issue 46 • fall 2007 ornerstone · artwork: naji al-ali. 4 issue 46- fall 2007 by: pablo pitcher...

Issue 46- Fall 2007 1

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION BY SABEEL ECUMENICAL LIBERATION THEOLOGY CENTER

Forty Years and Beyond

CORNERSTONEIssue 46 • Fall 2007

Our experience with Israel over the last 40 years tellsus that Israel is not interested in peace on the basisof international law but on the basis of its own terms

and political objectives. Were Israel interested in peace, manyopportunities could have been seized. In fact, it was not thePalestinians that “did not miss an opportunity to miss anopportunity for peace”, but Israel.

After 1967, UN resolution 242 specified that since Israel hadillegally acquired territory through war, it must withdraw fromall the occupied territories. With cleverly concoctedjustifications for its refusal to withdraw, Israel today stands inviolation of over 60 UN General Assembly and SecurityCouncil Resolutions and the international community hasfailed to demand compliance. In fact, Israel and its manyfriends around the world have convinced many people,especially in western countries, that Palestinians are the guiltyparty rather than Israel. The oppressor is perceived asoppressed, the occupier is perceived as occupied, deceptionsand falsehood are perceived as truth and the truth is perceivedas falsehood. Israel speaks of peace but practices aggression.This is the great deception.

The Great DeceptionWhat must Palestinians do?

A reflection on the 40 years

of Israeli Occupation

S P E C I A L E D I T I O N

by: Naim Ateek

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IN THIS ISSUEThe Great Deceptionby: Naim AteekCelebrating Injusticeby: Pablo PitcherNever Cease Dreamingby: Samia CostandiThe Golan Heights:Freedom Will Comeby: Amali QadamaniThe Right of No Returnby: Abla ArankiThe Transformationby: Dorothy NaorOne Woman’s Story: A Testimony from June 1967by: Georgette RizekForty Years Afterby: Ibrahim DakkakForty Years and Countingby: George SahharFrom Depression to Hopeby: Hanna Katanasho

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Many of us remember when Israel insistedthat the PLO must change its charter andrecognize the right of Israel to exist, andwe supported that idea because webelieved that if the PLO did so, a peaceagreement would be forthcoming. ThePLO recognized Israel implicitly when itrecognized UN Resolution 242 and thePLO Charter was changed but no peaceensued. This was another great deception.In 2002, at a summit meeting in Beirut,all the Arab leaders agreed to make peacewith Israel provided that it wouldimplement UN resolutions regardingPalestine. Had Israel accepted this, all ofus - Palestinians and Israelis - wouldalready be enjoying the fruits of peace.But Israel is not interested in peace. Israelhas been masterful at deceptions and atcreating misperceptions.

Geoffrey Aronson, who has monitoredJewish settlement activity from itsinception, has summarized the situationin this way:Living without a solution, then as now,was understood by Israel as the key tomaximizing the benefits of conquestwhile minimizing the burdens anddangers of retreat or formal annexation.This commitment to the status quo,however, disguised a programme ofexpansion that generations of Israelileaders supported as enabling, throughIsraeli settlement, the dynamictransformation of the territories and theexpansion of effective Israeli sovereigntyto the Jordan River.1

In fact, Henry Siegman, former head ofthe American Jewish Congress, calls theMiddle East peace process, “the mostspectacular deception in moderndiplomatic history.”2

Those of us who live day in and day outunder the occupation have observed thisGreat Deception. For 40 years we have

heard Israel speak the language of peacewhile on the ground it was entrenchingits occupation, confiscating Palestinianland, building and expanding illegalsettlements, and solidifying its controlover the occupied areas.

For most of the last 40 years, Israel wasopposed to the emergence of aPalestinian state. When it became clear,however, that the internationalcommunity would not endorse illegalIsraeli expansionist policy and that, asvoiced by President Bush, the creationof a Palestinian state was required for aviable solution, Israel started to changeits strategy and to favor the two-statesolution. However, it is clear to manyof us that Israel is making sure that thefuture Palestinian state will be void ofgenuine viability and will be subservientto Israel. In other words, many fear thatIsrael will not allow such a state toemerge without Israeli military andeconomic control over it.

The time for peace has not yet arrivedfor Israel. There are still more objectivesthat must be reached beyond thosealready accomplished. To begin with, byterminating the presence of Jewishsettlers in the Gaza Strip, Israel haseffectively made Gaza a big prison, aBantustan, in which it is systematically

assassinating its leaders and reducing itspeople to abject misery and poverty. Thefiring of the qassam rockets providesIsrael with an excuse to keep oppressingthe Palestinians in Gaza, making peoplewonder whether collaborators arebehind some of the launching of theqassams. Be that as it may the Israeli lidis on Gaza, imprisoning one and halfmillion people.

In the West Bank, Israel apparently stillhas two major objectives: The first is theconfiscation of more Palestinian landand the completion of its separation(Hebrew: hafrada) wall. Furthermore,Israel seeks not only separation but thedispossession (Hebrew: nishool) ofPalestinians, so these two Hebrew wordsare essential in describing Israel’s goal ofapartheid. Under the guise of security,Israel continues to grab more Palestinianland and expand its settlements. Thereseems to be no end to its rapacious lustfor Palestinian land.

The second objective is to establish afoothold on the Haram Al- Sharif areain Jerusalem. Some Jewish religiousfanatics and millions of ChristianZionists have been clamoring for yearsto control this area. Even a smallfoothold would eventually give Israelgreater control over the whole area. Sucha move would likely produce a wave ofviolent Muslim reactions around theworld. But once quiet is restored, Israelwould have reached another importantgoal and established another fact on theground.

