Palestine's importance for Palestinians

Of what importance is this land to the Palestinians?

It is of great importance first and foremost because of the location of the Al-Aqsa mosque. This mosque is considered to be the third holiest site in Islam (preceded by Mecca and Medina) because it is believed from here Mohammad ascended to heaven during his “Night Journey" to recieve God's revelation.

The story of Mohammad “Night Journey” is as follows:

"The Night Journey started with the appearance of the Angel Gabriel (who had been bring the revelation of the Qurán). The angle led Muhammad to a white mule with wings attached to its thights. This mule had carried other prophets, including Abraham, and was the buraq or spirit horse. Muhammad got on and went high into the sky.

He arrived at Jerusalem where he met many prophets including Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Abraham looked like no one else, but also no one did not look like him. Moses was tall, tanned, slim and with a hooked nose and curly hair. Jesus was red skinned of medium height with straight hair and many moles on his face. He looked like he hadcome out of a bath. His hair looked wet although it was not wet. Muhammad was asked to lead them in prayer and did.

Three dishes were placed in front of Muhammad containing water, wine and milk. Muhammad said he knew of the prophecy that if he chose water the Muslim community would drown, if he chose wine they would leave the true path, and if he chose milk they would follw the true religion of the one God. He chose milk and drank from it. Gabriel confirmed the prophesy.

Then Muhammad lifted up the first gate of heaven guarded by an angel Ishmael who was in charge of 12000 more and each of those had 12000 of their own. All these 144,000,001 angels guarded the one gate. Ishmael asked Gabriel if Muhammad was the one sent to deliever God's message to humankind and Gabriel confirmed this, so Muhammad was let through with some prayers.

Muhammad passed through seven heavenly realms. In the First Sky he saw Adam being shown the souls of his descendents both good and bad. In the Second Sky he saw Jesus and John, son of Zachariah. In the Third Sky he saw the handsome Joseph, son of Jacob. In the Fourth Sky he saw Idris, the prophet from before the flood. In the Fifth Sky he saw Moses' older brother, Harun, with his long white beard. In the Sixth Sky Muhammad met a tall man with a hooked nose and Gabriel said it was Moses. In the Seventh Sky Muhammad saw an old man in a seat by the gate to Paradise where 70,000 angels pass through each day but do not return until Judgment where he spoke to God. Gabriel identified him as Abraham. Gabriel then took Muhammad into Paradise where he spoke to God.

God told him the importance of regular prayers. On the way back Moses asked how many prayers had been commanded and Muhammad said fifty a day. Moses told him to go back to God and get the number cut. God reduced the number to ten a day but Moses again said this was too many. Muhammad returned and they were reduced to five times a day. Moses said this was still too many, but Muhammad told Moses he would be too embarassed to return to God again. Muhammad returned to Makkah.

Muhammad described his journey to followers but many did not believe he had gone to Jerusalem in one night, seen the Seven Heavens and had spoken with God. Some who stopped believing went to Abu Bakr and Abu Bakr saw Muhammad, asking him to describe Jerusalem. He did so, and Abu Bakr declared all the details were accurate and so Muhammad must have been there" (Wordsfold)

This story establishes the second of the five pillars of Islam which is that of praying five times a day.

On an intersting side note, while Muslims today face towards Mecca when they pray, that was not always the case. In the beginning they faced towards Al-Aqsa.

Another reason that this land is important to the Palestinian people is simply that is has been home to them for centuries now. Though they have no biblical claim to it like the Jews they do have centuries worth of ties to the land, just as the Jews do.

Bid to be a United Nations Member

The original plan was to follow up last week’s entry on “Why Israel is important to Jews” with a similar look as to Israel’s importance to Palestinians. However, with Palestine and their bid to become a recognized member of the United Nations in the news of late, I thought I would deviate from said plan and talk a bit more about these current events. The wonderful thing about being the author of one’s own blog, it allows one to write what one wants.

On September 21 Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, will go before the United Nations General Assembly seeking to become a recognized member of the UN. Will he succeed? No. There is no chance that his bid will be successful. For Palestine to be recognized before the UN as a member state, 9 out of the 15 countries that make up its Security Council must vote in favor of this resolution. In addition, to receiving these nine votes none of the nations who enjoy permanent status on the Security Council (USA, France, England, China, and Russia) may use their veto power against the resolution (NBC1). Considering the US’s relationship with Israel a veto on their part can all but be guaranteed. The best that Abbas can hope for is to granted “nonmember observer” status. This status can be achieved if Abbas takes his bid directly to the UN General Assembly and achieves a two thirds majority vote – 129 out of the 193 nations. Though this status would not allow Palestine a right to vote on resolutions put before the UN it would allow Palestine to take part in other aspects of the UN, such the UN Convention against Torture, the UN Convention against Corruption as well as bring countries before the International Criminal Court. This right would be especially appealing to Palestine for it would allow them bring charges against Israel for their continued abuse of international law i.e. settlements (NBC1).

