16:49:00.000+01:00

It's been difficult to keep posting on this blog. So much happens and it now feels a long way away, sitting in London, reading articles and watching reports from Jerusalem/Tel Aviv.

But in the run-up to Wednesday's anniversary, I thought I'd try to do some catching up and concentrate on the issues.

The Guardian website has a great section on its website. Thanks to its diverse readership, it's usually balanced (i.e. couldn't easily be acused of anti-semitism), but has a passion for justice. Their 'Israel at 60' section has some interesting reading.

Also, Saturday afternoon sees a major rally organised by the PSC (Palestinian Solidarity Campaign). Starting at Victoria Embankment, going up to Trafalgar Square, more details can be found here.

Podcast & another article

2007-11-26T17:12:00.000Z

Almost as soon as I got back into work after the trip, I was interviewed for the Methodist Church's monthly podcast. It can sometimes take a while for these interviews to get used, so I only found out last week that mine came out in October. You can find it here.

Another work-related commitment I've had to fulfill was an article for a quarterly newsletter that my team produces for the British church. November's Mission Matters is now online too.

A couple of weeks ago I was at a conference with work, and met a woman who had been an ecumenical accompanier a couple of years ago - in fact I'd read some of her letters whilst preparing for my trip. It was great to talk to someone who understood what I had seen and how I still feel (first time I've had that kind of conversation for a couple of months). She also recommended another book - I'll post a review once I get hold of a copy.

Another helpful tip she gave me was how to get the sheer size of the wall across to people when giving talks/presentations. She always tries to find a landmark, either within the building (only likely if it's a massive church) or just outside, that's around 8 metres high - the same as the height of the wall. She said that once she's done this, she finds people keep looking at that point throughout her talk - it clearly captures their imagination.

Entry Denied

2007-11-11T00:22:00.000Z

As I walked up to the passport control counter the woman in the booth sneered at me and asked "what are you doing back here?" after seeing that I had been in Israel recently. She asked why I didn't have a different visa - why was I trying to sneak past them? She did an additional computer check and exclaimed, "you sneaky girl! You were denied entry in Jordan - you sneaky little girl!" I felt my stomach drop like I was on a rollercoaster, I knew what was coming, but I stayed calm as I was led from one interrogation to another, as my passport was taken from me, and as I was informed that I would not be allowed to enter the country.

When we met with Sam Bahour in Ramallah, the situation of visas and entry to Israel was explained to us in stark terms. We were aware that Sabeel staff from overseas had to leave every 3 months, before their tourist visa expired, and that there wasn't always a guarantee that they'd get back in. Just before the conference, one member of staff was stopped coming in from Jordan. Last week it happened again and she's got no idea when she'll go back. A recent e-mail described her experiences, and it's shocking...

Finally [after interogation; luggage search; body search; photographing & finger-printing] I was taken to a detention facility and held for 13 hours before I was put on a plane back to the US. I was treated decently but locked in a room with no door handle on the inside, bare bunkbeds, and a bathroom...On the airplane my passport was given to a flight attendant with instructions to only return it to me when I got off the airplane. When I got my passport back at the end of the flight it had "denied entry"stamped in it.

Obviously, every country has its visa requirements and they can be a nightmare to live with. Working for an international organisation, I hear lots of these stories: a family having to travel 2 days to Kathmandu once a month because of legal issue with their long-term visa or the bribery required to satisfy officials. But those working in the OPT face major issues, because the Israeli government will not issue employment visas for those working there. Especially if they're working for an organisation like Sabeel.

But, as my friend reflected, her experience was nothing compared to what can happen to Palestinians trying to return to their homeland, or even simply to travel within it.

But for Sam [Bahour] - and the thousands like him who are foreign nationals- Palestinians holding foreign passports who are often the highly educated, committed, creative contributors to the fabric of Palestinian society - this is a much larger issue. This policy of visa renewal takes away the ability to plan, and the stakes are much higher when denial of entry could mean separation from your family, your business, and your home.

As I sat in that cell, I was so tired. I had been travelling for over thirty hours and I was about to board another twelve hour flight. I reminded myself that I could leave, Icould choose to quit, and I won't because this is NOTHING compared to what my Palestinian friends and colleagues deal with daily.

I may have been denied entry, but I was not a Palestinian being denied access to my homeland, as many are. I may have been detained for half a day, but Palestinians can be put in administrative detention for up to six months without a reason being given. I may have had to wait while my things were searched through, but that is something that happens every day at the terminal checkpoints to enter Jerusalem or the checkpoints that separate Palestinian villages from one another throughout the West Bank. I know that I need to keep some perspective.

Another sign of hope?

2007-10-23T09:55:00.000+01:00

'When she told her cousin that her 12-year-old Jewish schoolfriend had slept over at her house one night, Aeen, an Arab-Israeli schoolgirl, was shocked at the response.
“She said, ‘She didn’t try to kill you, she didn’t try to hurt you?’,” Aeen said. Such a negative response to their cross-cultural friendship is something that the 406 pupils of the Max Rayne School in Jerusalem have to cope with when outside their classrooms. The school, the only bilingual education centre in a deeply divided city, brings together Arab and Jewish children for an education that spans both cultures and languages.'

Article in The Times - October 22nd.

Israeli army orders confiscation of Palestinian land in West Bank

2007-10-10T10:46:00.000+01:00

Despite seemingly moving ahead with new diplomatic negotiations planned for November, it looks like the Israeli government is trying to make inroads in the E1 area in the centre of the West Bank, prior to the meeting.

- A new road, for use by Palestinians, separated from the existing road (which will be for Israelis only) by the 'security barrier'.
- Settlements amounting to 3,500 homes.
- The plans for the road involve the use of 145 hectares of state land and 23 hectares of confiscated privately owned land.

More in today's Guardian.

Aida camp in Rainbow

2007-10-09T13:01:00.000+01:00

It was suggested before I went to the Sabeel conference, that whilst I was there I look for appropriate stories and images to be used in the Methodist Church's magazine for children, called Rainbow.

We met lots of children during the conference, but so many of the contexts were complicated and would have been difficult to explain to readers under 11. In the end, my brief was 100 words and 1 image to fill a gap in September's issue - and I had an afternoon in which to write it!

I chose Aida camp as my theme, getting inspiration from a children's picture book I bought at the Lajee Centre. The story was of a boy who could no longer play in the fields opposite his home because of the wall that had been built in the way. All the illustrations were drawn by children at the centre. I focused on the fact that these were 3rd/4th generation refugees, who, thanks to the wall, had very little space to play and asked for peace so that their situation might improve.

I've just seen the finished article and it looks great! The guys in the childrens team have done really good job, even adding in some Palestinian stats and info. And my photo looks good too - it's one of my favourites from the whole trip. You can view the pdf on the MethodistChildren website.

Teenage memories...

2007-09-28T15:00:00.000+01:00

Whilst preparing for the conference, I tried to get hold of some books I remembered reading as a teenager that were about the situation in Israel/Palestine. One was set during the Six Day War and its sequal was set in 1992. I couldn't find them (couldn't remember the titles for one thing!) but memories of the books kept coming back to me whilst I was there.

A couple of weeks ago I found the first book in the Oxfam bookshop near work (it's an absolute mecca for book lovers & only 2 days later I got the brand new edition of Holy Land, Unholy War for £2.50!). Then I found the sequel online, and finished it this morning.

The author, Lynne Reid Banks, is more well-known for her landmark novel The L-Shaped Room and her children's series The Indian in the Cupboard, but has also written a few books about Israel. Between 1962 and 1971 she lived in Israel, spending some time teaching on a kibbutz, and this has clearly had an impact upon her work.

One More River (1973, revised 1992) chronicles the life of Lesley as her parents decide to emigrate from Canada to Israel and end up living on a kibbutz in the months leading up to the 1967 war. Broken Bridge (1992) returns to the same characters and their children, and explores the effect that the death of one of the children (at the hands of a Palestinian) has on the family and the community.

In both books, the traditional Israeli ideas about Arabs are challenged. Lesley makes friends with an Arab boy across the river (in Jordan) from the kibbutz and this has a lasting impact on her life. In the second book the adult Lesley is fluent in Arabic and works for an organisation highlighting humanitarian issues faced by the Palestinian community. Returned soldiers share their feelings about the conflict and teenagers' views are challenged.

