Week #9

       Being Saturday night when we got back to Bethlehem from the Dead Sea, as soon as we got home & had dinner, we went out dancing all night which was really, really fun! For our final Sunday in the West Bank, many enjoyed time outside -- it feels like spring here -- and took a final walk to Nativity Square.

      Our last couple days in Bethlehem were spent doing a lot of work to pull together our volunteer projects, meeting with Sami Awad one final time, doing final interviews for our research projects, visiting a permaculture village in Beit Sahour and enjoying an insane amount of laughs together with our Palestinian friends. Our final day started with the Holy Land Trust volunteer groups presenting all the research they had done. Then, we painted the wall, enjoyed pizza with Marwan & met with the two main characters in the documentary "Encounter Point" which is about the Bereaved Family Forum (an incredible organization which works to bring about reconciliation to both Palestinians and Isarelis who have lost people due to the conflict). We also had the the opportunity to do some olive wood shopping before our farewell dinner at The Tent Restaurant which was definitely bittersweet. We ended the evening with a video chat with Northland College in Wisconsin and had just enough time to pack before heading out of the West Bank the next morning.

      Though we were most definitely sad to leave the West Bank and all our Palestinian friends, the Negev was definitely a beautiful place to travel to. We stayed on Kibbutz Lotan - an environmentally focused kibbutz, not to mention a small and super loving community. We were blessed to experience a Shabbat service, Shabbat dinner and a discussion the following day about the importance of taking time to rest. We also got to sit down a bunch of kibbutz members to talk about the community and hear a lecture from an environmental expert. In Lotan, we continued learning about various sustainable practices ranging from certain garden techniques & growing local organic food to an intense composting system and lots of recycled sculpture, walls and even houses. We have definitely seen a LOT of mud houses over the past couple weeks.

    Though the desert is extremely dry, it is so, so beautiful with lots of sand dunes and a great view of Jordan's mountains. We also had beautiful, beautiful weather while in the south and were grateful to be out in nature. On our free day, the majority of the group got to enjoy some time snorkeling in the Red Sea which was a nice break for a fairly intense couple weeks academically. We also spent a day at Arava Institute which is a small school (30-40 students) focused on environmental studies on a nearby kibbutz. With them, we learned about several of their programs ranging from conservation, peace building and environmental leadership and developing and testing renewable energy resources such as solar panels and bio-digesters. 

    We are so grateful for everything Holy Land has been doing to help facilitate our travel and abroad experiences!!

                                                                                                                -Heather

Week #8

     It was so wonderful to return home to Bethlehem after our time in Jerusalem -- and home it is! We got to enjoy a couple more day volunteering and also having class.

   Spending a lot of time our first week back in the West Bank apologizing to people about the US veto of the UN Security Council Resolution which condemned Israeli settlement expansion (especially in East Jerusalem), it actually was perfect timing to meet with a Palestinian Authority Negotiator because we had a really rich discussion. That same week, we also got to take a trip to Tulkarem and Nablus - located in the northern part of the West Bank - to learn about all the pollution & health challenges which have resulted because of 12 Israeli factories that were relocated inside the 1967 borders. We saw a different area of the wall, enjoyed some falafel and had a impromptu debke (Palestinian dance) session in this wedding hall owned by a local who we interviewed. Not only was it really fun for our group who loves dancing, it was so nice to see a lot of joy being expressed, amongst some unfortunate situations. Our time up north really started kicking off the sustainability focus of the abroad & we also got to talk to a Muslim Shiekh to learn a bit more about Islam.

   The night before we left for the Dead Sea, our group enjoyed getting to share our abroad experience with friends and family back in the States via Skype and Internet Radio. The next morning we drove about 2 1/2 hrs east to 400 m below sea level. Our first stop was to Rotem - an environmentally focused settlement located atop this incredible hill overlooking the entire Jordan Valley. It was definitely nice to get back out into nature and breath some fresh air with the Jordanian mountains so close by, though it was definitely difficult to think of how much water was being used to build their mud-brick houses and keep the community so green, while the surrounding Palestinian villages constantly had to worry about whether or not they would have enough water to get them through the week.

