bethlehem pack 2013

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www.amostrust.org [email protected] t: +44 20 7588 2638 reg.charity no. 292592

Picture painted by local child from Bethlehem

The Bethlehem Pack 2013

Contents page

Introduction 2

Facts about Bethlehem today 3

Palestinian Christians Speak 4 - 7

Using a walled nativity set in a church service 8 – 9

Mary, the Magnificat, Jesus & justice – a Christmas reflection 10

Prayers 11 – 12

All they paint are walls – a reflection 13

Future Peacemakers Appeal Christmas 2013 14

65@65 - campaign information & prayer 15 -16

Photographs, film and video resources 17

What next? 18 - 19

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Introduction

Today the 'little town of Bethlehem' lies behind an eight metre high concrete

separation wall, built by the Israeli occupation forces.

If Jesus was born today in Bethlehem, the Wise Men would spend several hours

queuing to enter the town. The shepherds, despite being residents of Bethlehem,

would struggle to graze their sheep because their land would be annexed by the

building of the separation wall and a lack of freedom to travel and restrictions on

trade would make it very difficult for them to make a living.

Many people may not be aware just how hopeless and how oppressive the situation

in Bethlehem has become. For peace to come to Palestine and Israel, we must

speak out about the injustices faced by the Palestinians living in the Holy Land, and

support them with our prayers, both at Christmas and throughout the year.

The Bethlehem Pack has been put together to help individuals and churches talk

about the current situation in Bethlehem at carol services and Christmas events.

We have included a wide range of materials for churches coming to this issue for the

first time as well as those who already have an awareness of the situation. The pack

contains facts about the current situation, prayers and reflections using the words of

people living in Bethlehem today, all suitable to be read out loud.

There are suggestions of ways you and your church can support the people living in

Bethlehem and across Palestine, perhaps by joining the Kairos Britain movement of

British Christians taking action or taking part in our 65@65 campaign.

New for 2013

Mary, the Magnificat, Jesus and Justice, a Christmas reflection from Rev’d

Canon Lucy Winkett, ideal for Advent and home groups – page 10

a new prayer for Bethlehem - page 11

65 years: Nothing to celebrate – the 65@65 campaign with special prayer -

pages 15 & 16

Updated film clip section with links to clips – pages 17 - 18

There is also information on page 14 about our Christmas appeal to support the

unique work of our partners in Bethlehem, the Holy Land Trust which run workshops

and training for children and young people to help them to cope with living under

occupation, surrounded by the Separation wall and to encourage a new

generation of peacemakers in the little town.

Whether you use the materials in the pack as part of a carol service, to lead a

reflection in a Sunday service during Advent, in a small group or to put together a

whole Christmas service, the important thing is that we speak out about the current

situation in Bethlehem as we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Prince of

Peace. Amos Trust, November 2013

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Facts about Bethlehem today

Here are some facts about the current situation in Bethlehem. They could be printed

on a service sheet for a carol service, projected during a time of reflection, or read

out as inspiration for prayers for peace. You can download photos of Bethlehem

and the separation wall to accompany these facts via

www.amostrust.org/downloads

Today Bethlehem is surrounded by an eight metre high separation wall with military

watch towers. It was built by the Israeli occupation forces. The International Court of

Justice in The Hague has stated that the wall goes against international law and

should come down. No-one can enter Bethlehem from Jerusalem without going

through a military checkpoint.

The population of Bethlehem is Muslim and Christian Palestinian people. Muslims and

Christians have been living together peacefully in Bethlehem for generations. Many

Palestinian Christian families in Bethlehem can trace their ancestry back to the

earliest Christian community. All Palestinians, Muslim or Christian, no longer have the

right to move freely. They require a permit from the Israeli authorities in order to

come and go from their home town.

Trees, especially olive trees, are very important in Palestinian culture. Each autumn

as the olive harvest approaches olive trees owned by Palestinian farmers are burnt

or chopped down by small groups of highly aggressive Israeli settlers. Since 1994,

almost 60,000 trees have been destroyed.

