Staff Blog

Palestine 2006

I was visiting with a Palestinian family in a small village called Artas, which is a short distance south of Bethlehem. The father of the family, who drove a taxi for a living, generously took time to inform me of the reality of the situation they were living as we drove back and forth from Artas to Bethlehem or drank cups of strong coffee in his home. He spoke about the anger and frustration among the people of this area against the Israeli military occupation and the building of “The Wall,” which is not only separating the Palestinians from the Israelis but fragmenting the Palestinian land and population. He spoke about the injustice inflicted by the Israeli Government’s policies, how difficult life is, and how hopeless the future appears. He also spoke about the beauty of the Palestinian culture, the wisdom and practice of Islam, and the strength of the Palestinian family. The tone of his voice swayed between desperation and pride, and often his descriptions ended with the statement “This is our life!” spoken with despondency. He sometimes wondered out loud why the western world doesn’t speak out against the occupation.

One day, as we looked over the valley across from his home and saw the bulldozers working to construct another section of “The Wall” (the security fence being built by the Israeli’s) he said, “You know, every wall has two sides!”

The perceptiveness of his remark escaped me at first. Upon reflection, I am beginning to appreciate his wisdom, which he has gained through many harsh experiences living in a militarily occupied land; his compassion, which is born from his suffering as he watches his family struggle to survive and prosper; and the universality of his vision, which is rooted in his being imprisoned.