The Crushing Weight of the Israeli Occupation:
Reflection on “Letters from the Palestinian Prison”
June 24, 2026
It was my first week living and working in Beit Sahour, a predominantly Palestinian Christian town that is just a stone’s throw away from Bethlehem.
As a public bus dropped me off at the Bab El-Zakak stop in Beit Jala, I immediately felt trapped by the separation wall and the various checkpoints. Some weeks later, during the Twelve-Day War, in June 2025, I found myself even more desperately trapped within the West Bank, which was placed on lockdown for most of the conflict. Every night, intercepted missiles would rattle my house, and I had no access to bomb shelters.
Both of these experiences underscored something I was told by Jack Giacaman, the sales/production manager of the Christmas House shop in Bethlehem’s Old City. “You are in a big siege, a big prison called Bethlehem [that is] surrounded by checkpoints and a wall,” he explained.
In David Wild’s “Letter from the Palestinian Prison,” Bethlehem’s oppressive, somewhat prison-like conditions are reiterated by three prominent Palestinian Christians and one Anglican priest: Zoughbi Alzoughbi, Fr. Fadi Diab, Giovanni Anbar, and The Very Rev. Richard Sewell.
Toward the outset of the film, Alzoughbi’s comments revealed one of the film’s central themes: The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem is a burden on all living in the Holy Land. The occupation demoralizes the Israelis and subjugates the Palestinians. Alzoughbi then viscerally illustrated the living conditions under Israeli occupation. “The life of animals is much better than our lives,” he says.
Subsequently, Fr. Diab underscored the need to view this Palestinian context through the time of Jesus Christ. Jesus was also born during somewhat similar circumstances: the Roman occupation of Judea. This means that He was born on the side of the oppressed and the displaced. As a result, many Palestinians feel that God is present with them through these challenging times, eliciting a feeling of hope.
As a foreigner in East Jerusalem, Very Rev. Sewell feels that the soul of the world is sick because it has allowed what is happening in the occupied territories. It’s certainly true that international organizations have largely failed to prevent suffering there, but the film illustrates that hope has kept Palestinians afloat. This centrality of hope is repeatedly emphasized throughout the film, but is particularly expanded upon by Anbar, who stated that everything is lost without hope. Hope is especially important for Palestinian young people, many of whom increasingly feel anxious and fearful about their future.
This message particularly resonated with me because many Palestinians I met when I lived in the West Bank were uncertain and pessimistic about the future. A Palestinian Christian friend of mine recently WhatsApped me the following message: “You’re wondering how I’ll support my family. I’ve declared bankruptcy; I own nothing.” Yet, the very next text message I received was: “Christ is with us.” Despite their suffering, many Palestinians retain hope and are committed to their communities and faith.
Toward the end of the film, Anbar implored viewers to witness the Palestinian situation firsthand and powerfully stated: “This land is actually a Holy Land, but also a land with a lot of religions, cultures, [and] different peoples. All of them have the right to live.” The film sufficiently conveys the frustration, suffering, and sense of confinement experienced by many Palestinians, but I was still left wondering what feasible steps could be taken to achieve peaceful coexistence.
Although the film focuses on the realities of occupation, this horrific conflict extends far beyond mere disagreements over borders and checkpoints. Competing historical narratives and national aspirations continue to shape how Israelis and Palestinians view one another.
Despite Alzoughbi’s comment at the beginning of the film that Palestinians simply resist the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, both sides increasingly reject each other’s claim to sovereignty over any part of historic Palestine. At one point, Fr. Diab mentions that some far-right Israeli ministers unfortunately speak of annexing part (Area C) or the whole of the West Bank. But the mirror image goes unmentioned: For many Palestinians, the occupation that they protest includes all cities and towns within the Green Line. Indeed, the State of Israel is largely perceived as illegitimate.
This is why lasting peace in the land where Jesus walked necessitates more than just documenting grievances. It requires grassroots efforts from civil society, international mediators, and, most importantly, new leaders on both sides who are willing to compromise and recognize each other’s humanity. While the obstacles to peace remain immense, the hope emphasized throughout the film is meaningful only if it is ultimately accompanied by efforts to build a future in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live with security, dignity, and self-determination.
About the Author: Richard McDaniel is CMEP’s Communications Intern for the summer of 2026. Richard is an incoming fourth-year political science student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Last summer, Richard worked between Jerusalem and Bethlehem for a Palestinian Christian-run reconciliation organization.