The separation wall isolates 25% of Bethlehem’s agricultural land, meaning

Palestinian farmers have to obtain permits and go through military checkpoints

every day to get to their land. Checkpoints are often closed without warning or

farmers are turned back for no reason.

In the Bethlehem area alone, there are 19 illegal Israeli settlements taking Palestinian

land from local families and choking Palestinian communities. If Jesus was born

today in Bethlehem, much of the surrounding shepherds’ fields would have been

confiscated for illegal Israeli settlements.

87% of Bethlehem’s land has been taken by Israeli occupation enforced restrictions.

This means that people are forced to live in cramped conditions. In some places the

separation wall is built so close to buildings that the windows are blocked and

daylight can’t get in. The wall has cut people off from their shops and their land, and

has made busy roads into dead ends. One in five people in Bethlehem are now

unemployed in what was once a thriving town.

http://www.amostrust.org/downloads

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Palestinian Christians speak

Here are some words from Palestinian Christians who live in Bethlehem. These

statements are intended to be read aloud as part of a service, perhaps leading into

prayers for peace.

Jasmine Rishmawi is from Beit Sahour, the site of the Shepherds’ Fields,

close to Bethlehem.

Christmas has always been my favourite time of year. As soon as December starts,

you can feel a warm breeze around which you’ll never experience unless you are in

Bethlehem for Christmas. Just by walking around this little blessed town, you will feel

the pure touch of God in your soul; Jesus is born in your heart.

Whenever I think of Christmas, the picture of my family gathering just pops into my

head causing me to smile effortlessly. One of my best memories is the year my

brother and sisters and I got my Dad to take us around Bethlehem to see the

Christmas lights and the Santas all around the town giving out chocolates and

balloons, spreading good cheer. It is a memory of the good times and great laughs

in spite of everything.

Another Christmas I’ll never forget is when my sister got stuck on the Jordanian –

Israeli border on Christmas Eve. She had to stay in Jordan and missed Christmas with

the family. I will never forget the year I was returning home to Bethlehem for

Christmas from my school in Ramallah. At the checkpoint soldiers searched through

my backpack and unwrapped all the gifts I had brought for my family.

I will never ever forget the year when my college friends and I decided to spend

Christmas in Jerusalem for a change, but after hours of humiliation and harassment

at the checkpoint, we had to go back home, celebrations forgotten.

This Christmas, I won’t beg my Dad for a ride around town even though it is still

decorated amazingly. Every time I see that huge eight metre high wall around my

little town, I lose any hope I have in my heart. This Christmas I don’t want pictures of

the wall to be saved in my memory destroying my hopes. I want to keep my hope

alive; the hope from the birth of Jesus of a better life coming filled with peace and

love. I want to keep my hope of life in which you’re allowed to dream and to live a

life that is not prohibited by an army or a wall. It’s the life that I wouldn’t trade for

anything; it’s the life that I am always dreaming of.

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Sami Awad is the Director of Amos Trust’s partner, the Holy Land Trust, a

Christian peace organisation. The Holy Land Trust promotes non-violent

resistance and peaceful protest, and is based in Bethlehem.

Greetings to you this Christmas season from the little town of Bethlehem. This little

town, the place where the Prince of Peace was born continues to face daily

hardships. Just this year alone, in the surrounding beautiful villages, hundreds if not

thousands of olive trees were burned by illegal Israeli settlers for absolutely no reason

but to humiliate and damage the source of livelihood for hundreds of Palestinian

families. Land theft for the building of the illegal separation wall and expanding

illegal settlements is worse than ever before. No matter where you stand in

Bethlehem, you can see the effects of the cold grip of this brutal and humiliating

occupation.

