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Rev Clarence Musgrave  
and his wife Joan  
were our mission partners. 
They  worked at 
St Andrews Church of Scotland Church 
in Jerusalem before they retired in the summer of 2006.

Sunbula, the shop in St Andrew's Hospice that promotes and sells handcrafts made by Palestinians is now on the web: www.sunbula.org

• No 210
• No 211
• No 212
• No 213
• No 214
• No 215
• No 216
• No 217
• No 218
• No 219

Other Letters:
No 25-30
No 31-36
No 37-41
No 42-48
No 49-60
No 61-69
No 70-79
No 80-89
No 90-100
No 101-109
No 110-119
No 120-129
No 130-139
No 140-149
No 150-159
No 160-169
No 170-179
No 180-189
No 190-199
No 200-209
No 210-219
No 220-229
No 230-239
No 240-249
No 250-259
No 260-270

Partnership in Conflict

Support Jayyous

We hope to be in touch in early June.

Joan and Clarence


PS. Reference the first part of this letter : Haaretz Wednesday May 11th, PA3 “IDF slaps curfew on W. Bank, Gaza until Saturday night.” ‘The IDF said yesterday it would impose a full curfew on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from the early hours of this morning. The curfew is to remain in effect during Memorial Day and Independence Day, and will be lifted on Saturday night. During the course of the curfew, Palestinians will only be permitted do enter Israel in “humanitarian emergencies” and only with the requisite permits.’


PPS. “Israel’s population nears 7 million” Haaretz
Wednesday May 11th, PA3.

‘Israel’s population has reached some 6,900,000, an 8.5 fold increase since the establishment of the State in 1948, when the population numbered 806,000 according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. The Arab community constitutes 20% of the population. 3,000,000 have immigrated to Israel since 1948, with more than 1,000,000 arriving since 1990, including 26,000 last year. Among the country’s Jewish citizens, 65% were born here. The largest immigrant group is from the former Soviet Union - 950,000. In addition 157,000 Israelis were born in Morocco, 110,000 in Romania, 77,000 in North America, 70,000 in Iraq, 70,000 in Ethiopia and 64,000 in Poland.’

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Circular Letter No 218
7th May 2005

Saturday 30th April

After an early morning visit to Bethlehem to do some business, Joan and I headed down to the Dead Sea area to go for a walk in Ein Gedi National Park. This is one of those rare places where there is a major spring at the side of the desert – and consequently there has been habitation around for centuries. Climbing up on to the first level of the hillside above the Wadi, one reaches what is called a Canaanite Temple. It is quite a small building, of which the foundations are the only parts remaining. However, artefacts found some kilometres away are associated with the Temple, and it seems to have served as a sort of central shrine for people in the surrounding area. The Guide Books and the Park Leaflet date the Temple to 3,000 B.C. Sitting beside it, we looked out over the Dead Sea and on to the mountains of Moab in Jordan. It was quite a thought that people sitting there 5,000 years ago would have seen much the same scenery – certainly the outline of the hills would have been similar.

One wonders what they thought at the time. If they had been told that their Temple would have become a ruin, would they have accepted it? If they had been told that 5,000 years later there would still be traces of it, but not much of them, would they have believed that? When people sit there in another 5,000 years time, I wonder what they will think of the history and 2005, and of all the anguish that there is now? Is the bloodshed, the oppression, the conflict worth it? Necessary? really a matter of life and death?

Boycotts are much in the news here.

There is the ongoing discussion about the proposals to Divest, or get rid of some investments in companies which people consider are producing goods which harm Palestinians – such as Caterpillar, whose bulldozers have been so pivotal in the demolition of houses in Gaza and the West Bank. Anyone interested could find a document about this at www.sabeel.org, “A non-violent response to the Occupation – a Call for morally responsible investment.”

Especially in the United States, there has been discussion of this topic, and reports of decisions by the Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, and the Churches of Christ to initiate discussion of Divestment are contained in an article in the Jerusalem Post, 6th May, P6, headed “Divestment Drive by Protestants threatens interfaith relations.” The article ends as follows: ‘”There are certain issues that are red lines for communities” said the American Jewish Committee’s Elcott. “For us, supporting divestment is an answer to the question – “Do you want to have a relationship with the Jews?” The clear thrust of the article is that any church or organisation deciding to carry out Divestment will automatically be regarded as having put an insurmountable obstacle in the way of continuing relations with Jewish organisations. On the other hand, such action would open the way to closer cooperation with Jewish organisations that support Divestment as a means of bringing pressure to bear on the Israeli government. Cf. www.icahd.org

Then there is the reaction of people here, both positive and negative to the decision of the Association of University Teachers in the UK to boycott certain Israeli universities, as a protest against their involvement in activity on the West Bank in support of Settlements. Not surprisingly, this has been vigourously contested and condemned by people here in Israel.

You will recall that in the view of many the Settlements in the West Bank are illegal – though not in the view of the Government of Israel. The Jerusalem Post, Tuesday May 3rd P1 carries the headline, “Cabinet upgrades Ariel College to first University in W. Bank.” ‘In an effort to strengthen the settlement blocs the government hopes to retain inside Israel’s final borders, the cabinet recommended upgrading the status of the College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel from a college to a university by a 13 – 7 margin.’ Ariel is a large Settlement jutting in to the West Bank from the Green Line in the centre of the northern part of the West Bank. Given the increasing obstacles which are being raised to the withdrawal of a relatively few Settlers from Gaza, one would have thought that the Government might pause a little before creating more new facts on the ground which will become, in the years ahead, new points of conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Wednesday evening saw the start of Holocaust Memorial Day. Ceremonies were held on Wednesday evening and on Thursday. On Wednesday afternoon I briefly met a couple who had attended worship at St Andrew’s on Sunday. They had been visiting different parts of Israel, and were now eagerly looking forward to the next stage of their tour. They were heading for a Settlement where they would commemorate Holocaust Day with the Settlers. I could not help wondering if they had any plans to include a visit to a Palestinian community on the West Bank, to find out how the policies of the Israeli government were affecting their lives.

Over the years of the Intifada there have been nagging doubts as to who has been responsible for different acts of violence. There have been those who have suspected that employees of the Israeli government have acted as Agents Provocateurs on occasions, fomenting confrontations between Palestinians and the Israeli Army.

Some people whom I know attended a demonstration on April 28 in the village of Bil’in, against the construction of the Wall, which is taking their farm land. Planned as a non-violent demonstration by Israeli and Palestinian people, it became violent, with stones thrown at the Israeli soldiers. This gave the soldiers the excuse to shoot back, and to make arrests. A Press Conference was held on May 3rd, when people who had been present at Bil’in gave their version of events. A video film was shown during the conference, which had been filmed by Shay Pollack and a man called Imad. According to the reports, the film showed clearly that the security forces shot many doze ns of gas grenades at the demonstrators without any provocation. The demonstrators were not violent at any stage. In particular, the film showed how the undercover agents, who look in the beginning like ordinary demonstrators, suddenly take off their masks, don police caps and draw revolvers, using ferocious violence to arrest the persons next to them, for no apparent reasons. The organisers of the demonstration maintained that the sole incidents of violence against the security forces came from the undercover agents of the Prison Service disguised as Arabs. It was pointed out that the Prison Service admitted the next day that its agents had indeed thrown the stones, and that this is their way of merging in the crowd.

Friday 6th May

Once or twice in a school term I go to Jaffa to the Church of Scotland School there, to share in the Secondary School Assembly. Today was the day for the first part of this term. What to speak about? Yesterday, Thursday 5th May, was Holocaust Memorial Day. So, to find out how aware the pupils were of their surroundings, I asked what had been special about yesterday. The answer came back that it had been Holocaust Memorial Day. I then asked what we remembered on that day, and the answer was that we remembered the 6 million Jewish people who had been killed in the Holocaust. The context of the reply was a school in Israel, so the answer was not all that surprising. However, it was also a Christian School, in an Arab community, with only 3% of the pupils being Jewish. So perhaps it was surprising that no mention was made of the other 6 million people who had been killed in the Holocaust. Yet in a sense the pupils were only reflecting what is the content of the news that they see and hear – in this country, the main emphasis of remembering the Holocaust of is on the Jewish victims. Somewhere, sometime, there will need to be a wider remembrance.

The next question was what else of importance had been remembered yesterday. That produced silence. Not a single pupil offered a response about the fact that it had been Ascension Day. Probably in Scotland, very few pupils would have remembered that – but here there is more of a tradition in some parts of the Church of celebrating such major Christian occasions. The final question was something like: “In the great sweep of history, which is more important – Holocaust Day or Ascension Day.” Again silence – but perhaps they had been made to think. What answer would you have given? And why? Answers on a postcard to ……!]

Yesterday was also Election Day in the UK – a momentous occasion, no doubt, for those who were candidates and those who were voters. From the far distant perspective of Jerusalem, it seemed to be a very parochial campaign – but perhaps that betrays a bias! Again, in the great sweep of history, which will be more important – Election Day or Ascension Day?

There are two items in the news today that merit attention.

The one is the report of the speech of Mr Sharon when in Poland to attend the March of Life at Auschwitz.

Haaretz 6th May P1. “PM at Auschwitz: Jews can rely only on themselves.” ‘Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who flew to Poland yesterday to take part in the March of Life at Auschwitz on Holocaust Memorial Day, said that Jews could only rely on themselves. “With all the desire to advance the peace process, we must always stand on guard and rely only on ourselves. Jews can rely only on themselves,” Sharon said.’

