Travelled first thing from Ramallah to Nablus but oh dear were delayed cos checkpoint not open so onto the next one and no one there (all Israeli soldiers absent) so onto next one queued for 35 minutes, onto next one and it was closed by orange gate to stop anyone and only soldiers or settlers have a key: so an hour late we finally reached Nablus to be welcomed by Father Jamil …

.but oh no the soldiers have just cut the electricity three minutes ago so we all grovelled about in the restrooms in Stygian gloom! Sigh! Fortunately coffee had been made earlier in flasks so we gulped down very strong Arabic thimble fulls, ate crumbly hard biscuits and heard how Jamil is an Arab, Palestinian, Christian, born in Jenin so has an ID of a West Banker….(Hope you got all that?) married to an Israeli, Arab, Palestinian Christian from Nazareth (which gives her an Israeli ID cos she is not from the West Bank)

Their daughter carries an Israeli ID so can travel most places as can her mum but her dad cannot ….if they go to Jordan for church events dad has to go south across the Allenby/ King Hussein Bridge and mum and daughter have to use the northern bridge and then all the family meets up in Jordan.

When daughter needed her childhood  vaccines no point getting one from Palestinian health authority cos their certificate isn’t accepted by Israel. Long journey involving various checkpoints, scrimmaging illegally across some fields to avoid soldiers and flying checkpoints, getting to a doctor in Nazareth for injection and certificate, all of which takes 7 hours then 7 hours home again. How can this be right?

St Luke’s parish church where Jamil is the priest runs a kindergarden next door where his wife teaches the 50 local kids from a very poor neighbourhood. The Israeli Jewish soldiers most nights raid the Old City where the kids live (both Muslims and Christians) and arrest their dad or big brother, grandad or uncle. Daytime raids too but with kindergarden and church just nearby,  the soldiers chuck some tear gas, sound bombs and stun grenades into the playground………photo below shows  some Jamil has collected. The kids have to run out of school and either dash upstairs to the church or run into the rectory to get away from the teargas ……How can this be right?….

Jacob’s Well is famous for the account of Jesus asking a Samaritan woman for a drink of water….shocking on two counts: Jesus talks to a lone woman and she is a ‘woman with a reputation’ which is why she comes at midday to fill her water pots and shock horror she is a Samaritan and so considered a foreigner! The godly orthodox priest was elderly and faithful here but one night a crazed settler attacked him with an axe and cut up his body into 36 pieces ……… we spoke long and hard in our team re ‘the cost of discipleship’ (Bonhoeffer’s book).

Across the road from Jacob’s  Well is Balata refugee camp once renown for producing fearless fighters, suicide bombers and young men who paraded with guns and masks. Told today they were ‘old stereotypes’ (!) we walked through the refugee camp and were met with nothing but smiles, shouts of welcome, eagerness to talk with us. A relaxed and warm hospitality and …….horses! The cars are parked in the narrow streets overnight but the horses? Ah …..they sleep in the homes with the families!

 Balata is a densely populated refugee camp with 8 people to one metre but even if they could afford to build or rent elsewhere if they leave the camp they lose their status as refugees and they all hope the UN resolution for the Return of Refugees to their own homes will one day be implemented under international law…… 3 generations have lived here since 1948 …….waiting to return home. How can that be right? Some of the older people even have the keys of their home tied round their necks or in their pocket,  waiting for the day when justice and peace dawn and they are allowed back to their own home.

Dear Lord, may that day dawn filled with rejoicing and a new beginning and may it be soon for the people of the West Bank, for those in refugee camps, for those existing in the horror of Gaza, for Israeli Palestinians in Nazareth and elsewhere, for all God’s children in this troubled, beautiful, desperate and yet hopeful land. Please keep them all in your prayers, with love from Nichola