So, why if there is no chance of gaining member status and only a small chance of achieving non-member observer status is Abbas going down this road? There are a number of theories. Some say it is to bring focus back to the plight of the Palestinian people. Others claim that the mass support shown (over 100 countries are said to vote their support) for the Palestinian cause will put pressure on Israel especially in light of the political changes going on in region. The Palestinian government argues however, that it is all part of the planned time frame set up by the EU, USA, Russia and the UN who wanted to have a two state solution in hand by September 2011 (BBC1).

I feel that while all these theories may be true to a point, the reason Abbs is seeking UN memberships is so that he can been seen as fighting for Palestine. Palestinians are tired and angry. It has been almost almost 20 years since the Oslo Accords and the peace talks since have changed nothing for them, at least not changed for the better. I think this is move on Abbas' part to help gain back some public good will as well as stave off another intifada.

Whatever the government's reason they are doing so at a great risk to themselves as the Isreali government has threatend "limiting travel privileges for Palestinian leaders seeking to exit the West Bank, halting the transfer of crucial tax revenues to the Palestinians and even annexing West Bank settlement blocs". The United States government has also had a hand in making threats in their case it was to "cut their annual aid to the Palestinian Authority, which runs to some $450m - more than 10 per cent of the PA's annual budget" (AlJazzera)

Work Cited

Palestinian UN Vote: What is it? Why Now? (NBC)

Q&A: Palestinian statehood bid at UN (BBC)

Background: Facts Behind the Bid

Why is Israel important to Jews?

I am sorry for the delay of this post, internet has been an issue.

You may be wondering why I have decided to address this subject considering the subject I choose for my project is that of the Palestinian side of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The reason for this is that many people know that the land that is called Israel is important to both side, however, many people do not know why.

And the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves”

(Genesis 12; 1-3).
…
And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are – northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and descendants forever”

(Genesis 13: 14,15).
…
On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates – the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
(Genesis 15;18)

…

With these words the promise of Israel was created.

The maps below illustrate the boundaries for said "Promise Land". The map on the left is a reflection of Genesis' purposed boundary lines where as the map to the right shows the lines according to Ezekial and Numbers.

Outside of God's promise to them, what makes Israel so important to Jews?

There are numerous reasons as to why Israel is of such importance to the Jewish people. Culturally, religiously and historically it has stood on and off as their center for centuries. However, for the sake of time I will focus predominantly on two of the religious reasons.

The first reason is that of the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount is considered to be the holiest of sites in Judaism. It was to this place that King David brought the Ark of the Covenant, also known as, the 10 Commandments after he unified the 12 tribes of Israel and created Jerusalem as their capital. However, due to God’s decree, an actual temple was not built on the grounds until sometime during the 10th century during the reign of David’s son, King Solomon. The temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon between 587 and 86 BC. After their Babylonian Exile at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar II Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. In 515 BC the temple was rebuilt and quickly resumed its place as the

religious and economic center of Judaism. However, the following centuries were not kind to the Jewish people or their temple. At the hand of various foreign leaders Jews experienced persecution and hardship and their temple was often looted and/or desecrated. Things began to change under King Herod the Great who decided in 20 BC to once again rebuild the temple. With Herod’s help the temple underwent major renovations and was completed in 26CE. This second temple lasted until 70 CE when the Romans destroyed it, leaving only the Western Wall remaining. This Western Wall, as known as the Wailing Wall, continues to be important to the Jewish faith and tradition and is the site of many Jewish pilgrimages.

But what makes the Temple Mount so holy for the Jews?

The reason why the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism is because of the religious deeds that are said to have taken place there. These include:

• Site where God is thought to live
• Where the World is said to have begun
• Where God collected the dust used to create Adam
• Where Abraham bound Isaac to be sacrificed

It is the desire of Jews to see a third temple built where the previous two once stood. It is an event that is prayed for on a regular if not daily basis. Within Judaism however much contention on how this third temple should come about. For example Orthodox Jews believe that the Messiah will come and build the temple himself and that it is wrong for the people to start before him. Others believe that the Messiah can only come once the temple has been rebuilt.

