PLC

It's fair to admit we were all very surprised by our meeting's fruitfulness. We met with Bernard, a Member of Parliament for the Palestinian Authority and an elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). We walked in and he immediately stopped everything he was doing, an added sacrifice given he had just arrived home from a peace conference in Italy with various members of the diplomatic community, including a former Italian Prime Minister.

It was an amazing 2 hours. He shared very openly about the current situation in Gaza, the West Bank, the walls being built by Israel and a whole host of other subjects that were overwhelming to hear firsthand. He put us in contact with a number of people, including meeting the staff of Betheleham University and a Israeli Member of Parliament. I think it's safe to say that we all have felt a sense of being out of our league, most of all myself, though I am playing the least amount of significance in these matters. I am however delighted to be a part of such enriching dialogue.

We met Bernard, his wife and daughter this evening in a really tasty Palestianian restaurant. They were so gracious, they paid for our dinners. Bernard and his family are one of three Christian's in the Fatah Party. Part of his job involves heading up humanitarian aid projects to refugees in camps throughout the West Bank and Gaza. He's truly an amazing man.

His daughter is working for World Vision, a Christian non-profit organization that focuses on development aid. There is so much to say and write about, not sure where to start and end.

We leave for Betheleham tomorrow morning for the day. I'll be taking pictures of the wall that is being built, as well as Maxwell meeting with various staff and students at the University.
A shot I got this evening, with the Dome of the Rock in the background in the Old City.