Kidnapping, Part III

Tonight, the Israeli army announced that it had found the bodies of the three settlers who were kidnapped outside of Hebron 18 days ago.  Clearly, this is a time of mourning, especially for the families of the boys.  They have held onto hope for over two weeks and now their fears are realized.  This is terrible.   

In a time like this, I understand feeling pain, confusion and anger.  And though I also understand the desire for retributive justice, I don't agree with it (fully recognizing that I'm not in the situation of the families of the boys).  The idea that you take one of mine, and I'll take one (or ten) of yours only feeds the cycle of violence and suffering in the world.  It does not bring boys back from the dead, and it does not honor their lives.

Right now, the anger seems overly emphasized, at least in Israeli political circles (all said within hours):

• Deputy Minister Hotovely: "The despicable kidnapping and murder of the students cannot go by in silence, and the those responsible in Gaza must pay the price. The government of Israel must declare a war to the death on Hamas, which is responsible for the murders, and return to the policy of [targeted] assassination." 
• President Shimon Peres: "Alongside deep sorrow, we will remain resolute to punish the atrocious terrorists. Our war on terrorism will only intensify and will not waver so that this murderous terrorism won't dare to rear its head." 
• Deputy Defense Minister Danon:  "This tragic ending must also be the ending of Hamas! The nation is strong and ready to absorb [attacks] for the sake of a mortal blow against Hamas. ... [W]e have to destroy the homes of Hamas activists, wipe out their arsenals everywhere, and stop the flow of money that directly or indirectly keeps terror alive... make the entire Palestinian leadership pay a heavy price."  

This last statement by Danon is particularly disturbing for me.  It beckons exponential violence, not just on the perpetrators but on Israel and Palestine.
  One voice that particularly was on a more hopeful and appropriate note was from the New Israel Fund, a US-based nonprofit advocating for social equality for all Israelis:

"We join with their families and with everyone mourning these three young men. And we ask that every leader, Israeli and Palestinian, take every step necessary to maintain calm and prevent more loss of life. We owe it to the memories of these young men, and to the countless others who have died in this conflict, to do all we can to bring peace and reconciliation and an end to the bloodshed between our two peoples."

 Keith

Church

An olive tree near our apartment

Last Sunday, we visited a Lutheran church. It was the only church in Bethlehem with a website indicating service times, which was a good match for our plan-ahead preferences.

On the way to the same place this week, we heard the most beautiful singing coming from a Greek Orthodox church, which gripped us like the songs of sirens, and we went there instead.

I cannot get over the white stones of Palestine/Israel. Everything is made of white stone.

There's one church (no service hours posted) called the Milk Grotto. It is the most 'feminine' church I have seen. It is deep in the belly of the ground, and has few corners. The circling corridors and round rooms remind me of a labyrinth, of a womb. Rather than statues and icons of men, and mostly men in pain, the Milk Grotto has a dozen different versions of a breast feeding mother and comforted child.

By legend, the Milk Grotto is as a cave where Mary and Joseph hid on their way to Egypt. While Mary was feeding Jesus, a drop of Her milk hit the stone, turning it white.

I like to think that all of the stone in this area is stained white from a mother's milk.

I heard once that we "drink our religion with our mother's milk". To say, we make the choices we make and become the people we are in the contexts we are born. It would take a very pungent milk, the kind that would turn all the stones in an area white, to nourish the faith traditions of so many.

All this to say that the stones in the church we attended this morning were also white.

The white walls highlighted a wagging tail of gray smoke that came from the incense the Father distributed as he circled his flock.

The Father's voice was enchanting, rising and expanding like the trail of smoke behind him. The entire congregation sang out with voices as shining as the golden icons near the altar.

The side walls told stories with giant pictures where people the color of the stones would disappear into the land if it were not for their brightly colored clothing.

The Lord's prayer sounds a little different here. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors".

I don't see the need for it so obviously in my own context, the need to come together regularly and collectively, with great ceremony, to state intentions to forgive. In my experience, there is more of a focus on being forgiven. But entering a mindset of forgiveness regularly is a practice I value with new eyes.

So many Palestinians congregate here this morning for the body and blood of a Jewish man.

A Jewish man who lived in this same pita-colored terrain, under a different occupation.

