The highlight of this day for me was meeting Samer Jaber, organizer of weekly non-violent demonstrations at Al Khader. These demonstrations are held each Friday - at noon a group of men gather for their Muslim prayer time at the construction site of The Wall.
Samer has a calm, no, that's too weak a word, mega-mellow demeanor. There's an aura of peace and peaceful intent around him that makes me think of St Francis. And yet he pulls out the maps and explains the suffering the Wall will cause when it is completed, dividing his town and its farmers from their land, speaking in a way which inspires righteous indignation. His talk is full of quotes from a vast array of ethicists, philosophers and faiths, not used in a pretentious way, but as though he is so steeped in them, that they flow naturally in his conversation. At the end of his presentation, hearing of all the defeats the people of Al Khader have experienced he concludes "But of course we are hopeful, because we have truth on our side."
After his presentation about the Wall, we find out his own story. Arrested at age 15 for throwing stones in the first intifada, he spent 6 years in an Israeli prison. He spent his time there not growing bitter and planning revenge, but reading and becoming the peaceful leader that he is.
The world needs more Samer Jabers, and I am re-inspired to seek peace in my own heart before expecting it of the world.
* St George is Al Khader in Arabic
