Christian runs for Palestinian Presidency

Ray Hanania is an award winning journalist and commentator, standup comedian and American Palestinian peace activist. He coordinates the National Arab American Journalists Association and is a diversity board member with the Society of Professional Journalists where he has received three Lisagor Awards for column writing. In addition Ray hosts a morning radio show in Chicago.

Ray Hanania has announced that he intends to run for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority. If he is successful he will succeed Mahmoud Abbas.

Ray is a Christian.

Ray’s father George, emigrated to Chicago in 1926 with an older brother following the death by drowning of another brother. He drowned while swimming at the quarry outside of West Jerusalem. Ray describes the circumstances as follows:

“The police reports noted that bystanders nearby refused to help him with Jews believing he was Arab, Muslims believing he was Jewish and Christians believing he was a Jew. That hatred, only a few years old at the time, has become the actualization of today’s Arab-Israeli conflict. Although my dad could not foresee the tragedy that was unfolding in Palestine, it was too much for him and he decided to find a place where people could live without the hate.”

In speaking of Christian Jewish Muslim relations in the Holy Land, Ray writes:

“Ever since I was a child, I remember the heart and spirit of the Palestinian Revolution was to create a "secular independent Palestinian State where Muslims, Christians and Jews" could live together as equals and in peace.

It was a mantra of my mentor, the late Professor Ibrahim Abu-Lughod who was an activist partner with the late Edward Said. Christian and Muslim Arabs fought for Palestine as indistinguishable brothers and sisters in conflict, they taught me. But now that they are gone, their lessons are being lost.

Both the conflict and attitudes have changed. Raising the issue of Christian rights in the Arab World provokes a reprimand from Palestinians and Arabs, not because the simmering Christian-Muslim Arab conflict does not exist, but rather because the critics hope that if we pretend it doesn't exist and not discuss it, it will go away.

Instead, when the issue of Christian relations in the Arab World is raised and overcomes the resistance, it is placed immediately into the political context of the abuses of the Israeli occupation causing the disappearance of the Christian presence in Palestine.

But it is not just the fault of the Israelis, whom the Arabs blame for everything; although in truth, the Israelis are no different and they blame the Arabs for everything, too. The issues of blame are symptoms of the problem, not the cause of the problem. So is the simmering relations between Muslims and Christian Arabs.”

Ray’s observations dovetail with the mission and message of United Christian Communities. On our website, www.UnitedChristianCommunities.org , in discussing the problem of the flight of Christians from the Holy Land, we point out:

“Some try to place the blame on Palestinian Muslims by alleging Muslim acts against Christians such as threats, roadblocks to permitting Christians buying land, arson attacks on Christian property, rapes, forced marriages and, in the case of at least one Muslim convert to Christianity, murder.

Others try to place the blame on Israelis by alleging discrimination in education, employment and public services that Israeli-Arabs face, as well as the spillover effects of Israeli policies with respect to Palestinians.

The fact is we don't have the time for these blame games. Injecting the politics of the region into discussions of how we halt and then reverse the decline of Christians in the Holy Land simply drowns out the Christian message.”

Now Ray Hanania is not running for the Palestinian presidency on a Christian platform, but rather on a Palestinian platform. His message, though, as well as his personal history, say something of importance for all Christians. We wish him well.

Climbing Everest in the Holy Land

What is between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean and not Israel or Palestine? It's the land on which the Everest Hotel stands. Run for 60 years by the Christian El-Arja family, the hotel today is one of the few points of connection between Israelis and Palestinians

"My hotel is in its own country," jokes Everest's owner Makram El-Arja (most of his brothers and sister left the country in 2001, some to Egypt others to the United States). "Everyone from both sides knows that it's safe to come here and they all trust me."

"It's the last corner for Israelis to come freely [before they reach areas under total Palestinian control] and Palestinians can also get here without too much trouble," he continues, referring to the myriad checkpoints and security barriers that have sprung up in the area over the last decade."

"We are not with the Israelis or with the Palestinians… we are the government of Everest."