Judaism is more than just a set of beliefs it is also about following a set of rules that dictate how one should conduct themselves in life. For example, many gentiles (non-Jews) have heard of the term Kosher. We know that some Jews keep Kosher while others do not. All the word kosher is telling us is that the food being eaten is prepared in such a way that it follows the Jewish Laws and is thus able to be eaten by observing Jews This might include the way in which the animal being eaten was slaughtered to not allowing meat and dairy products to be
cooked together. The second religious reason why Israel is of so much importance in Judaism is because there are parts of Jewish law that can only be practiced in Israel.

There are 613 Jewish Laws or rules set to guide Jews through life, of those 26 of them can only apply when in Israel. These laws are predominantly agriculture in nature such as bringing an offering from the first harvest. However, there are civil and military laws as well.

While it might seem trivial, these laws, but believers feel that by following them it brings them closer to God.

Consulted websites:

theisraelconnection.blogspot.com
http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/history.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promised_Land
www.biblegateway.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/second_temple
http://www.jeremyrosen.com/node/34
www.jewfaq.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount

Why Palestine?

For my first post since changing the original focus of my blog, I thought I might take the opportunity to explain a bit more why Palestine and what is happening to its people are so important to me and in the process hopefully address some of the question my classmates raised when I first announced I would be working on this topic.

When the second Intifada began in 2000 I was 18 living in a small town in rural Indiana. Though I thought myself worldly, in reality, my exposure to the world was extremely limited. Then I went to college and the world opened up and like everyone else I was suddenly confronted with how little I actually knew. As a Peace Studies major I was constantly forced to examine the world and the role I played in it and would play in the future. I had heard of Israel and Palestine. I knew there was a conflict going on there, but I hadn’t yet put any real relevancy to it.

That began to change my second year of college when my circle of friends began to widen and among that growing circle I soon was able to count several Palestinian students. Though these students and I never became extremely close knowing them influenced me a great deal. Even ten years later I can still remember an incident involving one of the girls:

Anyone who has spent any time in Indiana knows that we have some amazing and at time terrifying thunderstorms. There was one Palestinian girl was scared to sleep in her room by herself (her roomate had gone somewhere) because the thunder reminded her of the bombs that the Israelis dropped or the sound bombs they would use.

I was stunned when I heard this. To rationally know you are okay and safe yet still so fearful was unimaginable to me. What did I have to be scared about? Not passing a class, being able to pay for college, the health of my mother, all of which were extremely serious to me but not in a life or death way. My desire to understand what life back home for my new found friends grew.

From the stories told by classmates and books I had read, I knew the media wasn’t telling the whole story about what was going on in the region. I wanted to go there and see it for myself. My experiences in Africa showed me that the media had a way of creating an imagine that they wanted the public to buy into even if that imagine was incomplete or even false. I wanted to understand the situation for myself and see if what the truth really was.

In 2009, I made my desire a reality. I spent three months living in the West Bank teaching English in the city of Nablus. It was hands down one of the best experiences of my life. I was constantly astounded by the grace in which the people there lived their life inspite of the restrictions they lived under. Also, their willingness to give even when having nothing to give would shame even the most giving of person. These people are reason why I chose to cover the Palestinian side of this conflict to focus on. Their story is not being told. I know and have even experienced firsthand that the media is not getting it right and that people do not know all the information.

Here I am to the left with several of my students at the girl's school in Balata Refugee Camp

On that note, I want to say, that I am fully aware that Palestinians are not without their share of blame. I do not look at their side of the situation through rose colored glasses. However, with greater understanding of their struggle and suffering comes, in my opinion, a greater understanding of their actions. This is not a justification, I am only saying with knowledge comes empathy.

I did consider other topics; mostly centered around social justice issues such as non-violent resistant movements in history. But this is where my passion is. That being said, I am not an expert. People far more knowledgeable than I have spent years studying or writing books over the topics I plan to write brief articles about. My goal is to simply share with readers information that they might not be aware of and maybe motivate them to take some sort of action.

Going in a New Direction

Dear Family and Friends,

Over the last several years you have read my blog as a way of keeping up with my comings and going. I thank you for that. However, over the next 12 weeks you will see that my blog is going in a new direction. I am currently enrolled in a course at Indiana University East entitled "Individual Study of Writing". The class is set up so that each student picks a topic of interest and then focuses all of their course work on this one topic for the duration of the semester. Part of this course work includes keeping a weekly blog.

For my topic, I have chosen to concentrate on the conflict in the Middle East between Palestinians and Israelis. More to the point, I plan to focus on life for Palestinians under occupation. Postings will cover such topics as the Separation Wall between Israel and the West Bank, Checkpoints, Settlers, and Water Control.

Please note that the change in subject matter is only temporary, however, I will understand if you no long wish to read my postings for the duration of this assignment.

Until next time...

Jenn