The Holy Land My Land, Your Land My House, Your House

The Holy Land 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

The Holy Land 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

The Holy Land In 1917…. In Christian cities, population was overwhelming Palestinian. –Bethlehem –Nazareth –Ramallah –Beit Sahour

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

The Holy Land As 1948 began…. Palestine was under British control

The Holy Land As 1948 began…. Palestine was bounded by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Holy Land As 1948 began…. There were no countries in this land of mountains, deserts, and sea coast…only people.

The Holy Land As 1948 began…. 2/3 of the indigenous people were Palestinians: primarily Arabs 1/3 were Jewish newcomers: Zionist settlers and war refugees

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

The Holy Land 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

The Holy Land What was Palestinian land had become Israeli land.

The Holy Land Houses which had been home to Palestinian families now sheltered Israelis.

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these….

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these….

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these….

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these….

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these….

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these….

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these….

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these….

The Holy Land In Jerusalem they included these…. And one with the owner’s name still engraved for all the world to see. And this one with the owner’s name still engraved for all the world to see.

The Holy Land The Palestinian owners never received one Shekel in compensation, and ….

The Holy Land To this day they have not been allowed to return to their homes.

The Holy Land Whose land?

The Holy Land Whose house?

The Holy Land What is right?

The Holy Land What is just and fair?

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

The Holy Land These are the hardships: The Occupation The Settlements The Separation Barrier

The Holy Land These are the hardships… The Occupation

The Holy Land Since 1967 Israel has been in complete control of Palestinian life.

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

The Holy Land

These are the hardships… The Settlements

The Holy Land Before the guns barrels cooled in 1967… Israel began to colonize illegally the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

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

The Holy Land The government of Israel provides… Settler only roads Economic subsidies Protection by the army

The Holy Land 49% of Israeli settler housing sits on stolen privately-owned Palestinian land.

The Holy Land These are the hardships… The Separation Barrier

The Holy Land Variously called a fence, a security barrier, a wall, an apartheid wall…

The Holy Land 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.

The Holy Land Robs villages and individual farmers of their agricultural property…

The Holy Land Separates tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank, with estimates going as high as 12% of all West Bank people.

The Holy Land Gives Israel control of virtually all the Palestinian water… Makes an independent Palestine state absolutely impossible.

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

The Holy Land 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

The Holy Land Called To Be…. Prophets of Hope Builders of Bridges Agents of Reconciliation Voices for Justice

The Holy Land Standing alone the Church may become a collection of beautiful buildings with caretakers…living under perpetual occupation.

The Holy Land With the Church throughout the world standing firmly and faithfully beside Christians of the Holy Land…Peace is Possible!

The Holy Land Tell the President and Congress….

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

The Holy Land Tell them….. It’s not too late

The Holy Land But it will be soon!

The Holy Land Tell them….. There can be no peace without justice

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

The Holy Land Tell them…..

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

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

The Holy Land My Land, Your Land My House, Your House