WCC NEWS: Alice Kisiya: as land is confiscated in Al-Makhrour, “we need more support”

Alice Kisiya is focused on how to get back to her land. She believes people need to hear the story of her home in Al-Makhrour—because it’s the story of what’s happening to Christians in Bethlehem. Rev. Munther Isaac of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (left) and Alice Kisiya (right) pictured during an interfaith solidarity prayer. Photo: WCC 15 October 2024 “This has always been Christian-owned land,” she said. “It’s very important to protect the lands of Jesus Christ.” Thirty-year-old Kisiya and her parents are Palestinian Christians. She regards Al-Makhrour as one of the last Christian villages. “We have lots of memories there and relationships connected at the root,” she said.  But with their home repeatedly demolished and their land illegally confiscated, those roots are being ripped apart.  “I want to put the smile on my parent’s face again,” she said. Her parents are staying in a rented house after they lost theirs in Al-Makhrour.  “We are facing the settlers—and not only the settlers but the people who are behind them who are more in power, sitting in chairs manipulating these people,” said Kisiya. She wants more pressure and support from the world. “As Christians, we are a minority here now,” she said. “It’s really dangerous the way they are taking advantage of the war to steal more land.” Are people listening? Kisiya has watched and fought, over many years, as illegal settlers take more and more land.  “We want to have our minimum rights as human beings who want to live in peace,” she said. “We were never violent to anyone.” Even after settlers destroyed their family home, Kisiya and her parents tried to live there in tents. “We kept living there and they kept coming and destroying the tents—around 17 times,” she said. “It’s really tiring for my family.” Yet she finds more people are listening now than before.  “I’m strong enough to fight back,” she said. But seeing her parents is very difficult. “My dad, he used to have a small restaurant, but the Israeli Civil Administration demolished the restaurant four times without legal documents,” she said. Her father built the restaurant with his own hands.  "It’s really tough and tiring to see the things you made with your own hands destroyed,” said Kisiya. “My parents are tired. They want to rest. We are living in other people’s houses and it’s not feeling like home.” She vows to keep fighting for her family—for the next generation. She has memories of settlers playing on her nephew’s swings after their home was destroyed. “I believe in God and things will change soon,” she said. “I always keep my energy in a positive way.” Will justice prevail? She prays, and she looks for signs from God. “With help of good people, and good energy, justice will prevail,” she said. “I’m one hundred percent sure I will be able to go back to my land.”  And that, she added, will bring hope not only to her family but to many people. “Some people are just too tired to fight back,” she said. “I’m not going be tired. I will bring attention every day.” She sees herself defending humanity in a nonviolent way—and she has faced a lot of danger.  She dreams of building a church in Al-Makhrour. “This land bought many people together, Christians, Jews, and Muslims,” she said. “This land created unity and peace.” She vividly recalls when she and her mother were confronted by settlers who appeared to be intoxicated. “My first thought was to show them were are not afraid.” she said. “They were trying to provoke us with knives, she said. “Police kicked them out.” But now, settlers are hiding behind a military order.  Seeking salvation She set up a solidarity tent—in essence a small church—in which she led prayer vigils in which Christians, Jews, and Muslims participated. More than 25 communities worldwide attended the prayer online.  “I built it in three days; a small and symbolic church,” said Alice. The police and the army demolished the church piece by piece—and took the pieces with them.  Out of the pieces, Alice Kisiya will make peace. “I believe we all can live here as people together in peace,” she said. “The best thing we can do is make our enemies our best allies. The Bible asks us to turn swords into plough shares.”  Kisiya recalled when a rabbi blew the shofar as an act of solidarity, and a nearby settler heard it and came over to find out what was happening. Kisiya offered him food and told him that there is no reason for animosity. Kisiya recalled that the settler left totally surprised.  She asks people of all faiths and all people of goodwill to help. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from if we are united,” she said.  She asks people of all faiths and all people of goodwill to help. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from if we are united,” she said. Rabbi Yeshua Israel, as he blew the shofar during an interfaith solidarity prayer, expressed hope that the participants felt the salvation in the sound of the shofar, “that our call to God will be answered, and that God may lead us from the narrow path to a broad path,” the rabbi said. “We are all walking in God’s light and seeking his salvation.” See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland