The 2017 Just Faith Delegation traveled under the auspices of the Interfaith Network for Justice in Palestine and was co-sponsored by American Muslims for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship.
Read eyewitness accounts, reports from meetings, and experiences with Palestinians and Israelis below.
Exclusive content is also available on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook under the hashtag #justfaith17.
While 23 members of the delegation arrived safely, 5 were prevented from boarding the flight to Israel. The Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders were possibly singled out for their public support of the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) on the state of Israel. Upon arrival at the Lufthansa check-in counter at Dulles International Airport, an airline employee informed the group that the Israeli government had told the airline not to let them board.
At a time when Israeli forces increased the daily repression of Palestinian civilians, including those exercising their freedom to worship, to speak, and to protest, this interfaith delegation sought to respond and act in solidarity. Israel's actions to bar faith leaders and activists from witnessing and lending an interfaith voice for peace is concerning.
This delegation was Eyewitness Palestine's 62nd, successfully exposing more than 1,200 people to the daily realities facing Palestinians in their quest for justice.
We believe in the power of eye-witness experience and transformation. Given the opportunity to speak directly with Palestinians and Israelis, delegates return to the United States better informed, more energized, and with a deeper understanding of the possibilities for true justice in the Middle East.
You can stop the people's imaginations, their voices crying for justice, no matter how hard you try, you cannot hide the truth from the sun / You cannot steal the love from the heart that will be pierced for the freedom of Falastin, today, tomorrow, and the next day, / when the people of the land and the land of the people here in God's sight will forever remain.
Read More“This is what we want as a Palestinian people, is to feel and have dignity. We are human beings. We are no less than any other people. We have a right to self-determination... I can assure you, we are strong. We are the stones of the valley. We have been here forever, and will continue to be here forever.” -Raji Sourani
Read MoreHow are they getting away with this? This rhetorical question dogged me for days as I learned about the intricacies of Israel's occupation of Palestine: Concrete slabs 26 feet high tearing through Palestinian neighborhoods and farmlands. More than 100 permits required for ordinary tasks like building a room in your house. Palestinian children being sentenced to five to 20 years in prison for throwing stones, a common form of protest.
Read MoreI hope I will be able to put today into coherent words at some point, but tonight - tonight there are no words.
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