In all the stories I hear, there is a clear distinction between what is Jewish, and what is the current situation between Israel and Palestine. Even more, between what is Israeli and what is Israeli and foreign policy.

A shopkeeper's three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer around the time the wall between Israel and Palestine was raised. He and his wife had a lot of difficulty getting their daughter to hospitals where she could be treated. It was also a struggle to stay with her or visit frequently.

In Bethlehem, they sell many manger scenes. It is, after all, the "Christmas town". And that is the focus of this man's work - shaping the nativity from olive branches.

During this time of extraordinary challenge traveling just a few miles for medical treatment for his daughter, he began to put walls in his manger scenes. These imitation towers stand between Jesus and his visitors.

With good reason, this man has been frustrated by the occupation. But what he spoke about most was his love for the doctors who treated his daughter. Doctors who cared for his family holistically. Doctors who happened to be Israeli.

I want to get these stories in here, too. The stories of people on the other side of the wall, struggling with the politics and morals of the current situation. I am not on that side of the wall, so I do not hear them as much. but they are reflected in the interactions we have here.

I wrote earlier about a bereaved mother in a refugee camp. Part of the story I heard later was that while she was at the hospital, soldiers were trying to arrest her family members, but the hospital staff (again, Israeli), stood between them and made the soldiers leave.

Refugee Camps

She sits in front of me in a beautiful dress of Palestinian embroidery. Her hair is covered with a thin white veil. The walls around her are covered in photographs. Weddings. Graduations. There is an entire room papered with pictures of a young man - her son - who was shot and killed during a raid. The mother watched as the soldier lifted the rifle above his head in celebration of hitting his mark.

She was three during The Catastrophe. She grew up in the stories of her home. Although we are sitting in her house at the refugee camp, very little of her lives there. She shows us her keys. So many displaced Palestinians carry the keys to the homes they left. They are not the sleek little things we know today. They are large, weighty shackles of keys. "God willing, we'll go back home", she says, gripping the cold metal in her hands.

All of her sons have been detained. All of her neighbors sons as well. It is common. Her sons told her humiliating stories of their time in prison. They were made to sit with bathroom trash bins over their heads.

The army broke into her home on several occasions. Most recently, with the raids this past week. She, also, was surprised by the numbers. As always, she offered to show them around, and open any door or drawer they'd like, but she is not trusted, and must sit on the couch while they break through doors and turn over drawers. This time they broke her fridge. How do you break a fridge?

But the worst time was when her sons were dead or arrested, and she was home alone. She saw the soldiers coming, and yelled at some neighborhood boys to run. The soldier ran into her house and began to beat her with their a night stick. They took pictures, and showed it to her sons in prison.

Keith asked her how she holds onto humanity, and she said the hardest part about holding onto her humanity has been as a mother. She does not fear for herself. She would never let any individual take away her dignity as an individual. But as a mother, she would sacrifice anything for the safety and well-being of her children.

She has a reputation as 'mother' to all in the camp. If anyone returns from the hospital or detention, she is the first to welcome them. She is there to embrace them. She will never welcome home her own son who was shot and killed, but you wouldn't know it if you saw her joy in welcoming home her neighbors' sons.

Kidnapping, Part 2

I remember when I studied in Guatemala, and spent the day learning about the 30 year civil war, and would go home at night to jump out of my skin at the sound of fire crackers going off next door. My host family would laugh. There are always fire crackers going off to celebrate birthdays or weddings or Tuesdays. But here in Bethlehem, whenever a clown's balloon pops, or the wind hits the stage microphones wrong, there is a collective duck. It passes quickly, but it is noticeable.

The Bet Lahem Live Festival recruits local volunteers to assist with the massive operation. A dozen high school students from Bethlehem work with us from morning to night, preparing the streets, store fronts, and stages. Many of these volunteers live in the refugee camps. They were born there. And while the festival is an intense time of work, it is compounded for these folks by what is happening in the camps at night.

Soldiers come into the camps regularly - at least twice a week. Typically, a few dozen come in at a time for training purposes.This last night, our friends told us it was thousands. They had never seen such a large operation, and were up all night as the soldiers went from home to home, and room to room.

