Israel’s Siege of the Church of the Nativity, An International View From Inside

Interview of author/activist Larry Hales by Mark Schneider *

Special to CCMEP

August 10, 2002

* This article appeared at www.PalestineChronicle.com

Introduction: From April 2nd to May 10th, 2002, as part of a major invasion of the West Bank, the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) held over 150 Palestinians hostage and under siege in Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. During the siege the IOA denied food and medicine to the people inside. Israeli army snipers killed seven and wounded more than forty people inside, the vast majority unarmed civilians. On April 28th, more than 20 international activists slipped past the Israeli soldiers stationed in Manger Square, symbolically making it to the door of the Church of Nativity before retreating. On May 2nd, the internationals returned, this time ten of them, plus a Los Angeles Times reporter, found their way through the Israeli soldiers to the door of the Church and quickly allowed in by the Palestinians inside. These internationals, including Coloradan Larry Hales, carried in enough food for two days. Here is Larry Hales version of what happened.

Q. Why did you go to Palestine?

I went to Palestine because I feel as if I was pushed to go by my ancestors. Being that I am a product of slavery, American apartheid and the product of a people whose history was stolen, I feel that the conflict in the Middle East is something that I should be involved in. I look to the Palestinian people as kin. It is important for all people--not just people that have faced similar oppression--to be involved. Additionally, since my tax money goes to support the brutality of the Israeli military, I felt that it was important that I support the Palestinians with my presence.

Q. You arrived in Palestine in late April, during Israel’s re-invasion of Palestine. What were your expectations?

I didn't quite know what to expect. I was prepared to do all in my power and, as well, prepared for the Israelis to do their worst as far as I was concerned, because I had heard of things that they had done to other internationals.

Q. When you arrived in Palestine on April 27th, Israel’s invasion was one month old. Dozens of international activists, aligned with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), were still in the West Bank. What was the ISM’s plan?

Well, a day before I got there, when I was still in Jordan, the internationals had a demonstration in Ramallah to try and get more internationals into the Mukata [headquarters of the Palestinian Authority]. The day that I arrived in Jerusalem there was going to be an attempt to get into the Church of Nativity. The ISM held a meeting that night where the action was discussed and planned, also, there was debriefing about the Ramallah action. I volunteered that night to go inside the church. That day was Saturday, April 27th. The next day we went to the church and took food to the door. The Palestinians were too afraid to open the door because they weren't expecting us. When we got back to Jerusalem, after walking away from the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and eluding them to get out of Bethlehem, we started planning to send people to Hebron, Gaza and Ramallah.

Q. At one point the Israeli soldiers near the Church of Nativity detained you and the other internationals. But you all just walked away. Elaborate more on this and what was the soldier’s response.

Well, [Nightline’s] Ted Koppel was there. His cameraman was filming us and Koppel interviewed Huwaida Arraf [ISM leader]. After the interview, Huwaida said to us, "walk away" and that's what we did. The soldiers yelled stop, but didn't try to stop us.

Q. How was the April 28th action successful?

We talked to Palestinian families before going to the church. Many families saw us as we walked through the streets and they were happy. We let the soldiers know that righteousness is a much larger weapon than anything they possess. Ted Koppel did a story on Nightline--focusing on the siege.

Q. How did the Palestinian people of Bethlehem receive the international activists?

They treated us like we were a liberation force. They waved to us and flashed V "for victory" signs. They broke curfew to greet us in the streets. The curfew was strictly enforced the first time we went through Bethlehem. The time we walked through Bethlehem before actually getting inside the church, the curfew had been lifted for a few hours.

Q. Did you know that four days later you were again going to challenge Israel’s siege of the Church? Where were you during those four days?

I was in Hebron with other internationals for 2 1/2 days. We got in Hebron in the daylight hours after the Israeli invasion. We stayed at hospitals and attempted to escort ambulances, but were rebuffed when the Israelis detained the Vice President of the Red Crescent Society, Dr. Younus. We visited with families who had family members taken away on the Monday of the Israeli invasion of Hebron. We took pictures of the destruction of their property. Before we left Hebron we went to the funeral of the eight martyrs [Palestinians killed by the Israel Occupation Army] that were killed on Monday.

