Thursday, May 3 ~ George Vasil

Today we visited Hebron.  It is the largest city on the West Bank and the third largest in Israel-Palestine. In many ways Hebron is emblematic of the current Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

Hebron, from the Old City, rooftop at Christian Peacemaker Teams building

Hebron is home to 120,000 Palestinians, most of whom are Muslim.  There are 800 Israelis that live in a settlement in the middle of the town.  They’re fairly recent arrivals and their presence has been an irritant to the Palestinian community.  Hebron is in area A, as defined by the Oslo Accords.  However, Hebron has two subdivisions: H1 and H2.  H2 is under Israeli military control, and the Jewish settlement dominates, and H1 is Palestinian.  Note: There are 1700 Israeli Defense Force troops present in Hebron to protect the settlers.

With Usama in the Ibrahimi Mosque, Hebron

Hebron is the home of the Caves of the Patriarchs, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah were buried. The site is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and for many years it was open to all faiths. In February 1994, the Jewish Purim coincided with Muslim Ramadan. An enraged American-Israeli shot and killed 29 Muslims and wounded 125 who were at prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque that is present on the site.   He was beaten to death by the survivors.  Although his action was widely condemned by Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin and many Israelis and Jews around the world, some in Israel viewed the killer as a folk hero.

In response to the attack, the West Bank erupted in protest and violence.  More Palestinians and Jews died as a result. The Israeli authorities reacted by closing the Caves for three months and banned Palestinians from several main streets, including Shuhada Street where many Palestinians lived and had thriving businesses.

Palestinian shops sealed shut. This street was formerly the gold and silver jewelry market.

Palestinian shops had their doors welded shut by IDF soldiers. Check points were set up in the city and IDF soldier patrols became routine.  The Cave of the Patriarchs, which had been shared by the three faiths was divided. The Muslims were given 40% and the Jews 60%.  Muslims may not enter the Jewish side and Jews may not enter the Muslim side.  Palestinian Christians may enter the Muslim side but not the Jewish side.  We were allowed access to the Jewish side but our guide Usama was not allowed.

Hebron, H2, settlement above the souk, seen through the grate protecting shops from settlers’ thrown trash

As we walked through Hebron today, we saw the closed streets and shop doors welded shut.  We walked through the market and saw the lack of traffic.  Above us we saw a wire screen running over our heads for the length of the market.  In this area, the homes above the market are owned by Israelis who frequently throw trash out of their windows and into the market below.  The wire screen was installed to protect shoppers in the market. But a wire screen doesn’t protect the shoppers from urine or other liquids that may be carelessly jettisoned from above. In one area, we saw where a large stone, launched from above, had torn a hole in the screen.  What does this tell us about the attitude of the people living above the market toward those that are in the market?

It is no surprise that Yitzak Rabin felt that his failure to remove the Israeli settlement for the heart of Hebron was one of his greatest political mistakes.

Wednesday, May 2 ~ Jeanne Hoek

Walking down Star Street, the street where Joseph and Mary traveled looking for a place to stay, is not what I imagined it would be. It was bustling with cars, people and shopkeepers wanting you to buy, buy, buy.

After hearing about the difficult life people in Bethlehem have under occupation; checkpoints, home raids by the IDF, not being able to travel, It was good to see how they make the best of life.

Our next stop was the Church of the Nativity, visiting both the Catholic section and the Orthodox section; both very beautiful in their own way. Could not help thinking about why the need for two separate churches when people from many different churches come to visit.

Rami Elhanan, Joan Deming, Usama Nicola, George Sa’adeh

We ended the evening meeting with Rami Elhanan and George Saadeh from the Parents’ Circle/Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace — a group of 600 from Jewish and Palestinian families that have all experienced a death of a loved one due to violence.

Rami, an Israeli Jew, noted that George, a Palestinian, is his friend and the closest person to him on the earth since they share the same pain, the loss of a child by violence. Rami’s daughter was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber and George’s daughter was killed by IDF soldiers.

Out of these tragedies they both learned to forgive, and joined this group that not only supports one another but works to break the cycle of violence and hatred that is present.