It is important for us here in Bethlehem to know that other Christians around the world

agree that this occupation has to end. It is encouraging for us to know that people

have realised that you can stand up for the human rights of the Palestinians without

compromising the rights of Israelis to also live in peace. You do not have to pick a

side. I invite you this Christmas season to continue praying for peace for both

communities that live in what we all call the Holy Land.

I remind you this Christmas season of the story of the Magi who came to Bethlehem

requested by King Herod to go and find out what is happening there. Once they

came, saw, met, and worshiped with those who lived in this town, their lives were

transformed fully and they could not go back the way they came. They did not

declare war on King Herod or demand that he was overthrown; they simply chose a

different path, a path that honoured the true message and spirit of the Prince of

Peace, a message of peace on earth and goodwill to all, including both Israelis and

Palestinians.

Go to page 14 to find out more about Holy Land Trust’s unique programme of

workshops helping children, teenagers and adults in Bethlehem cope with living

behind the wall. Also visit www.amostrust.org/projects

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Rana Salman is from Bethlehem in the Occupied West Bank where she

works for Amos Trust’s partner the Holy Land Trust.

In Bethlehem, getting families together during Christmas is a big challenge! People

are separated from each other by an eight metre high wall. Each area is

surrounded by a checkpoint. Families have to apply for a permit issued by the Israeli

Authority to visit each other during this season. Sometimes, you may get one while

some of your family members won’t or just the opposite. It happens randomly and

you never know if your name will be picked or not. Although it is supposed to be a

joyous day, things don’t happen as we expect in Palestine.

Luke 2:15 says: When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds

said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken

place, which the Lord has made known to us.” If I could send a message to

churches in the UK this Christmas, I would ask all churches who make a pilgrimage to

the Holy Land to visit not only historic sites and churches in Bethlehem but to visit the

‘living stones’- the Palestinian Christians and spend time with them, share a meal or

serve the community to discover the real joy, just as the shepherds did!

My hopes for next year are to end all systems of oppression, injustice and brutal

violence and to just have peace for all: peace in our families, peace in the world

and especially peace in the land we are privileged to call Holy!

People ask what Jesus would do if he visited modern Bethlehem but I’m not sure if

Jesus can make it to Bethlehem today! Being a Jew living in Nazareth, Jesus will not

be allowed by his own leadership to enter Bethlehem. He will have to “illegally”

sneak into Bethlehem and maybe get searched at a checkpoint. As he

approached Bethlehem and saw the reality, he would probably weep over the

town of his birthplace the same way he wept over Jerusalem.

Go to page 14 to find out more about Holy Land Trust’s unique programme of

workshops helping children, teenagers and adults in Bethlehem cope with living

behind the wall. Also visit www.amostrust.org/projects

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Rifat Kassis is a Palestinian activist from Beit Sahour, a village close to

Bethlehem which is the site of the Shepherds’ Fields. Rifat is one of the

authors of the Kairos Palestine document, a call and challenge from the

Christian community in Palestine to churches around the world.

To our Christian brothers and sisters in UK, on behalf of Kairos Palestine, I send my

warmest greetings to your communities and families as Christmas approaches.

I also write with three humble calls about the oppressive reality we face in Palestine

in general, and in Bethlehem in particular.

The first call is to “come and see”. Many pilgrims travel to Bethlehem to see the holy

sites, but they leave without ever meeting us, the Palestinian Christians who live in

the grip of occupation. Bethlehem‘s lands are constrained by illegal settlements

and devoured by the eight metre high separation wall. Its residents are governed

by punishing movement restrictions. Bethlehem remains in a chokehold, as do our

lives.

There is a tremendous gap between the reality we live in and the image distributed

to tourists and Christian pilgrims. But that gap can be bridged if people come and

see for themselves, meet the local people as well as visiting the holy sites, and find

out first-hand what life is like for Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem today. We believe

in the power of tourism! It is a political tool, because the people who visit us, go

back home and tell others about our lives, how we cannot travel freely, how water is

restricted and how we the Palestinian people struggle.

