In this post: a teenager shot dead last night by military in town where I want to work; more on the article that quoted me yesterday; and UN comments on who's breaking the ceasefire more often.
I awoke this morning to news that a 17 y.o. from Beit Ummar (near Hebron) was shot dead by the Israeli military in the middle of the night. Beit Ummar is the town where I'm hoping to work soon, so the death (along w/ several kidnappings last night in B.U.) was particularly troublesome to me.
You can read about the incident in Pal. news here: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=30147
This Israeli newspaper gives a possible reason for the killing: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/996604.html
The reporter who quoted me in a story yesterday actually took a look at my blog after an email exchange we had, and he apologized and took the quotes off the article because he didn't want to misrepresent things. So . . . Props to him! I didn't write on my blog about the story to get him to change anything, but I applaud his desire to be accurate. He did, however, add a photo I took at the demo to the article. To see that photo, go here: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=30137
After writing a few days ago about the break down in the Gaza cease fire and my suspected reasons for it, there's actually a report and articles out now high-lighting some of the points I'd made. This article quotes a UN source saying that Israel violated the cease fire 7 out of 8 times in the first week: http://www.imemc.org/article/55700. The article also points out that part of the reason for the collapsing ceasefire was the shooting of the Pal. older men. All this I had said a few days before. Hmm, maybe I need to start monitoring these ceasefires!!?? :)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Quoted in Pal News
I attended the Al-Khader demonstration (near Bethlehem) today, and the event carried on without incident. Pal. men prayed in the middle of the road, near where the Wall will confiscate 90 % of their farmland; after the prayers, they returned home. Israeli soldiers also showed up at the demo, but no action was taken against the Pal's.
I was quoted on Maan News today for a conversation I had after the demo. You can read the article and quote here: www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=30137
I'm actually slightly annoyed with the quote, as it misrepresents the conversation and its context. The way the conversation is recorded in the article, it sounds as if Samer Jaber and I had a disagreement or argument about the role of intl activists. In the conversation, I was actually asking questions about what the Al-Khader committee wanted from intl activists, since there doesn't seem to be the threat of violence at Al-Khader that happens at some other protests. I never argued for the demo to take on a different characteristic, go faster, be more confrontational, etc. Actually, I was speaking against activists who take matters into their own hands and turn protests into events that the Pal's don't support.
I don't think Samer Jaber and I had any sort of disagreement. But, I am happy that these comments about going at the pace of the Pal's did get aired, even if they are a mischaracterization.
Here's the text from the quote, in case the link doesn't work:
"Bethlehem – Ma’an – More than 100 Palestinian men and boys, supported by a handful of international volunteers, held a peaceful demonstration against the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank village of Al-Khader, near the city of Bethlehem on Friday.
The demonstrators gathered for the Friday Muslim prayer in intense midday heat on a settler bypass road in Al-Khader, close to the intended construction site of the wall. Two Israeli army jeeps, an armored personnel carrier, one border police jeep, and one Israeli civil administration jeep prevented the protesters from reaching the construction site.
Local officials say the completion of the wall will result in the de facto annexation to Israel of more than 90% of the agricultural land the town depends on for its livelihood. The villagers of Al-Khader have been protesting the wall’s construction every week since January.
In delivering the Friday sermon, local educator Issa Ghneim talked about the status of Jerusalem, the occupied Palestinian capital, calling the city “the heart of Palestine,” saying that the city’s status is “non-negotiable."
Ghneim also expressed frustration at the lack of progress in the current final status negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. “We gave more than ten years to negotiations, and still they [the Israeli authorities] did not remove one roadblock,” he said. He was referring to the network of over 600 checkpoints and roadblocks Israel maintains as a part of its occupation of the West Bank.
An American solidarity activist named Tre said that after attending more confrontational demonstrations in other West Bank towns, such as Bil’in, near Ramallah, he wondered if his presence was more needed in situations where the Israeli military responds violently to protest. “I feel more of an urgency to show up where Palestinians are being hurt,” he said.
Samer Jaber, a member of the Al-Khader Popular Committee Against the Apartheid Wall and Colonization, defended the peaceful nature of the demonstration, arguing that a more confrontational approach would alienate the Palestinians he is attempting to mobilize to action. “Internationals should just show solidarity and go with the flow,” he said, “If they go fast, it raises some questions. You have to move at the speed of the slowest one.”"
I was quoted on Maan News today for a conversation I had after the demo. You can read the article and quote here: www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=30137
I'm actually slightly annoyed with the quote, as it misrepresents the conversation and its context. The way the conversation is recorded in the article, it sounds as if Samer Jaber and I had a disagreement or argument about the role of intl activists. In the conversation, I was actually asking questions about what the Al-Khader committee wanted from intl activists, since there doesn't seem to be the threat of violence at Al-Khader that happens at some other protests. I never argued for the demo to take on a different characteristic, go faster, be more confrontational, etc. Actually, I was speaking against activists who take matters into their own hands and turn protests into events that the Pal's don't support.
I don't think Samer Jaber and I had any sort of disagreement. But, I am happy that these comments about going at the pace of the Pal's did get aired, even if they are a mischaracterization.
Here's the text from the quote, in case the link doesn't work:
"Bethlehem – Ma’an – More than 100 Palestinian men and boys, supported by a handful of international volunteers, held a peaceful demonstration against the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank village of Al-Khader, near the city of Bethlehem on Friday.
