The following article was prepared by Maj. Paul Khantsi, one of the South Africans currently participating in the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). It was prepared for publication in the Salvation Army's magazine, The War Cry.

Another South African accompanier, Pandora Bokala, contributed to this photo essay showing a pair of attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian schoolchildren in Hebron.

I have been asked the question in the title of this writing, as well as many others, since the decision was made for South African participation in the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). I would like, in the pages of this publication, to explain our reasons and answer the many questions running through people's minds. Questions like: Why have I been afforded this opportunity to come to the Holy Land - Israel and Palestine? What does the Church have to do with it? Is this a political adventure and, if so, since when did we in the Salvation Army get involved in politics?

To start with, the Salvation Army, for which I serve as ecumenical representative officer, is a member of the South African Council of Churches, which is affiliated with the World Council of Churches (WCC). The WCC, headquartered in Geneva, after having been approached by the churches in Jerusalem, decided to stand in solidarity with our suffering brethren and asked member national organizations to send accompaniers to Israel and Palestine. Ecumenical Accompaniers, as we are called, perform a variety of tasks: accompanying Palestinians to military checkpoints and to harvest in their fields; walking children to school; supporting Israeli peace groups, etc. The overall goal of the EAPPI is the end of the illegal Occupation of Palestine and the oppression of its people, by nonviolent means and through peaceful presence.

The situation here grows worse day by day with the Israeli government's building of a Wall, which in some places is nine metres high. The government says that the Wall is for the protection of the civilian Israeli population, but in most places in deviates significantly into the West Bank, confiscating more and more land from the Palestinians.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for quite some time. One of the bones of contention, though by no means the only one, involves the holy places which are at the heart of the three faiths of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There are some Jews here, particularly those who are illegal settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), who claim the entire land because it was given to them by God. But there are so many sites that are holy to all three faiths.

There is the historic city of Hebron, 40 kilometres south of Jerusalem, which is regarded as sacred by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It is believed that Abraham buried his wife Sarah in Hebron in the Cave of Machpelah. Isaac, Jacob, and their wives were also later buried there. The Tomb of the Patriarchs is housed in a tenuously shared structure, half mosque, half synagogue. Bethlehem, perched on a hill at the edge of the Judean desert, is the traditional biblical home of David. He was revealed as God's anointed king here as he was tending his father's sheep. The Church of the Nativity commemorates the birthplace of Jesus Christ. In the southern part of the land, in the Negev desert, lies the city of Be'er Sheva, which means "well of the covenant."

Another bone of contention is the city of Jerusalem itself. Israel claims it as the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish people. But the city is also holy to Muslims and Christians, and is in fact the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. Palestinians claim Jerusalem, or at least the eastern part, as their capital. Jerusalem is currently under the control of the Israeli government and heavily armed soldiers can be seen in many parts of the city.

The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four quarters. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the traditional site of Christ's crucifixion at Golgotha and tomb, is found in the Christian Quarter. The Armenian Quarter, also predominantly Christian, neighbours the Christian Quarter. The centre of the Jewish Quarter is the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism. Jews will celebrate bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, the coming of age of boys and girls at the age of 13. Some worshippers will come daily to recite the entire book of Psalms. Others will come to place prayer petitions into the Wall, believing that these go directly to God. The area directly in front of the Wall is partially divided by a screen; men pray on the left while women pray on the right. The Muslim Quarter is the largest and most densely populated of the quarters in the Old City and the streets here are lined with many shops. Straddling the Muslim and Jewish Quarters is the Al-Haram al-sharif, or the Temple Mount. Here stands the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, where Muslim worshippers come every Friday to pray, Friday being akin to our Sunday in South Africa.

Returning to the question of our being here, we support both Israelis and Palestinians by our presence. Palestinians feel encouraged by our being here, knowing that there are people who share in their afflictions. The violence of settlers is reduced when international observers are present. As Ecumenical Accompaniers, we report through the WCC and our respective national organizations any harassment or violations of human rights. We work with organizations striving for peace, both Israeli and Palestinian. We completed intensive training, both here in Israel and Palestine and in our home countries. Our current group on the ground represents seven countries: Britain, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and South Africa. The current group of 18 accompaniers will remain in Israel and Palestine for three months, after which time a new group will arrive.

I am currently working in the tiny village of Yanoun, located in the upper West Bank near Nablus. According to tradition, this is the place where Joshua's father Nun is buried, and I have actually stood on that hill. The village numbers approximately 100 people and is under constant threat from the inhabitants of the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar. The settlers from Itamar have used violent means to try to force the villagers of Yanoun to leave. The villagers did leave, but were persuaded to return due to the efforts of Israeli and international peace organizations. A permanent international presence, now being manned by the EAPPI, was established in the village to deter attacks by the settlers. I am joined in Yanoun by a fellow South African, who is an Anglican priest in Port Elizabeth, and a woman from Britain, who is a native of Ireland as well as a Quaker.

By way of advocacy, I am appealing to all Salvationists, Friends, and readers of the War Cry, to place Israel and Palestine on your prayer list as a Christian duty out of love for the peace left to us by our Lord.

There are many holy places that I have not yet been to, but perhaps I will be able to keep you informed about those developments. For more information, you may call and speak to our South African National Coordinator, Father Luke Pato (tel. 011 241 7805), who will happily provide it for you or speak at your gathering.

Major Paul Khantsi
Ecumenical Representative Officer
Salvation Army