cornerstone, fall/winter, 2014, health & occupation

8/20/2019 Cornerstone, Fall/Winter, 2014, Health & Occupation

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IN HIS ISSUE Faith and Healthby Naim Ateek

We know from the Gospels that Jesus was concerned aboutpeople’s health. “Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in theirsynagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curingevery disease and every sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23).

Tis emphasis on teaching and healing is clear in the Gospels.Healing the sick was also a sign of the coming messianic age.

Jesus exercised healing through various ways. At times hepronounced the word and healing resulted whether in the presenceof the sick person or in his/her absence (Matthew 12:9-14; Luke7:1-10). At other times Jesus laid his hand and touched theperson (Matthew 8:14-15). Healing was also achieved when thesick person touched Jesus (Mark 5:25-29). More than once Jesusattributed healing to the faith of the person by saying, “Go, your

A PUBLICAION BY SABEEL ECUMENICAL LIBERAION HEOLOGY CENER

P h o t o b y M a h m u d H a m s / A F P / G e t t y I m a g e s

Health,

Occupied

A child waits to fill plastic water containers with drinking water from a public tap in Jabalia in northern Gaza in July 2014.

Faith and Health by Naim Ateek

Health under Occupation: Te West Bank by Marina ucktuck

An Excerpt from Perspectives from Gaza by Mads Gilbert

Glimpses of Our Activities

Healing Gaza’s raumatized Childrenby Walid Al Nabahin

Witnessing the Wounds by Dina Nassar

Christmas & Healthy Children by Rafiq Khoury

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faith has made you well” (Mark 10:46-52), the inference being that there is arelationship between people’s faith andtheir physical and psychological health.

I believe there is an important theologicalimplication in Jesus’ ministry of

healing. God wills that human beingsshould enjoy health of body, mind, andspirit. However, due to the state of ourhuman nature (biblically “the Fall”)our bodies are subject to weakness,disease, suffering, and eventuallydeath. In other words, God’s will forus is health, wholeness, and life, but ourhuman condition reflects our frailty andmortality.

When Jesus was restoring health tothe sick and infirm, he was, in effect,

fulfilling God’s will for humans. Tesame can be said when Jesus calmed thestormy sea. He was restoring to natureits idyllic state that does not threatenor endanger humans but rather allowsserenity and harmony between humansand the natural order. Similarly, bycuring disease and restoring health,

Jesus was reinstating harmony within

the same human body that was curedfrom illness. o be healthy in body,mind, and spirit reflects, in essence,God’s will for all people. Hence, God

was active in Jesus Christ in restoringcomprehensive health to all those whocame to him. Jesus said, “I came that they

may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). o live an abundant lifeis to live life to its fullest. Tis holisticunderstanding brings together the threecomponents that comprise the life ofa healthy person, namely, physical,psychological, and spiritual health.

Tere are two important things toremember:

Firstly: From the position of faith, allhealing comes from God. It is God who

is the great healer, but God’s healingpower is being communicated throughphysicians and all kinds of healthprofessionals and trained specialists.

Secondly: Many times we suffer fromhealth problems that are treatable;however, there are other ailments andphysical weaknesses that stay with us

for the rest of our lives. Tis is all due tour human nature. Obviously, we arthankful to God for ongoing medicresearch, new surgical techniques, newmedications and new cures that aravailable these days. At the same tim

there are at times unexplained issueabout health that we still cannot fullunderstand.

Unfortunately, in the history othe church there were times wheChristians and church leaders haa narrow understanding of healthIn their emphasis on the spirituathey undermined the physical. Teconsidered sickness and disease aconsequences of sin and the humabody as an enemy of the spiri

Hopefully we are beyond that kind ofnarrow and antiquated theology.

What then are some of the theologicaunderpinnings regarding our owhealth and the health of others?

1. We believe that life in all its fullneis a gift from God and we should receivit with thankfulness to God and witresponsibility.

2. Our understanding of health mu

be holistic and comprehensive. must include the physical, mental, anspiritual. Sadly, we seldom achievsuch a state of health but it is an idethat we must always aspire to achievfor ourselves and others.

3. Te coming of Jesus Christ hasanctified the human body in whicthe incarnation has taken placTeologically speaking, the Spirit oGod indwells in us and our body is thtemple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19It is important, therefore, to care for thbody that God has given us.

4. Nations have a moral and spirituaresponsibility to provide the best healtcare that is possible for all people ancreate healthy environments in order tprevent and treat diseases. We are oubrothers’ and sisters’ keepers and w

An infant is transferred into an ambulance at the Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and East Jerusalem. Palestinian ambulances are prevented from freedom of travel.

P h o t o b y T a m a r F l i e s h m a n / M a c h s o m W a t c h



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must love others and care for others as we love and care forour own.

5. It is reprehensible to even imagine the billions of dollarsthat are spent every year by the different countries of the

world to purchase and manufacture armaments that only kill

and destroy instead of using those funds for medical research,the eradication of poverty, hunger, and preventable diseases,and for providing health care for the millions of peoplearound the world. In light of the huge expenditures on armsand the neglect of people’s health care, it is a crime againsthumanity. It is within human capacity today to providegreater and better health care and create and maintainhealthy environments to all people who are deprived of themor cannot have access to them.

Health under Occupation and Siege in Palestine

In the case of the Palestinian people, it is the prolongation

of the illegal occupation of Israel over Palestine, includingthe siege on Gaza, and the restrictions it imposes on thePalestinians that constitute the formidable obstacles inmeeting the need for health care for the Palestinians. ForPalestinians, accessing medical treatment is challengedby obstacles such as checkpoints, the separation wall, andpermit denials by Israeli authorities. In Gaza, the cripplingsiege and massive military bombardments have choked anddamaged public health infrastructures of water, sanitation,and electricity. Te Gazan peoples’ access to food is alsorestricted through Israel’s cruel practice of calculating the

Gaza preschoolers sip their fortified milk while their mothers learn some tips on nutrition as part of the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)Milk for Preschoolers Program.

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minimum number of calories needed to survive, and onlyallowing this amount into Gaza. Poverty exacerbated by theoccupation in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem oftenleads to a poor quality of life, which negatively affects thephysical and mental health of this population.