The demonstrators gathered for the Friday Muslim prayer in intense midday heat on a settler bypass road in Al-Khader, close to the intended construction site of the wall. Two Israeli army jeeps, an armored personnel carrier, one border police jeep, and one Israeli civil administration jeep prevented the protesters from reaching the construction site.
Local officials say the completion of the wall will result in the de facto annexation to Israel of more than 90% of the agricultural land the town depends on for its livelihood. The villagers of Al-Khader have been protesting the wall’s construction every week since January.
In delivering the Friday sermon, local educator Issa Ghneim talked about the status of Jerusalem, the occupied Palestinian capital, calling the city “the heart of Palestine,” saying that the city’s status is “non-negotiable."
Ghneim also expressed frustration at the lack of progress in the current final status negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. “We gave more than ten years to negotiations, and still they [the Israeli authorities] did not remove one roadblock,” he said. He was referring to the network of over 600 checkpoints and roadblocks Israel maintains as a part of its occupation of the West Bank.
An American solidarity activist named Tre said that after attending more confrontational demonstrations in other West Bank towns, such as Bil’in, near Ramallah, he wondered if his presence was more needed in situations where the Israeli military responds violently to protest. “I feel more of an urgency to show up where Palestinians are being hurt,” he said.
Samer Jaber, a member of the Al-Khader Popular Committee Against the Apartheid Wall and Colonization, defended the peaceful nature of the demonstration, arguing that a more confrontational approach would alienate the Palestinians he is attempting to mobilize to action. “Internationals should just show solidarity and go with the flow,” he said, “If they go fast, it raises some questions. You have to move at the speed of the slowest one.”"
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Travels to Northern Israel and an Unraveling Cease Fire
In this post: the cease fire breaking down; travels to Northern Israel
As the cease fire already is beginning to break down in Gaza, it's worth pointing that both sides have not kept to their agreements. However, if Israel wants to say that Palestinians were the first to break the cease fire, I have to ask why Israel is not considering the shooting and wounding of two unarmed civilians in Gaza as breaking their side of the agreement. Even before the assassinations in the West Bank took place and rockets were fired from Gaza, Israel had wounded two farmers from Gaza, both over 67 years old. These casualties have received little press time, but I'm sure they increased tension and led to the break down in the cease fire agreement. As far as I can tell, these two wounded civilians were the beginning of the end of the cease fire.
It's also worth pointing out (again?) the gross disparities in casualties in the Gaza strip. While Gazan deaths top 500 since last Nov., I think it's something under 10, the number of Israelis wounded by rocket fire since Nov.
I'm seeing today news sites sayings Gazans have broken the cease fire twice (as of today). Indeed, they have, but few are reporting Israel's missteps. One group, which is very biased, says that Israel has violated the cease fire 15 times in the first week. You can read the account here: www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=30113. The data there seems pretty good, and I would say that there have probably been more Israeli than Palestinian violations.
Here's a website where you can send letters to congress asking them to not give more money to Israel for it to continue this insanity: www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1661
Since my last post, I have spent significant time traveling in Northern Israel with a friend who had rented a car for a few days. On Sun., we visited Beit Shaen, a supposed baptismal site for Jesus, the Mount of Beatitudes, and we climbed the Arbel cliffs overlooking Lake Galilee.
Beit Shaen is the ruins of the ancient city, which dates back to Canaanite times and was ruled by the Philistines during the time of King Saul. It is where the bodies of Saul and his sons were hung after they were killed by the Philistines. The city flourished as a major capital during the Roman times as well.
The church on the Mount of Beatitudes was nice, but the highlight of the trip for me was climbing the Arbel cliffs, which gave us commanding views of the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding areas. On the way up the cliffs, we were able to see caves that different rebel groups hid in for hundreds of years.
On Mon., we visited Tabgha Church (where Jesus supposedly multiplied the loaves and fishes), Capernaum, Tel Dan, Banias (Caesarea Philippi), Nimrod's Castle, a Druze village and part of Mount Hermon, the Ram crater/lake, the village of Safed, and we drove through the Golan Heights.
At Capernaum, there were remnants of Peter's house and ruins of the ancient city. Tel Dan was another highlight of the trip, as we saw one the oldest cities ever discovered. They have found the gates to the ancient city, which shows us what the city gates of the tribe of Dan looked like. I really enjoyed all the greenery up North, especially in Dan and Banias. This was the first time I'd seen places here that weren't desert, and one could start to understand the strategic significance of such a place that is scarce in water (Israel conquered this region during the 1967 war and refuses to give it back despite intl law; having control of this area allows Israel to control the major water resources for Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel).
We had great views of Mtn. Hermon and the valleys below from Nimrod's castle, which is an ancient castle first built by Muslims during the Crusader period. We tried to drive up Mtn Hermon, but military checkpoints prevented us from going all the way up. But, we had great views of a Druze village on the way.