Q. What was the plan for the May 2nd action?

The plan was to get internationals inside with food and medicine. Also, we wanted to stay inside to give the Israelis something else to consider before trying to enter the church, and we were hoping that our presence would help the siege end quickly.

Q. What actually happened?

It was amazing to me how the IDF could be so stupid. We basically had the same plan as last time (April 28th). The two differences were that we had a larger blocking force [decoys] and Palestinians in the church were expecting us. We walked right through Manger Square, having to almost run at one point. We never expected it to work, but when things don't go as expected, you really have to improvise--I think this is why we ended up with 6 more people than the five that were the only ones supposed to go inside.

Q. The Israeli government and some western media have maintained that over 100 Palestinian gunmen and terrorists took over the Church of Nativity, taking all the clergy inside as hostages. According to them the Israeli Occupation Army was trying to liberate the clergy and apprehend the Palestinians inside. What do you say to this?

Bullshit. The clergy that remained inside did so willingly. They wanted to insure that the church was not harmed by the Palestinians--funny, considering the damage done by the Israelis. The clergy didn't seem bothered by the Palestinians that were killed and injured. They were more upset that the blood had stained the church. I must say, not all the clergy felt this way. Some were concerned for the Palestinians and happy that we made it inside. As far as the [alleged] terrorists inside the church, there were none as far as I'm concerned. I maintain that the terrorists were outside. It's the occupiers that cause the terror, not the occupied.

Q. The morning you and ten other internationals (including a journalist with the Los Angeles Times) got inside the Church, an Israeli sniper killed a man inside the Church. The first moments you got inside, what did you experience?

I remember one of the Palestinians saying that they thought the rest of the world had forgotten about them. They cheered for us when we got inside and told us that we could leave whenever we wanted.

Q. All told, during the Israeli siege of the Church, seven Palestinians were killed and more than forty Palestinians wounded by Israeli snipers. How were the slain and wounded cared for?

The slain were carried out by clergy--the clergy could leave the church and reenter. Some of the wounded were carried out as well, it depended on the severity of the wound or sickness. One of the internationals was a nurse and she did as best she could, with very little, to care for the wounded and sick that remained inside the church.

Q. At one point part of the Church was on fire. Seven people inside were assassinated by Israeli snipers. What did you experience in terms of Israeli attacks?

The Israelis fired at the church six times after we had gotten inside. The Israelis killed one man--Khalef--while we were inside.

Q. Were there men with guns inside the Church? What did you think of that? Did these Palestinians have a right to violently resist Israel’s invasion and 35 year occupation?

There were men with guns inside. I believe they have that right. I'm not a pacifist; and so, I believe that a people should protest peacefully, but when violence is visited upon innocent people by government forces, then, the people have the right to defend themselves and to respond in kind. How can anyone deny that the Palestinian people have the right to violently resist. They have been under occupation for 35 years. Let anyone who denies their right to violently resist live as they do for as long as they have and I guarantee that he/she will change his/her mind.

Q. What was the situation like for food, water, electricity, sanitation?

We used wells for water and a water tap that was in one of the priests' garden. We were only able to carry enough food to last for two days--after that, we were given some rice, noodles and lentils by a few Franciscan priests. Some days we ate leaf soup [clipped from tree in courtyard] and/or drank olive oil. The priests were allowed their electricity, wires were ran from their source to a couple locations--this is how we charged our cell phones. The Israelis, though, would cut cell phone service at random times--sometimes for a long time, sometimes for only a few hours.

Q. The Israeli government often claimed that they delivered food and medicine to people inside the Church. Is this true?

Not really. Once, while we were inside, they delivered a box with cigarettes, a pound cake and chocolate milk. The Palestinians gave the pound cake to us, but we split it into small pieces and gave some to as many of them as we could.

Q. Did anyone else ever try to get food into the Church?

On Wednesday, May 8th, Palestinian women snuck in large bundles of food and the Israeli military mercilessly attacked the women with percussion grenades. So for the last two days of the siege we ate well and some of this food was left over when the siege had ended. In response, the Israelis put back up the sniper crane later that day--they had taken it down a day before.

