Meeting Elias Chacour

I think Elias Chacour is one of the wisest people I have ever met. He spoke to us this morning and I was spellbound by this amazing man. He is a wonderful example of how to behave amidst this difficult conflict. I will always treasure my visit here.

He said so much that I want to capture. I will try to share some of the key points. 

He said that it is not wise to be in a hurry to give answers. "When you have been here a few weeks, you feel that you want to write a book, and after being here a few months you feel you should write something and after a few years, you no longer know what to write." I am finding this to be so true.

Elias told us he is full of contradictions. He is proud to be a Palestinian. He is an Arab. He is a Christian - now Archbishop of all Galilee for the Melkite Church (but has his retirement party today.) He is an israeli citizen. He had learned 11 languages and said that now he just tries not to forget what he knows. How is it that such great men are so humble and modest?

He told us that we should not come to tell the Jews, Muslims and Christians how to live together. They know how to do that, and have done that for thousands of years. The past 67 years are the exception and we just need to return to the situation we knew before.

He is a living example here. The school he founded has 2,300 pupils and draws pupils from all over Israel and Palestine - even to the Negev in the far south. The children are Muslims and Christians. They had Jewish Children as well until the state required the school (as for all Jewish Schools) to have pre-army training. The school refused and so they were not permitted to have Jewish pupils. They do have Jewish teachers though, and organise summer camps for Jewish, Muslim and Christian young people.

Elias told us how he came to Ibillin. He was ordained in 1965 at the age of 24. He was assigned to Ibillin. He had been given an elderly VW and set off for the village. He missed it and arrived at the Sea of Galilee many miles away. He turned round and finally found it, late at night, near Haifa on the west coast. At that time movement was restricted, there were no proper roads, no electricity and no water in the village. He knew that the priest would have a house and asked where his house was - there was no house, no bedroom, no toilet, nothing. So he lived in the VW for 6 months! His Bishop forgot him and he was there for 38 years, until called by Pope Paul II to become the Archbishop. 

This is a young community - 50% of the people are under 14. Elias realised that he needed to focus on the children. He arranged summer camps. In 1981, the movement restrictions were lifted and 5,000 children signed up for the summer camp. He did not know how to feed them, so prayed for a miracle. Then he realised that every children has a mother and he visited every one of the 30 villages to organise the mothers. 300 mothers came every day to feed the children and he had his miracle. 

The elderly in the village told him they needed a school. So he started building one. He could not get a building permit and the police came and told him "you need a building permit to build a  school". He replied, "no, I don't. I need sand and cement." He was summoned to court 37 times, but still he continued. The school started with 80 pupils and 4 teachers. The child were taught in the morning  and helped build the school in the afternoon. In 2,000 they had 4,500 pupils from 73 towns and villages. The school covers primary, junior and secondary teaching. 

He was trying to build a further building and had been waiting 6 years. he had spoken to everyone, but none could help. So he flew to America and called on James Baker, Secretary of State, at home. Susan Baker answered the door and asked him if he had an appointment. "No," he said, "We don't do appointments, just appearances!" He was given a drink before being asked to leave, when Susan told him she was expected a group of ladies for a Bible study. Elias asked what they were studying and she told him the Beatitudes. He told her that this was written by a neighbour of his and asked how she would understand what he meant when she did not come from Palestine. He was invited in and talked to the group. So started a friendship. He returned to Palestine without mentioning the building permit. Susan Baker contacted him and they prayed regularly together over Skype - as he put it, they spoke to God on the telephone. Then he rang the Bakers and said he needed help over the building permit. James Baker flew to Israel and petitioned the Prime Minister - Elias got his building permit the next week. 

Elias told us that, if we wanted to take sides, please not to bother, because Israel and Palestine do not need any more enemies. First and foremost we are not born Jewish, Muslim, Christian - we were all born equal, as babies. We need to continue to treat all with equality, dignity and respect and to support the people of Israel/Palestine in finding their common future.