The pursuit of such plans enables Israelto circumvent UN resolutions and createa Palestinian state that can never beindependent, sovereign, or viable. Thus,Israel would have reached its majorobjectives and would be ready to leaveto the Palestinians a series of Bantustans

Living without asolution, then as now,was understood by Israelas the key to maximizingthe benefits of conquestwhile minimizing theburdens and dangers ofretreat or formalannexation.

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separated and controlled by thesettlements.

If this analysis is even partially true, thedangers are immense because justicewould have been trampled upon andinternational law would be a mockery.Any ensuing peace would leave theregion in limbo without rest ortranquility, awaiting the emergence of astrong Palestinian leader to lead aguerrilla war against Israel producinggreat suffering for people on both sides.For the sake of justice and peace for all,the Palestinians must not allow such ascenario to take place.

1. Palestinians need to communicate tothe US that the Washington conferencenext November 2007 must be the finaltest for US and Israeli seriouscommitment to resolving the conflict onthe basis of international law.

2. If that does not happen, thePalestinians must turn the conflict overto the Security Council of the UnitedNations and continue to demand theimplementation of UN resolutions. Itis clear that the United States is unableto be impartial in finding a solutionbased on international law. It is theresponsibility of the Security Council tofind the way out of this impasse. Therights of Palestinians to their land mustnot vanish nor should they be furthercompromised.

3. While the UN is compelled to assumeits rightful responsibility, no matter howlong it takes, the Palestinians must lookinward and with the help of other nationsthat believe in the justice of their cause,adopt a national strategy of peacefulresistance against the Israeli occupation.A national campaign of education andtraining must be embraced. It must aimat strengthening the moral fabric of the

1 Harry Siegman, “The Great Middle East Peace Process Scam,” London Review of Books. Vol. 29 No. 16. 16August 2007. Available from <http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n16/print/sieg01_.html>

2 Siegman3 Kathleen Christinson, “Whatever Happened to Palestine?” Counter Punch. 20 September 2007. Available

from <http://www.counterpunch.org/christinson09202007.html>

FortyYearsAfter

Palestinian community and help themreject violence and build a culture ofpeace and nonviolence. Through such astrategy, the Palestinians will win theempathy and support of many nationsto their cause and expose the racist natureof the Israeli occupation and help bringit to an end.

As people of faith who believe that Godcalls us to do justice and make peace,we clearly testify that the road Israel iswalking will not lead to a genuine andenduring peace. Any peace that is notbuilt on justice as articulated byinternational law is not peace. Itinevitably carries within it the seeds ofrebellion, violence, and bloodshed.Israel’s concept of peace will lead tofurther oppression and suffering for alland especially for the oppressedPalestinians. We believe that God cannotbe pleased with the suffering andhumiliation of any of God’s children. AsKathleen Christison, a former CIA

political analyst wrote,

“…Gandhi very clearly did not strugglefor peace at the price of injustice, forpeace at any price. He already had that;India was peaceful under British rule,but it was not just. The essence ofGandhi’s satyagraha, and of King’s civilrights movement, was resistance toinjustice through nonviolent civildisobedience – precisely, in other words,to disturb the peace by conducting directnonviolent action against unjust laws.”3

Justice must be achieved before peacecan be realized. To lift the banners ofpeace and still commit injustice is theheight of deception. Peace withoutjustice is an empty word. We areworking for the achievement of a justpeace. It is only such a peace that canbring true security to Israel and truepeace for the Palestinians. It is time toexpose the deception and re-dedicateourselves to genuinely work for justiceand peace and in this order.

The Rev Dr. Naim Ateek is the Director of Sabeel

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by: Pablo Pitcher

The sun had slipped beneath the hills;a soft enveloping glow grasps thequiet streets, hushed as the minutesdrift away drawing closer and closerto sundown and the breaking of thefast. The Muslim holy month ofRamadan sheds a gentle peace overthe side of the WALL that Zeynabapproaches, her body tired and herstomach rumbling from the hours offasting. Yet as she moves closer and

closer to this concrete monster, theenergy surrounding her shifts.

As the last rays of light tickle thesetting, Zeynab cautiously steps overcrumbling rocks and pieces of garbageto stand beneath the stone coldWALL. On the other side of thishuman made barrier it is a time ofcelebration. This year, 2007, marks40 years since the reunification ofJerusalem. The streets of WestJerusalem are lit up with strings of

glowing lights; promotional materialsproclaim this glorious year filled withactivities each month; and scores ofpeople flock to her embrace toremember 1967.

From 1948-1967 Jerusalem was a citydivided. Jordan controlled EastJerusalem which included the OldCity and many religious shrines whileIsrael controlled West Jerusalem.Access to these holy sites wasrestricted and the city was divided forthe first time in its history. A no-man’s-land of debris and barbed wireseparated East from West Jerusalem.In 1967, after the Six Day War, Israelconquered and declared theannexation of a large area includingthe eastern part of the city intoJerusalem, proclaiming it a unifiedcity under the control of Israel. Not

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only were the two parts of the cityreunited but access to religious sitessuch as the Western Wall was regainedby those living in West Jerusalem andthe rest of Israel.

But there is another population whois left out of this equation and whowas denied access to holy sites insideIsrael. What does the word unifiedreally mean for the Palestinians forcedto leave their lands and barred fromreturning? What does it mean for theyouth whose history is wrappedaround a different word, a word closerto the opposite of unified?

Now a huge WALL and severalcheckpoints make up no-man’s-land.For many Palestinians their worldends at the base of that WALL, aWALL that holds in 60 years ofconflict and holds up 40 years ofoccupation even as a joyous momentfor Israel is celebrated.

Zeynab cannot see any of that fromthis side of the WALL. At 15 yearsold she has been to Jerusalem once,escorted in by internationalvolunteers because before the age of16 she is not required to have aPalestinian ID and thus, will not bestopped at the checkpoints. She wastaken through Jerusalem and, for thefirst time, to see her family’s ancestralvillage of Zakryya, a mere 25kilometers from where she now livesin the Dheisheh Refugee Camp. For

her, it is not a celebration as her heartlongs to be reunited with her ownheritage and her own history.

