My Land, Your Land My House, Your House

1

• My Land, Your Land My House, Your House

2

• In 1917.
• World War I was nearing an end
• The Ottoman Empire was in its last days
• The British Empire was about to gain control over
  the land known as Palestine

3

• In 1917.
• 90 of the indigenous people were Palestinians
• Almost all the cultivated land was held by
  Palestinians
• A mere 5.8 of the land was under Jewish ownership

4

• In 1917.
• In Christian cities, population was overwhelming
  Palestinian.
• Bethlehem
• Nazareth
• Ramallah
• Beit Sahour

5

• To put it another way, in these and other cities,
  towns, and villages, the majority of the people
  were Arab Palestinian Christians.

6

• As 1948 began.
• Palestine was under British control

7

• As 1948 began.
• Palestine was bounded by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan,
  Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea.

8

• As 1948 began.
• There were no countries in this land of
  mountains, deserts, and sea coastonly people.

9

• As 1948 began.
• 2/3 of the indigenous people were Palestinians
  primarily Arabs
• 1/3 were Jewish newcomers Zionist settlers and
  war refugees

10

• As 1948 ended.
• 800,000 Palestinians had been forced from their
  homes, never permitted to return
• 531 Palestinian villages had been destroyed

11

• As 1948 ended.
• Israel had emerged as a nation
• The Armistice or Green Line had been drawn,
  dividing Israel from the West Bank, Gaza, and
  East Jerusalem

12

• What was Palestinian land had become Israeli land.

13

• Houses which had been home to Palestinian
  families now sheltered Israelis.

14

• In Jerusalem they included these.

15

• In Jerusalem they included these.

16

• In Jerusalem they included these.

17

• In Jerusalem they included these.

18

• In Jerusalem they included these.

19

• In Jerusalem they included these.

20

• In Jerusalem they included these.

21

• In Jerusalem they included these.

22

• In Jerusalem they included these.

And this one with the owners name still engraved
for all the world to see.
23

• The Palestinian owners never received one Shekel
  in compensation, and .

24

• To this day they have not been allowed to return
  to their homes.

25

• Whose land?

26

• Whose house?

27

• What is right?

28

• What is just
• and fair?

29

• These are the questions under which the Christian
  Church lives in the Holy Land.

30

• These are the hardships
• The Occupation
• The Settlements
• The Separation Barrier

31

• These are the hardships
• The Occupation

32

• Since 1967 Israel has been in complete control of
  Palestinian life.

33

• No freedom of movement
• No right to build a house on their land
• No freedom to live or go or worship where they
  choose

34
(No Transcript)
35

• These are the hardships
• The Settlements

36

• Before the guns barrels cooled in 1967
• Israel began to colonize illegally the Occupied
  Palestinian Territories.

37

• The number of Israeli setters illegally on
  Palestinian land now exceeds
• 450,000

38

• The government of Israel provides
• Settler only roads
• Economic subsidies
• Protection by the army

39

• 49 of Israeli settler housing sits on stolen
  privately-owned Palestinian land.

40

• These are the hardships
• The Separation Barrier

41

• Variously called a fence, a security barrier, a
  wall, an apartheid wall

42

• It still separates 480,000 dunums 120,000 acres
  of Palestinian land from the West Bank,
• and encloses 191,000 dunums 48,000 acres more.

43

• Robs villages and individual farmers of their
  agricultural property

44

• Separates tens of thousands of Palestinians from
  the West Bank, with estimates going as high as
  12 of all West Bank people.

45

• Gives Israel control of virtually all the
  Palestinian water
• Makes an independent Palestine state absolutely
  impossible.

46

• The Christian Church in the Holy Land.
• Now less than 2 of all people in
  Israel/Palestine.

47

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the
  Holy Land.
• 2,000 members
• 6 congregations 5 in the West Bank
• 4 schools, plus kindergartens and special
  educational programs

48

• Called To Be.
• Prophets of Hope
• Builders of Bridges
• Agents of Reconciliation
• Voices for Justice

49

• Standing alone the Church may become a collection
  of beautiful buildings with caretakersliving
  under perpetual occupation.

50

• With the Church throughout the world standing
  firmly and faithfully beside Christians of the
  Holy LandPeace is Possible!

51

• Tell the President and Congress.

52

• The stories of two peoples not one are carved
  into the Holy Land.

53

• Tell them..
• Its not too late

54

• But it will be soon!

55

• Tell them..
• There can be no peace without justice

56

• Tell them..
• The whole world is watching to see if we mean
  what we say about truth and justice.

57

• Tell them..

58

• Russell O. Siler, Pastor
• (2003 2007)
• Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
• English-speaking Congregation
• Jerusalem - Old City

59

• This presentation was produced by Bob Mullen in
  appreciation and gratitude for the Silers work
  for peace with justice in the Holy Land.

60

• My Land, Your Land My House, Your House