Middle East Peace Delegation

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	CURRENT NEWS-MIDDLE EAST
	PEACEMAKER TEAM ARTICLE INDEX September 23, 2002, [press release] News from Christian Peacemaker Teams Middle East Delegation, Shirley Osterhaus and Barbara Rofkar September 18, 2002, [press release]From Barbara and Shirley in the Middle East September 16, 2002, [press release] September Delegation Arrives September 14, 2002, [press release] Christian Peacemaker Teams Delegation Arrives in Jerusalem September 12, 2002, [press release] Initial press release HOW TO CONTACT re: interviews with Shirley and Barbara after their return >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> September 23, 2002 News from Christian Peacemaker Teams Middle East Delegation from Shirley Osterhaus and Barbara Rofkar Since this is the time of high holidays for the Jewish religion, our first reporting will be from our experience with the Palestinians we have met. Our journey will end with a settlement tour and speaking to Rabbis. In this holy land, so much that is unholy goes on. We have little access to the media here except by Internet. On that we read that the U.S. papers are reporting that the recent suicide bombers that have killed eight Israelis has interrupted a six week period of "comparative or relative calm". TRAVEL - MAKSOUMS We would like to describe our experience of what the U.S. media is describing as "relative calm". First, our travel alone from Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, to Hebron to Beit Ummar, a distance of less than 25 miles, that can still be traveled by Israelis in less than 30 minutes, was an ordeal. Palestinians are not allowed to travel on any of the highways for which their taxes pay. We traveled as Palestinians. This involved multiple taxies to each town due to maksoums. Maksoums are recently Israeli created roadblocks. Maksoum is a Hebrew word, there is no Arabic word for roadblock. The maksoums have destroyed all direct road connections between all West Bank cities, towns and villages. Roads have been bulldozed and covered with piles of rocks and other debris, making them impossible for a vehicle to pass. Therefore, we, like everyone else got out of our taxi, carrying everything with us over the maksoums for a distance of what can be one mile to another maksoum, then taxi.
AGRICULTURE Palestine is an agricultural land. It is harvest time for the most beautiful grapes and figs we have ever seen. It is also a nightmare for farmers in every way imaginable. Even getting on their land is anything but "calm". We have traveled to farms which have recently been declared confiscated by Israelis and seen the grapes, plums and figs withering and rotten on the vine and ground. The attempt to get their produce to market is almost impossible between the roads and military checkpoints within cities, not even to mention the expense both of loss of land and harvest and transportation CHILDREN AND "RELATIVE CALM" Again we question what is meant by "relative calm" when children going to and from school are daily harassed by soldiers and settlers. It has become such a problem that the CPT team in Hebron has focused on education issues. With the team, we daily accompany children through military checkpoints, documenting soldiers and settlers actions toward children and intervening in confrontations between children and soldiers. We heard from children in the schools, teachers and the Minister of Education in Hebron how children are trained to carry alcohol pads in their backpacks to protect themselves from tear gas and nerve gas used by soldiers , how they are to respond when the shooting starts. There is not "relative calm" in the minds and hearts of these children and teachers. Just days prior to the suicide bombings, a little girl near Ramallah was killed by a bomb thrown into the school by a settler. Delegation members visited a eight year old girl, Sa'da, in Hebron who is suffering from a skull fracture after being hit in the head by a rubber bullet while walking to school. All of this daily life is reported as "comparative calm" in our media. Amira Hass, an Israeli journalist reports on September 2nd that during this six week "calm" there have been 39 Palestinian civilians killed. This includes seven children and 15 teenagers and two women. Hass continues to report that in addition to the killings, Israeli Occupation forces have carried out countless invasions of towns and villages. That leaves widespread destruction and terror in their wake. We have not witnessed any "relative or comparative calm" for the people of this land. Terror and destruction surround the lives of the Palestinians with whom we have talked. Yet they exhibit an amazing soul. Their connectedness to the earth, God, and each other, including Israelis, gives hope. In Peace..... Barbara Rofkar and Shirley Osterhaus ( for CPT 2002 ) [top of page] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> September 18, 2002 From Barbara and Shirley in the Middle East There is nowhere in the world as complex and seemingly hopeless as the Middle East. Images of senseless violence, random bombings, streets filled with tanks are daily and constant. In struggling to make sense of all this, we decided to travel this month to Israel/Palestine as members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams. Our team consists of twelve people of various ages and occupations, from both the United States and Canada, who have been actively involved with peace and justice. Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is an organization sponsored by Mennonites, Brethren, and Quakers. Their purpose is to reduce violence using human rights accompaniment, promote the resolution of conflicts through nonviolent means, and in turn, promote wider understanding of conflictive situations. Christian Peacemaker Teams has maintained a full-time presence in the West Bank city of Hebron since June 1995. Hebron, located twenty miles south of Jerusalem by way of Bethlehem, is 98% Palestinian. In the midst of a population of 130,000 Palestinians, are 400 Israeli settlers in the center city, and over 1000 Israeli soldiers stationed to protect them. In Hebron and elsewhere, we hope to learn from the perspectives of the many people involved in the conflict. In the midst of great volatility, we hope to talk with ordinary Jewish and Palestinian people, human rights activists who are both Jewish and Arab, and settlers as well as refugees. We seek to deepen our understanding and to humanize all parties in the conflict. Since the intifada (uprising against military occupation) began, peace marches involving as many as 60,000 Arabs, Jews, and Christians, have occurred in Israel and in the occupied territories of Palestine. We believe that those who are courageous enough to stand up for peace deserve the support of the international community. Educating ourselves as well as our communities in order to support peace with justice has been a personal commitment for both of us. Shirley's commitment to peace deepened during the United States sponsored wars in Central America in the 1980s. She found it critical to travel to the region, to listen to the voices of people suffering directly through the conflict, and in turn to coordinate many local residents with refugees who were moving through the county. Barbara, has worked for years in education and with families to help them resolve conflict and raise children in a more secure and peaceful environment. Her heritage is Lebanese. She has made a commitment to study, speak and write about the Middle East to bring about more understanding. That commitment is now compounded by a deep gratitude she feels toward this community for the kindness and concern so many have shown her after 9/11. Both of us recognize that many in our community are concerned and want information to help them understand and know how to respond. We are also aware of the fear, hopelessness and desperateness that prevails in the Middle East as well as in our own country. We know that the oppression of one people is the oppression of us all and that there will be no democracy, no peace, no security until the rights of all human beings are respected and all feel safe to raise their children in peace. This world is smaller. Globalization is here to stay. We are all interconnected and realize that every action has a reaction. The deep involvement of the United States in support of Israel's survival must not be at the expense of the rights of all humans in the area to live securely and in dignity. The United States is committed in many corners of the world, and this has significant consequences, unintended as well as planned. Those consequences are no less real because of a lack of domestic discussion or understanding. While we are bombarded with rationales for war, we are offered far too few visions for peace. This calls us to go to the deepest levels of our souls to find ways to secure harmony and peace. As a democracy, we the people are involved. We must work to help enlighten our leaders who make the decisions that will forever involve our children and grandchildren. In Peace..... Barbara Rofkar and Shirley Osterhaus ( for CPT 2002 ) [top of page] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> September Delegation Arrives By Tanya Rentz September 16, 2002 JERUSALEM The September Christian Peacemaker Team delegation arrived safely in Tel Aviv on Saturday to sunny clear blue skies and mostly light questioning by passport control officers. Delegation leader Anita Fast met the delegation on the other side of customs and negotiated with a young driver to transport them in his van to the Casa Nova Hospice in Jerusalem. All eleven crowded into the 10-seated van, with the lightest person sitting on another's lap. The delegation had good fun, conversation, and bonding on the 45 minute drive to "Urshalim" or "Al Quds". On arrival across from the Old City's New Gate, the driver stopped on the busy 4-lane street. As the delegation unloaded its baggage, he began to demand from Fast $10 more than the agreed price. She valiantly argued that they had agreed on $10 per person and had already paid extra for the 10-seated van. The driver threatened to call the police a bluff as the delegation learned later. Two police cars drove by without stopping. Fast stood her ground, and driver and delegation leader compromised on an additional 40 shekels, less than $10, although the driver claimed the exchange rate at 5 shekels to the dollar. The delegation crossed the street and headed through the New Gate for the short walk to the hospice. After showers and a brief rest, the delegation was treated to a delicious dinner of chicken soup, khubz (Arabic bread), a green salad with olives, fried chicken fillets, artichokes, carrots, and grapes. The meal was provided by the Franciscan fathers and served by young Arab Christians. After dinner, the delegation had a brief orientation to the itinerary and delegation apartment chores in Hebron, followed by the singing of 'Ubicaritas' and off to bed. Delegation members are Dennis Apuan, Colorado Springs CO; Douglas duCharme, Toronto ON; Deborah Flagg, Azusa CA; Elizabeth Garcia, Brownsville TX; Sylvia Metzler, Philadelphia PA; Kenneth Near, Englewood NJ; Shirley Osterhaus, Bellingham WA; Orlando Redekopp, Chicago IL; Tanya Rentz, Nevada City CA; Barbara Rofkar, Bellingham WA; and Bruce Shipman, Groton CT, and leader Anita Fast, Vancouver, BC. Claire Evans Personnel and Delegation Coordinator Christian Peacemaker Teams PO Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680 Tel: 312-455-1199; Fax: 312-432-1213 Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative among Mennonite and Church of the Brethren congregations and Friends Meetings that supports violence reduction efforts around the world. [top of page] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> For Immediate Release September 14, 2002 Christian Peacemaker Teams Delegation Arrives in Jerusalem A 12-member delegation from across the U.S. and Canada arrived in Jerusalem today on a peacemaking mission sponsored by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). During the next 10 days participants plan to speak with representatives of Israeli and Palestinian peace and human rights organizations in Jerusalem and Bethlehem and join in the work of CPT's long-term team in Hebron, West Bank. They will visit with families and individuals affected by the current violence and engage in non-violent action that challenges the structures of the Occupation. Members of the September 13-26 delegation are: Dennis Apuan (Colorado Springs, Colorado), Douglas Ducharme (Toronto, Ontario), Deborah Flagg (Azusa, California), Elizabeth Garcia (Brownsville, Texas), Sylvia Metzler (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Kenneth Near (Englewood, New Jersey), Shirley Osterhaus and Barbara Rofkar (both of Bellingham, Washington), Orlando Redekopp (Chicago, Illinois), Tanya Rentz (Nevada City, California), Bruce Shipman (Groton, Connecticut), and leader Anita Fast (Vancouver, British Columbia) Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations. CPT send teams of trained peacemakers to places of conflict around the world, with a presence in Hebron since June, 1995. Contact: Claire Evans, Christian Peacemaker Teams, phone 312-455-1199 (w), 312 997-2462 (h) [top of page] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> date: September 12, 2002 Shirley Osterhaus and Barbara Rofkar will join a team of 12 peacemakers to the Middle East September 13-26, 2002. The team will meet with Israeli and Palestinian peace and human rights workers. They will document the situation of Palestinian families in the Hebron and Bethlehem areas who have been suffering under the escalation of violence in the West Bank over the past months. "In struggling to make sense of the complexity, the violence and seemingly hopeless situation in the Middle East, I find it important to go to the region and hear the voices of the people suffering, offer nonviolent international presence, and in turn, share what we see and hear with our local communities," said Shirley Osterhaus. The team is organized by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a project supported by Mennonites, Brethren and Quakers to reduce violence and promote the resolution of conflicts through nonviolent means. CPT has maintained a full-time peace presence in Hebron since 1995. In addition CPT has sent trained violence-reduction teams to Haiti, Mexico, Chechnya, Bosnia, South Dakota, Washington, DC, Richmond, VA and Ontario, Canada. Shirley Osterhaus and Barbara Rofkar are available for interviews regarding this trip the first of October by contacting: Shirley 360-734-5176 and Barbara 360-734-0784.
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