Delegate Testimonies
I have been to many colonized places in the world. From Caribbean islands like Aruba that are still formally owned as such, to places like Kenya, where the fractures of society continue to fall along the fault lines of British occupation, despite its official end in 1963. It was clear to me that while the contusions of colonialism appear in different shades of black and blue, they are all equally destructive. And yet, I was unprepared for the brutality of what active settler-colonialism would feel like when I arrived in Palestine. The oppression of the Palestinian people has been devastating, yet necessary, to witness. Every act of their existence is resistance, reminding the settlers they cannot be erased. I’m forever grateful to FOSNA and those who made this trip possible for me so that I could not only better understand why Palestinian liberation is so urgent, but build relationships with those who are actively working towards it. Despite the overwhelming realities of persecution and attempts at their extinction, the Palestinian people remain hungry for the reclamation of their land, but not their humanity- for they’ve clung to that as desperately as their oppressors have tried to deny it. Just like their land - they have found ways to produce in the face of restriction and sustain their love for each other amidst a seemingly insurmountable enemy. As the lungs of the land struggle for their collective exhale on the day of liberation, we inhale knowing God’s breath smells of rosemary and jasmine on the hills of Palestine.
—Olivia B.
“These words, spoken by Tania Nasir, the Godmother of Layan Nasir who has been arbitrarily detained* since April 7 without any charges, evidence, or trial speaks to me of the pervasive dehumanizing emotional environment for everyone touched by this horror:
‘We fear the worst. The Israeli mind is plotting our end. I wonder what they are thinking, the settlers who watch me as I water my plants. The land is our mother - connection is almost physical. Our olive trees are being butchered, our homes bombed. Their dream is a nightmare for us, but it must also be a nightmare for them. Why should Layan be in prison? This isn't just a political issue, it's an existential issue for them and for us.’
She went on to say ‘People like you, trying to feel, trying to help, our only hope is your anger. I pray your anger reaches your government.’
We were invited - called really, to action over and over again. We have a moral obligation to join the struggle, to add our voices, our intellect, our power to stand on the side of justice, of humanity, of life.”
—Sister Barbara Battista, SP, PA-C; Justice Promoter, Sisters of Providence; Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana
(*3,600 Palestinians detained without charges as of April 17, 2024 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/17/palestinian-prisoners-day-how-many-palestinians-are-in-israeli-jails)
“Traveling around the West Bank with our inter-faith delegation, it became clearer to me than ever that solidarity is the mature expression of Christian love for others. Listening to stories of home demolitions and land being confiscated, children under attack and “administrative detention” (imprisonment without charge,) I could hear the call of Jesus to stand with these courageous people. We are all grief-stricken and outraged by the unjust suffering of the Palestinians, but our love for them must take the form of concerted action on their behalf. This is what it means to be a follower of Christ during this tragic time. “
—Dr. Laurie Gagne, Professor of Theology and Peace and Justice Studies (Retired)
I’m so thankful for the financial support that allowed me to go with this delegation to Palestine. Trying to learn about what’s happening here in the United States was a necessary struggle, but a struggle none the less. Coming to Palestine has allowed me to feel so much closer to the situation and has given me information that is more accurate and holistic than most of the information I can find in the United States. I have also learned so much from my fellow delegates and have been encouraged by our conversations about strategic solidarity and resistance. I feel like I’m coming back to the States with a deeper understanding of Palestine and it’s lovely people, as well as a stronger passion to join with the people I’ve met in raising my voice against the illegal settler colonialism going on here. This delegation has encouraged a deep spirit of perseverance, joy, and solidarity amongst its members; for that I am deeply grateful.
–Anna B.
“Until my recent experience with Sabeel’s Peace Delegation to Israel and the West Bank, places such as Jenine, Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron were mostly biblical names, which I could relate to from a distance, or cities on the map, some more familiar because of the war. We had one free morning to do whatever. I chose to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, magnificent in its splendor, sacred in its significance and awesome in its history. That afternoon and for the rest of our time, we continued our mission – hoping to be a protective, supporting and caring presence to our Palestinian sisters and brothers. It turned out for me; however, I was the gifted one. They gave me the extraordinary gift of experiencing the living, suffering Church of the Holy Sepulcher! They are the holy ones living the life of Jesus today in the most difficult circumstances. These friends remain with me. I brought them home in my heart and mind. Not to join them in their struggle for peace with justice is impossible.”
—Sister Diane Bardol, GNSH; Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart