Sunday, June 2o, 2010
As a precursor to our 3 month stay in Israel / Palestine, Faye and I attended the Churches for Middle East Peace conference June 13 - 15 in Washington D.C. The conference discussed several important current issues concerning Israel and Palestine. The conference prepared participants to meet with their U.S. Senators and Representative to advocate for support for a two state solution as part of a comprehensive Middle East peace; ease the humanitarian burden on the people of Gaza; and seek a final status of Jerusalem that assures access to holy places and liberty for all people: free access for 2 peoples and 3 faiths (Arabs and Israelis; Jews, Christians, and Muslims).
Some of the worship and plenary speakers included: John Thomas, past General Minister and President, UCC and Chair, CMEP Leadership Council; Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; Trita Paris, President, National Iranian American Council; and Joel Rubin, Deputy Director, National Security Network. At the Congessional Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday we heard The Most Rev. Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church and Representative David E. Price, (D-NC-4th).
We also had a conversation with Rev. Daniel P. Coughlin, Chaplain, U.S. House of Representatives. When he told us he was traveling to Israel and Palestine this summer we arranged to send him a list of books about the region and the Palestinian perspective. We have since received a nice note of thanks for the list. (See the list at the end of this blog).
On Tuesday we met with Steven Shearer, Chief of Staff for Congressman Aaron Schock. We talked with him for about an hour. I introduced two issues of concern: 1) Proximity talks leading to a two state solution and it's implications for Palestinian Christians, 2) Jerusalem. Faye spoke about the Gaza humanitarian crisis and Israel's security.
I suggested that resolution of the Israeli / Palestinian conflict is very important to preserving a Christian community in the Holy Land. This suggestion seemed be of interest to Steve Shearer. I reported that even Arab Christian Israeli citizens have difficulties in the present situation. Their citizenship does not have the same rights as Jewish Israelis. Arab citizens may be separated from family members by walls, barriers, check points and inaccessible roads. Permits for travel and building are very difficult to acquire.
For example, Rev. Elias Chacour, a Paestinian citizen of Israel, and members of his congregation are restricted from going to worship in Jerusalem during Christmas and Easter. Also, it took him more than 10 years to get a permit to build a school for Palestinian, Muslim and Jewish children. The school has grown from 100 students to several 1000 Palestinian and Christian students, yet they have been unable to get a building permit for additional facilities. Therefore they have built without permits and live with the risk of demolition.
Mitre Raheb, pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, has a 15 year old daughter who was awarded a U.S. State Department scholarship to study in the United States. However, she needs to pick up her visa at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem. She has not been able to get a permit to enter Jerusalem.
Yet, Palestinian Christians are an asset to the Middle East. They advocate non-violent action for reform. They also embody hope when people around them, Israelis and Arabs, are filled with fear and hopelessness.
Concerning Jerusalem, we asked Steve to communicate to Aaron Schock the need to support our administration's efforts to seek a final status of Jerusalem that assures religious liberty for all people: free access to Jerusalem and it's Holy Sites for 2 peoples and 3 faiths (Israelis and Palestinians; Jews, Christians, and Muslims). Our vision is for an international city.
Faye spoke about the situation in Gaza. Half of the population is under 18 years of age with no space for intellectual, physical or political nurture. Unemployment is almost 60% for those under 30 years of age. 80% of Gazans are dependent on humanitarian aid and 97% of Gazan factories have shut down.
She urged Aaron Schock to support the Administration's efforts, working with Israel, to help ease the humanitarian burden on the people of Gaza including finding ways to help rebuild critical infrastructure that sustains life, housing, and schools.
Steve was cordial and listen to our concerns. We could not agree on the perceptions of the conditons of the daily lives of Palestinians and their relationship with Israelis. But we did discover some agreement around the difficult conditions in Gaza, the need for proximity talks seeking a two state solution and for a Jerusalem with access for all people.
Finally, Steve was interested in our coming time in Israel/Palestine and agreed to accept our e-mail reports while we are there.
Reading List:
Jimmy Carter, Palestine: Peace not Apaartheid
Jimmy Carter, We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land
These books are good because he has lived much of the history first hand.
Saree Makdisi, Palestine Inside out: an every day occupation.
This is a very accessible and thorough treatment of the situation in the West Bank and
Gaza.
Elias Chacour, We Belong to the Land
he gives insight into the reality of Palestinian Christians and a vision for peace. He
includes many personal stories about his Call to ministry and how it plays out in a
village of Christians and Muslims in Israel. He is a Palestinian Israeli citizen.
Naim Ateek, A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation
A deeply theological and reflective book.