Haaretz 6th May P2. “Court: Palestinians to get W. Bank plots in place of land taken for fence.” ‘Israel will offer state land in the West Bank to Palestinians whose land was confiscated for the separation fence, the Defence Ministry official in charge of the fence, Col. (res) Danny Tirza said yesterday. Supreme Court President Aharon Barak said yesterday that the state must provide farmers whose land was seized with other land. If that is impossible, then they must be compensated.” It seems a strange world in which we live, where the world goes to war with one country because it does not follow UN Resolutions, while it sits quiet when another country does exactly the same thing. UN Resolution 242 calls for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank. Now it is taking land from Palestinian farmers to build the Fence/Wall/Barrier, and then offering to give them other parts of their own West Bank land as compensation. Does it have any legal right to be there in the first place, and does it have any legal right to be handing out parcels of land to its original owners?

The Prime Minister says that “Jews can rely only on themselves.” So they treat occupied territory as their own. Sadly, it seems to many here that this attitude will mean ever greater isolation for the Jewish people of Israel, ever greater alienation of the Palestinian people, and ever increasing likelihood that there will be yet another chapter in the armed struggle between the two peoples. At Auschwitz, Mr Sharon repeated ‘how the world kept silent’ at the time of the Holocaust. On the West Bank, in East Jerusalem, in Gaza, the Palestinians are echoing his words, and asking ‘why is the world keeping silent’ about what is being done to us.

A personal note. Letter No 219 will be delayed until early June, as we will be attending the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.


God bless.

Joan and Clarence

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Circular Letter No 217
30th April 2005

One of my early memories of our year living in California is of the children of the local school across the road from our apartment lined up in the school playground pledging their allegiance to the flag of the United States. Their sense of identity and patriotism was daily reinforced.

One of my most scary driving experiences was many years ago in France, when driving in area I did not know, I was confronted in the gathering darkness by a procession marking Bastille Day, and it took some effort to avoid running into the marchers. I learned that Bastille Day was a significant event in the French national calendar.

Ingrained into me as a child was the celebration of 12th July in Northern Ireland – recalling the victory of the Protestants over the Catholics in 1690. Of course, beating the Catholics was a “good thing” and so was religiously commemorated each year. Only as an adult did I begin to understand that not everyone was happy on 12th July.


Last weekend here was the celebration of Pesach, or Passover. I have heard that over 60% of all Jewish people in Israel celebrated Pesach with the traditional religious liturgy and special meal. I do not know if that is correct, but I do know that almost all of the people with whom I have talked in the last few days did celebrate the Feast with the special Seder meal. Joan and I were invited to share the evening with a family who are both religious, and part of the Left wing of Israeli political life. Over the years they have spent an enormous amount of energy working for Peace and Justice, though I think they admitted that they are not now as active as once they were.

First and foremost, the evening in this home was a deeply religious affair. That does not mean that is was dull, or joyless – far from it. But it does mean that it was set firmly in the context of the Exodus from Egypt.

The second thing was that it was a family occasion, with the two young grandchildren (aged 3 and 6) fully involved in the telling of the story. The whole family shared in presenting a play that started with the sufferings of the Hebrews in Egypt and ended with the escape across the Reed (or Red?) Sea. There was much laughter and fun, but underneath it all the children were learning about the whole question of the identity and history of their people.

The third thing is that, in this particular family at least, it was long – very long. We had been invited to arrive about 2000 hours, with one of the other guests impressing on us the need to be there on time. I think the Seder meal started about 2100 hours, and when we left at 0030 hours on Sunday morning, there was still almost half of the Liturgy to be completed.

The fourth thing was the delight that our hosts took in welcoming us and in involving us in the events of the evening.


All of the warmth of our reception, and the obvious joy of the Jewish people who were there recalling this seminal event in their history, did not take away from me the sense of sadness that I had experienced on the first occasion I shared in this Passover meal. For the Jewish people, their Exodus from Egypt and their Entry into Canaan – for them the Promised Land – are part of an unfinished story, in which they are still waiting for their Messiah. For myself, as a Christian, I believe that the Messiah has come, and so that part of the story does have an ending.


The conversation round the table ranged over many topics – religion, society, politics, daily life, etc. While being religious people, our hosts were not of the Orthodox strand of Judaism. While being convinced of the rightness of their presence in the land that is now called Israel, they were also deeply committed to respecting the rights of the Palestinians, and being involved in the struggles to achieve those rights.

Two things stand out in my memory.

The first was the sense of sadness at the way the City of Jerusalem has changed and developed over the years. One person spoke of the sense of depression which he feels hangs over the city, of the tension generated by the growing Ultra-Orthodox population of Jerusalem. He lives in Beer Sheva, and said that he could never come back to live in Jerusalem. His remarks echoed those of many secular people whom we have met. What made them more thought-provoking for me was that this was a religious person speaking, for whom Jerusalem had not only a political significance, but more fundamentally a religious one.

The second was the universal lack of Optimism. One of the Jewish people present, who had come back from Europe to celebrate Pesach, spoke of the strange feeling of the optimism which she meets in Europe about the “peace Process” between Israelis and Palestinians, and the widespread assessment here that things are going to get worse. It was the general feeling of the group that, while Disengagement from Gaza was good, it was being accompanied by even greater Engagement on the West Bank, which will only lead to more and more repression of the Palestinians, and in the end to some sort of explosion against the Jewish people.


Where is “Home”? The question was sparked in my mind by an article in the Jerusalem Post (What about the Jews of Iran? Jerusalem Post Wednesday April 27, P15), which contained the following two sentences:

‘Jews have lived in Iran for thousands of years.’ ‘President Katsav (the President of Israel who is himself a Jew from Iran) : Call Teheran and try to find out whether Iran’s remaining Jews want to come home.’

If Israel is “home” to people who have lived elsewhere for thousands of years, where is the “home” of the people who have lived here for thousands of years?


Professor Michael Prior was an Irish Catholic theologian and academic who first of all became interested in the Palestinian/Israeli confrontation and then developed into a leading Christian critic of the theological statements that gave Israeli Jewish political actions a sense of being Biblically correct. Sadly, he died following an accident at his home last year.

On 27th April, a Conference was held in Jerusalem to remember him and to recollect his work and his teachings.

The afternoon session was entitled: Contemporary Perspectives on Jerusalem. There were 4 speakers : a Palestinian Christian, a Palestinian Muslim, a secular Israeli Jewish academic, and a Jewish Rabbi.

Said the Palestinian Christian: “The effect on Israeli public opinion of all the activities of the Peace Movement of the Israeli Left wing has been zero.”

The secular Israeli Jewish academic agreed totally with that assessment, and said that therefore he and others like him were concentrating their efforts outside Israel. Apartheid in South Africa did not fall because the Afrikaners suddenly decided that it was a bad thing, but because they were put under unrelenting pressure from outside. Said he: “If President Bush woke up one morning, and said to the Israeli Government that they had 6 months to withdraw from the West Bank, the sighs of relief from the Israeli population would be heard all the way to Washington.” He gave two statistics that made people stop and think :

“There are more Israeli settlers in what is called East Jerusalem that there are Palestinians.”

“The policy of the Jerusalem City Council is based on keeping Jerusalem with a 72% Jewish majority. If that sort of policy were adopted anywhere else in the world, it would be opposed for what it is – racist. Yet the Government of Israel and gets away with such policies.”

The Palestinian Muslim spoke of the crises of identity through which he had passed. He was born a Palestinian, under the British Mandate. He then became a Jordanian citizen with a Jordanian passport after 1948. When Israel conquered East Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967, he lost his Palestinian status from the British Mandate, he lost his Jordanian status from 1948 – 1967, and ended up stateless, with an Identity Document from Israel stating that he was a Resident of Jerusalem, but with no Passport and no Citizenship. And all this happened without anyone asking him what he wanted. He spoke of three walls :

The Wailing/Western Wall, which he said was ignored by the Jewish community until 1520. Now, to enable Jewish people to visit it, Arab houses were demolished and the residents are still living in a Refugee Camp.

The Wall that divided East Jerusalem from West Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967.

The Wall that is now cutting through East Jerusalem, to create two new entities – “inside the Wall” and “outside the Wall”. Mr Bush talks of democracy, but no-one is giving him, the Palestinian, any democratic rights in the city where he was born, and no-one is asking him what he would like to happen to his people and their land.

The Jewish Rabbi spoke of sharing a Passover Seder meal with his Bedouin friends on the outskirts of Jerusalem. He shared with them the readings of the history of the slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt. A week later, a young man who had not been at the meal challenged him about the ridiculous story that the Hebrews/Jews had been slaves. When he had used the word “slaves” the person who regular translated for him, and who had a good command of English, twice asked him to confirm his use of the word “slaves”. No-one in the Bedouin community could really believe that the Jews had ever been slaves.


Friday 29th April

G came to the church to see me. He had been there the day before when I had been in Tiberias and had left some information about a toddler in a family which he has been trying to help.

G has an interesting history – grandparents from Poland and France – some converted to Christianity without totally renouncing their Jewish culture and history. One fought with the Polish forces in the Second World War – formed a relationship with a Scottish family. One was with the Free French Forces in London. He has been in Jerusalem for 30 years. Over the past few years, he and his family got to know an Arab woman who came to his area selling vegetables. He and other neighbours helped her as they could. Now, her son needs surgery – up to NIS 20,000 costs. Can the Church of Scotland help? Isn’t it remarkable that even in the present climate, a Jewish family is working hard to help an Arab Muslim family, and they turn to a Christian church for assistance? Remarkable, but a validation of what we are about. He did stress that the family which needs help is Muslim – would that matter? Of course it does not matter – not would it matter if it were a Jewish family.

