Saturday, October 25

The Heart of the Conflict

There is no issue in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict that is more explosive than the status of Jerusalem. Although the topic is often set aside during negotiations because of its contentious nature, there are some who believe that the city which represents “the heart of the conflict" must be the starting point for negotiations. Ir Amim (which means "city of peoples" in Hebrew) is a local Israeli organization that promotes this belief and is working towards creating a stable reality for all the peoples of Jerusalem. Today, I had the opportunity to join Ir Amim on a tour of Jerusalem, revisit the wall which surrounds much of the eastern part of the city, and more closely examine the current realities "on the ground" that are working against a shared future and hopes for a viable Palestinian state. Because most of the tour's participants were Israelis who had never or perhaps infrequently visited this part of the city, it was also an opportunity for me to gain a better understanding of the Israeli perspective.
Following the Second Intifada that occurred in 2002, construction on the "separation barrier" began for the alleged purpose of providing security to the Israeli population. Yet the current route of the wall grabs undeveloped West Bank territory for the purpose of Israeli development, includes the major settlement blocks of Gush Etzion, Maale Adumiim, and Pisgat Ze'ev (some of which are quite some distance from the city center) and excludes Palestinian neighborhoods like Abu Dis and Azaryia which had traditionally been considered suburbs of the city.
The Wall as a Tool for Land Confiscation. Hailed as Jerusalem's fastest growing neighborhood, Har Homa offers Israelis "all the staples anyone could ask for: health services, supermarket (with many American foods), pizza, and falafel stores plus regular bus service throughout the day are easily available. Residents are friendly and eager to welcome newcomers. Sitting atop a mountain overlooking Ramat Rachel and Bethlehem, residents enjoy breathtaking views and breathe fresh mountain air daily. There are playgrounds and greenery scattered throughout and many more on the way. All the homes are new and more are planned to meet the growing demand." Subsidized housing makes this settlement appealing to many Israeli Jerusalemites. What developers don't mention is the fact that this land was once West Bank territory--a forested area that provided an open recreational space to the residents of the crowded city of Bethlehem. Confiscation of the area by the Israeli government, development and now adoption into the city of the Jerusalem as a result of the wall insures that Palestinians of Bethlehem and the West Bank will never again be able use the area to hike and picnic.
The Wall as a Tool for Exclusion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem and from One Another. In the Shofat Refugee Camp, an area clearly within the municipal boundary, residents maintain Jerusalem ID status, but the path of the wall now limits access to the city and essentially declares a new municipal boundary. Many Palestinians are moving inside the wall to hold on to their Jerusalem ID card, but this has only added to the East Jerusalem housing shortage, and contributed to overcrowding and economic decline. A similar situation has occured in fringe Palestinian neighborhoods which surround the city like Abu Dis, Azaryia, and Kafr 'Aqb; half of the residents are included in the city and half are cut off. From a security standpoint, there has been no evidence to suggest that those living outside of the wall have engaged in more violent activity than those living on Jerusalem's side of the wall. There is evidence to suggest ulterior motives for the path of the wall.
The Wall as a Tool to Shape Future Borders and Create Irreversible Facts on the Ground. In Abu Dis the wall not only cuts through the community but also runs just in front of the Palestinian Authority's Parliament Building which was to serve as the Palestinian seat of authority of East Jerusalem. Was the path of the wall in this place chosen as a way to prohibit a future Palestinian capitol in East Jerusalem? The question must be asked.
The development of Maale Adumiim, the large settlement block to the east of the city, essentially divides the Northern part of the West Bank from the Southern part making a viable Palestinian state increasingly difficult.
Although these tours are often difficult for anyone, I was encouraged this time by the reactions of some of the tour's participants. Many were disturbed by the obvious lack of social services provided to the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem who pay the same taxes as residents of the Western side of the city. Garbage pickup is clearly less frequent, antiquated water and sewage lines are in desperate need of repair, streets are in need of paving, lights and sidewalks are infrequent, and few playgrounds exist. Education is a huge problem as well. Approximately 1500 classrooms are needed in East Jerusalem and although the Ministry of Education has promised to provide these facilities, they have been slow to act. Many Palestinians are forced to provide private educations for their children, yet Israeli children in West Jerusalem receive these services free. Further, the municipality has refused to zone portions of East Jerusalem, making construction for Palestinians on this side of town illegal. Obviously there is a huge disparity between the city's treatment of its Israeli and Palestinian residents. Many of the tour's participants acknowledged that this could not be morally justified.
Some questioned why so many decisions are made between private individuals and the municipality without public debate. "After all, these decisions affect us all," said one participant. A few recognized that the current realities only aggravate strained Palestinian-Israeli relationships and will not lead to a more secure Israeli State. Perhaps tours like this will encourage more Israelis to become better educated about the realities of the current situation and call their own government to accountability for its actions.

