A thousand miles starts with a step, I started

Friends, family and supporters "Thank you".

As I come back from England I wanted to take you back to the journey I went through, they say that a thousand miles journey starts with one step, and with you prayers and support the journey continues.

In February I went to England to be part of a Christian organization called "Reconciliation Walk ", where my job was to start new relationships with different communities and different faiths. I had the chance to work with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindu, Sikh and Socialists. Trying to build bridges and a common ground where we all can sit and talk about issues. Being a light in a world of darkness God used me to share a message of hope, reconciliation, forgiveness and peace building in ways I never thought or imagined, I had the chance to speak in seven churches, few small groups and in events I organized with my friends in England in Northern Ireland.

Another project I worked on was an out reach trip to Bethlehem for two weeks with friends from Belfast, where we will spend time working with the community in Bethlehem helping in refugee camps, orphans, churches and young people. (There still is a chance to join if you're interested).

The second mile of my journey was taking a course in Peace-making and Diplomacy. The course focused on conflict resolution, building bridges, being peace makers considering truth, justice, mercy and love. I had lots to learn and specially going out of the small bubble of politics that I put my self in and try to be involved in social justice issues such as slavery, human rights and human traffic. I also had lots to learn about different cultures and faiths.

My first season in England finished and I headed back to Bethlehem for my graduation, I finished studying in Bethlehem University majoring in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. Now I am writing to you from my home town, Bethlehem, unfortunately I just have another week to spend here and then I will go to Jordan for a leadership development course, with Messianic Jews and some other fellow Palestinian Christians. I will have the chance to see some of my old Israeli friends for couple of days. After this course I am going back to my second home, Belfast, I will be involved in a summer program and as well I will speak in various places. After Spending a month in Belfast, I will co-lead the out reach trip to Bethlehem for another month.

What's after that,?!!  I will be joining YWAM, youth with a mission, in staffing a course called DTS, discipleship training school. This school will take place in a sailing ship, traveling around the Mediterranean Sea, followed with an out reach somewhere in Africa (probably Sudden Sudan). This course is focused on being disciples for Christ, with a lot of teaching about reconciliation, peace making and social justice.

My journey started, and you were part of it, by encouraging me with prayers, friendships and financial support. To continue my journey I still need all your prayers and support, so I invite you again to be part of what God is using me to do and what God is preparing me for.

Prayer request:

• Please pray that God will lead me in my coming new season, Pray for wisdom when I talk to different groups, and for clarity in times when I need to take decision.
• Pray for my visa situation, I need the right visas to travel around.
• Finances, I need to buy my tickets, and cover my living costs in Belfast, England and the DTS staffing fees.
• Pray for protection and safety, I am sure Satan is not happy with the work God is doing.
• The right connections, people to stand behind my vision and dreams.

In the end of my letter, I thank you again for being part of what God is doing with me, and through me. Thank you.

May you be blessed

Elias Issa Halabi

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Elias Issa Halabi

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"It's not about money, but it makes you wonder

While searching the internet for articles and statistics about the amount of money that the church in the West supports Israel and Palestine with, I also checked some Zionist Christian websites and found out that this group has more on their agenda than simply "supporting Israel." The Beginning of the End, a book written by a Christian Zionist pastor called John Hagee, mentions that Hagee celebrated the murder of a former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin as a fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. Another example is that of a very well known evangelistic pastor Pat Robertson, who declared that God will punish Ariel Sharon for a decision he took to withdraw from the settlements in the Gaza Strip, and dividing the land. During the war on Lebanon, through his program 700 Club, Robertson repeatedly said that the Lebanese people where sheltering a terrorist group, and urged all believers in the world to pray for an Israeli military victory.

