Des Moines resident shares firsthand witness of life in West Bank

Tom Rendon, a member of Urbandale United Church of Christ and Iowa CCI, recently presented a firsthand account of his June trip to the West Bank, Palestine, to a Des Moines audience at the Central Library.

Rendon’s presentation, When the Holy Land Becomes the Holey Land, recounts his visits to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah, where he met with Palestinians and Israelis from Jewish, Christian and Muslim backgrounds. The title of the event references the expansion of Israeli settlements, leaving Palestinian communities isolated within the West Bank.

“I am no expert on the complex politics, religion and human rights in the region,” Rendon said, “but I am clear on what I saw and heard.”

Through his photographs and conversations with locals, Rendon explained what he witnessed of life there. He framed the presentation as a response to invitations he received during his travels: Come and See, and then Go and Tell.

“When the Holy Land becomes the Holey Land [serves] to draw attention to how much the West Bank has turned into [a] geographical Swiss cheese as Israeli settlers and their government take over more and more land and further isolate Palestinian communities, putting them under what is essentially an economic blockade,” Rendon said.

The Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, led the trip and offers annual trips to Palestine and South Africa.