of the West Bank. At the end of the day, I was sure that I needed to share what I had witnessed with all of you, but it has taken me so long to write because I do not know where to start. Learning the full biblical and political history of Hebron in order to better understand the place it is today would likely take years. What we experienced was a brief glimpse into the lives of the Palestinians living in Hebron on September 26, 2009. This brief glimpse left me physically and emotionally exhausted for almost a week, but I believe it is important to share this experience with you, so I will do my best to provide some snippets of what we saw. For an excellent and very detailed account of our day, which I fully agree with, feel free to check out Mary Margaret's post about the day. (Mary Margaret is my roommate, also a YAGM)As I've mentioned before, there are two main motivations for Jewish settlers living on occupied Palestinian land. The primary motivation is economic- the government heavily subsidizes settlements and people are able to live in much nicer homes than they would otherwise be able to afford. The other motivation is ideological, and ideological settlers become more common as you move further into the West Bank. Home to the Cave of the Patriarchs (tomb of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah), Hebron, or al-Khalil in Arabic, which means "friend", is a holy city for both Jews and Muslims and a hot spot for ideological settlers.
After passing through the three security checkpoints that Muslims must also pass through on their way to prayer, we first visited the Ibrahmi Mosque, where you can see the tombs for Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah. The mosque is adjoined with a synagogue, which we were unable to enter. In 1994, an American Zionist settler from the nearby settlement of Kiry
at Arba, Baruch Goldstein, entered the mosque dressed in a soldier's uniform and opened fire on the Muslims who were gathered to pray, killing 29 people and wounding at least 100 more. Eventually beaten to death, Goldstein's actions were condemned by the Israeli government, but his burial site has become a pilgrimage for some right-wing Jewish extremists, who praise him as a martyr and hero of the Jewish people. The mosque and synagogue, which used to be far more open for passage between the two buildings, are now completely divided, and we were able to view a portion of the synagogue only through a sheet of bullet proof glass right next to Abraham's tomb- though I can only wonder who it was built to protect.
at Arba, Baruch Goldstein, entered the mosque dressed in a soldier's uniform and opened fire on the Muslims who were gathered to pray, killing 29 people and wounding at least 100 more. Eventually beaten to death, Goldstein's actions were condemned by the Israeli government, but his burial site has become a pilgrimage for some right-wing Jewish extremists, who praise him as a martyr and hero of the Jewish people. The mosque and synagogue, which used to be far more open for passage between the two buildings, are now completely divided, and we were able to view a portion of the synagogue only through a sheet of bullet proof glass right next to Abraham's tomb- though I can only wonder who it was built to protect.We walked down 
from the mosque to the shop of a Palestinian man who is one of the few Palestinian shopkeepers remaining in an area that has been largely taken over by Jewish settlers. Sipping tea outside his shop, beneath the Israeli flag at an IDF outpost mere yards away, I watched as Jewish settlers passed by on their way to the synagogue, many of them with machine guns strapped casually over their shoulder. Sadly, I am starting to grow accustomed to the sight of these guns hanging from a soldier's shoulder almost everywhere we go, but to see a civilian walking towards the synagogue with such a weapon was a new and startling experience. This area of Hebron is home to 400-500 Israeli settlers, with as many as 2000 IDF soldiers in the area to "protect" them- yet most of them also have their own weapons. Once a Palestinian neighborhood, few shopkeepers remain and the area is accessible almost exclusively to Jews and Christians.
from the mosque to the shop of a Palestinian man who is one of the few Palestinian shopkeepers remaining in an area that has been largely taken over by Jewish settlers. Sipping tea outside his shop, beneath the Israeli flag at an IDF outpost mere yards away, I watched as Jewish settlers passed by on their way to the synagogue, many of them with machine guns strapped casually over their shoulder. Sadly, I am starting to grow accustomed to the sight of these guns hanging from a soldier's shoulder almost everywhere we go, but to see a civilian walking towards the synagogue with such a weapon was a new and startling experience. This area of Hebron is home to 400-500 Israeli settlers, with as many as 2000 IDF soldiers in the area to "protect" them- yet most of them also have their own weapons. Once a Palestinian neighborhood, few shopkeepers remain and the area is accessible almost exclusively to Jews and Christians.Walking through Hebron's Old City, I found it odd t
hat there was wire mesh above the streets and shops. This wire, I was informed, is meant to protect the Palestinians from the trash, stones, and even feces that the settlers who have occupied the apartments above the shops often throw down on the streets below. Unfortunately, such a covering cannot protect from liquids and one shopkeeper showed us a beautiful traditional Palestinian dress he had been displaying outside his shop. The dress was smeared and discolored where it had been damaged by bleach thrown down by settlers.I kept thinking back to the Biblical promises God made to Abraham- to make a great nation out of both Isaac and Ishmael. I don't imagine this is what God had in mind.