It is outrageous that in Palestine, as well as in many parts ofthe world, many health problems are preventable, such asstunting and malnutrition in children, anemia in pregnant

women, and wounds, disabilities and mental trauma thatcome from living in war conditions.

A healthy population is created when the people haveaccess to clean water, proper sanitation, safe environments,nutritious foods, and medical care, among others.

It is only the cry of millions around the world that mightforce the world leaders to change their priorities and placethe issue of health care and the prevention and treatment

of diseases on top of their agendas. It must begin, however, with a vision of compassion for the world. Te word“compassion” means to “suffer with.” It is an active wordthat demands involvement and action.

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have itabundantly.” Life in abundance and fullness includes goodhealth care for all people so that people can live their lives totheir fullest possibilities and potentials.

Te Rev. Naim Ateek is President of the Sabeel Board.




A young girl waits for her turn at a mobile clinic in the West Bank.

Health underOccupation:

The West Bankby Marina ucktuck

Te right to health is a recognized human right by manyinternational organizations worldwide. It is stated by the1946 Constitution of the World Health Organization(WHO) as, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainablestandard of physical and mental health. (1) Health, in thisregard, encompasses the WHO definition of health as,“a state of complete physical, mental and social well-beingand not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (1) In the

Palestinian context, however, health is complicated by a mixof interrelated political, economic and social influences thatcreate disparities, which in turn hinders one’s ability for thecomplete attainment of health.

Israeli colonization of Occupied Palestine: an unnatural,geographic division

Te 1994 Oslo Accords stipulated that the West Bank would be divided into three administrative categories: Areas A, B, and C. Area A is under the full control of the

Palestinian Authority (PA), whereas Israel and the PA havshared responsibility of Area B, and Area C is under the fu

control of Israel and constitutes 60% of the West Bank.East Jerusalem is another divided area of Occupied Palestin

where West-Bank ID holders have restricted access unless permit is granted by Israel. (3)

Te Israeli fragmentation of the West Bank land is not a naturgeographical division; rather, it reflects the architecture ocolonization that is imposed on the residents of OccupiePalestine. Tis division and the continued colonization oPalestinian lands by the occupying Israeli forces, the policiof tight siege, closures and periodic interruptions in daily lifcontribute to negative, serious ramifications on the healtstatus of Palestinians.

Te effects of the Israeli occupation are cumulative and havbeen associated with long-term consequences on the healtof the Palestinian population, with clinical and researchbased evidence. Tese effects go beyond the physical damagto infrastructure, death, injury and disability, and arassociated with low self-rated health and sub-quality of lifserious human insecurity, distress and increased vulnerabilito illness, all of which are health indicators known to predicincreased morbidity and mortality. (4, 5)




Te Palestinian context and its effectson health

Displacement

West Bank residents of Area C arecontinually denied building permits

and any opportunity to invest in theirland. Peace Now, a prominent Israeliorganization, reports that between theyears 2000-2007, 94% of buildinglicense applications were declined forPalestinians; meanwhile, the IsraeliCivil Administration granted permitsto build 18,472 housing units in Israelisettlements. Te situation is worsened byIsrael’s unannounced house demolitionsand the forced evictions in Area C.Consequently, Palestinians living in AreaC are left with no permanent residence

or an opportunity to establish a stablehome. (6)

East Jerusalem residents are yetanother vulnerable group of Israel’sdiscriminatory behavior againstPalestinians. East Jerusalemitesconstitute the category of most risk ofdenial or revocation of residency status(3, 7) It becomes clear that Palestiniansare constantly defining, breaking andre-defining their residency status, hencebeing overwhelmed with a constant

displacement.

Te burden of displacement places a hugetoll on the health of civilians that goesbeyond the physical damage. Te loss ofa stable home or a permanent residenceand the constant fear of losing one’shome deprive Palestinians of physicaland economic security. Consequently,the disruption of livelihood, the lowstandard of living, and the subsequentsub-quality of life predispose Palestiniansto serious vulnerability to illness and

morbidities. Children are especially atrisk of developing anxiety, depressionand post-traumatic health conditions. (8)

Violence

Violence, whether direct or indirect,is part of the everyday experiences ofPalestinians. It is a daily occurrence formany Palestinians to be presented with

Israeli settler and army violence in theform of verbal and/or physical assaults,strip searches, attacks on livestock andagricultural land, raids, racism anddiscrimination, acts of intimidation andharassment, among others. (8) Crossing

the Israeli checkpoints, whether toreach private properties or access healthservices, presents a great challenge tomany Palestinians. As of 2014, thereare an estimated 516 checkpoints androadblocks, 60 of which are permanentcheckpoints. (6)

Similarly, Palestinians are oftenchallenged by Israeli settler violence.Te U.N. Office for the Coordinationof Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)reports that in 2013, the number of

settler violence incidents in the WestBank increased from 368 in 2012 to399 incidents, and violent attacks byIsraeli settlers and army using tear gasand rubber-coated metal bullets raisedthe total Palestinian fatalities from 8 in2012 to 27 at the end of 2013. (8)

Area C Palestinian residents areespecially prone to settler attackssince 32,000 Israeli settlers live in 160communities throughout the area.(6) Many Palestinians also face settler

and army violence during peacefulPalestinian demonstrations, withPalestinians resisting these actions,often leading to their detainment,injury and possible death. (8) Whencombined with other challenges, theconstant threat and action of violencetowards Palestinians leave them with animmense feeling of human insecurity,uncertainty and distress, all of whichreflect negatively on their health. (8)

Restricted access to healthcare

facilities Te health status of Palestinians isfurther exacerbated by the limitedand restricted access to healthcarefacilities that Palestinians have tosurmount, whether physical barriers(e.g. checkpoints) or bureaucraticconstraints (e.g. permits and ‘closedareas’). (8)

Palestinian residents of Area C areparticularly affected by the limitedaccess to health facilities, due to theIsraeli government not allowing the PAto build clinics in Area C. Consequently,

Area C lacks primary healthcare,

permanent and specialized clinics andan overall healthcare system. Te only

way Area C residents receive healthcareservices is through mobile clinicsprovided by civil society organizations,

with the medical teams often subjectedto Israeli military and army violence. (6) Palestinians in Area C are thus left withfew opportunities to promote a healthyliving.

