Israel's Apartheid Wall
Thanks be to God, I have safely returned to my family and community from my two week trip to Palestine/Israel. As most of you know, I was away with a delegation from a group called Interfaith Peace Builders. I would HIGHLY recommend anyone considering such a trip to go with an organization like this. With the support of so many (including family, churches, and Friends of Sabeel – an international peace movement initiated by Palestinian Christians in the “Holy Land.”), I received an intense course on the Middle East Conflict. Our delegation, co-led by two phenomenal women – Anna Baltzer and Cathy Sultan – was filled with approximately 29 amazing people from all over the country and many parts of the world. Together, we connected with courageous activists who helped show us what it means to be Human while under the boot of apartheid today. I will never forget my new friends and family. It is impossible for me to be the same person that I was just two weeks ago. In Christian language, it would be most appropriate to say that I have been “born again.”
I went to Palestine/Israel with a knowledge base grounded in my research, writings, and attendance at Middle East conferences. However, now I possess first-hand knowledge of what is going on in Palestine/Israel. While I was witness and participant in joyful, laughter-filled, fun moments while there, I also had a front row seat to how the Israeli Government and much of the Israeli Society actively sanctions the oppression and discrimination of Palestinian people solely based on their ethnicity. That, ladies and gentleman, is called Apartheid – a word most commonly associated with South Africa which literally means “separateness.”
The picture of the wall above is a concrete example (no pun intended) of the lengths to which the Israeli Government will go to separate and segregate the Palestinian community. These walls, which are built in the name of “security”, can be found all over the country separating Palestinians from families, fields, jobs, medical support, educational desires, recreational opportunities, and ancestral homeland. I heard about the Apartheid Wall, but actually standing in its shadow was a surreal experience. It has left an indelible mark in my mind about the reality of state-sanctioned oppression and will serve as one of the embers that fuel my activism on this issue for years to come. The sad part is that the wall is only one pillar in Israeli’s Apartheid program. There is MUCH more that I must share about what I believe to be my generation’s historic challenge and opportunity to strike a blow for justice during our lifetime.
It was good for me to be there in Palestine/Israel, but it is just as good for me to be home so that I can amplify the stories that I saw, heard, and experienced while there. For any who might be reading this in the Baltimore Metropolitan area, I would welcome the opportunity to come and share about my experience. Feel free to contact me. I also am connected to many others in the world who would relish the chance to share what they’ve experienced as well.
Thank you for your prayers and support while I was away. I am deeply thankful for you. Stay tuned as I continue to process and unpack my experience in Palestine/Israel.
In Solidarity,
Heber M. Brown, III
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