In looking back at reasons why the church should support Israel, one of the first reasons is that Christians in the West and specially Zionists want to see God coming as soon as possible.  I want to see God Coming soon as well, but it makes me very sad knowing that some people are focusing more on the Rapture than focusing on sharing the Gospel.  Another statement from Pastor John Hagee, which is also mentioned as well in his book, states that the majority of the Jews currently living in Israel will be killed in the period of the warfare that follows the " Rapture"  when "believing Christians"  are bodily transported up to safety heaven. That in my opinion is complete selfishness, when such people encourage the war and see other people getting killed for the sake of their salvation and theology of the end of times; I call them the "anti-peace" and even anti-Christ because Jesus Himself blessed the peace makers, and His message is centered on reconciliation.

As a Palestinian Arab Christian, living in a war zone witnessing, experiencing injustice, pain and suffering, with all this I still want to see Israelis getting saved, and knowing the God I worship. In few occasions, when I introduce myself as Elias from Bethlehem, people come and tell me that they have a heart for Israel, and so after I explain that Bethlehem is in Palestine and I am a Palestinian and that Israel and Palestine are two completely different countries, I carry on by saying that this makes me glad. I encourage people to keep praying for the people of Israel to get to know God, because having a heart for a nation, you pray for them and even try to correct them if you truly love them. As a father loves his son, when the son makes mistakes the father corrects the son, and does not leave him to continue in his way just because he loves him. In the same time I encourage people to pray for the Palestinians, and to stand on the middle by being bridge builders, because if people take sides, they will become part of the problem and not part of the solution.

 The economy, including foreign aid, is one of the issues that people have different perspectives about; a good number of Christians in the West supports different sides according to what they believe. Before looking at who supports who and why, I thought it would be helpful to look at some background facts that formed both Israeli and Palestinian economies.

                Following the Second World War, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine and the UN divided the land of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. The Arabs rejected this while Jews took the chance by declaring the state of Israel. The Palestinians did not, and continued protesting and fighting for their land. The Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars, including the 1967 Six-Day War in which Israel occupied the rest of the Palestinian territories, the October 1973 War and the Lebanese War 1982-1983. As a result of those wars hundreds of thousands of refugees left their homes and towns escaping to other Arab countries.

                On April 1982 Israel and Egypt signed a peace agreement where Israel withdrew from Sinai.  In September 1993 Israel and the Palestinian Officials signed a Declaration of Principles known as "Oslo Accords, guiding to a period of Palestinian self-rule.  Another peace agreement was signed between Jordan and Israel in 1994, and a withdrawal from parts of South Lebanon which was occupied by Israel took place in May 2000.

                 From the time the Oslo Accords were signed until the end of 2000, Israel and the Palestinian officials ran a negotiation marathon that supposed to lead to two separate states; Israel and Palestine living next to each other in peace and harmony.  For different reasons both sides did not agree, and finally and without any warning a new upraising "Intifada" stopped the process of achieving the two states.

During the Intifada the economies of the both sides were affected directly. The invasion of the West Bank and Gaza again by the Israeli military forces has stopped Palestinian workers from going into Israel to work, closures. Curfews, restrictions on goods and people along with the construction of the separation wall and the decision by the Israeli government to suspend the transfer of clearance revenues collected on behave of the Palestinian Authority has damaged the Palestinian economy. Where as most economists blame the global slowdown, particularly in the high- tech dependent sector for the increase in the Israel case. (According to Business Week, Israel has the most high-tech dependent economy in the world).  Although the Israeli economy is much better than the Palestinian economy,  it is still experiencing difficulties as a result of occupying the Palestinian territories; Israelis are paying nine billion dollars every year to maintain the settlements and Israeli's military control over the Palestinians. (www.ifamericansknew.com).

 With the current political situation the Unemployment Rate in Palestine has increased to 42.4% according to the World Bank, where as in Israel the Unemployment Rate is 8.3% according to the World Fact Book. A recent World Bank study predicts that, if the current situation continues this may be the worst year in the Palestinian economic history. The average Palestinian's personal income will fall by 40% and 67% of the population will fall into poverty.  