   The rest of our time in the Jordan Valley was spent at an eco-center in Auja (about 45 mins from the Dead Sea). We learned a lot about composting, biogas and grey water practices & were impressed with the eco-garden used for educational purposes which included many fun sculptures created from reused tires. While in Auja, we also got to do a hike through an area of the desert called Wadi Qelt & got to spend a bit of time in Jericho. We visited Mt. Temptation where it is believed Jesus fasted 40 days before being tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread, jump off the pinnacle and worship him. We also visited the oldest city in the world - Jericho - and got to see a well which is 10,000 years old (pre-pottery). And, of course we enjoyed a swim - though it's technically more of a floating experience - in the Dead Sea. We also got to learn quite a bit about the environmental concerns in the Jordan Valley region ranging from pollution to a quickly decreasing sea level.

     On our way home we stopped at this village called EcoME which was started by several students from the Arava Institute who wanted to create a space which was environmentally friendly and which is open to both Israelis and Palestinians. It was really neat to hear about all the activities they do to bring together Palestinians and Israelis & it was amazing to see how many sustainable practices were fit into a tiny plot of land!

    Definitely an enriching week for us and a nice shift to focus on the environment -- we are so grateful for all Holy Land is doing to set up such incredible experiences!

                                                                                                                -Heather

SHARON

       Meet Sharon from Jerusalem. Though she is only 20 years old, she is one of the coolest girls I've ever met! Even though both her dad and brother are very active in supporting the Hebron settlement, Sharon is a human rights activist who works for an organization called Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). Instead of serving in the IDF for 2 years, Sharon did a year of civil service for "Rabbis for Human Rights" and then found her job with ICAHD. She plans to go to university soon. Sharon sees the solution to the conflict as fixing human rights, demolitions and the occupation FIRST, then perhaps a one-state solution. She has two sisters and three half-brothers & enjoys rapping. Her dream job is working as a human rights activist and if she could go anywhere in the world, she'd go to Europe.

Jerusalem Week

     Marhaba and Shalom -- Where do I even begin?!? Even though Jerusalem is only fifteen minutes away from Bethlehem, it feels like a whole new world filled with incredibly diverse people. Our group was fortunate enough to spend a week full of touring, meetings and adventures in this beautiful city. Though Jerusalem is an entirely different animal in terms of the conflict -- bringing together political and religious elements, it is obviously an extraordinarily holy place, as well.

    Leaving the West Bank to go into Israel is a bit more difficult than entering. Despite internationals & Israelis being able to pass through the checkpoint (via car) with ease - with the possibility of experiencing delays due to passport checks and car searches, our group decided to accompany our guide Elias on foot. In general, many Palestinians aren't actually able to get permission to leave the West Bank. Those who do oftentimes face hour-long waits and encounter unwarranted searches and/or interrogations, being required to walk through several security screening stations. It was definitely a valuable experience actually going through all the turnstiles and metal detectors to try and put ourselves in Elias' shoes & understand yet another obstacle the Palestinians face. Fortunately, we did not have a midnight curfew to be back in the West Bank like Palestinians do.

    We started our trip to Jerusalem with a tour of East Jerusalem (Palestinian-populated). We visited Jerusalem Peace Park and got our first glimpse of the Old City. Even though it was really foggy and rainy, we were still able to pick out the Dome of the Rock atop the Temple Mount. Our guide Sharon also took us to visit a Palestinian village in E. Jerusalem called Sirwan before we made our way to the Old City :)

    Jerusalem is split into three parts: the Old City, East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem (Israeli populated). The Old City is completely surrounded by these massive stone walls most recently built during the Ottoman Empire. The Old City has actually been destroyed twice, twenty-three times besieged, fifty-two times attacked and forty-four times captured and recaptured.  The Old City itself is split into four areas: the Jewish Quarter, Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter and Armenian Quarter & we could not have asked for a better location for our hostel -- right in the middle of the Old City in the Muslim Quarter. The best part of our stay at Hashimi Hotel - other than consistently hot showers & Internet - was the view we had from our roof of the entire Old City; some of our group even had rooms with views of the Dome of the Rock....incredible! We had just enough time to drop off our stuff and enjoy a quick falafel lunch before heading out into Jerusalem for our afternoon meeting with David Louis - an Orthodox rabbi who also studies Christian Science. Walking down the small cobblestone streets of the Old City was definitely an experience in itself because a) it was super slippery and b) we passed hundreds of small shops selling everything from produce & bakery goods to scarves and jewelry. Eventually, we ended up at the Temple Mount Institute, an organization advocating for the re-construction of the Temple. Rabbi Louis gave us a lovely introduction to Judaism at the Institute and took the time to give us detailed answers to our questions which were very valuable. As we returned to our hostel, we stopped at the Wailing Wall and encountered a bunch of IDF (Israeli Defense Force) soldiers being sworn in as commanders singing and dancing which was fun. We also had a woman come up and tell us not to fall in love with a Jewish man because we were impure, only follow the 7 laws; Jews follow 613. 'Twas very out of the blue, but she was very nice.

