The Eudaimonia Blog

In the early 1990s, Bishara’s Dutch friend Andrew who had become a friend of Bethlehem Bible College, began doing ministry among a group of Palestinian Muslim leaders who had been forcibly exiled to a location called Marj al Zubour. Most of these leaders were part of a small fundamentalist Islamic political party that had just began in Gaza. The group was called Hamas. The Marj al Zubour incident happened when in December of 1992, Israel arrested four hundred men and exiled them to a location on a mountaintop in southern Lebanon. While there were some militants among these men, most of them were intellectuals, doctors and teachers from Gaza, Hebron and Bethlehem, as well as some other Palestinian cities. Israel stated that the reason for their exile was in response to the murder of seven Israeli soldiers and because Hamas had a militant minority that was engaged in armed resistance, the Israeli government targeted their group. However, for some unexplained reason, the majority of the exiled group was composed of those from their “civil wing” who mainly focused on the building up of community infrastructure with a focus on schools and hospitals. There were even some who who were arrested who were not associated with Hamas, cases of mistaken identity. And among the group were also a few Christians. They were left without food, shelter and medication in this remote and cold location, for nearly a year.

Andrew took up the opportunity during this time to visit the men at Marj al Zabour, to share the love of Christ. He would bring food, medical supplies and books. He also would hand deliver letters from loved ones, mothers, wives and children from across the West Bank and Gaza. Technology was quite limited at that time and these men were completely cut off from their families. Andrew began to build trust among the men as a friend and advocate to them.

Bishara Awad writes, “Hamas’ ideology called for returning Palestinian society to what they saw a the core values of Israel, with an emphasis on social services and ridding it of sinful influences such as cinemas, liquor stores, and immodest dress. In that respect, they were not too different from the missionaries of my childhood. Under their influence, Muslims were returning to prayer and leading more devout lives.”

Awad continues, “They opposed the Oslo Accords on the grounds that Israel was illegitimate to begin with. In the endeavour to liberate Palestine, which in their view included the lands taken in 1948, violence was necessary. If Israel continued to push Palestinians to the margins in their own homeland, Hamas argued that Palestinians should use any violence necessary to push back.”

In a conversation between Andrew and Bishara, Andrew would say, “You know, Bishara, I abhor the violence advocated by Hamas. I do not support their zero-sum thinking regarding Israel. But after visiting with the men, I have come to understand them better. Frankly, spending time with them has humbled me in a way I did not expect.”

Andrew explains how due to international pressure on Israel, after nearly a year, the men who had been exiled to Marj al Zubour were released and allowed to return home. Andrew visited the men one more time and the men sought to honour him the best they could in this last gathering together. Andrew also commented to Bishara, “I’ve had challenges with ministry supporters in Holland who are not comfortable with me ministering to Hamas. They see it as a betrayal of our friendship with the Jews. I understand their concerns. But this whole event is forcing me to look deeper beneath the surface.” Andrew then began to talk about the hatred he felt towards Germany when as a young man, Holland was occupied by Germany. He spoke of how invigorating it was to throw stones at the soldiers and then run. Bishara responded, “I was a stone-thrower once myself” Andrew continued, “If either you or I were young men in these present circumstances, both of us would probably be out there throwing stones and some would classify us as ‘terrorists.’”

Bishara reflects, “It was a reminder that I needed from time to time: the recollection of how far the grace of God has carried me and how differently my life might have turned out without him.”

Andrew continued, “I have been humbled by the relationships that I built with those men because it reminds me of how easily I could be one of them. It is humbling because I am forced to remember once again that I am no better than anyone. There but for the grace of God go I.”

After much discussion, knowing that some western and Israeli friends might stand to be alienated, some with whom Andrew and Bishara had worked hard to cultivate the relationship, the two decided to move forward with ministering to the men of Hamas.

And so they made plans to visit some of the men in Hebron and Gaza. But little would they know that at about that same time, just before their plans to visit the men, a radical Jewish settler from New York named Dr. Baruch Goldstein would enter the Ibrahimi Mosque (which had been built over the cave of the patriarchs, the second holiest place in the world for Jews and one of the holiest for Muslims) during the early morning prayers of Ramadan and murder twenty-nine men and children, also injuring over one hundred. The gun would be wrestled away from Goldstein and Goldstein would be beaten to death. This moment transpired on February 25, 1994 during the Jewish holiday of Purim. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers would descend upon Hebron and the city would be put under curfew. It would be in the third week of lockdown, when Andrew, Bishara and their friend Salim would attempt to keep their word to meet up with Hamas leaders in Hebron, to seek to share the Gospel.