Jerusalem Church Leaders show Support for EAPPI and Palestinian Communities

By Larry Fata

 “He who loves strife loves guilt;

he who builds his gate high courts

disaster.”

The Book of Proverbs 17:19

The building of a gate so high was seen by the ancient Hebrews as a sign of arrogance and an action that would lead to a disaster.  Today, Israel is building a gate, a fence, a wall, very high indeed, attempting to seal two people off from each other.  Three heads of Churches in Jerusalem, Roman Catholic Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan, and Greek Melkite Archimandrite Mtanios Haddad, recently decided to see up close for themselves the damage being done to Palestinian communities by the continuing Israeli Occupation and also to encourage the work being done to support an end to these destructive practices by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).

Israel’s so-called “Separation Wall,” much of it deep within the West Bank, has been judged to be illegal because of its route by the International Court of Justice.  As it winds through Palestinian farms and communities, the Wall does in fact sow strife.  It takes away a people’s livelihood and severely limits freedom.  The sealing off of communities due to the Wall as well as due to tightening and restrictive closures leads to the disaster predicted in the passage from the Book of Proverbs.  Cities and villages such as Tulkarem, Jayyous and Nablus are some of the areas particularly hard-hit and have drawn the presence of the EAPPI.  The Church leaders traveled to these three predominantly Muslim communities August 2^nd to show solidarity with their fellow Palestinians and to show appreciation for the work being done by Ecumenical Accompaniers there.

“The EAPPI and the Ecumenical Accompaniers came in answer to our call,” said Bishop Younan.  “They are promoting internationally for us and advocating justice.  We are thankful for these people.  Because of their work, people all over the world and the Churches are starting to hear our message.”

The EAPPI began two years ago in answer to the call by the heads of Churches in Jerusalem.  The World Council of Churches answered that call with this programme, whose aim is to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in their nonviolent actions and concerted advocacy efforts to end the Occupation.

The day started in Tulkarem, a city of 45,000 people, which has been almost completely surrounded by the Wall.  The Governor of the Tulkarem district, Izeldine al-Shariff, welcomed the delegation and gave an account of how much the city and the governate have suffered due to the building of the Wall.  “Because of the Wall, we have unemployment of over 80 percent,” al-Shariff said.  “We have the most educated young people in the country, yet you see them in the coffee shops.  There are no opportunities for employment because of the current situation.”

The Accompaniers based in nearby Jayyous have begun to establish a presence in Tulkarem as well, working with the local YMCA and in the refugee camps.  Latin Patriarch Sabbah, addressing those gathered in the Tulkarem Municipality building, echoed the sentiments of Bishop Younan.  “The World Council of Churches has shown its support through the work of the Ecumenical Accompaniers,” Sabbah said.  “These people are here because they believe in a cause and it is our cause.”

The bishops were warmly greeted throughout their visit to Tulkarem and there was an air of excitement that these leaders from the Palestinian Christian community had come to visit their Muslim countrymen.  There were enthusiastic embraces and warm kisses such as those shared by brothers.  Added Sabbah: “Palestinian Christians are part of the Palestinian people.  We feel with you. …Throughout this difficult time, you (the people of Tulkarem) have shown your strength.  We want to share with you in solidarity and show our support.  Your pain is our pain.”

Following a brief stop at one of the gates in the “Separation Fence” in the nearby village of Deir Algsoun, the group traveled to Jayyous, one of the first villages to face the consequences of the Fence.  The EAPPI established a presence in Jayyous, a village of approximately 3-4 thousand people, at the time when the Fence was first being constructed.  Jayyous, which is six kilometers from the Green Line, the internationally-recognized border between Israel and the West Bank, has seen most of its farm land cut off behind the Fence.  Accompaniers have lived in the village, providing protection from military incursions by their presence.  Their work monitoring the gates that are supposed to provide access for the village to its farm lands resulted in a report being provided to the International Court of Justice, which was used in the Palestinian presentation.

Abu Yousef from the nearby village of Azzoun, who along with his wife are the last remaining Christians in the area, was warmly greeted by the bishops.  He was an honored guest of the village of Jayyous, with which he has close contact.

Abu Azzam, a member of the Land Defense Committee in Jayyous, echoed two of the main themes of the day.  “We are one people, Muslims and Christians,” Abu Azzam said.  “We are together against the occupation.  This visit not only confirms that but it shows the support we get from the Churches and that we are not alone.  They have supported us all the time.  The Ecumenical Accompaniers show that as well.  They went to the gates all the time and helped put together the report (to the ICJ).  They are good friends to this community and we are all one family.”

Walking through the village, it became abundantly clear that Abu Azzam was not merely uttering idle words.  The group was brought to the local Charity Center, a place for community activities built through the help of donations from Christian churches.  Members of Jayyous society, from the mayor to girls doing arts and crafts in the Charity Center, were grateful for the visit of the Church leaders and the help the Churches provide, particularly that of the EAPPI. 