As we were driving through the Golan Heights on the way home, we stopped and bought some fruit from a Druze man, and he described to us part of the politics of the region. As most people know, the Golan Heights is still occupied by Israel (against intl law), but it has recently been on the table for being returned to Syria, as Israel tries to make peace with its neighbors. Druze from this region do not consider themselves Israeli and refuse to take citizenship; instead, they consider themselves and the area as Syrian. On the Golan Heights, we saw Israeli tanks training and could see the UN monitored/controlled no-man's land; on the other side of that line was Syria (from another place, we could also see into Lebanon). We also saw an abandoned village that had been Arab; during the 67 war, many people fled their homes, and they have not been allowed to return to their homes since 67.
Safed was also interesting, although we arrived there too late and most things were closed. Safed is the mystical center of Judaism and where Cabbala first began and still flourishes.
I will need to travel to Jordan in the next few days to renew my visa, and after being there several days (maybe a week) and participating in an archaeology dig, I will return to Palestine (if my visa is renewed). When I return, I am hoping to begin work with a group that is working near Hebron. I will post more about this group and my work with them as it develops.
As the cease fire already is beginning to break down in Gaza, it's worth pointing that both sides have not kept to their agreements. However, if Israel wants to say that Palestinians were the first to break the cease fire, I have to ask why Israel is not considering the shooting and wounding of two unarmed civilians in Gaza as breaking their side of the agreement. Even before the assassinations in the West Bank took place and rockets were fired from Gaza, Israel had wounded two farmers from Gaza, both over 67 years old. These casualties have received little press time, but I'm sure they increased tension and led to the break down in the cease fire agreement. As far as I can tell, these two wounded civilians were the beginning of the end of the cease fire.
It's also worth pointing out (again?) the gross disparities in casualties in the Gaza strip. While Gazan deaths top 500 since last Nov., I think it's something under 10, the number of Israelis wounded by rocket fire since Nov.
I'm seeing today news sites sayings Gazans have broken the cease fire twice (as of today). Indeed, they have, but few are reporting Israel's missteps. One group, which is very biased, says that Israel has violated the cease fire 15 times in the first week. You can read the account here: www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=30113. The data there seems pretty good, and I would say that there have probably been more Israeli than Palestinian violations.
Here's a website where you can send letters to congress asking them to not give more money to Israel for it to continue this insanity: www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1661
Since my last post, I have spent significant time traveling in Northern Israel with a friend who had rented a car for a few days. On Sun., we visited Beit Shaen, a supposed baptismal site for Jesus, the Mount of Beatitudes, and we climbed the Arbel cliffs overlooking Lake Galilee.
Beit Shaen is the ruins of the ancient city, which dates back to Canaanite times and was ruled by the Philistines during the time of King Saul. It is where the bodies of Saul and his sons were hung after they were killed by the Philistines. The city flourished as a major capital during the Roman times as well.
The church on the Mount of Beatitudes was nice, but the highlight of the trip for me was climbing the Arbel cliffs, which gave us commanding views of the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding areas. On the way up the cliffs, we were able to see caves that different rebel groups hid in for hundreds of years.
On Mon., we visited Tabgha Church (where Jesus supposedly multiplied the loaves and fishes), Capernaum, Tel Dan, Banias (Caesarea Philippi), Nimrod's Castle, a Druze village and part of Mount Hermon, the Ram crater/lake, the village of Safed, and we drove through the Golan Heights.
At Capernaum, there were remnants of Peter's house and ruins of the ancient city. Tel Dan was another highlight of the trip, as we saw one the oldest cities ever discovered. They have found the gates to the ancient city, which shows us what the city gates of the tribe of Dan looked like. I really enjoyed all the greenery up North, especially in Dan and Banias. This was the first time I'd seen places here that weren't desert, and one could start to understand the strategic significance of such a place that is scarce in water (Israel conquered this region during the 1967 war and refuses to give it back despite intl law; having control of this area allows Israel to control the major water resources for Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel).
We had great views of Mtn. Hermon and the valleys below from Nimrod's castle, which is an ancient castle first built by Muslims during the Crusader period. We tried to drive up Mtn Hermon, but military checkpoints prevented us from going all the way up. But, we had great views of a Druze village on the way.
As we were driving through the Golan Heights on the way home, we stopped and bought some fruit from a Druze man, and he described to us part of the politics of the region. As most people know, the Golan Heights is still occupied by Israel (against intl law), but it has recently been on the table for being returned to Syria, as Israel tries to make peace with its neighbors. Druze from this region do not consider themselves Israeli and refuse to take citizenship; instead, they consider themselves and the area as Syrian. On the Golan Heights, we saw Israeli tanks training and could see the UN monitored/controlled no-man's land; on the other side of that line was Syria (from another place, we could also see into Lebanon). We also saw an abandoned village that had been Arab; during the 67 war, many people fled their homes, and they have not been allowed to return to their homes since 67.
Safed was also interesting, although we arrived there too late and most things were closed. Safed is the mystical center of Judaism and where Cabbala first began and still flourishes.
I will need to travel to Jordan in the next few days to renew my visa, and after being there several days (maybe a week) and participating in an archaeology dig, I will return to Palestine (if my visa is renewed). When I return, I am hoping to begin work with a group that is working near Hebron. I will post more about this group and my work with them as it develops.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Travels, Protests, etc.
In this post: Travels, 2 protests at Na'alin, etc.