Demonstrations against the separation wall, olive tree destruction and home

demolitions, to name a few, often leadto clashes between Palestinians andthe occupying forces. Israel prohibitsand sometimes hinders the abilityof health and medical personnel toaccess the injured, which often resultsin death and further co-morbidities ofPalestinians. (9)

Palestinian ambulance health personnelalso report challenges with transportingPalestinians to East Jerusalem hospitals,especially the unease of having to

shuttle patients on stretchers betweenambulances when presented withpermit issues and ‘security reasons’ forentry denials. In 2012, only 116 out of1,292 ambulances were allowed to passthe main checkpoints to East Jerusalem.Te transfer of Palestinian patients todifferent ambulances often results indelayed treatment and thus a lengthierrecovery. (10)

Delaying permits to hospitals inEast Jerusalem is another example of

restrictions on access to healthcare.Since East Jerusalem has most of thespecialized healthcare centers in the

West Bank, acquiring permits becomesan issue, especially for cancer anddialysis patients. Palestinians oftenstruggle with access to permits and havethe additional stress of applying andthe anticipation of waiting, all of whichincrease safety risks and pose health




issues for those who are denied permits.(8) In a 2011 cohort study on access tohealth services in Occupied Palestine,19% of the 175,228 patients and theiraccompanying family members whoapplied for permits had their requests

denied or delayed, with ‘security’reasons as the most frequent reason. (11)

Te rise of non-communicable diseases

Te combination of chronic exposureto violence, the Israeli occupation,the rapid urbanization, globalization,poverty and unemployment and lifestylechanges have been associated with anepidemiological transition characterizedby the rise in the incidence of non-communicable (chronic) diseases inOccupied Palestine. Many Palestinians

attest to the negative health impact ofchronic exposure to political violenceand Israeli military occupation, whichis thought to contribute to the chronicdisease ‘epidemic.’ According to the2006 Palestinian Family Health Survey,

1 in 10 people in Occupied Palestineand 2/3 of those older than 60 yearshave at least one chronic disease,and the 2013 Palestinian Ministry ofHealth (MOH) Annual Report citedcardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular

diseases and cancer as the leading causesof death among the population. (12, 13)

Constraints on the Palestinianhealthcare system

o fully understand health in thePalestinian context, it is imperative torecognize that the Palestinian healthcaresystem is shaped and constrained bymany factors. First, the key determinantof health is the continued illegalIsraeli occupation and the consequentrestrictions on the movement of

people and goods and the dependencyon Israel for economic development.For instance, the Israeli MOH onlyallows the import of medical drugsto the West Bank and Gaza that areregistered in Israel and excludes the

neighboring Arab market. MoreoveIsrael bans Palestinian pharmaceuticafrom sending drugs to East Jerusalemmedical institutions under the guise o‘security reasons.’ Te resulting de faccaptive market, with binding econom

regulations and dependency on Israeleaves no room for developing thPalestinian healthcare system to thfullest. (12, 14, 15)

In addition, the PA lacks sovereigntover borders, land and water resourceas well as the social determinants ohealth, mainly equity in the distributioof health facilities and services. (12, 16, 1

Te inequitable access to health servicprimarily affects Palestinian residenof Area C and the Jordan Valley. (1

Palestinians with a non-JerusalemID, who constitute the majority oPalestinians, also lack an equitablaccess to the specialized hospitals oEast Jerusalem. (16)

A Palestinian child receives treatment for cancer at the Specialized Center for Child Care at Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem, the onlyPalestinian hospital that offers specialized cancer treatment.




Lastly, the Palestinian MOH depends on donor agencies’financial assistance. However, the multiplicity of donoragencies and their different agendas are often restrictiveand in some cases, blind to the immediate health needs ofthe Palestinians. (17) All these interacting factors contributeto the challenges of building and developing a sustainable

Palestinian healthcare system that meets the needs of itspeople.

Te way forward

Given the political reality of the Israeli military occupation,coupled with the still undefined border of Israel, changestowards a sustainable and equitable healthcare system

will depend on future political developments. (14, 16) Tus,

what Palestinians aspire to reach is a just way of life, withsovereignty, self-determination, control over resources, (17) and an end to the Israeli military occupation of Palestinianland. Only then can we start adequately addressing theright to health and healthcare system development so thatPalestinians can lead self-sustaining lives.

Marina ucktuck was born and raised in the West Bank,Occupied Palestine. In 2013, she graduated from SwarthmoreCollege, Pennsylvania (USA) with a major in Biology and aminor in Peace and Conflict Studies. She is currently fulfillingthe requirements for a Masters in Public Health at BirzeitUniversity, Occupied Palestine.

References:

1. http://www.ohchr.org/documents/publications/factsheet31.pdf 2. http://www.settlerwatch.com/en/publikationer/vastbankens-abc/

3. http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_jerusalem_report_2011_03_23_web_english.pdf4. http://icph.birzeit.edu/uploads/File/monographs/2002 no one in a health state 2.pdf 5. Giacaman, R., Husseini, A., Gordon, N. H., & Awartani, F. (2004). Imprints on the consciousness Te impact on Palestinian

civilians of the Israeli Army invasion of West Bank towns. Te European Journal of Public Health, 14(3), 286-290.6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOLDSLDNn1A.7. http://www.btselem.org/jerusalem/revocation_of_residency8. http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_annual_review_2014.pdf9. Sousa, C., & Hagopian, A. (2011). Conflict, health care and professional perseverance: A qualitative study in the West Bank. Glob-

al public health, 6(5), 520-533.10. http://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/palestine/documents/WHO_Access_Report-March_5_2013.pdf11. Vitullo, A., Soboh, A., Oskarsson, J., Atatrah, ., Lafi, M., & Laurance, . (2012). Barriers to the access to health services in the

occupied Palestinian territory: a cohort study. Te Lancet, 380, S18-S19.12. http://www.lacs.ps/documentsShow.aspx?A_ID=4764

13. http://www.moh.ps/attach/704.pdf14. Giacaman, R., Abdul-Rahim, H. F., & Wick, L. (2003). Health sector reform in the Occupied Palestinian erritories (OP): tar-

geting the forest or the trees? Health policy and planning, 18(1), 59-67.15. http://www.whoprofits.org/sites/default/files/captive_economy_0.pdf16. Mataria, A., Khatib, R., Donaldson, C., Bossert, ., Hunter, D. J., Alsayed, F., & Moatti, J. P. (2009). Te health-care system: an

assessment and reform agenda. Te Lancet, 373(9670), 1207-1217.17. Giacaman, R., Khatib, R., Shabaneh, L., Ramlawi, A., Sabri, B., Sabatinelli, G., & Laurance, . (2009). Health status and health

services in the occupied Palestinian territory. Te Lancet, 373(9666), 837-849.

