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’.

The Lutheran World Federation

I have recently been asked to be one of the seven regional bloggers for the new Lutheran World Federation youth page (youth=young adult). Most likely, until the end of my trip, I will be posting everything on both sites. Check out the LWF youth web page at http://lwfyouth.org

The Land, The Wall

“A land [Palestine] without a people…” This is part of a popular saying used as justifying the foundation of the current state of Israel. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Although never its own, independent state, Palestine has been continuously inhabited- in recent times mainly by Christian and Muslim Arabs.

When Israel was founded, after the 1948 war, Arabs were killed, deported, or intentionally scared into leaving what was then the state of Israel, even though it had been their homeland for centuries. People left their houses, their jobs, and even the graveyards that held the remains of their ancestors.

Even today, Israel has a ‘right of return’ policy, where every Jew from any part of the world can come to Israel and become an Israeli citizen. This includes those who cannot trace any ancestry to the Holy Land, whose families might have lived outside of Israel since biblical times. But those Palestinians who lived there only a generation ago, some of whom are still alive, have never been able to return to their homes.

After the 1967 war, Israel began its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Recently, they have constructed a separation wall, with the intention to divide the Palestinian people. Unlike the wall that the USA is building along the border with Mexico, this wall is being built in Palestinian territory, often many miles inside the territory of the West Bank, allowing Israel to seize land that does not belong to them, while dividing communities.

The wall has successfully separated East Jerusalem, recognized by the UN and even the US as Palestinian territory, with the West Bank. The town of Bait Hanina and many other Palestinian towns have the wall cutting straight through it, separating families and neighbors. Kids can't get to their schools, farmers can’t reach their land, and people cannot get to their jobs. There was even a case in a Jerusalem suburb (in a Palestinian refugee camp) where Israel built the wall next to a school, making its playground inaccessible to the students because it was on the opposite side of the wall.

If Israel hasn’t illegally seized land in this way, they can always just use a settlement to claim the land. Miles inside the West Bank, groups of Israeli’s take land, often on hilltops, in land that is utilized by the Palestinians, and build a settlement. Israel then builds walls around the settlement, then roads to Israeli territory and other settlements, and then walls around those roads, constantly squeezing the Palestinians. Palestinian cities like Bethlehem and Hebron are now finding themselves completely surrounded by settlements, cutting them off from other parts of the West bank.

This has been done deliberately as part of a larger strategy to separate families and communities, in an effort to make it increasingly difficult for Palestinians to resist the occupation. Another strategy the Israelis use is the restriction of the freedom of movement…

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid

This is the title of former president Jimmy Carter's recent book. The book doesn't have a lot of new ideas. Instead, it is significant because of the person who wrote it- a leader who has always showed a genuine interest in peace in the Middle East.

I first read the book when I was in South Africa, learning about what apartheid was. Apartheid literally means apartness. And, that's exactly what white South Africa wanted, and they didn't even try to hide it. The word apartheid will always be tied to South Africa, and for that reason many people have argued that it should not be applied to what is happening in Palestine.

Call it what you want, but the things that are happening on the ground now resemble what happened in South Africa-and it has even lead many people familiar with what happened there to say that the current situation in Palestine is worse. If you notice, the controversy caused by the book has nothing to do with the details of what is happening in Palestine. Instead, many people have decided to attack Carter the person or the way he wrote the book, instead of actually addressing what is going on in Palestine. This is not very helpful when working for peace.

Lets look at the facts...

Occupation

Occupation. I wonder what feelings emerge as people think of this word and what it means.

Is occupation always bad? Are there examples of occupations that have been successful or worthwhile? Or, is it always an evil that we should resist, whether we are the occupiers or the occupied? How would you feel if you lived under an occupation?

These theoretical questions could bring about a lot of good discussion. When my plane touched down in Tel Aviv, Israel, I immediately made my way to the Bethlehem, Palestine, in the Occupied territories. Since 1967, Israel has occupied Gaza and the West bank, including East Jerusalem. Palestinian quality of life has continued to deteriorate under the occupation, as Israel controls their every movement. Human dignity, the right to life, and rule by law are constantly ignored by the occupiers everyday in this ‘Holy Land’. But that isn’t the ‘news’ you will hear about in the USA.

For a month I lived and worked in the Occupied Territory. I heard many stories about the occupation from a variety of sources, and I will share some of their stories.

Geneva and the World Council of Churches

After only a few days in Kenya, I headed to Geneva for the first meeting of the youth (ages 18-30) body of the World Council of Churches (WCC). It was my first time in Geneva, one of the most international cities in the world, and I finally got to see the Ecumenical center, where the WCC and the Lutheran World Federation, among other organizations, have their headquarters.

The youth body, called ECHOS, met for several intense days, as we began to form this new body. There had been a strong call to form this body, but not a lot of clear ideas about what this body would do. So, in addition to interacting with WCC staff and the Ecumenical Officers of many of the churches, we were discussing what the next seven years would look like for the youth, basically starting from scratch.

