As my departure for Tel Aviv gets closer and closer, I figure it's about time I send out a good long update on the preparations and what I'm expecting.
What I'm doing
For those of you who aren't familiar with this trip (namely, those of you who never signed up for updates), here's what's going on: on January 5, I will be joining a two-week Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation to Israel/Palestine. The fourteen(ish) of us will be meeting with various Palestinian and Israeli peace workers and groups, as well as observing the conditions under which Palestinians live in occupied territory.
In addition to this being an exciting learning and peacemaking opportunity, I'm doing this as an independent study to meet my cross-cultural requirement as a student at Bethany Theological Seminary.
If you are unfamiliar with Christian Peacemaker Teams, please check out http://www.cpt.org.
This is the description of this particular delegation experience posted on the CPT website:
"Conflict in Palestine/Israel has taken center stage in recent months. Despite involvement of the Quartet on the Middle East and overtures from the Obama administration, the situation for many Palestinians living in the West Bank remains grave. Road closures, home invasions, checkpoints and the presence of militant Israeli settlers in Palestinian villages continue to threaten Palestinian human rights. Israel's separation barrier (much of it built on confiscated Palestinian land) not only separates Palestinian communities from each other, but also acts as a barrier between ordinary Israelis and Palestinians seeking to come together for peace. CPT delegation members will gain a perspective on how these issues affect daily life."
Fundraising
The full cost of this trip was $2,750, only $1,200 of which was covered by Bethany. Thanks to the amazing generosity of classmates, people from my home church, and others, I was able to reach this goal. I seriously never imagined that this would happen, and was expecting to have to take out a loan in order to go on this delegation. I cannot thank enough those who gave financially to make this trip possible.
Academics
In order to get course credit for this trip, I've self-assigned a bunch of readings. Right now I'm working on The Fateful Triangle, a positively massive book by Noam Chomsky on the US, Israel and the Palestinians. I figure I'm a grad student now, so I should suck it up and read huge books.
Whatever reading I don't get done before I leave will be completed when I get back, since I don't want Israeli security to catch me with books that suggest I'm more than just a tourist; they could deny me entry to the country.
I'll also be writing a "significant paper" (the wording in my proposal) reflecting on the experience upon my return, in collaboration with the cross-cultural director here at Bethany.
Preparation
The information sent to me by CPT is borderline overwhelming. I'm practically drowning in maps, background information, human rights reports, and cultural information. In certain areas I'll have to remember I can't show the bottoms of my shoes to others (i.e. cross my legs) or walk in public with my good friend, Mary, who is also going on this delegation.
The real scary stuff, though, is the airport preparation. I can't announce to Israeli security that I am on a CPT delegation, or I'll run a very significant risk of being denied entry to the country. In fact, in an early hitch, both leaders of this delegation were denied entry into Israel, so I imagine the CPTers already there are scrambling to prepare for our arrival. I'm supposed to say that I am participating in a church tour group to the holy sites. I pray that entry will go smoothly, but it could be complicated.
Updates
I will send out e-mail updates as often as possible while I am in Israel/Palestine. These updates will also be posted to a blog located at http://cptnick.blogspot.com, so if you're extra interested in my reports you can find them all filed there. I won't activate these posts, however, until I'm in the country: it just seems prudent not to announce my intention to join a peacemaking delegation on a public website when that information could keep me from doing just that.
Thank you all for your support (of all kinds) and your interest. Feel free to reply to my e-mails with any questions or comments you may have, and I will do my best to respond to you personally--though depending on my location, I can't always guarantee this. I will keep you updated on what happens and what I learn, both from the delegation and from my supporting research.
Also keep in mind that when I return, I'll be looking to share this experience in pretty much any format or setting desired, so if you have any kind of group you want me to talk to (or just want to buy me coffee ;-) don't hesitate to ask. It's the least I can do, considering I'm taking this trip with so much support from back home.
Thanks and blessings to you all,
Nick
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