Not so peaceful Bethlehem

By Rev SEIK PITOI
THE view from the balcony was breathtaking. From this vantage point on the heights, you could look down and see parts of the city under construction and contrastingly, as if being transported back in time, look across to the fields dotted with sheep and their shepherds.
Turning the other direction, you could see on the neighbouring hills a sprawling metropolis. But when you looked further, you could see the outline of a huge fence that marked the borders of this city. This was the home of my friend, Semir Baboune, and a young woman called Christy.
Semir, Christy and the Lord Jesus Christ have one thing in common – they were all born in Bethlehem.
That ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ is not quite the little town we sing about in our Christmas carols. Today, it a city in the Palestinian area of the West Bank in Israel. It is a hotbed of Palestinian militancy that was fenced off by Israel due to constant terrorist attacks upon Jewish communities.
After the suicide bombing in Netanya on Passover of 2002, when scores of Jews died, that was the last straw. The government put up that fence to stop more terrorists from coming across to Israel. The move was successful as terrorism has been reduced by 90 per cent but it has been controversial.
Many have used the fence to score political points in the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The Palestinian Christians have differing views about the fence and life in general in the so called ‘occupied territory’. My friend Semir, and young Christy, have their own opposing views too.
Semir is a 54-year-old Palestinian. He comes from a well-to-do family. His surname is pronounced, “Baboon”! I asked why he has that name (obviously, they are not from the baboon family!) He explained that years ago, his great grandfather was given a baboon to keep and he loved the animal so much he adopted that name in his family (I’m not sure if that is true as Semir likes to jest around and have a good laugh)!
In any case, Baboune was born in the house that had the lovely balcony where we had lunch. He has lived there all his life. It is a three-storey structure with three units, one on top of the other. He lives in the middle unit with his wife while his older brother lives on the bottom floor. The top unit is rented out.
Semir said his house was a normal standard type of housing in Bethlehem, but by PNG standards, it would easily be at the top of the real estate range. Built on granite with local timber, it was immaculately clean inside and outside, with beautiful pot plants adorning the interior as well as the balcony.
Mrs Baboune is a petite, beautiful Arab woman. The 52-year-old is a fitness and health fanatic which is why you could be forgiven for thinking she was in her 30s!
She also runs her own beauty parlour. Semir joked that his wife’s constant nagging on staying healthy has done well to keep him in shape.
“I was quite a large man some years ago due to my big appetite for food and fizzy drinks. My favourite was Sprite. I drank it every day. Then one day, I was rushed to the hospital. I had a major operation done where they cut out parts of my intestine. Soon I realised my wife’s words were true. I am off fizzy drinks now and try to stay healthy.”
The Babounes have two children, a girl and a boy. Both graduated from universities in Europe and now live abroad. They do not wish to return to Bethlehem.
Semir said at the height of the conflict, he wanted to move to either Australia or Canada. He has family already settled in Australia and felt he should go there. But on second thoughts, he decided against it.
“I was born and raised in Bethlehem, so I will remain here for life.”
As a Christian in Bethlehem, Semir is of a minority in the predominantly Moslem population. While he was careful not to say anything contrary, I have done enough research to know the real plight of these people. I know they are aware of what they say because one wrong word could get the authorities knocking at the door.
During our time with Semir as our tour guide, he was always critical of Israel and the Jewish people. He questioned their right to ‘his land’, and denounced Messianic believers as frauds.
“Jews are not Christians; there are no Jewish Christians at all. Palestinians are the true Christians in Israel. We are the ‘living stones’. Israelis are thieves who came and stole our land.”
Because he claimed to be a Christian, I debated him on what the Scriptures says about God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob regarding the title deed to the land (for example in Gen 12:7; 15:18; Psalm 105: 8-11, among other places). He quickly brushed it aside, saying: “I don’t care what the Bible says. I am talking facts, not fiction.”
I asked, “So, as a Christian, do you believe the Bible is false?” He couldn’t answer.
When I asked about how life was in a Muslim city like Bethlehem, he said life was fine.
“We live in harmony with our Muslim neighbours. There is no problem. The only problem is with the Israelis.”
I asked about the reports I read about the dwindling Christian population and persecution Christians faced there. He called those informants liars.
About terrorists, like the young man who crept into a Jewish family home and slit the throat of their 13-year-old daughter as she slept, he said the young man was a “freedom fighter, not a terrorist. He was just making a point!” No wonder the murderer was hailed as a celebrity in Bethlehem and the West Bank after the gruesome killing!
In listening to my friend talk, my mind went back to a young Palestinian Christian woman, Christy Anastas. She fled her hometown after her speech in 2014 in Europe about her experiences in Bethlehem was aired on You Tube.
Her family received threats and intimidation from the authorities. When her own cousin was sent to kill her in typical Arab “honour killing” fashion, she fled.
Christy, whose house is fenced on three sides, not like Semir’s house far away from any fence, said she still believed that her people were wrong to attack innocent Israelis.
“We have a Jewish sacred site near our house. While Jews would pray there, young boys and older men would throw stones or bombs in the daytime, and shoot at them at night. They did this knowing that we live there. So the return fire from the Israelis would hit our houses.”
It was the return fire that got into the world news, not the stoning, bombing and shooting by Palestinians.
Christy studied the Bible to see what it said about Israel.
“As Palestinian Christians, we don’t normally read the Bible. But I wanted to see for myself so I searched. I found that God had indeed given the land in covenant to His people, Israel.
I checked it out by studying the wars, especially the Yom Kippur war of 1973. Israel was totally outnumbered by five Arab nations. They should have lost, but they won. Not because they were so smart, but it was God!”
She next went to Yad Vashem, the holocaust museum that Palestinians, including Semir, don’t like to go to.
“I now understand the Jews’ will to survive after the hell they went through.”
Then she asked herself, “How many Christian nations are there in the world? Many. How many Moslem nations? Many. How many Jewish nations? Only one – Israel. So can’t we let them live there, we live here… and get on with life?”
Her exasperation is compounded by the revelation that billions of dollars sent annually to help her people improve their lives goes into pockets of corrupt officials, plus for the purchase of more arms to kill Israelis, digging of tunnels into Israel, and compensating of terrorists who are killed. All good money wasted!
Indeed, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is complicated. There are archaeological and historical data that need to be considered, apart from the Biblical narrative.
Yet, to understand the truth of the situation will get Christians to pray more for these children of Abraham on both sides. Peace will soon come, when Yeshua Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace, is acknowledged. To that end, I pray for my Palestinian Christian friends, Christy and Semir!

• Rev Seik Pitoi is a freelance writer.