We Are Witnesses

A Letter from Doug Dicks, serving in Israel and Palestine

Summer 2023

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“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Dear family and friends,

Bearing witness in the land where Jesus lived and walked is, without a doubt, a unique experience. It is also a humbling responsibility. Witnessing to His life, His ministry, and His desire that people everywhere should have abundant life, and live free from oppression and injustice is crucial to my own understanding of our Christian faith.

For Christian pilgrims, walking in the footsteps of Jesus in this land today should entail not only the pilgrim’s desire to re-trace His physical, geographic footsteps but also an attempt at understanding where Jesus would walk today! And with whom He would walk!

In a rare convergence, as last year, the three faith communities of this land commemorated the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan, along with the Christian festival of Holy Week and Easter, and the Jewish celebration of Passover, all at the same time. It potentially could have been a recipe for disaster, and indeed, there were Israeli raids into the Al Aqsa Mosque compound during Ramadan, which resulted in violence, arrests, and the detention of many Palestinians who were worshiping in their sacred space. Thankfully and for the most part, the month passed quieter than could have been expected.

Yet the almost daily night-time incursions by Israeli troops into what should be Palestinian autonomous areas, and the systematic assassination and extra-judicial killing of many deemed potential “terrorists” leaves far too many families grieving the loss of loved ones, and asking “Why?” “Until when?” “For how long?”

Likewise, the random acts of violence against Israelis, which also must be called for what they are – terrorist attacks – leaves families on the Israeli side similarly grieving and asking similar questions.

On the day Christians commemorated Good Friday, an Israeli family of three – a mother and two daughters – was shot at while traveling by car up the Jordan Valley. The two daughters, who were British-Israeli, were killed and the mother would later die in the hospital, only a day after the funeral of her two daughters. The father, a British-born rabbi, donated his wife’s organs to save the lives of five people. In a statement, he told the Times of Israel that the family made the decision to donate her organs because “everything…that is lifesaving should be given.”

Only days later, a fifteen-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed by Israeli troops near Jericho, sustaining gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and stomach.

Since the beginning of 2023, over 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. During this same time period, 18 Israelis, a Ukrainian, and an Italian, have been killed in attacks by – or suspected to have been carried out by – Palestinians.

On April 26, Israel celebrated its 75th “Independence Day.”  On May 15, Palestinians will mourn the “Nakba,” or catastrophe, that befell them, which resulted in the ethnic cleansing of over 415 villages and towns, and the expulsion of over 750,000 people.

On April 25, an alternative Memorial Day commemoration was held in Tel Aviv, one which included both Palestinian as well as Israeli families who have lost loved ones to the conflict over the years. Israel’s Supreme Court, which is itself under threat by the current Netanyahu administration, declared that the Palestinians had every right to attend such an event, and insisted that permits be issued for them so that they might travel from their homes in the West Bank in order to attend. Now in its 18^th year, the annual commemoration event seeks to bring together Israelis and Palestinians over their shared grief in a bid to push reconciliation. It is hosted by the Parents’ Circle – Family Forum group and the left-wing NGO Combatants for Peace.

Personal highlights of the past months have included:

1. Travel to the United States, in order to attend the first-ever “Visioning Convocation” at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s national headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. All mission personnel from around the world were summoned to attend this historic event.
2. A belated birthday celebration for my aunt (my dad’s sister), who turned 90 in February.
3. A request to serve in the role of Regional Liaison once again to Israel, Palestine and Jordan, for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This became effective on April 1.
4. My return to the Holy Land, just in time to participate in and celebrate Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter festivities with the Christian community here.

In this season of Easter, when we joyfully proclaim that the tomb is empty, the Savior is risen and lives today, let us also remember that we are His witnesses. In Jerusalem. In Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

And we continue to bear witness because it is what we are called to do. “Come and see! Go, and tell!”

We must witness not only to Christ’s life of compassion for humanity, His death on the cross, and ultimately His resurrection, but also to the justice and righteousness, and dignity that God desires for ALL God’s people.

Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, indeed!  Alleluia!                      

Doug