She reaches out one hand, then twoto touch the icy concrete plasteredwith graffiti calling for peace. Hereyes lift from the bottom of the wall

to the tiptop, meters and metersabove her. Zeynab’s small frame cladin a simple white t-shirt and khakipants is dwarfed by the WALL. Darkwisps of her pulled back hair curlaround her face as, eager for the feastto begin, she tries to capture any bitof light that she can while telling her

Photo by: Pablo Pitcher


version of what a celebration inJerusalem means.

Her gaze reaches the peak of theWALL and she begins to speak, “Ican’t see the sun. I can’t see the trees,I can’t see my land…” Her words,spoken in Arabic are quiet at first,gradually with each word her voicegrows louder, “I can’t see my land.”It is not quite dark on her side of theWALL, the calm cool tones of duskenclose the spot where Zeynab stands.Her statement, “I can’t see the sun”seems not to refer to its physicalpresence but to her eyes beingblocked, the shadow closing in on herspirit. This dark silent side of theWALL in stark contrast to the lightand celebration just a few feet away.

Zeynab falls into a silent moment ofcontemplation, her eyes sinking to theground beneath the wall, her feetshuffling to kick a lone rock on theground. The seconds slip by. In thisstifling silence the mind creates its ownnoises, it is almost as if you can hearthe cheers, laughter and music ofcelebration on the other side of the wall.

Suddenly her head snaps forward andshe blurts out, “They are celebratingwhat they took from us, they don’tcare about us, they are celebratinginjustice. I don’t understand…Why?” This one simple three-letterword carries behind it anindescribable weight.

Zeynab is not the only Palestinianchild who hears the wordreunification and raises a questioning

eyebrow but her voice speaks for somany, so many who cannot travel pastthe WALL and see their ancestralvillages, so many who aren’tcelebrating.

Haitham is another of these children.At 14 years old, he labors with theword reunification, flipping theunfamiliar word around in his mindand struggling to form his response.“Jerusalem is maybe 5 minutes thatway,” he gestures with his hand fromhis seat in a restaurant of Dheishehtowards the WALL.

“You hope that you can go there andyou can’t…your friends there…yourfamily there… your grandfather, yoursister. Why?” Haitham’s simplebroken English words paint thedivision of the Palestinian families inthe air around the table.

His voice charged, his hands spinningthe words out of his mouth as hecontinues “If I go there, maybe theywill take me to the prison…but why?This is our land, I have a village

(Girash), I can’t go there…Why?”Haitham glances out the window,pulling in with his eyes the crampedrectangular buildings huddledtogether. This is the only home hehas ever known. Girash, his originalvillage seems thousands of miles away.

Zeynab stands under the WALL,Haitham stares out over the refugeecamp, each toying with the wordreunification and the idea of 40 yearsof celebration. Their hearts feel no joyas this anniversary lights up manyparts of the rest of the world. The talesof violence, pain and occupation havebeen passed down to these twochildren by their grandparents,parents, brothers, sisters, aunts anduncles, all who lived in this world ofcontainment, of division, of theopposite of unification. For themthere is no celebration, not justyet…and their hearts cry out…Why?

That one word echoes off the WALL,it floats in the air above Dheisheh andso many other refugee camps, itreverberates back around the streetsand off the buildings, making nosound but carrying with it the weightof the voices of more than six millionPalestinian refugees since 1948,refugees who are all but forgotten onthe streets of Jerusalem wherereunification is celebrated, a wordthat has quite a different meaning onthis side of the WALL.

Pablo Pitcher has been working in marginalized communities for over 10 years now, andis currently pursuing his Masters Degree and working in the West Bank. He is anaccomplished writer, having published his first book, “When Necessary…Use Words” inJanuary 2007 and has displayed his photography from Guatemala in several gallery shows.

They are celebratingwhat they took from us,they don’t care about us,they are celebratinginjustice. I don’tunderstand… Why?

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I miss Birzeit, my mother’s village in theWest Bank…I miss my childhood, Imiss climbing my favorite fig tree andpicking the honey-dipped fruit. I missmy secluded moments perched up onmy tree watching the sunset andarticulating my first words of poetry. Imiss playing with my cousins who havenow become fathers and mothers likeme all over the world, in multiplecontinents. When did we grow up?Where have the years gone? Why didwe not spend some time togethersharing anecdotes, cups of tea, and jokesabout rearing children? We standdispersed, frozen in time, ashamed ofthe loss of innocence, ashamed of ourunrelenting yearnings for a homelandthat is so vividly portrayed in ourmemories.

I need permission to visit mygrandfather’s house in Birzeit. I needpermission to take my children, my

grown children to see theirgrandmother’s house where mygrandfather, the mayor of Birzeit,conducted the affairs of the village. Ispeak to my sons about theirgrandmother’s and grandfather’schildhoods more than I speak of myown. It is as if mine was an ephemeralchildhood, full of love, but shifting interms of place and time, in terms of thelegitimacy of it all – it felt transitory,we were simply waiting in Lebanon, inBeirut, to all go back. My father refusedto buy land in Lebanon, “What heresy!”he would say to my aunt when shesuggested it. We will go back to our ownlands eventually. We are all in transitionhere, just give us a little more time, it isgoing to be resolved, and thenegotiations seemed to be taking off!

Never Cease Dreaming

As a child, I wavered and hesitatedbefore divulging that I was Palestinian.I was ashamed of our refugee status.Then came the Palestinian revolutionand I was filled with pride. I began toannounce it to the world at large in astrong and loud voice: in 1969 at HydePark, and later at the Institute forPalestine Studies, and later on inCanada as a Canadian activist forhuman rights, for the rights ofPalestinians and Lebanese and alloppressed groups. Later, I became morenuanced and sophisticated; I began tochoose my battles, to couch the factsand feelings in academic and“appropriate” language.