    On our second day in Jerusalem, we visited the Holocaust Museum which was a very powerful experience. Besides visiting the Holocaust Museum and the Israel Museum, we also got to meet with some incredible speakers ranging from a woman who works for "Encounter" (an organization which arranges tours of the West Bank for Jewish visitors) to a Foreign Service Officer (Amanda) at the US Consulate. It was pretty cool to be on US soil for a couple minutes and to be allowed inside the Consulate. Amanda did a great job answering all our questions and explaining the US stance on the conflict. We learned a lot about Jerusalem (her focus), Egypt, Israeli government and the Israeli lobby...from an American perspective. We were actually quite impressed and reassured by how aware she was about both sides of the conflict.

    Perhaps my favorite meeting, though, was with Yehuda Shaul who is the founder of "Breaking the Silence," an organization working to raise awareness about IDF activity to bring about change. His goal of the organization is to serve as a mirror to try getting Israel to take responsibility for all the abuse which is happening with the IDF. What a relief to hear about an organization which is exposing the problems within the military, especially because of the violence we've seen and heard about firsthand. Yehuda was SO inspiring because, even in his IDF service, he continually worked to do the right thing, despite pressure to do the opposite. So far, 730 soldiers have shared their story and "Breaking the Silence" puts on many exhibitions showcasing these accounts. He joked, "If society loves us, we're not doing our job right" which most definitely takes a lot of courage... We also got to speak with Ibrahim Ahmad El-Hawa and Eliyahu McLean-Dalal who travel around the world representing Jerusalem Peacemakers and a representative of an organization called "One Family" that works to support Israeli victims of terror.

    We also were fortunate enough to attend the Gaza-Sderot Conference 2011: Moving from Crisis to Sustainability which was AWESOME....perfect for what we are studying! Sderot is a village in southern Israel (about 2 hrs away from Jerusalem), located right near the border of Gaza. As soon as we arrived, we were given a safety briefing and told that if we heard sirens go off - indicating a missile was just launched from Gaza - we would need to run to the nearest shelter. The most recent missile was fired just the week before, though fortunately that was not part of our experience while in Sderot. Because Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist, every city within Israel is considered to be a settlement & several areas near the border are frequently under attack. Though Israeli citizens have experienced fewer and fewer missiles each day since the Gaza War, it is unfortunate that this threat is part of their daily lives.

    Also affected by Hamas' rule are the Gazan civilians.  While at the conference, we got to meet a couple Gazans which was an incredible experience. Because of the situation in Gaza, they actually were not able to tell anyone -- even their families -- where they were going. For me, the most meaningful part of the day was hearing from a Gazan who was part of a panel called "From Destruction to Construction: The Contribution of Civil Society." He shared with us that peace actually is not talked about in Gaza because the people are experiencing so much suffering, lacking basic human rights like access to food, water and electricity. Therefore, Gazans are most concerned about their survival. On top of that, there are ~1.6 million people living in the Gaza Strip which is 360 sq km, making it the most densely populated area in the world. Unfortunately, West Bank Palestinians are not able to support Gazans because they are not allowed to be in contact with or visit their fellow Palestinians. And, it is rare that Gazans are able to leave the Gaza Strip. Though it can seem a bit hopeless that they are not even thinking about peace when Israel and Palestine putting forth great efforts to do so, I was grateful to be informed of the situation. Unfortunately, we were not able to enter Gaza, though we may or may not have visited the border which is surrounded by a 100 m buffer zone. The IDF soldiers patrolling the area were actually quite nice which we were grateful for, though it was difficult to imagine so many people suffering & living in such a small space under Hamas rule.

    Obviously during our time in Jerusalem, we visited many holy sites was absolutely incredible. As a religion major, it was amazing to see all these important places for myself. In one day we visited the Western Wall, Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount, Pool of Bethesda, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Mt. of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane.....