So, I agreed to make contact with the family, learn more of the story and the situation, and, if satisfied, do what I can to raise as much of the NIS 20,000 as possible. The toddler needs surgery to correct a hip deformity, I have been told. There comes to mind the verse from the Gospels about the blind seeing, and the lame walking.


From a Report by Machsomwatch. “The army has trained its sights on the village of Budrus ever since its residents destroyed sections of the “separation fence”. A funeral in Budrus: at around noon on 15 March, the funeral of a village citizen was taking place. In a long column, mourners made their way to the graveyard near the fence, weeping and crying out. And then…Soldiers thought it was a demonstration, and fired towards the mourners, using live fire, rubber-coated bullets, teargas and stun-grenades. Afterwards they broke into the mourners’ homes, knocking down the front-gate; they fired at the mourners; split open the head of Ahmed with a truncheon; and hit the head of Sudqiya – the mother of fifteen children – with an army helmet, seriously wounding her. The ambulance that arrived to evacuate the casualties to hospital was not allowed to get close to the mourners’ home, and two people were arrested. After a conversation from MachsomWatch with the Maccabim brigade commander, the force received an order to leave Budrus, and the two arrested people were released. The world’s most moral army in action...”


A sort of roller-coaster existence – good news / bad news.

Stay well.

God bless,

Joan and Clarence
 

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Circular Letter No 216
23rd April 2005

I was recently given a book entitled “Cain’s Field – Faith, Fratricide and Fear in the Middle East.” Its author is Matt Rees, who is described as the Bureau Chief in Jerusalem for Time Magazine. He addresses different aspects of the story of Israel and Palestine through the lives of individuals. One such person is Dubak, a Settler from Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem. In December 1993, one of his sons was killed in a shooting by Palestinians on the West Bank, and this left a profound mark on him. Years later, speaking with Matt Rees, Dubak made the following remark: “Blood is very cheap here. If you kill, you can make a sulha; you’ll bring me money or goods to compensate. But if you take my land, it’s a different matter. This conflict is not about blood, it’s about land, and for that there can be no reparation.” (P 253 Cain’s Field, Matt Rees.)

From the time that Joshua led his forces across the Jordan River to attack Jericho, right to the present day, the story of the relationship of the Jewish people to this particular geographical area would seem to corroborate the remark made by Dubak. The policy of constructing Settlements in the West Bank since 1967 has from time to time been described as providing Security for the State of Israel. The policy of constructing the Wall/Barrier between Israel and the West Bank has been described as a matter of Security. What I understand to be Dubak’s view is much more fundamental, and in a sense much more brutal; “the land is ours, and we will take it, regardless of what others say.” If my reading of Dubak’s story is correct, can there be grounds for any sort of optimism?

I have commented before on one small, seemingly insignificant, way in which ownership and occupation of territory is communicated. On the main road north past Ramallah leading to Nablus, there are Arab villages to the right and left. There are also Israeli Jewish Settlements. With one or two exceptions, the road signs announce the names and distances of the Settlements, and ignore the names of the Arab villages. Hence, to a young Jewish person driving up the road, it is easy to think that the only places of any significance along the road are the Settlements. At the weekend, driving into Jericho, I noticed that the road sign right at the intersection had been “doctored”. The word Jericho had been painted over, and the only word left legible was the name of the Settlement that looks over Jericho.

Saturday 16th April.

Many are the times I have complained about the length of time I have had to wait at checkpoints, and most often it has been in connection with the checkpoint at the entrance to Bethlehem. Recently, the waiting times have been much shorter, largely due to the drastically reduced amount of traffic in and out of Bethlehem. Today, I arrived at the checkpoint at 1404 hours, on my way in to Bethlehem. Despite the fact that there could easily be two-way traffic, vehicles were being called forward from one direction at a time. By 1422 hours, 14 vehicles had left Bethlehem, including 4 Tourist buses. Eventually at 1423 hours, vehicles were taken from my side. As there were only two in front of me, I was at last through the checkpoint at 1425 hours. On the way in, I counted 10 vehicles waiting to come out, among them a Tourist bus. When we left Bethlehem, we got to the checkpoint at 1746 hours. Two buses were inspected and allowed to pass out; a JCB digger was turned back, and then the vehicles were called from the other, incoming, side. About 1755 hours, the soldiers on duty started taking vehicles in both directions, and we were through and on our way at 1802 hours.

It did not escape my notice that buses taking tourists to and from Bethlehem had to wait in the queue. When I have seen buses taking Jewish people to Rachel’s Tomb they have gone straight to the head of the queue.

Monday 18th April.

The Invitation was to Heads of Churches, and it was to take part in a special tour of the new Museum at Yad Vashem. In the event, we were about 30 people, including the Armenian Patriarch. We were welcomed by one of the leading officials of Yad Vashem, and a short response was given by the Patriarch. It was interesting to note that the Jewish speaker spoke of the coming festival of Pesach (Passover) and put Yad Vashem in the context of the new Exodus that has occurred for Jewish people in the last 60 years, as they have come to settle in Israel. In his remarks, the Patriarch referred to the suffering of the Jewish people, and of all who have been subjected to Genocide, including the Armenians. He put the visit in the context of the preparations for Easter in his Church. He spoke of the suffering and death of Christ and the hope that is offered through his Resurrection.

The sheer scale of the Holocaust is hard to comprehend. In contemporary terms, it is as if one crossed the Scottish border from England and drove the length and breadth of the land and failed to find a single living soul. And that would only account for some 5,000,000 people, while over 12,000,000 died in the Holocaust, of whom 6,000,000 were Jewish. The facts and the figures, the pictures and the sound recordings, the personal possessions and artefacts that make up the Presentations in the new Museum drove home in an unrelenting way the indescribable suffering that one group of human beings inflicted on another, and just about crushed me under their weight.

As I left to return to St Andrew’s where I had an appointment, all sorts of thoughts went through my mind, - what I had seen and how different comments from the Guide struck me.

The following plaque was near the beginning of the whole Museum, in a series dealing with Anti-Semitism.

“From its inception, Christianity was ambivalent in its attitude towards Judaism. It recognised the Jews uniqueness as divinely chosen bearers of God’s Word. However, Christianity developed a hatred of the Jews for rejecting Jesus as the Messiah who preached a new redemptive Gospel, and it blamed them collectively and forever for his death. Fifth century Christian theology determined that the Jews should not be killed, rather, they should be kept in their humiliated status until they accept Christianity. In the Middle Ages, the negative image of the Jew became entrenched with the charge of deicide. This image led to popular outbursts and blood libels against the Jews, especially in times of crisis. In its theological struggle against Judaism and the Jews, Christianity perpetuated and spread this negative image over the centuries and wherever European Christian Culture reached.”

He drew our attention to the panels which indicated the way in which the Nazis had built a greatly improved road system in Germany, which facilitated their control of the country. I could not help thinking of the new road from Jerusalem to Jericho, or from Ariel in the direction of the Jordan Valley – roads that will help the Israeli government to keep control of the West Bank.

He pointed out one picture where a young boy is standing with his hands held up, while a soldier in the background has his rifle trained on him. I could not help remembering the soldiers who have gone into school playgrounds on the West Bank and let off stun grenades and fired tear gas.

There was a large section on the creation of Ghettoes all across Europe, with the building of walls. I could not help recalling Saturday, when I was held up at the checkpoint entering and leaving Bethlehem.

As one left the new section of the Museum, our Guide showed us from a sort of viewing gallery some of the city of Jerusalem, saying that it was here in the country that the Jewish people were building a new home where there would never again be an experience like that of the Holocaust in Germany. I would not help noticing that the direction in which the Gallery was facing was East – towards Ramallah and Palestine. Was this fortuitous? On was it in some way a claim to that land also as part of the new homeland for Jewish people?


The walls of the new Museum are bare concrete, with no paint to soften the sombre grey appearance. I am sure that this was very much in the mind of the architect, so that there would be nothing that would soften the images of the agonies of the Jewish people who were the victims of the Holocaust. The car park had 20 tourist coaches in it when I arrived – more had come by the time we left. I was left wondering what was the “message” that this Museum was trying to communicate to all those who will visit it? Certainly, there is the message of the unspeakable horrors suffered by Jewish people. (Others also suffered, but this particular Museum is to recall the sufferings of the Jewish people.) But what else? I did not leave it with any feeling of Hope – of a way to combat such evil.

The one other building that I have seen in this part of the world that has a similar sort of internal finish to its walls is the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Its walls, too, are unadorned concrete. It does not speak directly of human inhumanity against fellow humans, though that is part of the underlying message, - there would have been no need of an Incarnation had there been no inhumanity. Yet, to me, it does seem to offer some sort of Hope.

The following is part of an e-mail sent out by Gush Shalom.
www.gush-shalom.org

I am sure that a visit to the web-site would be helpful in getting more information.

THE THIRD STAGE

Israel and the entire world are fascinated by Sharon's great show in the Gaza Strip. That is the first stage of his plan.

Behind this smoke screen, Sharon is occupied with expanding the big "settlement blocs" in the western part of the West Bank. Their annexation is the second stage of his plan.

But at the same time, Sharon is preparing the third stage: the annexation of the Jordan valley and the Dead Sea shore. Together with the settlement blocs, these constitute 52% of the total West Bank area.

This week, the occupation authorities have informed dozens of inhabitants of Aqaba, north of Nablus, that they have to get out of their village, which has been declared a "closed military zone".

Aqaba is a small village bordering on the Jordan valley. The expulsion of the families is the beginning of a big secret operation for widening the valley, in preparation for its eventual annexation to Israel.

