"Christian Peacemaker Teams" Condemn Israeli Separation Barrier
By DiscoverTheNetworks
December 2007

According to Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT): "If the Christmas story were to happen today, Mary and Joseph would have a hard time getting to Bethlehem.... Since 2002, Israeli authorities have been building a separation barrier that snakes through the occupied Palestinian territories, in effect annexing valuable Palestinian land and water resources. To clear the way, Palestinians living near the security barrier often face the threat of home demolitions. According to Israeli human rights monitoring organization B'tselem, the separation barrier affects nearly half a million Palestinian residents, and currently the barrier separates almost twelve percent of the land on the Palestinian side of the 1967 Green Line from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. When completed, the barrier will be 780 km long…."

CPT makes no mention of the reason why the barrier is being erected: to stop the relentless wave of Palestinian terrorism that preceded its construction. And, to help spread the message that the wall is an immoral violation of Palestinian human rights, CPT suggests the following “Action Ideas” for its likeminded supporters to undertake "during the seasons of Advent and Christmas":

(a) Build a Wall around your nativity or crèche: Be creative! Build a wall encircling the crèche set, with no one or nothing else in view. Perhaps leave Mary and Joseph outside the wall (they certainly would have difficulty entering Bethlehem from Nazareth today!) Or perhaps a Handala (a Palestinian cartoon character that often appears in graffiti as a symbol of resistance – www.handala.org) could join the shepherds, separated from the baby Jesus by the wall. Create as the Holy Spirit leads your family, small group, or church!

(b) Contact the local media regarding your family, small group, or church decision to erect a wall surrounding your Nativity set. Use this opportunity to explain to the media (and the broader public) about the separation barrier the Israeli government is building throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. Note: If you decide to extend the campaign through to Epiphany, call the media on 1 January, which is often a slow news day.

(c) Take pictures of your wall. If you make your own Christmas cards, consider using a photo of your nativity/crèche set surrounded by the wall. In the card, explain why you are doing so.