The second call is to support us economically. When you visit - by choosing to stay in

Palestinian-run hotels and use Palestinian buses and tour companies; and when

you’re at home by buying Palestinian products like olive oil, dates and handicrafts.

These are not only economic decisions, but also political ones. They support our

heritage and sustainability at a time when Israel seeks to dominate both the tourist

industry and the tourist narrative.

And our third call is to pray for us. Many Palestinians, including Christians, remain

hopeful, and we are empowered by the joint efforts of committed, peace-seeking

Jews and members of the international community.

We wish you a blessed Christmas season and we invite you to come, to see, to pray,

and to act in the name of peace with justice.

See page 18 to find out how you and your church can get involved in supporting the

Christian community in Palestine by joining the Kairos Britain movement.

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Using a walled nativity in a church service

Amos Trust has worked with Palestinian

craftsmen based just outside Bethlehem in Beit

Sahour (site of the original Shepherds’ Fields) to

create a wooden nativity set with a wall to

illustrate the current situation in Bethlehem. The

wall can be removed, so the set can be used

as a visual aid and focus for prayer as well as a

traditional nativity scene. You can buy large

walled nativity from www.amostrust.org/shop

The following words can be used with the large walled nativity set in an all age

church service.

CHRIST STILL COMES

Set up the nativity set with the stable & tree but no wall. Put the Magi on the far side

opposite the stable.

Bethlehem is in the West Bank, part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory which has

been under Israeli military rule since 1967. The situation in Bethlehem today is very

different from this traditional nativity scene.

Taking down the tree

Explain how palm trees are seen as a sign of peace and, together with olive trees,

are a central symbol of Palestine. (Side point: you might wish to make an additional

comment that in the Islamic tradition Jesus is born under a palm tree such as the

one shown.) The nativity scene is made of olive wood. The carpenters never chop

an olive tree down; instead they harvest the boughs from the tree as it grows. This

means olive trees can be hundreds or even thousands of years old. The olive trees

on the Mount of Olives date from somewhere close to the time Jesus sat beneath

them on the night of his arrest. Olive trees are also symbolic as a national symbol for

the Palestinian people, on account of their presence in the land through the years,

tended by generations of owners. One of the tragedies of the current unrest in

Palestine and Israel is that olive groves have been dug up, chopped down, or burnt,

either to clear the ground for settlements, to build the separation wall or in attacks

on local people.

Replace the tree with the separation wall.

The real separation wall is 8 metres high and is more than 700 kilometres long. It

combines concrete wall, wire fences and bypass roads that cut people off. The

International Courts of Justice in The Hague have stated that the wall is illegal and

should be taken down. There are gaps in the wall, but it surrounds towns such as

Bethlehem, preventing people who live there from moving easily. No-one can enter

Bethlehem today without going through a military checkpoint and showing ID,

which can take several hours. The Palestinian residents of Bethlehem, both Christians

and Muslims need a permit to come and go from their home town.

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The Magi

The Magi as you can see are on the other side of the wall. They travelled from the

East, probably from Iraq, Iran or one of the other neighbouring countries. Nowadays

they would find it difficult to reach Bethlehem as they would first need to pass

through Israeli border crossing on the Jordan River.

Discard the magi.

The Shepherds

The wall and neighbouring settlements also prevent shepherds in Bethlehem from

going to their fields. The shepherds’ fields just outside Bethlehem which we read

about in the Bible from the time of David and on the night when Jesus was born are

now unrecognisable. Land has been taken by illegal settlements and shepherds

have severely restricted access to their own land. Often they have to obtain permits

and go through military checkpoints to get to their land. A handful of shepherds still

remain but not enough for our story.

Remove the shepherds and the livestock.

Mary and Joseph

Mary and Joseph were Jews. They travelled from Nazareth in what is now northern

Israel. They would have gone to Jerusalem and journeyed the six miles to Bethlehem

from there. Now the main entrance of the wall surrounding Bethlehem includes a

massive checkpoint like we see at airports and ferry terminals. The Israeli authorities

have ruled that Israeli Jews are no longer allowed to enter Bethlehem.

