For much of the book, Butcher recounts, in lyrical, radiant prose, sights and sounds, triumphs and discomforts as the group slogged on, blistered and sweaty, across France, Switzerland, Italy, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and finally into Palestine. Sponsored by Amos Trust, a London-based human rights organization, “A Just Walk to Jerusalem” began in June 2017 with the goal of expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and to counter Theresa May’s public endorsement of the Balfour Declaration, which, Amos Trust asserts, “precipitated a century of dispossession, conflict and suffering.” The walk attracted some 40 participants of all ages, religious backgrounds, and nationalities, all eager to make the historic pilgrimage to protest injustice and stand for equal rights.

A pilgrimage to Palestine brings a message of compassion and understanding.Īctor, director, and musician Butcher makes an impressive literary debut with a vibrant, moving chronicle of a five-month, 3,300-kilometer journey from London to Jerusalem to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the 50th anniversary of Israel’s military occupation of Palestine, and the 10th anniversary of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Walking to Jerusalem by Justin Butcher