Musalaha - History of Musalaha

History of Musalaha

Musalaha was founded in 1990, when unity among Israeli and Palestinian believers was especially lacking due to the First Intifada. Dr. Salim J. Munayer, an Israeli-Palestinian from Lod, relates how this lack of unity was recognized by leaders from both sides. In response they "founded Musalaha as a vehicle to bring people into the process of Biblical reconciliation". Their vision was to create a neutral space for Messianic Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Christians to meet with each other, and receive training in reconciliation.
Musalaha began by taking groups of Palestinians and Israelis on trips to the desert, which thanks to its isolation, is an ideal location for this type of encounter. Munayer articulated this vision when he said, "I would like to try taking groups of people from both sides out into the desert for three days. I believe that when they are away from their normal surroundings, in a situation where they must work together, we can begin to break down the barriers and build a trust relationship." From its small, grass-roots beginning, Musalaha has grown into a thriving, locally and internationally recognized entity, and has developed a large variety of reconciliation-based activities.
While not ignoring the divisive political and theological issues such as Theology of the Land, Justice, Israeli Settlements, and Palestinian terrorist attacks, Musalaha seeks to bring both sides together and develop friendships, before undertaking the difficult task of discussing them. In the words of Salim J. Munayer,

"As we founded Musalaha we knew that we had to deal with those issues, but also understood that Musalaha had to find a safe forum where people could develop relationships, and then express, exchange, learn, and debate the issues that divide us. Many wanted to deal with the issues right away without understanding the importance of the process: that these issues will be dealt with in proper time and manner, in the context of developed relationships."

The strategy for developing these foundational relationships, according to Munayer, was to bring both sides together. "I came to the conclusion that the theology of reconciliation was the best theology to deal with all these issues, and that more than anything else, the Jewish and Palestinian believers needed to be brought together, face to face. Anything less would not work, because of the dehumanization and demonization going on from both sides."

Among the early supporters of Musalaha was Open Doors leader, Brother Andrew. He wrote of Musalaha, "Of all the ministries in Israel, I found myself drawn most to this one. It seemed the most ambitious but also the riskiest. It wasn't an idea promoted by foreign missionaries but was birthed in the local Christian community. It didn't just talk about the problem between Palestinians and Jews. It brought the two sides together and provided a means for them to reconcile."