Sandra Olewine, Methodist Liaison in
Jerusalem, reflects on increased violence and the need for a wider view
[Note dated 10-8-01, posted here on 13-8-01]
Dear Friends,
On the morning after a horrific afternoon in
Jerusalem, words seem a bit superfluous. Today many Israelis will say
goodbye to family and friends, infants, children and parents, as the
dead are buried. Prayers for comfort seem a small offering to such
tragedy.
Yet, I wish I could say this attack surprised me. In
fact, just yesterday morning, both in email messages to friends and in
conversations over coffee, when someone asked me what I thought would
happen, I said, "I'm afraid that soon we'll have a major suicide
bomb attack and then the Israelis will retaliate and who knows where it
will end." I wish my words hadn't been so quickly fulfilled.
In fact, I was walking back to the CRS office when I felt
a 'thump' - it is difficult to describe, almost as if the air compressed
around me. But, my immediate thought was that there had been an
explosion. Not long after I reached the office, the sirens began.
Listening to them and continuously checking the
internet, radio and TV for details in the office, our stomachs turned as
the number of dead continued to rise. At first, the news was ambiguous
about the cause. I admit I prayed, "Dear God, please let it be a
gas explosion." Not that this would have made the destruction of
human life any less painful, but would at least not have been part of
the on-going cycles of bloodletting which we are caught up in here.
Unfortunately, the news came soon enough - a young
Palestinian man, 23-years old, blew himself up, along with at least 18
other Israelis, many of them children and youth. Although initially
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, Hamas has claimed the man was
theirs. The concern, of course, is that if both groups had young men
ready to act, one may still be poised to carry out another attack.
The Israeli government quickly announced the convening
of its 'kitchen cabinet' to determine their response. Palestinians
across the West Bank and Gaza who worked in any police or security
buildings immediately began to evacuate them in anticipation of an
Israeli military strike. Evidently, even the electricity was turned off
in parts of Gaza to lessen the chances of fire from explosions.
We began our own calls to partners and friends around
the West Bank to monitor the situation. Not long after, our UM intern
called from Wi'am in Bethlehem to tell us there had just been about 15
minutes of machine gunfire from the Israeli military outpost on Jabel
Abu Ghneim on the outskirts of Beit Sahour. He explained that they had
heard no Palestinian shooting in the area prior to it. "It was if
someone just put his finger on the trigger and held it down." he
explained. Maybe some soldier just took his frustration over the bombing
out by shooting off his weapon? The area remained quiet, though, the
rest of the night.
Gaza and Ramallah were not quiet however. Gaza, it
seems, came under attack from gun ships in the Mediterranean and the
F-16 fighter jets were once again released, dropping 2 bombs on the
police station in Ramallah, completely destroying it. Because of the
evacuations, there were no casualties. This morning brought word that
the Israelis had taken over various PNA offices in the Jerusalem area.
Most significantly, they stormed Orient House, the center of Palestinian
affairs in occupied Jerusalem. As I watched the television news reports
showing Israeli soldiers hoisting an Israeli flag over this building, my
heart dropped. Could there be a more provocative act by the Israelis
than this one? Orient House is the symbol of Palestinians aspirations
for Jerusalem as their capital. Seizing this building, sealing it and
raising an Israeli flag over it is tantamount to declaring that Israel
has again conquered or occupied Jerusalem. All I could think about was
the late Faisal Husseini, the leader of Orient House until his death
almost 2-months ago of a heart attack. I shed new tears over the great
loss of this man is to the Palestinian - and Israeli - people. My heart
grew heavy with thoughts of what kind of reprisals this will bring from
Palestinians and how the cycles of violence just keep spiraling away
with us.
The events of the last 11 months have created a
pressure cooker in the Palestinian territories. The ongoing siege around
most Palestinian villages, towns and cities, the demolition of homes,
the destruction of agricultural fields, the weeks-on-end of complete
curfew in some areas, the policy of assassination, the lack of work for
the overwhelming majority of the Palestinian people, the number of
children killed and the number of people permanently disabled, has
created a sense of desperation for many people.
In such a context, questions about whether another
bomb will go off are replaced with the question of when it will go off.
The question of whether the Israelis will respond is replaced with when
and where will they respond. In such attacks-counter attacks, it can be
difficult to remember who is retaliating for what. Questions of who is
responsible and who struck first in each individual act became almost
ludicrous as innocent Palestinian and Israeli families continue to bury
their families.
In such days, we must return to the root cause
of the violence in order to break the cycle. Addressing only the
symptoms ensures our continuing horror at senseless death in this
region. The root cause of the violence of the last 11 months is the
on-going Israeli occupation and control of the West Bank and Gaza. After
32 years, it most come to a stop. [Emphasis by your
WebWeaver.]
Prime Minister Sharon keeps demanding a complete
cessation of violence on the Palestinian side before returning to the
negotiating table. Surely, if this is the requirement, Palestinians have
no less right to demand the same thing from the Israelis. To demand of
Arafat that he arrest members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad while the
Israeli siege on Palestinian towns, the destruction of land, the
restrictions on travel and the Israeli policy of assassination continues
seems an almost absurd request. For the Israeli government to continue
to act as if the security of their people is the overriding criterion,
without recognizing the devastation which the Palestinian people are
experiencing, is to ensure there will be no security for either people.
Both peoples will continue to reap only what is sown, the fruits of
violence, hatred and greed.
There has been far too much death, too many young
lives lost. It is time for courageous leadership that looks at the
larger picture, which has concern for the well being of all the children
of this land - for all of them, whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim -
belong to God. God bless the people on both sides who are still able to
mourn the loss of life on the other side. For it is these people from
which hope springs that we are not destined only to die with each other,
but still have an opportunity to create a land which reflects the glory
of God and the wholeness of creation.
Longing for the day when our mourning shall turn into
joy, I remain,
Sandra
Rev. Sandra Olewine
United Methodist Liaison - Jerusalem
Thanks to Darrell and Sue Yeaney, who have shared this letter.
