Does it Make Sense?

May 1, 2015

I have been reading and responding to so many e-mails lately that I have not had time to reflect on some of the events that are taking place and the absurdity of the situation.  Yesterday I was supposed to go downtown  to Jerusalem, just about 9kms away, to attend a performance at the conservatory by “Banat Al-Quds” (The daughters  of Jerusalem) an all-girls’ ensemble in which my granddaughter was playing the cello and singing as well.  Unfortunately the Jewish Ethiopian citizens of Israel  had a very big and violent demonstration in Jerusalem, that it was literally impossible for me to get beyond the first kilometer  of my trip, but luckily the taxi driver found an outlet and drove me back home.  Apparently what triggered this demonstration was  the violence of the Israeli police against these  Ethiopians citizens.  Not much different  from the brutality of the American police against the African Americans that we have been watching.  I read a nice episode about two Swedish policemen who while  in New York intervened very gently to quell some violence.  The spectators were so amazed that they wished  their American police would get some training in Sweden rather than in Israel.  But after all “Israel is the  only democracy in the Middle East.”

With the earthquake in Nepal and the thousands of people who have lost their lives or their possessions,  one of the first countries that  sent rescue teams and relief was Israel.  Yet how ironic that Israel continues to  dispossess the Palestinians of their homes and possessions on a daily basis.  Today in Silwad in the Ramallah area, a family was evicted from their home by brute force for no other reason but to make room for Israeli settlers.  Does this make any sense?  After the Israeli shelling of Gaza in July 2014, many areas looked like they have been exposed to an earthquake or an atomic bomb,  yet there were no rescue teams around, does this make any sense?

Many of you might have read the story from Mondoweiss about the two young musicians, if not please check it out Night f horror at Ben Gurion airport for two French music students I do not know why Israel goes out of its way to provoke those young people and eventually turn them into activists by no choice of their own.

On a brighter note,  today the YWCA of Palestine celebrated the Y Global breakfast which is usually celebrated around the world on April 24, or around that date.   It was a special occasion for us this  year because we had it in Bethlehem celebrating the establishment of a new association there.  It was a very lively gathering and a very nice occasion for the members of Ramallah, Jerusalem and Jericho to meet our new members in Bethlehem.  Women’s activities and advocacy keep us going,  and definitely our involvement makes sense and makes a difference.    

The Seeds of Sabeel

April 28, 2015

I spent the weekend in Nazareth where Rev. William Roberts, the interim Director of Sabeel  and I joined Rev. Ateek and Cedar Duaybis who both gave a very comprehensive  presentation on Palestinian Liberation Theology.  It was a very successful event and the turn out was amazing.  After the presentation we had a discussion with the local committee about the future of Sabeel in view of the retirement of its founder Rev. Naim Ateek, and his leaving the country to settle in Texas near his daughter.  I could not help but think of the quotation of John Kennedy when he said:  “A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.” 

The seeds of the idea of Palestinian Liberation Theology have been planted  25 years ago by Rev. Ateek, and thank God he will be moving away physically, but his spirit will stay with us, and so will his theology.  So my dear members of Sabeel, as well as Friends of Sabeel world wide, we will count on you to keep watering the seeds and to keep the idea living on. 

Orthodox Easter Sunday

On Sunday April 12 -Orthodox Easter-  Cedar and I went to attend the service at St. George's Cathedral.  It was a cold and rainy day, but we made it, because we wanted to hear the sermon of Rev. Ateek and say good bye to him before he leaves to the US. 

Sadly the church was packed with internationals  and the local community were just a handful.  Gone are the days when that church was packed with its local community.  After the service we all had coffee at the Parish hall, and the Dean of the Cathedral and the parish priest, Rev. Hosam Naoum,  told the group that Rev. Ateek inspired us to leave our comfortable chairs and serve more our community and country.  We want to wish Rev. Ateek all the best as he pursues his ministry of Palestinian Liberation Theology from Texas. 

The Irony of Technology

I just finished watching the following clip http://www.safeshare.tv/w/DTAINyElxY

about the future surgery room as narrated by Dr. Kobi Votman, an Israeli alumnus of the Technion.  A fantastic development.  Yet I could not help but wonder how such brains at the Technion who can do research and develop so much for the welfare of the human being,  by reducing pain and trauma of surgery, can at the same time be using their technology to cause so much destruction, increase pain,   and loss of lives of a population that is under their mercy.

It is all about politics

In his speech to the American Congress today, the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu,  said: “Alliance between the USA and Israel should be above Politics.”

Really Mr. Netanyahu!!!! It is all about politics. When the prime minister chose to address the American Congress two weeks before the Israeli elections, and when his main focus in the speech was Iran, and the negotiations going on between it and the USA, he is indeed making a political statement. The mere fact that the invitation to Mr. Netanyahu to address the congress was not coordinated with President Obama is again a political statement. It is ironic that the Prime Minister whose country could not have been established or could have survived without the support of the USA and its presidents, including Mr. Obama, finds it fit to barge into this  controversial scene and split the congress and the administration.

Like puppets orchestrated by a cue to stand up and clap, I felt sorry for my American friends and the good people in the USA whose congress has been taken for a ride.  Thanks to those who had enough dignity to stay on their seats.   But  above all I felt sorry for my own people, the Palestinians who put their faith in a peace broker who is just as ‘occupied’ as we are; if not physically, certainly psychologically. Mr. Netanyahu is the last person to talk about the subject of nuclear weapons, sounding like he was “holier than thou,” especially in view of the fact that Israel itself was the first and only country in the region, to have a nuclear reactor as well as a stockpile of nuclear weapons. Over and above it has not signed the nonproliferation agreement, nor does it allow inspectors to visit the site.

Nobody could have listed the possibilities that could come up as a result of Iran developing nuclear weapons in a more clear rhetoric than the Prime Minister himself, because he sounded like he was actually talking about his own country.

 

Reflecting on the Snow Storm

January 7, 2015

Dear Family and Friends:

 

As I write to you,  the Orthodox Christians are celebrating a White Christmas.  There was an alert about the snow storm, so people are prepared with food provisions and alternative lighting and heating in case of power failure.  But our thoughts are  with those people who can never be prepared because they have no homes in the first place.  How much can a refugee in a tent be prepared should the storm blow the tent away?    

 

It is at times like these that one cannot help but be very grateful for the many blessings, but  at the same time one  cannot help but be very angry at the powers who are allowing so much wars and destruction to take place and create  communities of  refugees and homeless people.  Where is justice, where is the United Nations?  Where is the international law?  It seems we are living under the law of the Jungle where Might is Right.  At  such times even our faith is shattered when we are unable to comprehend why so  much suffering is taking place under different pretexts when the reality is the greed for power, and money.  It is understandable when natural disasters hit an area, but it is unacceptable to bring about so much suffering because of human-made disasters.  Even when people want to free themselves from such powers of domination,  they are punished further and are left helpless.  Ironic that  the world  wonders why those people become so desperate.     We pray that the New Year  will see us through a new era of humanity where justice and peace will prevail.   Samia

Apologies

In my posting of the UN vote, I mistakenly added Canada as abstaining.  Not that it would not have done so,  but it was not a member of the Security Council.