Shining a light and magnifying a whisper

Bishop Rachel’s reflections from a visit to Israel-Palestine in May 2025

[following on from ‘Identity, Separation, Power and Trauma’ July 2024]

Introduction

In June 2024, I had the privilege of visiting Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory of East Jerusalem and the West Bank with Dr Charles Reed (International Policy Adviser for the Church of England), hosted and guided by the Very Revd Canon Richard Sewell (Dean of St George’s College Jerusalem). It was very good to return towards the end of May this year (2025), once more alongside Charles Reed and Richard Sewell, and this time also accompanied by Martha Jarvis (Anglican Communion Permanent Representative to the United Nations).

Once again, the primary aim of the visit was to show solidarity with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, to reconnect with some of those I visited last year, and to listen deeply to the voices of people in East Jerusalem and the West Bank with a view to bearing witness to them and continuing to use my voice once back in the UK.

Last July I wrote a lengthy thought-piece focused on some key words of separation, power and trauma, set within an overarching narrative relating to identity, both of land and peoples Israel-Palestine July 2024: Identity, Separation, Power and Trauma – Diocese of Gloucester

My reflections from last year, have been reinforced and affirmed by my visit this year. Thus, this piece is a sort of appendix – a Part 2 instalment which follows on and dwells alongside Israel-Palestine July 2024: Identity, Separation, Power and Trauma – Diocese of Gloucester. I encourage you to read that first as it is the backdrop for all I now write.

Proclaim from the housetops

Being on rooftops or looking out from a height was something of a familiar theme in this year’s visit. Shortly after arriving in Jerusalem, we were sharing drinks on the roof of St George’s College with the small and inspiring Christian community of staff and visitors. People shared their thoughts and reflections as they stood in the present looking out.

Over the next few days, we were on the rooftop of an NGO in Bethlehem; then looking out in different directions from the Mount of Olives; and then surveying the land of the South Hebron Hills. Across all these vistas we saw land and peoples separated and divided.

These ‘looking from a height’ moments brought to mind Jesus Christ’s words as presented in Matthew’s gospel (Ch 10:9): ‘What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops’.

The urgency in Christ’s words to his disciples about proclaiming the kingdom of God, resonates with the strong sense of urgency regarding the need for action to bring an end to injustice, and ensure human dignity for all people across the Occupied Palestinian Territories of Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Whilst words were not whispered to me, but spoken strongly and with passion, I am deeply aware that for the Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories it is as if they are whispering because their words are not being amplified or heeded; and it is as if the words spoken to me by bringers of light in dark places (Christian, Muslim and Jewish) have been spoken in the dark, because their words have not been made visible and translated into action.

Once more I want to proclaim from the rooftops what I have heard and seen regarding the lack of equity and dignity for all people, the misuse of power, and the enforcement of separation.

I greatly appreciated meeting with Archbishop Hosam again in Jerusalem, and hearing the realities of the worsening situation, and all he faithfully navigates with grace and prayer. It was also poignant to worship once more with the faithful congregation of St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Ramallah, to hear their ongoing pain and struggles and to hear their frustration regarding the international community’s failure to act with urgency to shine light on the flagrant injustice, and to speak and act boldly in the spheres of political decision-making and in the life of the Church.

At the very start of these reflections, I also want to strongly acknowledge once again the darkness that was unleashed by Hamas on 7 October 2023 in Southern Israel. The attacks, killings and hostage-taking were heinous, and the continued imprisonment of hostages, alive and dead, separated from families and communities, reveals a darkness of human heart echoed by the darkness of underground tunnels.

The urgency to act in the light is so that no child, young person or adult is denied dignity as an equal human being, created in the image of God.

Separation and division

As I reflect on all I have seen and heard, the word ‘separation’ which I emphasised last year, remains stark in my mind, as does the word ‘division’.

