A woman stands in line at Qalandiya, a major checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem. The line is long, filled with people going to work and children going to school. There are upwards of 200 people waiting for the metal turnstiles to open. This woman waits, holding her daughter who needs to go to the hospital, hoping that someone will make the guards open the Humanitarian gate, a gate for the sick, elderly or those with medical permission to enter. But it doesn’t open, as is often the case.
|
| Reverend Amy Kienzle of Dearborn Heights |
Kienzel along with 29 others will spend three months living among those under occupation in Palestine and Israel. For Kienzel, this is something she feels very passionate about.
“I first went to the region in 2005 with my seminary for two weeks. I realized there is more to the story,” she said. “Life is really difficult the way things are right now. For Palestinians life is a struggle, for Israelis living in constant fear of the unknown. It is hurting both people.”
The EAPPI began in 2002 after the World Council of Churches (WCC) saw a need to assist the humanitarian efforts being made in the West Bank, initially after receiving messages from a church in Jerusalem. The EAPPI began originally as part of the WCC Ecumenical Program to End the Illegal Occupation of Palestine, but is open to any who wish to assist.
“It’s international and ecumenical,” said Kienzel. “So people of all different Christian denominations have participated, but not only Christians. There have been Jewish people in program, and people of no faith in the program.”
Kienzle became aware of the program when she moved to Dearborn Heights.
“I’ll be the fifth person from the Lutheran Church in this area to go. I heard from those who had gone on the trip in the past.”
One such person is Donna Matteis, who is currently with an accompaniment team in Jerusalem.
“We spend three months living among the Palestinian people in east Jerusalem or the West Bank and try to have as much contact and interaction as we can, to understand the occupation from their perspective and deal with it everyday.” Matteis said.
Donna is part of the 37th group, made up of 27 people from 11 countries, only two of whom are from the United States. This is quite a feat, as the United States has only sent 30 people in the last eight years. This may be due to the fact that the program receives no funding the from the U.S. Government, unlike other countries, where program participants receive at least partial, if not total government funding.
“Generally they really want people from the United States to go and see what happens. To go and report back,” said Kienzle. “The U.S. is seen as a key player in bringing about peace with justice in the holy lands. Because we give so much aid to Israel every year, people in the U.S. have responsibility to have a say where those tax dollars go.”
Donna and her group were spilt up between six cities or villages in the West Bank: Jerusalem, Tulkarem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jayyous and Yanoun
“We do a lot of accompaniment that can involve things like going and being with families when they are being evicted or their homes are abolished or shortly after.”
Such an example was the home of Bahar, a man living in the village of Sheik Jarrah.
“On November 30, the team got a message on a home demolition in Sheikh Jarrah. I went to see the family on December 1 and the top floor was currently being demolished. The family bought the house five years ago and the city inspector saw no problems.”
The entire home was not demolished, instead only the top addition was removed.
“At 10 a.m. the crew shows up, breaks the door down and goes upstairs to the upper level of the house. (The family) were told the only thing that was the problem was the roof on the new addition.”
The workers took off the roof, and then two exterior walls, and eventually the entire addition.
“In Palestine,” Matteis explained, “In order to do anything you need a permit. An application for a permit can take anywhere from 5-10 years and the average cost is $25,000 and Palestinians are rarely granted a permit. At some point someone had put a addition onto the house without a permit.” Bahar and his family were unaware of this at the time he purchased the home.
“To add insult to injury,” Matteis said, “when they are done, the workers just leave, and there is this mess to clean up and he has to pay the workers, 50-60 shekels, for the demolition of his own home.”
“The more you try to make sense of things, the more you realize you can’t make sense of anything.”
Donna also visits a number of demonstrations and prayer vigils, including one by the Women in Black, an Israeli peace organization. She and her team also make regular rounds at the checkpoints.
“The worst place I go is Qalandiya,” Matteis said. “There are no rules, procedures or policies, as far as I see. The administration of checkpoint is adhoc. One of my teammates, Astar, believes that the whole lack of procedures is deliberate to make citizens uncertain and so they will have to worry about how long it will take to get through the checkpoint than how to fight against the occupation in the West Bank. It’s to keep people off balance.”
Those present know that their work there only affects a few people, and will not bring about lasting peace in in the region. Yet both Matteis and Kienzle look forward to the work they will do in the region and upon returning.
“Personally I know that I will get more out of program than I can give,” Kienzle said. “We’re not going to change the situation and end the occupation and bring lasting peace and justice there. If I can give hope to one or two people and make a connection and develop relationships with people, if I can give hope to just one or two people that there are people listening and that people want to hear their stories, that someone is paying attention from the larger world, that would be an accomplishment.”
Upon returning from the accompaniment trip, participants are encouraged to speak to others about what they have seen, and lobby with their legislators.
“When we come back home the A ( in EAPPI) changes from accompaniment to advocating,” said Matteis. “We meet with people, doing presentations, lobbying for legislation and sharing my experience as much as I can.”
“I hope my experience and my witness and sharing that witness will make some people here think,”said Kienzle. “I realize that so many people don’t know about this situation. My hope is that my going on this trip will be a foundation for beginning more work in our community. It’s an issue that touches the lives of people in the Dearborn area. Their families come from Palestine or they have family there now who are suffering.”
“If they know there is a pastor there it will build bridges and strengthen relations here between us.”
For more information on EAPPI or to read the records of those currently residing in the West Bank visit. www.eappi.org
Leave a Reply