20 October 2017

Usama Nicola with Estephan Salameh

Our group had an eye-opening meeting today with Estephan Salemeh, founder of the West Bank-based Seraj Libraries, and an advisor to the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. This articulate American-educated Palestinian leader explained the ABC’s of control in the illegally occupied West Bank territory, divided since the 1993 Oslo Accords into three areas – A, B and C. Areas A and B are controlled partly by the Palestinian Authority (“in theory,” he said). Area C, which has more than 60% of the land and most of the resources, including water, is totally controlled by Israel. There Israeli settler colonies keep expanding and Palestinian building permits are rarely approved. Israel, he said, is benefitting tremendously from it. He added that the Palestinian Authority knows it must do a better job of telling the Palestinian story, but finding partners to help with the telling is difficult. He noted that the Palestinian government was turned down by 18 US marketing companies that refused to work with them.

Seraj Library, partnered with Alrowwad Center in Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem

Estephan also told us about the Seraj Libraries — the private, nonprofit initiative he and his wife, Laurie, founded to establish libraries/community centers in Palestinian towns. You can learn more about this at www.serajlibraries.org. They think of these as “centers of change.” With all the injustices we have seen and heard about on our pilgrimage so far, we have also been impressed by the many people here who are working hard to build hope and support constructive change in this fraught land.

~ Mary Bader