After three weeks of no water in my house in Aida camp, we finally started receiving water again today. It feels so nice to get a shower, clean the house, flush the toilet, etc.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the Dead Sea, Masada, Ein Geidi, and a little of Qumran with a friend who had rented a car for a few days. Floating in the Dead Sea was wild--such a bizarre feeling to float like that. I also enjoyed the history around Ein Geidi, although I found Masada to be similar to other military forts, etc. I've visited. The views from Masada, though, were spectacular.
Tomorrow, I will travel with this friend to the North to visit some places, and I hope to see the Mount of Beatitudes and more rural places around the Sea of Galilee. We'll return on Mon. evening, I think.
This past week, I attended two protests at Na'alin, North of Ramallah, where the military is starting construction on the Wall that will confiscate over 90% of the villages farmland. Last week, I attended a Fri. evening demonstration at Na'alin where we beat pots and pans near the Israeli settlement that flanks Na'alin to say that as long as Israelis continue to steal Palestinian land, they will not be able to start their Sabbath in peace (see my last blog comments about that demo).
This last Mon., when I first returned to Na'alin, the military was starting construction on the Wall, and villagers came out in the hot sun to oppose the construction and try to stop the bulldozers if possible. However, I arrived a few minutes late, and when I got there, the military had already pushed the protesters back away from the construction site, and the whole demonstration turned into a rock-throwing and tear gas fest. The Pal. kids would throw or hurl rocks at the soldiers, and the soldiers would respond with tear gas and rubber bullets. I kept my distance from the rock throwers, but it's impossible to avoid all the tear gas. Eventually, two companions and I made our way to the top of a high hill, where we could observe the action taking place from a safer distance, yet still take pics, etc. Israeli activists were already on this hill observing the situation. My British friends commented to me, "There's something Napoleonic about watching a battle unfold in front of you from a hill." And, indeed, it did seem like we were watching a battle. Kids, not more than 12 y.o., would push forward toward the soldiers, throwing and hurling rocks, and the soldiers would eventually push back. Different groups of soldiers would move toward a position that the kids were occupying, hoping to cut the kids off and scatter them. Several Israeli activists mentioned that the soldiers were using some live fire along with the rubber bullets and tear gas (different from other types of fire, live bullets can be fired automatically or semi-automatically; other ammunition (i.e., rubber bullets) has to be loaded manually each time). It was quite obvious the the live fire was intended to scare the children at this point, not actually to hurt or kill them. The kids were quite in the open, and the soldiers could have easily shot them. Shooting children has happened before, but thankfully that didn't happen here, possibly because of intl's presence.
On Thurs., I again went to Na'alin for another demo. This time, I was on time, and the demo was much different and less violent. As soon as I arrived, soldiers began yelling at villagers, telling them to leave the area. One person translated to me that the soldiers said, "It is illegal for you to be here. If you do not leave this area, you are saying that you support violence. We're going to fill this whole area with tear gas and rubber bullets." The soldiers were only 20 ft. or so away from the villagers and intl's, so it was unlikely that they would fire their weapons at such close range with cameras rolling (it is illegal for them to fire weapons that close to unarmed people). The villagers and intl's simply sat down in the dirt under the olive trees and refused to leave. All the while, the bulldozers continued construction on the Wall, only a few hundred feet away.
The soldiers were angry and made many phone calls and picked up tear gas canisters to try to scare us away. But, no one moved and no one did anything violent. We sat under the trees for at least an hour, with the soldiers standing guard in the hot sun. During noon day prayers, many of the villagers gathered and said their prayers under a tree, and I was able to get some beautiful pics of them praying with the soldiers in the background keeping watch.
Eventually, some lawyers for the village turned up, and apparently, they argued with the soldiers, showing them maps and saying that the Wall isn't even being built in the area designated by the court, that it's grabbing even more of the villages land. After the attorneys left, the villagers started to leave too. As we walked back toward the village, we came across a group of kids throwing rocks at soldiers (and soldiers shooting back at them with the usual stuff). The people at the nonviolent demo were mostly adult men, and I guess the kids have a harder time not throwing rocks. At any rate, the Pal. men with us yelled at the kids and soldiers to stop firing so that we could walk through their battle to get back to the village. Neither the soldiers nor the kids wanted to stop, but eventually, the soldiers stopped firing so that we could walk through that part of the road. However, the kids did not stop hurling rocks, and it was a little frightening to have rocks whirling around you. I was able to get pics of both soldiers firing their guns and kids throwing rocks. As I have already mentioned several times, I oppose all these uses of violence, but the power disparities between these different groups--kids with sling shots vs. soldiers with guns, helmets, etc.--never ceases to amaze me.
I was slightly hurt early this week when a bus I was traveling in had a minor accident. I was standing up in the bus because all the seats were taken, and I was thrown to the front of the bus and ended up in the floorboard with a woman on top of me. By back has been quite sore since this incident.
I have to leave to renew my visa sometime soon, and when I return, I'm seriously thinking of moving to a town a little South of here to work with a group doing more active nonviolent resistance to the Wall, etc. I'll keep you updated as those details develop.
After three weeks of no water in my house in Aida camp, we finally started receiving water again today. It feels so nice to get a shower, clean the house, flush the toilet, etc.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the Dead Sea, Masada, Ein Geidi, and a little of Qumran with a friend who had rented a car for a few days. Floating in the Dead Sea was wild--such a bizarre feeling to float like that. I also enjoyed the history around Ein Geidi, although I found Masada to be similar to other military forts, etc. I've visited. The views from Masada, though, were spectacular.
