Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem

Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem Nora Kort Nora Kort is a community development consultant in Jerusalem and President of the Arab Orthodox Society there. She established, managed and developed for 10 years the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) programme in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza. Throughout its five thousand years of history, Jerusalem has continued to thrive as an important political and cultural center, and it is the centuries-long home for the three monotheistic religions. This city has withstood many wars and conflicts, but despite many turbulent events, it has retained a peaceful image of unity and sacredness. However, due to its significance as a political symbol and geographic center of the region, great struggles have ensued over who has the right to possess Jerusalem. In its recent history, the Arab-Israeli conflict has fueled a long conflict regarding its future and has rendered Jerusalem a vital but unresolved question in Middle East politics. Up to the present, Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Throughout history, those ruling Jerusalem have employed continuous and well-planned strategies of territorial, demographic, religious and property claims in order to maintain control over the city’s sovereignty. This is what is happening today under the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories. Jerusalem throughout the Ages Throughout the ages, Jerusalem has had its prosperous times of co-existence and justice as well as some dark periods of oppressive rule and bloodshed. The earliest traces of permanent settlement in Jerusalem date back to approximately five thousand years ago. The first known tribes were the Canaanites and the Jebusites. Around three thousand years ago, King David conquered the city from the Jebusites, which became the beginning of the Jewish claim to the city. The Jews were later driven out by the Babylonians, but around 500  were allowed to come back by the Persian King Cyrus. A number of foreign rulers followed and in 63  the Romans gained control over Jerusalem. The city remained under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire until the 7th century, when the Muslim Caliph, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab came; in 638  the Orthodox Patriarch Sophronius handed over to him the keys of Jerusalem. The Arab Muslim Caliph granted the citizens of the city the status of “protected people” or thimis, which gave 36 DOI: 10.1111/j.1758-6623.2012.00143.x Copyright © (2012) World Council of Churches. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA. Nora Kort Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem them the freedom to worship. That was a period in which harmony and tolerance reigned.1 A darker period followed at the beginning of the 11th century, when the Egyptian Caliph Al-Hakim persecuted Christians and Jews and destroyed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A later conquest of the city by the Seljuk Turks led to many oppressive reprisals on the inhabitants of the city. Jerusalem then remained under Islamic Arab rule until it was captured in 1099  during the Crusades. The Crusades (Al-Faranja) turned Jerusalem into a Christian city where non-Christians were not permitted to live. This lasted until 1187 when Salah Eddin conquered the city and restored Jerusalem to its former role. He left the Holy Sepulchre open to Christians, and in 1192 reopened the city to pilgrimages. Then, following the 1229 fall of Jerusalem to Fredrick II, Jerusalem was closed to Muslims and Jews, and in 1244, it came under the rule of the Egyptian Mamluks.2 The Mamluks governed Jerusalem from Cairo (1260–1515), followed by the Ottomans (1516–1918). The Mamluks and the Ottomans transformed the city’s physical attributes, endowing it with splendid religious monuments. The Ottomans built the walls and gates of the Old City (1537–1541) and renovated the Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem remained in their hands until 1917.3 The British Mandate followed (1917–1948), during which Jerusalem was recognized as the administrative and political capital of Palestine. In 1947, Britain announced that it would not continue administering Palestine and turned to the newly created United Nations for a solution. The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine recommended partitioning Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state, and that the city of Jerusalem (extending to Bethlehem) be established as a corpus separatum under a special international regime administered by the United Nations. The Jewish leaders accepted the plan but the Palestinians turned down the resolution, considering it unfair. On 14 May 1948, the Jewish leaders declared the establishment of the State of Israel in the part of Palestine that had been allocated to the Jews according to UN Resolution 191. This became one of the starting points for the first Arab -Israeli war, which drove over 64,000 Palestinians out of West Jerusalem and nearby villages. The 1949 armistice 1 Historical data from Karen Armstrong, Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, Ballantine/Random, New York (1996). 