Our final stop of the day was in the village of At-Tuwani, located in the south Hebron hills. There we spoke with some residents of the village as well as members of the Christian Peac
emaker Team (CPT) that live in the village. CPT came to At-Tuwani in 2003, when they learned that Palestinian children from surrounding villages were being attacked by settlers on their way to school in At-Tuwani. After 3 members of the CPT team were injured and hospitalized, there was an international outcry about the situation and the case was taken to the Israeli high courts. Today, the IDF accompanies the children to school, though the situation is still a dangerous one. Children must hide while they wait for the IDF to come in the mornings, and if they leave their hiding places too early, they risk being attacked. Settlers near At-Tuwani also attack the village's shepherds and have at times poisoned barley in the shepherds' fields, causing the shepherds to lose weeks of income because they are unable to use any of the animals' milk for fear it might be poisoned.
emaker Team (CPT) that live in the village. CPT came to At-Tuwani in 2003, when they learned that Palestinian children from surrounding villages were being attacked by settlers on their way to school in At-Tuwani. After 3 members of the CPT team were injured and hospitalized, there was an international outcry about the situation and the case was taken to the Israeli high courts. Today, the IDF accompanies the children to school, though the situation is still a dangerous one. Children must hide while they wait for the IDF to come in the mornings, and if they leave their hiding places too early, they risk being attacked. Settlers near At-Tuwani also attack the village's shepherds and have at times poisoned barley in the shepherds' fields, causing the shepherds to lose weeks of income because they are unable to use any of the animals' milk for fear it might be poisoned.It is one thing to 
live in a settlement inside the West Bank- and I have met a number of settlers who are truly wonderful people and are not in any way out to be malicious towards their Palestinian neighbors (more on that soon). For me, it is quite another to openly attack children and poison livestock. What could possibly be the rationalization for such actions? One of the men in At-Tuwani told us that it is a "strategy of evacuation" and this seems to be a most apt description. These settlers seem to believe that all of Palestine must be theirs- and they are willing to go to extremes to push the Palestinians out of their homes.
live in a settlement inside the West Bank- and I have met a number of settlers who are truly wonderful people and are not in any way out to be malicious towards their Palestinian neighbors (more on that soon). For me, it is quite another to openly attack children and poison livestock. What could possibly be the rationalization for such actions? One of the men in At-Tuwani told us that it is a "strategy of evacuation" and this seems to be a most apt description. These settlers seem to believe that all of Palestine must be theirs- and they are willing to go to extremes to push the Palestinians out of their homes.It is important to understand that these extremist settlers are a very small portion of the Israeli population and most Israelis would likely be outraged to learn of the atrocities they are committing. They are, nonetheless, a formidable force - and one that is doing its best to cleanse the land of its Palestinian inhabitants. The majority of people in this land, whether they are Palestinian or Israeli, Jewish, Muslim or Christian, are people who want to live in peace. They are hindered in their search for this peace by extremists on both sides of the conflict- people whose religious zeal and thirst for power cloud their ability to see beauty in "the Other."
I have been reading the summer newsletter of Sabeel, one of the many organizations working for peace and justice in Israel/Palestine and came across this blessing, which I think resonates more than ever in times of hardship and conflict. I offer it to you in the hopes that you will bless one another, and that you will pray for this blessing to be among the people of Israel/Palestine.
Franciscan Blessing for Justice and Peace
May God bless you with discomfort...
at easy answers, hard hearts,
half-truths, and superficial relationships.
May God bless you so that you may live
from deep within your heart
where God's Spirit dwells.
May God bless you with anger...
at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people.
May God bless you so that you may
work for justice,
freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears...
to shed for those who suffer from pain,
rejection, starvation and war.
May God bless you so that you
comfort them and turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with
enough foolishness to believe
that you can make a difference
in this world and in your community,
so that you will courageously try
what you don't think you can do,
but, in Jesus Christ you'll have
the strength necessary to do.
May God bless you to fearlessly
speak out against injustice,
unjust laws, corrupt politicians,
unjust and cruel treatment of prisoners,
senseless wars, genocides, starvation,
and poverty that is so pervasive.
May God bless you that you remember
we are all called
to continue God's redemptive work
of love and healing
in God's place, in and through God's name,
in God's Spirit, continually creating
and breathing new life and grace
into everything and everyone we touch.
1 comment:
I really like that blessing.
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