EAPPI- being a witness in Israel/Palestine

In 2002, after calls from local churches in Jerusalem, the World Council of Churches started a new program that would serve as a witness and help create an international ecumenical presence for peace and justice in the Holy Land.

The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) has brought over 300 people to the Holy Land to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in non-violent actions and concerted advocacy efforts to end the occupation. Its objectives are to:

• Expose the violence of the occupation
• End the brutality, humiliation and violence against civilians
• Construct a stronger global advocacy network
• Ensure the respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
• Influence public opinion in home country and affect foreign policy on Middle East in order to end the occupation and create a viable Palestinian State
• Express solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli peace activists and empower local Palestinian communities/churches
• Be an active witness that an alternative, non-violent struggle for justice and peace is possible to end the illegal occupation of Palestine

It is also unique in that it is for people of different generations, including youth (young adults). Check out their website at http://www.eappi.org/.

And so it begins…

On Monday I start a whole new chapter in my life. That is when I start studying at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, on a track to become an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

In a time where you can become a certified pastor online over the internet in just a few hours here in the USA, the ELCA requires its pastors to complete four years of undergraduate study, and then three years of graduate study, completing a Masters in Divinity, one year of internship in a parish, and a summer of Clinical Pastoral Education, in addition to several other things.

Even writing that, it has been hard to let that sink in. I am committing the next four years, three in school and one on internship, to becoming an ordained minister. After three years of traveling and doing service work, having different odd jobs, and just being open and available to do anything at any time, I am saying that, for the next four years, I am going to be in the USA studying.

That’s a difficult thing for me to do. What if this great conference comes by, and I want to go? Or, what about an opportunity to do service work in West Africa? Or, how about a job that I’ve always wanted- I can’t and won’t just leave seminary!

It is something that I have prayed about a lot. And, the call I felt was strong and clear. I couldn’t just ignore this call because I was having so much fun!

And, because I am convinced that this is what God wants, I trust that everything will go according to God’s plan, whatever that might look like. It will be challenging, but also fun, and I am already excited to get started. Now, I have to get to the not so fun part- packing!

Settling for less

When I was in Africa, a local man, when we were talking about politics and corruption, told me that he was tired of the ‘West’ always telling them how it needs to be done.

Now, even though I am from the ‘West’, I usually don’t even try to defend it. In fact, that would be stupid, irresponsible and impossible. It is important that we admit mistakes that we have made and are making, and then ask for forgiveness and change our behavior. Why do we always think that we know best?

The reference in this conversation had to do with corruption in the government. He, like others I have met in the global south, is against corruption, but argues that corruption is and will always be a part of their politics. It is not even a topic worth talking about, goes the argument, because one candidate will be extremely corrupt, and maybe the other will be a tad less corrupt, but both (or all) will be corrupt. Therefore, the ‘west’, as in governments and donor organizations, should stop pressing them on the issue and just understand how things work.

Some might call this a realistic approach, but that doesn’t mean it is not an important issue. Corruption is an injustice, for the country and its people. When there are injustices, we should demand change, and work for that change in a constructive way.

We also have corruption in the United States government. A lot of it, in fact. It is a different kind of corruption- gone are the days (largely) when people passed politicians envelopes stuffed with cash. Now, instead, it comes in the form of giving political favors to businesses and individuals who have given to your campaign. This is an injustice, and we should work to right this wrong, too.

We will never have the kingdom of heaven here on earth until the second coming. Poverty, disease, slavery, homelessness, hunger, human rights violations, corruption, and many other injustices will always be a part of this world until then. Man, there are just so many injustices happening! It would be easy to give up and give in. There will be many obstacles in working for good and we will probably never be able to totally eliminate all of these injustices.

Jesus even told us that we will always have the poor amongst us. But, by his example in action and in words, he advocated change by caring for these people, providing for them when necessary, and even learning from them. Jesus was realistic in his statement about the poor, but he was also clear that we should work for the ideal. He sets the example and lays down the mission for us. I hope we don’t settle for less.

A Clash of Civilizations?

In three days I will be home again in the states. My six month long trip has come down to this. It will be good to be home.

As everything comes to a close, I’ve started to think of things I’ve learned while travelling. I think the biggest thing is that when you travel, meet other people, and experience different cultures, all your stereotypes start to fall. You start to realize that stereotypes are not true for all people- not all Scandinavians have blond hair and blue eyes, and not all Muslims are named Mohammed.

Studying politics in college, one of the theories that you learn about is the idea of a clash of civilizations- that certain civilizations are headed on a collision course that will only create tension and violence in the future (for example the ‘West’ and ‘Islam’). This idea has been pushed by many in my own country and government. And people are buying it.

But people like me who have experienced life in an Islamic culture, and other cultures, quickly find this theory losing ground. Many Muslims welcomed me into their houses for tea, food, and even to stay. One hosted me for three weeks in Bosnia. In Kosovo, one invited me to stay the night at his family’s house, and they cooked traditional food and took me all around the village to sight-see. In Palestine, one invited me up to Jenin to stay with his family for a weekend- and when I left Palestine, he gave me several gifts! A shirt in Bosnia summed it up- ‘I’m Muslim- don’t panic!’

