Week 1 of Worktrek Toweards Jerusalem June 2011

1. Worktrek 1 Towards Jerusalem June 2011

2. Itinerary Mon: Tel Aviv to Jericho Tue: Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus Wed: Nablus, Sebastia, Nazareth Thu: Galilee, Capernaum, Nazareth Fri: Galilee, Banyas, Golan, Nazareth Sat: Bet Sean, Qumran, Wilderness Sun: Bethlehem, Wilderness Mon: Bethlehem The second week was based in Bethlehem, with visits to Herodium, Hebron, Jerusalem, Masada, Engedi, Dead Sea Mon: via YadVashem to Tel Aviv

3. Monday – Tel Aviv to Jericho

4. Jericho Intercontinental Hotel A SPOT OF LUXURY TO SET THE TONE

5. Tuesday – Mount of Temptation Monastery on a Mountain.

6. Mount of Temptation, Jericho Cable cars Fertile land

7. Three cities of Jericho 1. old city – excavated – deep pits show levels No remains from Joshua. Rebuilt in Ahab’s time. Zedekiah fled there before he was captured. Saw his sons killed, then lost his eyes before going into exile.

8. Three cities of Jericho 2. NEW TESTAMENT CITY Different site Now just ruins 3. CURRENT CITY Oldest inhabited town

9. From Jericho to Nablus winding road bedouin

10. Bedouin Keep animals in desert Live in tents Government pressure to live in houses

11. Ramallah (God’s Mountain) carob juice seller yasserarafat’s tomb

12. Dr HusamZomlot international relations FATAH Deputy commissioner for The right of the Palestinians to self-determination is clear. Israel must pull out of the occupied territories. Palestinians have protested peacefully, but since the peace process began, Israeli settlements have trebled.

13. Why does Israel break the law? Fear factor Ignorance factor Comfort factor Balance of power ANC: worse than South Africa Aim - ‘ethnic cleansing’ Means – intimidation & force

14. Israeli Government Policy un-nationalise Palestine separate West Bank from Gaza occupy West Bank by building illegal settlements and military bases carve up the West Bank by “Israeli-only” roads politically – eliminate Palestinian power socio-economically – strangle Palestinians make it difficult for Palestinians to stay confiscate ID’s of Palestinians whose life is not based in Jerusalem for 3 years

15. How should Palestinians respond? Negotiation is a futile game Resist peacefully (keep moral high ground) International pressure – boycott Israeli goods Hamas and Fatah need to get together Build institutions to serve Palestinians (not to demonstrate being worthy of statehood) Focus on Palestinians’ right to move freely within their own country

16. Important factors – for and against IN FAVOUR of resolution obstacles Most people want peace Judaism is about justice 5 main pro-Palestine voices in USA are all Jews Obama favours a 2-state solution & UN recognition 60% of Israelis are Arab Jews from North Africa Evangelical Zionism in USA 80 million want Israel to pave the way for Messiah The West is cowardly e.g. Britain favours a 2-state solution, but does nothing 1967 recognition of Israel as a state, but Palestine only as a people (rep by PLO) ‘disputed’ or ‘occupied’?

17. Wednesday -Nablus (‘new city’) Built by Romans on ancient site of Shechem

18. Acts 8 – “a city of Samaria”?

19. Samaritans Smallest minority in the world Left behind after Assyrian invasion of Northern kingdom (722 BCE) Only 700 remain 400 live in Nablus Only accept Torah

20. Nablus High Street

21. Nablus Market

22. Nablus Market

23. Nablus Market

24. Nablus – local sweet speciality SOFT CHEESE & sugar £1.50

25. Bread shops

26. Nablus Soap Factory inside outside

27. Former Soap Factory – bombed

28. Nablus Anglican Church

29. Father Ibrahim

30. Five problems Jerusalem Borders & checkpoints Settlements Water Refugee camps All overcome by 1-state solution

31. Practical steps Gathers Muslims, Christians & Samaritans together. Joint youth camps. All Imams in Nablus gather together regularly for a meal at the church.

32. Jacob’s Well Between Mt Gerazim (blessings) & Mt Nebo (curses). Story of Jacob’s well parallels modern water struggle. Palestinians can only dig 70 m. OK for surface water, but not for artesian wells (‘living water’ in Jn 4).

33. Orthodox Convent Very few Greek Orthodox churches left: most taken over by Franciscans. Destroyed in 529 - Justinian’s persecution and 614 - Persian invasion. Present convent rebuilt in 1990.

34. The road to Sebastia (Samaria) Olive trees cut down by army. Some over 100 yrs old. Destroy evidence that Palestinians have been there for generations. Palestinian farmers have to grow citrus fruit – less profitable.

35. Parallel with Nebuchadnezzar Cut down trees Put stones in fields Block wells Aim - make land less inhabitable Nehemiah had to undo the damage

36. The road to Sebastia (Samaria)

37. Hussam’s story Visited Jerusalem as a boy with his father Not to speak Arabic in public Arrested at 15 for not carrying papers Enjoyed stoning soldiers Arrested at 17, interrogated for 54 days 6 months in prison. City decided not to pay taxes to Israel Resisted debt collectors ‘Wanted person’ – shot in the leg 3 months in hospital 1991 – 15 days in prison Spoke to a guard who seemed OK.

38. Hussam’s story Introduced to nonviolence Became a tour guide Studied nonviolence MA in conflict resolution Now trains people in nonviolence in West Bank Sees his previous acts as nonviolent resistance Active and non-active ways of being non-violent Active options: awareness raising, direct action and strategic campaigns

39. Sebastia (Samaria)

40. “Samaria” can refer to the region of Samaria the city of Samaria a city of Samaria The capital city was first Shechem (Nablus) then Samaria (Omri)

41. Three temples in Samaria Ahab Omri Herod

42. Travel to Nazareth Passed olive trees planted hundreds of years ago. Olive trees take 75 years to mature, and live almost forever. ‘People of the land’ love the land and invest their lives in it.

43. Nazareth Guest House

44. Thursday - Nazareth

45. Nazareth

46. Mount of Beatitudes ‘Blessed’ [‘tooba’ in Aramaic] is an active word – ‘standing up, being involved’

47. Capernaum

48. Peter’s house, Capernaum

49. Capernaum Synagogue Solid wall to north External stairs to balcony for women Men (downstairs) have better view Jewish Christians 1 Cor 14:35 “ask their husbands at home”

50. Boat - Lake of Galilee

51. Friday

52. Breaking bread by the Lake

53. Hazor National Park “tell” city set on a hill Canaanite period

54. Caesarea Philippi Gates of Hades Temple to Pan Also called Panyas

55. Caesarea Philippi St George (El Hadr) was a Druze Became a Christian & local hero. ‘Killing the dragon’ was probably stopping the annual sacrifice of a virgin to the river dragon.

56. Golan Heights (Southern Syria) Druze village Lunch in a house/school Medical Centre Minefields

57. Who are the Druze? Branch of Islam. Roots are a mixture of Greek philosophy and Buddhism.

58. Nazareth Synagogue Church Saturday Luke 4:16-30

77. Sunday

78. Church of the Nativity

81. Monday - Final wilderness meal Then travel to Bethlehem 3 Christian cities in W. Bank Bethlehem BeitSahour BeitJalla has 9,000 Christians and a further 60,000 in Chile

82. The Wall