Three of my host sisters
A mosaic at Tent of Nations
Planting grape vines at Tent of Nations
Two kids "playing" in a Palestinian refugee camp
My host father, Samer, gives our group a tour of a refugee camp.
The separation wall 
Where do I even start? I have so much to say, so many thoughts and emotions from this stimulating journey in Palestine, and yet I feel like I can never say enough. I want to encourage everyone back in the States to continue to pray for peace in this area, while actively learning more about the conflict and how America contributes up to 11 million dollars every day to Israel. This money allows illegal settlements and outposts to be built within the West Bank, causing indescribable pain for the Palestinian population. When viewed from a human rights standpoint, regardless of any other factor, the daily injustices here cannot be ignored. Discuss and think critically with open minds full of compassion. The situation is so difficult to understand, and no documentary or news flash can describe everything. I have been here for three days and I feel overwhelmed with information, yet I feel like I am only scratching the surface. It is a painful privelage to be here, seeing and learning, yet I know this is the only way to learn. Despite the injustice, I see strength. I see strength in Hashem Azzeh, the Palestinian whose family we ate lunch with in Hebron who lives directly beside an Israeli settlement. I see strength in the Israeli youth who refuse to join the military because they see the damage being done. I see strength in the Tent of Nations, who live and farm on land surrounded by Israeli settlements without access to water (they capture rainwater in cisterns), electricity (they use solar panels), or the right to build structures (they live in caves). I see strength in Paulette Schroeder, the CPT volunteer who stands at checkpoints between Israeli soldiers and children walking to school. I see strength in the Palestinians who refuse to be enemies with Israelis, and I see strength in the Israelis who refuse to be enemies with Palestinians. Sometimes this strength seems to be hidden, but it must always be found.
Our group must also show strength as we continue to hear new stories and perspectives. One of our most challenging meetings was with Ardie Geldman, an Israeli living in the settlement of Efrat within the West Bank. He used to live in Chicago, and moved here in 1982. He claims this land has belonged to the Jews for 3000 years, when God gave the Israelites the Promised Land. In his eyes, the Old Testament proves his right to be here. We challenged him with questions, and his responses were quick and well-argued. Needless to say, everything he said sparked more discussions within our group. It has made me wonder: who has the right to own land anywhere and how was that land acquired?
We watched a fantastic documentary called Occupation 101. Find it online and watch it to gain a better perspective of what we are seeing and hearing. The documentary will never be the same as being here, but I guarantee it will make you think.
My brain is so full from everything we learn during the day. Dan and I stay up late having discussions with our Palestinian host father, Samer Kokaly, who is also our tour guide with Alternative Tourism Group. Our week is halfway done, and I hope we can continue to soak in everything we learn.
Today we had the opportunity to plant grapevines at Tent of Nations, the organization surrounded by Israeli settlements. After hearing so much frustrating information, it was good to be able to use our hands and sweat to do something productive. We spent so much time blistering our brains that we forgot how it feels to blister our hands. It was refreshing to hear the message of Tent of Nations. Learn more from their website at www.tentofnations.org/
I will end with a quote from Tent of Nations: Peace must grow like an olive tree: strong from the base, not mandated from above.
As a closing blessing, here is a quote seen on a ceramic tile in Hebron: Shalom, Y'all.
I love you, James, and I remember vividly the emotions and brain blistering that happened. This is a good reminder to continue to pray for peace.
ReplyDeleteI remember Samer! And Ardie, and Tent of Nations. I am so glad you have this opportunity. Love, Becca
Cool pics, I'm sure you all are learning a lot. Most settlements are ones that were there before they were destroyed in the 1948 war by the arab nations. Israel should have all of the West Bank's territory, but they have given some of it up in hopes of making peace with the Palestinians. This has obviously not happened and, thus, Israel must continue to settle in and keep an eye on the West Bank, lest they endanger their country. Keep this in mind: Israel has continually offered to give up land in exchange for peace, but Palestine won't even recognize Israel's existence. Palestine needs to grow up and recognize Israel's existence before any peace can come from this. They also need to make serious efforts in curtailing terrorism. Why should Israel give up their presence in the West Bank when they know that's where the next suicide bomber will come from?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the challenging comment, Matt. I understand you traveled to this area--were you able to meet with any Palestinian families while you were here? If you had, I'm sure you would know that the far majority of Palestinians are actively seeking peace in nonviolent ways, only wanting to live in the land that rightfully belongs to them. The Palestinians certainly recognize the existence of Israel--how could they possibly ignore the checkpoints and military occupation? Palestinians realize that Israel is too strong to be defeated. According to international law (UN Resolution 242), Palestine has the right to establish their own state in the West Bank and Gaza. New settlements are constantly being built illegally within the West Bank on land that is either stolen, or its original inhabitants have been harrassed so much that they are forced to leave. If Israel ever wanted to make peace in the area, they would have built the separation wall on the internationally-recognized Green Line rather than cutting drastically into Palestinian territory. Palestinians will say over and over that they do not hate Israelis--they hate the occupying power that splits their land into prison pockets and breaks into their homes, destroying everything inside. One woman we spoke with has lost two pregnancies from being beaten by Israeli soldiers and extremist settlers. The death count for Palestinians far outnumbers that of Israelis. As for the terrorism point, both sides have committed atrocious crimes which I condone. The source of violence stems from larger problems of injustice. We must focus on the source, not just the symptoms. And we must focus on what we, as American Christians (especially Mennonites), can do for the sake of justice. If you are interested in reading what Palestinian Christians are asking of Christians around the world, read the Kairos Palestine document: http://www.oikoumene.org/gr/resources/documents/other-ecumenical-bodies/kairos-palestine-document.html
ReplyDeletePlease post your comments and questions. This is a crucial discussion that must occur to clear up misunderstandings from all viewpoints.
I didn't actually, but our guide (who happened to be a secular Jew) was fantastic at presenting both sides of the story on everything from the differences in the three monotheistic religions in the area to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the Palestinians themselves recognize the state of Israel, their government certainly does not. I need to look more into their current government but in the past leaders such as Yasser Arafat have hardly made efforts to promote peace (the Oslo accords were a sham). There has been a continuous Jewish presence in Israel/Palestine for 3000 years, the west bank is every bit Israel's as it is the Palestinians who live there. Yes, Israeli's do horrible things to others. But remember what we saw at Auschwitz? I know thats no excuse for Israel to go take out their anger on their enemies but I can see why they are very afraid of another holocaust happening again, especially when Ahmadinejad, Hezbollah, and others are committed to annihilating Israel. I think far too often that Israel gets a bad rap. Palestinians are just as much to blame, if not more in my opinion for the conflict. Israel's army is called the Israeli Defense Forces for a reason. It isn't a normal army per say; they exist to protect Israel. Like I said earlier, Israel has routinely offered land in exchange for peace (ie Sinai Peninsula to Egypt). However, Israel can't give up to much land, its already a small nation that is rapidly growing!
ReplyDeleteHi James,
ReplyDeleteI'm constantly impressed with your camera work.
keep it up!
As far as the issues you are confronting, keep an open mind to both sides of the issue. Sometimes it's difficult to do so when you are immersed in the culture and emotionally invested.
Worth reading:http://traubman.igc.org/two-narr.htm
Be safe and enjoy your journey!
Uncle Jim