Come to Palestine to meet Fayrouz, Mohammed, Daoud, Daher, Hassan, and countless courageous Palestinians who have not given up hope; who fight with strength and passion; who despite the brutality, humiliation, and cruelty of occupation know that they must persist. They do so with passion and love for their people.
Read MoreIt was nearly dark when we arrived for dinner in Battir, a village near Bethlehem. As we descended the stairs to the Terraces Cafe, we could dimly discern all around us the two thousand year old stone structures from which the Cafe took its name, and the imposing Roman-era pool at its edge. Battir is known for its beauty and its water.
Read MoreI knew I was going to learn a lot on this delegation, but hearing a message that resonates with my personal experience and aligns with the African American struggle in the US has been uplifting and reaffirming. Hearing from Daoud from the Tents of Nations has expanded my view on what it means to be resilient in the midst of an oppressive and dehumanizing struggle.
Read MoreStairs. There are so many stairs in Palestine. And when there are no stairs there is rocky, uneven terrain. My poor arthritic back does not like stairs. I like to see all these stairs as a metaphor, as a sign of struggle. Not just my struggle, but one of structure for the Palestinian people.
Read MoreA small hilltop family farm
Surrounded by predators.
Olives, almonds, figs and vines
Clinging to the stony ground,
Their owners too.
“Come and see and go and tell,” the gentle man with the soft voice bid us. We sat in one of the caves at the Tent of Nations outside of Bethlehem and listened as he chronicled 27 years of nonviolent community building. We came from different locations throughout the U. S., came to listen as he instructed on the value of staying put, of staking a claim, of valuing what we have been given.
Read MoreOn Wednesday we were in Bethlehem, the tear gas capital of the world. There is so much tear gas sprayed here, just blocks from Israel’s separation wall, that the gardeners at Dar Jacir are trying to find out what plants are most tolerant of the chemicals in tear gas, which is manufactured somewhere in Pennsylvania.
Read MoreDuring a stop on our delegation, a woman showed our group a crate full of tear gas canisters she picked up from her garden over time. She asked our group to help her research which plans she can grow that will withstand the poisonous fumes emitted from the canisters. She passed the crate of cans around for the group to see up close, “Made in Philadelphia” they read.
Read MoreTo be honest, I thought that the Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library in Bethlehem would give me an opportunity to put down my notebook and rest my brain for a bit. I didn’t realize that urban gardening could be such a remarkable site of struggle.
Read MoreThe Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library is based on the property of a beautiful, recently restored Palestinian home just beyond the annexation/ expansion wall in Bethlehem. The beauty of the house, of the terraced gardens, and of the vision guiding this work stand in profound contrast to the slabs of cement, the barbed wire, and the violence of wall.
Read MoreOur first two days in Palestine have corroborated for me that the Black freedom struggle in the United States must continue to not just demand an end to the war on Black America, but also demand an end to the war on the Palestinian people.
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