Being in an area forgotten or overlooked by both Israel and Palestine has its advantages and its disadvantages. For example, being in the middle of nowhere (politically speaking) makes it difficult to expand or improve the 60 year old hotel. El-Arja says he has not been allowed to make any changes since 2000, noting that there are eight Israeli court orders halting improvements to the hotel. However he then shows off, with more than a tinge of pride, the eight new guest rooms he opened in December. And being ignored by both sides meant no municipal services for years. Like adequate electricity. (Today the hotel pays taxes to the Palestinian Authority for services) . These and other difficulties, like being surrounded by checkpoints that made it next to impossible for tourists to get from the hotel to sites like Bethlehem and Jerusalem, forced the family to change the hotel’s business model or go out of business.

And so about four years ago El-Arja, began marketing the hotel as a meeting place. "At first it was for businessmen, Jews who wanted to work with Palestinians but did not feel it was safe enough for them to enter the territories.

"However, when they realized that this was a safe area and that their car insurance would cover them while here, they decided to use my services," continues El-Arja. "The Palestinians could come here, too, without any permission. It was the perfect place."

While a myriad of checkpoints still must be negotiated, politicians (including Tony Blair) come to meet to talk peace, non-profits come to meet to create connections between Israelis and Palestinians, and Israeli and Palestinian business people come to meet to talk about making money. And it’s also the place where families separated by the Israel Palestine conflict can get together for such events as weddings.

Jerusalem Christians expected to decline by half within 7 years

"Excerpts from Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem’s talk on the plight of Christians in the Holy Land at Westminster Cathedral on September 8, 2009

A constant theme in the life of the Christians in the Holy Land is the fact that we are a very small community, about two percent of the general population whether in the Palestinian Territories or in Israel. In Israel, Christians live as part of the Arab minority in a state that is overwhelmingly Jewish. In the Palestinian Territories, Christians live within a population that is overwhelmingly Muslim.. . . .

Christian demography, illustrates in a dramatic way, the situation of the Christians in the Holy Land. Whereas Christians constituted between six and ten percent of the general population in 1948, this has dropped to about two percent today. . . . Not only has the relative proportion of Christians dropped radically, but Christians often find themselves marginalised in both Palestinian and Israeli society.. . . .

At Mass in Jerusalem on 12th May 2009, [Pope Benedict] called on Christians to be pillars of faith and harmony: "Precisely because of your deep roots in this land, your ancient and strong Christian culture, and your unwavering trust in God's promises, you, the Christians of the Holy Land, are called to serve not only as a beacon of faith to the universal Church, but also as a leaven of harmony, wisdom and equilibrium in the life of a society which has traditionally been, and continues to be, pluralistic, multiethnic and multi-religious”. . . .

Many do not believe that the Israelis want to end the occupation, and the Palestinians are dramatically divided in how to resist the occupation, between those who use violence and those who seek diplomatic resolutions. Islamic fundamentalism that has sprung up as a response to the hopelessness of our general situation pushes Christians even further into the margins and alienates many of our young people.. . .

The issue of being a small community in a precarious situation is exacerbated by the fact that since the end of the 19th century Christians in the Holy Land in particular, and Christians throughout the Middle East, have been tempted to emigrate, seeking a more prosperous and promising future for their children elsewhere. One of our greatest challenges is to persuade our faithful to stay and build their future in a land where many of them feel hopeless, marginalized and even threatened.. . .

Many Christians continue to dream of a future elsewhere, in a place where they can guarantee their families jobs, housing, education, decent living conditions, equal rights and socio-political stability. . . . . The number of Jerusalem Christians, for example, is expected to fall from 10,000 to 5,300 in the coming seven years . . . Our young people, and the best among them, often cannot resist the temptation to leave and make their future elsewhere. They often do so with heavy hearts, but when they see no brighter future ahead, and no possibility to raise families in security, they emigrate and very seldom return.

However, despite the obstacles, we have a great treasury to sustain us. God chose this land, and this community, in which to establish his Church. We are a community of ‘living stones’ that has a rich treasury of ‘monumental stones’ that commemorate the major events of our salvation history. We are a Church called to be custodian of the Holy Places of our Christian memory, but we are also called to be custodians of life.

