wfn.org | Israelis Threaten Christians on Way to Bethlehem Church

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For more information:
Fr. Raed Abusahlia
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
P.O.Box  14152 - Jerusalem 97500
E-mail address: latinpat@actcom.co.il 
Personal e-mail: nonviolence@writeme.com 
Patriarchate's Homepage: www.lpj.org 

JERUSALEM, April 11, 2002--In a moving testimony, Ben Scribner describes how 
the Israeli Military kept him and a group of Christian Palestinians from 
going to the Church of the Nativity on Sunday for worship.  

     So, instead, he and the group from Colorado, U.S.A. that he is with, 
headed for other hotspots, intent on finding ways to put their own bodies on 
the line.  

     Scribner is one of five Coloradans who has gone to Palestine to stand in 
solidarity with Palestinians under siege by the Israeli military. More 
information about their trip can be found at <A HREF="http://www.ccmep.org/palestine.html";>www.ccmep.org/palestine.html</A>.

Scribner's essay follows:

By Ben Scribner

The IDF Threatened To Shoot Christians Who Wanted to Pray in Church of 
Nativity 

Internationals Activists in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem...and soon, 
Nablus.

April 8, 2002

Yesterday was Sunday, April 7th. 

With international accompaniment, Palestinian Christians were supposed to do 
a march to the Church of the Nativity.  They wanted to pray.  But, the idea 
was put on hold when, just hours before the march, the Israeli Army went 
around Bethlehem with megaphones saying in Arabic that they would shoot 
anyone who came outside.

At that point, the group of internationals, whom we were with at the Star 
Hotel, decided it was time to change venues.  The most atrocious Israeli 
actions happening right now seem to be shifting away from Ramallah and 
Bethlehem to the north.

Generally, the group agreed to work on a project of getting humanitarian aid 
into Nablus.  Originally we talked about doing a march to Jenin, but that was 
pretty crazy.  The final decision was that many internationals decided to 
stay in Aida, Azza and Deheishe Refugee Camps.  Another group decided to head 
for Nablus. 

Local Palestinians in the West Bank are organizing a convoy of humanitarian 
aid though they wanted internationals to go first and then send the trucks.  
This plan went forward.  Individuals decided what to do.  Beth, a Coloradan, 
decided to go.  Nancy and I decided to come to Jerusalem and are now with 
Gary.  Soon we will try to get into Ramallah.  

We will probably spend all day in the media center, the Jerusalem Media 
Center.   There's no shortage of work to do.  An Italian with us said 
"wherever you are there are things to do."

There were a lot of concerns about going anywhere.  The IDF still maintains 
the curfew.  Although it had been quiet all night long, by morning we were 
hearing gunfire.  Within 45 minutes of when we were going to go, there were 
pretty heavy bursts. 

Palestinians are very afraid to be in the street.  On the street we needed to 
depart on from the hotel there have been many reports of journalists getting 
shot at, though not confirmed.  Some journalists have said "they're not 
shooting at us." 

We ended up calling in one of the media's taxis that will drive you back and 
forth through the shooting for a fairly exorbitant price.  The taxi driver 
told us he will drive up to Beit Jala hospital, but not across Baab Skaak (a 
main intersection). 

So we had to walk down to the hospital and I was concerned about that because 
that was where all the shooting was, just right before.  We were all nervous 
but then once we got out into the street and walking and the media people 
jumped on because they wanted to get to the hospital too, it was just better 
for the group because there was so many of us, at least 15 people walking 
down the street carrying a bunch of luggage.

Of course the streets are completely abandoned, torn up by tanks. 
Trash everywhere.  We piled 11 people into a vehicle not meant to hold 11 and 
luggage - no problem.  They drove us out to highway 60, got out, climbed over 
roadblock which people were handing food over.

-end-