In Broken Bridge there is a moving scene where the grandfather (whose choice it was to emigrate in the first book) is talking to his grandson about the conlict and the role that Israeli soldiers have had to play in it:

"It's what I'm always saying, Nimrodi, I've been saying it for 25 years. It's the cursed Occupation. You can't have a nice, kindly, humane occupation of one people by another. Never, not in history, not in this world. You can't liberate land, as the right wingers called it when our forces won that miraculous victory in 1967. There were a million people on that 'liberated land'. The people weren't liberated. They were conquered." [Broken Bridge, p. 218]

The historical setting is well researched and essential to the story, so they are a really good introduction to the conflict for young people. Both books have a glossary of Arabic and Hebrew terms used as well as detailed maps. Her other novels set in Israel explore similar themes - An End to Running and Children at the Gate.

England Vs Israel - Euro 2008

2007-09-13T12:46:00.000+01:00

For some unknown reason, Israel is counted as "European" as far as football's concerned. (It's also eligible for the Eurovision Song Contest, but that's a whole other issue.) For Euro 2008, it's in the same group as England and on September 8th the 2 sides met at Wembley.

The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign organised a vigil for 2 hours before kick-off, with the theme of "Fair play for Palestinians - Kick Israeli apartheid out of football". I went along with Greg - a fellow Sabeel-er - in our first Palestinian protest since coming back from the conference.

I felt a general sense of unease about the vigil, despite believing that it was a very important thing to do. On the way there, I wore my Sabeel t-shirt over my Women in Black shirt (which has "End the Occupation" in Hebrew, Arabic & English on it). The protestors were well protected, kept behind two security fences and a line of police, on Olympic Way - the road leading up to the new stadium.

The reaction of the Israeli fans didn't surpise me. It was much the same as the reactions we saw whilst standing with Women in Black in Jerusalem. Some swore and made gestures; others took the flyers and tore them up; some said we were fascists and racists. What did surprise me was the reaction of the England fans. I'm not sure quite what I expected, but some of it shocked me.

Some took the flyers, were interested and clapped to show their support.

Others simply ignored us.

A few yelled that politics should be kept out of football. (An interesting point...)

Some told us to "go back home" - not sure if they thought we were all Palestinians, or whether they just wanted us out of Wembley. Quite a few showed their ignorance (true to form for England thugs) yelling that we'd got the wrong country - that England were playing Israel NOT Palestine!

One guy even told us that he'd support our cause once his children had a council house. Not entirely sure what his point was...

The most supreme irony was that whilst the Israelis were calling us racist, there were some England fans (not many, but noticable) who'd found a source of what seemed to be joke Orthodox hats - with fake ringlets attached! This insensitivity and ignorance was just ridiculous. Wembley's in the middle of one of the largest concentrations of Orthodox Jews in Europe - and this is how the English behave...

All in all, I was pleased to have gone. It was good to meet others who shared a passion for the cause and to share with them our experiences. But, it wasn't the best way to educate the fans - we weren't allowed to talk to them, only give out flyers. Nonetheless it was important to show Palestinian presence at the match.

More info and photos can be found here.

A t-shirt and a long discussion

2007-09-03T10:23:00.000+01:00

I brought a t-shirt back from Palestine for a friend of mine. Nothing too political, just a navy t-shirt with "Palestine" in English & Arabic and a picture of a tree. Someone at the conference had bought an identical one, and I liked the look of it. (It was also ridiculously cheap, but that's another story...)

For some reason I didn't get round to giving it to him until last week. Mainly because it had been at the bottom of a pile of junk on my bedroom floor. He was pleased, but was worried about whether it was safe to wear it on the streets of London. I told him not to worry, and that it would be fine - he just probably shouldn't wear it if he was ever in Golders Green. (An area with a large Jewish community in north London.)

On Saturday I went round to his house & he was wearing it. He mentioned that he had felt a little uncomfortable wearing it in public, and we ended up having a long discussion about the whole Israel-Palestine thing. Admittedly, I had bought him the t-shirt so that I could recruit him to the cause (so to speak!) and to provoke a discussion, but the reality was rather hard work.

He doesn't know much of the history and did have an Israeli flatmate for over 2 years (who lost a friend in a suicide bombing during that time), so didn't really have an opinion on the conflict. What he did say was that he didn't want to take sides because it was politics and he didn't want to get into it. The bottom line, according to him, was that there needed to be peace but that at the same time this would be nearly impossible because of the hatred felt between the two groups and the huge amount of re-education that was needed. We spent ages talking about the land issue. He kept saying "but if you took the land out of it, then what?" - I tried to explain that you couldn't take the land out of it, because that's what it always boils down to! My biggest point was that what I want is justice - as well as peace. As a Christian himself, he ought to recognise just how important that is. What I saw with my own eyes was a people being oppressed because of their race. That's unjust and needs to stop.

Don't get me wrong, he didn't disagree with how I feel, he just doesn't feel able to take sides and doesn't like the fact that the conflict is so political and there's no clear way out of it. Interestingly, this was the first time I'd really talked to him about the trip - despite the fact that he lives round the corner & I see him all the time. For some reason I just hadn't been able to put it into words, possibly because he's so close to me it was just easier not to. But as our discussion wore on, the emotions I felt when I was there came back.

- The times when the situation seemed helpless, when there were no straight-forward answers.

- The futility of day to day life of Palestinians.

- The endless stories of the loss of land and homes.

I tried to explain that by some miracle not all these people are full of hatred. That on the Israeli side many people just have no idea what's going on. That suicide bombers are a tiny minority on both sides. But it's so hard to be coherent and explain a situation that defies explanation.

I'm glad we had the discussion and broken the ice on the topic. I'm not going to hassle him about it, he's entitled to his opinion and in many ways it's right not to take sides - but so difficult. Interestingly, we watched To Kill a Mockingbird last night, which brought up the topic of racism and segregation again, so there will be more opportunities for discussion. And for me at least it was a chance to talk through the massive frustrations of the whole situation.

Wall of Hostility reflection

2007-08-23T19:12:00.000+01:00

A delegate from the conference has just published a reflection on his local peace fellowship's website. He tells yet more personal stories of how the occupation is affecting people's lives - including a lady he met at Qalandiya checkpoint who was from Imwas (Emmaus).

Palestinian footballers denied entry

2007-08-20T14:59:00.000+01:00

On September 8th England will play Israel in a football friendly at Wembley. At the same time, the Palestinian U19 team was meant to be touring the country. However, I've just heard today that the Foreign Office have refused them entry visas to the UK.

It looks like the reason may be because the current situation in Gaza might prompt the footballers to claim asylum in the UK. Or, that Israel will make it difficult for them to re-enter the country (it was already making it hard for them to leave in the first place) and they would be stuck as refugees here, or somewhere else. You can find more information here.

The British government needs to wake up on this issue. The whole point of the tour was to demonstrate that Palestinians actually exist (something that many Brits won't be aware of) and also to enable the team to get some training and fixtures that they can't have in their own country thanks to Israeli policies.

Israel's match is of course still going ahead. Me and another Sabeel delegate are planning to take part in a vigil near Wembley a couple of hours before the match. Further information about that is here.

A report and a video

2007-08-14T22:18:00.000+01:00

Just found out that Sabeel's report on the conference is now online. Brings back a lot of memories!

Also, this video's been posted on youtube by the Free Palestine movement. As well as looking at the images, listen to the words of the song too - it tells the story.

Hebron evictions

2007-08-08T10:47:00.000+01:00

Lots of news in the press today about the Hebron evictions - like this article on Haaretz (an Israeli news source) - weird to think that it's only 2 weeks since we were there. On the BBC site, there's a slideshow of images from the eviction. Looking through them I was struck by this photo because the woman bears an uncanny resemblance to the settler woman who attacked us. I've no idea if it is her, but I suppose the vindictive side of me wishes that it was - just so she could have a taste of what it's like to be arrested. That's not very Christian of me I suppose!

Compassion

2007-08-05T11:07:00.000+01:00

One of the speakers at Fun in the Sun spoke on Tuesday evening about compassion, based on Matt 9:35-36
"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

He began by emphasing "all the towns and villages" - making the point that in real-life Israel this would be quite a mission, and the text doesn't do it justice. His mention of Israel caught my attention, as he's American and I wasn't sure what his viewpoint was. But then he went on to speak about the word 'compassion' and the fact that it was a new word, coined by the writers of the gospels. It means an intense emotion - a desperation for God to come and change things - and that genuine compassion occurs rarely in our lives.