     ......obviously during our time in Jerusalem, we visited many holy sites was absolutely incredible. As a religion major, it was amazing to see all these important places for myself. In one day we visited the Western Wall, Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount, Pool of Bethesda, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Mt. of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane.Wow! We started at the Western (Wailing) Wall is a retaining wall to the Temple Mount and is the only part of the Second Temple which wasn't destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Called the Wailing Wall because people come to this wall to mourn the loss of the destruction of the Second Temple (and also because there have been certain times when Jews have not be allowed to come and pray at the wall), it is the most holy site in Judaism. It is common to see people praying at the wall & to see people writing out prayers to leave in the wall.

    Directly above the Wailing Wall are the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque which sit atop the Temple Mount. Inside the Dome is the rock on which Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac/Ishmael. It it also believed to be the rock where Prophet Mohammad ascended into heaven. At this rock, it is believed that Abraham, David, Solomon, Elijah and Jesus all prayed. And, this rock is also considered to be once the location of the Holy of Holies & the cornerstone of the new Temple. Because of all the various religious significance, it considered to be "the most dispute piece of real estate in the world" & is somewhat of a microcosm of the conflict. A cool demonstration of non-violence concerning the Temple Mount is that since 2002, non-Muslims haven't been allowed inside either the Al-Aqsa Mosque or Dome of the Rock because not all Muslims can get there to worship (due to the wall). While in Jerusalem we definitely encountered many fundamentalists as well, the most heated opinions centering around the future of the Temple Mount. There are some people who are pushing to blow up the Dome of the Rock so the Third Temple can be built to bring about the Messiah. Others believe the coming Messiah himself will build this temple, while others feel the Third Temple shouldn't be built. Despite the conflicted space which the Dome sits on, it was actually the most peaceful place we visited in Jerusalem & definitely my favorite spot. It's so, so beautiful!

    As I mentioned, that same day we also got to see many important Christian sites as well. Right outside the Temple Mount is the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the man who had been diseased for 38-years and was waiting for the water to be troubled to be healed. Not only did we get to see the five porches mentioned in the Bible, we also got to see a beautiful church beside the Pool which is believed to be the Tomb of Virgin Mary. This church had incredible acoustics & we were blessed to hear a group singing "Amazing Grace" as we entered. Our group followed it with "O Dreamer." Next, we walked the Via Dolorsa which is the 14-station route which Jesus walked right before he was crucified. Station #1: Jesus received his crown of thorns, #2: Jesus received his cross, #3: Jesus fell for the first time, #4: Jesus met his mother Mary, #5: Jesus received help from Simon carrying his cross, #6: Jesus has his tears wiped by Veronica, #7: Jesus falls for the second time, #8: Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem, #9: Jesus falls a third time, #10: Jesus is stripped of his garments, #11: Jesus is nailed to the cross, #12: Jesus dies on the cross, #13: Jesus is taken down from the cross, #14: Jesus is laid in his tomb. Though only stations 1, 2 and 10-14 can be archeologically proven, there were some beautiful churches along the way.

    The last five stations are all in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is quite the church!! First of all it is huge and super ornate. The three most important spots within are the Anointing Stone (where Jesus was anointed before being crucified), Calvary (where Jesus was crucified) and Jesus' Tomb (where Jesus was buried before he rose from the dead). Each is in very, very close proximity to each other, all within the Church. It was at these three spots where we found many, many people overcome with extreme emotion. Though place is not super important for me in thinking about Jesus and the Christ, it was really interesting to see how connected people are to the exact locations where Jesus walked, was crucified and was buried. As we were walking the Via Dolorosa, we passed several groups singing and carrying a cross. Though the actual "anointing stone" is found several meters below the church - no longer accessible to the public because people used to break off parts of the stone, we saw many devout Christians weeping and praying at and falling all over the stone and touching their crosses and recent purchases to it. In addition to all these people who seemed to be reliving Jesus' struggles, there was also a LOT of artwork and relics within the church depicting Jesus' final hours.

    Along with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, we also visited the Mt. of Olives - where Jesus ascended where a today a mosque located. Next, we walked down past a Jewish cemetery where the burial plots cost $100,000 because it is so close to the Temple Mount. We saw Jesus' Tomb #2 (according to Greek Orthodox), as well as the church where Jesus last wept. We also visited the Garden of Gethsemane - where Jesus spent praying the night before his crucifixion. It was also in this Garden that Jesus asked his disciples to pray with him just one hour, but they all fell asleep. The Garden of Gethsemane was definitely my favorite place because it was very peaceful. Though not as lush as I was imagining, the trees in the Garden of Gethsemane are ~2000-3000 yrs old and are quite beautiful. There is also a beautiful church right next to the Garden called the "Church of Nations," having been built by 12 nations -- including the US. Our day ended visited Tomb of Mary #2 --- it is amazing how many churches have these HUGE caves beneath which are quite beautiful.