The obvious separation continues to be the snaking wall of separation and fencing, but I want to first comment on another point of dangerous division. In the media and in political debate and public discourse, the devastating attacks on Gaza and the restriction of humanitarian aid, is usually presented in isolation from the issues of the Occupied Territories of the West Bank. I have returned with a renewed sense of clarity about seeing this as one issue and underlining the reality that the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem is a unitary territorial unit. The horrors of the atrocities in Gaza are not separate from the tensions and conflicts in the West Bank. All of it is part of one and the same thing: dispossession of land and identity, and a violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

In terms of geographical separation and division, I was shocked by the ever-increasing number of checkpoints, often erected unexpectedly, and with roads frequently diverted or blocked, prohibiting freedom of movement, and emphasising who is in charge and where the power lies.

The land of the Occupied Palestinian Territories is ever more divided by growing illegal settlements and the Israeli-only roads which connect them, and which act as a tourniquet around Palestinian villages. The plan of Annexation is blatant, and it was informative to stand with Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli secular Jew based in Jerusalem, as we stood on the Mount of Olives looking out over the landscape of Jerusalem.

Danny is a lawyer and specialises in cases related to government and municipal policies and practices in East Jerusalem. In 2010 he set up Terrestrial Jerusalem as an Israeli non-governmental organisation that works to identify and track the full spectrum of developments in Jerusalem that could impact the political process or destabilise the city or spark violence.

As Danny pointed things out, he spoke forcibly about the ominous trajectory regarding East 1 (E1) which threatens the possibility of any future political agreement. E1 is the Israeli administrative name for an area in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, east of occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem. The plan is to expand the huge illegal Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and connect it to Israel, thus dividing the West Bank and preventing the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.

Looking at the landscape, it is impossible to refute the intention of isolating occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem from the West Bank, as Jewish settlements form a band of restriction around the eastern perimeter.

Danny also pointed out the road between Elazariya and A-Za’im, known by Israel as the ‘Fabric of Life Road’ or the ‘Sovereignty Road’ which cannot be accessed by Palestinians who do not have Israeli residency. In practice, the construction of the road will create what I have referred to in the past as an ‘apartheid road’ (and already known as such by activists) denying Palestinian access to a vast area in the West Bank.

It was interesting to note that since 2005, plans for E1 have not been furthered primarily due to the pressure exerted by the international community supporting Israel. As that support wanes, and as criticism of the Israeli government increases, Danny believes that the plan for E1 will move ahead. Back on 29 March 2025 the Israeli cabinet approved the allocation of NIS 14 million (approximately £3.5 million) for the further construction of this road.

On Sunday afternoon, we were taken for a drive out of Ramallah, along a road forced into existence due to Israeli settlements. The experience was like driving through a concrete prison with high walls either side protecting the settlements and preventing even glimpses of the beautiful land. Most of the road was a series of dark and potentially dangerous tunnels as none of the infrastructure is maintained. On arrival in a village now with an adjacent Israeli settlement, we were shown a home which has been surrounded on three sides by an Israeli wall separating the house from the settlement.  The large barred gate across the front of the property prevents the occupants and visitors from entering the home without being granted access by an Israeli guard. For me, it was a microcosm of the reality of life in the West Bank, which crushes people’s liberty and dignity.

Another familiar form of separation is the use of imprisonment. I wrote extensively last year of the horror of nighttime incursions into Palestinian villages, and of the fear evoked in families when they hear army trucks and bulldozers on the road. This tactic of fear was affirmed in our powerful conversation this year with Joel, a veteran Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldier from ‘Breaking the Silence’ (described below), and he spoke of the impact on him of his first so called ‘Mapping Mission’ in Jenin.

Last summer I highlighted how these incursions often include the terrifying arrest and imprisonment of young people who are then held in administrative detention. The latter means they are not given a reason for their imprisonment, and their detention is based on secret ‘evidence’ identifying them as intending to break the law. Children, not only adults, are held without trial for indefinite periods and with no means to challenge the grounds for holding them as the latter is not disclosed. The ways in which this improper use of administrative detention is used by military authorities continues to contravene international law.

