The Advertiser-Tribune December 24, 2005
Tiffin Franciscan spends 10 days as a peacemaker
By MaryAnn Kromer
At Christmas time, the city of Bethlehem, Israel, is a destination for Jews, Muslims and Christians anxious to visit the sacred religious sites. On Dec. 4, Sr. Paulette Schroeder returned from a trip to Israel, but hers was not a typical tourist excursion. She spent 10 days as part of a Christian Peacemaker Team.
Those who keep up with world news are aware conditions in the Holy Land are anything but peaceful. Just before Schroeder's trip, four peacemakers, including one American, were kidnapped Iraq, arousing a heightened sense of alertness for Schroeder and her group.The peacemaker teams mainly serve as witnesses to the action of the Israeli troops who constantly patrol the areas near Jewish settlements.
Israeli forces provide protection for Jewish citizens, and peacemakers are there to publicize human rights abuses that may occur.
"One of the things we did was school patrols for the Palestinian children. Wherever there are Jewish people, there is a wall. In Hebron, where we stayed, there were 500 Jewish residents in a population of about 25,000 people. There are three soldiers for each settler," Schroeder said.
The Israelis view every Palestinian of any age as a potential terrorist, Schroeder said. Each day, Palestinian children and their teachers must go through a "cabin" which houses a metal detector before he or she can enter their schools. Razor wire and plastic barricades are positioned around each cabin.
Schroeder said the children are very resentful of all the security.
"The children are part of the Palestinian resistance," Schroeder said. "The kids are saying, 'No, we won't do this. This is our land.' The boys would come up and kick at the (plastic) wall, the blockade would come down and the soldiers would run after the children."
Schroeder said many of the Israeli troops are only 18 or 19 years old and are not skilled at handling the constant disruption each day.
Added to the mix are the constant reminders of cultural differences. Schroeder marveled at the very public display of religious devotion. Muslims, Jews and Christians each cling to their own beliefs and customs, all in the same community.
"Here came all these Jewish men and boys with their prayer shawls, with their phylacteries, on the way to the synagogue. At the same time, the Muslims are calling people to prayer, and the bells are ringing at St. Paul Lutheran Church," Schroeder said. "And the land is integral to their faith."
Although the team members did not have much free time, they did get to do some sightseeing and a little shopping to boost the local economy. Schroeder enjoyed sampling the produce and marveled at the size of the vegetables that grow in the stony ground.
"It's interesting to see the hard work of the Jewish and the Palestinian nations in terracing the hillsides," Schroeder said.
It's a very rocky land, so the rocks are all over to build the walls, but it must have taken a phenomenal amount of work to get some fertile land," Schroeder said.
Few of the citizens are overweight, Schroeder observed, perhaps from the healthy foods and the amount of walking the average person must do on a daily basis. She surmised the many steps, especially in Jerusalem, may enhance fitness, along with strenuous farm work.
The peacemakers often accompany Palestinian farmers as they go out to work their land and tend their herds. Jewish settlers have been known to sabotage the farmers' seed and animal feed. The walls of concrete built around the Jewish settlements have damaged the economy of the surrounding villages.
"The wall is 26 feet tall. It is solid, solid, solid cement. There is no passing through except at checkpoints. It's very difficult for the Palestinians to get all the permits they need," Schroeder said.
The Tiffin convent has adopted a family of five brothers, their spouses and children, whom Schroeder was able to visit while she was in Bethlehem. A Jewish settlement has sprung up near their home and razor wire has been stretched between the family and their farmland.
Schroeder met a Palestinian couple whose little girl needed medical care in Jerusalem. At the checkpoint, soldiers would not admit the father or his vehicle into the city. They did give the mother permission to carry the child to the clinic, along with an impossible deadline for returning to the gate. A Jewish family came forward to carry the little girl so that they could get back on time.
"So they do meet some 'good Samaritans,' but the wall is a shame. You see things written all over it," Schroeder said.
Her photographs show slogans such as "Witness the Jewish shame,'" "Respect for Palestinians," and "End the occupation now." Inside the walls are beautiful homes with pools and other luxuries. The Israeli government has built an elaborate infrastructure for its settlers but will not extend utilities to the Palestinian villages beyond the walls.
Despite the oppression and poverty, Schroeder found the Palestinian people to be optimistic and devoted to their families. They also extended warm hospitality to the peacemakers, Schroeder said. The Palestinians seemed determined to show Americans "that we're not all terrorists."