I don't know about other people who took part in the conference, but this is the exact feeling I've come home with. A compassion for the Palestinian people, for a country that's broken and whose population is divided. The really difficult thing (and the thing I'm struggling most with) is what to do with this feeling and being the most effective. It's a massive challenge.

The other side

2007-08-04T10:20:00.000+01:00

I wasn't entirely sure if going on a Church holiday within 12hours of getting back from the conference was a good idea. It certainly didn't seem like it when I was saying goodbye to those in the team who were heading off to Galilee once the conference was over. But, now that I'm actually home properly, it seems like it was a good plan - for a variety of reasons.

Those that know me know that I have a tendancy to talk, ad nauseum, about any topic that's caught my attention. Also, to quote my year 3 primary school teacher "Elizabeth is not always aware that she has lost the attention of her audience". So actually having a captive audience of 500 people who I could talk to in rotation was a good thing. I pity the people who sat with me at meals on the first couple of days, because I was still rather raw and probably came across as a bit of a nutter! But having the space to worship, pray and reflect was really good - I hadn't realised how much I would need to process.

Two women had returned from Israel just the day before me, and I was naturally keen to catch up with them and share experiences. They'd been studying at an intensive Biblical Hebrew camp - at a kibbutz outside Jerusalem. So they were officially "on the other side". But what was interesting was that they felt that they were only seeing half the story. They were there for 6 weeks, and although the went into the city, that was as far as their experience of Arab culture got. Also, many of the others studying with them were American, mostly seminarians and Christian zionists. Hearing the zionist views made them feel uncomfortable. In Britain, we rarely come into contact with zionists - unless you happen to move in those circles. Our press is relatively unbiased (at least compared to the US press) and certainly left-wing papers like the Guardian and Independent promote the Palestinian cause regularly.

Other positive things included talking to people within the leadership of the church about some of my experiences and having a chat with some friends who make documentary films who are already keen on making one in Palestine. It's just so difficult knowing what things to say when, and how much to share. The last thing I want to do is lose my audience before I've had a chance to make a difference!

Coming back home

2007-07-29T23:46:00.000+01:00

If anyone needed any proof that Israel's trying to hide what's going on within the OPT, surely they need look no further than the departures procedure at Ben Gurion airport?

Any country who feels the need to filter departing tourists, analysing the purpose of their visit to classify their "risk" factor, must have something to hide. What other reason can they have for the searching of your luggage, questioning (depending on the contents of the luggage), strip-searching and escorting passengers to their flights? I accept that both drugs and international terrorism are big issues, but no other country - not even the US - goes to this extent.

I was obviously deemed lower risk than many of my other team members, escaping into the departure lounge with just a bag search. They found all my Sabeel papers, but didn't read any of them. They seemed far more concerned with my various chargers and travel hair dryer!

My flight back to London was full of a group of people who all seemed to know each other. They'd been to a wedding near Tel Aviv and were now returning to north London. From what I could see from my seat, there were possibly 2 Arabs on the flight. For some reason, I felt an unreasonable sense of anger that virtually nobody else on the flight had seen what I'd seen, and instead had had a rather lovely beach holiday - far away from the checkpoints and refugee camps. This un-nerved me because I wasn't sure who or what my anger was directed at. It wasn't at the people themselves - I grew up in north London and had friends from the same Jewish community - it was more at the state that could exist in two so very different ways.

Back at Heathrow there was a ridiculously long queue for passport control, but I wasn't in a hurry so I just joined the line and waited. As we moved ahead the queue became disjointed and a family straggled along it. The mother rather rudely pushed me aside and went in front crying "I must go in front, that's my family!". I thought back to Qalandiya and the family who'd been separated when the checkpoint shut - there was no chance of that happening here, so why the panic? But they'd have no idea about places like Qalandiya.

I thought back to the promise I made myself whilst waiting at Qalandiya: that I would try not to stress out and get angry when the Jubilee line went down on my commute to and from work, and that I wouldn't moan about long queues. Yet here I was, 10mins after landing, getting annoyed by people in a queue. It really doesn't take long for things to be normal again.

So I stood calmly, conscious that this was purely a formality - no one was going to be turned away and there were no turnstiles to get through.

Conference Statement

2007-07-28T23:03:00.000+01:00

SABEEL Second International Young Adult Conference
“40 Years in the Wilderness…40 Years of Occupation”
19th – 29th July 2007

CONFERENCE STATEMENT

These things I will think over in my heart, and therefore I will hope: the mercies of the Lord never come to an end, his compassions never fail; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion’ said my soul, ‘therefore I will wait for him.’
Lamentations 3:21-23

Conference Summary

The 2007 Sabeel Young Adult Conference drew together over forty young adult participants: internationals, local Palestinian Christians, and young adult staff from Sabeel. Participants were Canadian, Colombian, Dutch, Norwegian, Palestinian, Swedish, British, Arab-Israeli, and the largest group was American. The Conference was truly ecumenical with representation by a wide range of Christian denominations. In addition to regional and religious diversity, the conference was made up of doctors, musicians, lawyers, students, accountants, artists, seminarians, ministers, and NGO workers. The participants each brought their unique perspectives to the Conference community. In the midst of diversity, unity was derived within the group from similarity of age and a common call for awareness, justice, and strength of hope for the future.

Conference activities were varied, combining fact-finding, interaction with the local community, observation of the situation on the ground, receiving lectures, engaging in solidarity actions with both Palestinian and Israeli organizations, experiencing Palestinian culture, and joining in Christian fellowship.

A number of important speakers representing organizations including the UN, the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), The Bethlehem International Centre, and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), to name a few, addressed the Conference. They focused on important issues including the history of the conflict, the humanitarian situation, violations of International Law, refugees and the work of groups currently active in the area.

The main purpose of the Conference was to gain a real and personal insight into Palestinian life, during this fortieth year of Occupation. It is our emotional and spiritual response to these experiences that will form the basis of our future advocacy work and calls for justice, peace, and reconciliation.

The internationals and most staff were afforded freedom of movement through the possession of foreign passports, though on several occasions Conference participants chose to stand in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, whose movement is restricted, by passing with them through the checkpoints leaving Ramallah and Bethlehem. The negative psychological impact of these places cannot be underestimated and the daily reality of such an experience was shocking to all of us.

A very powerful and emotionally dense day was spent in Hebron during which, many components of the Occupation were witnessed by all. We observed the scale of ’the Wall,’ we saw unequal segregation of roads divided by barriers, and crossed a checkpoint manned by young soldiers who were given the power to decide which worshipers could access their holy site that day for prayer. During this experience, many in our group witnessed a young Palestinian boy being beaten at the checkpoint and we were constantly aware of the ways in which the Palestinians among us were pulled out for ID checks and verbally abused by soldiers.

An encounter with one Israeli settler woman during a CPT tour proved to be an awakening experience. After seeing our Conference group, accompanied by EAPPI, legally walking down Shuhada street, an area of Hebron appropriated as a settlement, she drove very slowly through the middle of the group, trying to intimidate us. Parking, she got out, produced a camera, and proceeded to take photographs of the group all the while yelling insults in Hebrew. Soldiers, whose mandate in Hebron is to protect the settlers, then approached our group and began to check IDs during which time one Palestinian participant was arrested. A military police jeep was then present for the rest of our time in the settlement area. This hostile and disturbing action took place in front of the settler’s children and we were conscious of the fact that in the settler’s effort to dehumanize others she also dehumanized herself. For all of us, this was a moving and upsetting experience.

Our experiences reflect the reality of life in Israel and the West Bank today (we were unable to visit Gaza). Though many were indeed negative, some revealed a great non-violent resistance to the Occupation and an inspirational continuation of Palestinian life and culture in the face of oppression. For many Conference participants, the cultural evening in Ramallah with sport, food, conversation, and Dabka was refreshing and an expression of hope. Similarly, we have been warmly received by all the Palestinians we have met, and the level of hospitality has been overwhelming. Few of us could imagine being invited to share coffee with refugees in their homes at Aida Refugee Camp or being given food by people whose employment is unpredictable and are prevented from travelling the few miles from Ramallah to Jerusalem without a permit.