This year, I was overjoyed to meet Layan Nassir, a young woman who is a member of her local Anglican church, and of whom I wrote last July after visiting her family in Birzeit when she was being held in administrative detention. This time we could sit and eat with her as we listened to her vivid description of some of her experiences in prison. Layan had shared a cell designed for three people with five other women, and her description of the food and conditions was shocking (even for me as Anglican Bishop to HM Prisons, fully aware of the shocking state of our prisons and system in England and Wales).

I was moved by Layan’s resilience and grace as she described how she slept on the floor so that the older women and those who were unwell could have the beds. She explained how the women cared for each other and were determined that their hearts and souls would stay liberated from hatred, despite the treatment they received. I was shocked to hear that as a Christian, Layan was not given access to a Bible until the last few weeks of her incarceration. Sadly, Layan’s case has still not been brought to a final resolution.

In addition to the separation caused by administrative detention, I also wrote last year of the division within communities created by the power play of the IDF, whose tactics create diminished trust, as seeds of suspicion are deliberately sown among neighbours and family members who are then perceived as possible collaborators with the IDF.

In Bethlehem, in the shadow of the separation wall, we visited Wi’am (translated as ‘cordial relationships’) working to resolve disputes within the local community, and to address the traumatic consequences of long-term conflict. We heard how young people in administrative detention had been given documents to sign as part of the agreement to release them. These were written in Hebrew, and unbeknown to the signatory contained false allegations against neighbours and community members which were then unwittingly affirmed by the person signing.

We were also told of a very recent Israeli campaign of leafleting in Bethlehem, warning families to keep their children safe; and mention was made of posters plastered on the road signs to Nablus and Jenin saying that what is happening in Gaza will happen in the West Bank.

We were told that nearly 80% of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories are under 30 years old and that a high percentage want to leave. Thus, a huge challenge for the Church and for organisations such as Wi’am is to help young people living under occupation, to imagine a future for themselves. They do this through a range of activities such as international youth exchanges, social activism, creative writing and art, non-violence training, and voluntary service.

War and aggression

One of the most enlightening meetings on this visit was with the young father, Joel, I have mentioned above, who is part of the organisation, ‘Breaking the Silence’ – veteran soldiers who have served in the Israeli military since the start of the Second Intifada (in 2000) and have taken it upon themselves to bring into the light the hidden reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories. They desire to bring an end to the occupation, and to see the establishment of a political solution that enables liberty, equality, prosperity, and self-determination for all sides. Joel is passionate about his Jewish faith and residing in Israel. He too spoke of the need to recognise the false division I have outlined above regarding the separation of the issues of Gaza and the West Bank. He recalled that Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right lawmaker and finance minister under the Netanyahu Government, called the Palestinian Authority a ‘burden’ and Hamas an ‘asset’ because Western governments would never expect Israel to negotiate with a terrorist organisation.

Some years prior to the current events in Gaza, Joel served in the military with COGAT (the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), based on the Gaza border on a military base which was responsible for overseeing the entry of goods and people in and out of Gaza. In adhering to the list of what was allowed and what was prohibited, he explained that they were ordered to let in large suitcases of money coming in from Qatar to fund Hamas, as this prolonged Hamas’ existence.

Joel outlined a number of IDF policies, one of which is known as ‘mowing the lawn’ – a metaphor to describe periodic attacks on Gaza since the withdrawal of settlements in 2005. The aim has been to maintain order rather than resolve the conflict, as the latter would inevitably mean giving up land.

He went on to say that over the years the IDF fully expected that Hamas would continue to attack Israel with missiles which would not only be neutralised by Israel but would also keep the international community hostile towards Hamas and terrorist activity. In 2023 there was strong intelligence that a new attack was imminent, but no one predicted the horror of the violent assault and hostage-taking carried out by Hamas in Southern Israel in October 2023. There is a need not only for full investigation of the appalling attacks of Hamas, but also of the Israeli government’s policies that treated Hamas as a partner at the expense of the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian statehood. Thus far Netanyahu’s government has resisted this, despite widespread calls for it within Israel.

