Prayer rugs, Ibrahim Mosque, Hebron

Fran here. Today was a full day. We spent the morning in Hebron, where we visited the Ibrahim Mosque and Tomb of the Patriarchs as well as the offices of Christian Peacemaker Teams. The walk to CPT required a journey through the souk- the central market, which is a narrow, winding alley full of vendors. CPT works to support existing peacemaking efforts, provides accompaniment to ensure protection for Palestinians, and documents human rights abuses.

Gabriel, a CPT volunteer and our host, explained that Hebron is a “microcosm of the occupation,” and he is exactly right. There is a military post or check point everywhere you look, and various settlements dot the cityscape. In fact, one settlement runs alongside the souk, and there is chain link fence to catch the trash that is thrown by settlers into the market.

Next to CPT’s office is a military outpost- soldiers standing guard with machine guns, generally looking quite bored. I honestly cannot get beyond the absurdity of the situation: this foreign army in a land that international law states does not belong to them, ensuring the continued confiscation and destruction of property of the rightful owners and residents of this place. And impunity reigns.

Military checkpoint, Hebron

This afternoon we visited Tent of Nations, which is an educational and environmental farm that operates on a Palestinian family farm that has been in operation since 1916. It is encircled by five large settlements that continue to grow, and the Nasser family is fighting an ongoing battle to maintain their land. In May of this year, the Israeli army at the behest of a group of settlers uprooted hundreds of apple, apricot, olive and fig trees there, but Daoud, the director and grandson of the original owner, and his family and team will replant. Israeli policy prohibits them from utilizing electricity, plumbing, or constructing, so they have made meeting rooms in caves, used solar power, and have compost toilets. This operation is incredible, and is a collaborative effort between Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals.

Shane Claiborne writes that “Christianity is at its best when it is peculiar, marginalized, and suffering,” and these saints are proof of that. This place is a difficult one, but the suffering of these people has laid the ground for incredible faith. The road towards a just peace is long and arduous, requiring amazing endurance, patience, and faith that I envy.

Bethlehem Bible College – Grace Zoughbi

By Harris McClamroch

9:00 am – Visit to Bethlehem Bible College

Alex Awad described the mission of BBC, the founding of the College, and its student population. It provides an opportunity for Palestinians to obtain an education in biblical studies without having to study abroad. He answered questions, making clear his support for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS).

Grace Zoughbi described her background as a student at BBC and now as a faculty member at BBC. She answered questions about her life and the obstacles faced by Palestinians in daily life.

10:30 am – Tour International Center of Bethlehem

Angel (Angie) Saba spoke about Diyar and their support for abundant life experiences (John 10:10) in Palestine. Diyar is a broad consortium that runs multi-generational programs for all members of the Bethlehem community. Palestinian culture is celebrated, bringing together Christians and Moslems. Bright Stars of Bethlehem is the US affiliate that supports the Diyar Consortium.

Rev. Mitri Raheb – Founder, Diyar Consortium

12:00 – Meet with Rev. Mitri Raheb

Reminded us that Palestinian Christians are indigenous to Palestine. He described the exodus of Christians so that currently only 2% of Palestinians are Christian. Christians are leaders of medical, educational, and cultural organizations in Palestine.

The international community, including the US, is part of the problem by subsidizing the Israeli occupation of Palestine. US Christians, especially Christian Zionists, are part of the problem.

1:30 pm – In driving on the bus to the Dar al Kalimeh College, we passed Bethlehem University and were delayed by a student demonstration near the main Bethlehem checkpoint protesting Israeli restrictions on access to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This is an ongoing source of conflict that sometimes leads to intervention of the Israeli Defense Forces.

2:00 pm – Angie Saba showed us around the Dar al Kalima College, which emphasizes arts, dance, theater. We also visited the associated youth center and sports center, and we watched a girls’ team handball game, part of a tournament between seven Bethlehem area teams.

Girls handball at Dar Al-Kalima

Girls’ sports enjoy a beautiful new Sports Center at Dar al Kalima, giving girls opportunities in team sports that they’ve never had before in Palestine.