Travelling along the Jordan Valley road, three things stand out.

The first is the disparity between the Israeli agriculture and the Palestinian agriculture. The amount of Israeli agriculture in what is occupied land is quite staggering, and seems to increase between each trip I make.

The second is the comparative lack of development on the Western side of the Jordan river, compared with the development in Jordan, even including all the Israeli development. I imagine that this has something to do with encouragement given to its citizens by the government of Jordan, and discouragement given to Palestinians by the Israeli Occupation Administration of the West Bank.

The third is the size of the checkpoint under construction at the northern end of the West Bank – smaller in size but similar in appearance to that being constructed at the entrance to Bethlehem.

A new colleague from the Church of Scotland to be based as a short-term locum appointment in Tiberias was speaking this week with a leading Palestinian Christian in the Nazareth area and asking him for his view of the future. The reply was similar to that from almost everyone with whom I have spoken recently : No optimism, or perhaps no hope, for the short term. By short term, I gauged that he was talking in years rather than months, and perhaps even decades, rather than years.

Returning to Jerusalem on 22nd evening from Tiberias, there was a “mobile” checkpoint put up on the approach to Jerusalem. Approx 40 Palestinian taxis and minibuses stopped waiting, and waiting. The soldiers were doing nothing.

Returning to Jerusalem on 23rd morning from Idna – a “mobile” checkpoint on an isolated stretch of road. For security? For harassment? You pay your money and you take your choice.

Stay well. God bless.

Joan and Clarence.
 

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Circular Letter No 215
15th April 2005

It was almost 400 years ago that an experiment took place in what may be called “ethnic cleansing.” I quote from two accounts relating to it.

“The natives were driven to the bogs and the moors where it was hoped that they would starve to death. The solution was to remove the natives from their land and replace them with settlers. … The Plantation is an event that echoes to the present day. In North-east Ulster it planted very deep roots and within a generation many parts of NE Ulster were as English (and Scottish) as the land the settlers had left.” http://www.mccaskie.org.uk/Plantation.htm

“With all resistance now crushed, the ‘Plantations’ could proceed without further hindrance. The largest tracks of confiscated lands were given to ‘Undertakers.’ These were English and Scottish ‘planters’ who undertook to tenant their lands only with English and Scottish Protestants and Presbyterians. They also had to take the Oath of Supremacy and were not permitted to take in Irish tenants. The next largest estates were given to ‘Servitors’, mainly Scottish, who had served the King’s Cause in Ireland, and these were allowed to take on some Irish tenants. The smallest estates were given to native Irish, who received the poorest and less productive lands at the highest rents. The native Irish, who had partaken in the uprisings, were banished to the bogs and hillsides, where they were continually pursued and hunted down like animals. As a result, many of them became outlaws and ‘rapparees’ praying constantly on the settlers who had deprived them of their lands.” http://www.hoganstand.com/general/identity/stories/ulster.htm

The Plantation was the Plantation of Ulster with Protestants from Scotland. It is salutary to think that both Joan’s family and my family have their roots in Settlements.

On the basis of the experience in Ulster, the Settlement of the West Bank does not hold out much hope in the long term for those who seem bent on expanding the Jewish settlements as rapidly as possible to provide Security.

Before coming to work here in July 2000, I asked my predecessor if he had had to take any funerals in the 18 months that he had been here. His reply was something like “I nearly had to take one funeral.” Well, after nearly 5 years, I had to take the first funeral service that there has been at St Andrew’s since Joan and I arrived – though it is the second funeral service in which I have been involved, the first being in Beit Jala. Mary Ohannessian had come to Palestine as a young woman in 1946, and apart from a few short periods, had been here for the rest of her life. She died just weeks short of her 89th birthday.

Although it is, I understand, a legal requirement for the State of Israel to provide facilities for people of non-Jewish faith to be buried, there is limited provision made. When making enquiries about a place where Mary could be buried, we were told that there was a Municipal Cemetery at Jaffa, some 50 miles away. The Church of Scotland does have a small cemetery just outside Tiberias, which is over 80 miles away. In the event, her burial took place in an Anglican cemetery on the outskirts of Jerusalem – at Tantur, beside a busy intersection where the main road to Hebron leaves the road to Gilo.

We drove there in a convoy, and managed to find suitable parking places for everyone. When we were carrying the coffin in to the cemetery, I heard the shout of “goim” from someone passing by – “Gentiles”. Words can be said in many different ways – suffice it to say that the way this word was shouted yesterday was meant to be an insult. The cemetery itself is not that large, and the fence round it is in a poor state of repair. However, that could not excuse what people saw inside : 13 or 14 graves where the grave stones had been spray painted in Hebrew with black paint in an attempt to blot out the inscriptions, some of which were in English, some in Arabic. Some gravestones had been broken. One of the graffiti was translated for us as saying “Death to Arabs.” It is sad to say, but true from our reading of the newspapers here over the past 5 years, that if this had happened to any Jewish cemetery anywhere in the world, there would have been a report about it, probably under the heading of “Anti-Semitism.” Although this vandalism and desecration of the cemetery is relatively recent, I have not seen any report of it in the English-language newspapers here. Perhaps that is because there is a certain resignation among some of the Christian community here, that this sort of treatment is not an uncommon occurrence, and why bother to report it to the Police. It is not entirely dissimilar to that sort of action witnessed by some people attending one of the Study tours. Walking in the vicinity of the Armenian Cathedral, they saw Jewish people walk past and spit at the opening into the Cathedral area.

A totally different side of the Jewish people was presented to me after the funeral by one of the young women present. She asked me if I was responsible for this cemetery. I explained who was responsible and she asked how she could get in touch with them. She was close to tears, and utterly dismayed at the damage she had seen to the gravestones. She wanted to organise some of her friends to come and clean it up, and she also wanted to use some of her contacts in the media to publicise what had happened. It was, for me, a very moving experience, and a testimony to the complex state of current Jewish society.

That feelings of antipathy are not directed just at Christian people and their memorials was well illustrated by graffiti scrawled on the perimeter wall of Tantur Ecumenical Institute just across the road from the cemetery. There were two graffiti. The first said something about keeping the Settlements in Gaza, and beside it was a Scaffold with a noose hanging from it. The second one said that “Rabin is waiting for Arik.” (Mr Rabin, the assassinated Prime Minister of Israel is waiting for Mr Sharon, the present Prime Minister.) The obvious message of the two graffiti was clear, and the threat to Mr Sharon was also clear.

I have noticed a poster in the past few days which says: “A Jew does not expel a Jew”. It refers to the proposed disengagement from Gaza, and again is calling in question the identity of those who are proponents of the removal of the Settlements.

If these are the reactions of some of Israeli Jewish society to the removal of under 10,000 settlers from Gaza, it is almost impossible to conceive what would be the reactions were it to be proposed that the majority of the 250,000 Settlers in the West Bank were to be removed and relocated within Israel, to say nothing of the Settlers on Palestinian land in the Jerusalem area.

Some who have long memories may recall that I have mentioned from time to time the saga of trying to obtain Visas for some of the Christian teachers at the Church Of Scotland School at Tabeetha, Jaffa. A couple of years ago, the Ministry of the Interior started to be more rigourous in enforcing a regulation which stated that a person could only obtain a work permit for a maximum of 5 years, after which time they would have to leave Israel. Exceptions are made to that rule for people such as myself, and members of Religious Orders, who are classified as “religious” and allowed to be present here, but not to work in gainful employment here. My visa has the quite explicit statement on it “Not permitted to work.”

It was in February 2003 that application was first made for teachers to have their Visas renewed. Prior to this time, there had not been a problem about this renewal. However, over 2 years later, and with countless visits to offices of the Christian Communities Division of the Ministry of the Interior, and the Visa sections of the Ministry of the Interior, yet another meeting was held on 13th April with a more senior official in the Ministry of the Interior in Tel Aviv. Our situation was explained to him in some detail, papers were lodged with him for his consideration, and he undertook to raise the matter with more senior official in Jerusalem. So, we await an answer, which may take up to a month to obtain, as there is the holiday season of Pesach starting next week. Meanwhile, the teachers affected are not able to travel outside the country, as they may be refused entry on their return. One is unable to licence her car as she does not have the necessary papers to obtain forms for a licence, and so has to rely on a colleague to get to school in Jaffa from her home in Jerusalem.


Before walking along the road that runs by the side of the Armenian quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem in the summer of 2000, when we came to live in Jerusalem, I was unaware of the Armenian Genocide which happened in 1915. This year marks the 90 anniversary of that date. To commemorate it there have been a series of Symposia in Jerusalem, one of which I attended this past week. It was held in the Armenian Seminary, and the speakers included Armenians, Germans, a Norwegian, a Spanish professor, and two Israeli Jewish scholars.

One aspect of the day was the sheer scale of the Genocide with over 1 million people having been killed. It is a sad reflection on my education that I can recall nothing about this from my history studies.

Present at the meeting was one of the Bishops of the Armenian Church. His parents escaped from Armenia and came to Haifa where he was born. The current Armenian Patriarch was born in the desert of Iraq, when his parents fled from the Genocide. Almost all the Armenian families now in Jerusalem are “survivors” of the Genocide, in that their parents escaped from Armenia and found their way to Jerusalem.

One of the most challenging contributions came from the Spanish professor who spoke about the ways in which events leading to Genocide can be observed and monitored. An early warning sign will be where the Government of a country treats one group of its citizens in an unequal way compared to others. Another warning sign will be the “demonising” of those whom you intend to get rid of – they are sub-human, they are animals, they are a threat to our purity, our security etc. Another will be the process whereby the “strong” will characterise themselves as the victims of crimes perpetrated by the “weak”, so that they can then claim to be acting in self-defence. “If only they will stop their violence, we will be able to stop oppressing them”.