In the face of occupation and oppression, resistance is to be found in those who seek education for their own people. We encountered so many for whom learning is seen as the key to a better future. Our experiences of those who provide economic (rather than financial) support for the Palestinians were positive and speak of the real possibility of a viable future. We have seen that dealing with the humanitarian crisis must be a top priority alongside resolving the political difficulties and ending segregation.

Outcome and Call to Action

We, the 2007 conference participants, support the work of Sabeel and will seek to further the message of ecumenical liberation theology which promotes justice, peace, and reconciliation in Palestine and Israel.

Based on our experiences, we commit ourselves to bringing about a truer representation of the conflict and real human situation in this land. As witnesses to the injustice, it is our duty to break the intentional silence imposed by much of the mainstream media. We call for the end of the Occupation and the segregation and discrimination which it entails, to make the people of our homelands and of the world more aware of the realities we have experienced firsthand.

In the spirit of the Palestinian people, we will share our experiences when we return home. As young adults who are in touch with technology; we have at our disposal a great many communication tools including websites, blogs, and podcasts to get our message out beyond our immediate personal contacts. We embrace these opportunities as especially relevant to our ever-changing world, and endeavour to use them to reach out.

We affirm the Human Rights due to all people of the world, and especially to our Palestinian brothers and sisters, and condemn the actions of the government of Israel which contravene International Law. We will continue to campaign for these violations to end and for real justice, peace, and reconciliation. As participants in this Conference delegation, we will petition our representatives on a local, national, and international level to the best of our abilities.

It is our sincere hope that many more pilgrims will come to this land not only to bear witness to their Faith, but to stand in solidarity and be united with the Palestinian people. We pray that their hearts may be moved to action for justice which will bring about peace and reconciliation.

We will engage with active non-violent resistance to the Occupation. At all times we will bear witness to the God of peace and follow the example of Jesus Christ, which is one of active non-violence.

We affirm our faith in the risen Christ and stand alongside our Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters who join us in praying for justice, peace, and reconciliation in the Holy Land.

This Statement was agreed and signed by the participants of the Second Sabeel International Young Adult Conference 2007 in Jerusalem at the close of the Conference.

Palestinian Liberation Theology

2007-07-28T22:39:00.000+01:00

At the centre of Sabeel's work is its theology, which has been developed and led over the years by Naim Ateek - beginning with his book "Justice and Only Justice" published in 1989.

It begins with the fact that Jesus was born under an occupation, lived under it and knew no different - just like many of the Palestinian population. This is therefore the context in which the Gospels should be read. All of what Jesus said and did was under an occupation. Therefore the question needs to be asked - what can Jesus teach us about life under occupation? This is where Palestinian liberation theology begins.

Unlike other liberation theologies (like those developed in Latin America) this strand cannot take the Exodus as its paradigm, because this is Israel's justification for its existence. Instead, Ateek suggests that it should be the story of Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kings 21, because it relates to justice and land. Justice is the important theme within this theology.

One of the issues is one of exclusivity. Many Jews believe that the land was given to them exclusively, so for Palestinians an inherent message within the Gospels has to be one of inclusivity.

It's always going to be difficult for Palestinian Christians to read the Bible in the same way as Christians in the west, owing to the connotations of the Old Testament and its relationship with the Jewish state. Therefore Christ becomes the hermenutic within Palestinian theology.

A one-minute message on the issue of internal refugees:

2007-07-28T22:17:00.000+01:00

Since 1948 there has been a Palestinian refugee crisis caused by the forced depopulation of around 500 Palestinian communities. Currently the UN estimates that there are over 5 million refugees, many of whom are living in camps that have been in existence for almost 60 years. A camp like Aida in Bethlehem lacks proper health care services, education and infrastructure. International implementation of UN Resolution 194 can help amend some of these human rights violations and assist in alleviating the Palestinian refugee crisis.

This was an exercise we did as part of our advocacy training at the end of the conference. Each group chose a different issue within the Occupation and had to summarise it in under a minute. Very difficult!

UN Resolution 194 was passed in 1948 and is a key part of the Palestinian demand. The particular part that's relevant the the refugee issue is Article 11, which states:
"...that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible..."

The Women in Black

2007-07-27T23:16:00.000+01:00

Every Friday, 1-2pm at Hagar Square in the centre of Jerusalem, a group of women (and some men), dressed in black, meet to protest against the occupation. It's a busy intersection and so the demonstration is very visable to passing cars and pedestrians - which means that it's susceptible to both encouraging car honks as well as jeering and insults.

Women in Black was founded in Israel in 1988, in response to the 1st intifada which began in 1987. It's now an international organisation with vigils in many different countries and for various issues. For example, in the US women protest against the war in Iraq; in Colombia they protest against drugs and violence. Details of international Women in Black groups can be found here.

It is also part of the Coalition of Women - a coalition of 9 women's peace groups in Israel who are looking for practical solutions to the situation there.

We demonstrated with the women for over half an hour, standing with signs saying "End the Occupation" in English, Arabic & Hebrew. We saw people who were pleased to see us, angry to see us and people who simply ignored us. One guy on a motorbike stopped so he could buy a badge. The passengers in one car wound down the window so they could yell "f**k off!" at us. It always seems to be one extreme or the other.

Breaking the Silence

2007-07-27T22:38:00.000+01:00

It's not just Palestinian organisations who are fighting against the occupation. It's important to recognise the role of Israeli NGO's too.

Breaking the Silence is a particularly interesting one. It's an organisation that was founded by a group of Israeli soldiers, having been discharged from their mandatory national service. Its purpose is to collate the testimonies of soldiers involved in the occupation, presenting the facts to the Israeli population. Their purpose is not to present a solution to the conflict, but to educate people with facts.

All the stories within testimonies are checked and verified through different sources and no testimony is turned away - regardless of whether it opposes the occupation or not. The testimonies are also kept anonymous.

There are soldiers who enter their period of service knowing that they oppose the occupation or at least feel uncomfortable about it. But they daren't say anything to their colleagues because they don't know what the ramifications might be. This can make them feel isolated, so it is often a relief to share their testimony and discover that others felt the same. At the end of each testimony, soldiers are asked if they know of other people who might want to share - which is how the number of testimonies has grown.

This is an example of a testimony from a soldier serving in Jericho:
"Routinely, when chasing Palestinians staying illegally in Israel who had bypassed the checkpoints from the east, we would take them behind an abandoned building near the checkpoint and beat them. The commander at the checkpoint could not see us behind the building If any of these illegal had a suitcase with them, we would empty the contents on the ground, cover them with powder and curse them. The officers knew about what we were doing and they would often take part."

The number of Israelis involved in opposing the occupation is estimated to be less than 1% of the population. Organisations like Breaking the Silence are trying to increase this number through education. For many, the first step is seeing the OPT at first hand - trips into the West Bank organised by Breaking the Silence are an important too. Over 3000 people have been on one so far this year. The political situation is worsening, and is unlikely to improve and therefore increasing the number of people who are involved in opposing the occupation is very important.

As a Brit, it was heartening to hear that some of Breaking the Silence's funding comes from the British Consulate - it made a contrast to the endless stories of US taxes being spent on the Israeli military. Also, it's apparantly very difficult to get media coverage within Israel, so it's often the case that stories are published first in the Guardian and then within Israel - so thank goodness we have a press who are willing to tell the truth!

The Temptation of Disunity

2007-07-26T23:04:00.000+01:00

The Mount of Temptations is now home to a beautiful monastery, set into the side of the mountain and overlooking the town of Jericho. It's remote - only reachable via cable car and a steep walk - but presumably that was the point Jesus wanted to make when he went into the wilderness!

The monastery was another example of how religious differences and conflict have taken over these 'holy' sites. The stern American, orthodox monk didn't seem to happy for us to be there. As an ecumenical group containing Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians and others - but no Orthodox - we were essentially 'non-Christian' in his eyes.

I could take the obligatory wearing of long trousers, and covering up my arms (despite Jericho's 45c heatwave!) but when he informed us that we could not pray in the cave where Jesus was tempted, well.... How can you tell people NOT to pray?! It's beyond comprehension. Of course I did it anyway (silently) as I presume most of the group did. Admittedly, it's not as if that cave is likely to be the cave, but still, that's not the point!