2 http://www.passia.org. 3 See Armstrong, Jerusalem. Copyright © (2012) World Council of Churches 37 Volume 64 • Number 1 • March 2012 The Ecumenical Review agreement between Jordan and Israel divided Jerusalem into a Jordanian-controlled East and an Israeli-controlled West Jerusalem. In June 1967, the second Arab-Israeli War broke out and Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Ever since, Israeli objectives and policies regarding Jerusalem have followed a clear pattern: to establish Israel’s irreversible and exclusive hold on the city, to allow Israel to declare Jerusalem to be the eternal capital of Israel and to redefine the municipal borders of both parts of Jerusalem, thus devastating the Palestinian population, including the Christians.4 Who Are the Palestinian Christians? Palestinian Christians are Arab and Arabic-speaking Christians, descendants of the people who long have lived in the territory of Palestine. The great majority, estimated at four hundred thousand worldwide, or roughly 6.5 percent of all Palestinians, are indigenous, going back to the time of the early church.5 At present, the fifty thousand Christians in the West Bank and Gaza strip make up 2.2 percent of the population (approximately 4.5 million). Palestinian Christians comprise approximately one percent or less of the total population of Jerusalem. The majority live outside their country, such as in the United States, Canada, Australia, and in countries of Latin America. The Palestinian Christians of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza belong to 16 different denominations, the largest of which are the Greek Orthodox (51%) and the Roman Catholics (32%). Smaller are the Anglicans, Lutherans, Copts, Assyrians, Maronites and others. Each denomination or community maintains its rich tradition of rites and rituals, in addition to educational, health and service institutions, indicating their long presence and attachment to the Holy Land. The significance of Jerusalem to the Orthodox Church The Orthodox Christians (Kanisat Al-Rum Al-Orthodox) regard Jerusalem as “the Mother of All Christendom.” It was in Jerusalem that the Church was established on Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:1–41) and the gospel spread from Jerusalem to all corners of the world. Jesus preached and healed in Jerusalem. The Last Supper was held in an upper room in Jerusalem, and Christ’s arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection all took place in or near what was considered the city of Jerusalem. 4 http://www.passia.org. 5 http://www.al-bushra.org/holyland/sabella.htm. 38 Copyright © (2012) World Council of Churches Nora Kort Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem In medieval times Christians considered Jerusalem to be the centre of the world (Latin: Unbilicus Mundi, Greek: Omphalos). Byzantine hymns speak of the cross being planted in the center of the earth, and of Christ’s death and resurrection being for the benefit of all humankind. Medieval maps of Europe placed the East (“Orient”)-Jerusalem at the top.6 The Orthodox Church has extensive property holdings in Jerusalem (30% of the property within the Old City walls) and throughout Israel and the Palestinian Territories, in addition to numerous churches, seminaries and other properties used for religious purposes. However, as with all the dead stones, the number of the “living stones” has dwindled from 20 percent in the late 1940s to less than two percent today. The identity of Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem As Palestinian Christians we see ourselves and are seen by our Muslim compatriots as an integral part of the Palestinian people and long have been a vital part of the Palestinian struggle. We have the same history, culture, hopes, frustrations and aspirations. For us, the conflict with Israel quite obviously is not about Islam but simply about resistance to end occupation. Certainly there have been periods of tense relationships between the Christian communities and members of Islamic movements, yet to most of us, these are movements of those who have become heroes in the conflict with Israel. Christians in general and especially Jerusalem Christians find themselves under the hammer of the Israeli occupation to no less extent than Muslims, yet so-called “Christian” countries, such as the United Status and Zionist Christians who are staunch supporters of Israel, view Palestinian Christians as acceptable collateral damage in their quest. To be a Christian from the land of Christ is an honor, to be expelled from the country is an injury, but to witness how the “Christian” West acts only adds insult to injury. The Reality of Life for Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem Palestinian Jerusalemites live under harsh realities: they are oppressed and discriminated against. They are subjected to daily humiliation (especially the young men, who are constantly stopped and checked by the police for their identity cards). They are harassed, and their movement and their freedom of worship are severely restricted. The “apartheid wall” winds and twists around Palestinian land, isolating families and friends from one another but enabling easier communication and development of more Jewish settlements. Christians in Jerusalem live under a severely controlling occupation, whose 6 See http://en.wikipedia/wiki/Jerusalem-in-Christianity. Copyright © (2012) World Council of Churches 39 The Ecumenical Review Volume 64 • Number 1 • March 2012 goal is to subjugate, transfer and forcibly evict them. This is carried out with a myriad of systematic methods that have already exhausted people’s energies and financial resources. Jerusalem, the heart and soul of the Palestinians, is no more the “holy city” we know. Yet there is no alternative but to stay. The settlements are rapidly mushrooming and threatening the existence of each and every one of us. Israel is confiscating, appropriating and demolishing homes inside the city (Sheikh Jarrah and the Pool of the Patriarchs are but two examples) and large neighbourhoods around the city (Silwan, claimed by Israelis as the City of