Our Churches are vibrant centers that sponsor a vast array of projects, that touch every aspect of daily routine. Our schools are among the best in the region, our hospitals among the most advanced, our housing projects are being constantly built, our clinics, our social welfare agencies and so on…. . .

It is this community of living stones that welcomes Christians from all over the world who come to the Holy Land, to drink from the sources of our common faith. We ask you to come and to pray at the Holy Places, but do not be satisfied with the monumental stones alone. Seek out the living stones, our Christian faithful. Pray with them, comfort them, strengthen them, and you too will be enriched by their testimony to the Living Lord, in the land that is His own.

We are called to be Christian and that means we must have hope, hope in a God of surprises: a God who brings life out of the tomb, a child out of a virgin womb, a created world out of the nothingness of chaos. . . . We know that we do not and cannot live this hope alone, isolated from our brothers and sisters in faith throughout the world. We depend on your prayers, on your support and solidarity, on your advocacy for our rights, on your lobbying for justice and peace in Israel/Palestine.

Christian Brewery Finds Success in the West Bank

The Taybeh brewery is the only brewery in the overwhelmingly Muslim Palestinian territories. It is located in the village of Taybeh, which is largely Christian. Economic conditions make operations difficult, including the extra costs and challenges of dealing with the checkpoints and delays that make up Israel's military occupation. And, on top of all that, they face the daunting challenge of trying to market their Palestinian beer to Israeli customers.

Located in the hills of the West Bank just east of Jerusalem, it will hold its fifth annual Oktoberfest, expecting to draw to 10,000 visitors, including tourists, but also Palestinians and Israelis!

The Taybeh brewery was begun by Nadim Khoury, a Christian, in the wake of the optimism that followed the Oslo Accords. He had left the village years before for Boston where he taught himself to brew beer at home. He returned to Taybeh in 1994 at the urging of his family.

There, unable to find a bank or aid agency to fund a Palestinian brewery, his family provided the $1.2m in funding for the brewery. "The banks and NGOs thought we were crazy to build a brewery in a Muslim country," says Khoury. "But now I think we were lucky we didn't take their money."He says that because all business in the West Bank virtually completely ceased during the second intifada, that is the Palestinian uprising that began in late 2000. While he was forced to lay off many of the brewery's workers the business survived because it had no mortgage or other debts and therefore no loans to be foreclosed upon.

Today the brewery is fully operational, producing three different lagers and, beginning this summer, a non-alcoholic beer, called Taybeh Halal, which is aimed at the young Palestinian market. In part, this is an effort to enter a new market, in part it is an insurance policy. "Just in case something happens and there is a change in the environment and political situation,"

Khourey says.Khourey is quick to note the decline of Christian population in the area. He reports having seen so many Palestinian Christians leaving for a life abroad that he says there are now more of his fellow villagers living in Michigan than in Taybeh itself.

Khoury sells his beer to restaurants in the more liberal Palestinian cities, such as Ramallah and Bethlehem, but many of the deliveries go into Jerusalem and further into Israel, to Tel Aviv, Haifa and Nazareth. This is a complicated process because of the occupation. Even though Taybeh is only a few minutes drive from Jerusalem, the beer deliveries must go through a checkpoint at near Hebron, about two hours’ drive away where the delivery trucks are searched and the beer transferred to Israeli trucks. This procedure often takes several hours , while the beer, which contains no preservatives, sits exposed to the sunlight. Khoury says "My beer is delicate. I cannot afford to have it sit in the sunlight,"

He would like to export more Taybeh beer to the Arab world but, for example, the Jordanians impose prohibitively high import duties to protect their own foreign-run beer industry.

Khourey sees signs of an improvement in the economy of the West Bank economy. "Demand has rapidly increased," says Khoury. "If there is peace and prosperity, people celebrate more." His daughter, Madees, 24, now helps him run the brewery and he expects she will take over the business some day.Khourey hopes his brewery will help to change opinions and biases.

"People don't believe that we have a product like Taybeh beer brewed in Palestine," he says. "On the news they see only violence, bombing and uprisings. Now we are trying to change this and to show the world we can live in peace with our neighbors. We are human beings. We have a right to enjoy life. Enough is enough with the fighting”

"Christians Vital to Peace in the Holy Land", Bible Society Chief

During a visit to the Bible Society in the United Kingdom, the head of the Palestinian Bible Society, Nashat Filmon, says that Christians are “vital” to bringing peace to Israel and Palestine.

