1/25/2011

We have now been in Palestine eight days. We started in Jerusalem for a couple days, then spent roughly one day in Bethlehem, three days in Hebron, and one in At-Tuwani. During this time most of what we saw was disturbing (e.g., aggressive Jewish settlers and an assertive Israeli military implementing unjust laws). The occupation is pervasive. Nevertheless, there are rays of hope if one looks in the right places. Fortunately, we have been blessed to meet with several wonderful nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). For instance, the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions (ICAHD) is a Jewish Israeli organization which, as the name suggests, tries to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes. Although Israeli law makes it is virtually impossible to build editions or new homes in the Occupied Territories, the growing Palestinian population leads many Palestinians to build. The result is that many homes are demolished, and many more have demolition orders against them.

Breading the Silence is another Jewish Israeli NGO comprised of current and former Israeli military members who document and speak out against alleged human rights abuses by the military. The speaker that addressed our group described how the logic of the military is to "disrupt the day to day routine of the Hebron [a politically charged city south of Jerusalem] people." He went on to say he does not blame the military, but rather the politicians who order the military to occupy a people. In his words, an "occupation can not provide human rights."

Another impressive NGO is the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). LWF serves as home to, and financially supports, Augustas Victoria, a health care facility which serves cancer patients and others needing specialized medical care. Palestinians come from throughout the West Bank to receive this much needed care. In an effort to support the capacity of the Palestinian people, an impressive 349 of 350 members of the staff are Palestinian. (On a side note, LWF is currently struggling against settlers who have been encroaching on their land.)

In addition to the NGOs, I also saw hope in the way that many Jews, Muslims, and Christians rise above the conflict. In my first blog I mentioned how it was difficult to make generalization about the conflict. This position was further enforced when I had the opportunity to observe Israeli soldiers interacting with Palestinian school children in At-Tuwani. Two days ago we visited At-Tuwani, a small village outside of Hebron, where Palestinian school children have been frequently harrassed by Israeli settlers. CPT and Operation Dove, an Italian NGO, have established a presence in At-Tuwani to document and deter settler harassment. As a result of settler behavior, Israeli courts have ordered the Israeli military to escort the children to school. Unfortunately, the military sometimes shows up late and sometimes not at all; but on this day, the military was walking and interacting with the children. It was hopeful to see Israelis and Palestinians seeing each other and treating each other as human beings, not as enemies.

The possibility of peaceful interaction and cooperation is not relegated to this isolated cases. In the West we often hear, “these people have been fighting for centuries, and there will never be peace between them.” Upon arriving, I expected to see Israelis and Arabs nearly completely separated. Yet historically, Jews, Muslims, and Christians in this area have in many cases existed peacefully. Virtually everywhere we went we saw the lines blurred. In the Muslim section of the Old City in Jerusalem Jews stroll through Muslim shopkeepers without problems. In Palestinian areas outside of the major cities we saw settler children waiting for buses while Palestinians drove past within a few feet. And it was heartening to hear a wide variety of Palestinians, including refugees in refugee camps to shopkeepers in the Occupied Territories, tell us they just wanted to live in peace with the Israelis.

So despite the oppression brought about by the occupation, there are rays of hope breaking through the clouds. These rays of hope offer concrete paths for those struggling for peace.

Michael Snarr is a professor of political science at Willmington College. This entry first appeared at ESA's Jesus & Politics blog.