The COVID-19 pandemic affected many aspects of everyday life, including travel to the Holy Land. Just as pilgrimages began recovering after the pandemic, conflict in the Middle East dealt another blow to tour operators and the Christian communities that depend on religious tourism.
Among the affected businesses is tour agency Harvest Journeys. Speaking with Harvest Journeys CEO Selina Hasham, The Catholic Weekly heard how the conflict has affected both pilgrims and the Christians who call the Holy Land home.
“The Holy Land has always been our premier destination,” she said.
“As Christians, it is at the top of everyone’s list in terms of travel.
“For us, it was a huge percentage of our product market. To suddenly have that disappear while coming out of a recovery time [post-COVID] was like a double blow.
“It also has a spiritual impact because the renewal in faith that we witness through so many pilgrims who visit the Holy Land is unique.
“That is the real treasure that has been lost; this encounter with the risen Lord in the place where he died and rose for us.”
While Australian pilgrims have missed the opportunity to visit the birthplace of Christianity, Hasham said the impact on local Christians has been far more severe.
“This is really where our hearts break because people don’t realise that the Christian population of Israel has now fallen below one percent; this is the land that gave us Christianity.
“Of all those Christians throughout the world who are living the Christian faith, they can trace that witness back to the peoples of the Holy Lands.
“Now, that very same Christian community is at risk of disappearing altogether out of the Holy Land.
“Without work, they cannot sustain their families, so they’re forced to find other options across the border into Jordan, or to become part of the diaspora around the world and migrate to another country,” Hasham said.
Br Mark McKeon, Coordinator of Institutional Values at Bethlehem University, said the absence of pilgrims has transformed daily life there.
“Once the Gaza war began on 7 October 2023, the borders were closed between the West Bank and Israel,” he said.
“Palestinians who were able to do day work in Israel were not allowed to enter. That meant they had no jobs.
“As parents weren’t working, the choice was between putting food on the table or having children go to university; they opted for the food on the table.”
“The most notable impact is there’s no pilgrims; this is largely due to governments issuing ‘do not travel’ warnings to Israel and to the West Bank.
“People can’t get travel insurance, hotels are empty, the olive wood shops have no pilgrims to buy their products.
“This particularly impacted the Christian population of the West Bank as most of them owned the hotels in Bethlehem.”
Despite these struggles and a feeling of being “forgotten by the West”, Br McKeon still sees hope.
“Despite the war and the challenges that the students face in getting to the university each day, they still come.
“In many ways, they see their education as one thing the Israelis can’t take from them – it’s an act of defiance.
“There’s a real sense of joy; it’s palpable. And to me, it’s purely a grace from God.”
Pilgrims who have travelled to the Holy Land say encounters with local Christians are among the most memorable parts of the journey. Dr Michelle Court, principal of St Christopher’s Primary School in Panania, was particularly struck by the testimonies of “a Palestinian woman and an Israeli gentleman who were working together for unity.”
“Their stories were just heart-wrenching about how they had lost family members, but they still knew how important peace and unity was; they’re experiences that you’ll never forget.”
She also recalled celebrating the faith in the places where the Gospel unfolded.
“It really gives you this amazing feeling,” she said.
There are now tentative signs that pilgrimages may soon resume. Hasham said the Australian Government had recently lowered its travel advice for Israel from ‘do not travel’ to ‘reconsider your need to travel to Israel’.
“That level put forward by DFAT is the level that it’s been at for years. We’ve taken trips to the Holy Land under that level so we’re very hopeful,” she said.
“We’ve got a group going at the beginning of October going to Jordan and the Holy Land; they’re booked, paid and ready to go.
“They’re just waiting for confirmation and for clearance to travel.
“If people can get to the Holy Land once restrictions are lifted, come! Bethlehem’s used to pilgrims coming.
“Once they [locals] see pilgrims coming back, they’re going to be welcomed with open arms.”
