Hot and hazy. Today we spoke with an Israeli organization, B'Tselem, whose sees its role primarily as a civil organization to monitor government activity and raise awareness about human rights as an issue in the occupied territories. Their view is that they cannot change the situation, but that they can at least document it. They post all their reports online and hope to raise awareness (they recommended reading their report on the West Bank which outlines how Israel uses Jordanian law to confiscate land).
Three years ago they started a video project which they began by giving video cameras to Palestinians (in Hebron) so that they could document what is going on in the area. There are now over 100 cameras in West Bank and Gaza. They train them how to keep the camera steady, even in the midst of the conflict and to not get involved, but to document - even if the conflict involves family members.
After the presentation I was able to ask if they also documented Palestinian aggression against Israelis - which they do. In my opinion it gives more credibility to the organization and is a better way to collect information and address the larger conflict at hand.
After hearing from B'Tselem, we went to the Yad Vasham. I have written a separate blog about my experience there and so I will only enter here a quote that stood out to me and spoke volumes about how we view (or should view) others in the context of humanity and discrimination (or in the case of the Holocaust - genocide).
"I do not know what a Jew is, we only know what human beings are." - Pastor Andre Trocme (His response to being told that he had to handover Jews to the Nazis).
Visiting the Yad Vasham was an emotionally and physically draining event. I feel that my soul was gravely wounded by the experience.
We then traveled to the Israeli Museum where we saw a model of the city and exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Next we drove by the Knesset for a quick picture and then headed back to the guest house in Jerusalem.
It was a long and trying day filled with disheartening images, grief, and a broken heart. May God use these things to draw me nearer to Him and to strengthen me for the tasks He calls me to do out of obedience to Him.
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