The reality is that I cannot and will notfight this anymore; whether I am acitizen of Canada, a citizen of the world,an educator, a writer, a feminist, or anactivist, whatever, wherever andwhoever I am. As I grow older I yearnmore for my childhood, for mybeautiful, colorful, happy moments intime and place, in an un-occupiedBirzeit, in a peaceful Beirut, with mymaternal and paternal cousins, with mybrothers, with my parents, uncles andaunts. I will never cease yearning…I willfeed my shameless nostalgic, passionateand powerful yearning… I will nevercease dreaming of my homeland, andwhen my children fulfill my wish andcarry me there in a casket, my soul willdance as my body embraces the earthand the wildflowers. Millions of othersshare that with me, for anothergeneration, and another, and another…

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By: Samia Costandi

Samia Costandi holds a PhD from McGill Faculty of Education, Montreal, Canada; herareas of research (and teaching) are: philosophy of education, feminist epistemology andpedagogy multicultural education, mythology, culture, and values in education.


The June 1967 defeat can bedescribed as a historicallandmark in the life of our

Arab nation, discharging several negativeresults that run deep in the Arab realitiesand conscience. The ramifications andimpact of this defeat are still affectingus with the images of war in the fieldand its psychological results. Forty yearshave passed and still it remains presentand live in the Arab collective memoryin general, and in our memory as Golanpeople in particular. In a fortnight, wefound ourselves forcibly separated fromthe natural extension of our homelandand nation. Thus, we needed to meditateseriously within our “defeated” self andopen a transparent dialogue to addressour individual and collective feelings ofdefeat. We launched the struggle toprotect this territory after it fell into thehands of the occupiers, and worked tomaintain and support the small numberof residents who remain steadfast inconfronting the Occupation schemesand settlement plans.

The nationally and politically awaresector of our society has realized since the

early days the danger of surrender to theOccupation which would be anotherdefeat building on the first defeat. Werealized that the authentic indigenousGolan society is largely faithful and ableto turn the defeat into a victory and cansay a collective NO in the face of theoccupation. Our young people haveshown that they are patient, confident,and ready to sacrifice everything for thedignity of their homeland. Our ArabSyrian identity helped us to reproduce thiscollective NO in the face of the occupierdespite all oppression and anger. In fact,this identity transformed the fall ofmartyrs and the long years of prison,deprivation, and house arrests intoadditional fuel to keep the spirit ofresistance burning. Yes, they have notsucceeded in subjugating or containingour society. On the contrary, our youngpeople who were born after theOccupation are even more enthusiasticabout their cause and many of themreceived and served long prison sentences.

This is what the residents of the GolanHeights have been able to achievealthough the world does not know of

The Golan HeightsFreedom Will Come

this non-violent resistance. The brightestimage of the Arab Syrian Golan peoplewas achieved in the historical victoryover the occupier in the “battle of theIdentity Cards” during the protestsagainst the Israeli Knesset’s decision toannex the Golan Heights and force theIsraeli citizenship on its Arab residents.The famous struggle phase thenproduced the “National Document” andthe “Big Strike” in 1982 which lastedsix months and which ended with thevictory of the residents.

Yes, the feeling of defeat in 1967 wastransformed into victory through thenational awareness of young people wiseenough to choose means of struggle thatmatched their relatively small numbers;counting first and foremost on loyaltyto the homeland and love of Pan-Arabism. Freedom will inevitably comeno matter how long the Occupationpersists.

Mrs. Amali “my hope” Qadamani is amember of the Druze community livingin Majdal Shams, in the Occupied ArabSyrian Golan Heights.

By: Amali Qadamani

The Golan Heights is an Arab Syrian territory located along the southwestern Syrian border. The area isestimated at around 1,800 square kilometers along its borders with Syria with its rectangular shape extendingfrom the north to the south with a distance ranging between 75km to 85km and average width rangingbetween 18km and 20km on a plain. The Golan high ground overlooks the Huleh Basin and Sea of Galilee.The Golan is a basalt plateau which rises in the northeast to an average altitude of 900 m (3,000 ft) above sealevel. The Golan Heights is bordered by Mt. Hermon on the north and the Yarmuk River on the south.


All the art found in this issue of Cornerstone was provided byResistance Art, a Toronto based distributor of “The Colorsfrom Palestine” art wall calendars. The calendars are used

to support the work of Palestinian cultural organizations in Palestineand Diaspora.The 2008 Calendar is dedicated to the Memory of Naji Al-Ali and willmark the 60th commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe).The proceeds from the calendar sales will support Kanafani Culturalfoundation and to build a memorial for the 60th commemoration ofthe Palestinian Nakba in Toronto. The memorial will be designed andcrafted by the Palestinian artist Ahmad Canaan who lives and works inTamra, Galilee.To learn more about Ghassan Kanafani Foundation Please visithttp://www.kanafani.dk/gkk_main_eng.htmYou can buy the calendar on line:http://www.resistanceart.com/calendars.htm

My older brother and my parentslived in Ramleh when I was born in1947 in a Jewish hospital in Rehovot.At that time, both Ramleh andRehovot were part of Palestine. Whenwar broke out in 1948, my father, toget us out of harm’s way, took us tomy grandmother’s house in Birzeit,located about twelve miles north ofJerusalem. Unfortunately we werenever allowed to go back. My sisterand two of my brothers were born inBirzeit.

In 1967 when Israel occupied the restof historic Palestine including Birzeit,my older brother and I were pursuingour college education in Lebanon andthe US respectively. Therefore wewere not the lucky recipients of theIsraeli identity cards that were grantedto residents of the West Bank andGaza after these territories wereoccupied. When one of my youngerbrothers left for the US at the end of1967 for his college education, he wasasked to sign a paper saying that hegives up his right to return to the WestBank. My sister married an IsraeliArab citizen and acquired Israelicitizenship. My youngest botherremains the only one of the five of uswho holds a West Bank residencyidentity card.

