‘Theory’ not reality in Middle East argument

I cannot let Rabbi Mark Miller’s response in the May 5 “In Theory”

column go by without relating how the Palestinians suffer more than

the Israelis.

Instead of the war of the Palestinians against the Israelis, I can

fairly say it is also the war of the Israelis against the

Palestinians.

Over three times as many Palestinians have been killed and

thousands of Palestinian homes have been demolished. Israel, the

democratic state, is practicing grave violations of basic human

rights. Until Palestinians are treated as human beings at the check

points -- where they wait for hours and are humiliated and then

refused passage -- maybe then there can be a vision of peace.

I wonder if Miller knows that visas are being denied by Israel for

clergy and church personnel resulting in understaffed seminaries,

churches, hospitals, educational and other institutions so that they

have neither the spiritual or professional staff that they need. For

example, the Catholic church operates 151 institutions, including 33

parishes, seven hospitals, 11 dispensaries, eight orphanages, five

homes for the elderly, seven homes for the handicapped, 70 schools,

five theological seminaries and five institutions of higher learning.

Protestant denominations have similar institutions and all suffer

from lack of sufficient personnel due to visa problems.

The separation wall, which is costing $1 million a mile, and no

doubt paid by our taxes, is intensifying Palestinian despair and will

bring no relief to terrorizing acts.

It is impossible for those who have not seen the barrier to

comprehend fully its effect on the psychology of both Christian and

Muslim Palestinians of all ages. The separation barrier is damaging

Christian institutions and the daily livelihoods of Christians and

Muslims. It separates families from one another, students from their

school, workers from their jobs, farmers from their land, doctors and

patients from their hospitals and Bethlehem from Jerusalem. There is

a danger that the indigenous population in the Holy Land could

disappear. The Israeli government needs to know that thriving

Christian institutions are vital to the future of a secure Israel.

Many of the Christians who live, work and worship where Jesus was

born are not allowed to go a few miles to Jerusalem where Jesus died

and rose.

Since September 2000, more than 1,900 houses have been demolished

leaving 15,200 residents homeless in Rafah, south of the Gaza strip.

What Israel is doing in Rafah is an act of terror and a war crime.

Rabbi Miller should talk to Jeff Halper, who heads the Israeli

Committee Against House Demolitions or to Bat Shalom, who works with

Palestinian Women for Peace or to Rabbis for Human Rights. Most of

all, he should talk to Father Elias Chacour, who has a school in

Ibillin, Galilee, and welcomes Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze.

His village, along with 418 others, were demolished in 1948. Still,

he works constantly for peace. His two books “Blood Brothers” and ‘We

Belong to the Land” tell his story. When the Rev. Desmond Tutu

visited Israel, he said that apartheid had never been as bad in South

Africa as it is in Israel. We must all continue to hope and pray for

peace with justice for both the Israelis and Palestinians.

GWEN PASTOR

Corona del Mar