    Another incredible week! Jerusalem is most definitely a special place, filled with many colorful and devout people. Though there are a lot of extremists, there are also many wonderfully friendly and giving people as well. During our time in Jerusalem, we got to hear some incredible lecturers, visit Gaza and tour a lot of the city....all in one week. It was amazing to see all the holy sites and learn a lot about their history and significance today. We also visited some awesome museums. I was very grateful also to learn about many NGOs and organizations who are working for peace (on both sides) -- definitely brought about a lot of hope. This upcoming week we're looking forward to going to spending a couple days near the Dead Sea in Auja. Then, we'll head down to the Negev to stay on a kibbutz & visit the Arava Institute which is home to one of the most solid environmental studies programs in the Middle East. Much love and peace…

My Friend Marwan

Meet Marwan --- our Palestinian friend (and also an excellent improptu translator :)) who we met at non-violence training put on by Holy Land Trust. Marwan is 22 and studies information technology at Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron. His favorite food is maqluba (a traditional Palestinian dish) and his favorite color is light blue. For fun, Marwan enjoys participating in extracurriculars and also enjoys rapping. Since childhood he has enjoyed listening to loud rap/hip hop music, though it was difficult to understand because of the speed of the lyrics. This inspired him to further his understanding of the English language. Eventually, he began creating music of his own which has been used as a way to express his feelings as a refugee and the amount of suffering endured by the Palestinian people. He hopes to deliver this message to the whole world. Besides this, Marwan's dream is to complete his Masters degree outside Palestine & return to be an important person in the West Bank. If he could go anywhere in the world, he would go to the US first & then to the UK, Canada or Australia. Marwan currently lives in Arroub refugee camp  & is passionate about things that affect humanity in general. Part of this passion extends to the 7 million Palestinian refugees living in many different areas around the world.  Nevertheless, these refugees continue generation after generation to dream of return.
    From his non-violence training, he learned about what non-violent resistance really is, why it's important, how to prepare for non-violent activities, the impact they have on the other side and how to put together advocacy, advertising campaigns, slogans and goals. He believes in non-violence because it is an important and basic ways to express one's rights. As far as the conflict is concerned, Marwan supports a two-state solution, though this could be a complex solution. So, he says that there will just have to be a solution that comes from God.
    Marwan welcomes e-mail from new friends. He can be contacted at: marwan.meqbil@gmail.com.

Last Round from Hebron

This week the group had the opportunity to go to Hebron, a city in the west bank where Israeli-Palestinian tensions run high. Since Hebron is the historical location of Abraham and the patriarchs, both Jews and Muslims have a strong religious connection to the area. So although Hebron is technically in the West Bank, the city has been divided into a 2 sections – area H1, which is Palestinian controlled, and area H2, which is Israeli controlled.

The west bank is divided in to areas A, B, & C. Area A is under complete Palestinian control, Area B is politically Palestinian but militarily Israeli, and Area C is completely Israeli controlled –for "security reasons" for the state of Israel. It is interesting because 60% of the whole west bank is area C, so that means that out of the West Bank, only 40% of it is actually Palestinian controlled, and there are checkpoints and border patrols sprinkled throughout the occupied territories. So the West Bank is really like a piece of Swiss cheese: the holes are walled in Palestinian areas, and the rest is all under Israeli control. Mobility is pretty restricted and difficult for Palestinians within the West Bank.

Our time in Hebron was eye opening, challenging, and very interesting. We saw and heard many heart-wrenching stories, and as I think back on the experience, I am still figuring out what to do with the information and how to process everything. There has just been so much to think about.

Upon arriving, we all dropped our bags in our rooms and met up for lunch in the café area of the hotel. After our stomachs were filled with delicious hummus and falafel, we clambered onto the bus and splashed through the wet roads of Hebron into the Old City. Sheets of rain pelted us as we filed off the bus and into the puddle filled streets. Within a few minutes, our feet were soaked through, but we were distracted from the rain and cold by the beautiful buildings, streets, and majestic lure of the Old City.

