West Bank
Following the creation of the State of Israel by the United Nations in 1948, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) began work in 1950 among the Palestinians on the West Bank annexed by the government of Jordan. Initial involvements were with refugees and people in border villages, involving mainly food, clothing, education, and rural development. MCC began two boarding schools for boys in Hebron and Beit Jala, plus a needlework program among rural women in the Hebron area.
Following the June 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Israel revalidated MCC’s agreement with the government of Jordan governing MCC’s West Bank activities. During the 1970s MCC shifted to rural development because of the absence of any governmental support and services for the Palestinians as a people. Access and rights to land and water became important issues. In 1980 the MCC director (Paul Quiring) was refused permission to return as MCC representative when he publicly articulated the Palestinians’ increasing inaccessibility to West Bank land and water resources. In the 1980s and following peace and justice concerns have been increasingly emphasized through additional staff, a peace resource center, and through teaching and interpretation. In 1987 there were six MCC volunteers and seven Palestinian staff members.
Since 1950 frequent dialogue between MCC workers on the West Bank and Mennonite Board of Missions (Mennonite Church) workers in Israel has taken place.
| Author(s) | Paul Myers |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1989 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Myers, Paul. "West Bank." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1989. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=West_Bank&oldid=93896.
APA style
Myers, Paul. (1989). West Bank. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=West_Bank&oldid=93896.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 927. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.