After Hamas won the elections in February 2006 the world wide community cut of the aid to the Palestinians by saying they do not want to fund a government that supports terror and does not want to recognize Israel. As a result, the percentage of unemployment and poverty got higher, and those who work for the government, such as doctors, teachers, police men and many others have not gotten their salaries for more than a year now. People in the West Bank and Gaza do not have the money to buy basic needs such as milk and bread for their families, and they started protesting but no body was there to listen to their problems. I heard a story from Gaza, where a man went into a pharmacy covering his face and holding a gun, he asked the pharmacist to give him a bottle of milk for his kid, the pharmacist gave him two bottles of milk, the man took one and replied with tears in his eyes, "I am not a thief, but if I don't do this my son will die", so he took one bottle threw the gun away which apparently was a plastic gun and went out with the milk. People are faced with the   challenge, that even if they go and work, they will not be paid. So why bother to work hard and not make any money to feed your family?  So teachers, doctors and other workers for the government have stopped going to work; as a result schools shut down and students found themselves in streets and there were no doctors in hospitals. Palestinian civilians were and still are the first victims, not only of the escalation of violence but from withholding of direct financial aid as well.

Should the Palestinian Authority continue to receive foreign aid after Hamas electoral victory? This is a question that a year ago the answer for it was "No", and that is how the donors acted. Now with the new formed National Unity Government, the same question has been asked again.  There are different perspectives from different sides. Some support releasing the aid believing that withholding it will only lead to more violence, starvation, humanitarian crisis and rising unemployment. On the other side, by withholding the aid from donors like the USA and the EU will give countries like Iran, Sudan and other anti-American areas to raise support to the Palestinian government led by Hamas. This is exactly what happened, Iran gave millions of dollars for the Hamas government, but of course the money has not gotten through to the Palestinians. Few weeks after that the USA decided to give the President who Is from Fatah and his security forces 87 million dollars, which in my opinion was one of the reasons why Hamas and Fatah clashed.

                The first question leads us; if we want to be effective and not taking sides, into another question, should Israel continue receiving aid from the United States and other donors? There are different answers to this question as well. Some say that Israel is continually attacked by terrorists and aid is more important than ever, others supports Israel just because Jews are the chosen people, and in the bible it says blessed those who bless Israel, but it is obvious that aid to Palestine and Israel got different measures. Where most of the aid to Israel goes to build the separation wall, and developing weapons including nuclear weapons, illegal weapons that are used to kill civilians, paying money for soldiers to attack and invade Palestinian cities and protect settlements and settlers who according to the UN should not be in that occupied territory. With all that; donors never stop giving money to Israel even if they know that this money will go towards those cases, where when it comes to the Palestinians, where this money will go to feed a hungry kid, and for cure for the sick, the answer is no, because the government which was elected in a unique democratic process is not recognizing Israel, forgetting that in the same time, Israel is not recognizing the Palestinians right to exist and live as human beings. No matter what the different answers to the question are, in the reality Israel still is getting aid.

                The congressional Research Service in a 10/03/03 report, entitled "Israel: U.S Foreign Assistance" states the following:

"Israel is not economically self-sufficient, and relies on foreign assistance and borrowing to maintain its economy. In addition to U.S assistance. It is estimated that Israel receives about $ 1 billion annually through philanthropy, an equal amount through short- and long commercial loan, and around $ 1 billion in Israel Bonds proceeds. Since 1985, the United States has provided $ 3 billion in grants annually to Israel. Since 1976, Israel has been the largest annual recipient of U.S foreign assistance and the largest cumulative recipient since World War ll.