                We winded our way through the cobble stone streets and came to a security checkpoint where we passed through metal detectors and pushed our way through a revolving metal door. A few paces later, we found ourselves face to face with a series of tollbooth looking structures and a handful of Israeli soldiers. After passing through with no problems, we walked around the bend and up the rise to the Ibrahim Mosque. Again, we passed through a set of tollbooths and Israeli soldiers passed us through. We walked by a carpeted area set aside for women to pray, and into a small room with shelves on one side. Removing our shoes as is customary in mosques, we shelved our shoes and entered into the main area of the mosque. I was amazed as I looked at our beautiful surroundings: the Quranic versus dancing across the walks, the beautiful intricate designs on the ceilings, the amazing old wooden platform, the list of prayer times on the wall.

We made our way into another room to view the walled off tomb of Abraham and Sara. From the window, we could see across the way to the other side of the mosque, which has been taken over by Israeli forces and converted into a synagogue. In 1994, there was a massacre within the mosque killing 29 Muslims. After this outbreak of violence, the Israeli government took over control of the mosque and divided the building into a mosque on one side and a synagogue on the other. Today, Jews and Muslims are unable to cross over to the other side. Israeli soldiers protect the synagogue and Israelis on the other side.

While I was standing there in the mosque, I looked across to the window on the synagogue side and made eye contact with a Jewish man. We held focus for a few seconds before he glanced away. But for those few moments I stood staring into this young man’s face from across a barrier. It is amazing that these Israeli Settlers and Palestinian Muslims can be so physically close but be separated so much.

Friday afternoon we all jumped on the bus and drove out to visit a group of 17 families living in caves outside of Hebron. Meeting the cave dwellers was one of the most powerful experiences we have had so far. What a life. These villagers have to walk in and out of that road to get anywhere, and then are often stopped by settlers and soldiers. Two young boys we talked to (16 & 18) told us that they have been beaten by settlers on their way to school. Children in the village leave at 5 am and walk close to 3 hours to get to school. It is hard to imagine walking a total of 6 hours a day simply to get an education. It makes me realize just how much I have to be grateful for.

The cave dwellers are facing many challenges today. They have had a lot of their land taken through confiscation by the Israeli government. In 2005, a security fence was built in the area taking more of these people’s land. Surviving off agriculture, families are having increasing difficulties providing for themselves and their community. The community members have to purchase food and other necessities from surrounding villages, and spend a great deal of money on fuel for electricity, which they use for less than 2 hours a day. Life may be very challenging, but this is how these people have lived for generations, so why give up their heritage and culture now? This is home.

--Sarah Oakes

More Hebron...

Though it actually only takes 30 minutes to get from Bethlehem to Hebron, it feels like a whole different world there. Hebron is considered the most volatile city in the West Bank due to all the political tension caused by Palestinians and extremist settlers living side-by-side. The city is actually split into two different areas: H1 (Palestinian controlled) and H2 (Israel controlled) which makes for a very interesting dynamic. Rarely do tourists visit the area and you definitely do NOT tell Israeli boarder patrol that your travels will include a visit to Hebron if you'd like to be let in the country.

 While in Hebron, we got to hear many different narratives ranging from that of the Deputy Governor of Hebron, to a human rights representative from an organization called B'Tselem to a Hebron Jewish Community settler. Hebron is home to the "Tomb of the Patriarchs" which is the 2nd holiest sight in Judaism and the 4th holiest sight in Islam. This "Cave of Machpelah" was originally purchased by Abraham (important to Jews, Muslims and Christians) as a burial place for his wife Sarah. It later also became the burial place for Abraham himself, Isaac and Rebekkah, Jacob and Leah, and is thought to be the "threshold to the Garden of Eden" (Adam & Eve supposedly buried there as well). Though visitors cannot enter these caves out - of respect for the patriarchs and matriarchs - there is an area where you can look down into the candlelit caves from the mosque above.

This holy site itself, like the city of Hebron, has been split to be both al-Ibrihimi mosque and Ma'arat HaMachpelah synagogue. Isaac & Rebekkah's memorials may be seen in the mosque; Jacob and Leah's memorials may be seen in the synagogue; and both sides have access to the memorials of Abraham and Sarah. Like all around Hebron, there is very high security (in the form of Israeli soldiers) guarding this holy site. To enter into either side of the Tomb of the Patiarchs, we had to go through several checkpoints & had to leave our Palestinian friends in order to  enter the synagogue because Arabs are not allowed inside.

