Joey & The Ging

Last week I visited Eilat, the Dead Sea and En Gedi in southern Israel. It was really cool to go snorkeling in the Red Sea, cover myself with mud from the Dead Sea and swim in the fresh water springs in En Gedi. It was also interesting to share a hostel with a 60 yr old Israeli, who fought in the Six Day War and to hear different Israeli perspectives while riding on the bus and staying in those locations. At one of the hostels, almost every other person in the place was an 18-19 yr old IDF soldier carrying around a sniper rifle or machine gun.

I came back from the trip to find out that I had a new roomate, an Irish guy who plays Gaelic football and loves to sing Irish rebel songs. I get along with him well even though his accent proves to be a bit of a challenge sometimes. He came with the new group, which consists mainly of internationals from the States, UK, Ireland, Germany, and Spain.

My host sister, or niece, now calls me ammo Joey or Uncle Joey. Her birthday is next week and I'm not sure what I should get a two year old girl but I'm not that worried, I'm sure she will love whatever it is. Right now, her favorite thing to do with me is to sit next to me on the couch and say, nami, which means sleep, while patting the couch. Then, I lay down and she pokes my eyes and tries to grab my facial hair until I wake up and scare her. She responds by laughing and saying, man, or more.
My volunteer placement at Bethlehem Bible College came to an end today but I am very excited for my next job. There is a small village to the north of Bethlehem named El Khaddar (the spelling could be wrong, but you get the idea). This village is very small, poor, Muslim and just so happens to be located along the wall. Because of its locations, most of the houses have demolition orders on them. So, my job is working with a kids' camp again, except this time, it will be with 50 Muslim kids from 7-11. They are learning Arabic and Math during their sessions and need to have something to do in their recess time. That's where I come in; I get to come up with games, songs, dances, or something to fill up the time. This is going to be pretty challenging because of the language barrier and their ages but I am very excited. I went to the village one morning and startet to try to explain a game similar to rock-paper-scissors. While I was trying to demonstrate the game, a little girl named Yasmin came up to me and grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go. Then, Muhammad saw what Yasmin was doing and came and grabbed my other hand. Also, the ladies I work with are very nice and I am sure I will be drinking a ton of Arabic coffee. I officially start next week and have been brainstorming so I can be prepared with games for the kids to play. Any suggestions would be awesome, especially if it involves music.

This past week, the group did a tour of a refugee camp in Bethlehem, which was very interesting. Also, President Mahmoud Abbas was in Bethlehem and the PA police presence has been very obvious. In addition, we received a lecture from Badil, an organization dedicated to refugee rights, most specifically the right of return, which is rooted in international humanitarian law. I continue to be challenged by the diverse amount of perspectives that I have come across.

Hebrews 10:23

            The first half of the program is over, which means people are leaving and new people will be coming soon. This week has been very interesting and I am genuinely beginning to start seeing myself fitting in this place in some capacity in the future.            

            I came home after a long day last tuesday and ended up talking to my host parents about the first intifadah and my host dad’s experience during that time. He was 19 years old and thrown in jail for throwing rocks at the IDF. He said he was the only Christian in the prison and told gruesome stories of torture. He described in detail sleep deprivation, severe beating, electrocution, etc etc. He was in jail for 2 years and things he was describing in a matter of fact manner shocked me. He told a story of being forced to stay in a cell that wasn’t big enough for him to stand up, lay down, or stretch his legs out. He stayed in this tiny cell, that he said was designed for a toddler, for 22 days. I asked, why would they do that to you, to get information? He said yes and started to describe what they were looking for when my host mom said lets stop talking about this because according to her everyone was in jail during the first intifada. I was overwhelmed with emotion and she wanted to dismiss the topic so we could talk about our daily lives. I cant imagine being used to that reality.

            Last night we spent the day in Jerusalem, touring the old city, the temple mount, Al-Aqsa mosque, the Wailing Wall, Via Dolorosa (check my facebook for pics in the next couple of days). I ended my day on the Mount of Olives speaking with a Sufi family about the conflict. This family fed the small group I was with more food than I knew I could eat. The father works to reconcile the different groups in Israel and around the world, emphasizing the need of individuals to find God and themselves in “the other.” He told a story about a student and a master. The student was in a conflict with another student and very angry, so he was asking the master about who was wrong and right in the situation. The master replied by saying, I can either tell you the truth or something greater than the truth. The student didn’t know there was something greater than the truth and opted for that. So the master said well, the truth is good but sometimes reconciliation is better, basically saying that sometimes one needs to give up a little bit of what is due to him in order to live in peace with the other. Pretty cool, I’m not sure exactly what I think, but definitely challenging, especially with reference to the conflict here.

            We also talked to Rabbis for Human Rights, an organization consisting of Rabbis from the whole spectrum of Judaism that stand up for Palestinian Human Rights, especially focusing on home demolitions in the old city and the right to access and movement in the West Bank. Their work was extremely interesting and the Rabbi who spoke with us seemed to have a very good, balanced view on the situation. He, along with the organization, is Zionist, meaning that they believe in a Jewish homeland in the present state of Israel, which was promised to them by God. However, he said that promise was conditional, and that the Jewish people had to act morally and righteously in order to realize that promise. I thought that perspective was extremely interesting.

            Today I spent the day rebuilding a house, which has been destroyed twice by the IDF.  It was cool to do something tangible to help a local Palestinian family with their daily life.

rack me, i'm out...