Joel also explained the military ‘Dahya Doctrine’ (developed during the 2006 Lebanon War and named after the Dahieh neighbourhood of Beirut which remains a Hezbollah stronghold). This is a strategy of lengthening the time between attacks and then using disproportionate force to inflict significant damage on civilian infrastructure which then forces civilians to confront Hamas and takes the latter’s time and resources to rebuild. He said this explains the deliberate bombing in Gaza of Palestine Square, the Parliament, and schools, universities and hospitals.

The current Israeli bombing, killing, and targeting of civilian institutions such as hospitals and schools is a disproportionate response to the abhorrent attacks meted out by Hamas in October 2023, and is not about defence but rather about aggression and revenge. I was struck by several people pointing out that the language of ‘war’ in relation to Gaza is inaccurate because this is not a war as such — there are not two armies.

Hatred and ‘othering’

I am acutely aware that there will be those reading this who will express outrage, and who will vehemently disagree with what I have written and question what I have seen and heard. Indeed, I suspect I may be accused by some of stirring anti-Semitic hatred in the UK, yet I will strongly refute this. Attacks on Jewish people and their property — on homes, streets and campuses — is utterly hideous and unacceptable and I condemn all anti-Semitic language or behaviour. I also reject the notion that any criticism of the Israeli government is anti-Semitic. To do so is to conflate legitimate criticism of a state’s actions with hostility towards a religious or ethnic group.

I want to be extremely clear that in bringing into the light what I have heard and seen, I have no desire to value one person or peoples over another. As I wrote in my piece in July 2024, this is about being pro human dignity — to see every person created in the image of God and of equal worth. I long for all Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Muslims and Christians, to flourish in their identity and dignity as individuals and as peoples, and to be recognised as such.

Undoubtedly, within Israel and Palestine there are some people who express hatred and disdain of the ‘other’. I have heard both Israelis and Palestinians express the view that the ‘other’ wants them completely eradicated from the river to the sea. But this cannot be the driver of political decision-making. I certainly did not hear hatred in my encounters with people, but rather an angry frustration and desperation, and a deep longing for all people to be recognised as equal human beings. In all of this we need to recognise that the power is all weighted towards Israel.

No doubt, some people will challenge me about the reality of some young people’s stone throwing, or abusive words, and of course that cannot be condoned, but I also recognise why it happens when people are desperate and provoked, have no security of identity or land, and when all the power lies with the occupying force.

In July 2024 I wrote about Israel’s selective application of international law and the reality that amid the rhetoric of Israel having the right to defend themselves, Palestinians are denied that right. They are not protected by the Israeli military and even in situations where they are attacked and oppressed by illegal Israeli settlers, it is the latter who are usually believed, protected and supported. In those areas where the Palestinian Authority has limited civil power, this is usually ineffective and often abused.

Care of the flock

Given the abundance of ‘sheep and shepherd’ metaphor which is present in Jewish and Christian Scriptures as an image of care nurture and pastoral leadership, it was particularly disturbing to see the reality of life for Palestinians in rural areas. During this visit, I heard that many acts of aggression by settlers are about attacking the herds and flocks belonging to Palestinians. In the South Hebron Hills, we also heard numerous stories of settlers overtaking land by driving their own sheep into the olive groves and crops of Palestinian families, which were then destroyed and overtaken.

Having visited the military courts last year, it was poignant to meet with young people in the South Hebron Hills (Masafer Yatta area) who had experienced military detention, often connected to incidents related to the activity above. We met with parents, including a group of mothers at the end of their counselling group who expressed their anxiety and fear — constant hallmarks of the lives of these families. In one Bedouin village where we met a child detainee and his family, I was struck by his mother saying that as the years go by, she struggles to distinguish between what is normal and what is abnormal.

