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A Dallas-based pastor who traveled to Israel just days before war broke out is now safe in Jordan, along with a group of people from churches around Texas, after they had to shelter in their Jerusalem hotel for two days.
"This is a terrible privilege to have been there in the midst of this," Rev. George Mason, founder of Faith Commons, a nonprofit interfaith group, and retired pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"I certainly would not have boarded a plane to fly into it. But because we were there, we were able to experience this shock from the point of view of Israeli Jews."
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On Saturday, Oct. 7, the Hamas militant group struck Israel in a surprise attack from land, air and sea.
Mason, who was in the country preparing to lead a tour along with Rabbi Nancy Kasten, said he first learned of the events when he went to the hotel’s front desk to inquire about laundry service.
Speaking at the Land, People and Culture International Conference at Dar Al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, Rev. George Mason of Dallas, Texas, discusses the different sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (George Mason)
The clerk informed him that there would be no laundry service that day due to "the difficulties."
"He told me that I should turn on the news and that there were rockets coming from Gaza," Mason said.
"Many people in Israel weren't really alarmed by that because they're sort of used to these skirmishes from Gaza," he said.
"But in this case, of course, it was shocking, the massive onslaught. It was a real blow to the psyche of Israelis. It was like a 9/11 to them."
Rev. George Mason (back row, 4th from right) and his group convene outside the Arthur Hotel where they were staying in West Jerusalem. (George Mason)
Mason said he and his group began to hear "loud booms" and had to move to shelter rooms, which were secure areas on each floor of the Hotel Arthur, where they were staying.
"We later learned those were rockets that were being intercepted by the Israel Security Dome, the Iron Dome," Mason said.
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"So then sirens would go off and we would have to go to the hotel shelter rooms. This happened on and off."
The Arthur Hotel is in West Jerusalem, about 40 miles away from Gaza.
Rev. George Mason and members of his tour group gather in the lobby of the Arthur Hotel as they await departure from the country after the attacks on Israel. They arrived in Israel just days before the attacks on Oct. 7. (George Mason)
"We could not see it," Mason said of the bombing. "We could just hear some of it. We had security protocols that you couldn't go out about. So we were pretty confined to this hotel."
Only 15 people of Mason’s group actually made it to Israel, Mason said.
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"Half of the group was en route in the air and the other half was following, but war broke out before they could get on the plane," he said.
"So half the group made it, and then when they landed, they found out what had happened. The tour was canceled, but 15 of us were stuck in Jerusalem for several days until it became too dangerous."
An orange moon rises over the city of Bethlehem. (George Mason)
Mason said that as they sheltered in place, members of the group remained calm but could not help but think about how things could play out.
"I think everyone wondered what the extent of or the reach would be," Mason said, "both of the rockets and whether there were insurgents that were going to make it into Jerusalem. And so everyone was concerned about that and taking precautions."
He added, "Part of it was that Hamas had been calling for Palestinians to rise up throughout Israel and Palestine and join the struggle, bring knives, do everything they could to participate. And so I think people were very on guard about that."
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On Monday morning, Oct. 9, Mason got word that it was time to flee the country.
"I received a notification from the tour agency that things were likely to get more dangerous in Jerusalem and that it was time to probably pack up and leave and go north to get out of the rocket range," Mason said.
The Dome of the Rock is what is known to the Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Al-Aqsa Mosque. (George Mason)
"And so we quickly boarded a van and headed up to the Sea of Galilee area, just south of the Lebanese border."
They headed north on the main highway north in Israel, Highway 6, Mason recalled.
"We saw lots of tanks and many soldiers, especially in areas like near Nazareth where Jews and Arabs live side by side. So the Israeli military was trying to prevent any fighting within Israel that might be incited by this. We saw a lot of military presence, but we did not see fighting or, or hear rockets, so that was a good thing."
The group spent the night there and then headed for Jordan first thing on Tuesday morning.
A path in the West Bank leading to the village of Battir. (George Mason)
"A lot of other people had the same idea," Mason said. "So, it was about a five-hour ordeal to get through the border. It was just so crowded. It was just slow and crowded and careful. And, you know, I think they were taking extra precautions. And now we are safe."
The Texans are planning to remain in Jordan as they rebook their flights to depart from Amman instead of Tel Aviv, Mason said.
"The flights were so booked," he added. "It’s going to be the 14th, 15th and 16th before our group finally gets out."
Ironically, Mason and Kasten were set to lead what they call a "dual narrative tour."
"We saw a lot of military presence, but we did not see fighting or, or hear rockets, so that was a good thing," said Rev. George Mason of Dallas, Texas. The Settlement of Giloh near Jerusalem is seen in this image. (George Mason)
"The people who come to go around Israel and Palestine and meet and listen to the stories of people, in their own words, talking about how they are trying to bridge the gaps of understanding [and] create friendships that will lead to a better future," Mason said.
A few days before, Mason spoke at the Land, People and Culture International Conference at Dar Al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, where 200 people from 25 countries gathered to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"I got to know very intimately the experience of the Palestinians, on a personal and also scholarly level, from historical, political, religious, cultural and even archeological perspectives. It was a very interesting conference," he said.
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When war broke out, all that Mason and the other conference-goers discussed became real.
"Many [Palestinians] have lost their lives and are being wiped out in Gaza now because of the actions of Hamas."
"I had just been with Palestinians and was still in contact with them, hearing from them what this meant to them," Mason said.
"Ninety-nine percent of Palestinians would say that this is not what they want. What they have done cannot be justified. However, you can understand that there are reasons, even if they're unjustifiable. And we forget that the line between good and evil goes through the center of every human heart."
Rev. George Mason and a church group from Texas are safely in Jordan after taking shelter for two days in their Jerusalem hotel. (George Mason)
Mason said the experience has created a forever bond between members of his group.
"I think we've all depended upon one another and we really helped to encourage one another through this," Mason said.
"And we really did not want to miss out on whatever we could learn from being in the midst of this."
In a time of sorrow, Mason offered words of comfort to the Israeli people.
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"The unjustified and inhumane murders, bombings and kidnapping of innocent Israelis (and other foreigners, including Americans) by the terrorist group Hamas has left a deep wound in the hearts of those who mourn them and their families, as well as all of us who join them in their suffering and grief," Mason said.
"I just believe we can be truthful about our love and sympathy for all who are dying and mourning."
The pastor also said he feels for the innocents on all sides of the conflict.
"Many [Palestinians] have lost their lives and are being wiped out in Gaza now because of the actions of Hamas," Mason said.
"I realize there is a fine line that is often called false equivalencies in these matters. I just believe we can be truthful about our love and sympathy for all who are dying and mourning."
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