There is a desperate need for ecumenism in this place. Where there is already so much division - especially in the division of Jerusalem between Jew, Muslim and Christian - why seek to create more by dividing a faith into its various guises? This is why organisations like Sabeel are so important, because they bring people together, ignoring or overcoming divisive issues, in order to fight for far more important causes like justice.

During our brief devotions after leaving the monastery (the monk wouldn't even read the Bible passage on the temptations for us, so we left), we each took a stone from the path and focused the temptations that face us upon it. Then we hurled them over the edge of the cliff into obscurity. That's where the temptation to divide should go.

Where is God?

2007-07-25T23:59:00.000+01:00

I naively thought that once I'd been through one big checkpoint, I'd be able to face any of the others. I was a little surprised that going through Gilo checkpoint just outside Bethlehem actually affected me more strongly than going through Qalandiya 2 days earlier. This checkpoint is famous for a massive "Peace be with you" sign once you pass through, put there by the Ministry of Tourism.

The atmosphere was very tense. This was partly due to some protest singing which I won't go into here, but it meant that the group I was with were very concerned for the safety of the Palestinians in our group and for the other innocent people who happened to be going through at the same time. Compared to Qalandiya, there were far fewer people - it was around 5pm and I suppose it wasn't 'rush hour' yet.

Whilst soldiers stood on railings and walkways above me, I stood in line closing my eyes to the scenes around me and trying to pray, but I found it so hard. We got to the other side comparitively quickly, partly thanks to a new window opening up just for us internationals - which many of the group shunned. Waiting, opposite the final windows, I sat and tried to see where God was in all of this. When I'd tried to pray, I couldn't feel any sense of his presence, I was overwhelmed by this sense of hopelessness, futility and aggression. (Not my aggression, but that of the soldiers who have so much authority in their hands.)

Waiting for the others to come through I prayed again. This time I could see more clearly that we were the presence of God in that place - people like us who wanted to see the truth for themselves. That he was there in the people monitoring the checkpoints. The people who patiently wait, day after day to get through. In the grafitti on the walls outside.
It's not hopeless and he is there.

This video was made by an EA last year and shows the route through the checkpoint. I still can't watch it without being moved to tears.

A new way of looking at refugee camps...

2007-07-25T23:53:00.000+01:00

What comes into your mind when you think of a refugee camp?
Maybe you'll have an image that looks a bit like this:

Ramshackle tents, no infrastructure, poverty, lack of sanitation... We've seen it hundreds of times on the news.

There are approximately 58,000 internal Palestinian refugees (i.e. within the state of Israel and the OPT) - it's estimated that 1 in 4 Palestinians (or their ancestors) was made a refugee during the Nakba of 1948 and the invasion of 1967. In 1948, refugee camps were set up for all the displaced people - they looked like the picture on the left. The UN provided organised rows of tents and in 1956 they built small rooms for each family. (The one pictured is the only one still standing at Aida camp in Bethlehem.) Now the camp looks like this:

It looks a little different to the tents, doesn't it? A little more permanent possibly? This is a 'camp' that has been in existence for nearly 60 years - not exactly a temporary solution. Education is still provided by UNWRA (a UN agency), there is little infrastructure - electricity & water provision is haphazard. Buildings are piled on top of eachother because although the population of the camp has increased over the years, the land hasn't.

At Aida camp, the history of its inhabitants is not forgotten. On the road into the camp, there is a wall (shorter than THE Wall that borders the camp) where each panel bears the name of a different village that was destroyed and whose population is now in the camp. Outside the Lajee centre is another mural that depicts the history of the camp itself - beginning in 1948 and continuing through to the Wall's construction.

The Lajee Centre was founded in 2000 by a group of young people within the camp who wanted to serve their community. It organises cultural, social, artistic and athletic activities for refugee youth in the Bethlehem area. This can include trips to Jerusalem for young people still below the ID card age, long-running media projects involving photography and film, dabka dancing and many others. The purpose is to develop social awareness and a wider understanding of the world in which they live. Some of the projects have promoted a child's point of view of the realities faced by Aida's community. We saw draft story-boards of film projects that included images of Israeli tanks and the ever-present Wall.

For children and young people living in this inhumane environment it's important to have some way of expressing their emotions and experiences as well as understanding that the situation is not just. Through the work of the centre they can also develop their own way of coping with the injustice.

One last point on refugee camps: the photo on the left shows a current refugee camp - Jenin - following Operation Defensive Shield in 2002 during which significant parts of the camp were destroyed. It bears an uncanny resemblance to the camps of the late 40's and early 50's doesn't it? Just goes to show how little things have changed in 60 years.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

2007-07-25T23:31:00.000+01:00

"O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."

I know I'm not the first (and I won't be the last) to comment on the irony of these words. Every year I've blithely sung the carol, not really thinking about Bethlehem as a real place - even though I knew it was. From the roof of our guest-house in Beit Sahour we could see the lights of Bethlehem. The 'little town' wasn't sleeping particularly quietly that night. There was the usual wail of sirens and honking of horns as well as the songs of the mosque's Immans. The town is not still and peaceful, it is encircled by a wall that cuts it off from the rest of the West Bank. Jerusalem, once a 30min drive away, is now unreachable without the correct permits. Outlying villages like Nu'aman and Khass are separated from the agricultural land that has provided the population's livelihood for generations.

The 38-day siege of Bethlehem in spring 2002 illustrated that even Christian holy sites were not protected from the conflict. Since the beginning of the 2nd intifada, and exacerbated by the siege, tourism to this town has dwindled. Many pilgrims are now dropped off by air conditioned coaches in Manger Square, spend an hour in the Church of the Nativity, then leave. Combined with the difficulty of having employment outside the wall and checkpoints, the society of Bethlehem is suffering loss of income and high unemployment.

Fortunately, there are again signs of hope for the future in this community. Be thlehem International Centre aims to encourage productivity, creativity and hospitality within the town.

There are several strands to its work, including:

- Training unemployed people in traditional Palestinian arts & crafts, equipping them with the tools, space etc to make their own products.

- Providing a space (the Cave) where artists can display and sell their work.

- Managing an 'authentic tourism' programme - encouraging tourists to experience 'real' Palestinian life in and around Bethlehem.

- Running a conference centre

- Bethlehem Media Centre, hosting film festivals and empowering Palestinians to tell their stories.

- Health & Wellness Centre, overcoming some of the problems connected with a lack of health care services within the Bethlehem area.

- 'Bright Stars' children's programme where they can discover & explore creative talents and sporting ability to give them a sense of pride and self-worth.

One of the founders of the centre, Father Raheb, didn't want to simply add to the mass of words that existed against the occupation, he wanted to do something productive that would be long-lasting. In the creation of facts - the existence & celebration of Palestinian culture; the increase in tourism; the equipping of the unemployed; the education & development of children & young people - hope is provided. His philosophy, which is shared by the centre, is that they should try and create room for hope in everything that they do.

Wheels of Justice - slowly turning?

2007-07-25T23:08:00.000+01:00

The important thing to remember about the campaign to end the occupation, is that it doesn't solely exist within Israel/Palestine. It's also a movement of organisations and individuals outside the country who are raising awareness and putting pressure on governments.

Wheels of Justice, run by Mazin Qumsieh, is an American programme that raises awareness of the Palestinian struggle through education, outreach, training, active non-violent resistance, and network/community-building. It has also been involved in peaceful demonstrations - including the one where this video was filmed, where people unite to make a statement.

It's also about becoming aware of measures we can take that will make a difference. The Qumsiyeh Human Rights website has a great section on what an activist can do. There's also the divestmant campaign - boycotting specific companies who are effectively funding the occupation. For example, Caterpillar's bulldozers are used in the demolition of 'illegal' homes and buildings. More about the Caterpillar-Caterkiller campaign can be found here. Somerville, a town in Massachusetts, has a strong divestment campaign that seeks to ensure that its local government and national representatives oppose the occupation.

We can also make a difference by telling people's stories, like I'm trying to with this blog. The website If Americans Only Knew seeks to create greater understanding specifically amongst Americans (although it's a great source of information for anyone) because of the role US tax dollars has in funding the Israeli administration. For example, every day, the US gives more than $7,023,288 to the Israeli government and military (and at least $108 billion since 1948), but provides nothing to the Palestinians. Other sites, such as The Struggle highlight stories that are indicative of the situation.