Remove Mary and Joseph.

Baby Jesus

The infant Jesus is left alone in the manger. Jesus of course grew up, taught,

travelled, was crucified, died and rose again. While the Christmas story would be

impossible now, the Christian faith says that Jesus still comes to Bethlehem today. He

is there in the people who follow him; he provides a light in the darkness which the

darkness cannot understand and can never put out. As those who follow him we

are called to break down the walls of division and to let the light of truth and hope

shine.

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Mary, the Magnificat, Jesus and Justice – a Christmas reflection

This reflection is ideal for using in a small group during Advent.

Read aloud these three Bible Passages

Luke 1: 46 – 56 Mary’s Song or The Magnificat

Matthew 5: 1–12 The Beatitudes

Luke 4: 16-21 Here Jesus reads from Isaiah 61: 1- 2

Ask people to listen to the reflection and see what idea, line or word strikes them the

most. Allow time at the end for people to share this and discuss what they have

heard.

If Jesus had a manifesto then it is perhaps a combination of the passage from

Isaiah 61 that he is said to have read out at the synagogue in Nazareth and

his teaching on the low mountain in Galilee known as the Beatitudes.

Both are speeches of poetic imagination as he proclaims the coming

“basilea”, the mysterious future he talked about constantly, often translated

as “the kingdom of God”.

We listen to his teaching and hear resonances not only of the Hebrew

prophets but of his mother Mary who, from what we can glean from the

Scriptures, was courageous, steadfast and able to see such a new future.

When she realised she was to carry the child of God, she said yes. When

Jesus himself was not interested after the wine ran out at Cana, she said “do

whatever he tells you”. She could see what the new future might be, the

new economy of abundance, justice, generosity, peace.

But perhaps the most striking and impassioned aspect of Mary is found in the

words given to her by Luke in his gospel. Based on the song of Hannah when

she found herself carrying her child Samuel, the Magnificat sings this new

future into being; the new future that began in Bethlehem.

It calls for a spirit ready to rejoice at God’s presence; it speaks of justice as if it

were already here; God has exalted the humble and meek and the rich

have been sent empty away.

In proclaiming his vision of a world set free from oppression and tyranny, Jesus

is echoing words sung by Mary before he was born. He was the son of God

but it’s obvious he was his mother’s son too.

Rev’d Canon Lucy Winkett, Chair of Amos Trust & Vicar of St James Piccadilly

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Prayers and reflections

A prayer for justice and peace in the land of the Holy One

Living Lord, ignite in us a passion for justice

And a yearning to right all wrong.

Strengthen us to work for peace in the land we call Holy:

for peace among Jew, Christian and Muslim for reconciliation between

communities for harmony between faiths.

Inspire us to act with the urgency of your quickening fire, for blessed are the

peacemakers they shall be called the children of God. Ramani Leathard, Trustee, Amos Trust

A prayer for Bethlehem this Christmas

We pray for Bethlehem this Christmas.

May the town where the Prince of Peace was born know peace this

Christmas.

May mothers in the refugee camps not weep for their children as Rachel

wept, but see a future for them free from fear and oppression.

May the people of Bethlehem experience the good news the angels

promised and hope be rekindled in a community that sees so few signs of

hope.

May the leaders of Israel and Palestine know that their fates are intertwined

and pursue the difficult steps toward a just peace.

And may we be resolute in our support of all those who seek to bring peace,

justice and reconciliation in a land we long to call Holy.

Amen

Chris Rose , Director, Amos Trust

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Forgotten Gaza

Each Christmas we are reminded that there was no room for the Holy Family.

This year, Lord, we remember forgotten Gaza. There is no room for them in

our world.

This Advent and Christmas nothing has improved, the people of Gaza are still

forgotten, still imprisoned, still under a medieval type siege, with their water

taken and resources destroyed.

