Musalaha in Israel and Palestine - March 2024
Overcoming Divide and Control Tactics
Hiba Allati, Project Manager with Musalaha, updates us on what they are currently going through in the Middle East. Read excerpts from her story below:
Israeli Military raids were a part of the reality I grew up in as a little girl in the West Bank during the Second Intifada. Today, these life-interrupting events continue to traumatize families and seem to be getting worse. At the end of January, during one of the weekly raids, the Israeli army entered in the middle of the night the house of a Christian family in my hometown of Beit Sahour. They told the family, “You Christians have to leave because it is not safe for you to stay here.” Often, Palestinian Christians are told by Westerners that we should be fearful of our Muslim neighbors as they are the root cause of violence and the reason for our oppression. I always wondered why people are trying to blame the “other” Palestinian religious side rather than the occupation. Are the people who are occupying us genuinely empathizing with us Christians? If you really cared for our safety, why would you ask us to leave our homeland armed to the teeth? Or is this another divide-and-control tactic desiring to see further Palestinian division? The ambiguity of the soldiers’ comment leaves me with a great deal of uncertainty – what does the future hold for me here in Palestine?
When bringing Palestinian Christians and Muslims together to reconcile, this is just one example of how the Israeli army can fuel fear and division within Palestinian society inside the West Bank, affecting the way Christians and Muslims behave towards one another. While facing this constant external challenge, we also face various internal challenges and conflicts that require our attention. I regularly hear Palestinians comment on experiences of religious discrimination from schools, universities, employers, and in acquiring permission to enter Jerusalem. It is also true that the majority of internally displaced refugees in West Bank refugee camps are Muslims, while Christians continue to migrate for a better life. These internal and external obstacles effectively separate Palestinian Christians and Muslims. But if we disengage from one another and refrain from building friendships, we construct walls of separation between ourselves and leave room for religious racism to flourish.
We can prevent this if we believe in the liberating work of reconciliation. In the words of Danté Stewart, “If liberation means anything, it will mean this: I am liberated to fight against injustice, to be fully human, to give God my uncertainty, and to remain open to the question of our existence together.” Within the various challenges we face in the West Bank, I continue to believe that everyone, even my enemy without exception, is a human being, deserving of a good, dignified life, no matter our differences, misunderstandings, or conflicts. As Palestinian Christians and Muslims, we work for this liberation as equal human beings with the right to live in dignity.
When I first joined Musalaha as a participant in the Young Adults Muslim/Christian project, I was curious to learn how we can address our common struggles as well as these internal challenges and stereotypes. There aren’t many programs and platforms that allow for this authentic Palestinian internal discourse to take place. Our shared identity encourages us to step out of our comfort zones to make a positive difference within our community. This is why Muslim/Christian reconciliation at Musalaha is so important. At least this is what I have witnessed, experienced, and believe.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Musalaha asks for specific prayer requests during this hard time:
Continue praying for a ceasefire, an end to the violence, the return of hostages, and the safeguarding of our humanity and dignity, especially as famine and disease spread in Gaza and elections take place throughout Israel.
Pray for Musalaha’s reconciliation work with Palestinian Muslims and Christians. Pray participants will be courageous to confront hidden biases and practices that divide, rather than build trust.
Pray for our new staff Saleem, as he joins our team. Pray his integration is smooth as he begins implementing his program among Palestinian Muslims and Christians. Pray the rest of the team will receive the new insights and perspectives he brings to the team.
The Outreach Foundation is seeking to support the mission and ministry of Musalaha in Israel and Palestine. All gifts of any size are welcomed. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.