In one of the villages in the South Hebron Hills we had an inspiring encounter with a group of women with whom the YMCA have done some amazing work of empowerment rooted in the principles of community organising. The women, the majority of whom are illiterate, had achieved the installation of electricity and water in the village, and support one another and their families in the face of constant threat from settlers and the springing up of ever-new illegal outposts. The women’s active WhatsApp group was clearly highly effective. However, it was disheartening to hear that their latest initiatives are about defence rather than flourishing. They are currently focused on installing window bars on homes and obtaining fire extinguishers to combat the burning of their property by Jewish settlers.

Perhaps the starkest encounter we had during our time was in the home of a Palestinian family. The father sat on his bed, recovering from a recent leg amputation, which had taken place as a result of him being brutally attacked by settlers. I saw the live footage of the inhumane attack captured by his 16-year-old son as he sought to defend his father. When the soldiers arrived, rather than assisting the family they handcuffed and blindfolded the son and took him to Ofer military prison. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to surreptitiously pass his phone to a cousin, and it is that footage which eventually saw the case dismissed in court.

Just as I wish I had not seen some of the footage and reports relating to the brutal attacks and killing of Jewish people on 7 October 2023, so too I wish I had not seen this inhumane evidence on the son’s phone. One cannot unsee what you have seen.

The father told how two days after the attack, he had woken up in a hospital as a prisoner of Israel. His leg had been amputated and his other leg and hands were tied to the bed frame. I will not repeat all that he told us of his deeply disturbing and upsetting experiences relating not only to the attack but also his treatment in hospital.

Throughout the conversation his son sat silently. I was told he was shy but from my perspective he was utterly traumatised. Thank God for the work of the YMCA, led by a faithful Christian, who offer such dedicated and inspiring support to these families, not least the children and young people. I am grateful for their care of this flock.

Vocabulary

I have already queried the accuracy of using the vocabulary of ‘war’ to describe the events in Gaza.  As someone who was once a speech and language therapist, and as someone committed over the years to conflict transformation, I am acutely aware of the way different words are heard and understood by different people as we struggle to articulate concepts, thoughts and emotions.

On our visit, the words of apartheid and genocide were frequently used by different people and organisations commenting on the actions and behaviours of Israel. Of course, such words are highly inflammatory for people across the spectrum of perspectives, and I was deliberately curious with those who I met, about their approval or disapproval of the active use of the word genocide.

I am clear that apartheid and genocide are things that can only be decided within a legal framework, yet while the ICJ deliberates, agreement on words does not change the urgent need for action to end the destruction of land and peoples, and the need to hold perpetrators to account.

As I wrote in my July 2024 piece, reflecting back on my time in South Africa in 1994, I continue to affirm that the situation in the West Bank has the attributes of apartheid. Likewise, based on what is being reported it is difficult not to conclude that what we are seeing in Gaza is genocidal conduct. History will judge us. What we are seeing in Gaza on our screens is not hidden.

Interestingly, Joel told us that ‘Breaking the Silence’ has begun to use the language of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in specific circumstances and contexts, not least regarding the permanent buffer perimeter in Gaza being created and expanded by the IDF. In the latest report Perimeter, soldiers give account of how they were “given orders to deliberately, methodically, and systematically annihilate whatever was within the designated perimeter, including entire residential neighbourhoods, public buildings, educational institutions, mosques, and cemeteries, with very few exceptions” (Perimeter_English-2.pdf p.6).

To illustrate my point that the West Bank and Gaza should be held together, this situation in Gaza has grown from a long-standing Israeli policy of designating certain areas as Firing Zones which means people can be moved from the area. Approximately 20% of the West Bank has now been designated as ‘Firing Zones’, affecting over 5,000 Palestinians from 38 communities. I find the implications of the Perimeter in Gaza chilling, but I’m conscious that this has been a strategy across the West Bank for many years.

