A priest among the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane.
An Arab Jew prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Along the separation wall in East Jerusalem.
An Israeli nationalist blows the showfar near the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
A Palestinian woman in full hijab is prevented from entering the Old City of Jerusalem due to increased tensions during Ramadan.
Women pray in the tunnels below the surface of the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The separation wall on the Palestinian side of Bethlehem.
An educator sits under a hole caused by a mortar shell in this Bethlehem school.
Bullet holes riddle the exterior of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
A woodworker caves olive wood crosses popular with tourists in Bethlehem.
Jean Zaru, a Quaker leader and Palestinian activist in Ramallah, Palestine.
Children at a school located within the Jalazone refugee camp in Ramallah, Palestine.
Women train for and create handicrafts at a community center in the Jalazone refugee camp in Ramallah, Palestine.
This woman hold a photo of her son who was killed by Israeli settlers at the gate of the Jalazone refugee camp in Ramallah, Palestine.
An Israeli soldier keeps a watchful eye on the streets of Hebron from atop a hotel occupied by Israeli settlers.
A Palestinian woman in Hebron.
Children
The photographer following a conversation with these young men in the Israeli Defense Force.
In late 2009 I accompanied a group from the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on an informational visit to Israel and Palestine in conjunction with Global Ministries, the foreign mission agency shared by the two denominations.
Many of the trip participants sponsored school-aged children in East Jerusalem via the Global Ministries’ Child Sponsorship program. For these people, the trip was especially meaningful as they were able to meet their sponsored child face-to-face and see the school to which they provided support.
The trip was also a chance to see the beauty and conflict that is Israel and Palestine. Peter Makari, Global Ministries executive for the Middle East and Europe, was the group leader along with very a knowledgeable local guide, a Palestinian Christian also named Peter (second Peter…)
The group visited traditional Christian holy sites, and was also exposed to many facets of details surrounding the Israel/Palestine conflict and hostilities – the separation wall, Israeli settlements, Palestinian home evictions, and attempts at peacemaking in this often troubled land.