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Israel - The Frontline Is Everywhere, page 4
by Lloyd Howell
Tears for the Palestinians
I never imagined that my heart would embrace the Palestinian people. I had seen them on the news – they were terrorists, Jew haters, U.S. flag burners and supposed enemies of America. But I wanted to embrace ALL the children of Abraham and so when appointments were made for my team to visit a couple of ‘Arab™ community centers we went wondering what reception awaited us. An education of sorts was about to begin. It was a world that few Israelis would think of visiting but as ambassadors for peace we had license to go everywhere.
There, at Al Tur, I met people just like all others. I met the staff and heard of their concerns with respect to child care, the handicapped and elderly. I heard of city budget cuts and so forth. I met Nazee Ansari, the director. I made a presentation about the Peace Rally and the importance of religious leaders and people of conscience coming together to create a new climate. “Heart to heart” was the non-political theme. I challenged them to get involved and think about bringing some buses. The 91-year-old village elder, Mohamed abu Al Hawa, was present and gave his blessing. Tea and snacks were served. On another day
Nazee took us around to visit some local mosques and to see the [alleged] site of Jesus™ ascension to Heaven. Nazee bought us falafel sandwiches and asked when we would like to come to his home for lunch.
Later, at the suggestion of Nazee, I would call up Imad Karain, a school teacher, who immediately drove to meet us downtown and discuss the Rally. Without a whole lot of conversation he consented to undertake filling a bus. Then with what I was beginning to note was a cultural trait he invited Benedicte and myself to have dinner at his home a few days later.
At the Beit Haninna community center we talked again about the Peace Rally to the local elders. They listened with respect but did not fall over each other to get on our bandwagon. The ‘mukhtar™, acknowledged leader similar to a mayor, apologized for the lack of enthusiasm and then stated that there were good reasons for the hesitancy. He further elaborated by pointing to one of the men, a burly bearded fellow, saying that not too long ago he had had his house of eleven years demolished by Israeli bulldozers. He asked me why they did not stop him from building in the first place. Then the mukhtar let it all out – not only had that man™s house been demolished but his pregnant wife had been knocked aside by soldiers which resulted in the loss of her unborn child and then he mentioned how the gentlemen™s children came home from school to the shock of finding that their home no longer existed. The mukhtar™s words hit me like a sledge hammer. Then he pointed to another man, approximately 60 years old. This man, he said, had gone to the West Bank to pick up his elderly mother and bring her to his house. However at the checkpoint, upon seeing her Palestinian I.D., the soldiers turned her back and confiscated the man™s car for thirty days, imposed a fine of 20,000 shekels (about $5,000) and held him in jail until it was paid.
This was a difficult situation. These people lived on the flexible edge of East Jerusalem, where Israel meets the West Bank, and were subject to the whims of authorities and the winds of d©tente and struggle. I was at a loss as to how to open their hearts, how to give them hope. I proposed that the mukhtar and one representative come to the Thursday night dinner program for a more in-depth look at the IIFWP Peace Initiative. They said there would have to be some discussion and a decision reached. We then had a group photo taken – the burly bearded man putting his arm around me – I suppressed my desire to cry.
We visited the large mosque in Beit Haninna, second to Al Akqsa, in size and found the Imam, Muhmoud abu Falah, who welcomed us in. I showed him our approach book and talked of religious leaders coming together and creating a new climate and movement toward peace. He didn™t buy it. He couldn™t believe the Jews, especially the rabbis, would get behind it. We encouraged him to make a response based on what is right and not what he thinks others might or might not do. He was unmovable and when he said that he was once with the Fatah Party of Arafat and had spent 6 years in an Israeli jail I then understood his intransigence. He stated he no longer trusted any political leaders but only God who he said would soon establish a new Caliphate. He believed that Bin Laden was not a criminal and so forth. I managed to put my personal feelings aside and to focus on our aims.
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