“…the key determinant of health is thecontinued illegal Israeli occupation and the consequent

restrictions on the movement of people and goods and thedependency on Israel for economic development.”




An Excerpt

from Perspectivesfrom Gaza

from Sabeel’s newly published book, Te Bible and the PalestineIsrael Conflict

by Mads Gilbert

…So whenever I come back from Gaza, and when I amthere, my main question is: what can we learn from them,the Palestinians? Tey can manage, they’re good. Tey’re

doctors and high-level nurses, and paramedics; they don’tneed my medical skills. Tey need my solidarity and theyneed my voice. Actually, this lecture should have, of course,been given by a Palestinian and not by me, because it’s theirnarrative. But they need our voices; they are voiceless and theoccupation forces them to be voiceless.

So I relearn, every time, about Palestinian resistance anddignity. Te moral imperative is on the Palestinians’ side,and that gives them dignity. We have been discussing the

Nakba , 1948, the tents. But it’s reoccurring. It’s cominback and coming back. When I went back to Gaza half year after “Operation Cast Lead,” I went to Zeitoun [a poo

neighborhood outside Gaza City] where I met the Samounchildren. Tey were back in the tents because their whohabitat, the family’s houses, had been completely destroyeby the Israeli massacre in the Samouni family village iZeitoun in January 2009. Back in the tents, like in ’48.

Tere is an endless, ongoing Nakba in Gaza: “OperatioSummer Rain” in the summer of 2006, “Cast Lead” (20089), then “Pillar of Defense” last November (2012), just tmention a few recent attacks. And on top of this, theris the merciless siege and the economic sanctions from2006 followed by the blockade of Gaza from 2007, witmalnutrition as a direct consequence.

Israeli impunity

In my opinion, one of the most important and challenginmoral, political, and medical issues of today is Israeimpunity. Tat the global community actually accepts thesongoing, systematic, preplanned, exactly executed attackon the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza and the WesBank, and also the plights of those in the Diaspora in Syriin Lebanon, and in Jordan.

Children wade through sewage submerging the streets of a central Gaza neighborhood a day after one of the largest waste water treatment plantsstopped for lack of fuel.




Te issue of legal responsibility for theIsraeli killing fields in Gaza received asmall notice in Te Guardian in August2013; a very small notice indeed. Tearticle states that one Israeli soldier hadbeen convicted of a crime committed

during “Operation Cast Lead.” He is thesole person convicted. Fourteen hundredand fifty Palestinians were killed, 5,300

wounded, the majority civilians. Tisone Israeli soldier was convicted becausehe shot two Palestinian women, Majda

Abu Hajaj, and her mother Raya. Te women came out of a house that wasbeing bombarded by the Israeli forces,and they were waving a white flag.Te soldier shot them at point-blankrange, and he was sentenced to 45 daysin prison. Tat means 22.5 days perPalestinian life. It’s less than you get fordrunk driving in Norway. And I thinkthese numbers—one convicted and22.5 days for a Palestinian life—tell youeverything about the Israeli apartheidsystem.

Israeli weapons

What are the weapons the Israelis areusing against Gaza? Well, first of all,the siege. No escape, no safe place, no

warning systems, no bomb shelters,nothing like that. Ten the blockade:the blockade of food, of water, ofanything you need for daily life.Utensils for the kitchen, cooking gas,and building materials (window panes,tiles); all you need to rebuild after thebombing. Te bombing is done withIsraeli F-16s, Apache helicopters, anddrones. Ten the ground invasion, thehuge Merkava tanks and their deadlyartillery will come and the soldiers goin with their sophisticated hand-held

weapons—very deadly.

And do not forget the Israeli propagandamachine: flyers being dropped fromairplanes, phone calls all the time—“Get out, we’re going to bomb yourhouse”—and “knocks on roofs” whenthe drones are hitting the roofs ofapartment buildings with small rockets,indicating that this house will be heavily

bombed within four minutes. And thenin terms of the families, the children,and the elders who are in this situationdue to the blackout: they face the cold,the hunger, the insecurity, the fear, theuncertainty about what is going to

happen next, and the repetitious Israelicollective punishment of the civilianpopulation, which is highly illegalaccording to international law.

Te sanctions and siege started in2006-07 and are ongoing. As youknow, Gaza is a very, very small pieceof land, only a marathon long—45kilometers from the border with Egyptup to the border with Israel, and 5-12km wide. Tere are only two entrances,either through Israel at Erez or through

Egypt at Rafah. Te whole Strip iscompletely fenced in on all sides: onthe ground, in the air, and on the sea.Gaza City is in the north with 660,000inhabitants. A beautiful place andone of the oldest cities in the world.

Al-Shifa Hospital, where I worked,could have been a university hospital:six operating rooms, all specialties,500 doctors capable of performingexcellent, modern medicine, also openheart surgery. But the hospital is under

so much strain from the siege, lack ofspare parts and materials.

“One and a half million Palestiniansare imprisoned in Gaza,” said JohnGing, the brave UNRWA Head ofMission, in January 2009. oday, 1.8million Palestinians are still imprisonedin Gaza. Don’t forget that this is achild population; the average age inGaza is 17.6 years old. Sixty percentare 18 or below, so more than onemillion children and young people are

imprisoned in Gaza.

Medical effects

As a consequence of a lack ofsufficient and varied food, there isendemic nutritional anemia, proteinmalnutrition, stunting (the childrenare more than two standard deviationsshorter than they should have been at

that age), and hypothermia due to lackof heating. All are man-made medicalconsequences, leading to ill being forthe people.

