No Way to the Inn

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Giving Birth at Israeli Checkpoints

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Charity sells Bethlehem nativity scene complete with Separation Wall

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"No Way to the Inn - Bethlehem Behind the Wall" Campaign

Advent 2007

Campaign Brochure [pdf]

If the Christmas story were to happen today, Mary and Joseph would have a hard time getting to Bethlehem....

Join with other churches in this effort to uplift the crisis facing Bethlehem and remember the Palestinians cut-off from traditional lands.

Since 2002, Israeli authorities have been building a separation barrier that snakes through the occupied Palestinian territories, in effect annexing valuable Palestinian land and water resources. To clear the way, Palestinians living near the security barrier often face the threat of home demolitions. According to Israeli human rights monitoring organization B'tselem, the separation barrier affects nearly half a million Palestinian residents, and currently the barrier separates almost twelve percent of the land on the Palestinian side of the 1967 Green Line from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. When completed, the barrier will be 780 km long (for more statistics click here.)

Today, the Israeli-built separation barrier surrounds Bethlehem, located in Palestine, on three sides and cuts off the city from Jerusalem only six miles away. The Israeli human rights group B'tselem writes about the separation barrier:

"In June 2002, the government of Israel decided to erect a physical barrier to separate Israel and the West Bank in order to prevent the uncontrolled entry of Palestinians into Israel. In most areas, the barrier is an electronic fence with dirt paths, barbed-wire fences, and trenches on both sides, at an average width of sixty meters. In some areas, a wall six to eight meters high has been erected in place of the barrier system . . . The construction of the barrier has brought new restrictions on movement for Palestinians living near the Barrier's route, in addition to the widespread restrictions that have been in place since the outbreak of the current intifada. Thousands of Palestinians have difficulty going to their fields and marketing their produce in other areas of the West Bank. Farming is a primary source of income in the Palestinian communities situated along the Barrier's route, an area that constitutes one of the most fertile areas in the West Bank. The harm to the farming sector is liable to have drastic economic effects on the residents--whose economic situation is already very difficult-- and drive many families into poverty." (To read the full article click here.)

Action Ideas

During the seasons of Advent and Christmas, consider these ideas:

Reflections for Advent Worship

“No way to the inn” -- Childbirth and Occupation

by Lorne Friesen

Jesus was born under the Roman occupation. Some called it the “Pax Romana,” claiming the imperial power brought peace to the whole world. Occupation, then as well as now, meant that a powerful ruler controlled almost every aspect of life for those under the empire’s domination. Luke informs us that the occupation required Mary and Joseph to make a long and dangerous journey to satisfy the dictates of the Occupying Power. Matthew tells us that all infant boys born near the place and time of Jesus’ birth were slaughtered, so that Herod could preserve the power given him by the Roman authorities.

Imagine the risks of pregnancy under the occupation. Caesar made his decree, and so Mary and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Many other pregnant women as well as Mary would have been making similar journeys. The disruption in the lives of people would have been enormous. And if the delivery was premature and the mother and child died en route, Caesar would not have cared. The Israeli military occupation of the West Bank likewise places its own interests above the needs of the people under its control. Soldiers have held up numerous mothers in labor at checkpoints; some have given birth in the open fields or in their cars. Mary gave birth in a distant community, far away from the traditional midwife support that families usually provide. Occupation caused the birth of Jesus to take place in crude circumstances with the numerous risks, among the animals.

Today, travel in and out of Bethlehem is controlled by checkpoints in this monstrous twenty-seven-foot high wall that snakes across the West Bank. Checkpoints similar to international border terminals channels restrict access in and out of Bethlehem. The Israeli government has made special arrangements for tourists, so that their inconvenience will be minimal, but most Palestinians find their travel severely hampered even in the case of medical emergencies. They need special permits to travel the five miles to Jerusalem. Many residents of Bethlehem have not been able to visit Jerusalem for years.

May your reflections and meditations on the Nativity story help you find a bond of solidarity with the countless people throughout the world whose lives are controlled by powers that have little regard for their well-being. We should remember that in Mary and Joseph’s day and in ours, every pregnancy is a mysterious God-sent challenge to imperial power. The power of love and new life works outside the restrictions of occupation.

Bethlehem: �No Way to the Inn� Reflection for Worship; Waiting for the Light

How does one describe �darkness'? Darkness can be a metaphor for the most difficult and hopeless experiences of one's life. Darkness can describe the personal tragedies and traumas, but it can also describe the experiences of peoples and nations. Darkness is the place where hope is hard to find. It is the place where we question our own convictions, question the promises of others, and the place where doubts seem to overwhelm us.

During Advent, many churches reflect upon the despair of life without hope. The scripture readings take us back to the nativity story and the hope that they offer to all peoples. However, today, the land of Palestine again lives under occupation. Darkness in this �holy place' is stifling. Some peoples of this land are hopeful, while others have abandoned any hope that there will be an end to darkness. Almost all families with both the Israeli and Palestinian communities are grieving the death of family members who have died by violence. The Israelis rejoice in the prospect of a country which they can call their own, and one in which they can govern, but their memories of racial hatred continue to haunt them. The Palestinians find little to rejoice about, having lost so much of their land, their economic base and their way of life. Their hopelessness is exacerbated by the threat of home demolitions, of their homes being invaded by the military without warning, of unreasonable arrests , detentions, and beatings of adults and young boys, and a world that seems to have lost sight of them.

Isaiah said, �The people walking in darkness have seen a great light�. How long do people need to live in darkness before light comes? How long do you grieve the loss of loved ones through needless violence? How many people abandon any hope that the light will dawn upon them? How many generations pass away before the birth of this �light'?

When light comes, it most often breaks in gently, and recognized only by a few people, and especially for those who have eyes to see. In the West Bank today, there are signs of this light beginning to dawn. Many Palestinians, when asked what gives them hope, will answer the birth of a child. Another sign of hope springs up in unexpected places is the conviction that the conflict can only be resolved through nonviolence. Just as in the Nativity story, the powers of darkness will do their best to put out the light. The construction of the separation wall drives this land into an even deeper darkness. Pray for God's light to break down the barriers to peace and hope.