Tomorrow, I will travel with this friend to the North to visit some places, and I hope to see the Mount of Beatitudes and more rural places around the Sea of Galilee. We'll return on Mon. evening, I think.
This past week, I attended two protests at Na'alin, North of Ramallah, where the military is starting construction on the Wall that will confiscate over 90% of the villages farmland. Last week, I attended a Fri. evening demonstration at Na'alin where we beat pots and pans near the Israeli settlement that flanks Na'alin to say that as long as Israelis continue to steal Palestinian land, they will not be able to start their Sabbath in peace (see my last blog comments about that demo).
This last Mon., when I first returned to Na'alin, the military was starting construction on the Wall, and villagers came out in the hot sun to oppose the construction and try to stop the bulldozers if possible. However, I arrived a few minutes late, and when I got there, the military had already pushed the protesters back away from the construction site, and the whole demonstration turned into a rock-throwing and tear gas fest. The Pal. kids would throw or hurl rocks at the soldiers, and the soldiers would respond with tear gas and rubber bullets. I kept my distance from the rock throwers, but it's impossible to avoid all the tear gas. Eventually, two companions and I made our way to the top of a high hill, where we could observe the action taking place from a safer distance, yet still take pics, etc. Israeli activists were already on this hill observing the situation. My British friends commented to me, "There's something Napoleonic about watching a battle unfold in front of you from a hill." And, indeed, it did seem like we were watching a battle. Kids, not more than 12 y.o., would push forward toward the soldiers, throwing and hurling rocks, and the soldiers would eventually push back. Different groups of soldiers would move toward a position that the kids were occupying, hoping to cut the kids off and scatter them. Several Israeli activists mentioned that the soldiers were using some live fire along with the rubber bullets and tear gas (different from other types of fire, live bullets can be fired automatically or semi-automatically; other ammunition (i.e., rubber bullets) has to be loaded manually each time). It was quite obvious the the live fire was intended to scare the children at this point, not actually to hurt or kill them. The kids were quite in the open, and the soldiers could have easily shot them. Shooting children has happened before, but thankfully that didn't happen here, possibly because of intl's presence.
On Thurs., I again went to Na'alin for another demo. This time, I was on time, and the demo was much different and less violent. As soon as I arrived, soldiers began yelling at villagers, telling them to leave the area. One person translated to me that the soldiers said, "It is illegal for you to be here. If you do not leave this area, you are saying that you support violence. We're going to fill this whole area with tear gas and rubber bullets." The soldiers were only 20 ft. or so away from the villagers and intl's, so it was unlikely that they would fire their weapons at such close range with cameras rolling (it is illegal for them to fire weapons that close to unarmed people). The villagers and intl's simply sat down in the dirt under the olive trees and refused to leave. All the while, the bulldozers continued construction on the Wall, only a few hundred feet away.
The soldiers were angry and made many phone calls and picked up tear gas canisters to try to scare us away. But, no one moved and no one did anything violent. We sat under the trees for at least an hour, with the soldiers standing guard in the hot sun. During noon day prayers, many of the villagers gathered and said their prayers under a tree, and I was able to get some beautiful pics of them praying with the soldiers in the background keeping watch.
Eventually, some lawyers for the village turned up, and apparently, they argued with the soldiers, showing them maps and saying that the Wall isn't even being built in the area designated by the court, that it's grabbing even more of the villages land. After the attorneys left, the villagers started to leave too. As we walked back toward the village, we came across a group of kids throwing rocks at soldiers (and soldiers shooting back at them with the usual stuff). The people at the nonviolent demo were mostly adult men, and I guess the kids have a harder time not throwing rocks. At any rate, the Pal. men with us yelled at the kids and soldiers to stop firing so that we could walk through their battle to get back to the village. Neither the soldiers nor the kids wanted to stop, but eventually, the soldiers stopped firing so that we could walk through that part of the road. However, the kids did not stop hurling rocks, and it was a little frightening to have rocks whirling around you. I was able to get pics of both soldiers firing their guns and kids throwing rocks. As I have already mentioned several times, I oppose all these uses of violence, but the power disparities between these different groups--kids with sling shots vs. soldiers with guns, helmets, etc.--never ceases to amaze me.
I was slightly hurt early this week when a bus I was traveling in had a minor accident. I was standing up in the bus because all the seats were taken, and I was thrown to the front of the bus and ended up in the floorboard with a woman on top of me. By back has been quite sore since this incident.
I have to leave to renew my visa sometime soon, and when I return, I'm seriously thinking of moving to a town a little South of here to work with a group doing more active nonviolent resistance to the Wall, etc. I'll keep you updated as those details develop.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Slightly injured @ demo; Hostel giving
In this post: Slightly injured at Bil'in protest (a few others hurt much worse); Na'lin protest; Request for donations to Ibrahim Hostel, etc.
On Fri., I attended two demo's: one in Bil'in, and one in Na'lin (both near Ramallah). I had never been to the demo in Bil'in, although I've wanted to go for sometime. A companion and I had some difficulty getting to the village because the Israeli military was processing people very slowly through the checkpoint to leave Bethlehem. I have pictures of hundreds of people standing in line while a guard looks down on them to make sure they don't get out of hand. I'm not sure why we waited so long at the checkpoint, because I've never had to wait that long there before; but, then I realized that many Palestinians were trying to get into Jerusalem to pray at the Dome of the Rock (Al-Aqsa mosque) on Fri. morning, and it's a well-known, often used frustration tactic for the military to process people very slowly (to discourage even those people who might have permission to go to Jerusalem).
