May 14 2008 marks 60 years since Israel was declared a state, a homeland for the Jewish people. Palestinians will be remembering that this anniversary also marks 60 years since ‘Al Nakba’, as Arabs refer to the large-scale displacement from the land they had tilled for centuries. Christian Aid reflects on the past, present and future of the ‘holy land’.
Established in the aftermath of the second world war to help European refugees who had lost everything during the conflict, Christian Aid has always worked to alleviate suffering for the most vulnerable people, no matter what their faith.
It is as urgent today for Israelis to live without fear, and for Palestinians to rise out of despair, as it was then
In the 1940s and early 50s, this approach meant providing food, shelter and general support to European refugees, including Jewish refugees.
In the 1950s, as our work expanded all over the world, this meant providing aid to Palestinians who had been displaced by the creation of Israel in 1948.
Then
Our then-director Janet Lacey visited the region in 1954, and saw the work we were supporting in refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza through Middle Eastern church organisations.
She noted that our local partners ‘regularly distribute food and clothing, mostly from America, and also provide supplementary education, medical care and housing, self-help programmes and vocational training’.
Over the years we’ve maintained the values that we were founded with – a dedication to help the poorest and most vulnerable and challenge the root causes of poverty. And these are the values that drive our work in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
…and now
Over the past sixty years Israel has developed as a democratic state which promotes freedom of speech and a free press, and has nurtured cultural and scientific achievement.
It is a state where the historically oppressed and persecuted Jewish people can exercise their right to live in freedom.
But as Israelis, Palestinians and people all over the world pause to think about the last 60 years, we must remember that the failure to secure a lasting solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is causing poverty to deepen, and allowing violence and despair to persist.
Poverty in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has increased more than threefold since the Oslo peace process began in 1993, while violence on both sides has escalated.
At the same time, the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza make it impossible for Palestinians to lead normal lives – to access sufficient education, healthcare, employment, even sufficient food and water.
Moreover, the continuing rocket attacks on Israel show us that the current Israeli government policy of blockading Gaza is counter-productive to its stated aim of putting an end to these attacks in order to protect the security of Israeli civilians.
Around 87% of people in Gaza are now living below the poverty line due to the Israeli blockade and the long-term economic stagnation that occupation has caused.
Israel has the right to defend itself, but it must do so within the law. This illegal policy of collective punishment is only serving to deepen despair and frustration in Gaza and therefore does not provide the security Israeli civilians long for.
This is why Christian Aid is still working with partner organisations in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories – because everyone has the right to live in peace without fear.
A future without fear?
We believe the way forward requires a long-term, just and peaceful solution that brings an end to occupation and guarantees security and viability for both Palestinians and Israelis.
It is as urgent today for Israelis to live without fear of attack, and for Palestinians to rise out of poverty and despair, as it was in 1959 when Lacey wrote ‘only a political settlement can bring freedom to Palestinian refugees waiting for peace’.