Lord we remember forgotten Gaza – once a beautiful, historic place, now its

people denied human rights, with no proper facilities for the injured and

disabled.

Gaza passed by on the other side by the powerful and by politicians, yet

loved and precious to God.

Lord, we remember forgotten Gaza,

May mercy come, may justice come, may love come, may Christmas come.

You who had no place to lay your head,

You who knew what it was to be despised and rejected,

Have mercy on forgotten Gaza and move our hearts this Christmas to make

room for Gaza, so we work to bring them the gift of justice and the gift of

hope this year.

And also we remember Israel, we pray for those who are frightened and

have lost loved ones and we pray that as justice is given to the Palestinians,

that Israeli people will also find peace and security.

Amen

Garth Hewitt, Founder, Amos Trust

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All they paint are walls…

In spring 2012, whilst in Bethlehem, Amos Trust’s Director Chris Rose and freelance art

worker Meg Wroe met an art teacher from a local primary school. She told them:

“From ten years old all they paint are walls.”

Later Meg coordinated an exhibition of art by children in the Occupied Territories

called All they paint are walls, which included the painting of the wise men trying to

get to Bethlehem which is on the front page of this pack.

This painting can now be bought as a Christmas card in aid of Amos's partners in

Bethlehem, Palestine from www.amostrust.org/shop

Chris was so struck by this sad conversation with the teacher, that he wrote the

following poem.

From ten years old all they paint are

walls

I would teach them of blue skies,

Of green meadows

Dotted with yellow and red flowers,

Of the star filled night,

The shade in olive groves,

The terraced contours of our hills

And the bleak desert landscape.

But stars are blue

And flutter in the wind.

Green and red

Speak of a dream we had and may never know,

And the terraced hills and olive growths

Are glimpsed in a disappearing landscape.

But grey can be drawn

Daubed in cheap graffiti

With a sun glistening on a tarmac roadway.

A concrete matt finish

That cannot be glossed over.

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Future Peacemakers Appeal Christmas 2013

We hope that everyone using the Bethlehem Pack

at one of their Advent, Christmas or carol services

will consider having a collection at the service for

our Future Peacemakers Appeal.

Children and young people in Bethlehem deal with

the impact of the occupation every day, whether it

is playing in the shadow of an 8 metre high

separation wall overlooked by armed watch towers

or seeing their parents and grandparents being

stopped, questioned and often harassed by soldiers

at check-points. These children grow up feeling

traumatised and lack the hope and opportunity

that should belong to all children.

Our partners in Bethlehem the Holy Land Trust run a

unique programme of non-violence workshops for

local children and teenagers, providing them with the techniques and skills they

need to deal with their situation and living conditions. These sessions help them to

rebuild their self-worth and recognise that they can respond to the occupation

without violence and that they can claim a future without fear.

£10 pays for a teenager to enrol on a young leaders training course.

£15 pays for a community worker to meet with local families & find simple practical

ways for the community to maintain hope in the face of the occupation.

£25 pays a non-violence training workshop for local children.

£1,500 covers all the costs for young leader to visit Auschwitz. This life-changing

experience enables Palestinian young leaders to understand the roots of the Israeli

people’s trauma & to identify effective ways to work towards a long term just

peace.

“We have to not only understand those people who are oppressing us, but try to

walk in their shoes, and ultimately to really engage with what it means to follow

Jesus’ call to love our enemies.” – Sami Awad, Director, Holy Land Trust

For further information about the Holy Land Trust, go to www.amostrust.org/projects

If you are holding a retiring collection, make sure you let people know how the

money will be spent and what different amounts of money could buy. You can

make an online donation via www.amostrust.org/support or send a cheque payable

to Amos Trust to Amos Trust, Parish Church of St Clements Eastcheap, Clements Lane

London EC4N 7HB.

