Basilians' Peace and Justice Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Along with twenty others, I was privileged to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land this summer under the guidance of Father Bob Holmes CSB. We visited the Holy Places where Jesus walked. However we did not “focus completely on the lifeless sand and stone of these shrines ...[but also on] the living stones that are crying out.” —Fr. Elias Chacour

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter has written about the apartheid state created by the infamous Wall, a network of fences located mainly in the West Bank, which has been declared illegal by the International Court and by the increasing numbers of expanding Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory. We joined with Palestinian villagers and others in a demonstration against the Wall after we saw the harassment and injustice it was causing. Those joining the demonstration are seeking non-violent means to oppose this injustice.

"Breaking the Silence" is an organization of Jewish soldiers who are speaking out on this injustice. One of these soldiers spent an evening with us, telling us of some of his experiences. He gave us some booklets containing testimonies by several soldiers. When we were leaving Israel through the Tel Aviv airport at the end of our trip, security officials confiscated these booklets, claiming they were all lies.

Father Joseph mentioned the problems of many of the young people of his congregation who find it difficult to find a place to live because the Israelis won’t give them building permits even for additions onto existing buildings. He also talked about persons who live in Bethlehem but work in Jerusalem. These two places are about twenty minutes apart. Yet, in order to get to a job at 7 a.m., the workers have to set out at 4 a.m. They have to go through the long checkpoint in the Wall, which fences off Bethlehem.

Many Israelis are not happy with the present situation. Some of these belong to the Israeli Coalition Against Home Demolitions. Since building permits are impossible to obtain for the Palestinians, many go ahead and build on their own land. This is considered breaking the law so they are constantly in fear of having their homes demolished. About 150 homes a year are demolished in East Jerusalem.

This is a very sketchy report of what we saw and experienced on our pilgrimage. We met some wonderful people living courageously in these very oppressive situations – "the living stones that are crying out." May we find ways to tell their stories and find effective ways to be in solidarity with them.

Text and photos by Jean Leahy CSJ