They do this by telling their stories in many groups including schools. They stressed the importance of communication amongst people and wished they could live together.

The things that struck me were 1) Rami said that it was not until after the death of his child, he was 46, that he realized Palestinians were human beings exactly like him; 2) children In schools where they go to speak often times have not seen a Jew and a Palestinian together; 3) Many Palestinians and Jews call them traitors for working together; 4) Although George is occasionally able to get a permit to go to Israel, Rami must always sneak into Palestine where he would be arrested if caught (because it is against the law for Israeli citizens to enter West Bank cities).

For more on the Parents’ Circle:  visit their website at http://theparentscircle.org/en/pcff-home-page-en/, and the American Friends of Parents’ Circle Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/ParentsCircleFamiliesForum/.

After meeting with them and other groups this week it seems to me that the wall must come down for reconciliation to take place. Hatred will only go away when people can know each other and have empathy for each other. How is this possible now with the occupation?

Jesus created many races and in his village I know he wants love and acceptance, just as he loves us.

Wednesday, May 2 ~ Luke Hyder

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace…”

This beloved angelic message to the shepherds was the backdrop for the start of our day Wednesday, entered in and around Bethlehem.

Shepherds’ Field Church

Dome above the church letting light stream in.

We visited the “Shepherd’s Field” site in nearby Beir Sahour, at the heart of which is a church commemorating that moment of heavenly proclamation of the birth of Jesus. This visit included singing “Angels We Have Heard on High” in the small, circular, domed church (designed to imitate the shape of a Bedouin shepherd’s tent), viewing Byzantine ruins, and hearing a thought-provoking devotion from Howard Stoess reflecting on the Babel story, God’s gift of diversity, and yet our call to look forward with hope for ways to be unified in our diversity, despite whatever “mountains” of hostility or division we’ve put in our way.

Herodion

The day continued in the spirit of both the Babel story and the angelic message, as we drove out to the site of the Herodium, the towering mound of a summer palace (complete with lower palace, gardens, pools, and the stones of a later Byzantine community), of the infamous King Herod (who slaughtered the innocent children of Bethlehem for fear of the birth of Jesus), all long since in ruins just like the Tower of Babel. The setting provided panoramic views of the Judean wilderness, the countryside of the prophet Amos, and Palestinian villages and Jewish settlements interlaced with one another, the separation wall weaving between them like a concrete and metal tapeworm. One wonders and hopes what else God may need to tear down in order to bring “peace on earth” for the peoples of this land.

Victor Makari with us at International Center of Bethlehem (Diyar Consortium)

Next we returned to Bethlehem, to Christmas Lutheran Church where we had worshipped on Sunday, and met with Victor Makari, an Egyptian Christian, naturalized American, and fellow Presbyterian, who has served churches and our denomination across the globe for nearly 50 years, and is currently sharing in the outreach ministry of this church, with special focus on studying issues of religion and state in the Middle East. Dr. Makari shared with us about the outreach programs of the International enter of Bethlehem, which among many wonderful efforts has sports programs for women, and arts programs for youth. After hearing from Dr. Makari about his life and about these initiatives, the Center provided a delicious and plentiful Palestinian lunch.

My reflections come to a close as we approach the next stage of our journey today, a walk through the old city of Bethlehem to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. Before we toured the Church (or really, three churches), we had about an hour to explore the Manger Square area. Two of my colleagues, Charlie and Alan, and I went looking for an Olive Wood Factory, one of the places that the ubiquitous carved olive wood souvenirs are crafted. We found what we were looking for and more! We met {should I include his name, Jack Giacaman?} the friendly and gregarious proprietor of the “Christmas House” souvenir shop and factory, who graciously showed us around his workshop and store. He then regaled us for most of the remaining hour with heartfelt stories of his life, his family, and the contemporary experiences of his people, Palestinian Christians. I was reminded once again how this is the true sacred treasure we are seeking on this pilgrimage, the living stones of God’s people, living in this Holy Land, longing for “peace on earth.”

***Extra treat or extra credit: Click here for video of our not-quite-angelic but heartfelt rendition from the Shepherd’s Field Church.