As we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace, please

support this unique work to enable all ages to meet oppression with love.

http://www.amostrust.org/projects

http://www.amostrust.org/support

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65@65

On May 15 2013, it was exactly 65 years since Al Nakba or “the Catastrophe” when

750,000 Palestinian people were expelled from their land and became refugees.

65 years on their children and

grandchildren are living under

occupation in the West Bank,

under blockade in Gaza or

surviving as refugees throughout

the Middle East. They are a

marginalised people facing an

uncertain future.

We believe a just peace for Palestine means peace & security for Israel too.

We are asking Amos Trust supporters to organise a simple event, big or small,

sometime between 15 May 2013 and 15 May 2014 to raise awareness of the current

situation in Palestine. We are aiming for 65 individual events across the country to

mark this anniversary year – that’s 65@65.

We have created a special 65 years – nothing to celebrate birthday card for people

to hand out at their event, which explains the 65th anniversary of Al Nakba and gives

links to more information.

And what better time of year to talk about Palestine than Christmas?

If you are using a prayer or reading from this pack at a Christmas or Advent service,

why not hand out the 65@65 birthday cards to help people understand the situation

in Palestine further? You could also use the special 65@65 prayer on page 16 in your

service.

Email [email protected] and let us know how many birthday cards you need

and your postal address and we will get them sent out to you. (There is no charge.)

There is also a special 65@65 resource pack full of ideas, links and suggestions to help

you raise awareness of the situation in Palestine amongst your friends and family, in

your local church and community. Download it here www.amostrust.org/downloads

For 65 years I have prayed to God to have our freedom & our land.

Maryam

mailto:[email protected]


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A prayer for 65@65 How long, O Lord, how long?

For 65 years the Palestinian community have waited,

Waited since Al Nakba or The Catastrophe -

When 750,000 were expelled from their land and became refugees.

They still wait for justice, for a state, for freedom to come.

O God, may the waiting end and justice come.

It is 65 years of being despised and rejected;

The Palestinians always live at the crossroads

Where one way leads to hope, the other to despair.

Denied their democratic rights they feel betrayed by talks of peace

That have only brought more checkpoints, more closures, more land taken,

And a huge separation wall that imprisons them and strangles their economy.

We pray that the deep suffering of occupation will cease.

May we ignore them no longer.

After 65 long years

In this wilderness of despair

May the world say 'Enough',

And walk with them towards a promised land of hope and dignity.

Israelis also live at the crossroads,

Carrying the scars of centuries of suffering.

May they find liberation from their fears

And a way to walk forward.

May International Law be honoured

So both Israeli and Palestinian can live in peace -

Both live securely - both live in freedom

Without walls and occupation and fear.

May Muslim, Christian and Jew find a way to live together

So this land once called holy

Becomes holy again.

O God of justice and compassion,

May there be a just peace for Palestine which in turn brings

Peace and security for Israelis too.

65 years of waiting is too long.

May we hear their cry,

May hope rise again.

How long O Lord, how long?

Garth Hewitt, Founder, Amos Trust

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Photographs

For photos of modern day Bethlehem, the Separation Wall and check-points for

slides, carol sheets or publicity, search for Flickr member “amostrust” on

www.flickr.com for our public copyright free images or visit the Bethlehem Pack 2013

page in the download section of our website for the link:


Film and Video Resources Here are some suggestions of film clips you could use in a church service this

Christmas.

If you are reading this pack as a pdf, you can click on the links to see the videos on

YouTube. If you are reading this pack as a print out, you can find all the links on

Bethlehem Pack 2013 page in the download section of our website:


O Little Town of Bethlehem Fabulous 5 minute film about what Christmas would be like in modern Bethlehem

with interviews with local shepherds, midwives and shop-keepers.

Ideal to show in a service or small group. Made by St Pauls Church from Auckland

New Zealand, with help from our partners, Holy Land Trust.

