May 20, 2003

The mall in Afula, Israel, the site of a recent suicide bombing.

We headed out early enough to be sure to catch a shared taxi or bus from Shefa'amer to Nazareth in time to meet our friend and our ride to the border at 8:00. On the way, our driver took us by the shopping mall in Afula, where a 19 year old Palestinian girl from Tubas she blew herself apart, murdering a three: an Israeli Jewish man, a security guard on his first day of work, and an Israeli Arab going to an electrical engineering class. She wounded nearly fifty more. She detonated herself in the mall entrance, having been confronted by the security guard. Even driving by at a distance, we could clearly see the impact of the explosion on the mall entrance.

At the border checkpoint, the same soldier was there. He said, "You're going to Zababdeh?" '

"Yes. Zababdeh, DC."

He smiled and said, "Have a nice day."

Israeli checkpoints are like a box of chocolates - you never know whom you're going to get.

We arrived in Zababdeh, trying to connect our guest with folks in town who might be interested in meeting him. After meeting with Fr. Firas and Fr. Aktham, we connected him with the World Council of Churches team to see what they were doing today. They were headed to Tubas, the nearby town where the most recent suicide bomber came from, in fact going to her family's home. Such a visit is tricky business. On the one hand, you don't want your visit to be seen as approval or solidarity with the action of the bomber (i.e. how does one show compassion for a mourning family but not condone the actions of the deceased?). And on the other hand, it's an important part of the story to know, important stories to hear. We opted not to go - it's too easy to be misunderstood. Our guest, however, decided to go, to get a fuller picture of this place - the bombers, their victims, their families, the Christians, Muslims, and Jews - it's all part of this compelling and disturbing land. One of the team wrote a reflection on his visit which deals well with such complexities.

With all that's going on, it seems like a good time to resurrect one of our older pieces, "When There's Nothing Left to Say." The Presbyterian Church (USA) thought so, putting it on their website.