David), thus paving the way for settlers and settlement expansion, all for the sake of “natural growth.” Thousands of new housing units are being built in and around the holy city on confiscated land, despite global denunciations, including by the United States. Facts on the ground reveal the rapid, drastic changes to the city, especially in the area planned to become “the holy basin” (Mount of Olives, Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and Wadi Al-Joz). The State of Israel wants the land without its people. The crisis over Palestinian residency rights: Similar to all Palestinian residents, Christians living in Jerusalem are considered “absentees” under Israeli law. Although they pay taxes the same as do Israelis, they have neither the rights nor the privileges given to other emigrants as soon as they step into Israel. Palestinians are denied their basic human rights to housing and an adequate living. Palestinians born and raised in Jerusalem are also denied their identity cards and right to reside there. Thus far, 8558 Palestinians have been refused their residential rights and are now disconnected from their families. In 2008, 4672 families lost their right to live in the city because they lost their permits, as did an additional number in 2009 and 2010. Construction permits are extremely limited, ignored or rejected. Illegally built houses are bulldozed or demolished, with the claim that they were built without permits. Owners of such houses have had to destroy what they built with their own hands. The natural growth of Palestinian families is never taken into account. Israel’s separation wall also disconnects Palestinian families, and isolates many others in all parts of the city. The Berlin Wall was 96 miles long (155 km); Israel’s Wall, still under construction, is expected to reach at least 403 miles in length (650 km). The average height of the Berlin Wall was 11.8 feet (3.6 meters) compared with the maximum height of Israel’s Wall of 25 feet (8 meters). 40 Copyright © (2012) World Council of Churches Nora Kort Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem Freedom of worship: Despite all the rhetoric about religious freedom and facilitating entry for pilgrims and tourists to Jerusalem during Christmas and other holy seasons, Jerusalem remains closed to faithful Palestinians. They have been denied access to their holy places. Jerusalem Christians have been prohibited from moving through the city where they reside, even on Good Friday and Saturday, the peak of Holy Week. They have been barred from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for worship services. Israeli border police and army set up iron barricades and used tear gas to disperse those who dared to challenge them. Elderly pilgrims have been pushed and shoved. During Holy Week in 2010 and 2011, instead of prayers and chants of worship there were clashes, cries and tears upon being denied access to the holy sites. The number of tourists and pilgrims coming to visit East Jerusalem is diminishing due to the Israeli army’s excessive security measures, which have negatively affected the already strangled economy of the city. These and many other harassing measures have become part of daily life for Palestinian Christians. Why Do Jerusalem Christians Leave? Christians began to emigrate from Palestine after the establishment of the State of Israel, but their exodus has increased over the past 44 years of occupation. Currently, Jerusalem Palestinian Christians number only 8,000, compared to 32,000 during their rule by Jordan (1950–1967). The causes of this Christian emigration are hotly debated. The vast majority of Palestinian Christians blame their exodus on Israel. Media in the U.S. report that emigrants leave for better living standards and a normal life. The British media blame the economic decline as well as pressure from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Vatican and the Catholic Church blame the Israeli occupation and the conflict in the Holy Land and the Middle East in general. The Israeli Jerusalem Post stated that the “shrinking of the Palestinian community in the Holy Land came as a direct result of its middle-class standards,” and that Muslim pressure has not played a major role, according to Christian residents themselves. Christians have a public image of elitism and of class privilege as well as of nonviolence and of more open personalities, which leaves them more vulnerable to criminals than are Muslims. In 2006, the U.S. State Department report on religious freedom criticized Israel for restricting travel to Christian holy sites and for giving Jews preferential treatment in basic civic services. The report also stated that ordinary Muslim and Christian citizens generally enjoy good relations. Muslim and Christian relations are “peaceful” in contrast Copyright © (2012) World Council of Churches 41 The Ecumenical Review Volume 64 • Number 1 • March 2012 to the more strained relations between Jews and others. Muslim extremism is not the primary threat facing Christians in Palestinians and is not their primary reason for emigrating.7 Despite this gloomy picture, Palestinian Christians have faith and hope. Our faith is in God who is just and loving. We see God in the midst of all our troubles. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and enables us to stand up and confront evil. We remember: Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed; and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Is. 40:4–5) 7 42 This is contrary to what was stated by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 14 June, 2011, in the BBC news program, The World at One. Copyright © (2012) World Council of Churches