When we finally did get to Bil'in, the protest started almost immediately, and we walked with the marchers (80% Pal.) to the razor-wire fence that now keeps the farmers from accessing 90% of their land. In a rare victory for the Palestinians, the Israeli High Court ruled last year that the military should not be erecting the Wall through the village's land, and the court instructed the military to make changes; however, to date, the military has done nothing. So, the protests continue. (I recommend the film, Bil'in Habibti, to get an idea of what's going on there--film made by an Israeli).
Anyway, Bil'in is a fairly infamous protest here, so I was braced for some intensity. As soon as we neared the fence, Palestinian youth (12-18 y.o.) began throwing rocks over the fence at the military; the military immediately responded with tear gas and sound bombs. I didn't realize that the protest leaders had led us right up to the fence, where the most intense fighting would be. I started snapping pics, and then, I was smacked in my upper back/lower neck with something quite large and forceful. Tear gas was everywhere at this point, and I decided to move back. Several people around me rushed to me and asked if I was ok. A tear gas canister (fired from a rifle) had struck me and was now releasing gas a few feet away from me. The canister's can inflict much pain and send people to the hospital when they are hit by them, but all I wanted to do was get out of the area.
Once I was able to get some air and clear my eyes, I had some people look at my back (I had initially said, "I'm ok!" to get out of the area). There were a few minor lacerations/scratches on my back from the canister, but it could've been much worse, especially if it had struck my head. I took a gas canister from the field as a memorandum. Apparently, the canister had been fired so closely to me that it had not exploded yet, so it was not so hot to burn me badly.
I continued on with the demonstrators, although keeping my distance more and making sure there was a clear separation between me and the rock throwers (when I had been struck, there were kids throwing rocks all around me, which I was very uncomfortable with). Even though I managed to keep my distance, the military would launch tear gas canisters from canons at even the nonviolent demonstrators. I've never seen a demonstration where the rock throwers were mixed right in with the rest of those protesting, and I heard several people complaining about how disorganized and undisciplined the event was--how violence was a part of the demo (in the past, this demo has been known for being well-organized and forcing people to stop throwing rocks). The whole protest was quite scattered and fractured at this point, but we stayed around for a few hours, especially to make sure that those near the fence would not get hurt too badly (there was also an ambulance on site). One time, as I was walking across a field, I saw an Israeli soldier go down on his knee and lower his gun at me. I ducked behind a short wall to escape the rubber-coated lead bullets, then ran for better cover. There were several journalists there, and some had gas masks and helmets.
There were probably only 10-15 people max throwing rocks, but everyone got tear gassed, etc. Someone later pointed out that the soldiers have protective gear against the rocks (i.e., helmets, body armor, etc.), whereas the protesters have no protection against the bullets, gas, etc. that solders shoot from guns.
After the protest finished, we were all gathered in the small village, and I saw the ambulance go by with sirens wailing. I asked what happened, but no one knew. Later that night, we found out that a few Pal.'s had stayed behind and thrown rocks after the intl's left, and the military had fired live bullets at them (this is one reason why it is important to have intl's around--military is less likely to use live bullets when cameras are rolling). At least one person (maybe two) were injured by the live fire, and at least one person is in the hospital with serious wounds because the bullet hit an artery in his leg.
You can read the news story about the protest here: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=29898. Interestingly, the story doesn't mention the live bullets; but the hospital has said that Ibrahim was injured by live bullets.
You can see the You-Tube video of Ibrahim being shot with live bullets at the protest on Fri. here (warning on graphic images!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF1ibN40FJE&eurl=http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/06/13/ibrahim-burnat-shot-by-live-ammunition-in-bilin/
After the Bil'in protest, I apparently hadn't had enough excitement for the day, so I went to a smaller demo in Na'lin (near Bil'in). This protest was much tamer and less violent. In Na'lin, the military is again building the wall around settlements and snatching more of the Pal's land. So, on Fri. evenings, the villagers go near the settlements and beat pots and pans and shout to say to the settlers, et al, that as long as they continue to steal land, they will not be able to begin their Sabbath in peace. The demo was really beautiful, with most people just making a bunch of noise and the soldiers watching on a hill across from us. Some youth started throwing rocks with their hands and sling shots, but they were down in the valley and away from the more peaceful protesters. The soldiers shot rubber bullets and tear gas at them, but none of it reached us on the hill. I was much more comfortable with the separation between the peaceful protesters and the rock throwers at this event. After the sun set, we left and went back to the village.
I don't think I'll return to the Bil'in protest until organizers can assure that rock throwers and others who choose to use violence will not be a part of the nonviolent demonstrations. Some people try to point out that rock throwing is not lethal violence, since the soldiers have helmets, etc., but I'm not interested in endorsing this kind of violence, as it is based on fear and intimidation (tactics the soldiers use too). Certainly, the soldiers respond with undue force, and that's a reason why I think the rock-throwing is not just morally bankrupt, but also a bad tactic (throw a rock, get a bullet). Soldiers have fired bullets at completely unarmed protesters in the past, but I would much rather get tear gassed, etc. because of nonviolent actions, rather than because I'm near or involved with rock throwers, etc.