                In addition to foreign assistance, the United States has provided Israel with $ 625 million to develop and deploy the Arrow antimissile missile (an ongoing project), $1.3 billion to develop the Lavi aircraft( cancelled), $ 200 million to develop the Merkava tank (operative), $130 million to develop the high energy laser anti-missile system ( ongoing), and other military projects. In FY2000 the United States provided Israel an additional $1.2 billion to fund Wye agreement, and in FY2002 the United States provided $ 200 million in anti-terror assistance. For FY2003, the Administration requested $ 600 million in economy, $ 2.1 billion in military, and $ 60 million in migration resettlement assistance. For FY2004, the Administration requested $480 million in economy, $ 2.16 billion in military, and $ 50 million in migration resettlement assistance. "

10/03/03 Congressional Research Service 

                It's not about money but it makes you wonder when you compare between the amount of the U.S aid to Israel with the U.S aid to other Middle Eastern countries. The roughly $ 3.3 billion annual aid compares with $ 2 billion for Egypt, $ 225 million for Jordan and $ 35 million for Lebanon. Aid for Palestinian Authority is not earmarked; further more, aid to the PA is strictly controlled by the U.S agency for International Development, and goes for specific projects, mostly civil infrastructure projects such as water and sewers. (www.wrmea.com). 

                The governmental aid is only one piece of a the puzzle, on the other hand Israel is the chosen nation, and the holy land is the promise land, that's the way millions of Christians around the world and specially in the West believe. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will cure; and all people on earth will be blessed through you." That is what the bible says about Israel and people act on their own perspectives and believes. I still remember four years ago when a lady from the West came to a celebration meeting for Christians in Palestine, and asked to share a word that she believed that God gave her, the pastor gently gave her the microphone and she said: the lord says; that you as Palestinian Christians should be the first ones leaving the land and encouraging others to leave, because this land belongs for the Israelis". For a minute no body said anything and everybody was in silence, the pastor asked her to step down, and she left the place. It is good to remember as well that in another verse in the Bible God says: "blessed be those who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right".

                I am not writing this article to judge people's motives, and I am not here to open a record with each one dollar that Israel and the Palestinians receive and why or how they spend it. I am not complaining and playing the rule of the victim, I am not asking for money nor sympathy, I am just wondering when the world will use two measures, one for Israel, and other one for the Palestinians and when the jailer will be seen as the victim and the victim as the jailer.  

                                                                                                Elias Issa Halabi

                                                                                                March-2007

A daily Decision

Is it part of what god is teaching me, or is it just something that I need to get used to it. What was normal one day became not normal, and what is not normal became normal. 

As some of you know, we need permissions to go to Jerusalem, and because it's Christmas the Israeli government gave permissions to Palestinian Christians to go and pray in Jerusalem and visit friends and family. So I too had permission. And the story this time wasn't really a nice one. On Sunday my parents, my sister and her 2 daughters, baby boy, and I decided to go and visit my other sister on the other part of the wall. This was the first time ever for my sister to go to Jerusalem after they build the wall, and after they put the new checkpoint. For my parents and my self, it became normal to see soldiers and to get through the checkpoint. So I got through the check point easily, and when it got my sisters turn, one of her daughters peeped on the checking machine, so they asked her rudely to go back and take of what ever is metal with her ( 6 years old girl), and so she did, and again through the machine, and again, and again , and again, and she got scared, and didn't know what to do, anyways in the end she passed, again her sister, got through again, and again, and again, and their mum, my sister, with a baby boy 2 months old, holding him in her arms, and she got through the same process more than ten times, the kids started crying, and crying, and the soldiers didn't leave them alone, so at this point I got really upset, I went trying to talking with the soldier (maybe 19 years old female soldier), asking her to leave my the kids alone, and she insisted that they wont got through the machine to Jerusalem if they peep, and they have to take everything off, even their cloth. The soldier started shouting and screaming, and I didn't do anything else but keep asking her to leave them alone. In the end the soldier wanted to ask for other soldiers to come, and mum pushed me away, and took me out… Mum said that I was screaming at the soldier, maybe I was, I didn't really know what I was doing. Finally, we all got through. I asked my niece (6) years old, how she was doing, she was really scared, and said to me: uncle I am sad, I asked her why, and she said because the aunt did this to us. She didn't know what was happening, and she didn't know that this aunt was a soldier giving her a hard time just because she is a Palestinian.  

