CPTnet
December 16, 2004

AT-TUWANI REFLECTION: NES GADOL HAYA SHAM (A great miracle happened there)

by Dianne Roe

11 December 2004: Fourth day of Hanukkah

>From the hilltop I watched five children from Tuba walking to school
accompanied by Israeli soldiers. I walked back to At-Tuwani through newly
planted wheat fields, still muddy from last week's rain. The sheep on a
nearby hillside bleated as they came to fresh pasture. Just two days ago
Israeli settlers from the nearby outpost of Havot Maon once again attempted
to attack the children. Today it was quiet.

Kathie and I, from Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), and Adriano from
Operation Dove, returned to our cement block home in the village where we
welcomed Ezra and the other Israelis from Ta'ayush (an Israeli group whose
name means "co existence") who were spending their holiday helping the
people of the village. I watched the warm interactions between Israelis and
Palestinians and reflected on events of the past five years.

In November 1999, the Israeli army forcefully evacuated farmers and
shepherds from the villages south of Tuwani. They spent a cold winter away
from their pasture land, water supplies, and sheltering caves.

However, thanks to the efforts of Rabbi Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human
Rights (RHR), and organizations like B'tselem (Israeli human rights
organization), Bat Shalom (Israeli women for peace), and the Hebron Land
Defence Committee (LDC), the Israeli High Court ruled in March of 2000 that
the Palestinian land owners could return to their lands.

In April, 2000 the Palestinian farmers from Jinba, Tuba and other southern
villages put on a hafla (party) for the Israelis and internationals who had
supported them in court. I remembered the party as I looked over the hills
toward Jinba today. I remembered the embraces between Israelis and
Palestinians and I thought that, like the Hanukkah of over 2000 years ago,
"a great miracle happened there." The light from the candles of friendship
kindled five years ago still shines in the hills south of Hebron.

As Jews around the world celebrate Hanukkah this season and remember how
they overcame the oppression of Antiochus IV--who tried to force Western
culture on them, I pray for forgiveness for the times throughout history
when Jews have been oppressed in the name of Christianity. Because I have
watched Israeli settlers burn Palestinian crops and stone school children in
the name of their religion, I am grateful to those who stand for the true
Jewish values, and keep the candles burning.