Jerusalem and the West Bank

The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock

Last week I travelled to Jordan, Jerusalem and the West Bank in Israel/Palestine for meetings with our team in both locations. World Vision has had development and relief programs in the West Bank and Gaza for more than 30 years now, with a national office in Jerusalem. World Vision's programs focus mainly on education, agriculture and health. It's always a challenging place to visit, and I think the complexity and intractability of the Israeli/Palestinian situation tests a persons world view, politics and faith like few other places on the planet.  Even the old city of Jerusalem, where three of the most holy sites in Islam, Judaism and Christianity are located within a stones throw of each other, is a place that polarises opinion.  Underlying tensions and the ongoing potential for volatility is evidenced by the significant security and military presence throughout the city. The richness of history in the Holy Land is superimposed with a present reality that is tragic on many levels.  I've always felt a certain heaviness when travelling in Israel and Palestine.  Sometimes you only become aware of this when you leave.  

The Western Wall in Jerusalem

The thing that strikes you most about a visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank is the continued construction of new settlements by Israel, which goes on unabated despite the sanctions of international law.  Construction of these settlements is illegal, and the activities of the settlers themselves results in a situation where abuse of even the most basic human rights is rampant.  It's hard to understate the impacts of settlements and related dislocation of proximate Palestinian communities.  The following clip tells the story of one family in East Jerusalem who is dealing with the loss of their house to illegal settlers.

The separation wall and a settlement

The settlers themselves are driven by various motives; for some it is religious and political zeal, aligned with Zionist cause of laying claim to the former biblical lands of Israel; for others the motivation is more economic, where people are attracted by the various subsidies and incentives offered by the Government to relocate to the settlements.   There are now more than 130 settlements across the West Bank, and the continued development and construction of new settlements is a major obstacle to any future peace process between Israel and Palestine.  Security measures imposed around the illegal settlements are draconian, most recently seen in the construction of a separation barrier through the entire West Bank that has literally cut many Palestinian communities in two, and separated families from agricultural land they have owned for generations.  

Another new settlement

The old souk in Hebron, covered with wire
mesh to protect from rubbish and objects
thrown down from above by settlers
illegally occupying adjacent houses.

There is probably no city more impacted by the issue of the occupation and settlers than Hebron in the West Bank.  Hebron is the ancient city of Abraham, and thus has great historical significance for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike.  Within the old city of Hebron, 500 settlers live in the midst of 30,000 Palestinians.  Radical in their approach, the Hebron settlers have severely disrupted life in the city for Palestinians, and the curfews and restrictions on movement on Palestinians imposed by the 1500 Israeli soldiers based in the city are among the harshest on the West Bank.  Hebron has a tragic history, which continues to play out in the present. 


We visited Hebron and walked through what was once a bustling market.  Now many shops are empty, and above the market a wire mesh has been installed to catch the objects and refuse thrown down from the illegal settlers who now occupy houses above.  Palestinian children are routinely harassed as they walk to school, and there are frequent outbursts of violence in the city.  If you have some time, it's worth reading some accounts of serving in Hebron by former Israeli soldiers at:  www.breakingthesilence.org.il

The tomb of Abraham

A visit to Israel and Palestine raises many more questions than answers in my mind, and prospects for a lasting peace agreement seem distant.  As with everything, there are two sides to every story, or in the case of the Holy Land, probably more like ten sides, but it's hard to escape the underlying root cause issues resulting from the occupation. I believe in a God of justice, mercy and grace, and it's not easy to see any of these elements in the current situation in the Holy Land.  


On a final note, the trip from Tel Aviv to Cyprus is only a half hour flight, but actually takes about 6 hours from door to door because of the time needed to get through security in Israel.  I always feel special to receive some additional hospitality from the security folks at the airport.  The stamps in my passport don't help much.  To quote the security guard last week 'it appears you have visited many of our enemies in the last 12 months'.  Such is the nature of polarised opinion in the Holy Land.

The old city of Hebron

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built above
what is thought to be the crucifixion site. Note
the ladder below the top right window.  This
ladder has been there since atleast 1852, as the
various denominations who look after the
church cannot agree on who is responsible to
remove it. 

View towards the Dead Sea from the Mount of Olives