Shut Out

I am glad to be feeling isolated in this place, since it isn't somewhere I feel a natural desire to belong to, not the way it is. It was a strange feeling to be shut out of the press conference being held with Tony Blair in Ramallah, that was because I was not a Palestinian; odd to have it the other way round. I also got a door firmly closed on me after I invited a woman lay-person to read to gospel at the daily eucharist at the cathedral. I also cannot get into Gaza, because I am not a Palestinian, and I cannot get into the Dome of the Rock because I'm not a Muslim.

Fortunately my access issues are far far less severe than the locals, to the point of being irrelevant. Claire's family, who I've just met, would have to take 5 different service taxis or private taxis, one way, to get from their home to Bethlehem for the Christmas celebrations -- that would mean waiting for ten vehicles to come, and fill up, and at least four check points to get through, simply to go there and back along a main route 12 miles long. And fortunately my health insurance document covers me for health-care to the sum of 5,000,000 in sterling: Claire's dad doesn't get any health insurance, although he pays for it, this is because he lives the wrong side of the separation wall.

I have, joyfully, been given access to Bernard Sabella, Professor of Sociology at Bethelehem University and Albert Agazarian retired Director of Communications from Birzeit University who have both agreed to be interviewed for the documentary. Albert is going to take me onto a 'Swedish' roof with stunning views across the Old City for filming. Bernard is going to spend a whole day with me travelling along the road to Bethlehem, through the checkpoint, and into the city that Palestinian Christians are leaving in their thousands (10 per cent of 35,000 have left in the last 4 years). In fact Bernard was in the Herald Tribune and New York Times discussing this very topic in the last couple of days -- http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/23/international/middleeast/23bethlehem.html

Eating out has been fantastic, from munching falafel and pitta daily to beatifully prepared Italian vegetarian meals just close by St George's. Tomorrow I am going to go to Bethlehem to take a look round and attend a couple of services, one in the Shepherd's Field overlooking the town and the other at the Church of the Nativity. Midnight communion will be back at the cathedral, and then a full set of services in East Jerusalem on Christmas day itself. I lead the 8am Holy Communion on Boxing Day and then it's straight down the Holy Sepulchre for 9am to begin 6 days of filming.