the following is an email from my mama who is back in palestine, where she and her pastor/best friend, Bonnie, lead tours every summer. this year they went alone to attend the Annual International Conference at the International Center of Bethlehem (ICB), where our friend Mitri is pastor/founder. I was there just over a year ago and so much has changed. The local winery, Cremisen, has closed it's gardens because the wall is cutting straight through it, the settlements are spreading visciously, there is still no resolution between the Abbas vs. Fatah Palestinian government debate that nearly tears families apart. It sounds like things will soon be coming to a head, whether that means more war and worsened conditions or further & resolutionary peace talks. She said a man spoke yesterday at the conference who envisioned a middle-eastern union, not unlike the EU, that could bring together all of the small, resource wealthy but war-ridden countries of the fertile cresent, building a super power that could overthrow the "western" occupation and take those countries into a new economic age. This is one of the few solutions I have heard over 5 years of study that makes some sense. Ok, on to the wisdom of my mother:
Hi,
It's been another full day. We went into the old city (snuck in 2 Palestinians on our bus) - visited just the Wailing Wall and Church of the Holy Sepulchre in different ways. We spent over an hour at each of the sites with one of the conference leaders as guides. We had lunch in the old city. Then one of the church elders took us to a friend's house in the old city, owner of CocaCola Israel- you guessed it- a magnificent house with a magnificent view from his rooftop. This guy is also on the ICB board of directors. Our bus then took us to Sabeel [a christian organization working against housing destruction/rehabilitation] where we had an excellent presentation by the UN office. This is the info that we know a lot about- but these theological people are not up to date on this. They have a website with some excellent maps. Driving between Bethlehem and Jerusalem- the settlements have grown so much even since last year- and it won't be long before Harhoma and Gilo connect. When Tony Blair saw the same UN presentation, he was shocked at the settlement growth. When our bus got to the Bethlehem checkpoint [what Isreal now calls a super-terminal], a man and his son were facing guns. It was scary and very new for most of the other people on the bus. It was lucky we were there to witness- things cooled, though I'm sure one or both is arrested- for what, nothing. We will be meeting Nina [a Jewish woman who tours around the world speaking against the occupation] on Saturday for dinner- and Kathy Nichols on Sunday for lunch (from Sabeel), but I absolutely can't wait to get home. I'm missing you so much. I love you, xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoooooooooooooooo love, Mom
Hi,
It's been another full day. We went into the old city (snuck in 2 Palestinians on our bus) - visited just the Wailing Wall and Church of the Holy Sepulchre in different ways. We spent over an hour at each of the sites with one of the conference leaders as guides. We had lunch in the old city. Then one of the church elders took us to a friend's house in the old city, owner of CocaCola Israel- you guessed it- a magnificent house with a magnificent view from his rooftop. This guy is also on the ICB board of directors. Our bus then took us to Sabeel [a christian organization working against housing destruction/rehabilitation] where we had an excellent presentation by the UN office. This is the info that we know a lot about- but these theological people are not up to date on this. They have a website with some excellent maps. Driving between Bethlehem and Jerusalem- the settlements have grown so much even since last year- and it won't be long before Harhoma and Gilo connect. When Tony Blair saw the same UN presentation, he was shocked at the settlement growth. When our bus got to the Bethlehem checkpoint [what Isreal now calls a super-terminal], a man and his son were facing guns. It was scary and very new for most of the other people on the bus. It was lucky we were there to witness- things cooled, though I'm sure one or both is arrested- for what, nothing. We will be meeting Nina [a Jewish woman who tours around the world speaking against the occupation] on Saturday for dinner- and Kathy Nichols on Sunday for lunch (from Sabeel), but I absolutely can't wait to get home. I'm missing you so much. I love you, xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoooooooooooooooo love, Mom
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