Holy Land pilgrimage in a time of ‘Existential Crisis’
The Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Justice Network (EPF PJN) calls attention to the recent statement from the Synod of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem that its communities are facing an “existential crisis.” The Synod notes “years marked by devastating war, destruction, displacement, and profound human suffering – including some of the gravest destruction experienced by any part of our diocese in living memory.”
The synod’s declaration is alarming but is neither exaggerated or isolated; in fact, it aligns exactly with the recent report from B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights organization, The Elimination Project: Israel’s Systematic Dismantling of Palestinian Collective Life in the West Bank. That report affirms that the kinds of events experienced by diocesan communities are systemic, leaving no Palestinian or community untouched, and intentional, not the result of a few rogue “bad apples.”
The synod demands “the urgent attention of the Church and the international community.” EPF PJN has long encouraged travel to Palestine and Israel and believes there is no better way to respond to the synod’s plea than by going, seeing, and demonstrating solidarity. To that end we were encouraged when the 81st General Convention passed Resolution 2024 C002: Travel Responsibly and Intentionally to the Holy Land. The resolution recommends that “pilgrimage travelers to the Holy Land explore and engage the realities of the circumstances and conditions impacting the lives of today’s Palestinians and Israelis, paying particular attention to the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories, to the violations of human rights, and to Palestinian national aspirations.”
Responsible Holy Land travel does not require pilgrims to put themselves in harm’s way, but it does require encountering, witnessing, and reporting comprehensively and faithfully. For example, we can enjoy the allure and beauty of Jerusalem’s Old City, while also noting that some of the gates are the sites of heavily armed Israeli military outposts. EPF PJN believes that visiting holy sites in the West Bank without acknowledging the hundreds of Palestinians killed by settler violence; denying the refugee-ness of Palestinian society by bypassing refugee camps; or avoiding the conflicted or difficult issues there do not seem to honor the intention of Resolution 2024 C002, the synod’s plea, or our baptismal covenant of justice for all people.
The EPF PJN website provides a list of companies that provide responsible Holy Land travel. For those who cannot travel, we encourage viewing films and videos easily accessed via web searches that document the lives of Palestinians. An excellent example is the 24-minute film The Present, a fictionalized but completely realistic depiction of the circumstances of everyday Palestinian life. The synod of the Diocese of Jerusalem has asked us not to look away from their lives and suffering. Whether through travel or the talent of filmmakers, EPF PJN urges The Episcopal Church towards authentic engagement with the circumstances and conditions in today’s Holy Land.