To watch the film, click the link below or paste it into your browser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjQDl95tOcU

St Pauls have also made it possible to download this film to use via dropbox. Click

on the link or paste it into your browser: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ew6efkk62reaepx/O%20Little%20Town%20of%20Bethlehem.zip

Bethlehem: Hidden from View

This 17 minute documentary made by Amos Trust features interviews with Christian

Palestinians living in Bethlehem and is ideal for use in small groups.

To watch a 2 minute promo, click the link below or paste it into your browser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNlcH7Tejd8

You can buy a DVD copy for £5.00 from www.amostrust.org/shop

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, played by Basel Zayed on the Oud. Basel Zayed plays the Oud, a traditional Palestinian instrument in this video which

features images of the Separation wall using animation.

To watch this video, click the link below or paste it into your browser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9i7G5JtHv4

http://www.flickr.com/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjQDl95tOcU

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ew6efkk62reaepx/O%20Little%20Town%20of%20Bethlehem.zip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNlcH7Tejd8

http://www.amostrust.org/shop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9i7G5JtHv4%20

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They’ve cancelled Christmas in Bethlehem Taken from Amos Trust Founder Garth Hewitt’s EP Bethlehem, Palestine, this track’s

challenging lyrics are set to images from modern day Bethlehem. The images of the

Separation Wall and checkpoints make it ideal for use for reflection in a church

service.

To watch this video, click the link below or paste it into your browser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMyjywN-8Ac

What next?

Here are some suggestions of ways you and your church can help speak out for the

people of Bethlehem and Palestine

Kairos Britain

Kairos is the Greek word for ‘special or significant moment in time.’ The Kairos

Palestine document is a call to Christians around the world to speak out about the

situation in Palestine. It

was written by a group of

Palestinian Christian

leaders and theologians

and was endorsed by a

large number of

churches and church

groups in Israel, Palestine

and internationally. A

global Kairos Palestine

movement has grown up

in response to this call

including Kairos Palestine

Britain and Ireland, an

umbrella organisation of

churches and Christian

groups united in campaigning for justice for the Palestinian people.

“We can be silent no longer. It is time for prophetic faithfulness. It is time for

action.“ from Time for Action, Kairos Britain

Visit www.kairosbritain.org.uk to find out more about this movement, to download a

copy of Time for Action the movement’s call to action for British Christians, and how

you and your church can join the campaign.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMyjywN-8Ac

http://www.kairosbritain.org.uk/

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Made in Palestine

Made in Palestine is an Amos Trust initiative promoting

products to get people talking about Palestine. The Made

in Palestine t-shirts are made in a factory in Bethlehem and

come with a tag directing people to

www.madeinpalestine.co.uk where they can find an intro

to the current situation in Bethlehem.

£10 each. Available in red & green in range of sizes.

All profits to Amos projects in Palestine.

Visit www.amostrust.org/shop to buy a shirt & see our other campaign items.

Visit the Holy Land Amos Trust organises alternative

pilgrimages to Palestine and Israel.

Ideal for first time visitors who want

to visit the historic and Biblical sites

as well as find out about the current

situation in Palestine.

“Because you have to see for

yourself to start to understand..”

trip participant, 2012

We run a range of trips for different ages, all based in Bethlehem and Nazareth.

We are offering our widest ever range of trips to Palestine in 2014: April - We are

taking a group of runners to run the Bethlehem Marathon. May – We are running our

annual Alternative Pilgrimage ideal for first time visitors. June - We are taking a

group to the Bet Lahem Live Arts Festival, when there will also be opportunities to

volunteer at the festival working alongside local people.

We can also organise bespoke itineraries for churches and small groups.

Visit www.amostrust.org/travel for more details on all these trips.

http://www.madeinpalestine.co.uk/

http://www.amostrust.org/shop

http://www.amostrust.org/travel

bethlehem pack 2013

Documents

bethlehem page

bethlehem pack

residents of bethlehem

little town of bethlehem

christmas reflection

christmas service

christmas appeal

christmas events