4:00 pm – Returning by bus to the hotel, we encountered the continuation of the protest with the Israeli Defense Forces spraying tear gas and skunk water and firing rubber bullets at the protestors. We came within 100 meters and saw many IDF and several ambulances. In recent days, these are regular occurrences and reminders of the possible violence that can so easily arise. (Caveat: we hasten to add to our friends and family that we have stayed at very safe ranges! We could not feel more welcome and cared for.)

6:00 pm – We had a late afternoon meeting with our Bethlehem friend Usama Nicola. He helped us interpret the day’s events. He talked about the Palestinian Authority and the minimal authority they have. He discussed the difficulties of those leaders who support non-violence.

Tear gas and skunk water used on protesters

Observations:

1. In spite of media and political statements to the contrary, Palestinian Christians and Moslems are unified in their objection to Israeli occupation and their objective of seeking freedom and full recognition as a country.
2. There is a sense that the political process has failed to eliminate or reduce the Israeli oppression. This means that a new bottom-up process, focusing on individual engagement, is necessary.
3. Palestinians are incredibly frustrated and angry with Israeli occupation and they have lost faith in political leaders and the political process. But they are nevertheless hopeful for their future.

By Susan Moskwa

7:00 a.m. – I wake up to a rooster crowing across the street. Did you know that roosters keep crowing until they’re certain you’ve heard them (and then a bit more)? In the movies they only crow once, just as the sun rises. This rooster was far more persistent. But it was charming, because it was novel.

Chicken coop across the street from our hotel

9:00 a.m. – Zoughbi Zoughbi, founder & director of the Wi’am Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center

, speaks to us about the center and its mission and role. Today the Wi’am Center is quiet, although it’s frequently the site of Palestinian protests because it’s located right next to the Wall, and is one of the few places near the Wall that has trees, which provide welcome shade. (Most trees were bulldozed during construction of the Wall, but Wi’am has made an effort to replant.) Here one of our tour coordinators, Usama, shows us a tear gas grenade that landed in Wi’am’s playground.

Usama shows us an empty tear gas canister

Wi’am’s playground at the separation wall

We are like a sponge, absorbing the anger of the Palestinian people. When people like you come here to visit us, it helps us wring out the sponge so that we can go back and refill it.”
– Zoughbi Zoughbi, on the encouragement that he and his colleagues take from visits like ours

Zoughbi Zoughbi of Wi’am Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center

11:26 a.m. – The call to prayer sounds out from a minaret in the middle of the Aida refugee camp as we walk through the camp. Children follow us and try to get us to take their pictures and give them money. The camp was established in 1950 and many families still live there for fear of losing their right of return if they were to leave. (Others stay because they have nowhere else to go.) The camp’s walls are covered with artwork and graffiti remembering the villages that the refugees came from, supporting the Palestinian struggle, promoting peace, and remembering tragedies and indignities that refugees have suffered.

A housing structure in Aida refugee camp

WE WILL RETURN – Names of Palestinian villages

أهلاً وسهلاً — “Welcome”

Identity card wall art

Our group at the entrance to the Aida refugee camp.

Rusty door keys like this one symbolize the right of return for Palestinians, and a memory of home. Many families still carry keys from the homes they fled or were evicted from; many of those houses have since been destroyed.

4:00 p.m. – Sounds of singing. We visit the Church of the Nativity which houses the birthplace of Jesus Christ, where the tour group ahead of us spontaneously bursts into reverent song. Later, in the cave where the shepherds were supposedly sheltering when they received news of Jesus’ birth, our group sings Angels We Have Heard On High (in multi-part harmony).

Jesus’ birthplace – below the Church of the Nativity

Inside the church at Beit Sahour / The Shepherds’ Field

7:00 p.m. – Dalia Eshkenazi, one of the subjects of the book The Lemon Tree, talks to us about her experience growing up in Israel and discovering that her family’s house used to belong to an Arab family who had been forcibly evicted. She was a passionate and engaging speaker, and our dinner grew cold as we stayed long listening to her.

I instinctively hear the drone of war planes as a very friendly sound. If the Israeli Air Force hadn’t destroyed the Egyptian Air Force during the Six-Day War, Israel might not exist today. Those planes save me. But they also destroy me.”
– Dalia Eshkenazi, on feeling torn between Israelis’ experience and Palestinians’ experience

Dalia Eshkenazi