More stories fill the news. Three hundred thousand Palestinians are under curfew. Many more are limited in their ability to travel. There are many reports of soldiers taking money, from peoples homes, from their wallets. Non profits are being ransacked and closed, including a children's home. Thousands of buildings have been damaged. Nearly 500 Palestinians detained. More Palestinians shot and killed, including a thirteen year old boy, and a mentally ill young adult who was trying to get to his mosque. An older man died of a heart attack when soldiers broke through his door. Palestinians are beginning to throw Molotov cocktails with their rocks.

I tossed and turned last night, thinking about the parents of the missing Israeli youth. Are the boys alive? Will they see them again? And if they do, will they be the teenagers they were a few weeks ago? I cannot fathom the fear or sadness these parents are experiencing. But what is happening throughout Palestine can't be the solution. 

Bet Lahem Live Festival 2014

The Bet Lahem Live Festival has been wonderful!

Lots of work, but well worth it! 

Star Street has been completely revitalized with storefronts open, hubs for live music and art, and cafes for congregating with friends and, of course, smoking some shisha. 

5% of stores that opened for the festival last year remained open year round. We hope for even more this year!

The event kicked off with a parade from manger square to the main stage at the top of the hill on Star Street. 

Incredible artists performed, both local and international.

Keith and I worked behind stage for part of the event. Keith apparently looks like someone who was at the event last year, who must have made a great impression on the artists, because without introduction, everyone loved Keith and spoke to him like a long lost friend.

Though, that is not uncommon in Palestine. Within our first day, we were beginning to recognize people. Even those we have never met greet us with unmatched hospitality. This is a culture of huge smiles, hearty handshakes, and slaps on the back.

 The finale on the last day was supposed to be a local dance group. Everyone was excited. but the evening before, two of the groups' friends were shot in the continued search for the missing Israeli youth / collective punishment of Palestinians by the Israeli army (more on this later). So all of the international artists performed together instead.

Non Violent Activism: Peace Lectures

Nagler presented at the morning lectures for Bet Lahem Live. He discussed the three faces of power:

1. Threat Power
   Do what I want or I will do something you don't want
2. Exchange Power
   Give me what I want and I will give you what you want
3. Integrative Power
   I will be authentic and it will bring us closer

Here is a recording of Nagler's presentation. 

After his presentation, he led a small group of interested participants in a meditative practice for nonviolence that aims to soak words and thoughts of peace, grace, reconciliation, love, and kindness deep into the subconscious.

The talks were attended by unarmed civilian peace keepers. Groups like the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) provide 'protective presence' by living with vulnerable populations and being witness to their struggles. Visit their website to view eyewitness reports. 

Non Linear Leadership

I attended a presentation today by Sami on non-linear leadership.

Two main concepts I took away from this discussion:

1. There are three realms: The past, present, and future. Both the past  and future realm exist only in conversation (either internal or external). The present is the realm of action.
   
2. People tend to cycle back and forth between the past and present. The conversation of the past influences the actions in the present. Nonlinear leadership is about breaking that cycle.
   
   While still honoring and learning from the past, nonlinear leaders make decisions in the present that are based on a desired future rather than the past. 

Sami believes this is key for Israel and Palestine. He wants to see more people taking pause in the present to think of new and creative ways to act and begin building a peaceful future.

Holy Land Trust

Keith and I are interning with an organization with a mission, vision and value of peace.

Not the political peace that is constantly debated in the region, but a true and deep-rooted peace that is born in the hearts of individuals.

The Executive Director tells the story of his grandmother. His father grew up in Jerusalem, in a neighborhood with Jews, Muslims, and Christians. His father and other Christian and Muslim children would help their Jewish neighbors on the Sabbath by turning on their lights at night (which they cannot do, since they cannot work).

And so, the director does not believe that the conflict in the Holy Land is about religion, but about politics and commerce, using religion.

In 1948 his father's family had to flee their home in Jerusalem, and lived in a refugee camp in Bethlehem. And his grandmother made it clear to his father, and to him, and to everyone in her family, that they would not be a family that sought vengeance. That their family would always work for reconciliation and peace.

Church of the Nativity

Keith and I came just in time for the Bet Lahem Live Festival. This four day event focuses on culture, justice, and faith. In the morning there are conference style lectures on peace and non-linear leadership. Throughout the day, shops will open on Star Street. In the evening, artists, musicians, dance, and theater groups will perform on two stages.

Star Street is the original street heading into Bethlehem. It would have been the street Mary and Joseph used, or the wise men, and countless pilgrims afterwards.

