Bethlehem Voices
This work begins to describe the Palestinian experience as it unfolds in the town of Bethlehem. Amidst the barrage of news coverage of the Middle East conflict, one will rarely find experiences of the ordinary Palestinian. What are their opinions, their stories, their fears, their hopes for resolution? A man from Bethlehem recently told me that he finds Americans are generally compassionate, generous, and stand for justice when they know what's going on. The problem (whether due to slanted reports from the media, deep political, religious, and cultural ties to Israel, or that we are more comfortable not knowing) is that we're not getting the whole story and we don't understand what the Palestinian people live through on a daily basis.
This project is a way of listening to the Palestinians—of entering into the power and grit of their stories. This work is not intended as a balanced view of the present conflict, but rather as a conversation with a people largely underrepresented and whose lives are generally misunderstood if not completely ignored. A thoughtful look at the lives of these people is necessary both for developing an accurate understanding of the ever-worsening conflict and for offering the hand of respect to our brothers and sisters there. I believe that a watchful eye and a listening ear are absolutely necessary if one should hope to preserve a path for peace. Having immersed myself in this work for many months and having established relationships with people in 'Azza camp and other areas of Bethlehem, I sense a compelling desire to return—a responsibility to continue listening, learning, and telling the stories of the people in this sacred, historical, and broken town.
Ted Haddock
March 2002