            I got into the bus thinking, and asking questions in my mind, and one of those questions was if it will ever get better one day, and if I want my kids to get through all that In the future. Of course I know the answer, of course the answer for this is just to pray, and wait on god to do something, but knowing this isn't enough, getting throwing the process of forgiveness and reconciliation is a daily decision.  

It's a hard choice, it's a daily choice, now and as I am writing to you, there are some shooting in the neighborhood, soldiers are here to arrest some people, and kids are throwing stones on soldiers.

Why am I writing this to you, first of all because I really do need your prayers, its not easy being here, and seeing all those things happening and continue forgiving and trying to reconcile. As well, I want you to pray for other people who are facing this daily, on check point and under this situation. Pray for kids so God protects them and for parents not to give up hope, because you can imagine life here without hope.

I am going to England to take a course in Peace Making and Diplomacy; I still didn't take my visa, so please pray with me for this school and for the coming time.

I'll try to post some pictures for you of the check point so you can understand what I was talking about.

God bless you My Friends.

Elias

Peace and Joy for Christmas and through the New Year.

Dear Friends and Family

First of all I want to send you the best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, hopping that you had a good time with family and friends.

Christmas this year for me was a special Christmas. In a way I did few things that I am not used to doing during Christmas. Four of my friends from Belfast plus my friend Lidia Lammardo came and stayed in my house. One of the reasons my friends came to Bethlehem for is understanding more what is happening in here and helping the people as much as they can. So instead of spending the time in the touristy places, we went together and helped a family panting their house. A small house in a refugee camp where more than twelve thousand people are living in unhealthy crowded houses. The family is facing what lots of other Palestinian families are facing, three of their sons are in Israeli prisons, and their house was demolished once, but they rebuilt it. For me personally this was a great experience because I have never been to the refugee camp even though its five minutes away from my house. I spoke with the people and I felt the pain and suffering they are living in there, and it really touched me, and opened my eyes for lots of things I didn't know it exist before. This gave me as well another different meaning for Christmas. 

One of the significant things that happened as well, is the visit of four church leaders, in England to Bethlehem, and they also visited Bethlehem University. I had the chance of meeting The Most Revd Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, and talking with him for 40 minutes, we talked about what the Palestinians are living today, and how they are in need of encouragement and someone to hear them. We talked about peace and reconciliation and about my personal story and how the intifada affected my family and the wall separating my family. He listened, and he promised to tell others about what he heard. So this was a good experience for me.

As some of you may know, that for us Palestinians it is forbidden to go to Jerusalem, even thought its five minutes away from my house. But because its Christmas now, I have got a permission to go to Jerusalem, I got the permission and I visited my sister who lives 7 minuets away from my house, I didn't see her since last Easter because I didn't have a permit to do that. That made me happy seeing her again, and I am looking forward to seeing some of my Israeli friends soon.     

 This time I am writing to you and lots of things had changed, the first thing that I finished was finishing university, for good. I finished a degree in Sociology and Psychology. Which I started four years ago. And now as I finished studying, and stopped being a student things changed and what to do next is becoming a big challenge for me. There are some doors opening and it's hard somehow to really know which way to take. But one of the things I am sure I want to do is taking a course in England about relational peace making and diplomacy, which will be in the middle of January. Still I didn't apply for the visa, I didn't book my ticket, and I don't really know when I will be leaving, but I need all those to be done soon . So I will appreciate it if you can pray with me for this … 

Now and as I am sending you this email, it started snowing, and it gives me hope and refreshes me to see the city dressing white.

Again, I am wishing you a happy Christmas, and a happy new year …

Keep me in your prayers.

Elias Halabi 

Dear friends, it was along time since I last sent you an email. Lots of things happened since then, and I would love to share two stories with you that change my way of thinking and the way I look at things.