It was pointed out that for all the information which has been increasingly available to the world-wide community, Genocides have still occurred. Darfur, Rwanda, the Balkans – all were referred to as having happened in the last 20 years, and information about them all have been widely available. One of the heartfelt cries from peoples who feel that they are being oppressed is “Why do people not do something about it? Why do they not know?” Certainly, the number of people who have come through Jerusalem in the past year who have little knowledge of the Wall and its effect on life here is troubling. How is it that folk here who have the information, and who put it out, seem to make so little impact on the world outside. One remark in the course of the day was “To be silent in the face of victimisation is collaboration.”

Some of the time was spent in speaking about what the Armenians call “Genocide Denial” whereby people say that the Genocide never really occurred. One of the Jewish speakers quoted the following remark from Shimon Peres: ‘And in April 2001, before an official visit to Turkey, Peres was quoted in a Turkish newspaper as saying: "We reject attempts to create a similarity between the Holocaust and the Armenian allegations. Nothing similar to the Holocaust occurred. What the Armenians went through is a tragedy, but not genocide."



Two comments from the past:

“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” (George Santayana, a Life of Reason, Book One, Reason and Common Sense, 1916.)

“History is more or less bunk.” Henry Ford (in an interview with Charles Wheeler, Chicago Tribune, May 25, 1916.)


Stay well. God bless.

Joan and Clarence


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Circular Letter No 214
9th April 2005

PEOPLE

Haaretz Monday 4th April: P2. “Poll: Most Jewish Israelis favour emigration of Israeli Arabs.” ‘A majority of Jewish Israelis believe that the state should encourage Israeli Arabs to emigrate, according to a survey conducted by the Dahaf Institute on behalf of Madar, the Palestinian Centre for Israel Studies. The survey, conducted in mid-March among a representative sample of 501 Jewish Israelis, found that 42% agreed that the state should encourage Israeli Arabs to emigrate, while another 17% said they tended to agree with this.’

Haaretz Tuesday 5th April: P3. “Legislation seeks to hinder citizenship of Palestinians, non-Jews.” ‘The Government is planning legislative amendments that will make it more difficult for non-Jews to receive Israeli citizenship or permanent-resident status in Israel. The move is aimed against granting legal status to Palestinians who have married Israeli citizens. The new legislation will be based on the demographic consideration of ensuring a solid Jewish majority in Israeli over time, with the purpose of preserving the state’s Jewish identity. …. At yesterday’s meeting, Sharon upheld the position presented to him stating that the matter is one of principle vis-à-vis the identity of the state, and not just a security problem. “There is no need to hide behind security arguments” Sharon said. “There is a need for the existence of a Jewish state.” … The concern that accompanied the team’s work was that the growth in the size of the Arab minority would lead to increased demands on its part for national rights and more pressure to turn Israel into a “bi-national State” of “a state of all its citizens.”

Haaretz Wednesday 6th April: P1. “Jews to make up 70% of population by 2025.” ‘Israel’s population will reach 9.3 million in 2025, an increase of 45% compared to 6.4 million at the end of 2000, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported yesterday. 70%, or 6.5 million, of Israel’s residents in 2025 will be Jewish. … The Arab population is expected to reach 2.3 million, or 25% of Israel’s population in 2025, compared to 19%, or 1.2 million, today.



GARBAGE

Not probably the subject that many would put at the top of their Agenda, but nevertheless one with which all will be familiar. What do you do with the packaging, the left-overs, all the things that you do not need? We throw them out, some to be recycled, some to become part of the Garbage Mountains that form part of the landscape of every country. The big question is: where do you put your garbage? NIMBY is a usual answer – Not In My Back Yard, meaning in someone else’s back yard.

Some of you have had the chance to visit Jayyous with us – a village on the West Bank near Qalqilya. The road into the village passes a large, stinking rubbish dump. It was used for some time by the Israeli authorities, to dump garbage from Settlements in the area. No matter how much the local villagers complained, they were ignored. Then, when the smell of the dump and the smoke from it began to reach the Jewish villages beyond Jayyous, the dumping stopped. It was only when the effect of the dumping began to be felt in the back yards of people in Israel that the dumping in Palestine was stopped.

Haaretz Monday 4th April: P1. “Israel to dump 10,000 tons of garbage a month in the West Bank.” ‘Israel has decided to transfer garbage beyond the Green Line and dump it in the West Bank for the first time since 1967. [The dump at Jayyous was used for garbage from Settlements within the West Bank] The project was launched despite international treaties prohibiting an occupying state from making use of occupied territory unless it benefits the local population. In addition, pollution experts say such use of the Kedumim quarry, located in an old Palestinian quarry between the Kedumim settlement and Nablus – will jeopardize Palestinian water sources. … The Kedumim dump will create an absurd situation. The West Bank is filled with illegal Palestinian garbage dumps, which constitute serious environmental hazards and jeopardize the groundwater, because the Civil Administration [the Israeli body in charge of the West Bank – CWM] refuses to let Palestinians build modern waste disposal sites. The most modern dump being built there – the Kedumim dump – is intended only for garbage from Israel.’

Haaretz Tuesday 5th April: P4. “Simhon demands to know how W. Bank trash dump came to be” ‘Environment Minister Shalom Simhon announced yesterday that he has asked his officials for a detailed briefing within 24 hours on the process leading to the dump’s establishment. … Simhon emphasised that according to the opinions he received, dumping garbage from Israel does not violate international law. …Environment Ministry officials said that Israeli entrepreneurs were motivated to set up dumps in the territories, when rehabilitating quarries within Israel by filling them with building waste ceased being viable because of high taxes, a situation Simhon will move to change.’


What does peace mean in this sort of context, when occupiers can do what they want with the land of the occupied? One wonders how Palestinians are supposed to react to this sort of situation? Would it be acceptable in the countries where you are reading this?


Friday 8th April

At lunch-time I was a member of a small group of people at the International YMCA invited to meet the Bishop of St Alban’s, England. He is the National Chairman of the Council of Christians and Jews in the UK, and is currently on a tour in Israel and Palestine with a group from his Diocese. He spoke on a variety of topics, and included in his address the work of the Council of Christians and Jews. He spoke of the need for dialogue, and gave illustrations of dialogues which are taking place within his Diocese, involving people of different religious backgrounds. Dialogue can take place at different levels – all the way from International meetings, to individual meetings involving people who live next door to each other. It was quite stimulating, challenging, and encouraging. However, when one of those present asked him about the reality of the situation here – where you have Occupiers and Occupied – and asked how you can promote dialogue in such a context, he recognised that he had no experience of working in this sort of context – but stressed that dialogue was still necessary.

Part of the essential “environment” for dialogue to take place was, said the Bishop, an acceptance of the value of the “other” – the people with whom you are trying to have a dialogue.

That came back to me as Joan and I went down into the Old City later in the afternoon to go to a Prayer Service at the Ecce Homo Convent in remembrance of Pope John Paul. As we came to the top of King David Street leading down into the Old City, we met a shopkeeper whom we have got to know over the years. We chatted as we walked with him on his way back to his shop. He was looking much more formal than usual, and he explained that he had been to prayers at the Mosque on Haram esh-Sharif (also known as the Temple Mount). However, there was sadness in his voice, and perhaps also a hint of bitterness. To get to the Mosque, he had had to go through an Israeli checkpoint. The Israeli police were checking the ID documents of all who wanted to go to the prayers, and those who were under 40 were being refused access. Had he been with his son, he would either have had to go by himself, or stay outside with his son. How can he have “dialogue” with the people who control who can, and who cannot, go to prayers?

Later in the evening, we had a meal with a Jewish friend and a Scottish visitor. It was illuminating to listen to their conversation, as they tried to understand each other. They were talking about some of the stories from the Bible – the Old Testament – and there was a world of difference between their understandings. For them, there was no pressure to come to a common understanding, as they do not live in the sort of close proximity that our shopkeeper friend lives with the Jewish folk around him. Even so, for them to have the sort of “dialogue” about which the Bishop was speaking would require major efforts from them both.


Saturday 9th April.

It was an early start to introduce our Scottish visitor to some parts of the Mount of Olives and then the Old City.

We started in the vicinity of Bethphage, where the traditional Palm Sunday walk commences. First we went right down the hill to what had been one of the main roads from Jerusalem to Jericho, via Bethany. Now, it is the site of the Wall – all 8 metres high of it. Back at the church where the Palm Sunday walk starts, we were confronted with the handiwork of the bulldozers of the Jerusalem Municipality – a house which had been built without permits, having waited years to get them, and which had been destroyed. ( A subject for Dialogue?) We stopped for a while on the way down the Mount of Olives, in the church called “Dominus Flevit – the Lord wept”, which recalls the way Jesus wept as he looked over the city of Jerusalem. From this vantage point, it is possible to see the original City of David – the small area bounded by the Kidron Valley and the Tyropoeon Valley. One is able to see the excavations around the C8th BC wall which was erected to protect Jerusalem. It did not stop the Babylonian invasion in 586BC.

Hours later, we came to the Jewish quarter of the Old City, to what is called “the Broad Wall” - the bit that is excavated is several metres thick. This was built around 700 BC – and like the wall on the older part of the City of David, it did not succeed in keeping out the attackers in 586 BC.

