The study trip, "Seeking Peace and Pursuing Justice: Mission Education and Advocacy for Israel and Palestine," was sponsored Jan. 17-27 by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is "a deeply spiritual crisis that involves all of us - American, Israeli and Palestinian," said Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, who leads the denomination's Chicago Area. In a sermon delivered on the trip, he called on Americans to repent of their part in the conflict and work toward a just peace in the area.
"Somebody said you can't be a Christian if you're not a peacemaker," he said. "I truly believe that."
Jung led 16 church members from his area on the trip. The delegation also included a person from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, three from the California-Nevada Annual (regional) Conference, nine from Virginia, 11 from the California-Pacific Conference and 11 from North Central New York.
The trip was organized by the Rev. Sandra Olewine, a United Methodist missionary serving as liaison to Jerusalem, and David Wildman, the Board of Global Ministries' executive secretary for human rights and racial justice. It was designed to strengthen the United Methodist Church's human rights and peace-building advocacy work both in the Middle East and in the United States. The board is working to create advocacy teams in the church's annual (regional) conferences.
Emphasis was on hearing the Palestinian side of the story, Wildman said, because most Americans are already familiar with the Israeli side of the issue.
"It was an advocacy-oriented trip to the Holy Land to walk where Jesus walked and to walk as Jesus walked in terms of justice and peace," Wildman said. "It included meeting with Palestinians, Israeli peace groups, human rights groups and our mission partners. One day was devoted to visiting mission projects and partners supported by the United Methodist Church to learn how they are impacted and how they are working under the current situation."
The group heard representatives from the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolition, Israeli Information Center on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, Council for Unrecognized Villages, Coalition of Women for Peace, Rabbis for Human Rights and "Breaking the Silence" organization of former Israeli soldiers.
Presentations also were made by Badil Palestinian Refugee and Residency Rights Organization; Palestinian Civil Society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Against Israel; Open Bethlehem; Center for Bedouin Studies at Ben-Gurion University; Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem; and Emil Touma Center for Palestinian Studies.
Members of the Parent's Circle Family Forum, which consists of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members to acts of violence, spoke about their work for peace and reconciliation between the two peoples.
The United Methodists listened to panel discussions with Jews, Christians and Muslims; toured the West Bank; saw the remains of destroyed villages; and had an overnight stay with Palestinian families. They also observed the first Palestinian election in more than a decade, in which the militant group Hamas took power.
The mayor of Bethlehem, Victor Batarseh, greeted the United Methodists and expressed gratitude for their willingness to spend 10 days in Bethlehem during a time when most tourists are afraid to cross through the checkpoints to visit holy sites. "Your presence grants us extra courage and the will to stand in our struggle to pursue peace," he said.
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Batarseh described difficulties Palestinians in Bethlehem face, including being surrounded by "22 illegal Israeli settlements," a 30-foot high concrete "separation" wall and settlers' roa
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