I have twice gone through the painful

process of applying for ‘permanentresidency’ status in the place where Igrew up and lived for 18 years, onlyto be rejected both times. I was veryhumiliated when I was asked why Iwas requesting such a status. I wantedto shout and say that this is my homeand I should not be asking forresidency in the first place. But I knewthat answer would not work in myfavor. Instead, I gave what I thoughtwas a good reason. I pointed at my78-year old mother at the time, andsaid that she had a heart disease andI might have to stay with her beyondthe 3-month visitor’s visa I am given.

The Right of No ReturnThe Israeli soldier looked at mymother and said she looked healthyto him. When I got upset that mycredibility was being questioned andsaid that I will bring him my mother’smedial records, he nonchalantly saidthat I should take her with me to theUS! Had I been Jewish, fromanywhere in the world, I wouldprobably have been begged by thegovernment of Israel to become acitizen!

Abla Aranki is a member of thePalestinian Diaspora currently livingin the United States.

By: Abla Aranki


By: Dorothy Naor

What brings about change insomeone’s thinking, especially adrastic change that makes someone’sviews diametrically oppose theirformer ones? In my case, I know theanswer.

My spouse and I are both of theHolocaust generation. He, hisparents, and a younger brotherescaped from Nazi Austria in 1938,arriving in Palestine in 1939 when hewas eleven years old. The remainderof his extended family perished in thecamps, except for one uncle whosurvived Auschwitz and later came toIsrael. I was born and raised in the

United States, but was shocked by thepictures of the camps. During myteens, I met Jewish survivors ofWWII and heard their stories. Theseevents impacted our thinking, and ledeach of us to believe that indeed theJews needed a country of their own.Neither of us knew the facts. Neitherof us questioned, not even my spousethough he had lived here in Palestine/Israel, and fought in the 1948 war.

Our former views are reflected in ourconduct in 1967. My husband hadbeen called to reserve duty about aweek before the war broke out. I hadno objections, apart from concern forhis safety. During the waiting periodbefore the war, our two oldest children

dug ditches for the elderly andincapacitated in our community,should the need arise for these. Istocked up on a few basic goods sothat our three children would notstarve in case of a prolonged war, andpasted black paper on the windowsto prevent light from shining throughat night. I totally and unquestioninglytrusted the government’s analysis ofthe situation and its decision to act.At the end of the war, I, like mostIsraelis, was elated by the victory, andby the opening of Jerusalem and theWest Bank.

But I strongly opposed Israelisettlement in the West Bank, andIsrael’s refusal to agree to peace

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overtures. Israel’s conduct in the WestBank caused me to question, but notyet to seek answers. I was busy thoseyears teaching, raising children, andliving abroad a good part of the timedue to my spouse’s job.

Not until October 2000 did we beginto actually study the situation. We werehorrified by the 1994 massacre of 29Muslims at prayer, and the injury ofmany more, by Dr. Baruch Goldstein.Also by the government’s actionfollowing the massacre, imposingclosure on the Palestinians, on thefamilies who suffered from the massacrerather than punishing the victimizers.But we still did not seek answers.

The final nail came in October 2000when the Israeli police shot and killed13 Palestinians who had beendemonstrating, 12 of them wereIsraeli citizens. Never before had theIsraeli police used live ammunitionon demonstrators, no matter howviolent they might be. Nor should thepolice do so. Police should not killcitizens who are protesting. It wasimmediately clear to us that thiskilling was a racist act.

This event motivated research andactivism. Research began with the

history of Zionism, and continuedwith the history of Palestine andIsrael. The journey was traumatic.The findings made me ashamed thatI had not seriously questioned before.My activism, which at the beginningwas mainly in organizations, broughtme and my spouse into contact withPalestinians for the first time in ourlives. Gradually, as our understandingof the history of this blood-soakedland increased, as our knowledge ofwhat Israel had done to thePalestinians increased, as ourfriendship with Palestinians we’d metgrew, so also our views changed. I amtremendously grateful that my spouseand I took this journey together.Though we do not agree oneverything, we are close enough inour views to be able to continue livingtogether another 55 years.

Today I know that the Jews not onlydo not need a state of their own, butthat the establishment of Israel hasbeen detrimental to the Jews,certainly to Israeli Jews. Not only hasseparatism encouraged and promoted

racism, but also due to Israel’sgovernments’ continuous desire forexpansionism -from the beginning tilltoday- and ridding the land ofPalestinians, neither Israelis norPalestinians have experiencedsecurity, peace, or a future. They arenot able to. Not until Palestinianshave security and justice will Israelishave the same.

Israelis and Palestinians can livetogether in peace. In much of today’sworld Muslims, Christians, Jews,seculars, and others live together inpeace. And in Palestine, prior to theadvent of Zionism, from the time ofthe Crusades, Jews, Muslims, andChristians lived together in peace. Infact, from the time of the Inquisition,Jews were far better off in mostMuslim countries than in mostEuropean countries. Therefore, thereis no question that we can co-exist.But to do this we need a single statewith equality for all its citizens. Mydream is to achieve this beforegenerations more of Israelis andPalestinians suffer and die.

Dorothy Naor is originally from California and she met her Israeli husband when he came tostudy at UC Berkeley in the early 1950s. They and their three children made Israel their home in1958. Dorothy earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from Tel Aviv University in Israel, and hasbeen an English teacher for most of her professional life. For more than seven years much of hertime has been spent in activism against Israel’s Occupation of Palestine.

Gradually, as our understanding of the history of this blood-soaked landincreased, as our knowledge of what Israel had done to the Palestiniansincreased, as our friendship with Palestinians we’d met grew, so also ourviews changed.