The more people know and understand, maybe the fast the wheels of justice will turn?

"As Palestinians we build bridges, not walls."

2007-07-24T23:36:00.000+01:00

The Tent of Nations, outside Bethlehem, is a real-life example of how segregation, settlements and de-Palestinisation are affecting the lives of Palestinians who simply want to continue living on the land that has been owned by their family for generations. Bishara has fought a legal battle to be recognised as the legal owner of the land, despite having documentation going back to the Ottoman Empire which proves that he is. He also regularly has to contend with Settlers attempting to encroach on his land - building roads, uprooting Olive trees, trying to found new settlements.

Groups come here from all over the world to work on the land - planting trees, harvesting olives & almonds, clearing land and participating in a way of life that has remained the same for decades. The Tent of Nations also reaches out to local young people offering summer camp programmes that are both fun and educational.

We were allocated the task of clearing a couple of fields of rocks, piling them up into piles or onto walls. Sometimes when other people have done this, settlers have attacked them verbally or physically. There's a Catch 22 situation for Palestinians trying to retain their land - if they try and build on it, the government demands the buildings come down; if they leave fields to lie fallow, the government says it has been abandoned and requisitions it. The work we were doing means that the land will soon be suitable for playing football.

Segregation, Settlements & De-Palestinisation

2007-07-24T23:32:00.000+01:00

The Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) gave us some fairly mind-blowing facts & statistics about "geopolitical" conditions in the OPT.

Segregation
The Israeli "security barrier" which is the Wall was first announced in 2002. Since that time:

- 59 communities (90,000 people) have been isolated within the Western segregation zone, an area classified by the IDF(Israeli Defence Force) as a "Seam Zone" restricted to residents/permit holders.
- 29 wells & 32 springs have been isolated
- 189,000 km2 agricultural land and 128,400 km2 grazing land/open space is isolated within the zone
- Within the Eastern segregation zone the movement of people has been controlled with 25 checkpoints, blocking access in/out of the Jordan Valley zone.

Settlements
Since 1968, the land registration process for Palestinians has been frozen, giving priority to Israeli settlers.

- Satellite images show 207 illegal settlements. This indicates urban areas, but settlements will often dominate the rural land around them.
- Israelis have appropriated 188 km2 of Palestinian land, encouraged by the government who at the same time have prevented Palestinians building on their own land.
- Developed "Outposts Technique" whereby hilltops near to existing settlements are 'captured' by settlers who build roads and establish caravan villages. 217 of these have been identified and could become 'proper' settlements.
- The number of housing units within existing settlements is also being increased.

De-Palestinisation of Jerusalem
Following the 6 Day War in 1967, the borders of East Jerusalem were exapanded so that the size of the city grew from 6.5 km2 to 71km2. This meant that the municipality now included the towns of Ramallah & Bethlehem. Since then:

- A new road network has been developed, which isolates Palestinian communities because only Israelis may use it.
- Sites such as Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem have been annexed and surrounded by the Wall, despite some Palestinian properties still existing within these areas. ('Wall annexes Rachel's Tomb, imprisons Palestinian families' )

Convergence Plan - to make sure that Israel remains a Jewish state at every cost

- Keep hold of settlement blocs
- Keep building the Wall
- Maintain control over the Jordan Valley
- Maintain control over 'unified' Jerusalem
- Maintain control of Palestinian movement in the West Bank & Gaza Strip

If all plans are implemented, a total of 49.6% of the West Bank will be under Israeli control.

Hebron: apartheid town

2007-07-23T22:15:00.000+01:00

There's so much to say about the town of Hebron. Wikipedia has a pretty good overview of the history and current situation. The important thing to know is that it's a hotspot, thanks to the proximity of the Jewish settlers living within a Palestinian community. It's divided into 2 zones - H1 (under control of the PA) and H2 (home to around 700 settlers & 30,000 Palestinians under the control of Israel).

Because it's such a hotspot, it's home to the Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT) base in the OPT. It's also a location where Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAPPI) operate. I think it says a lot about the situation that both organsiations came with us on our tour of the city. It was led by a Palestinian but once we had passed through the first turnstile checkpoint (one of several that worshippers would have to pass through to access the Ibrahami Mosque) into the old city, it became advisable for the red baseball capped CPT member to lead the group. He also suggested that the Palestinians didn't speak Arabic - I witnessed visable anger on their faces at not being able to speak their own language in their own country, purely because of the way in which it might antagonise Jewish settlers.

The atmosphere of Shuhara street is almost beyond description. Shops that used to be bustling, owned by Arabs, are now shut - row upon row of them. Tattered Israeli bunting flys between buildings. Then there's the people, a man walking down the street with a gun - a settler feeling in need of protection. Or the woman, who took such a violent exception to us being there that she followed us in her car, took photos and then spoke to a soldier. This led to all the Palestinians having their ID checked and one being arrested. This was the point at which everything suddenly became very real, and very threatening. All I could feel was shock and anger.

A compromise was made - our team member would be released providing we left the area immediately. So we did, we made our way back to the checkpoint. The same checkpoint where just half an hour earlier other members of the team witnessed a young boy (no more than 10) being beaten up by soldiers. In the space of one morning we no longer had to use other people's stories or experiences - we had our own.

But, in the midst of all this anger, grief, unfairness...there were signs of hope. Our tour of the town had been led by the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) and through their work, the old city is gradually being restored both architecturally and socially. It's a struggle to encourage people to live there, but they seem to be succeeding. We met a lot of children and surely they are the best hope? I suppose only if they have the example of people like the HRC to follow, so that they're not adversely affected by the sight of their neighbours, the settlers, walking around armed; or by the fact that some of their streets have to be covered in mesh to protect them from objects being hurled over walls; or by the soldiers who patrol their streets...

We have to believe that there is hope, to not do so means that the situation is hope-less and that can't be the case.

Cattle or humans?

2007-07-23T22:02:00.000+01:00

Qalandiya checkpoint, just outside Ramallah, where thousands of Palestinians have to pass through in order to continue their journeys to or from Jerusalem. As internationals, we could have stayed on the coach and passed through without any issues. However, this is something that is a major part of many West Bankers' day to day lives, so as an act of solidarity we went too.

This clip gives you an idea of the checkpoint's layout, but imagine it full of people. We were there around 9.30am - after the morning rush but still busy. After waiting in line for 10mins, the checkpoint shut, no reason was given, and it didn't reopen for over half an hour. This is normal, soldiers can shut it down whenever they want. At least it gave us even more insight into the frustrations that these barriers cause.

The group heard and saw many different stories. Some include:
- The family separated when the gates shut. Father and children got through, Mother was left behind. Negotiations with soldiers and human rights observers were held to try and reunite them.
- A woman on her way to Jerusalem for a medical appointment, having had a long wait for her permit. If she was late she would have to start the process all over again.

Two observers were there from Machsom Watch, which is an Israeli human rights group consisting of around 400 women who monitor checkpoints. An interesting perspective on Qalandiya as viewed by one of these observers can be found in this article.

And how did it make us feel? Personally, I went through a whole range of emotions during the hour we were in there. I started out nervous, but a little excited that we were doing something so important in terms of understanding reality in the West Bank. Within minutes of waiting in line I felt really selfish. Here we were, 30 internationals, none of whom needed to be there. The 4 of us who got through before the gates were shut had deprived 4 Palestinians from getting through without the wait. I shared this with Krista who's been on the Sabeel staff for over a year and she said she felt the same, but that it was still really important for us to have this experience so that we could share it with others. Then I felt angry that we were being controlled by an 18yr old soldier (most of those working on checkpoints are on their mandatory national service) who we could see through the glass was bored and falling asleep! Once through the first turnstile where we waited for half an hour, we faced another queue in one of 6 different rooms. Only 2 or 3 could go through at a time to be questioned and have their ID checked. So the closer you got to the gate, the closer you watched the green & red lights that determined whether it was your turn yet. In some ways this was even more disturbing becuase we couldn't see what was going on at the other gates. There were 5 other Sabeel people with me, but we couldn't see where the others were or whether any of our Palestinians had been stopped. However, we could see that Omar was still trying to help in negotiations at the first gate. Once at the glass window the teenage girl simply barked "passport", "visa" and that was it - I was through.