What chance that the Wall of 2004 will do any better a job than its predecessors? It was our Jewish friend who poured scorn on the idea that the Wall would bring security – the only way to do that, she said, was by building friendships.

Ethnic cleansing; garbage dumping; wall construction. There are many reasons to be pessimistic.

Yet – at the Ecce Homo Convent, two folk joined in the prayers, and lit candles, in remembrance of the Pope. For both of us, such a thing would have been unthinkable when we were teenagers, growing up as we did in the divided and sectarian community of Northern Ireland. Yet, we felt very much a part of the community with the Sisters, trying to share with them in some of their feelings at the death of the Pope. If that can happen to us in our lifetime, what might be able to happen here between the Jewish and Arab folk who are neighbours in this city?


Stay well. God bless.

Love from us both,

Joan and Clarence

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Circular Letter No 213
2nd April 2005

The discipline of getting back to work following the Holy Week Tour has been somewhat lacking this week! However, as the week comes to an end, so the need to do something has increased.

As I have commented before, assuming that there was a Resurrection – which I do – then one of the certainties in life is that Jesus would have seen daylight on what we call Easter Sunday Morning – and quite possibly the sun rising over the hills of Jordan. Once again this year, we had that privilege, from the space at the front of St Andrew’s Church and Guest House. It really has been a privilege these past 5 years to see that sunrise – and be reminded that even in the darkest times, there is what I believe is the Providence of God in keeping the whole world going – and providing a remedy for its ills, in the life, death and new life of Jesus. There is only one word that is appropriate at a time like that – Hallelujah – Praise to God. Easter does not mean that all problems disappear – but my belief is that it does offer a different perspective on the world.


So to the news!

Haaretz 22nd March 2005, P3. “Plans advance to build 3,500 housing units near Jerusalem.” ‘Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz approved in January an initiative to establish two new neighbourhoods, comprising some 3,500 housing units between Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem.’

Haaretz 28th March 2005, P1. “Sharon: Israel will retain settlement blocs, despite US objections” ‘We can’t expect to receive explicit American agreement to build freely in the settlements,’ Prime Minister Sharon said at yesterday’s Cabinet Meeting. The large settlement blocs on the West Bank ‘will remain in Israel’s hands, and will fall within the [separation] fence and we made this position clear to the Americans. This is our position, even if they express reservations’ he said.’

Haaretz 29th March 2005, P1. “Referendum bill fails: Settlers vow to take to the streets.” ‘The Knesset yesterday overwhelmingly voted down a proposed Basic Law that would have allowed for a referendum on disengagement, essentially removing the last major parliamentary obstacle to Prime Minister Sharon’s pullout plan.’ So, apparently, the way was cleared for the withdrawal of Settlers from Gaza. In the eyes of much of the world, this is a major contribution by the Government of Israel to peace-making in the Middle East.

Haaretz 29th March 2005, P1. “WWII-era Jewish land in Poland now said to be worth $30 billion.” ‘The Jewish property left in Poland on the eve of World War II is today worth more than $30 billion, according to a comprehensive report drawn up at the request of the Israeli government. … The report relates not only to the value of the property but also to its legal status, and proposes to the government how to proceed. It will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Ministerial committee on returning Jewish property. …. (Israeli) Foreign Ministry sources say that the issue of returning property is a very sensitive one in Polish society today, and should be handled by Jewish organisations rather than the Israeli government.’ It would appear that there are thoughts that property taken from Jewish people in Poland during World War II should be returned, and/or compensation paid.

Haaretz 29th March 2005, P3 – Leader Column. “Provocation in Ma’aleh Adumim” ‘ … No matter how strong the desire to support Ariel Sharon at this stage and to postpone debate over the future of the settlements to a later stage, it is difficult to accept the revelation that the government plans to build another 3,500 housing unit in the area known as E-1, between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim, and thus obstruct the territorial continuity needed for a Palestinian state, something Sharon has already agreed on. ….. It is impossible to continue demanding of the Palestinians that they prevent terror when Israel is not keeping its commitments to suspend all settlement activity. … An addition, or even the planning of new housing in sensitive areas without taking into account the needs of the other side, is not wise.’


There are those in both the Israeli Jewish society and the Palestinian society who argue that the proposed withdrawal from Gaza is merely a smokescreen to draw attention away from the continued expansion of Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The quotations above would seem to support such an assertion.


It would seem to my simple mind that there is an inherent inconsistency in, on the one hand claiming back property that was taken from Jewish people in Poland 60 years ago, while on the other hand claiming to have the right to expropriate or annex land from the Palestinians now. If the expropriation of land from Jewish people was wrong in Poland in the 1930’s and 1940’s, what makes it right now when Jewish people take land in Palestine?


Wednesday 30th March. I had business to do first of all in Jerusalem, and then in Bethlehem. So it was about 1245 hours that I finally approached the check point. In times past, there were waits of up to 45 minutes – this time there was one car in front of me, and I was past the check point in a minute or two. So effective is the Israeli stranglehold on Bethlehem, that there is very little movement between it and Jerusalem.

My first visit was to Daheisha refugee camp, on the southern side of Bethlehem. The Internet told me that the population was 5,000 – I think it might be a bit more. I went to visit one of the leaders of the Al Feneiq (pronounced Phoenix, of the bird variety that rises alive from ashes) Centre. When I had spoken to him some time ago, he had been telling me of their Job Creation programme. Instead of giving people a food package, they gave them some work for which they paid them, and this enabled them to buy their food. At present, there is a project to set up a Computer Centre whose main patrons would be the women of the camp. Training has been given to women by a computer services company from Ramallah, computers have been provided by a donor, the lines are in for Internet connection, and now they are looking for some way to hire a couple of people to be sort of “supervisors”. Using donations sent specifically for work in the Bethlehem area, I was able to make a donation to pay for 3 people to work 4 or 5 hours per week for one month – or any combination of the hours – and so there would be a chance of the Centre being able to open soon.


Next it was a visit to Helen Shehadeh. Her office was quite cold, as the new building which is in the process of being constructed beside the building she is renting is almost totally obscuring the sun. The good news there was that she has been able to complete the payments for the purchase of the land for her new school – thanks to some significant grants from organisations in Europe. The meeting to choose an architect from those who submitted proposals is due any time, and so detailed work will soon begin on plans. That also will enable her to make applications to donor agencies for assistance with the actual construction of the School. Progress and good news.


As I had been entering Bethlehem, I passed an Israeli army foot patrol well inside the city limits. A little bit further on down the road it was clear why it was there – there was a small crowd of demonstrators marching towards the check point. Later I found out that the crowd contained some people whom I had known, and they were protesting for the second day about the seizure of Palestinian land in the vicinity of Rachel’s Tomb by the Israeli Jewish authorities, which would be used to provide amenities for Jewish people visiting Rachel’s Tomb. It is strange how for many years, including the time when we first had arrived here, there were very few visitors to Rachel’s Tomb. It was neglected and local people spoke of playing round it when they were children. All that has changed, and now it has become a sine qua non for the Israeli Jewish heritage, so much so that land has to be taken from local residents so that a Wall can be built to surround the area and parking areas can be provided. The line of the Wall that will separate Palestinian people from contact with those who are coming to the Tomb is being set out, and I hope to be able to go to see it next week. Suffice it to say that at the moment there is dismay and despair among the folk whom I met, at the invasion of North Bethlehem, and the ruinous effect that it has had on property, businesses and the lives of the people in the area. Bad news.


My last visit was to a friend who had been out of work for some time, and at length had found a job. However, the economic pressures on employers are such that they often have little option but to ask staff to work for longer hours for the same pay, and to give little by way of time off. This particular friend just could not stand the strain, and so had reluctantly had to hand in his notice. Economic pressures lead to health pressures, lead to increased domestic pressures and violence – and so on. Depressing news.


So, what had started as a hopeful visit ended very differently. The continual expansion of Israel into the West Bank – that area which it acknowledges some day will be Palestine, or what is left after Israel takes what it wants will be Palestine – this expansion is both creating a festering animosity among Palestinians against the actions of the Israeli government, and it is sowing the seeds of future conflict. A phrase encountered recently in a conversation referred to the end of the Second Intifada, and the likelihood of a Third Intifada.


Saturday 2nd April.

A quite different experience was a visit to Ibillin, to the Consecration of the new Church of the Sermon on the Mount on the Campus of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions. This is the work of Fr Elias Chacour. It was his village of Baram which I had visited at the beginning of Holy Week. He, and all his family, had been expelled from their village, and despite winning court battles to be allowed to return, have never been able to do so.

The vision and energy of Elias Chacour have produced the Educational Institutions, the latest of which is developing towards a University. Today saw the consecration of the church – an extremely large building, with the Sanctuary being built above an Auditorium. The Church was full, and the congregation included visitors from Scotland, England, USA, as well as many from around Israel and Palestine. It was an occasion of worship, of thanksgiving, of celebration, and of a sort of Phoenix rising from the rubble of the village of Baram. Pressures there are on the Christian community, but today was a chance to proclaim a faith in the joy of the Resurrection, rather than believing that the darkness of the Crucifixion is the final word. Good News.


Just a personal note. Joan and I will be staying in Jerusalem until the end of September, by which time we hope our successor will be here and ready to take over from us.


Stay well. God bless.

Joan and Clarence.

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Circular Letter No 212
26th March 2005


On the evening of Sunday 13th March, the last in our series of Ecumenical Services for Lent was held in the Swedish Lutheran Theological Institute. In it, during one of the prayers, there was the following phrase :

“If we have prayed only for what was possible and hoped only for what we could see …”. It certainly made me think.


