Last week I visited Hagia Sophia, the 6th century Byzantine church in Istanbul, converted to a mosque in the 15th century and now a museum. A member of our group commented that it was sad that so many churches in Turkey were now museums. Our leader, who has lived and taught in Jerusalem for many years, said that he thought that the same thing would happen in Israel/Palestine. In his opinion, within 10 to 20 years the Church of the Resurrection/Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem would be a museum. His viewpoint was that all of the Christians will have been driven out of Israel/Palestine and there will be no one to maintain the churches. After last year’s trip to Israel/Palestine, I had concluded the same thing. This year, however, I had dinner in Amman, Jordan with an intelligent, articulate, attractive Palestinian woman who gave me hope. Let’s call her Nora. (Not her real name)
Nora was born in Bethlehem on the West Bank, educated in the US and has a US passport so she lives in Bethlehem by choice. She can leave at anytime and move to the US. Despite the hardship, she chooses to stay because “I feel like I am helping my people”.
The American and Israeli Jews who feel that there is no such thing as a Palestinian have not met Nora. Those in the US and Israeli government who are trying to make life so difficult for Palestinians that they leave Israel/Palestine, have not met Nora.
Her determination to stay despite the hardships of daily life and work for a Palestinian state is amazing. She and many others like her are the epitome of the Palestinian motto, “to exist is to resist”.
On the other hand it might be just as well if the Church of the Resurrection/Holy Sepulcher became a museum. In that event the various Christian factions might quit fighting over it. (For the latest episode in this multi-century conflict, click here)
Nora was born in Bethlehem on the West Bank, educated in the US and has a US passport so she lives in Bethlehem by choice. She can leave at anytime and move to the US. Despite the hardship, she chooses to stay because “I feel like I am helping my people”.
The American and Israeli Jews who feel that there is no such thing as a Palestinian have not met Nora. Those in the US and Israeli government who are trying to make life so difficult for Palestinians that they leave Israel/Palestine, have not met Nora.
Her determination to stay despite the hardships of daily life and work for a Palestinian state is amazing. She and many others like her are the epitome of the Palestinian motto, “to exist is to resist”.
On the other hand it might be just as well if the Church of the Resurrection/Holy Sepulcher became a museum. In that event the various Christian factions might quit fighting over it. (For the latest episode in this multi-century conflict, click here)
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