He went on to blame both for the recent war in Gaza.He also feels that notwithstanding the efforts of US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, in Mr Filmon’s view there was “not a very strong chance of peace”. But he feels that Christians could help foster peace by acting as a bridge between Palestinians and Israelis.

“As Christians, we have a role to be peacemakers. Palestinian Christians are between a rock and a hard place. They can easily be crushed by both sides. But we have the opportunity to build bridges to bring both sides together.

“It’s our task to be true peacemakers between people and between people and God.”

Jordan/Israel: Baptism “Wars” on the Jordan River. The Stakes? The Hearts and Minds of Christian Tourists.

A visit a to the Holy Land invariably includes a visit to the baptismal site at Yardenit on the Jordan River, just south of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The water there is pure, deep and lovely. Leafy trees line the banks. Wildlife flourishes in and near the waters. And tourist amenities abound, including steps leading into the River Jordan, making access very easy, and available smocks for those desiring to immerse themselves totally. There is even a good restaurant nearby.The only fly in the ointment is that many are convinced there never was a baptismal site at Yardenit before the tourists started coming.

Some thus look to an area downriver near Bethany-Beyond-Jordan, in Jordan. Prior to the Jordanian-Israel peace treaty this was a no-man’s land. Since the peace treaty the Jordanians removed their military installations and have been feverishly excavating the area and encouraging Christians to build churches there. The results so far of the excavations have been discovery of almost two dozen ancient buildings, including the remains of five churches which appear to have been constructed over a 700 year period.In addition a cross shaped baptismal pool was found under one of the churches, which to some is evidence that this is indeed the site where Christ was baptized.

Covering its bases, a few yards away, just across the river, Israel is building its own tourist site out of beautiful Jerusalem stone, replicating much of what has made Yardenit such an attractive destination. And not surprisingly both Israel and Jordan that Christ was baptized on “their” side of the Jordan River. The only fly in this ointment: Just downriver from Yardenit, salty wastewater and emissions from a sewage plant have polluted the Jordan River, including the area at these new tourist baptismal sites. And Israel faces at least one other problem it may wish to address: to get to their new baptismal site you have to drive through miles of minefields.

Is Mubarak's Son and Likely Successor Good for Egyptian Christians?

Is Mubarak's Son and Likely Successor Good for Egyptian Christians? Opinion is Divided.

The Christian community in Egypt is divided regarding Gamal Mubarak. Mubarak is the son of current ruler Hosni Mubarak and widely viewed as his likely successor. Hosni Mubarak is 81 years old.Christians are estimated to represent between six and 12 percent of Egypt's population. Most Christians belong to the Egyptian Orthodox, or Coptic Church. Copts are Egyptians whose ancestors embraced Christianity in the first century. In fact the word Copt means Egyptian. The history of the Coptic Church traditionally begins with the visit of the Holy Family (baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph) to Egypt. They lived there for some time.

While leaders of Egypt's Coptic Christian Church have voiced support for Gamal Mubarak as the preferred candidate for president, some Christian activists are calling for demonstrations against what they see as official state bias (through Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party) against Christians.

"Comments in support of Gamal Mubarak by church officials don't represent the opinion of all Egypt's Copts," says Youssef Sidhoum, editor-in-chief of Coptic weekly Al-Watani. Meanwhile, he says “calls for strikes and demonstrations by online Coptic activists represent only the views of a small minority within the Coptic community."

According to Hafez Abu Saeda, secretary-general of the Cairo-based Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, the church's apparent support for Gamal at least partly reflects longstanding Coptic fears of an Islamist government. But he also warns against making generalizations. "In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the church instructed Copts to vote for the NDP," said Abu Saeda. "Nevertheless, those elections saw Copts voting for Muslim Brotherhood candidates in some cases."