Accountability

In my various encounters with groups and individuals, sometimes all I could do was vocalise that they had been seen and heard, and that I would endeavour to bear witness to them. Whether with Israeli Jews expressing sadness and anger at what their government are doing, or with Palestinians in the West Bank expressing frustration and fear, I endeavoured to verbalise that each of us is created in the image of God; and that all of us are equal, unique and precious. There is thus a burning resolve within me to be accountable not only to those with whom I have spent time, Christians, Muslims and Jews, but ultimately to God.

At my consecration as a bishop, I was reminded that ‘Following the example of the prophets and the teaching of the apostles’ I am ‘to proclaim the gospel boldly, confront injustice and work for righteousness and peace in all the world.’  Of course, there are many places of injustice across our world, and the situation in Israel Palestine is not the only situation requiring our prayer, voice and action, yet for me in this present moment this will continue to be a personal major focus.

And now…

At present, any talk of a two-state or any other solution seems a distant possibility, particularly without a vital first step of recognising the statehood of Palestine, from which other action can flow, including the ending of occupation. The recognition of the State of Palestine must surely undermine Hamas and hopefully empower those on the side of light within the Palestinian Authority to put pressure on Israel.

In the political arena, a strong light must be shone on the Israeli Government’s ongoing occupation of the Palestinian Territories and all the mechanisms of control that support it including the continual endorsement of settler expansion and annexation. A light must also be shone on the international community’s impotence in preventing it.

In exploring the ‘ask’ of the various people with whom we engaged, I heard both Israeli and Palestinian voices pleading for targeted sanctions to be implemented – whether to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the settlements, or to admonish settler violence.

Alongside this, we need to see a ban on the sale of weapons to Israel. This is not because it will immediately have an impact on Israel’s effectiveness to continue what they are doing but because it will give a strong message, not least to the people residing within both Israel and Palestine, that we are acting with integrity in standing against the Israeli government’s arrogant aggression. The constant claim by the government of Israel that they abide by international law, whilst continually flouting it and ignoring the criticism of the international community, requires a decisive response. Statements need to be turned into actions.

I pay tribute to all those Israelis who are already speaking out courageously and holding fast to the living out of God’s justice, love, mercy and dignity which is at the heart of the Jewish faith. Sadly, the new legislative proposals by the Israeli Parliament to impose an 80% tax bill on foreign government donations to NGOs, will make it much harder for organisations such as ‘Breaking the Silence’ to continue their work.

So now, I return to the rooftops where I began. As we looked out from a rooftop in Bethlehem, I noticed some huge words painted in black and written in English on the towering wall of separation: ‘Rachel is weeping’. They are a reference to the words in the Old Testament of Rachel weeping for her children (Jeremiah 31:15). The tomb of Rachel (the wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin) is located on the Israeli side of the wall and is a source of much tension. However, for me those words echoed something deeply personal and profound, and I will not and must not forget them. If I stop lamenting, I will stop hoping, and I will be in danger of no longer shouting from the housetops and bearing witness.

In July 2024 I wrote: ‘As a Christian, I also hold fast to hope. This is not about vague optimism because at present I don’t feel optimistic. Instead, it is a hope rooted in those words ‘and yet’ (which are heard in the Psalms) which point to God’s continual presence even in the mess, pain and struggle, and subsequently revealed in Jesus Christ’s coming to earth’.

Throughout the visit we saw many instances of individuals and organisations working with communities to transform trauma and oppression into hope and resilience through nonviolence, advocacy, and solidarity. As a Christian, I believe that true peace is not about winners and losers or even simply the absence of war, but it is the peace reflected in the Hebrew concept of shalom. It is about restored relationship with one another, with God, and with all of creation. It is about the mysterious harmony and wholeness which embraces difference and diversity. I hold fast to my Christian belief that one day all will be made new.

On our final morning in Jerusalem, I had the privilege of meeting with Patriarch Theophilos III, the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem, before once again visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which encompasses the sites of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, pointing for Christians to the truth that despair, darkness and even death, will never have the final word. After praying in both places, it was good to light a candle and proclaim that the darkness will never overcome the light.

Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester   June 2025