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Friday, August 6, 2010

Harvesting Peace (and Merlot)

The Mount of Olives in Jerusalem has witnessed many battles in its history. The western slope of the hill was where the Romans camped out in 70 CE as they waited to capture Jerusalem; nearly 1900 years later, it became a key battlefield as Jordanian and Israeli armies fought to establish their border. But today, it's the home of the Lutheran World Federation's ministries and other faith-based organizations. During the summer, it's also where we play volleyball and enjoy church potlucks. How does a battlefield transform into a backyard, with olive trees, grape vines, and a volleyball court?
A lot of healing work, according to Mark Brown, LWF's representative in Jerusalem. The most visible symbol of healing is the Augusta Victoria hospital, providing care that Palestinians cannot receive anywhere else. Another is the grape harvest Tim and I participated in Friday morning. In cooperation with a local Trappist monastery, we grow Merlot grapes here, and harvest them with the help of volunteers. Yum!
At the monastery's winery, where we delivered the grapes, I discovered a beautiful garden path near the church, and this sign (above). Another arrow to follow... the way of peace.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Two Worlds

It is often thought of as an issue that needs no introduction; yet, it is an issue which few of us have ever really studied. So, we assume most of our readers are not very familiar with the details or even larger picture of the situation in the Holy Land with regard to the struggles between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. As we traverse the complicated realities of this landscape over this year in Jerusalem, we expect to learn and grow in our understanding. We hope to unravel some of these issues from time to time as we walk with the the people of this beautiful and tragic place.


On Thursday, a memorial event was held on the Hebrew University campus, for the eighth anniversary of the bombing in the cafeteria July 31, 2002. That day, a Hamas terrorist left a bomb in a backpack at lunchtime, killing nine people and injuring about a hundred. We remember it vividly, too – Tim had just returned to Chicago from Israel when the bombing occurred, and we watched the news as students and faculty were carried on stretchers from the cafeteria where Tim had eaten just days before. One friend who witnessed the attack remembers how long the fear lasted, even after the initial shock had passed. For months, no one would go near the cafeteria. Years later, the memory is still raw, and it is fitting to observe the anniversary by sharing memories and taking seriously that the wounds will never really disappear. To fear that such violence can happen anywhere, anytime, is a psychological and physical suffering no one deserves.

An extreme incident of violence such as the cafeteria bombing should cause us all to be outraged, and to commit ourselves to finding non-violent ways of solving the problems plaguing the Holy Land. But, too often, fear and grief motivate us toward taking sides rather than building bridges. We dig in our heels a little deeper, and the cycle repeats itself again and again. Noticing the prominent use of Israeli flags at this memorial event on Thursday– including a giant blue and white tent that provided shade for the mourners – we couldn’t help wondering if the memory of this attack is also being used to reinforce a more political message about the continued need for state security through military occupation. Bombings like this one are frequently cited as the motivation for the separation barrier between the Palestinians and the Israelis and why the Palestinians have limited rights compared with the citizens of Israel (such as separate/inferior roads, restrictions on movement, poor sanitation and utilities, inadequate schools, limited access to religious and business centers, and subjection to military rather than civil courts). Certainly, many Israelis hold complex views about the actions of their government and military, but to voice these opinions is unpopular – and mandatory military service for all Israelis complicates their lives even further.

The memory of this bombing has prompted us to talk about how uncomfortable it can be to live in and between these two worlds; holding in our hearts the grief of both Israelis and Palestinians. While Tim studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Emily works with the Lutheran schools for Palestinian students, and we live in East Jerusalem among Palestinians and the international staff of church agencies and humanitarian NGOs. It might be easier to give in to the temptation to simply pick a side, and surround ourselves with people we feel are most similar to us. It is much more challenging at times, but we have chosen to cultivate relationships within our Israeli, Palestinian, and international communities. We are called to meet each one with respect for their religious and ethnic identity; to listen to their stories; to accept their hospitality; and perhaps to offer through our friendship a safe place in this divided world to share ideas and opinions.

We are inspired by individuals and organizations willing to enter the messy terrain of understanding various “sides” at once. We'd like to share an article by one of these individuals, David Gershon, who sought out reconciliation with the family of the terrorist who injured his wife in the cafeteria bombing, and the website of the organization "Parents Circle Family Forum" (PCFF) which brings together Israeli and Palestinian families that have lost loved ones in the conflict. We believe that when a lasting peace is reached, it will depend, in part, on international pressure insisting that there is room for everyone here, and that no group needs to disappear for another to feel safe.