Te Israeli, and now also the Egyptian,

siege causes lack of all daily needs:food, water, power and energy, wastedisposal at the municipality level, andlack of the materials you need to rebuildyour habitat following the bombing.Seventy-four percent of the bombedbuildings have not been repaired dueto lack of material. Te Israelis bombed28 schools and none of them have beenfully restored.

And there is, of course, no humansecurity and no export, so the economy

is totally wrecked. Gaza is a civiliansociety that has been systematicallyforced on its knees by the Israeli siegeand blockade. Ten, on top of thatcomes the bombing; the occupierattacks and starts bombing, again andagain.

No doubt there is a humanitariancrisis in Gaza. It’s manmade, onehundred percent. Only 10 percent ofthe water is drinkable. Seventy-five toeighty percent of the families are food

insecure, meaning they don’t know inthe morning what to eat for breakfastor lunch or dinner. Tree out of fourfamilies are totally aid-dependentbecause of the breakdown of the localeconomy. Tat’s the situation.

And as we are speaking, having ourcoffee and tea, and enjoying our flushtoilets, most of the people of Gazahave none of this. Te weekly reportsfrom the UN24 are very accurate; for

example, they stated in their reportthe third week of November that theGaza power plant shut down, andIsrael imposed a total ban on transferof construction materials, whichcontinued for a period of several weeks.Te reason for the Gaza power plantshutdown was that the Egyptians closedall the tunnels, which, following theIsraeli siege beginning in 2007, had




become the lifeline, the umbilicus ofPalestinian civilian life. Now, this hasalso been completely shut off. Influxof building material was stopped fromOctober 13, 2013, so that even UNrebuilding projects are fully stopped.

Gaza is being choked as we speak.

Tis is just a brief sum-up from thesame report, pointing to the fact thatall aspects of civilian life, includingschooling, primary healthcare, and allprovisions that you need for daily lifein a community, are being stopped,obstructed, or destroyed by the siege;and the hospitals are facing even morehardship through the lack of spare partsand spare materials.

Te day before I left for Jerusalem andthis conference, I got a letter from themayor of Gaza with an urgent appeal;in this letter he urged the mayor of myhome city (we are a twin city with Gaza)to come to Gaza’s aid because the people

were drowning in sewage. Added to thisletter was a panel of pictures showinghow the sewage was flooding the streetsof Gaza. Why? Because they cannot gethold of the 4,000 liters of diesel they

need per day to operate the sewagepumping system. So not only are theybombed and starved and denied freeaccess to the world, theyare beingdrowned in their own sewage. Andagain, this is a one hundred percent

man-made disaster, made by the Stateof Israel, supported by the governmentof the United States.

Te Israeli occupation is the keydeterminant

Tis is the reality as we are speaking,my friends. Tere is no human securityfor the Palestinians. Professor RitaGiacaman, the brilliant Palestinianresearcher at Birzeit University, says, “Palestinians are people who were

never safe, even before the1967 Israelioccupation.” I totally subscribe tothat. In a paper in Te Lancet , Ritastates that “all qualitative measures of health, suffering, fear, humiliation andexposure to violence are increasing.”Tat is a strong statement, but it isdocumented with extensive scientificevidence. And if you want to knowabout the relation between the Israelioccupation and health, you should getthe issue of Te Lancet which came out

in March 2009, called “Health in thOccupied Palestinian erritory.” It’s collection of scientific articles with higstandards from a number of scientistSummed up, their conclusion is tha“hope for improving the health an

quality of life of Palestinians will exionly once people recognize that thstructural and political conditions thathey endured in the occupied State oPalestine are the key determinants opopulation health.”

It is the occupation that is the corproblem; so don’t send more bandagedon’t send doctors, don’t send fielhospitals. Lift the siege and stop thbombing, and people will be fine.

o read more of this article, contact ouoffice for a copy of the book.

Dr. Mads Fredrik Gilbert, MD, is Norwegian physician and professospecializing in anesthesiology anemergency medicine. He has volunteereas a medical solidarity worker foPalestine since 1981, most recently servinin Gaza at al-Shifa Hospital during th

2008–2009, 2012, and 2014 Israebombardments. He is the coauthor of thdocumentary book, Eyes in Gaza, and haa new book, Night in Gaza.

Families in Gaza at a UN shelter P h o t o b y S h a r e e f S a r h a n / U N R W A




We are pleased to announce that Sabeel’s 9th International Conference book is completed and published! Around 30 authors from the conference held in November 2013 contributed to the 315-page book.

Cos t:

25 U S D/ 100 N I

S

p l us pos ta ge

P le ase con t ac t

s a bee l@s a bee l.org

to order yo u

r co p y !

Tis book is a compilation of presentations and papers from the Sabeel 9th International Conference, held from November19 to 25, 2013, in Jerusalem. From sermons and Bible studies to presentations by international law experts, this conferenceaddressed the many ways in which the Bible is used and abused in the Holy Land and in the context of the occupation ofPalestine. Te texts included in this book examine the authority of scripture, the future of the Bible, and ways the Bible hasbeen used in connection with the occupation of Palestine. While Sabeel believes that the solution to the conflict must bebased on international law, the papers included in this volume reveal how the biblical concepts of justice and peace can bedrawn upon for the achievement of a just and durable resolution.

Troughout the book, Sabeel’s unique theological perspective enables the reader to contextualize and consider each topicin relation to the struggle of the Palestinian people and the development of Palestinian liberation theology. Naim Ateek,Sabeel’s Director and the founder of the Palestinian liberation theology movement, contributes several important biblical andpolitical commentaries. Other major contributors include: Mustafa Barghouti, Yohanna Katanacho, Hala Khoury-Bisharat,

Jonathan Kuttab,Gary Burge, David Mark Neuhaus, Diana Buttu, Nancy Cardoso Pereira, Peter Du Brul, John B. Quigley, MadsFredrik Gilbert, Deborah Weissman, Gerard Horton, Joakim Wohlfeil, Gregory Jenks, Jean Zaru and Pietro Kaswalder .

Te works included in this book are essential for understanding the role of empire in biblical interpretation, particularly inthe context of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and the importance of achieving a just, political solution based on inter-national law.



12 ISSUE 70, FALL/WINER 2014

Glimpses of

Our Activities

Clergy and their spouses spiritual retrea“Proclaiming the Gospel in a Wounded World” iBethlehem

Participants of the women’s program get a tour of the oldcity of Akko.