Gaza Dress Codes Regs Reversed . . . But

2009 September:. In noting the possible imposition of religious requirements in public schools throughout the Holy Land, we recently pointed out that in Gaza female lawyers were being required to wear the hijab (hair covering) and high school girls were being required to wear long dresses, leggings and the hajib, all in alleged accordance with Islamic law or views. The New York Times is now reporting that those regulations have been reversed.

This of course is a good thing for Christians. However the Times also reports that the Gaza education minister said that any new uniform or dress requirement is "an individual thing." Unofficial requirements can be just as compelling as official ones so it is no surprise that the Times also reported that at the beginning of this school year in August "a number of high school girls were told to return home to cover their heads and dress in the long coat known as the jilbab." In addition the Times reported that while 98% of girls in one area abided by the strict dress code, that number appeared to be declining in the in the second week, at least (the Times made no prediction as to whether is expected the decline to continue). And it also noted that in poorer areas full compliance continued.

'Day of recreation' ends in tears for Christian campers

2009 August. Racism alleged.Children from northern Israel, as well as from abroad, take part in the Jish church summer camp every year. It is considered the most successful summer camp among the Christian community in Israel. However this year the children were reduced to tears.This year, as always, the camp planned a day of recreational activities at the swimming pool at the country club in Katzirn, a city in Northern Israel. But 250 children from Jish church's summer camp left the country club in tears after the club's manager refused to allow the counselors to play Arabic music. 'We can't have every sector coming to the pool and playing whatever music they want,' manager explainedThe Jish church summer camp director, Jadi Sliman, said the country club manager's conduct was "insulting and racist". Sliman says he explained to the manager that Arabic was the summer camp children's mother tongue, "but he refused to listen and said, 'l am the manager here and I decided. There will be no music in Arabic here."Adib Halif, one of the children's father, told Ynet News that this was a first-class act of racism. "I couldn’t believe that here in Israel there are such open expressions of racism. My child was very disappointed. This is no way to treat children."Separately an Israeli court ordered the operator of municipal swimming pool in Ofakim to pay fine of NIS 10,000 (NIS = New Israel Shekels) for not allowing family to enter place, claiming mother's veil would 'drive customers away' The municipality was not fined.

In the Holy Land: Religion in Public Schools Decreed

2009 August. The Palestine News Network reports that in Gaza, the government is requiring all high school girls to comply with a new dress code requiring that they cover their hair and wear leggings under their dresses. Supporters refer to it as “legitimate Islamic dress”, and as part of the program to “feminize” schools.
The Director of Education called on girls to “wear Islamic dress.” He said it is a decision for the entire school district for the “feminization of schools”, a program that includes ridding all girls’ schools of any male teachers or administrators. "The Muslim society and Islam requires us to differentiate between the brother and sister after the age of seven, let alone in the school,” the Education Director said.
An official at a school in western Gaza City that "Islamic dress is compulsory for all students and must be adhered to and that is what we have asserted this morning, all students will not be allowed as of tomorrow to enter school without a new dress."The measure is being described as a new phases on the road to turning Gaza into its own entity. Critics note the recent decision by the Interior Ministry to impose robes and head scarves on female lawyers while in the court room.
Meanwhile YNET News reports that Israeli Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded to fears expressed by the Arab sector regarding his plans to teach Zionist subjects in schools by saying "I have no intention of 'Judaizing' anyone and no one has heard me say I would impose the national anthem on the Arab schools," However he also said "I mean to start a new program in grades 4-9 called Heritage and Israeli Culture, in which students will study the Hebrew calendar, the flag, and the national anthem."

n Nazareth: Inauguration Bible Society for Arabs

2009 July in Nazareth: Inauguration of the Bible Society for ArabsIn July 2009 Bishop Elias Chachour, leaders and clergy from various Christian denominations and others met in Nazareth to inaugurate the Bible Society for Arabs in Israel. Anglican Pastor Bilal Habibi offered a prayer and 12 year old Muslim violinist Yamen Saadi entertained. All viewed their presence celebrating making the Bible accessible, available and affordable as a sign of hope for all those living in the Holy Land. Yamen Saadi, entertained. All viewed their presence celebrating making the Bible accessible, available, & affordable as a sign of hope for all living in the Holy Land.

In Jordon: Sodom found?