In 2000, there were 98 shops lining the streets. Now, there might be 18. The 2nd Intifada has severely impacted tourism and commerce on this road. Today, the street seems abandoned. Lines of green doors are bolted shut. No one is shopping or socializing here. I cannot imagine what this festival will look like, or how we will pull it off by tomorrow. 

Keith is in his glory. Event planning. Volunteer coordinating. Having opinions :-)

In the void of structure, by western standards, Keith has attracted a following of college students who hang on his every instruction.

Since Keith and I are older than the average volunteer, those in charge of the festival will give us general tasks, and ask us to figure out the details with the volunteers.

For example, we were asked to clear away some of the chairs in front of the stage so there would be room for dancing. Keith quickly envisioned a highly detailed arrangement of where to put chairs and where to leave aisles. Completely arbitrary, but the kind of thing task-oriented interns in a people-oriented culture crave.

When Keith ran to take care of something else, and it became evident that we had to do something with the extra chairs, I instructed the group to add one more row, to which everyone protested, citing Keith's exact orders. I need to learn to speak with his authority.

 I was able to write a press release. That's more my niche.

In the meantime, I am in my glory, because I love to be surrounded by energy, people, food, music, and art. Should be a great event!

Kidnapping

On June 12th three Israeli teens (aged 16 and 19) disappeared. The Israeli news calls it a kidnapping. Since then, the Israeli army has been conducting raids in Palestine, searching for the missing youths, and attempting to apply pressure to Palestinians in general.

There are several reports of the Israeli army blasting through the doors of homes and businesses at night, ransacking and confiscating what is inside, leaving a wake of lasting damage. These are not targeted raids - they move from house to house. Palestinians are blindfolded, and taken away in cars without allegations. Palestinian children under the age of 13 are arrested from school, escorted by soldiers as they cling to their teachers in terror.

In five days, the army has arrested over 200 people. The word 'kidnap' gets a bit muddled.

And so, when the Israeli army is mobilized in Palestine, youth will often congregate and throw rocks and bottles at the soldiers.

We heard today that during a raid, the army fired live ammunition into a crowd throwing rocks, and killed a 20-year-old. Blasting through the door of a home, shrapnel was lodged into the head of an eight year old.

You expect things to be tense here. I have only just arrived. But these kidnappings, on both sides, seem to weigh heavily on the minds and hearts of those I am meeting.

Israel/Palestine 101

A lot is happening here. Before jumping into the details of each day, we wanted to provide a high level overview of the situation, including key terms and dates.

So Katie and I are going to attempt to give a very basic history of the Israel-Palestine situation for context. Clearly, we are not experts. As you know, this is quite complex. There are many opinions, and many ways to find out more information.

Pre-20th Century: History dating back 20 million years. Things happened.

Early 20th Century: An awkward mix of Zionism and anti-semitism in the US and Europe generates a lot of talk about a Jewish Homeland.

1918: The British take control of Palestine from the Ottoman Empire

1939-1945: Millions of Jewish people are killed in Europe during WWII. Some Palestinian Jewish people help to smuggle Jewish refugees into the area.

1946-1947: Land disputes break out in Palestine. Britain 'gives leadership of Palestine' over to the United Nations. The UN votes on a two state solution, in which Israel receives 56% of the land, and Arab Palestinians receive 44%. Arab leadership is discontent with this arrangement, since they controlled much more before Britain.

1948 (Al-Naqba): The British withdraw from Palestine. Jewish Palestinians declare independence, and the state of Israel is formed. Neighboring Arab states (Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon) invade, based on their own nation's economic interests. The Jewish state wins.

It should be noted that Palestinian Arab leadership had little say in the actions of their neighboring nations , though they were most affected by decisions on both sides. In the end, the lost an additional 20% of their land.

This war is referred to by Israeli Jews as the War of Independence. Palestinian Arabs call it Al-Naqba, or The Catastrophe. Over 600,000 Arabs living in what would become Israel fled their homes or were kicked out by the Israeli army. Many of them took nothing with them, except their keys, expecting to return shortly.

Post 1948: With Jewish immigrants pouring in from Europe and other Arab countries, the population of Israel more then doubled in three years. The US begins a strong relationship with Israel, based on oil interests in the region, although not too publicly.