Sabeel’s ecumenical prayer service in Jerusalemfor the people of Gaza and the Christians in

Iraq

Muslim and Christian clerics and communityleaders gather for Iftar (breaking of the fast) duringRamadan as part of Sabeel’s interfaith ministry.



13ISSUE 70, FALL/WINER 2014

Glimpses of

Our Activities

New Interim Executive Director for Sabeel, Jerusalem

On behalf of the Board of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Teology Center in Jerusalem I am pleased to announcethat the Reverend William Roberts, from British Columbia, Canada, took on the roles and responsibilities ofInterim Executive Director on November 3, 2014. Among many responsibilities, William is working towardscloser partnerships between Sabeel Jerusalem and the International Friends of Sabeel to strengthen the support ofSabeel’s programs and priorities with friends from around the world.

William Roberts comes to this leadership role with Sabeel with his 35 years as an Anglican priest workingecumenically and with interfaith groups. His 1978 Master of Divinity thesis at Union Seminary in New York

was on ‘Liberation Teology and the Palestinians.’ He has also earned an Executive MBA from the University ofColorado, Denver. For seven years he was an elected legislator in Canada; this was followed by seven years working

with non-profit Boards on strategic planning and fund-raising. For the past 12 years as President of the WhistlerForum in British Columbia, he convened summits, forums, leadership seminars and public dialogues on a range

of public policy issues.

William has previously been to the region several times, including once to Gaza, as a member of the Board of theCanadian Friends of Sabeel.

Rev. Naim Ateek

President of the Board of Sabeel

5 “Virgins” Challenge 5000 Christian Zionist Marchers in Jerusalem

In this year’s Jerusalem March, Sabeel mobilized local and international ac-tivists to hand out “gifts” to the Christian Zionists marching through West

Jerusalem. Dressed as brides, five “virgins” distributed thousands of flyersthat challenged the marchers’ exclusive theology. Tis creative activism wasinspired by the Gospel reading of Mathew 25:1-13, which the InternationalChristian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) executive director reflected on duringthis year’s theme of the Feast of the abernacles. Te ICEJ is the organizerof the yearly Jerusalem March.

Te “virgins” also carried oil lamps and handed out to the marchers 531small bottles of olive oil from Bethlehem olive trees cut off from the town byIsrael’s illegal separation barrier. Te 531 oil bottles symbolized the numberof Palestinian villages depopulated in the 1948 Nakba when the State ofIsrael was created. Te flyers included the following statement translated inover 25 languages: “Te lamp shines brighter if the oil is clean; cleansethe faith with inclusiveness and justice for both peoples of this land.”

See www.sabeel.org to read more about the event.




HealingGaza’sTraumatizedChildren by Walid Al Nabahin

Te “Gaza in 2020” report issued byUnited Nations in 2012 describedhow bad the situation in Gaza was and

how much worse it would get in thesoon unlivable Gaza by the year 2020.

Anyone who read this report may bepessimistic about the future of Gaza,especially under Israel’s continuoussiege imposed since 2007. However,after Israel’s last aggression in thesummer of 2014 one will definitely beconcerned about Gaza and its children.During the aggression, the United

Nations estimated that around 373,000children in Gaza were in need of directand specialized psycho-social support.

After Israel’s first aggression in 2008-2009, many studies were conductedaddressing the effects of aggressionon children, which proved that morethan 75% of the children of Gazahave post-traumatic stress disorder(PSD) symptoms. Tis number wasastonishing, but the last aggression

was more aggressive than the first, which is clear by simple comparison inthe numbers of deaths and injuries as

well as the amount of destruction that

affected the whole Gaza Strip. Eventhough there are no studies or reportsthat describe the effects of this recentaggression on children, it is obviousthat it is much worse.

Exposure to 3 brutal aggressions within less than 6 years has changedpeople’s lives – especially the livesof the children. Teir lives are filled

with wariness and troubled with thconstant feeling of insecurity. In termof psychology, characteristics of PSD

do not fully describe life in Gaza. Tis because PSD describes one traumatexperience that impacts the personnormal life, but living in Gaza meanmany consecutives traumas, which best described as “chronic traumaTis is way more difficult to deal withSo, you can imagine how an 8 year olchild living in Gaza would be affecteafter all this!

One of the biggest problems thchildren in Gaza suffered was th

feeling of insecurity, which was obviouduring the aggression, as they rusheto hide, or hug their parents whenevethey heard the F-16s striking or thsounds of shelling. Tis feeling waaccompanied by their parents’ feelingof helplessness and inability to protectheir children.

In these conditions, the Culture an

Gazan children play at a summer camp in Khan Younis in June 2014 before Israel’s latest military offensive.




Free Tought Association (CFA) works to alleviate the aggression effectson children and promote their resiliencyand coping mechanisms.

CFA was established in 1990 and

has 5 different centers; 3 of them aretargeting children in Khan Younis andthe southern area of the Gaza Strip,

which is considered a marginalizedarea. CFA targets children ages 6 to16 years old. CFA aims at buildingthe capacities and skills of the childrenas well as improving their psychological

well-being. After the first aggression in2008, CFA increased its psychosocialsupport activities to support the childrenand improve their well-being, but thelast aggression has ruined everything. It

didn’t only undo all the previous efforts,but also worsened children’s situationsand resulted in a constant feeling ofinsecurity. Many children became

distracted, nervous, and withdrawn.

After this war, CFA focused its effortson helping children release their stressesthrough expressive art activities such asfree drawing, theatre, photography, and

drama. In addition, psychologists ineach of the CFA centers followed up with the children and provided themsupport. Te most challenging part was

working with those who suffered lossof their houses and/or their relatives.Tese children needed special care toreintegrate them in the community. Forthese, CFA used drama sessions as wellas individual and group counseling.

As an example of psychosocial supportactivities, free drawing is used to help

children express their feelings andrelease their stress. CFA has increasedfree drawing sessions where childrendraw - either individually or in groups

- what they have on their minds andthen they discuss their drawings andtheir meanings. Apparently, the lastaggression was the dominant theme thatoccupied their minds and was present inalmost every drawing. Tis was obvious

in the drawings gallery, which presentedthe children’s drawings during theceasefire and after the war. Aggressionscenes could be seen through the tanks,planes, shelling, destroyed houses andmartyrs that filled the drawings.