A few people have asked me about worthy causes/people to donate to here. I have one suggestion right now. Ibrahim runs a hostel on the Mount of Olives, and I have been visiting his house since last fall. He has a long history of peace-making in the region between Jews, Muslims, and Christians. He charges NO fee for staying/using his hostel, but donations are welcome. I give a small donation every time I stay there, but unfortunately, there are far too many people who take advantage of his extreme generosity. I have started washing my clothes at his house/hostel because I don't have a way to do it in the camp, and I reimburse him for that. But, really, he deserves more than what I can give him. He is now facing having to close his doors, after 50 years of operating, because he has run out of money and people are using his place and not paying (especially large groups of Messianic Jews, who Ibrahim also welcomes, even if they don't pay).
Last week Ibrahim asked me to help him write a letter asking his friends for financial support. I'm pasting the letter I helped him write below. If anyone is able to give even a small gift to this extremely beautiful individual, I would be most grateful. You can either send funds directly to him or send funds to my account and tell me how much to give to him.
Peace.
----------------
Dear Friends around the world,
I thank God for all the gifts I have received throughout the years and the opportunity to know all of you. Throughout my life, I have met thousands of people from around the world, and still, my home is open to all of you, and you are always welcome here. I always thank God when he adds more people to my own family.
I worked 34 years as a technician with a telephone company, and today, I am retired. I thank God that I made good money when I was working, but today, with my open home, I miss the income from my work and don't have enough money to cover the needs to keep my house open to guests. I very much want to keep my house open to everyone, but I need financial and moral support.
If you are able to give any size donation to help keep my house open, I would be extremely grateful. I ask God to bless every one of you and to keep each of you safe and in good health. You are always welcome to visit us in the Holy Land. My home and my family welcome you.
God bless you,
Ibrahim Abu El Hawa
SWIFT: IDB.LILIT
Bank Name: Discount Bank
E. Jerusalem Israel
Branch#: 068
Account No. 9050728
Name: Ibrahim Abu El Hawa
On Fri., I attended two demo's: one in Bil'in, and one in Na'lin (both near Ramallah). I had never been to the demo in Bil'in, although I've wanted to go for sometime. A companion and I had some difficulty getting to the village because the Israeli military was processing people very slowly through the checkpoint to leave Bethlehem. I have pictures of hundreds of people standing in line while a guard looks down on them to make sure they don't get out of hand. I'm not sure why we waited so long at the checkpoint, because I've never had to wait that long there before; but, then I realized that many Palestinians were trying to get into Jerusalem to pray at the Dome of the Rock (Al-Aqsa mosque) on Fri. morning, and it's a well-known, often used frustration tactic for the military to process people very slowly (to discourage even those people who might have permission to go to Jerusalem).
When we finally did get to Bil'in, the protest started almost immediately, and we walked with the marchers (80% Pal.) to the razor-wire fence that now keeps the farmers from accessing 90% of their land. In a rare victory for the Palestinians, the Israeli High Court ruled last year that the military should not be erecting the Wall through the village's land, and the court instructed the military to make changes; however, to date, the military has done nothing. So, the protests continue. (I recommend the film, Bil'in Habibti, to get an idea of what's going on there--film made by an Israeli).
Anyway, Bil'in is a fairly infamous protest here, so I was braced for some intensity. As soon as we neared the fence, Palestinian youth (12-18 y.o.) began throwing rocks over the fence at the military; the military immediately responded with tear gas and sound bombs. I didn't realize that the protest leaders had led us right up to the fence, where the most intense fighting would be. I started snapping pics, and then, I was smacked in my upper back/lower neck with something quite large and forceful. Tear gas was everywhere at this point, and I decided to move back. Several people around me rushed to me and asked if I was ok. A tear gas canister (fired from a rifle) had struck me and was now releasing gas a few feet away from me. The canister's can inflict much pain and send people to the hospital when they are hit by them, but all I wanted to do was get out of the area.
Once I was able to get some air and clear my eyes, I had some people look at my back (I had initially said, "I'm ok!" to get out of the area). There were a few minor lacerations/scratches on my back from the canister, but it could've been much worse, especially if it had struck my head. I took a gas canister from the field as a memorandum. Apparently, the canister had been fired so closely to me that it had not exploded yet, so it was not so hot to burn me badly.
I continued on with the demonstrators, although keeping my distance more and making sure there was a clear separation between me and the rock throwers (when I had been struck, there were kids throwing rocks all around me, which I was very uncomfortable with). Even though I managed to keep my distance, the military would launch tear gas canisters from canons at even the nonviolent demonstrators. I've never seen a demonstration where the rock throwers were mixed right in with the rest of those protesting, and I heard several people complaining about how disorganized and undisciplined the event was--how violence was a part of the demo (in the past, this demo has been known for being well-organized and forcing people to stop throwing rocks). The whole protest was quite scattered and fractured at this point, but we stayed around for a few hours, especially to make sure that those near the fence would not get hurt too badly (there was also an ambulance on site). One time, as I was walking across a field, I saw an Israeli soldier go down on his knee and lower his gun at me. I ducked behind a short wall to escape the rubber-coated lead bullets, then ran for better cover. There were several journalists there, and some had gas masks and helmets.