Monday, October 6

Jonah's Lessons for Today

Today is the celebration of the end of Ramadan, the nearly month-long Muslim holiday where Muslims fast from sunup to sundown. They refrain from eating or drinking, and the end of the month is marked by a feast when people exchange presents.

This week begins a series of Jewish Holidays. Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year, and then Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentance.

During the holiday season, both observant Jews and Muslims turn their attention to spiritual matters. Both mark their holidays by fasting. Observant Jews specifically get themselves ready for Yom Kippur by taking stock of their lives over the past year.

On the holiday of Yom Kippur, to be celebrated a week from Thursday, many texts from the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, are read. One of those texts is the book of Jonah. There are deep implications regarding peace between Israelis and Palestinians from the book of Jonah. Jonah is told to go to the capital of Assyria, Nineveh, and warn them to repent. Assyria was an empire that had invaded Israel and deported many of its citizens. When God tells Jonah to go his enemies so that they have the opportunity to repent, he refuses and runs from God's call. And when the Assyrians finally do repent, "...It displeased Jonah, and he was very angry." (Jonah 4.1).

How similar a situation we see ourselves in now. There are a people here who are being oppressed. There are many Palestinians living outside the land that would like to return but are not allowed. Where is the Jonah of today, the one who would be willing to go to Ramallah and speak to the Palestinians about how to work with Israel in an effective way? Not only to the leadership, but to the people on the other side that are willing to do what's necessary for the hard work of pursuing peace. Even after hearing God's call, Jonah still resisted. No wonder then that we so often too shun the work of pursuing peace with our enemies; it's human nature that we want to see them 'get what they deserve' rather than receive the grace and forgiveness God offers.

As we work with MCC in Israel/Palestine we are often reminded that we are outsiders to the conflict here. Ultimately, the people here have to move forward themselves. But as we try to learn from the people we build relationships with, one thing we begin to understand is how each side sees the 'other'. For us, soldiers at checkpoints represent an inconvenience and a frustration; for our Palestinian friends who have experienced them as an immovable part of their lives, they represent something else. Settlers represent injustice to me, but I've never lost a home because of one. In the same way, when militant Palestinian groups speak of destroying the Jewish state, or call Jews pigs and thieves, it doesn't resonate with our identity in the same way it would if we were Israelis or Jews. When leaders rail against the Zionist regime, we don't immediately think about how that will affect our future lives in our current home. But, despite the fact that we are outsiders, we're beginning to understand. Through the relationships we're building we're learning of the pain, frustration, and misunderstanding that is found so often on both sides. We're learing to see the 'other' as our friends see them. And as we understand these things we're able to enter into some of that frustration with our friends, and by doing so, we legitimize something inside them. Suddenly our encouragements to work towards peace and to love our enemies begin to mean something. Here is someone who is learning their language, listening to their story, hearing their pain. So when we talk about loving our enemies, our words carry weight. Recently we've come to understand the grace God has shown us on a deeper level. Perhaps if I had been born in Tel Aviv I would be standing at a checkpoint. Perhaps if I'd been born in Gaza I would march in parades for martyrs. Either way, understanding that grace has kept us from these things is a move towards understanding those on either side who have legitimate grievances. By not cheapening the pain felt on both sides we're able to speak with integrity about the necessity of working towards peace. We realize that as outsiders it's not up to us, but we can often fill the gap that people from here aren't able to. One afternoon we can be in Ramallah helping to train young people to see themselves from others' perspectives and think about the responsibility they have towards their society, and that evening we can sit down with rabbis in Jerusalem to talk about ways to educate the Israeli public about the injustices being carried out by their government.

One of the most significant aspects of Jonah's stories is that not only does he see his enemies redeemed, he actually plays a role in bringing them to that redemption. We look to inspirations like these as we work with partners and friends, urging them to play a role in the redemption of the other side. As outsiders it's not up to us, but we can encourage and support those on both sides who will decide when peace and justice will come to this land.