Just before sunrise, in the middle of June, at 4am, the team and I headed out of our homes, reaching out to our parents for one last hug before embarking on the journey that awaited us.
We left for a retreat after a year of service and accompaniment in our community. Technically, the road to Jordan should take no more than an hour, measuring just 10 kilometers. Being a Palestinian, that isn’t the case.
To leave Palestine, we reached our first destination in Jericho; the Palestinian Authority terminal. Afterwards, we headed to the Israeli Checkpoint, and finally crossed the Jordanian border. The journey wasn’t measured by distance, but rather by patience: hours and hours spent in crowded terminals and buses, and hours of waiting for our turn to buy tickets under the scorching heat of the lowest point on earth. We headed from one line to the next, holding on to our bags, hoping not to forget anything or miss the next shouted demand. At the Israeli crossing, every moment demanded complete attention. A moment of confusion could put our entire journey at risk.
After 11 hours, we made it to our destination in Amman, Jordan, at 3:30pm. But please don’t mistake this for an unusually difficult travel day; this is the reality Palestinians face when they want to leave and return to their lands.
We remember those who travel this journey not for retreat, but rather for medical treatment, for education, for work, or for the funerals of loved ones. We remember those who are left confused for hours without being offered help. We remember those who endure the intense heat, the weight of their bags, and the humiliation, tied to uncertainty.
May those who wait for hours on end be reminded that their dignity is not measured by the weight of the occupation’s walls, that their worth isn’t weighed by those who seek to control their movement.
We ask you to pray for the freedom of movement without restriction, for Palestinians to travel without fear or uncertainty, and for the return to their homes with their dignity intact.
May every journey be what it is meant to be, and may Palestine, one day, be free.
