Seeking Understanding in Israel/Palestine:
A Two-Week Fact Finding Trip, May 12-26, 2007
Organized by Friends of Sabeel—Colorado

Trip Report, by  Priscilla Linsley

Participants: There were a total of 25 who went to “Seek Understanding in Israel / Palestine: Two-Week Fact Finding Trip” from May 12 – May 26.  There were 5 Presbyterians from Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver; another  two Presbyterians from Oregon, a pastor and his daughter.  Other churches represented were from the Orthodox, Quaker,  Mennonite, Jewish traditions, a Catholic father and women religious. We ranged in age from 19 – 75 and two of the Montview members, Hal and Ellie celebrated birthdays while we were away. We were very ably led by Joy Lapp, a teacher of college classes in ethics and religion with a long time interest in Israel/Palestine, and Arnie Voigt, a retired Lutheran pastor, also with a long term interest in this area

Accommodations and Guide: We had very comfortable accommodations in the Lutheran Guest House in the old city of Jerusalem, a garden for quiet contemplation, good meals, and large meeting space for guest speakers and group reflections.  In addition to our varied group members and capable leaders, we were blessed to have Peter Sabella as our tour guide.  He is fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, English, and Italian.  The first three languages came in very handy throughout our tour.  Peter was also knowledgeable about historical and religious sites and very often provided a Biblical context for our visits.

Sites: In addition to educational exposure, we managed to visit most of the holy sites in Israel and Palestine.  Our first full day in Jerusalem, we visited the Wailing Wall, Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount, Church & Tomb of the Virgin Mary, Stations of the Cross, Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Outside of Jerusalem, we visited holy sites in Masada, Bethlehem, Galilee, Nazareth, Dead Sea, and the Ibrihimi Mosque in Hebron.  I was personally surprised at the enduring architecture (and probably psychic wounds) left by the Crusaders and also the way in which the holy sites are divided, either by times or specific locations, among competing religions.

Sights: Jerusalem was rich in every style of head wear, hair styles, beards, and outerwear for the various male Jewish traditions.  Arab women also exhibited various outer garments and head wear.  Going through the Souk, marketplace around our guest house, we found many beautiful and colorful scarves.  There were Israeli military, both men and women, at every location, all carrying arms.

Sounds: At regular intervals throughout the day, loud speakers would begin the Muslim Call to Prayer.  There seemed to be two major mosques that offered these calls, but didn’t have their clocks synchronized so the second was about two minutes behind the first.  Very often church bells chimed in.  After awhile the cacophony began to sound almost melodious.  There were also the sounds of merchants luring us into their shops as we traveled through the Souk.

What we learned: We had wonderful speakers and guides.  First was Angela Godfrey-Goldstein, a member of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, who took us on a tour of a major planned Israeli settlement on Palestinian land.  We heard from Rabbi Jeremy Milgrom, whose congregation is Bedouin; Ram Rahat, a “Refusenik”.  One of the most affecting talks was by an Israeli and Palestinian representing the “Bereaved Families Network”.  Each had lost a family member killed by the other side, yet were seeking reconciliation and healing.

Our first full afternoon in Jerusalem, the group went to Augusta Victoria Hospital, located on the Mount of Olives, founded and managed by the Lutherans.  This was really our first exposure to some of the problems the “Wall” has caused e.g. sick people from the Palestinian Territories  being unableable to get through the checkpoints receive treatment the hospital.  We learned that people were being born at these checkpoints and people were dying there also.

When we visited Bethlehem, some of us elected to have an overnight visit with a Christian Palestinian family in Beit Jala.  The members of the family my roommate and I stayed with were highly educated, fluent in English, extremely generous and hospitable.  The husband and father was trained as a veterinarian and worked with the Palestinian Authority on any and all animal issues, including bird flu. Since Israel is withholding tax money from the Palestinian Authority, he had not been paid since January, 2006. 

We visited the “unrecognized village” of Ein Hod.  On the trip up the mountain, we began to really appreciate our bus driver, Bedia  who took the bus “where no bus had gone before” and back.  On another trip, he invited us to his home for juice, coffee, baklava, and other pastries.  One time he stopped the bus in order to move a turtle out of the road, but just because he is Palestinian, some would label him a “terrorist”.

We visited Mar Elias Educational Institutions, founded by Archbishop Elias Chacour, in Ibillin, Galilee.  In addition to learning about how the school is serving both Christian and Muslim students, we had a reunion with a Presbyterian friend.  Fayed Abu-Aku, former Moderator of the PCUSA, and visitor to Montview.

We visited a Palestinian village, Jayyous, that was separated from its gardens and olive groves by the “security” fence.  In order to work, the villagers had to travel by foot or donkey about two miles through an Israeli checkpoint and often were denied access to their livelihoods.  These villagers who had so little had prepared a feast of salads and chicken for our lunch. 

Our last full day in Jerusalem, we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum.  As one of our members so eloquently put it, “We had a broken heart after visiting Jayyous and we had a broken heart after visiting Yad Vashem.  It is up to us to put the two halves of our hearts together to seek a loving and just solution for this troubled land.”  Most of us who made this trip will try to do that.

Submitted by: Priscilla Linsley
Co-chair, Peace & Justice Task Force
Montview Boulevard PCUSA