A fellow Presbyterian from Minnesota, who was on the Keep Hope Alive olive harvest last year, loaned Will McGarvey a cell phone for our use in Palestine. He also called a Palestinian businessman (Majdi) here in Beth Sahour to let him know we were here. While we were working on our blog Tuesday evening in the hotel lobby, we heard someone ask at the desk for Will. He came over and introduced himself and before we knew it, he had invited us (all 6 of us) to his home for dinner the following night. He brought us to his Bedouin gift shop where we met his oldest son and a couple from Minnesota---the Palestinian husband grew up with Majdi and met his wife in Minnesota some 26 years ago and come back often to Bethlehem. His family owns a garage not far from Majdi’s.
Majdi’s home is close to his shop so some of us could walk while he drove to park his car in the carport. He introduced us to his family; 3 sons and his wife. His wife prepared an excellent dinner but did not sit down to join us, apparently embarrassed about her English. Zelda mentioned that we had the custom of giving thanks before a meal and Majdi led us in an Arabic grace. We ate without cutlery but had enough Pita bread to move the food around off the small plates and into our mouths. The hit was his own prepared olives with broiled chicken, tomato salad, humus, cucumbers, vegetables and pickles. He showed us how to dip the bread in olive oil and a dish of zaater, a dry mixture of thyme and sesame seeds. Ummm. We have found the Palestinians very friendly and hospitable. Majdi told of his concern for his sons and his willingness to make a special sacrifice to send them to private schools to ensure a good education. He also takes an active part in their activities and their friends. When his sons meet new friends, he tells how he casually gets them to bring them to the store so that he can meet them and how he checks with his friends to find out about their families. He wants to make sure they don’t get in with a bad crowd and drugs.
While we were finishing up dinner, we heard 3 loud bangs and we all decided it was time to go home. Majdi drove Nancy, Zelda, and Bill back to the hotel, while Will, Allan and Alvin walked up to the main street, only to find the stores quickly closing up. While walking to the street, our eyes stung a little and we squeezed into the grocery store while they were closing. The proprietor was closing so we went out to the street and ducked back into a driveway between 2 buildings. We could see the Israeli solders coming down the street with their searchlight scanning the buildings. A taxi drove in front of us and we didn’t hesitate to jump in for a ride back to the hotel. Naturally, Majdi was worried about his oldest son in the shop and we felt relieved that he didn’t have to make a special trip back to the hotel for us and that he could go check on his son. Talk about hospitality.
The next morning, we learned from our guide that the Israeli army regularly harasses and encroaches on Palestinian territory (in this case, Bethlehem). We also learned at dinner this evening with an American from Walnut Creek that it is quite common for the Israeli army to arrest anyone they want. She told us how the Israelis went into the University and arrested 20 students who were in the 98 percentile and held them on administrative leave, meaning that no charges were filed but still they were detained. How ironic it is that we only hear about how dangerous the Palestinians are when in fact it is the stronger, better equipped (with US taxpayers money) Israeli’s that are causing a whole nation to live in fear and anxiety. Being in Palestine and seeing the roadblocks, high Walls, Israeli soldiers all carrying their guns with their finger ready to pull the trigger, one quickly realizes the real cause for the lack of peace in Palestine is the military’s quest to drive the Palestinians from their country.
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