Almost a month ago I went with a friend of mine from the church, this Man is from a Muslim background who met Jesus and decided to spend his life serving the Muslim people in Palestine, sharing the message with them and showing them the love of Jesus through helping them in different ways, such as fixing their houses and giving them food and clothe. So,  we went to a village here in Bethlehem , and we helped a very poor Muslim family fixing their house which is only a small room and a very small kitchen , in this place lives 6 people without anything, no beds, no food nothing . and this was an significant experience for me , because first of all I saw how people are really suffering  and the way we showed the love of Jesus through small things that we helped them with , but for them was a big deal . Before doing that I thought that I will never have the chance of sharing the love of Jesus with those people ,but in practical ways I did . and that opened my eyes of ways to reach the community here in Palestine . this guy who started this ministry is not supported from anybody and lots of times he takes money from his own and helps people with it . and that as well gave me loads of ideas for the future and helped me know how to pray more for my people .

Heaven on Earth, that's the way one of my friends described a course I was part of in Cyprus, this course was about "youth leadership". I went to Cyprus 2 weeks ago with an organization called Musalaha. We were 25 people; all of us are involved with youth ministries in our community. Palestinian Christians, Christian Jews (Messianic Jews) , and Arab Israelis . the place was just perfect, a 4 starts hotel on the beach m with great food and great facilities . But in the same time being in there was a big challenge for me , why ?!! Because we were Palestinians and Israelis together in the same place. The first challenge was sharing a room with an Israeli guy , which is not normal in our situation , specially those days ..  and here I am again , I found my self interacting with them ,and having them as friends and more than that , they were brothers , and its really, we are brothers and sisters in the kingdom of god , and that what brought us together . we have been taught about youth leadership and how we can make a difference in our communities as Palestinian and Israeli Christians. And it was very helpful and gave me lots of ideas for leading the youth group in my church , which I am already part of the leadership in it .

One of the significant things that happened was that one of the guys in our group was a soldier, an Israeli soldier. This wasn't easy for me to deal with. so after we talked and he introduced him self more, he told me that he served in the Israeli army in Bethlehem , so I was like .ohhh wait I live in Bethlehem , and I asked him where he served , and there was the shock , he served in a military bass that is exactly next to my house , in the beginning I talk to my self , and I said what on earth am I doing here, this guy served next to my house , and he knows exactly where my house is , and the neighborhood. This was really hard to function , all the memories of the soldiers , and the hard times that I saw from them , all the killing , all the dead kids that I saw next to my house being shoot by Israeli soldiers, I remembered times soldiers came to my house and took over it in the middle of the night , all the times I have been stopped by soldiers , checkpoints and the wall that is few meters away from my house . all those made me wonder what I am doing here with this guy in this peaceful place in the world "Cyprus" . days passed and I got to know this guy more , and it was weird how both of us got closer to each other … we had times of worship , and times of praying together . and there , just there I realized how the kingdom of god will look like . We both believe in the same god, and believe in the salvation of Jesus Christ . believe me this was a miracle , because only a miracle can bring a soldier and a Palestinian who suffered and witnessed lots of bad things . we know are good friends , we still are in contact and I will be seeing him again some time soon …

Now I am back to university, and I will hopefully finish my studies in a BA degree in sociology and psychology. I have lots of projects to do for the university. to be honest I don't really know what I will be doing after that ,  what normally happens after people finishes studying is to look for a job , but I feel there is something more for me than just being in a normal job , I once prayed and asked god to send me to missions , and as well to use me in my country , so I am still confused about the next step …

Things in Palestine those days are very bad , people didn't get paid for the 8^th month for their jobs, teachers are not going to teach because they are on strike, and so the kids are not going to schools as well , there are lots of tension between Fateh and Hamas and people are afraid of civil war . so would you pray for this issue , and as well for guidance from the lord for me so I will be lead from him to the next step in my life ….