hoping for poppies

I named this blog "finding poppies in Israel" because I was struck by the sporadic red poppies that sprouted in the oddest places back when I was here in March. Whether I was in Israel or the Palestinian Territories, I saw them.

They nestled between Jerusalem stones in both the City of David/Silwan and the Herodion; I saw them dotting the Galilean landscape; they said hello to me amidst a sea of green and mustard yellows behind a twisted teal fence in East Jerusalem.

This photo is actually my favorite one from March, because it captures so much of what I heard, experienced, and felt as we visited holy sites of all three faiths and met with various religious and political leaders. There were many hard, tangled feelings and thoughts, some of which made my breath tighten and hot tears flood my eyes... but there were also glimpses of hope behind it all. Our itinerary in March included meetings with:

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb of the Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem;
Dr. Bernard Sabella, Executive Director of the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees and Professor of Sociology at Bethlehem University;
Dr. Sheikh Hatim Bakri, Secretary-General of Higher Council of Religious Judiciary and Attendant of Palestinian Supreme Judge at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron;
Yisrael Heiken, an Israeli settler who spoke on behalf of the Beit HaShalom community in Hebron;
Walid Alhalaweb, Public Director of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, with whom we toured the Hebron souk;
representatives from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI);
Daniel Seidemann, Human rights lawyer who is Israeli, zionist, and against the settlements;
Yonathan Mizrachi, a local archaeological expert who spoke to us about how the City of David excavations negatively affect Silwan, the Palestinian town that is over it;
Naomi Chazan, an Israeli academic and (feminist) politician;
Rev. Canon John Peterson;
Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem of the Greek Orthodox church;
Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, President of Al-Quds University and Huda Al-Iman, Director of the Center for Jerusalem Studies;
Father Firas Aridah of St. Joseph Parish;
Rev. Mark Brown of the Lutheran World Federation;
Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, CEO of Augusta Victoria Hospital that serves critical needs of Palestinian patients;
Dina Nasser, Health Advisor at The Juzoor Foundation for Health and Social Development;
Xavier Abu Eid, Communications Advisor for the Palestine Liberation Organization;
Abuna Elias Chacour, Archbishop and founder of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibilin;
and Robert Silverman at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.

It was quite a line-up, I know. I am incredibly grateful for each encounter and the opportunity to join the travel seminar for such an experience. Our Jewish orthodox contacts didn't end up meeting with us, which was a shame. But we heard from many perspectives anyway, and it was really helpful, because we don't get as much variety in the States.

This summer, I live with two secular Israeli students, have had a shabbat dinner with an observant Jew and his secular Jewish girlfriend, and in my travels have met several Palestinian muslims and Christians in the West Bank. I still have several weeks in this land, so hope to get to know more folks. I hear all kinds of anecdotes about the "other" from each side. Sometimes, my heart breaks as I hear prejudice, anxiety, and fear. In those moments, I make a mental note not to forget this and continue meditating on how I can contribute to positive change (right now, I tend to lean towards working in education somehow, whether at the university or secondary level). Other times, I find hope in statements like these from our driver/guide, Al'a: "A hand has five fingers; each is different" and "There are good and bad people in every community." He acknowledges that there are extremists on both sides, but it's unfair to generalize about an entire group of people. This sounds like an obvious truth, but, as with most things, it's harder in practice. It seems too easy for both sides to fall into generalizing about the other when various barriers deter positive (or even just casual) interaction. Many Palestinians cannot enter Jerusalem since they don't have permits or the right license plates, and most of the Israelis I've met just avoid Palestinians. When Sara and I were on our way to attend a Palestinian Christian lecture in East Jerusalem, we received many warnings to be careful over there, where it's "dangerous." One of my roommates avoids the Arab Quarter of the Old City because he doesn't feel safe there. These feelings are understandable when we consider the news stories about Israelis attacking Palestinians or Palestinians attacking Israelis. Still, it's an immense shame that the tension in the air creates barriers against mutual understanding and strides towards peace. As we drove alongside the long concrete wall in Bethlehem this past Saturday, the four of us in the car sat in silence, hoping...