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One Woman’s StoryA Testimonyfrom June 1967

We heard some shelling and bombingbut it sounded far away. The Arabradio channels claimed that theEgyptian, Jordanian and Iraqi armieswere advancing inside Palestine andthe whole Arab world was rejoicing.In spite of the fear we were rejoicing,too! On Monday morning, we sawwhat we assumed to be Iraqi armytanks, jeeps and trucks coming down.It was only when they started shoutingthat we realized that this was the Israeliarmy.

On Thursday the Israeli army, who bythat time was controlling all ofJerusalem, started announcing thatpeople could come out of their homes.

My husband and I decided to walkdowntown from Beit Hanina to see whathappened to our garage on the borderbetween East and West Jerusalem. Therewere many people in the streets walkingdowntown. When we got to Shu’fat, weheard someone calling our names. It wasour family doctor, Saliba Saeed. He tookme aside and said: “Georgette, yourhusband should not see the garage now…it is completely damaged and it will betoo much for him to handle. I think youshould go back home.” Finally, weconvinced my husband to stay with Dr.Saliba, and I continued my walkdowntown toward the Infant WelfareCenter- the clinic which I had beenmanaging for many years. As I walked I

saw young men injured on the roads andI felt the urge to open this clinic to dofirst aid.

I walked about seven kilometers underthe burning sun and finally got to thegarage. The offices were demolished, allthe furniture was broken, all the toolswere stolen, and all the cars weredamaged or had been stolen. There wasblood all over the floor and walls.Children’s school bags were thrown allover the garage. Oil, from our stock ofoil barrels, was seeping all the way toDamascus Gate. The account books andledgers were all over the place and thecash register was broken into pieces. Istood there crying and crying.

This was the business that my husbandworked all his life to establish and it wasall gone now. This was the business that

It was Monday morning on the 5th of June, when we feltsomething was wrong… The schools started closing and myhusband had to go and get the children from school. The Arabradios started giving updates on the move of the army troops. Itwas a day of fear and terror. My mother, sister, and I startedfilling sand bags to close the window of the basement and whenmy husband arrived we started moving mattresses, food andcandles to the basement. We decided that we would not leaveour houses. We were fooled when we thought we would comeback to them in 1948, and we lost them forever.It took us 20 years to re-establish ourselves, our business and ourresidence. We could not afford to lose our houses again.

By: Georgette Rizek

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has been supporting many families,and it was gone now. For the secondtime in my life, I could not bearthe pain of starting all over again.It was too much… Oh God, it wastoo much. I started thinking abouthow to break the news to myhusband, so he would not have aheart attack when he saw it…

Then I proceeded to the Old Cityto check on the Infant WelfareCenter. On the way, I met our staffnurse Theresa Azraq and we wentto the center together. There wasso much damage around but ourcenter was untouched. The nextday I got in touch with our generaldoctor, Subhi Ghosheh, and westarted planning how to prepareourselves to receive the injured andthe sick.

In the Center we had food supplies,so we started distributing food andmilk for children. The shops wereonly open a few hours a day, andmany people did not have cash tobuy basic food. A week before lifehad been so normal… Here wewere again, no lights, no electricity,no gas, and no water. Overnight,our lives were turned upside down.We did not know where we wereheading or what the future washolding for us.

We began receiving dozens ofpatients every day. As we wereworking, a foreigner came into theclinic and asked us who we wereand what we were doing. He asked

us if we had enough medicationsand first aid supplies. He talked andtalked… We were just so engrossedin our work, with so many patientslying around, that we hardly lookedup at him. After he left, I ran downthe stairs to ask who he was. Heanswered: “it’s not important” andgave me his card. He was Mr. Ott,the Lutheran World Federationrepresentative.

That same night, at 7:45 pm, as wewere having dinner by candle light,someone knocked on our frontdoor. We were very frightened, butmy husband went to open the door.It was Mr. Ott standing there withan envelope in his hand. He camein and said: “this is ourcontribution to you so you cancontinue doing what you are doing.The UNRWA clinics have beenparalyzed, and your clinic needs tocontinue to operate, so please usethis money wisely.” I stood therein shock and told him that I didnot have the receipt book with me.He looked at me and laughed andsaid: “keep it with you to encourageyou to proceed.”

When our treasurer came to theclinic and told me that we wouldhave to close down because we hadno money. I looked at him,laughed, and asked “where is yourreceipt book? Please give me areceipt for this money.” He couldnot believe it. Our work at theCenter continues even now.

Georgette Rizek is the Director of the Infant Welfare Center

of the Greek Catholic Society

Three thoughts come to my mind when I am remindedthat Israel has been occupying the West Bank and GazaStrip for the last forty years. First it reminds me that Ispent more than half of my life under Israeli occupation.Second, I became - by the virtue of the Israeli occupation- stateless like the rest of the Palestinian Jerusalemites.Third, it reveals that occupation has been termed a“problem” in the international political language!However none of these ideas ever occurred to anyPalestinian living in Jerusalem in June 1967. But fortyyears made the difference.

1967 is a land mark in Palestinian history; it is also aland mark in the annals of the international community.Palestinians still yearn for exercising their right for selfdetermination; and the international community isfailing to compromise the items of its charter and theIsraeli claims. The result was disappointment and dismay.

Resistance became the order of the day. There wasgenuine worry about the Holy Places and there was aboycott of the Israeli-run schools. In the meantime Israeldisplayed unexpected efficiency in confiscatingPalestinian land and building new settlements inJerusalem and around. On his part, Moshe Dayan, asMinister of Defense, ordered the Jordanian border openfor the outgoing Palestinians. The spokeswoman of theMinistry of the Interior declared that Israel annexed theland of Jerusalem and not its people. Thus the problemfor the Palestinians was how to discourage the Palestiniansfrom leaving the country, and how to encourage themto stay put in their houses. The Palestinians respondedpositively. They are, to the surprise of the Israelis, stillthere after forty years, increasing in number and insistingon defending their rights.