This has been the hospitality I have experienced in all the places I have visited. I have never had anyone hate me because I am an American, and I have never had anyone hate me because I am a Christian. Almost everyone in this world just wants to live their lives in a peaceful, just society where they can work, have a place to live, and eat. People just want normal lives!!! They don’t want conflict, war, and death. There are exceptions everywhere- we in the USA, with our insane murder rates, know this too well. But those are by far the exceptions, not the norms.

As Christians I hope that we will not subscribe to this theory of a clash of civilizations. I hope we can love our neighbors in all civilizations, while not advancing false and harmful stereotypes.

Sorry!

Sorry for a lack in posting! As the trip has come to a close, I have spent much less time near a computer. I will try to catch up...

More Movement Restrictions

The Israelis have made it incredibly difficult to move from place to place in the West Bank, often adding hours and hours to a basic trip to a neighboring town. Mohammed, a Palestinian friend of mine who works at Augusta Victoria hospital, has to pass through 7 permanent checkpoints and countless other roadblocks in order to get home to his family in Jenin from Jerusalem. It now takes a whole day to travel, meaning that he cannot go home for the weekend. He must, instead, work a weekend so that the following weekend he can have an additional day or two off to go home. Of course he could just get a job closer to home- but there aren’t any.

The simple commute from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, only 6 miles to the south, now takes over an hour in many cases, thanks to the checkpoints.

In addition to permanent checkpoints, there are also moving checkpoints, roadblocks, and barriers that are set up by the Israelis to limit the movement of Palestinians. Israeli troops will set up random checkpoints wherever the want, but always in Palestinian territory, so as to not inconvenience any Israelis. I often saw them setting up a checkpoint in front of Augusta Victoria hospital, on the main road to Palestinian hospitals. They stop anyone and everyone they feel like, for as long as they want. The general rule is that the more you protest or question what is happening, the longer you are held.

Israeli’s have also denied Palestinian refugees the right to return even to the West Bank. I heard several stories of Palestinians who had a Palestinian fiancée or girlfriend living in a Jordanian or Lebanese refugee camp, who were not allowed to come back to be with the person the love. The only other option would be that the person still in Palestine leave- but then they might never be able to come back to see their family and friends. They told me that Israel “even controls who they can fall in love with.”

They also use these checkpoints to punish anyone who has a family member who is involved in resistance. Even if you have never been involved in violent or peaceful protest of the occupation, if you have a relative who has you might be turned back. What would you do, then, when there is a peaceful protest? If you go and participate, it might mean that you and your extended family might never be able to pass through a checkpoint again.

All these tactics serve to slow and restrict the movement of Palestinians, making it impossible to organize an effective resistance to the occupation. But what happens, as a result, is that this only leads to increased desperation.

Check out this recent BBC story about checkpoints: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6245576.stm

Checkpoints and the Freedom of Movement

Not only has the wall restricted the movements of Palestinians within Palestine, but so have checkpoints. This combination, along with other things, serves to divide Palestinians, in an effort to minimize opposition to the occupation.

At permanent checkpoints, all those traveling though must present their documents. Israeli’s are let through immediately, and this is usually the case for internationals. Palestinians, though, must present their id, have it scanned and checked, and then must put their hand on a scanner in order to take their fingerprints.

The checkpoints are run by Israeli soldiers, and they do many things to delay and humiliate Palestinians. [The following are all things that I witnessed at checkpoints] Often they will only open one of the lines for Palestinians to pass, no matter how many people are waiting in line. Other soldiers will stand around and chat, instead of opening another line. The soldier who is running the only operating line will often be on the phone, taking their time in checking documents, even yelling at Palestinians who seem to be ‘hurrying’ them.

Then there is the metal detector. When I was passing through, a Palestinian set off the detector, and immediately was screamed at by a soldier. He went back, took out the coins in his pocket, and then passed through. I then passed through, also setting it off. A voice started screaming at me, too, in Hebrew. Of course I didn’t understand, so I went back through and started to take off my belt. But the yelling continued, and finally a soldier screamed in English “go through, go through”.

Many have to go through these checkpoints on a daily basis, and it is really a draining process. People are turned back for no reason whatsoever- it just depends on the mood of the 19-year-old soldier on duty. I saw one man who lived in Jerusalem and had the proper identification turned back without a reason. He pleaded and pleaded to be let through so he could go home, but was denied.

Pastor Mitri Raheb, a Christian Palestinian who is pastor at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, wrote a great book called “Bethlehem Besieged”, which includes many examples of what life is like under the occupation. His step father, in an ambulance on the way to Jerusalem to one of the hospitals with heart troubles, was denied entry even with documentation permitting him into Jerusalem. They tried another checkpoint, which allowed the step father to pass, but not the ambulance. So they had to wait 30 minutes for an ambulance from Jerusalem to come. Sometime during this process he had a stroke, and died the next day. The checkpoints are a matter of life and death.

All this is done in the name of ‘security’.