Our first day (which was quite rainy) was spent in Palestinian section (H2) of the Old City. Because of Israeli military orders, most of the shops in this ancient city are closed, causing it to be somewhat of a Ghost town. This has obviously cased huge loss for the Palestinian people. Additionally, Palestinians endure a lot of unwarranted hatred and abuse from their settler neighbor. Obviously not being able to go to certain areas within the city or having to enter your home though the window because your front door is technically in H1 can be quite humiliating, though also the Palestinian Hebronites are often attacked by the settlers.....who are considered to be the most extreme in all of Israel and Palestine.

So what was it like to visit the Hebron settlement, a place where Americans rarely get to visit??  -- slightly unnerving, as you can probably imagine. Not only are there nearly 1000 settlers living in the area, many with humongous families, there are ~2000 soldiers stationed in Hebron (their least favorite place to work) to protect the settlers. Also, nearly every settler (of any age) is armed at all times. Needless to say, we remained keenly aware of what questions we were asking, what information we were sharing, what image we were presenting and how we were coming off while interacting with these Israelis.

Quite different from our previous settlement visit to Efrat, we encountered views and actions even more extreme. At one point en route to a lecture, we witnessed young settlers  (7 or 8 yrs old) throwing stones at our Palestinian friends and yelling, "Mohammed is a pig" in Arabic to try and taunt them. This might be one of the most difficult things we've experience so  because it's hard to fathom how these young children are being taught so much violence and hatred. It is perhaps these individuals who need the MOST love. Though at points, it felt like we were only hearing evil when speaking with the Israeli Hebronites, we worked really hard to just listen with a sense of compassion and empathy (in attempt to continue in our roles as healing agents).

Besides our times with the settlers, we had a lot of really enriching encounters too. As I mentioned, we got to speak with the Deputy Governor of Hebron (after running into the US Consulate the day before) and also got to visit the oldest tree in the world: a 4750 yr old oak that supposedly Abraham sat under once-upon-a-time. We also took a trip to the glass factory which was really neat, and in case you were wondering, YES - we definitely got to meet the cave dwellers. Probably a bit different than what you're envisioning because they do not have extraordinarily long and whispy hair nor run around in loin cloths with big clubs and sticks. However, they do live very simple lives (similar to what I saw in Nepal...which made it difficult to remember to speak in Arabic :)), sleeping in caves and living out of tents (picture Bedouins). The village of Gwein consists of 56 people (mostly family members) who have remained in that village as a form of non-violent resistance. Since they are not allowed to build on the land,  they have no choice but to live in caves and work as shepherds, depending heavily on their own livestock to sustain them. We had a really amazing morning with these ever-so-loving people, hearing their life stories, drinking Arabic coffee made from scratch, walking around their small village and enjoying a wonderful feast. During that trip, we also stopped in the villages of Susya & Twani where we got to see a bio-digester which had been installed earlier in the week by one of our abroadmates and speak with some international observers whose job is to serve as a presence in the region as a protection for the Palestinian people against the settlers. One of these was a Norweigan woman who has offered to share her blog (anneskaardal.wordpress.com) which does a fantastic job depicting the situation in the Hebron area.

Definitely a difficult week, but valuable nonetheless. Yes, I witnessed a Palestinian being beaten by Israeli soldiers. Yes, we saw the place where settlers dump trash & occasionally acid on the Palestinian people below. Yes, we were questioned by various Israeli military jeeps while visiting near-by villages. Yes, I heard settler children screaming obscenities to try and provoke violence from the Palestinans around me. And yes, we heard some very radical ideas, whether that was the call to prayer being perceived as a terrorist threat or that Palestinians are not actually a real people & have pulled off "the biggest PR stunt in history." BUT, even though it was a challenging week, it was good to see the area and experience the tension in Hebron to understand the conflict even further. Not many groups have done what we have done which is exciting & it's been interesting to hear so many different narratives and to be able to witness many of these first hand. And, our time in Hebron only made our return to Bethlehem all the sweeter.

This week, we are definitely looking forward to another couple days "working hardly" at PWLS before heading to JERUSALEM this Thursday -- "inshallah" (God willing :)). We'll spend six days in this incredible city and look forward to seeing all of the holy sites, hearing more narratives and spending time in an area so important for so many people, of many different faiths. "Alhamdulillah" (thanks be to God).

                                                                                                --Heather