In East Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, families wake each day to checkpoints, restrictions and threats of violence. For many, this has become routine. But local leaders refuse to accept it as normal.
Peter Nasir, who leads the East Jerusalem YMCA, is acutely aware of these struggles.
‘Displacement and violence, which is basically the Palestinian experience, has shaped our work because we personally are victims of this experience,’ he shares.
‘Our community is a victim; our neighbours are victims — and it’s a motivation to change your reality. We understand the problem, we understand the pain of the community and we try to address it the best we can.’
Learn, act and pray for a just peace in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.
Life in East Jerusalem
In East Jerusalem, an area is annexed and under direct Israeli control, residents live with a different reality than those in the West Bank.
‘In Jerusalem, things are more complicated,’ Peter explains. ‘We’re managed by the Israeli police and face a lot of discriminatory laws and different treatment. There’s an attack on identity — we’re allowed to be Arabs, but we’re not allowed to be Palestinian.’
Despite East Jerusalem’s proximity to wealth and services, Peter points out that it’s the second poorest place in Palestine after Gaza. Young people here face harsh realities that can’t be ignored. Many feel lost, caught between systems that deny them a sense of belonging.
This confusion and marginalisation mean that hope must be rebuilt every day — through safe spaces, counselling and practical support that help young people hold on to who they are.
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Restoring childhoods and protecting families
Much of Peter’s work is with children who have been detained — some without charge, some for small acts like throwing stones. Many return home quiet, withdrawn and traumatised.
‘They are mostly experiencing PTSD from imprisonment,’ Peter says. ‘They’re in a state we call “unchilded” because prison is for men, not for boys.’
Parents often tell him they don’t recognise their sons. Many boys come back aloof and don’t want to speak. Mothers say things like, ‘Something’s wrong, something’s different.’ Peter and his team reassure them there is nothing wrong with their child, but trauma needs time and care to heal.
‘We believe in self-reliance, dignity, self-worth. Once they feel they matter, we get them back in school so they can be children again.’
Hope here is not abstract — it’s practical. In villages exposed to settler violence, Peter’s team have fitted iron bars on windows, given families fire extinguishers and helped protect vital documents. Simple things, but they mean families can feel safer in their own homes.
Christians across the UK are taking part in a weekly fast — a symbolic act of solidarity with the people of Gaza facing extreme hunger and devastation.
Finding strength in faith
Peter speaks honestly about the weight he carries. His faith, he says, is not about turning away from the darkness but facing it.
'My faith is tested every day, seeing how cheap life can be,' he says. 'But I believe in living it. Jesus stood up against tyranny. He forgave, he loved, he lifted people up — that’s what we try to do.'
He laughs softly when he speaks about teaching his daughters maths in the evenings. 'That gives me therapy,' he says. 'I cherish every moment. I hold on to good things because I cannot lose hope in the future. I have to believe tomorrow can be better.'
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Holding on for future generations
Palestinian Christians are part of this story too — though Peter calls his community 'an uncomfortable truth' for some. 'We’ve walked with this faith for 2,000 years,' he says. 'And we still hold it, even as our numbers dwindle. We hold on for our children.'
Yet he dreams of the day when this work is no longer needed. 'One day, I hope the biggest problem our children have is wanting to play football, or music or join a summer camp,' he says. 'That is what they should worry about.’