As part of its intervention and toguarantee the best results, CFAincluded parents in its activities,through awareness meetings thatdiscussed aggression effects on childrenand changes in their behaviors and how

to deal with them. In addition, CFAimplemented activities that involvedboth children and their mothers, whichhelped the latter to better understandtheir children’s needs. For example,“bird nests” is an activity wherechildren discuss their problems andexpress their needs through a series ofsessions; at the end of each session eachchild writes down his/her feelings on apiece of paper and puts it inside a nest.

At the end of each month, mothers

with their children open the nests anddiscuss what was written. Tis activityproved to be very effective in helpingmothers understand and even realizenew characteristics of their children.

Based on our experience, overcomingthe effects of the aggressions requiremany years of work with children andsuch a burden requires joint effortsfrom all the governmental as well as thenon-governmental organizations.

Never mind how hard life in Gaza is -the children are still shining with smilesand hope for a better future, which theydeserve.

Walid Al Nabahin is Monitoring andEvaluation Officer for the Culture andFree Tought Association (CFA) inGaza.

Palestinian children at a UN-run school sheltering Palestinians displaced from the Israelioffensive in Gaza City in August 2014

© R E U T E R S / M o h a m m e d S

a l e m




Witnessingthe Wounds by Dina Nasser

Mrs. Dina Nasser went to Gaza during the shelling shortly beforethe cease-fire in August 2014 as part of a volunteer health team

from Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem. As a nurse, shecared for patients in Gaza and followed up with them in severalhospitals in Jerusalem where they were sent for more specializedcare.

I came down the stairs of the hospital in Jerusalem afterhaving said goodbye to 13-year- old Omar. I thought of hiscries, his pain, his miserable face as he said goodbye, and hisunchanged demeanor from day one. I wondered: Have wedone enough? Did we really heal Omar or did we just try toheal his physical injuries? After two months in Jerusalem,

with several packs of clothing and presents and a tired relative who had accompanied him, it was finally time for him to go

home to Gaza. Luckily, Omar had a home and a fami waiting to see him.

I talked to his mom after he arrived home safely. He wbetter; however, every now and then he would scream anstart crying. I found out that at the time of his injury, Omhad been sleeping in an area outside his home along with huncle’s family when the house next to them got shelled. Athe rubble and debris fell on them. Everyone ran away whiOmar lay still on the ground bleeding. He was the onone injured and felt abandoned. It made sense to me nothe way he shouts for his uncle and turns his head as if his going to faint. Omar has been reliving this moment evsince he was injured.

Amal, my friend’s 4-year-old niece was in the pediatric warin Jerusalem suffering from burns to her injured leg. Hmother was on another floor recovering from major surgerthat saved her life; both were oblivious to the each otherinjuries and presence at the hospital. Amal’s brother winjured and stayed in Gaza and Amal’s newborn baby broth

was killed in the attack on their home. Once reunited, hmom kept a smile on her face as she sat with Amal, trying tovercome her own pain while Amal was very moody and i

A wounded Palestinian child from Gaza




pain. It was Amal’s mom who neededto heal, not just physically, but mentallyafter the loss of her newborn. She hadno time to mourn him. I wonderedhow she would feel when she returnedto Gaza with one child gone and to

a home with three injured people,including her. Who will take care ofthem?

Amal was reunited with her momunlike little Haneen, the 8-year-old girl

whom I met in Gaza. She came to theoperating room with a hanging limb,

which doctors were able to save. ButHaneen was not complaining of pain or

worrying about her surgery. She wantedto know what happened to her sisters.She was with them when the shelling

hit their home. I later found out thatthe sister brought in with her was dead,and the other brought in later that day

was found dead under the rubble. Tethird sister was hospitalized in another

ward. When I visited her followingher surgery, Haneen asked about hermother. She was killed as well, but Idid not know it at the time. I always

wondered if Haneen had witnessed hermother’s death as she never asked about

her mother immediately. Haneen’sfather had to break the news to her. Hisfamily was diminished by half, and he

was devastated.

Finally, I thought of a boy named Aziz who was only seven years old and wasbrought out of Gaza for hospital carein Jerusalem. He had major abdominalsurgery. He was miserable, cried a lotand moaned with pain. He could notbe consoled and would not eat. “Mylittle finger has been shelled,” he kept

saying, but in fact there were no injuriesto his little finger. His friend had diedin front of him when they got shelledand that caused him great pain andsuffering. Te nurses thought he was

becoming addicted to the pain killers.

What did I think? I did not think.Having been in Gaza I knew that thesechildren have seen what none of ushad seen or had experienced: first handdeath, destruction, fear, abandonmentand loss. How would we have coped?

What quality of life will we be able tooffer all these wounded and disabledchildren of Gaza? What about a lifefree from pain and haunting memories?Each and every one had a story. Dealing

with not only the physical wounds butthe psychological ones is a burden notonly the children have to bear. We asmedical professionals have a duty toaddress their fears.

Dina Nasser is an operating room nurseand infection prevention specialist at

Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalemand a health advisor at Juzoor for Healthand Social Development.

Te Sabeel Board, staff and volunteers

wish you a blessed Christmas on the Nativity rail!

Te Rev’d William Roberts, Sabeel Jerusalem 2014:

Before I left Canada to come and support the team here at Sabeel Jerusalem and up in Nazareth of Galilee,

a Vancouver Friend of Sabeel, Dr. John, told me how transformed he was by doing the Nativity rail. Itfollows the 160 km, 11-day trek that Mary and Joseph took from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Check it out at www.toursinenglish.com.

I haven’t done it myself yet, but will as a way to ground myself in this place with the people of Palestine.Last Saturday I joined a group of Sabeel young adults on a 4-hour hike through the Judean desert to theancient monastery of Mar Saba.

While hiking I wondered, when does a walk become a march? When does an ancient path become acontemporary journey? I’d like to walk imagining Nelson Mandela’s Long March to Freedom, or Gandhi’sSalt March, or Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington. Could the Nativity rail be Mary’s March with the Magnificat? He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled

the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

Pregnant with possibilities, giving birth to life and hope in the midst of Roman occupation and Herodianfears, Mary sang her song of freedom, her theology of liberation. Let’s sing it with her more loudly andproudly this Christmas, and let’s walk, march and keep the magnificent movement moving.