Ibrahim Dakkak is an engineer, writer and politicalcommentator. He is the co-founder of several Palestinianinstitutions including the Council for Higher Education andthe National Guidance Committee.

By: Ibrahim Dakkak

Forty YearsAfter



By George Sahhar

Many years have passed sincePalestine, as known by the generationof our forefathers, was the land whereChristians, Muslims, and Jews livedtogether as neighbors, businesspartners, and as human beings whoshared bread and whose childrenplayed and grew up together. I amnot part of that generation. I wasborn in Jerusalem, but it was longafter the great psychological,emotional, and political divide thatset people apart from each other, notlong after the onset of Palestiniandispossession. I belong to ageneration that only knows theOccupation. Forty years andcounting, in the wilderness. Fortyyears and counting is way too longand far too deeply entrenched in theheart and mind. Forty years andcounting reminds me of the cry ofthe crucified Lord Jesus, “Father, whyhave you abandoned me?” But Iremember quickly that the gloriousresurrection and the triumph of lifeover death and justice over evil wasonly days away. There is theOccupation, but there is alwaystomorrow. There has to be a life afterthe Occupation and light at the endof the tunnel.

Many other Palestinians were infantswhen our nation fell underOccupation, and Jerusalemsuccumbed to yet another foreignconquest. So my narrative tells theexperience of that generation. It maybe the voice of a single person, but itis the cry of an entire generation:Open the doors of Jerusalem so thefuture can be ushered in! Enoughpillage, theft, and disobedience ofGod’s will. End the Occupation now!

I am simply a person like many otherswho wants to live normally. So far,my journey in life has gone from onechapter to another, but it was all inthe same book called the Occupation.Now that I have three wonderfulchildren, I am adamant that they willhave a happy life, with equalopportunity, democracy, and justice.

When I look at my two littledaughters in first and fourth grades

Forty Years and Counting

Symbol developed by the Jerusalem Church RelatedOrganizations (CROs) to mark 40 years of Occupation


as they are about to go to school inthe morning, I know that they arealready learning to take theirresponsibilities seriously. As I standby the window watching them get onthe school bus, I am aware that thistime will be their good old days.Because they mean the world to me,it is up to me as their father to decidehow I will be remembered, as whattype of father. When they grow upand start looking back, they will saytheir father used to… Now it is upto me to fill in the blanks. It is notlate yet for their generation to lead anormal life. Maybe for mygeneration it is already too late, andwe are living our life like someonewho dreams of playing soccer only tofind out there is no game or that heis excluded from playing.

Sure every generation lives in themiddle of dynamics unique to the era,but here I must wonder whetherhumans shape the era, or the erashapes us? The Occupation is suchan evil era, that however we goaround living our lives, watching thesunset and sunrise, and struggling tomake ends meet, we cannot escapethat reality no matter how hard wepretend or how much we seek tocreate an impression of normalcy.

There is something inherently eviltaking place when nations are deniedtheir liberty. One can never acceptthese conditions. We all have aninalienable right to live in dignity andpursue our dreams. It may be toolate for my generation, but it is nottoo late for the young children ofPalestine.

I realize that dwelling on the past willmake a hostage out of me. First Imust break the mental shackles, so Ican smash through the present and

arrive at the other side towards thatlong-awaited Easter. Yes, there hasto be light at the end of the tunnel,not only for my generation, hopingfor that long-overdue normality inour lives, but also for all the childrenof Palestine when the Occupationends.

George Sahhar lives and works in Jerusalem

and serves as a member of the Sabeel Board

and the Cornerstone Editorial Committee.

Jerusalem, 2007Blinding in the noonday sun,

thick-set limestone walls reflect white light,hum with heartbeats of the living stones

interned both inside and without— a shelter, yet a prison.

Rock by rock, layer upon layer,a thin veneer upon the ruins of the past,

one people treads upon another,stumbles over guile and greed,

then seeks redemption promised here.

Tears wash the streets of the market place;Few come to buy nowadays.

Those who cannot pay their taxnail shutters on their shops.

Produce stands stay openselling Caesar’s fruit.

Mary PneumanJune, 2007


Has the Psalter anything tosay to Palestinian refugees?Is it relevant to their loss

of land and continual struggle againstoppression? The simple answer is yes.In the following short essay, we willexplore an ancient voice thataddresses a contemporary problem.

It is the voice of Psalms 42 and 43.These two Psalms should be readtogether for both psalms have asimilar refrain (42:5, 11; 43:5) inwhich a Korahite exhorts himself tomove from depression to hope, atopic that is so intriguing toPalestinians. In his despair, the

Korahite Psalmist is full of questions.He passionately asks God: when willhe be able to be in Jerusalem again(42: 2)?

The Psalmist’s proximity to Jerusalemis a theopolitical concern i.e. to loseJerusalem is to lose God as well as tobe bereft of home. Thus, the enemiesof the Psalmist taunt him saying,“where is your God?” (42: 3, 10).They ridicule the Psalmist and hisseemingly impotent God. Clearly, hispresent sufferings and his nostalgiaindicate a despondent situation. Inaddition, his tragic sociopoliticalreality has theological implications.What should he do and where is hisGod? The Psalmist rightly thinks ofhis sociopolitical struggles in atheopolitical framework. In thisframework, God is interested in allthe affairs of human beings and theirpsychology is a theological concern(Terrien 356). Consequently, thePsalmist unapologetically,audaciously, as well as sincerelypresents his case to God. He isinterested in transforming his attitudeand emotions towards God in orderto restore the peace of his soul and togo back home.