One of the main debates in Israeli politics at the moment is around the whole question of the Withdrawal from Gaza. Originally planned to be spread over as much as 3 months, recently the Minister of Defence has said that it should be completed in 4 weeks. With so much of the Israeli army on duty to implement the Withdrawal, there are worries as to what will happen elsewhere during that period. Opposition to the Withdrawal comes not only from within Israel – Haaretz on Sunday 13th March, P2, carried a photograph of ‘members of a Norwegian pro-Israel Christian organisation distributing bouquets of flowers to residents of Gush Katif in Gaza last Friday. A letter of support was attached to each of the 1,700 bouquets’ Monday March 14th, Jerusalem Post P1 – “US Jews head to Gaza in solidarity.” ‘Sara Lehmann is leaving her 5 children aged 14 and under, at home in Brooklyn and heading to Gush Katif on Sunday to personally tell the settlers that American Jews support their right to live there. She is one of 40 Jews from the New York area led by Democratic Assemblyman Dov Hilkind from the 48th District. The group includes two state supreme court judges, a doctor and the director of a bank.’

I wrote two weeks ago about the report presented to the Prime Minister by Attorney Talia Sasson, on the question of illegal settlements. Defining some Settlements as “illegal” would seem to indicate that there are others that are “legal”. The Jerusalem Post, Monday 14th March, P16 carried a report on the Cabinet meeting on Sunday 13th March. In it, Mr. Netanyahu is quoted as saying that “the majority of Settlements in Judea and Samaria are legal and were established by governments headed by both Likud and Labour.” One of the questions from the Palestinian side about the Settlements is who gave the Israeli Government the legal right to build on Palestinian land that had been occupied as a result of the 1967 War.? The Palestinian community would contest the legality of all the Settlements, quoting both UN Resolution 242 and the 4th Geneva Convention, Article 49 of which includes the following: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” I have never heard any Palestinian suggest that Israeli Settlers have been deported to the West Bank, nor transferred against their will to the West Bank, but I have heard it said that the Government of Israel has assisted their movement to the West Bank. This would seem to be what Mr Netanyahu was saying in the Cabinet meeting.

March 26.

Apologies for the silence last week – I have had a group here who have come to spend Holy Week in a sort of pilgrimage, and that has taken almost all of my time.

The week started with the traditional Walk down the Mount of Olives on Palm Sunday. The numbers attending this Walk this year seemed significantly more than last year, which in turn was more than the year before. The first year that we were able to participate in it, - 2001 – we were appalled at the level of “security” personnel around the march. We wondered who was going to attack us. Over the years this presence of armed Israeli security men has diminished, and this year there were remarkably few around. However, with perhaps 10,000 people marching, obviously there is some need for traffic control, if nothing else.

Monday to Wednesday of Holy Week was spent in the Galilee. We were able to visit some of the significant sites associated with the ministry of Jesus, as well as visiting two places of rather more contemporary interest. One was the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society Hospital in Nazareth. Its Director spoke of its work in terms of it being “applied Christianity.” No one preaches. They let their care of the sick do the talking for them. We met in the Chapel of the Hospital. Two features that stand out in it are a large concrete Cross, which is one of the structural supports for the building. The second is the Communion Table, which is a real-life carpenter’s bench. On it is a small lectern to hold the Bible. It is a carpenter’s tool box, holding the book which is the tool for life. It is an impressive architectural statement of faith, even more remarkable in that the architect was a Jewish person.

The other site of contemporary interest was Bar’am, the village of Elias Chacour. Some may know his story, told in his book “Blood Brothers”. The village of Bar’am is very close to the Lebanese border. The villagers were “encouraged” to leave when there was fighting in the area at the time of the founding of the State of Israel, and were told that they would be able to return in a short while, when things were safer. Despite having won a decision from the High Court that they should be allowed to return to their homes, the villagers have seen their village turned into a National Park run by the Israeli National Parks Authority. The final paragraph in the official handout given to visitors to the Park reads: “Until 1948 Bar’am was a Maronite Christian village. During the War of Independence (1948) the villagers were evacuated and the site is now under the management of the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority.” We have seen many parties of Jewish families there, as well as groups of school children. Giving them this handout will do little to help them learn the truth about the village. I regularly receive magazines prepared by Jewish organisations setting out the faults and failings of the educational system in Palestine. It would be interesting to see how they would handle this sort of information in this official leaflet.

Why include such a visit in a Holy Week Pilgrimage? In a strange way, we got a sort of answer when we took part in the Pilgrimage on the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday morning. The Pilgrimage started at 0620 hours, and it was another sign of the increasing number of pilgrims/tourists that on our way to the First Station of the Cross, we passed 7 or 8 groups already making their way along the Via Dolorosa. The Old City was beginning to waken up, and the cleaners were at work. So, on occasions, we had to contend with the noise of the small tractor as we were listening to the Bible readings, or saying prayers. It was a reminder that the life – and death – of Christ took place very much in the middle of ordinary events and circumstances – what we might call “The Word made Flesh.” So our Good Friday Pilgrimage was not in the least cloistered and quiet. We had to share space with the workers of the Old City, as they did their work to make the City habitable for both residents and visitors. If on Good Friday, our prayers were inextricably mixed up with the necessary work of cleaning the city, so in a sense our prayers on Tuesday were mixed up with the necessity of providing houses and homes for people, and the struggle to get back what the Court has said is rightfully the possession of the people of Bar’am.

Today, March 26th, I took some of the members of the Group to Ramallah to meet some people there. With two of them, I went back to visit the work of the Al-Nahda Women’s Association of Ramallah. We saw two centres of its work. The first was its Audiology and Speech Pathology Centre. I had met the doctor in charge a couple of times before. Talking with her about the “situation” she was very outspoken about the way in which she says the Israeli Government is trying to show how considerate it is by “giving back control” of Jericho to the Palestinian Authority. Why should the Israeli army still be there nearly 38 years after the start of the Occupation? She and her husband have a home in Jericho with a small piece of land. They have not been able to visit it for 4 years. She is a fully qualified medical doctor, trained in Russia with postgraduate studies in Europe and the UK. [When we visited Jericho earlier in the week, although the Israeli soldiers were not a rigorous in checking traffic as they once were, we still had to show them some documentation when entering Jericho. The northern entrance to Jericho from the Tiberias Road was still blocked with a triple line of concrete blocks and a mound of earth. Inside Jericho, Palestinian police and security people were on duty. Outside Jericho, the Israeli army still was in position.]

We then went on to visit a Centre which provided education and vocational training for mentally and physically handicapped people from as young as 6 years old. We saw the teaching areas, and also the production side of the vocational training work, where educational toys were made, as well as furniture for nurseries and schools. There was much that was imaginative. We asked the Director about the enrolment. It is currently 62, but used to be significantly higher. The reason for the drop is that many people from the villages round Ramallah are not able to get past road blocks and check points to get to the Centre. Mentally and physically handicapped people are apparently deemed a security risk.

One of the events of the past week which probably did not make headlines outside Israel, was the judgement in the trial of Rabbi Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human Rights. He had been charged with obstructing servants of the State in the execution of their duties, to demolish a house built without a permit. Below is an extract from an e-mail which he sent out.

“On Tuesday 22nd March, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court convicted Omer Ori and myself (Rabbi Arik Ascherman) for our acts of civil disobedience to prevent administrative home demolitions. However, in a surprise move, the PROSECUTION suggested cancelling the conviction if we agree to do community service, saying that we were not criminals and actually are upstanding citizens. Yesterday we agreed, while retaining the right of appeal. We obviously believe that we were Jewishly and morally obligated to act as we did. In line with Israel's "Do not stand idly by while your neighbour bleeds" law, we also believe that it was our obligation under both international and Israeli law.

Immediately after the trial ended, we travelled to Issawiyah (an Arab village on the edge of Jerusalem – linked with the home of Lazarus) in order to lay the cornerstone for the new home we intend to rebuild for the Dari family. This is one of the two homes for which I was convicted for trying to defend. The family is interested in rebuilding this summer. I have asked them to consider the fact that there is a CHANCE that in a matter of a few years there MIGHT be a new building plan allowing the family to build legally. As you may recall, the entire lower section of Issawiyah is not included in the neighbourhood’s master plan, making it impossible to obtain legal building permits. Living as they now are, crowded in a few rooms, the family is not inclined to wait for a "maybe." Your contribution to our rebuilding fund (In addition to, but not instead of your annual general contribution) will make our moral commitment a reality.”

Arik Ascherman’s work is courageous, and puts both himself and his family at some risk. He deserves to be known for it, and to be supported in it.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, when once again we will have a Sunrise Service at 0515 hours, and then later in the morning a Communion Service. We will think of Persecution – inflicted on Jesus and on others. We will think of Darkness – the darkness of hopelessness, experienced by the family and friends of Jesus and others also. We will think of Light, as the Sun rises.

The realities of our time are those which include Persecution and Darkness for many people. We will affirm our belief that the only truly effective way to combat Persecution, and get rid of Darkness, is to opt for the Light of Christ.

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, and whatever are your beliefs, may there be Light for you.

God bless you all this Easter.

Love from us both,

Joan and Clarence.

(The proofreader is asleep! – apologies for mistakes.)


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Circular Letter No 211
12th March 2005

I am sometimes asked what I actually do here in Jerusalem – a question that I usually find difficult to answer! Certainly one aspect of being here is to be available to folk who are passing through the city or the country, and help where I can so that they get the best out of their time here.

