“The Troubles”

In the past couple weeks, the conflicts that beset the people of Israel and Palestine (and the Middle East in general) have erupted to new levels of tension — producing fear and anxiety, anger and violence. The President of the United States deliberately caused this disruption with his reckless action to “recognize” Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Jerusalem Post (which is considered a conservative and right-leaning newspaper), called Trump’s action “… a grandstand publicity stunt by an American president who neither understands nor cares about anything beyond his own ego gratification.”

I concur. And I’ve had a few other thoughts about it too profane to write in this public blog. I also got some comic relief from the tension with a cartoon my cousin Marty sent me:

I have been reluctant to write about “the Troubles” (to borrow the Irish term), which span many decades and have roots going back at least a century. I am fearful of appearing ignorant, because every day I am here, I learn more about what I didn’t know. How much more don’t I know?

I am also fearful of offending, of not fully relating the just grievances that so many in this region carry within their hearts. I also worry about “taking sides” because I believe I cannot be a peacemaker by taking sides, nor is it possible to speak simply (in a blog post or a 600-word newspaper column, for instance) about something that is so incredibly complex. Still, a few things are certain:

First — this is not just a two-sided conflict, even though it is often referred to as the “Israeli-Palestinian” conflict. Dozens of different political parties, many different religions and ethnicities, scores of “mini-regions” and economic interests within the Israeli and Palestinian lands — all have a stake in what happens here, each holding different views, desires, complaints, and prejudices.

Second — Trump has completely trashed any chance the U.S. could be an “honest broker” to bring the parties to the negotiating table. The same thing applies to nations as to individuals: you cannot be a peacemaker if you clearly favor one side.

Third — On a completely personal note, I weep for the burdens that the people of this land carry. The so-called “Security Barrier” or the “Wall that Netanyahu Built” has made people’s lives miserable, particularly those who live in a Palestinian area and must travel to an Israeli area to work or go to school or visit family. And it is the Israelis who control when and how people can move through that barrier. Frequently, people are subjected to humiliating, harassing, or erratic behavior on the part of the border guards. The Wall is an ugly scar, both on the land and on the hearts of the people.

One Sunday morning here at Tantur, we came to breakfast looking forward to a small Advent celebration of singing and storytelling for the children. But there was no breakfast because the man who staffs the kitchen on Sunday mornings was delayed at the Checkpoint. Everyone lives with the uncertainty of not knowing whether they will be able to get to work on time, or do a host of other things that those who live in the U.S. simply take for granted.

Israel cannot claim to be a democracy while it restricts freedom of movement for so many people who live here. Netanyahu and other leaders of Israel say they are protecting the people of Israel with this Wall, but I think they are only earning scorn, and in the end, more enemies. It is as if the U.S. government denied freedom of movement to EVERYONE going in and out of Las Vegas to prevent another crazy gunman from killing people at a country music concert in that city. One understands the impulse to retaliate, but it is senseless if the means of retribution hurt innocent people, and fail to accomplish the desired security anyway.

Every Saturday, I work a shift at the Reception Desk. The property is walled, and there are only two entrance/exit points — an iron gate at the driveway, and what we call the “Bethlehem Door” which opens to a walkway that many employees and guests use to walk to the Checkpoint through the Wall to Bethlehem and other nearby Palestinian towns. At the reception desk are two large television monitors which display views of perhaps 30-35 security cameras trained on many parts of the property, both indoors and outdoors, including these two entrances. Whoever staffs Reception must press the right buzzer or enter the right code to allow people to enter (and leave) the property.

So last Saturday, I buzzed in Issa, our chef. On the TV monitors, I watched his face as he stood waiting for the Bethlehem Door to open. It was a sorrowful face, a worried face. My heart ached for him (and for all of us), but especially because Issa is usually so cheerful and upbeat. When he reached the Reception Desk, I asked him if he was ok, told him I saw that he looked worried or sad. He said: “We’ll be ok, we will… but why did he have to do it before Christmas? Why?? It’s supposed to be a joyful time.”

Why indeed.

Author: kathleenschatzberg

I'm a writer, an educator -- 45 years in education, 35 of them in community colleges -- and a lifelong advocate for justice (community colleges are, in fact, instruments of social justice). I have always been passionate about learning, traveling, and understanding the world's religions and political systems. This "Crossroads" blog offers my reflections on living for 7 months as a volunteer at Tantur Ecumenical Institute. On a hill in Jerusalem, within sight of Bethlehem, Tantur hosts students, scholars, and seeker for interfaith engagement and theological and biblical study. View all posts by kathleenschatzberg