Accompanying Palestinians in the West Bank
Written by: Rev. Victor Makari and Sara Makari, who serve the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings from Bethlehem where we are in our last four and a half months of our final term of mission service. The 12 years we have had in Israel/Palestine are drawing to a close due solely to our planned retirement, not to the violence and political upheaval around us. From now until we complete our service at the end of 2024 some hours will be devoted each week to relinquishing our household furniture and our belongings in preparation for moving back to the U.S.
Tragically, the war in Gaza, since we last wrote, has only worsened. At least 40,000 Gazans have been killed as of this writing with thousands maimed and injured and countless persons missing. Violence against Palestinians in Israel and on the occupied West Bank has also been increasing steadily. The ongoing genocide in Gaza has led Hezbollah to strike Israel repeatedly in protest, while Israel continues to engage in assassinations and bombings in Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. These facts have raised the level of tension exponentially in the region and beyond.
While Israel is involved in a multi-front war, Israeli society is facing grave threats from within. According to an article by former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert in the Israeli daily newspaper, Haaretz this week:
“the biggest danger facing Israel, the one truly threatening the state’s existence,
undermining its stability, economy, unity and identity, is the danger from within,
… This danger is reflected in the growing impact of the Judeo-messianic sector
of this country, which is growing in strength and taking hold in many parts of the
country and its society, determined to undermine the foundations of our existence
as they have existed since the state was established.”[1]
Palestinians, themselves native to this land, face huge uncertainties in every area of life due to the changing realities in Israeli society. The Church’s role since October 7, 2023 is, therefore, ever-more critical and the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), to whom we are assigned, are doing their utmost to be present for their parishioners and communities in a variety of ways. Especially important during this very hot summer were day camps for children held in the ELCJHL’s churches in the occupied West Bank.
Family life across the board for all Palestinians is under enormous stress. Aside from those struggling to survive from one hour to the next in Gaza, the violence against Palestinians throughout the West Bank by settlers and the far right and the economic fall-out in Gaza and the West Bank after ten months of continuous war is devastating. Fear of how to pay for family needs is exacting a huge toll on people resulting in depression, despair, and vast weariness. Hope is thin on the ground.
The church here is asking for prayer that the war in Gaza should cease; as well as violence against Palestinians in Israel and the occupied West Bank, and that the war will not spread out of control, especially in Lebanon and possibly elsewhere.
We can only rest in the assurance that the peace of God that passes all understanding will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Cordially,
Victor and Sara Bailey Makari
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Victor and Sara Makari’s appointments are made possible by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Church’s Wider Mission, and your special gifts.
[1] https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-08-10/ty-article/.premium/while-israel-battles-multiple-fronts-its-gravest-threat-is-simmering-from-within/00000191-3d24-d057-afb1-7ff6fa010000