Tiflee

Coming here I expected to learn things I didn’t know before, things about the conflict, about the Arabic language, etc. However, I thought I had a decent understanding. My ignorance of the issues here has definitely been exposed. I believe lots of things I’ve learned have come from a personal encounter, whether it is with my host family or listening to individuals who offer a fresh perspective I hadn’t considered before. I had one of those experiences last weekend in the Jenin refugee camp. Jenin is well known for being a stronghold for the Palestinian resistance during the second intifada. The group talked to a young guy close to my age about his experience with the conflict. His grandfather was forced out of his home in Haifa in 1948 when Israel declared its independence. When leaving his house, the Israelis killed the grandfather and his family went to the refugee camp without him. Refugee camps are meant to be temporary and the idea of living in such a place for over 60 yrs wouldn’t be something you would wish for anyone. He told stories of the Israeli invasion in the refugee camp where young children spent up to 10 days in the same room with their dead parent. 65 people died during this invasion with less than 10 actually being combatants, meaning that over 50 civilians died in this raid. One can speak of stats, like the reality of over 4 million Palestinian refugees existing as a result of the establishment of the state of Israel, but personal encounters are much more powerful. Hearing this guy talk about his experience of the invasion in front of the mass burial ground was powerful, especially considering burying the bodies together was the only option because only pieces existed. I experience personal testimonies like this on a daily basis (perhaps not quite as extreme). I know that I am only getting a taste of what life is really like in the two months that I’ll be staying here and cannot claim to have a grasp of reality. My knowledge and understanding has developed and will continue to do so. Therefore, I try to ask questions and to avoid thinking my perspective is exactly on point.

A similar theme can be found in many situations in my life. I remember when I was positive that anything the Israelis did had to be unequivocally supported because after all, they are God’s chosen people and have a right to the land that was given to them in the Old Testament. In fact, I couldn’t see anything other option as to how to understand the OT and God’s promises to Israel. I definitely thought the modern state of Israel was the realization of these promises and demonized anyone that could stand in the way. I saw Palestinians as Muslim terrorists who wanted to kill the Jews merely because of their identity as Jews. My perspective has developed since then but I continue to try to stay away from being dogmatic, instead attempting to discourse with humility. Of course, I fall well short of this ideal many times but it continues to be my goal. As I began to learn about the conflict, some questions began arising in my mind. Questions like…If God is love and Jesus came to die for the sins of the entire world, then how does it make sense that God wants the Jews to treat the Palestinians as they are? What if Palestinians are Christians, are the Jews still allowed to do whatever it takes to realize the promises? In God’s eyes, do the ends justify the means in this or any case? I realize that these aren’t extremely theological questions but they were the thoughts that started me on my path to see if there was another viable option. I am struggling with how to approach this belief, instead of laying out what I feel like the correct belief is, I think I’d rather raise questions so as to not be dogmatic in my position. So, is there another viable option? Is it possible that our understanding of the OT with regards to this land and the Jews is a little skewed? Does Jesus force us to reinterpret some of those prophecies? Even if the Jews do have a right to this land, are we really supposed to support them unequivocally, despite the methods they use to accomplish this end? Shouldn’t we stand for justice and against injustice, to fight for the oppressed?

On a completely different note, I am really enjoying my time here. I have started to play basketball in Jerusalem with a group of internationals, Palestinians and Israelis and it has been so enjoyable. My host niece (she calls me uncle) is starting to say my name in her sleep according to my host mom. I am in a groove now and feel comfortable with my surroundings. I continue to meet amazing people that inspire me to do something meaningful with my life. 

Action Jackson

Nearly every place I have been in the West Bank a common theme has persisted. Activists who give lectures talk about how they persevere despite lack of progress. Locals talk about how the window for change is very small before the hope of the Palestinian completely runs out.  This situation is becoming increasingly difficult to see. Especially considering the hardships faced by people with whom I am developing a personal connection. Hope in Christ is the bottom line answer because He is not situational.

For us, who have already found that hope, the question is, “How can we best love Palestinians?” Doesn’t it have to involve helping to change the situation they have lived under for more than 60 yrs?

            So, how can change happen? Where does progress come from? It appears that regardless of the approach taken by Palestinians nothing can change on the ground without outside intervention. Israel will continue to exploit and enact restrictions designed to cleanse the area of Palestinians as long as they are able. Some will say that this land has always seen severe conflict and there is no potential for peace. It is easy for one to dismiss the issues by making these simplistic and inaccurate claims. If this statement is addressing modern day Israel and the OPT specifically then there are many historical examples of the people in this area living in peace, in fact it’s the rule and not the exception.

            I honestly am still wrestling with the approach I would like to take in regards to Palestine. I am very confident that the only worldly power that can change what is happening here is the American government. Some people are boycotting Israeli products, others are lobbying, and still others are attempting to change the perspective of their friends and family. I have it on very good account that the documentary Occupation 101 is an accurate description of the situation on the ground in Palestine and I think this is a very logical starting point for my friends and family. So, check it out. Tell me your thoughts after you see it.

            Since blogging last I have began to fall into a routine. I wake up in the morning to eggs, pita, hummus, jam, and zakkar. Then I walk to the bus stop and take a bus to Bethlehem Bible College where I volunteer until lunch. After lunch I have either Arabic class or a lecture on comparative religions. Then, in the night, we have different optional group activities, most of which I choose not to take part in because I prefer to spend the night with my host family.

            Comment on my blog, send me a facebook message, or email me at taylor.228@wright.edu, I would love to hear what everyone is thinking.

JT