This week :

Sunday 6th : Dinner with a group of YMCA people from Nashville, Tennessee. They are here to visit and see the work of the YMCA in different locations around Israel and the West Bank. Talk with them what the “C” in YMCA might mean in our environment here, where Christians are so very much in the minority. A certain understanding emerges about the way in which we treat each other, and the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation. They ask me what I do! – This letter is partly an attempt to explain to myself what I do.

Monday 7th : A sort of day off. Our son in law was here with his parents and so travel with them to Tiberias via Jericho. No great hassle at the check point, but there is a sort of ongoing discussion between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority over the “hand-over” of Jericho to the PA. What does it mean to have control of Jericho, when there is a ring of closed roads and checkpoints round the edges, to control access and egress.

Lunch at a Kibbutz restaurant near Afula. It is one of the places where all sorts of pork products are on sale – locally produced. Apparently, the Kibbutz has a licence to rear pigs, as long as they are on slats so that their feet do not touch the soil of Israel.

On to Nazareth and the Church of the Annunciation. From there to Mount Tabor, the Mount of Transfiguration. For the first time for years, we have to contend with bus-loads of visitors. There is a certain ambiguity in our response to their presence – they disturb the peace! But they bring economic activity.

Tuesday 8th : Work meeting at Church of Scotland Hotel in Tiberias. One of the Secretaries from Edinburgh is here, and I have arranged for some representatives of the Christian community in Nazareth to come to meet him. There has been a dearth of such contacts in the past year, and this is perhaps the beginning of re-establishing them.

Wednesday 9th : Back in Jerusalem, lead a service in St Andrew’s for the current Ecumenical Accompaniers. They are the participants in the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, organised by the World Council of Churches. There are 16 in this group, and most of them stay in villages in the West Bank. There they do different things – at times literally accompany Palestinian children to and from school past Jewish Settlements, and stay in the school to ensure that there are no attacks. (Two such groups of helpers have in fact been attacked in the past 6 months).

A short meeting with a friend from the UK who was here to try to get information about obtaining Handcrafts to ship to UK, in a bid to help village communities earn some money.

Thursday 10th : Home office work and then take our family to see a bit of the city – before going to the Airport. We had given then some Olive Oil – and this precipitated a search of their luggage. The Olive Oil bottles were taken out, scanned and x-rayed. When accepted as olive oil, they were put back in the suitcases and they were able to check in.

Friday 11th : Meeting with an American Jewish woman who came to the Church a few weeks ago. She has a vision of working with both Jewish and Arab people using her particular gifts of “reconciliation”. I offer to assist her when she comes back again later in the year – I have no idea where her work will go, but I see it as part of my work to try to encourage folk like her. Later speak to a group of people who are supporters of Sabeel – sharing my experience of trying to make presentations to people in UK, so that they might be aware of some of the pitfalls.

Friday afternoon spent some time with the UK person visiting about handcrafts, and end up with things to pack and post. She spoke of the economic disaster facing so many folk that she had met in Bethlehem and Hebron; of the way in which Jewish Settlers had come along and built their houses on the roofs of the homes of Palestinians in Hebron, and there was no way the Palestinians were able to get redress; of the desire of some of those whom she had met to leave Bethlehem and find a better life somewhere else.

Saturday 12th : We had an Israeli Jewish friend for lunch – she had come back from her usual Saturday stint of duty with Machsomwatch (Checkpoint Watch). In speaking about the Itinerary for the Holy Week Group which will be here next week, she was full of ideas for new items for the programme! – so no doubt there will be changes.

At the end of a week, how do I explain what I do? I hope my employers understand!

From a distance it has been reasonably absorbing trying to follow the political machinations in London over the UK Government’s proposed bill on control of those whom it suspects of Terrorism. How does one explain the House of Commons and the House of Lords to folk who have no experience of UK politics? Is it of any significance or importance at all?

For you, from a distance, how do we explain to you some of the machinations of Israeli politics? One major item on the political landscape at present is the constitutional requirement for the Government to have its budget approved by the Knesset no later than 31st March. Failure to do so would mean that the Government would fall, and this would lead to a General Election Were this to happen, the arrangements for the withdrawal from Gaza would probably have to be halted. In the Likud Party, the party of Mr. Sharon, there are deep divisions. Some support Withdrawal, others do not. Those who do not are working hard to have the Budget defeated, as that would appear to be the only way they can now stop Withdrawal. So, the papers are full of who will vote on which side of the Budget debate – and there are all sorts of unlikely bedfellows. Suffice it to say that there is little that is certain at present – and there will be a lot of manoeuvering before 31st March.

Any of you who have travelled on the West Bank in the past couple of years will have been only too aware of the spread of Settlements. Caravans appeared on the tops of hills, roads were made, electricity supplies were put in, water was supplied, and lo and behold there was another community. Were they legal? Were they illegal? What difference does it make anyway – they are ‘facts on the ground.’ The Report of an investigation into illegal settlements which was commissioned by the Government was presented to the Prime Minister on 9th March. The author was Talia Sasson, an Attorney who worked in the State Prosecutor’s office. The headline in Haaretz Thursday 10th March P3 read : “Sasson: 61 outposts built on non-Israeli land” ‘Many of the outposts built in the territories since March 2001 were established on lands that are not state-owned: 15 are on private Palestinian land, and 46 on lands of unknown ownership, Attorney Talia Sasson, author of the report on illegal outposts, said yesterday. The Housing Ministry was virtually indifferent to the question of who owns the land," Sasson said at a news conference in Jerusalem, after submitting her report on the outposts commissioned by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.’

Comment on the Report varied from dismissive, to stating that it is the beginning of the end for the Settler expansion on the West Bank.

Haaretz Friday 11th March, P1 has an Analysis column headed: “Report highlights the ugly occupation.” ‘The recently released report on the unauthorised settlement outposts in the territories exposes the occupation in all its ugliness. It reveals that settlers have been working underground for years in the branches of the Government, that senior officials refused to divulge information to the report’s compiler, attorney Talia Sasson, and that other officials acted contrary to the policies of their ministers. The issue takes on an even more serious nature in the light of the fact that heading the Civil Administration (the Occupation Administration of the West Bank and Gaza. CM.) is a military officer with the rank of major general who was involved in unlawful acts. As a result, the Israel Defence Forces is entangled in this affair of deception. … For its part, the Civil Administration was involved in allocating private Palestinian land on which outposts were unlawfully established, fifteen of the outposts are on privately owned Palestinian land. The Civil Administration, in essence, failed to carry out the supervision work with which it was entrusted.’

Two views which I have heard in conversation this week:

The withdrawal from Gaza, which will occur, will inevitably lead to similar withdrawals from the West Bank.

The withdrawal from Gaza, which may or may not occur, is a smokescreen to divert attention from the land-grab that is taking place on the West Bank.

Both came from Jewish speakers. As the saying goes: “You pays your money, and you takes your choice.” What is at present incontrovertible is the march of the Wall across the landscape, which goes on at the same time as the preparations from the withdrawal from Gaza.

Some weeks ago, I asked in one of my letters for responses to the proposal of the Presbyterian Church of the USA to undertake studies of its investments, which could lead to it selling some of its stock holdings in certain companies that it believed were profiting from activities associated with the Occupation of the West Bank. One person has been in touch several times since then, and today there was another message from him. “One thing for your interest. I was at Tesco last weekend buying groceries and since these included oranges, dates and perhaps olive oil (country origin not stated) that came from Israel I took the opportunity to write to Tesco and ask them what their policies were in sourcing supplies from Israel so it will be interesting to see how they respond,.” Perhaps it would be worth others doing the same thing, and finding out what Tesco, and other stores also, have to say about their purchasing policies.


All for this week. Stay well. God bless.

Joan and Clarence

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Circular Letter No 210
5th March 2005

The week started with the news of the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv at the end of last week still dominating the news here – and also continuing as a lead story in much of the international news on TV. I can only re-iterate what I said at the end of the letter last week – such acts are evil and should have no place in anyone’s plan of action.

However, I also have to say that in the context of our lives here, our regular contacts with the Palestinian community, and our travels in the West Bank, it is hard to take such concentrated coverage of such an episode, when there is so little coverage of the daily violence that is inflicted on the Palestinian community. Below is one e-mail that I received recently, and it sets out graphically the sort of violence that Palestinians have to endure, with little or no publicity to put pressure on the Israeli armed forces.

Israel Severely Violates Ceasefire

17 February 2005

www.palestinemonitor.org/new_web/feb_05_archive.htm#5


Since the ceasefire was declared on 8 February 2005 between Palestinians and Israelis, Israeli forces have violated the ceasefire several times. The following is a sample list of Israeli violations of the ceasefire, the Road Map, and international humanitarian law since 8 February 2005:

The assassination of two members of the al-Aqsa Brigades, a branch of President Abbas' Fatah party, on 15 February.

Issam Mansour and Mahyoub Alqani were shot and killed at close range with several live bullets to the head and chest in a Palestinian house in the village of Kufar Qalil. Witnesses say the attack was unprovoked.

The killing of 15-year-old Ala Hani Khalil near Beituniya on 15 February by Israeli personnel guarding the illegal Annexation Wall in that area.

The shooting was said to be in retaliation for stones that he and other children had thrown at Israeli military vehicles to protest the illegal Wall. Another boy of 14 was seriously wounded by the barrage of live fire.

The shooting to death of 16-year-old Sabri al-Rjoub in Hebron on 14 February. Soldiers claimed he was carrying a knife, but Palestinian eyewitnesses say the boy was unarmed.

The killing of a 20-year-old resident of Rafah on 9 February, the day after the ceasefire was declared. He was a civilian walking near his home in Rafah when he was fatally wounded by Israeli Forces' gunfire from the Atzmona settlement.