At every stage we saw people who weren't through and would not be getting through that day. Victims of a regime that seems intent on restricting the movement of people, simply because of their race. Treating them like cattle - moving them from gate to gate and through turnstiles at a soldier's whim - until they are completely dehumanised. Why?

Palestinian Christians

2007-07-22T22:59:00.000+01:00

Going to a church where you don't understand the language is always an interesting experience. The thing is, with communion services you can usually get the gist of what's going on and understand the important stuff. There was something special about sharing in communion at the Lutheran church in Ramallah - taking communion in the land where the first communion took place and with the right kind of bread! With a few helpful words from Palestinians in our group, I was also able to follow the readings. I was really pleased to find a hymn book, thinking that I might be able to follow the music at least - especially as it had the notation. That was until I realised that like its script, Arabic music notation also reads right to left rather than left to right. Reading music backwards was going to beyond me!

Christians in Palestine are a minority, but an important one. Internationally, they're a group that's often forgotten. North-east of Ramallah is the town of Taybeh, the only totally Christian community in the West Bank. (Mentioned in the Bible as Ephraim.) Out of the town has come a determined movement for peace, led in part by Father Ra'ad. There is also a level ecumenism in the town that's unusual - the community decided to agree dates for celebrating the important festivals together, not allowing the differences between the Roman and Orthodox calendars to divide them.

Another initiative has been the development of a peace lamp factory. Father Ra'ad's original aim was to sell 100,000 lamps and have them in 100,000 churches as a focus for prayers for peace. Now, as peace still seems far-off, it will continue to produce the lamps until it arrives.

Taybeh is also home to a couple of commercial ventures. Its olive oil now has the fairtrade mark and is sold by a chain of 2,500 French supermarkerts. Taybeh beer is the only Palestinian beer, and is produced in the town.

Father Ra'ad left us with two appeals:
(i) To tell people in our home countries to come to Palestine and see it for themselves.
(ii) To pray for peace in solidarity with Palestinian Christians. And to speak the truth without taking sides.
This last point I think is one everyone on the conference finds difficult. How can you not take sides when you see the injustice? But the important thing is always to clarify the situation as clearly as possible, and not demonise whole groups of people - to state clearly where the wrongdoing lies without making sweeping judgements.

The road to Emmaus - the road to nowhere

2007-07-21T23:57:00.000+01:00

Luke 24: 13-16 (NIV)
"Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him."

Emmaus (or to give it its Arabic name, Imwas) no longer exists.
Not that it's just been worn away by the sands of time - it was a thriving community until 1967 - when the Palestinian population was forcibly evicted by the Israeli army, and subsequently the buildings were razed to the ground. The reason given was that space needed to be made for the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road, not just the road itself, but an area of land surrounding it to ensure its "security".

According to Palestine Remembered the village had a population of around 2000, many of whom had already suffered during the Nakba of 1948. Photos from before (1958) and after (1968) tell a damming story:

During the invasion, an Israeli soldier took photos of the villagers leaving, their homes being bulldozed and the soldiers at work. The first image, containing a boy waving a white flag in surrender, was one that I found particularly moving.

Hardly anyone realises this historic place has been destroyed. If such a place - with a name that resonates for all Christians - can be ignored, what hope is there for any of the other places that have suffered a similar fate? And do you know what's there now? A park, built with Canadian money.

Ahmed Abu Ghoush, who spoke to us, comes from the family to which most villagers belonged. He's now part of an organisation called Imwas Families, who are fighting for recognition of their plight and the restoration of their land.

Visa struggle

2007-07-21T23:27:00.000+01:00

Throughout the world there are Palestinians who have no official papers recognising their nationality. This includes refugees in camps in Lebanon and Jordan, as well those who were out of the country (& their descendents) in 1967 when a census was conducted throughout the West Bank.

People like Sam Bahour are fighting for the right to enter Palestine and to use their skills to help rebuild their nation. Sam returned following the Oslo Accords and went on to found PalTel - the first Palestinian telecoms company. Yet he travels on his US passport and has no permit to reside in the West Bank. He is dependent upon Israeli renewal of 3-month tourist visas, which in autumn 2006 the government decided to stop giving him. (BBC report) Many who work for NGO's, schools and universities are in a similar position. Going in and out of the state on these visas arouses the authorities' suspicion and many have had problems coming back into the country and trying to get another tourist visa. After the crackdown, international governments intervened but there has been little progress. It can be argued that the Israeli government is essentially discriminating against 'foreigners' who are not Jewish. Not only do organisations suffer, but more importantly, so do families. There are countless instances of families where one or more members are unable to return to the country, or who live under the threat of not being able to return. Sam argues that the family structure is the key to holding society together throughout the occupation, so as long as this is prevented, it causes disunity.

More information on Sam & his views can be found here.

Christian Education in Palestine

2007-07-21T23:18:00.000+01:00

Some of the problems faced by staff & students:
- Closures in West Bank limits the variety/standard of education available. Parents and children can't necessarily choose where to study.
- Don't have the money to fund the best education - whether its resources or the ability to go on to higher education.
- Difficult to plan ahead because you never know how the political situation may change. Will the security situation affect the school? Will there be strikes? Will staff be paid?

Even within our group this is a problem. Ra'ed - a 17yr old Palestinian - had to move from Jerusalem to Ramallah for his education, yet still he's not getting the level/standard of education that he deserves.

Life beyond the tourist trail

2007-07-21T22:40:00.000+01:00

Unlike places like Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jericho, Ramallah isn't on the pilgrim/tourist trail. The first thing that came into my mind on hearing that we'd visit was its connection with Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority (PA). The town bears the marks of Israeli policy towards the West Bank - craters from F16 bombers; badly laid roads; refugee camps - and each person has their own story to tell.

Visiting Arafat's memorial within the PA compound also brought home the complexities of the Palestinian struggle. Whilst in the west, we might view the occupation as an Arab-Israeli conflict or a Palestinian-Israeli one, the reality is far more complicated. Sabeel will not talk to people from the two parties (Fatah and Hamas) because it cannot be seen to take sides within that particular fight. In the current climate, with Hamas' recent victory and the situation in Gaza, things are even more difficult. One of the first steps towards a final settlement will be a unified Palestinian front - but that is a long way from happening. What was clear in the compound was the high regard given to Arafat. Whilst many still condemn him as a terrorist, it should be remembered that he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 following the Oslo Accords. For many he stands out as the first Palestinian to be taken seriously and listened to by the international community.

A marked contrast to the town was the atmosphere at the Ramallah First Group youth centre. Here was real, family life - just like anywhere else in the world on a Friday night. Tables with families gathered eating, whilst their kids went off to play football or basketball. Getting into a Sabeel vs Ramallah Youth basketball game and shouting as loudly as everyone else. Celebrating Palestinian culture with dabkha (folk dancing). But even here there were ramifications from Israeli policy. The dabkha group who taught us how to dance and showed off their routines were hoping to go to Norway on tour - yet the necessary permits and visas hadn't yet come through. Yet its tours like this that are needed to help others around the world gain a deeper understanding of Palestinian culture and the threat it faces.

Rana's Wedding

2007-07-20T23:04:00.000+01:00

Palestinian film recommendation:
Rana's Wedding

About a 17 year old Palestinian girl who wants to marry her own choice of husband. Rana wakes up one morning to an ultimatum delivered by her father: she must either choose a husband from a preselected list of men, or she must leave Palestine for Egypt with her father by 4pm that afternoon. With ten hours to find her boyfriend in occupied Jerusalem, she sneaks out of her father's house at daybreak to find her forbidden love Khalil.

As well as giving an interesting insight into Palestinian culture, especially wedding traditions, it also shows the difficulties in travelling through the West Bank as Rana tries to get from Jerusalem to Ramallah and back again within a short space of time.

Contemporary Way of the Cross

2007-07-20T22:09:00.000+01:00

Today's activities were structured around the Contemporary Way of the Cross - a Sabeel liturgy that combines the traditional stations of the cross with the reality of the situation in Palestine.

13th Station: The Loss of Jerusalem

"Jerusalem is a place that holds so much importance for so many, yet it has become a battleground. Nobody wants to see the destruction of this holy place, and the situation now is the cause of much grief and anxiety for those who live there, and for all those around the world who consider it to be such a special place. Just as Mary and the disciples grieved over the death of Jesus, so people today grieve at the deep sickness of the place that Jesus called home. One of the many churches in Jerusalem is called Dominus Flevit in memory of the tears that Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Through the window of the church there is a spectacular view of the city that is so much in need of healing. We grieve as Jesus grieved, and we pray for the peace and tranquility of Jerusalem: the city that must be shared."