2009 Aug East of Jericho, Palestine is Tall el-Hammam in Jordan, which may be the location of Sodom.One archeologist believes that the site fits perfectly with the geographical profile outlined in Genesis 13-19. The archeologist, Steven Collins, arrived at this conclusion using a a scientific methodology he developed called "criterial screening." His conclusion is that Genesis is reliable for geographical profiles, and therefore can be used to locate sites.He came to believe that the traditional site of Sodom (in the southern region of the Dead Sea) was wrong based upon the geographical indicators and text in Genesis. Based on those indicators he concluded that the site of Tall el-Hammam was the site of Sodom. He noted that the site has 25 geographical indicators that align it with the description in Genesis. This compares Jerusalem which has only 16 and other sites that have only 5 or 6. “So, this site has many times more indicators than any other Old Testament site” he says. Pottery, architecture and destruction layers uncovered during his diggings also fit the timeframe profile indicated by Genesis. Collins also reports that he has secured internationally recognized experts to review his findings and that their conclusions reflect that his findings are correct“Though we are still digging and uncovering a plethora of material and artifacts, and much research still needs to be conducted, I feel that the evidence for this being the ancient city of Sodom is increasing by the day” says Collins.

Christian and Druze teenagers fight in the streets

2009 Aug 17 in Northern Israel Last week, Christian and Druze teenagers fought in the streets of Shfaram, a town in northern Israel, following rumors of a posting by Christians on the Internet of a video dishonoring the memory of the late Druze spiritual leaders Amin Tarif, showing Tarif's head attached to a pig's body. Leaders of the Christian and Druze communities intervened to stop the fights. During the brawl several homes and vehicles were set afire, and shots were fired at police trying to restore order. No injuries were reported. A few days later a youth, a resident of the western Galilee, was arrested as a suspect in the posting. The suspect is neither a resident of the town, nor a member of the Christian community. Police have released no other details due to fears of renewed violence.

Nazareth HS Students Meet with Nobel Prize Winners

2009 June: For the second year in a row, a delegation from Nazareth Baptist School BS participated in the annual meeting for Nobel prize winners held in June in Lindau in Germany in June. Two 12th graders of NBS, Wisam Haddad and Hanna Khalil, were invited to participate as part of the “young researchers” group in this conference. Dr. Ousama Moalem, NBS principal and Physics teacher was invited to be a distinguished guest in the conference.NBS is the only school in the world to that was invited to participate in this event that 22 Nobel laureates in Chemistry participated with more than 600 “young researchers” who hold masters and doctorates from 67 countries. The invitation was the result of the large number of prizes that NBS students received in recent years in the international contest for Physics research. The purpose of the conference was to expose young researchers to the failures and successes that the Nobel laureates dealt with, bringing them closer to one another and also presenting the research possibilities in Europe in general and Germany in particular.The conference included also lectures given by the Nobel laureates as well as young researchers on the issue of the raise in the temperature of the earth and water problems.

It’s time to become part of the solution

With the fighting over in Gaza, at least for the time being, rather than supporters of each side looking to reconciliation, the first blush of hope fades as energies turn to efforts to demonize the "other" side. "They" are evil and "we" are pure. "Their" requests/demands are unreasonable and "ours" are just. "They" must demonstrate contrition. The "discussions" are truly amazing. "You did this. Yes but because you did that. Yes we did that but only because you did . . .." in an endless regression. And the Christian communities living in the Holy Land are caught in the middle.

Christians have a large stake in seeing this madness end.The fact is until both sides learn that both sides are right and both sides are wrong, until they become less concerned with claiming victory and trying to assign blame and until we all learn to focus on how things can be made better for everyone (even before deciding who "wins"), those living in the Holy Land in general, and the Christian communities living there in particular, will suffer.

They say those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. But perhaps it is more correct to say that about those who remember it too well.

What can you do about all this? First of all you can refuse to participate in "blame games" and urge people to focus on the future and not the past. You can learn about the plight of Christian communities in the Holy Land and then find ways in which you can engage with them and support their efforts to make lives better for Christians living in the Holy Land. Start by visiting www.UnitedChristianCommunities.org