Just like the Korahite Psalmist,hundreds of thousands of Palestiniansare depressed refugees. Moreover,they fight against injustices and seekto go back home. Perhaps, theKorahite Psalmist and his

From Depression to HopeAs the Deer Pants for Streams of Water,So My Soul Pants for You, O God (NIV Ps 42: 1)

By: Hanna Katanasho

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theopolitical approach can inspireand empower them. Perhaps, theycan learn from his insights. So let uscontemplate the divine prudenceembedded in his poem. Through hiswords and attitude, the Psalmistcommunicates two insights thatmight help Palestinian refugees intheir struggle with despair.

First, having the right theologytransforms our psychology. The label“theology” is not only associated withorthodoxy (right doctrine) andorthopraxis (right practice) but alsowith orthopathos. Orthopathos is thekind of human suffering thatbecomes a source for liberation andsocial transformation. In hissuffering, the Psalmist thought thatGod has forgotten him (42: 9) andeven rejected him (43: 2). But in fact,his ordeal made him thirst for Godand prompted him to pour himselfin prayer. It led him to an intimaterelationship with God, the source oftrue happiness. His heartrendingprayer went up to God as a humanlament but came back as the messageof God to all those who suffer forGod’s sake. His fervent prayer becameGod’s inspired word. In fact, Godmade the Psalmist an identificationfigure whose suffering is a divine“megaphone” that “shouts in ourpain” (Lewis 91). God is not silentduring, what Anderson calls, the“eclipse of God” (Anderson 67), orduring the catastrophe (Al Nakbah)

in which hundreds of thousands ofPalestinians were forced to leave theirhomes. God speaks words of comfortto the oppressed and sendsmessengers personified as light andtruth (43: 3) in order to lead thosewho trust him home and quenchtheir thirst. God will not abandonthose who seek him.

This leads us to the second insight:having the right theology or morespecifically the proper view of Godalters the focus of our eschatology.God speaks in and through our pain.In effect, he is transforming the painof Palestinian refugees into a divinemessage that reminds the world of thedifference between heartless orhardhearted eschatacentriceschatology represented by someChristian theologies, and mercifulChristocentric eschatology. Theformer focuses on “God’s agenda” orthe so called prophetic programs

while the latter reveals God’s heartand nature.

In his search for hope the Psalmistdiscovers the God of hope. ThePsalmist mentions God or one of hisepithets 22 times (Sch?kel 9). He callshim the living God (42: 2), the Godof my life (42: 8), the God of my rock(42: 9), the God of my stronghold(43: 2), and the God of my exceedingjoy (43: 4). He finds his hope in anacting God who can be trusted. Thus,the Psalmist decides to pray seekinga just God who will plead his case andprosecute his cunning and wickedoppressors. He wants God tovindicate him (43:1) and he wishesGod to be his lawyer who will presenthis case and defend him before anungodly nation. The Psalmist nolonger seeks to go to Jerusalem to findGod but seeks God to find Jerusalem.The light and truth of God will guidehim to God’s holy mountain.

The Rev. Dr. Hanna Katanasho is Associate Professor and Director of AcademicAffairs at Bethlehem Bible College- Galilee Extension.

Anderson, Bernhard and Steven Bishop. Out of the Depths: The Psalms Speakfor us Today. 3rd edition. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000.

Lewis, C. S. The Problem of Pain. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.Schökel, Alonso. “The Poetic Structure of Psalm 42-43,” Journal for theStudy of the Old Testament 1 (1976): 4-11.

Terrien, Samuel. The Psalms: Strophic Structure and TheologicalCommentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003.


SAVE THE DATES

SABEEL SEVENTH

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

November 12 - 19, 2008

More info: [email protected]

SABEEL SPRING WITNESS VISIT

February 28 - March 7, 2008


INTERNATIONAL SABEELYOUNG ADULT CONFERENCEJuly 24 - August 3, 2008



THE FORGOTTEN FAITHFULA WINDOW INTO THE LIFE AND WITNESS OF CHRISTIANS IN THE HOLY LAND

“The talks at this conference have changed my understanding of PalestinianChristianity and deepened the roots of my faith. I have gained a new appreciationfor the Christian heritage in the Middle East and how the current political realitiesare challenging this incredible presence.”

- Sabeel 2006 Conference Participant

To order your copies today call or write Sabeel

$25.00 USD per copy (Shipping included)

Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology CenterP.O. Box 49084 Jerusalem 91491 Ph: 972 (0)2 532 7136 Fax: 972 (0) 2 532 7137

Email: [email protected] Web: www.sabeel.org

This new book on Palestinian Christians,compiled from presentations made at theSabeel Sixth International Conference,covers a broad look at the history ofChristianity in the Holy Land, thecontributions of the historic churches, thetradition of pilgrimage, the effect of culturalcontext on Biblical reflection, and thecurrent realities of Palestinian life both forthose living under Israeli Occupation andfor those who are Israeli citizens. Peopleworldwide will profit from sharing the lifestories of these earliest Christians whocontinue to exercise their spiritual vocationof seeking to shape a just society for thefuture.


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Purpose Statement Sabeel ÉySabeel is an ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among PalestinianChristians. Inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, this liberation theology seeksto deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians, promote unity among them, and lead themto act for justice and love. Sabeel strives to develop a spirituality based on justice, peace,non-violence, liberation, and reconciliation for the different national and faith communities.The word ‘Sabeel’ is Arabic for ‘the way’ and also a ‘channel’ or ‘spring’ of life-giving water.

Sabeel also works to promote a more accurate international awareness regarding the identity,presence, and witness of Palestinian Christians as well as their contemporary concerns. Itencourages individuals and groups from around the world to work for a just, comprehensive,and enduring peace informed by truth and empowered by prayer and action.

For more information on Friends of Sabeel groups in your area please contact our International representatives or the Sabeel Center in Jerusalem.

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