There are a total of 25 members on the body, from all different regions of the world and many different denominations. We shared our experiences in the ecumenical movement and what was happening in each of our contexts. Some were deeply involved in AIDS, anti-poverty, and peace movements, and we brainstormed about how we can get more youth involved in the work of the WCC. One of our biggest challenges is how we can share the work of the WCC on local levels.

Even having been active in WCC events in the past, it was a great learning experience for me. The things that the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) has been working on are outstanding, and they are asking everyone, especially young people, to contribute to making a living letter about ending violence. They also have planned several site visits, where delegations will be taken to places affected by violence.

There is also a World Mission Conference planned for 2010, celebrating the centennial of the Edinburgh World Mission conference in 1910, seen by many as the start of the modern ecumenical movement. They are seeking young peoples input in their program and trying to find ways to bring young adults to the conference.

At the same time, the WCC is seeking our input on what ways we can help bring renewal to the ecumenical movement. How can we be a voice for the young people in the churches, as many youth are searching for spirituality in their lives, but not doing it in the church? This is a major challenge that many churches today are facing. Can we help them understand this problem?

After the ECHOS meeting, I went to a youth and spirituality conference sponsored by the WCC at the Ecumenical Institute outside of Geneva. I had heard so much about the ecumenical institute, which is affiliated with the University in Geneva and offers Masters degree programs and certificates in Ecumenical Studies, and so I was excited to see it. The conference was a great learning experience for me, as we wrestled with questions about our personal spirituality, and the spirituality of young people and the different Christian traditions. At the conclusion of the conference, I boarded the Swiss Air plane, headed to Tel Aviv, Israel.

What are some of your personal understandings of spirituality on both the personal and communal levels?

Mozungu

Going to Africa, I knew that, for better or worse, issues of race would be a part of my travel. It was a huge learning experience, as I was often the only white person I saw for days.

Mozungu is the word that many people in East Africa use to describe white people. I don’t really like the term because it’s obviously a racial term (some people insisted that it means foreigner, but when discussing this further, they admitted that the wouldn't call an African-American mozungu). People will call you Mozungu, or they will yell things like ‘hey Mozungu, come here’. I liken it to being called ‘whitey’. It’s as if my name becomes insignificant- it is only my race that seems to matter.

But I know that a lot of people don’t use it in an intentionally racist way (that doesn’t make it ok, though). Even little kids will point and yell ‘Mozungu’, and then groups of kids will look up and stare.

As I went through many villages, I wondered if I was the first ‘Mozungu’ that people had seen. In Mozambique we went pretty far off the main roads and walked down endless paths through small villages making our way to see fishponds and irrigation projects. In one of these villages, a group of kids saw me and ran over to the side of the road. They kept a safe distance- in case I would bite them! They just stared and stared. After a little while, I turned and wiggled my eyebrows for a second, looking straight at them. They all jumped back at once, and then, realizing how silly this was, started to laugh. I made a couple more faces at them, and then as we continued on, they waved goodbye.

In other places, a group of kids would gather around me, just watching and studying my behavior. It felt like I was the object of a science project. As I walked, they would walk. When I stopped, they would stop. But they were always at least 15 feet away. These areas never had electricity or even books, so I am sure that the kids never saw a white person unless it was in person.

I was treated very differently because of my race, but this wasn’t necessarily in a negative way. Taxi drivers always beeped or shouted at me, seeing if I wanted a ride. Tour guides flocked to me and would even stalk me to try and convince me to go on their tour. Even when I told them that I was a volunteer and would not be taking any tours, they still wouldn’t leave me alone.

Any time I went up to a shop to buy something, they always gave me the mozungu price. Whatever it costs, double it. There are no prices on the goods, so you have to take the persons word on it. I quickly learned to only go shopping with a local.

After making friends with Africans my age, eventually many of them would turn to a more serious subject. Could I get them a scholarship to go to college? I found this ironic because I myself am going back to school, putting together the funds I need to study!

These are all forms of racism in my opinion, but a very different type of racism than that which we had and still have in the USA and in other countries. Unfortunately, this treatment made me question whether I could really trust anyone. Were people being honest with me? Were they helping me and being nice to me just because they hoped I would give them a tip? Did they befriend me just to try and get a scholarship?

Without a doubt, the motives of some people were not genuine, but I think that the vast majority were. Africans are known for their hospitality, and this was something I witnessed and benefited from many times. I even started to ask myself what I would do in their position. If I just finished high school but couldn’t go to college, because of the money, what would I do? Would I just give up this dream of mine, and with it a huge chance to rise out of poverty? Or would I approach someone I thought could possibly help?

In Africa, I learned a lot about what its like to experience racism, and it wasn’t fun. Being in this type of setting for an extended period of time allowed me to feel racism everyday. And imagine- this wasn’t even some of the worst types of racism I have witnessed!

Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with this on an everyday basis in my home country. But imagine what its like for those people who do...