Also this Christmas, remember the three wise men - and join with Sabeel friends around the world bringinggifts and sending financial support to keep our lamps burning for the path, the Sabeel, the Nativity railahead.



18 ISSUE 70, FALL/WINER 2014

Christmas &Healthy Children

by Rafiq Khoury

Te story of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels is rich with meanings, even anthropological ones. Oneverse draws our attention: And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddlingcloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:7). Wecan imagine an oriental mother caring for her newborn child: wrapping, swaddling and puttinghim in a safe place.

It is remarkable, in the Gospel of Matthew, this insistence on the child: ake the child…

(2:13,20), He took the child… (2:14,21). Te child Jesus was surrounded by care, attention andlove in difficult circumstances. Te consequence of this: And Jesus increased in wisdom (spirit), and in stature (body), and in favor with God and man (soul) (Luke 2:52). But, at the same time,

we see Herod’s war against children (Matthew 2:16-18).

Tis war against the children is still ongoing by the new Herods of our times. Almost 500 chil-dren were killed in Gaza without mercy. Children are massacred in schools in Syria by terroristgroups. How many children were born at the Israeli check-points because their mothers wereprevented from reaching the hospitals? Can we forget that thousands of children die today fromstarvation every minute in some parts of our world?

Pope Francis, during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, dedicated his homily in Manger Square inBethlehem to the child. He said: “Te Child Jesus,…, is the sign given by God…. oday too, chil-

dren are a sign. Tey are a sign of hope, a sign of life, but also a ‘diagnostic’ sign, a marker indicatingthe health of families, society and the entire world. Wherever children are accepted, loved, cared forand protected, the family is healthy, society is more healthy and the world is more human…. o us,the men and women of the twenty-first century, God today also says: ‘… look to the child….’”

After describing the shameful situation of many children in the world, he adds:“…oday too,children are crying, they are crying a lot, and their crying challenges us. In a world which daily dis-cards tons of food and medicine, there are children, hungry and suffering from easily curable diseases,who cry out in vain.”

Children cannot be forgotten. Healthy children mean a healthy society and a healthy world.Merry Christmas!

Father Rafiq Khoury works at the Department of Religious Studies at BethlehemUniversity and has published academic articles concerning the current situation andhistory of Jerusalem as well as Christian-Muslim relations and dialogue in Palestine.He is a board member of the Al-Liqa’ Center and former Secretary of the Synod of theCatholic Churches in the Holy Land.



Sabeel-NazarethPO Box 50278 Nazareth 16120 Israelel: 972(4)6020790Email: [email protected]

Friends of Sabeel Scandinavia and FOS SwedenMarianne Kronberg Hjortnäsvägen 27S-79331 Leksand - Swedenel: (+46) 706 095010

Email: [email protected] www.sabeelskandinavien.org

Friends of Sabeel Scandinavia in Norway Hans Morten HaugenHaräsveien 2e0283 Oslo / Norway el: (+47) 47340649Email: [email protected] www.sabeelnorge.org

Friends of Sabeel Oceana Inc. (FOS-AU)Dr. Ray Barraclough44 Coral Street

Maleny, QLD, Australia 4552 www.sabeel.org.au

Friends of Sabeel FrancePasteur Ernest Reichert12, rue du Kirchberg F- 67290 WINGEN S/ MODER- FRANCEel: +33 (0)3 88 89 43 05Email: [email protected]

Friends of Sabeel Germany Canon Ulrich KadelbachHappoldstrasse 50D-70469 Stuttgart / Germany +49 (0) 711 857841Email: [email protected]

Visit our newly revised website at: www.sabeel.org

Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Teology Center

P.O.B. 49084 Jerusalem 91491

el: 972.2.532.7136 Fax: 972.2.532.7137

General Email: [email protected] Clergy Program: [email protected]

International Programs: [email protected] Youth Program: [email protected] Media: [email protected] Visiting: [email protected] Cornerstone: [email protected]

INERNAIONAL FRIENDS OF SABEEL

Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)Rev. Dr. Don Wagner, Program DirectorPO Box 9186,Portland, OR 97207 / USA el: (1)- 503-653-6625

Email: [email protected] www.fosna.org

Canadian Friends of Sabeel 3 Sandstone CourtNepean, Ontario/ Canada, K2G 6N5Email: [email protected] www.sabeel.ca

Friends of Sabeel United Kingdom (FOS-UK) Anne Clayton, Coordinator Watlington Rd.Oxford OX4 6BZ / UK el: (+44) 1865 787419 or 787420

Email: [email protected] www.friendsofsabeel.org.uk

Friends of Sabeel Ireland (FOS- IR)Rev. Alan Martin9 Sycamore RoadDublin 16 / Irelandel: 00-353-1-295-2643Email: [email protected]

Friends of Sabeel Netherlands (FOSNL)Vrienden van Sabeel NederlandMarijke Gaastra

Jan ooroplaan 34-26717 KJ Ede Te Netherlandsel: (+31) 6 488 09 550Email: [email protected] www.vriendenvansabeelnederland.nl



PURPOSE SAEMEN SABEELof Sabeel is an ecumenical grassroots liberation theologymovement among Palestinian Christians. Inspired by thelife and teaching of Jesus Christ, this liberation theologyseeks to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians, promote

unity among them, and lead them to act for justice and love.Sabeel strives to develop a spirituality based on justice, peace,nonviolence, liberation and reconciliation for the differentnational and faith communities. Te word “Sabeel” is Arabicfor ‘the way’ and also a ‘channel’ or ‘spring’ of life-giving

water.

Sabeel also works to promote a more accurate internationawareness regarding the identity, presence and witness Palestinian Christians as well as their contemporary concernIt encourages individuals and groups from around the worl

to work for a just, comprehensive, and enduring peacinformed by truth and empowered by prayer and action.

For more information on Friends of Sabeel groups in youarea, please contact our international representatives or thSabeel Center in Jerusalem.

cornerstone, fall/winter, 2014, health & occupation

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