Stood on the Mt. of Olives, we shared in the 13th Station whilst looking out at the city of Jerusalem stretched out before us. Travelling on to 'Anata (north of the city) we passed through a checkpoint without problems and saw the contrasting communities of Israeli settlers and Palestinians on opposite sides of the coach.

12th Station: The Wall

"Jesus died on the cross, surrendered to the overwhelming power of his captors, seemingly abandoned by God. Likewise the building of the Wall overpowers the Palestinians in the West Bank, feeling abandoned and forgotten by the international community. The separation barrier consists of either an eight metre high concrete wall or, in rural areas, an electronic fence and traverses the west side of the West Bank. The Wall does not follow the Green Line, the internationally recognised, though unofficial, border between the West Bank and Israel. In most places it runs several kilometres inside Occupied Territory, separating Palestinians from crucial aquifiers and fertile land. How long can they continue to fight for breath within its suffocating grip?"

'Anata has been irrevocably changed by the building of the wall. For two hours we stood in the diminishing shade of the boys' school, listening to representatives of Combatants for Peace talk about how the community has been affected. We met Abu Arab, whose 10yr old daughter was shot dead by an Israeli soldier as she bought sweets. He now focuses his grief in trying to educate others to fight (non-violently) for peace.

Abu Ali spoke to us for a long time about his decision to return to Palestine, having lived most of his life in the US. With his long beard it seemed as though he'd been in Palestine forever! He was once detained without charge for 37 days, but unlike many of his Palestinian friends, he was able to gain release thanks to the US consul. His closing words contain an important truth: "when each [Israeli/Arab] bleed, their blood is red and there is no difference". He's not against the Jews or Israelis, but opposed to the state and the regime that allows such injustice.

Etamar is an Israeli member of Combatants for Peace, who seeks to educate Jews who have served in the army about the situation and why peace is so important. It was important for us to meet people like him, to remind us that there is no use in viewing the conflict as Israeli vs. Arab - it's not clear cut.

5th Station: Stress & Humiliation

"The cross is a lonely burden to bear. It cannot be shared - it is suffered alone. Simon, though, carries the weight for a few steps along the way. Many come from round the world to help carry the burden of the Palestinians. As they bear witness to the suffering of this community and share their stories, their presence removes the isolation of our misery and makes it their as well. As Palestinians carry their cross, many people watch and offer them what they have. Those in power offer greater accusations and condemnations, including mockery and ridicule. Yes, there are the chief priests, the Herods, the Pilates, and the soldiers. But there are also the Simons of Cyrene who help ease the carrying of the load, the men and women who offer thier tears of solidarity. There are also those who get converted on the road. They witness the grave injustice and take a stand for what is right. Such shall we pray to become."

At the Sabeel offices, we listened to the story of Cedar Dualysis, who became a refugee from Jaffa in 1948. All her adult life has been lived under the occupation. She spoke not just of her own life, but of Sabeels - how the need for a spiritual home within modern theology was met and the subsequent development of Palestinian Liberation Theology. Part of the problem for Palestinians is that the Old Testament centres around the Israelites and their promised land. Whilst other strands of liberation theology put the Exodus at their centre, this is impossible for Palestinians. But there are stories that fit: David and Goliath can be read as Goliath being the state of Israel and David being the Palestinian children fighting against it. Her talk ended with a sobering statement, that at first, she hoped for reconciliation in her lifetime, then for her children. Now she accepts she may not see it before she dies, but hopes that it will happen in her grandchildren's lifetime.

1st Station: The Nakba of 1948

"Just as Jesus was condemned to die, so the actions of 1948 passed a death sentence on more than 400 historic Palestinian villages that were completely destroyed across the country. We remember that pain of losing community, family networks and a sense of place. We open our eyes to the initial devestation caused by the founding of the state of Israel that has never received acknowledgement, and we hold these people and their memories in our thoughts."

Lifta was one of these villages. Unlike many others, the shells of buildings still remain on a hillside outside Jerusalem. Located near a natural spring, with pools of water, it seemed like an idyllic location. Beautiful buildings have been left to rot. One that had been home to the village sheriff still had evidence of ornate tiled floors. Now those that still have roofs (few of them) are home to squatters. In a building that housed an olive press, our guide showed us a hole in the roof that had been the size of a dinner plate just 2 weeks earlier. Now it's easily ten times that. Our guide had fled in 1948, and his emotion and desire to return to this place was increasingly obvious with each building he led us to.

Holy sites & unholy conflict

2007-07-19T23:25:00.000+01:00

When I first wanted to visit the Holy Land, as a teenager, my top priority was visiting the Holy sites. Now that I'm here, for this conference, it doesn't seem so important. But it would be stupid not to and besides, it's the holy sites that put the conflict into context.

The Upper Room, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, views of the Mt. of Olives - it's all very impressive and full of people, but what does it mean? Most of the sites are disputed. All bear the marks of religious division, whether it's the Upper Room changing from church to mosque or the division of the Holy Sepulchre between the different Christian churches. Stood in front of the site of the crucifixion I feel overcome by the number of people bowing, crossing themselves, kissing stone, wiping scarves in perfumed oil... None of this is what my faith is based on. I don't need to do these things to know that I have a personal relationship with God. Also, how sure can we be that THIS is where Jesus died? That it's where he's buried? Making this comment to someone in the group, he pointed out (very helpfully) that it doesn't matter. What does matter is that He rose again - the resurrection is what we believe in and I don't need any physical site to convince me of it.

Afternoon seminars with Albert Agharizian and UN-OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairsin the OPT) brought home the reality of the conflict's history and the present reality. Learning a brief overview of the history of the conflict was at times damming - each of our nations seemed to have contributed towards it - and generally dis-spiriting. But at the end of it, Albert left us with the encouragement to "tell stories and dream dreams". That's what this conference is about I suppose, to have the ability to tell stories on our return, to dream the dream of a resolution and to seek ways of making that dream a reality.

Listening to our OCHA briefing, the present reality was brought home to us in shocking detail. A few stats:
- Poverty has increased from 23% to 67% (88% in Gaza)
- 550 physical obstacles in the West Bank
- The "security barrier" wall stretches for 703km, yet the Green Line is only 320km long.
Seeing all the barriers and restrictions on a map was mind-blowing, especially when listening to the affects they have on people's day to day life.

One story:
Jerusalem is the only place in the West Bank with good paedeatrics facilities. Allegra told us of a mother from Bethlehem whose son was seriously ill with leukemia - the only place he could be treated was in Jerusalem. As a child, he did not need permits to get through the checkpoints - his family did. He had been in hospital 3 days and was already diagnosed as brain dead by the time his mother was able to (illegally) enter the city.

And to close, just something to consider:
If Mary & Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem today, it would be impossible without the right permits. Mary would probably give birth at a checkpoint! (As do many mothers every year.)

First impressions

2007-07-18T23:12:00.000+01:00

Immigration: Surprisingly easy. Thank goodness I neither look Arab or have any stamps in my passport that arouse suspiscion.

Neshers (bus-taxis): Drivers have few cares on the road & there's no use looking for seat-belts because there are none!

Other delegates: Some seem to know more about the situation than I do, sometimes I feel that despite my all my work I don't know anything! Everyone has a story as to why they're here.

The beginning...

2007-07-17T14:18:00.000+01:00

A couple of months ago I was asked by the World Church Office of the Methodist Church if I'd like to attend a conference for young-adults in Palestine, marking the 40th anniversary of the occupation. It was the 2nd International Young Adults conference held by Sabeel - an ecumenical Palestinian liberation theology centre based in Jerusalem.

I was thrilled to go. Partly because I've wanted to go to Israel/Palestine for ages and partly because the occupation is a cause I've been interested in for a while.

This blog will start out a bit strangely. We had no internet access during the conference, so my idea to blog whilst there didn't work. But I wrote a journal and made a lot of notes, so I'm going to put a few of my experiences and reflections down for each day. Now that I'm back, I want to use this to highlight information in the media, current events, things that I'm working on and anything else that crosses my path. Hopefully it will help me make the most of what I learnt and experienced as well as providing some information to others.