J e r u s a l e m / O h r i d – European Baptists have sharply criticised Israel’s barbed-wire-studded wall separating Israel from the West Bank. A report on the trip, which was unanimously approved by the EBF-Executive meeting in Ohrid/Macedonia, affirms that no member of the five-member European Baptist Federation (EBF) tour group questions Israel’s right to exist and protect itself, yet EBF-General-Secretary Tony Peck (Prague) added: “To be in Bethlehem meant to experience a huge sense of injustice towards the Palestinian community, some of whom are our Christian and Baptist brothers and sisters.” The border wall is not only a question of security; it also involves “the seizing of land for more Jewish settlements”. The report continues: “Like the prophets of old, we found our hearts stirred with indignation at the degrading treatment of Palestinians, the majority of whom are peace-loving and have been on the land for many generations.” A staff member at Bethlehem’s Bible college had described life as “living in a huge jail”. The European Baptists displayed no sympathy for statements of visiting groups of American Christians who had told a Palestinian believer to leave his land “because you Palestinian Christians are a part of the problem”. Yet this man’s family have been living in the region for 20 generations. Approximately 48.000 Christians reside on the West Bank.

No signs of improved living conditions

EBF-President Toma Magda (Cakovec/Croatia) criticised Israel for the lack of improvement in living conditions on the West Bank. Israeli checkpoints confront people everywhere. Magda compared the situation to Croatia 16 years ago when a civil war was in progress: “My experience on the West Bank tells me that our war was in a sense a ‘piece of cake’.” The President of Italy’s Baptist Union, Anna Maffei (Rome), was impressed by the “Tent of Nations” peace project in Bethlehem. A piece of land there has belonged to a Palestinian family since 1900. Though the family possesses the necessary documents, the Israeli government is attempting to move them off their land. The family is defending their interests by legal means. The family has established a tent community on the land and is holding camps for children to strengthen their confidence and will to survive. Regina Claas (Elstal near Berlin), General-Secretary of Germany’s Baptist and Brethren “Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches”, lamented the fact that the three prominent religious communities – Jewish, Muslim and Christian – have little contact with one another. The Bible teaches that there is no peace without relationships, and that they must be marked by reconciliation and readiness to forgive. During this visit, no signs of such willingness were apparent.

Baptists desire to support evangelicals in the Holy Lands

At the heart of the trip stood a meeting with the pastors of 15 congregations belonging to the “Evangelical Council in the Holy Lands”. The council is composed primarily of Baptists, but Pentecostal and one Presbyterian congregation are also involved. Native pastors cannot move freely between the West Bank and Israel with the exception of those pastors holding foreign passports. The congregations are suffering from two alarming developments: feeling in danger of losing their lives, many church members are emigrating. Additionally, Anglican, Lutheran, Roman-Catholic and Orthodox churches are criticising the evangelistic efforts of these congregations. The EBF-Executive therefore accepted the Council’s wish to become members of the EBF. That decision still needs to be ratified by the EBF-Council in Lisbon, Portugal in September 2008. It was confirmed that international inter-church contacts are a source of vital encouragement to Palestinian believers. Tony Peck expressed the view that contacts should not be restricted to Baptist churches, as many officially non-Baptist congregations possess strongly baptistic characteristics. The EBF is appealing to the Israeli government to officially recognise these congregations.

Escape from the Gaza Strip

It was also reported that congregational life in the sole Baptist congregation in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Hamas movement, has come to a standstill. Seven families, including Pastor Hanna Massad, have fled to the West Bank following threats from militant Islamists.