Wandile Kuse, an Anglican pastor, is one of the Accompaniers placed in Jayyous and is himself no stranger to the struggle against oppression, having lived through apartheid in South Africa.  He is encouraged to see the cooperation between people of faith here.  “We all share a common identity as people, let alone as one household of faith,” Kuse said.  “The love of Christ is not for Christians only but for people in general. …The idea of justice can be shared among all Churches and all faiths.”

Ann-Catrin Andersson from Sweden, another Accompanier placed in Jayyous, found the visit very encouraging for her work in the village, a task she sees as enforcing the bonds between the Christian and Muslim communities.  “It is very important to see the commitment to us from the people who invited us,” Andersson said.  “It is gratifying to see that they appreciate us. …There are strong relations between the Christian Church and the community (in Jayyous), a fruitful cooperation.  I think that the work of the Ecumenical Accompaniers here has helped as well.”

Bishop Younan sees the work of the EAPPI as integral in dispelling the myth that Christians, Muslims and Jews must be in a continual state of conflict.  “It is not true that there is a struggle between Christianity and Islam,” Younan said.  “We are communicating to the world that we are one nation, one cause, seeking justice and reconciliation – Christians and Muslims.  This programme (EAPPI) proves this as it is not only in Palestine but in Israel as well.  We work with everyone who works for justice and reconciliation – Christians, Muslims and Jews.  This programme works with people of all three faiths who work against injustice and for reaching a solution as members of one human family. …

“They (the people of Jayyous) take very good care of our Ecumenical Accompaniers.  They don’t care what religion they are.  Just caring about and being with people is the way of Jesus.”

The last stop on the trip was the city of Nablus, the second largest city in the West Bank and once the commercial center of the north.  Nablus, home to 132,000 people, including a small but close-knit Christian community of 750, has seen some of the tightest travel restrictions in and out of the city in the entire West Bank.  According to Nablus governor Mahmoud al-Aloul, Nablus “was the economic center of Palestine and now it’s the center of poverty and desperation.”  Arriving in Nablus, set picturesquely among rolling hills, it is evident that this was once a thriving city with its wide boulevards and impressive structures.  But the many bullet holes which scar those same structures give evidence of the very different reality the city now experiences.  Incursions by the Israeli army with arrests and sometimes shooting occur on a nightly basis. 

Accompaniers recently have begun to work in Nablus, despite the difficulties in movement.  They have been building relationships with women’s groups, human rights organizations and the refugee camps as well as the local Christian community.  “It (the delegation’s visit) is an important step to show that the world hasn’t forgotten Nablus,” said John Karlsrud, an accompanier from Norway.  “There is still much to be done and hopefully in the future we can have a longer visit.”  

The delegation met with local Christian as well as Muslim leaders, including Imam Azzam al-Aker, head of the Nablus region Islamic Sharia’a Court, and Zuher ad-Dubby, head of the Islamic Waqf of Nablus.  Also present from the local Christian community were Father Hussan Na’um of the Anglican Church, Father Jalil Awad of the Roman Catholic Church, Father Yousef Sa’adah of the Greek Catholic Church and Father George Awad of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Sabbah placed the visit to the city of Nablus in the context of the continuing work the Churches are attempting to accomplish through the EAPPI. 

“This visit is for all of Nablus,” Sabbah said.  “The love of Christ is not only for Christians; it is for everyone.  And to the Ecumenical Accompaniers from the World Council of Churches, we called upon you and you came.  We have put faith in you and we are always with you.  This is an occasion to tell you thank you, and also thank you to the Churches you represent and the World Council of Churches.”

Ad-Dubby reiterated the climate of cooperation between Christians and Muslims:  “When the conflict got very bad in Nablus, the Churches always called to see how things were, a sign that Christians and Muslims are in this together.”

Ylva Karlsson, an Accompanier from Sweden, talked about the difficulty of the EAPPI’s work as well as its importance in Nablus and in Palestine and Israel in general.  Responding to a question about whether she was happy being here, she said:  “It’s hard to feel happy in Palestine.  But it’s good to be here.  This visit (by the Church leaders) is important and hopefully this can help lead to an understanding by the world of what is happening both here in Nablus and in the rest of Palestine.”

Archimandrite Haddad put into perspective the two main themes emerging from the day:  the support the local Churches give to the EAPPI and how the work of the Ecumenical Accompaniers is part of the ongoing cooperation between Muslim and Christian Palestinians in reaching a peaceful solution to the current conflict.

“This programme (EAPPI) is important,” Haddad said.  “It shows that the Church is working for justice, without worrying about whom we are helping.  I am very happy that Muslims accept the Ecumenical Accompaniers, without worrying about religious divisions.  This shows that this is not a religious problem; it is a political problem.  This programme is a testimony to peace.  We want a dialogue with people of faith from all three religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.”

The day ended with a visit to Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, a center for disabled and elderly people.  Mother Teresa became one of the most beloved figures in the world in the true spirit of Christianity, working for those in need in predominantly Hindu India.  This served as a fitting end to the day of visits and as encouragement for all present that despite the fact that Palestine is predominantly Muslim, working for justice here is the entirely Christian thing to do.  Can a gate be built high enough then to keep out the love of Christ?

More Christian Voices