1967 (The Six-DayWar): Verbal and economic aggression and threats by nearby Arab states, most notably Egypt, create the impression that physical action may be taken against Israel. Fearing the possibility of attack, Israel preemptively attacks bases in Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, thereby taking Sinai from Egypt, the Golan heights from Syria, and the West Bank from Jordan. These areas become part of direct Israeli military control.

1970's and 80's: Attempts at peace and a two state solution. Extremists on both sides (militant Palestinians who want to revoke Israel as a state, and right-wing Zionists who want the entire region to be Jewish, annexing all of Palestine) object.

Many Jewish settlements are built on Palestinian land. This breaks international law, the the UN is powerless, based on the US relationship with Israel (more on this below).

1987-1989 (The First Intifada, "Shaking Off"): Mentally, physically, and economically worn out by the Israeli occupation, Palestinians rise up to get Israel out of their territories.

Though much of the Intifada was nonviolent, there was violence as well, which gained much publicity. Israel's response was harsh, drawing condemnation from other nations for being disproportionate. (We will post more later about how Palestine is occupied, with maps on Areas A, B, and C, etc.)

1990s (Oslo and the Peace Process): Yitzhak Rabin, Israel's Prime Minister, worked with Yaser Arafat and the US (via Clinton) towards peace. There was a lot of hope, as Rabin was respected by both right and left-wing Israelis (he was a leader in the 1948 war, and chief of staff of the military in the 1967 war).

In 1995 Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli who didn't want the country to cede any land back to Palestinians. His death marked the end of much of the peace process. Settlements continue to grow in the west bank and Gaza strip.

2000-2005 (The Second Intifada): As the peace process stalled, and the economic situation for Palestinians grew more dire, there was another uprising against the Israeli occupation. This was more violent than the first, with an increase in suicide bombers. Israel's response was again disproportionate, and often directed as collective punishment towards all Palestinians.

Israel's response to the second Intifada was to build a wall into Palestinian territories, separating all occupied Palestine from the rest of Israel. Though originally intended to be built on the borders of the 1967  war, the wall instead was built deep into Palestinian territory, confiscating farm land, destroying houses, splintering communities, and creating significant economic barriers (more on all of this later).

Into 2000: In 2006, Hamas wins political power through democratic elections in Gaza. Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, begins the process of pulling settlers from occupied area in Gaza Strip. Fatah, the other major political power, retains power in the West bank.

No progress on the peace process in the last decade. Israel has refused to stop building settlements in the West Bank.



A few more things of note:

Economics: The GDP per person in Israel is $29,900/year. The GDP per person in the West Bank is 2,900/year.

Religion/Ethnicity: Palestinians are overwhelmingly Arab, though there is a mixture of ethnicities. Not all Arabs are Muslim. There is a significant Arab Christian population (about 30% where we're at).

Like their Muslim neighbors, 1 million  Palestinian Christians were displaced during The Catastrophe.

Settlers: Generally, there are two reasons Jewish people settle in Palestine. There are economic settlers, who relocate for the government's significant economic incentives. Housing, land, and other expenses are much cheaper than in Jerusalem and other Israeli towns.

The second are ideological settlers, primarily Zionists who see it as their right to live on all land that was historically part of Israel. We have heard that both Israeli soldiers and Palestinians are more frightened of extremist ideological settlers than they are of each other. Clearly, not all settlers or Zionists are violent.

Refugees: Palestinians make up the largest refugee population in the world (about 5 million). They are spread throughout neighboring countries, like Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, as well as in occupied territories in the West bank and Gaza Strip.

In a song...


There is no denying that significant violence has been done on both sides of this conflict. There are tactics for causing terror used by both Israelis and Palestinians. There is fear, pain, exhaustion. There is also peaceful, kind, generous, and loving people everywhere we go. Lots of them!

We will try to show the nuances of both sides, but since most of what we hear in the US slants towards the Israeli side, and because we are currently located in (hosted by, meeting people from) Palestine, we will give more time and attention to the Palestinian experience.

Jerusalem in Photographs

How do you stay awake for 36 hours? Grab a coffee and go see all of Jerusalem.

Outside the Damascus gate

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

On the wall's ramparts

Early pilgrims who came to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre would carve a cross on the walls for everyone who arrived safely.

At the Western Wall

In front of the Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount

Views from the rampart walls.

Yehuda Market goodies

Ethiopian food with Colin and Nicole DeGraf