News from
Our Friends in Palestine and Israel

The horrific pictures of people starving and being killed in the cities destroyed by war in Gaza fill our news feeds. Looking into, and longing to help those corralled within this Gaza military zone are the extended Palestinian families that live in Palestine and Israel. Christians and Muslims pray each day for the end to this madness. The war is never far away for them.
The Quaker pastoral team visiting Ramallah Friends Meeting writes “ While much of the city of Ramallah is getting on with life, the stress of war and the resulting humanitarian crisis, and the awareness of the genocide in Gaza, are never far from the minds of all who live in the West Bank. Out of the silence of meeting for worship, we heard rumbling overhead. A member stated that it was the sound of fighter jets. Later that day, we learned of airstrikes in southern Lebanon that took the lives of forty-three people. “ “Our students and staff at Ramallah Friends School (RFS) are not immune from these stresses. We learned that one of our teachers lost eighteen members of her family in Gaza. Another teacher’s husband and children are stuck in Gaza. Witnessing or hearing about such intense violence and instability, and persistent exposure to news of suffering, leads to a profound sense of helplessness and anxiety.” Trauma within the staff and students builds each day.

RFS continues its mission to offer “children and youth an academically rigorous, balanced, engaging and inclusive learning environment of the highest quality standard, every day.” To “ inspire our students to become a living expression of a spiritual life, and be in constant search for God in all human situations.” Ramallah Friends graduated their 119th class this June Over 100 young woman and men who completed their academic courses successfully. “The strength and dedication of RFS students and staff highlight the vital role of education as a source of hope, purpose, and continuity in difficult times.” For more information https://www.rfs.edu.ps/en

The pictures of the war in our daily news reinforce a century old myth that Palestine is “ a land without a people,” an empty land with few people limited to now destroyed cities and villages. A history that is counter to this myth can be found in the May and June issues in the Palestinian Journal This week in Palestine which tells the history of Palestinian Refugees from the early 1900’s when the movement to remove them from their land grew to today's war in Gaza and land seizers in the west bank. It is a harsh history to read. There is at the same time the other side of Palestine that describes those living outside of the war who strive to bring an end to the anger and engage the world through finance, agriculture, healthcare, the arts, etc.
July and August issue.: Who’s Who in Palestine – highlight Palestinian companies and organizations
April: Resurrecting the Healthcare sector
March: Exceptional Palestinian Woman (Mai Zaru – granddaughter of Jean Zaru of Ramallah Meeting) is the first woman profiled.
https://thisweekinpalestine.com/
A poem by the Gaza born poet Hend Joudat Jouda describes these two sides of Palestine.
"What Does It Mean to Be a Poet in Times of War?"
It means apologizing …
extensively apologizing
to the burnt trees
to the nest-less birds
to the crushed homes
to the long cracks along the streets
to the pale faced children before and after death
to the faces of every sad or murdered mother
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What does it mean to be safe in times of war?
It means being ashamed …
of your smile
of your clean clothes
of having warmth
of your idle hours
of your yawning
of your cup of coffee
of your restful sleep
of having alive loved ones
of having a full stomach
of having available water
of having clean water
of being able to shower
and for incidentally being alive! |
Oh God,
I don’t want to be a poet in times of war |
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Perhaps the readings above will provide a more realistic understanding of Palestine today
Praying and working for Peace, Shalam, Shalom

Our Guiding prayer for peace in Israel and Palestine
Pray not for Arab or Jew, for Palestinian or Israeli but Pray rather for ourselves that we might not divide them in our prayers but keep them both together in our hearts. - Christian Aid Society