 Hello, my name is Bob Scheibel and I am Chair of Main Voices for Palestinian Rights. This organization has been around now for about two years. Our aim is to do outreach, educational outreach, about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Our main thrust, as our title suggests, is we are in favor and we work toward helping Palestinians achieve full human and political rights. We bring in films, we bring in speakers, we sometimes bring in musicians, and we distribute lots of literature. Our belief is that only when Palestinians have these rights with the Israeli state, the state of Israel, will it be able to have the kind of security and stable relations with its Arab neighbors. So we're for that as well. Now for today's program, I'm very pleased to have Carol Huntington, I believe it's Reverend Carol Huntington, who is part of a group of women who are going to be giving a presentation on the Friday the 24th, whose presentation is the 24th, and the program is called Five Women Witness, Two Weeks in Palestine. Carol, glad you could be here. Thank you for having me. Would you, I hesitated just a little bit, but you're a Reverend, so you're in which church? Tell me about your connection to the church. I'm an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, and I am non-stipendery, which means I volunteer my work, and I am focusing my ministry on peace and justice issues. I today am speaking as an individual, I do not represent the Episcopal Church in what I'm going to say today. And this is an issue, the issue we're talking about, of course, is the Israel-Palestine conflict. How long have you been involved in this issue, and how did you come to be engaged in it? I first learned about this issue in the 70s, when Ed Rodman, who was the urban missioner in the Diocese of Maine, talked about the Arabs, and that in the United States we know nothing about Arabs. But I really didn't get into it until about three or four years ago, and I learned through the Episcopal Peace Fellowship. Which is a part, an aspect of the Episcopal Church? Yeah, it's a separate arm, it's not part, it's an independent arm, members, Episcopalians who are concerned about peace and justice. So that's how I learned about four years ago, about Palestine. Alright, now this is five women witness, and these women come from different states. I think you tell us what states, and how did you wind up getting together with four other women from around New England? I had gone a year, just over a year ago I went to Palestine on a witness visit with Sebel for two weeks. And what is Sebel? Sebel is the Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in East Jerusalem. And I couldn't remember anything, I was so overwhelmed by that trip. So I recruited these four other women with the help of Linda McVeigh, who is the chair of the Outreach Committee. The group that I am a member of is called the Society of Companions of the Holy Cross. And they're a religious community of Anglican women. And this is also within Episcopal Church. Yes, Anglican women. And Sebel then is clearly, this is a Christian organization. Oh yes, yes. Well you know, I asked that. It's an ecumenical Christian. Alright. I asked that, and just want to clarify that, because I think for a lot of people it comes as news that there is a Christian community among the Palestinians. And I used to be, I was kind of surprised when I first learned that, and then I had a kind of a duh-huh moment when I realized, well wait a minute, that's where Jesus came from. Yes, it kind of makes sense. Jesus was a Palestinian Jew. Yeah, yeah, a Palestinian Jew. So it kind of makes sense there might be some Christians there. Now tell me, you've been to Palestine and Israel now two times? Yes, two times in a year. In a year. I was really blessed. People sent me. Wow. It's a great organization for which I'm grateful. Yes. How did, when were you last there? We were there in November 2012 for two weeks. I see. Okay, and that was with these four companions. Yes. Oh and you asked where they're from? They're from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, excuse me, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Okay. What did you take away from it? What did you see there? I came away with a sense of peace-loving people, people who are in my view oppressed, who are working with peace-loving Jews and Muslims, Christians, Jews and Muslims working together in non-violently, in direct action for peace in Palestine-Israel and it was overwhelming. My main interest is in non-violence work and I'm trained in doing non-violence trainings. So I learned firsthand how people who are amidst violent actions every day can respond non-violently with love. So you witnessed some of that when you were there? It was overwhelming. Did, let me ask you this maybe is a kind of tough question. You frequently see in the news, you will see young boys usually throwing rocks. Now is that considered non-violent or is that violent? When, when, I don't know, how's that for an answer? I look at, at proportionality. Just War Theory talks about the importance of proportionality. And when I see young boys throwing rocks on videos, I didn't, I've never seen it when I was over there. I was in the West Bank. I am seeing the Israeli Defense Force and settlers armed with military rifles in protective gear attacking these people, these boys, with tear gas, with rubber bullets, sometimes with live ammunition, certainly with live ammunition. And I have seen young boys age nine on top of vehicles or in front of soldiers and soldiers and settlers using these nine-year-old children as human shields. So it's a matter of context. I think when I hear the news, if I think of, and hear news about rocks being thrown at passenger cars going by, to me that's a different category because you may very well cause somebody to have a wreck and accident and I think a couple of cases like that have happened. But I want to distinguish, as you do, between that and throwing at a tank or an army vehicle or these soldiers who have full riot gear on and are using these other weapons against them. Right. Right. What, you've got five of you. So what are you women likely to be talking about? I don't want to... That's okay. What is your program? We talk about, actually it's on your list here to be inclusive, I think. Maybe it's not. Yes, home demolitions, refugee camps, the separation wall, the spirit of the Palestinian people. Yes. The Palestinian document? Yes, which is something a lot of people don't know about. That's a document, right? A letter from the Christian communities of Palestine to their fellow Christian, their brothers and sisters around the world, including here. Right. Rabbis for human rights and interface nonviolent direct action. Okay. So that's what we talk about. All right. You know, I think it's worthwhile for people to know how broad is the support for this work here in Maine. So if you don't object, I'm just going to read out the list of cosponsors. The cosponsors for your presentation are the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine, the Churches for Middle East Peace, Maine, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Maine, Greater Brunswick Peaceworks, the Maine Council of Churches, our organization, Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights, the Multicultural Student Affairs Office at USM, the Social Action Committee at Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church, Pax Christi, Maine, and the Peace Action Maine. And then finally, the Social Justice and Peace Commission of the Sacred Heart St. Dominic Church. That's a pretty broad coalition. And I think it's helpful for people to know this. I think the, and I wonder if you would agree with this, that the awareness of this issue and the awareness that the Palestinians have a side of this story that's not really known is becoming better known. It is, in the past two or three years, and our media has started to cover it. Yes. Finally. Finally. Very good. This event of yours is at the Muskie Center, or I think it's the Muskie Ali Center, but the building is the Wish Camper Center, and I believe it's the 24th, and it's 7 o'clock. I look forward to it. Thank you for having me so much. Thank you so much for coming. Bye now. Bye-bye.