JERUSALEM, DECEMBER 2009.

In this season that celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace, can there ever be real peace in land of his birth?

I asked myself this question over and over as I traveled over the last few days through the lands where Jesus grew up, preached, healed, confronted the established authorities, and ultimately was crucified.

My travels inspired and enlightened me. But they gave no answer to the question about the possibility of peace in the Holy Land.

As to a possible solution to the Arab-Israeli confrontation, Davidson College history professor Jonathan Berkey, who accompanied our group, summed it up discouragingly as follows: “There are presently no grounds for a solution that is peaceful and fair.”

Someday, he explained, the situation will resolve itself. But it is not likely to be soon, nor will it likely be peaceful and fair.

A few days ago in Jerusalem, I found myself in the middle of a large protest demonstration, with TV cameras, chanting, and lots of “handmade” looking placards held high. “What is this all about?” I asked someone.

“We are protesting the suspension of construction in the settlements.”

I remembered that the “suspension” was the action of Israel’s conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many Americans had criticized his action because it allowed much settlement construction to continue.

“So, this is about settlements in the West Bank?” I asked.

“As you say,” he answered. “But, it is not the ‘West Bank;’ it is Israel.”

As long as so many in Israel insist that the occupied areas of Palestine are part of Israel, it is going to be hard to find a peaceful common ground.

Conflict is not limited to the Palestinian-Israeli impasse. In the holy city of Jerusalem, Jews and Christians argue among themselves in a manner out of character with the holy books that are their guides.

Secular and non-orthodox Jews resent the powers and privileges of the ultra-orthodox. Their political parties, though small, have gained political advantage by joining the governing coalitions in Israel’s parliament. While other Israeli young people have mandatory military service, the ultra orthodox are exempt. Their religious studies are subsidized. So, according to their critics, they study, rather than work, their entire lives.

Their critics accuse them of ruining good neighborhoods by crowding their large families into houses designed for families with one or two children, neglecting their gardens, and enforcing severe Sabbath restrictions throughout the area.

The resentments and conflicts bubble over.

So do the arguments of the Christians about control of their holy sites. Within the Church of the Holy Sepulture are, according to tradition, the sites of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. The shrines that mark these spots and other parts of the building are under the control of different Christian sects.

Maintenance of the overall building, its roof and exteriors, is an extra problem. Since nobody is in overall charge, nobody accepts responsibility.

As to who controls access to the building, the matter is settled by longstanding arrangements in which Muslim families control the entry door and the keys.

From time to time there are misunderstandings that lead to confrontations among the Christians. Ironically, these Christian conflicts have to be broken up by the Israeli police.

On the site of the Temple, where Jesus confronted the money changers, Muslims long ago constructed the beautiful “Dome of the Rock.”

Even though the State of Israel controls all of Jerusalem, it allows Muslim clerics to control that site. In turn, the clerics limit access to the interior of the building to other Muslims, even though it is an important site for many Christians and Jews.

The peace that shepherds and wise men hoped for more than 2000 years ago is still “hoped for” today.



D.G. Martin is hosting his final season of UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch, which airs at 5 p.m. Sundays. His blog and prior programs can be viewed at www.unctv.org/ncbookwatch. This Sunday’s (Dec. 27) guest is Jill McCorkle, author of “Going Away Shoes.”