Q. Where did you live inside the Church? Were conditions segregated in any way?

We slept in the place Christ was supposedly born for the first few days. Then, we slept near the Nave where the majority of Palestinians slept. We were put in the Nave because it was the safest place. I think the priest didn't like us there; and so, we were moved. Conditions were not segregated

Q. How did the Church clergy interact with you and everyone else?

They would walk among the people and talk to us and the other Palestinians. They performed their rituals as usual. They were civil until the end.

Q. How did you pass the time?

We spoke with Palestinians. I befriended one of the Black Palestinians--he spoke English. We played cards and dominos, explored the church and we slept a lot because there wasn't much to do.

Q. How aware were you and other internationals of the ongoing negotiations to resolve the siege?

We weren't too much aware. People would call us and tell us things, but I think the rest of the world was kept in the dark by Israeli military lies. The priests' crony lawyer took part in the negotiations, but he was of no help. He was a pawn and kept trying to get us to leave before all the Palestinians.

Q. The final agreement allowed for 13 men to be exiled temporarily to Cyprus (and then onto to be determined countries), 26 men to Gaza, and the rest of the Palestinians would be questioned and released. Was this a fair deal?

No. They should have all been allowed to go free.

Q. What was the agreed upon arrangement for the internationals?

There was no agreement made for us. In some document that was not accepted, we were supposed to board the bus with the eighty-five that were going to be released after being questioned. This deal was not accepted, though. Basically, we were hung out to dry. I heard later that the Palestinians were in an outrage over our arrest and detainment.

Q. On May 10th, after nearly six weeks, the Israeli siege was over. What happened to you and the other internationals?

We were arrested, detained and deported. The men were taken to Masaiyahu prison in Ramle. I don't know where the women were taken. I was in a prison for three days. Some of the internationals were in for a shorter amount of time, some for many days more. The sad thing about the prison was the many different people there--most of them were African, some Chinese, Filipinos, Europeans and South Americans. They were there because their visas had expired. Some had no visas--one man had a work visa but he was not allowed to own anything. He purchased a car and was imprisoned because of it. I believe these people because I have no reason to distrust their stories. They were like migrant workers here in the states. Some of them had been there for over a year

Q. You and the other internationals have been called collaborators with terrorists. How do you respond?

Please. The American government collaborates with terrorists, supplies them, pats them on the back. The American government usurps power from other countries and installs puppets that will do its bidding. We went in support of an oppressed people.

Q. Various orthodox priests maintained you and the others desecrated the Church of Nativity by drinking and smoking, and leaving a filthy mess all over the Church. How do you respond to these allegations?

There was a mess when we got there. People had been living there for thirty days when we got inside. What were they to do with their trash--the garbage collectors never came. The situation was precarious. We did not create a mess. Everyone inside the church, for the most part, smoked. I was one of the few that didn't. Some internationals drank some wine because they were hungry. What did the priest have to say about the bullet marks and blood stains, the fires started by the Israeli military or the destruction done by The Israeli military all over Palestine. Just what are the priests’ priorities anyway? To just live and preach, or, to serve the people of Palestine?

Q. Was it all worth it?

We let the Palestinian people know they were not alone in their struggle. We refocused the world’s attention a bit and showed that there is a community of international peoples that don't buy into the garbage that corporate media tries to sell us.

Q. While the Israeli siege of the Church of Nativity is now over, Israel continues to invade Palestinian cities. What’s the solution to all this?

The end of the occupation. The end of the settlements and the dismantling of them. A fair solution for the refugees--hopefully a right of return for them. If Jews that have never set foot in the Middle East can return, why not people that were pushed out. It would be good if all the people in the area could live under one banner and share equal rights--I heard this from quite a few Palestinian people.

Q. What future role do international activists have in this solution?

Internationals must continue to travel to the Middle East in support of the Palestinians and they must continue to be vigilant in their home countries.

* Larry Hales has written and published a collection of short stories titled, The Voices Down Here. He was in Palestine for most of the month of May, 2002. This fall he will be working on his M.F.A in Creative writing at Southampton College.

* Mark Schneider is the former organizer for the Colorado Campaign for Middle East Peace and joined an ISM campaign in Palestine in December, 2001, and traveled to Iraq in 2000.  He can be reached at dogbuckeye@yahoo.com