As Palestinians are driven from their land, many end up in refugee camps on the outskirts of cities. To restrict the activities of the camp residents, the Israeli soldiers impose and enforce curfews, sometimes arbitrarily and often on short notice. Violators may spend months in prison or be deported with little hope of returning.
The Palestinians continue to resist the occupation any way they can. On one occasion, the peacemakers protested with the villagers of Abud. Schroeder and another sister held a banner as the villagers stood on one side of the razor wire with the settlement's border police lined up along the other side. The Palestinian people were singing songs describing how the villagers planted crops and made the land prosperous.
"The border police rushed at a young Israeli who was working for the Palestinian cause. He was down on the ground and I saw him put his arm over his head. At least one club came down on him and I saw the results of that. They ripped his shirt and dragged him away," Schroeder said. "But the people will not stop resisting."
The peacekeepers visited many agencies including pro-Palestinian organizations and Israeli groups working with Palestinians. One Jewish settlement allowed them inside to interview the people there. A young Jewish woman spoke cautiously, telling Schroeder she is trying to raise her five children to grow into peace-loving adults.
Schroeder was able to speak to an elderly Jewish man who communicated well in English. He gave his predictions about the end of the occupation.
"He said 70 percent of the Jews feel that the occupation must end," Schroeder recalled. "He said, 'We pulled out of Gaza. We can pull out of the West Bank. The Berlin Wall fell. This wall's going to fall'."
When Schroeder expressed doubts the massive wall could ever be dismantled, the man said he has faith in Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
One especially hopeful note was a visit to the Flowers for Hope School. Schroeder said it was founded by a man who was convinced the best hope for justice lay in raising a new generation of children. At first, the students included Jewish, Christian and Palestinian children. As the school's student body grew, the Jewish students withdrew.
The curriculum at the school includes Hebrew classes so Palestinian children can learn to communicate with their Jewish peers. The school offers scholarships, operates a store and grows produce in its own gardens.
Now, even this progressive institution is experiencing Israeli infringement. Schroeder said the wall is being extended in close proximity to the school's cafeteria. The school is fighting the demolition order issued for the dining hall.
Schroeder visited the Holocaust Museum and said she found it a very moving attempt to dramatize the suffering of the Jewish people. She and many others find it ironic the Israelis, who once suffered so much persecution, now are oppressing others. One law even forbids Arab residents of one area to marry Arabs from another location.
The Israeli government also expects unconditional loyalty from its citizens and deals harshly with those who do not comply. In 1986, Mordechai Vanunu, an Israeli nuclear scientist, alerted the rest of the world to Israel's secret Dimona nuclear base in the Negev desert. For this "treason," he was arrested and jailed in solitary confinement.
In April 2004, Vanunu was released from prison but soon was placed under house arrest for violating the terms of his release (www.globalsecurity.org) by talking to journalists. Schroeder and others were permitted to meet with Vanunu, who is to be tried in January. Schroeder observed he appears to have lost all fear of punishment for telling the truth.
"I felt that he was a man who had decided to survive. He was in a cell 2 by 3 1/2 feet. The light was kept off for the first two years," Schroeder said. "He said the prophets were his inspiration."
Vanunu told the visitors he fears nationalism has become more powerful than the moral teachings on which Israel was established. He also charged that Israel is not a true democracy because government officials do not act on behalf of the majority of Israeli citizens.
Now back in Tiffin, Schroeder wants to share her experiences in Israel with organizations, churches and other groups in the area. She said she feels Americans are more informed about of Israel's political position and less aware of the oppression Palestinians are enduring on a daily basis.
Schroeder wants to continue her study of the people of Israel/Palestine and their history to gain a better understanding of the turmoil happening now. She would like to see the United States reduce or stop aid to Israel. She has read that 60 percent of foreign aid from the U.S. is sent to Israel at a rate of $10 million per day. Perhaps fewer resources would hasten an end to the Israeli occupation or at least its expansion.
"I feel like I'm just a beginner. I feel a call to change that negative perception of Arabs ... to put a face on them. My perception is that fear is driving the Israeli government," Schroeder said.
Schroeder was amazed by the olive trees that grew almost everywhere. Although olive branches are an ancient symbol of peace, the olive trees in the Holy Land bear silent witness to suffering and destruction.
© Copyright 2005, The Advertiser-Tribune