There were probably only 10-15 people max throwing rocks, but everyone got tear gassed, etc. Someone later pointed out that the soldiers have protective gear against the rocks (i.e., helmets, body armor, etc.), whereas the protesters have no protection against the bullets, gas, etc. that solders shoot from guns.
After the protest finished, we were all gathered in the small village, and I saw the ambulance go by with sirens wailing. I asked what happened, but no one knew. Later that night, we found out that a few Pal.'s had stayed behind and thrown rocks after the intl's left, and the military had fired live bullets at them (this is one reason why it is important to have intl's around--military is less likely to use live bullets when cameras are rolling). At least one person (maybe two) were injured by the live fire, and at least one person is in the hospital with serious wounds because the bullet hit an artery in his leg.
You can read the news story about the protest here: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=29898. Interestingly, the story doesn't mention the live bullets; but the hospital has said that Ibrahim was injured by live bullets.
You can see the You-Tube video of Ibrahim being shot with live bullets at the protest on Fri. here (warning on graphic images!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF1ibN40FJE&eurl=http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/06/13/ibrahim-burnat-shot-by-live-ammunition-in-bilin/
After the Bil'in protest, I apparently hadn't had enough excitement for the day, so I went to a smaller demo in Na'lin (near Bil'in). This protest was much tamer and less violent. In Na'lin, the military is again building the wall around settlements and snatching more of the Pal's land. So, on Fri. evenings, the villagers go near the settlements and beat pots and pans and shout to say to the settlers, et al, that as long as they continue to steal land, they will not be able to begin their Sabbath in peace. The demo was really beautiful, with most people just making a bunch of noise and the soldiers watching on a hill across from us. Some youth started throwing rocks with their hands and sling shots, but they were down in the valley and away from the more peaceful protesters. The soldiers shot rubber bullets and tear gas at them, but none of it reached us on the hill. I was much more comfortable with the separation between the peaceful protesters and the rock throwers at this event. After the sun set, we left and went back to the village.
I don't think I'll return to the Bil'in protest until organizers can assure that rock throwers and others who choose to use violence will not be a part of the nonviolent demonstrations. Some people try to point out that rock throwing is not lethal violence, since the soldiers have helmets, etc., but I'm not interested in endorsing this kind of violence, as it is based on fear and intimidation (tactics the soldiers use too). Certainly, the soldiers respond with undue force, and that's a reason why I think the rock-throwing is not just morally bankrupt, but also a bad tactic (throw a rock, get a bullet). Soldiers have fired bullets at completely unarmed protesters in the past, but I would much rather get tear gassed, etc. because of nonviolent actions, rather than because I'm near or involved with rock throwers, etc.
A few people have asked me about worthy causes/people to donate to here. I have one suggestion right now. Ibrahim runs a hostel on the Mount of Olives, and I have been visiting his house since last fall. He has a long history of peace-making in the region between Jews, Muslims, and Christians. He charges NO fee for staying/using his hostel, but donations are welcome. I give a small donation every time I stay there, but unfortunately, there are far too many people who take advantage of his extreme generosity. I have started washing my clothes at his house/hostel because I don't have a way to do it in the camp, and I reimburse him for that. But, really, he deserves more than what I can give him. He is now facing having to close his doors, after 50 years of operating, because he has run out of money and people are using his place and not paying (especially large groups of Messianic Jews, who Ibrahim also welcomes, even if they don't pay).
Last week Ibrahim asked me to help him write a letter asking his friends for financial support. I'm pasting the letter I helped him write below. If anyone is able to give even a small gift to this extremely beautiful individual, I would be most grateful. You can either send funds directly to him or send funds to my account and tell me how much to give to him.
Peace.
----------------
Dear Friends around the world,
I thank God for all the gifts I have received throughout the years and the opportunity to know all of you. Throughout my life, I have met thousands of people from around the world, and still, my home is open to all of you, and you are always welcome here. I always thank God when he adds more people to my own family.
I worked 34 years as a technician with a telephone company, and today, I am retired. I thank God that I made good money when I was working, but today, with my open home, I miss the income from my work and don't have enough money to cover the needs to keep my house open to guests. I very much want to keep my house open to everyone, but I need financial and moral support.
If you are able to give any size donation to help keep my house open, I would be extremely grateful. I ask God to bless every one of you and to keep each of you safe and in good health. You are always welcome to visit us in the Holy Land. My home and my family welcome you.
God bless you,
Ibrahim Abu El Hawa
SWIFT: IDB.LILIT
Bank Name: Discount Bank
E. Jerusalem Israel
Branch#: 068
Account No. 9050728
Name: Ibrahim Abu El Hawa
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Trainings; Petitioning Obama, etc.
In this post: Trainings, Water, Petitioning Obama, etc.
Yesterday I attended a training by a group that works south of Bethlehem, and I really enjoyed both the nonviolent resistance training and the extra info on Palestinian culture. I am interested in working more closely with this group in the future--to attend protests and demonstrations, etc. with them.
We've been without water in my house for over a week again, and it is really frustrating, because apparently, the old house I'm living in is the only one w/out water right now. We probably have a plumbing problem, but no one has taken the time to fix our water. Everything in the camp is done slowly, if at all. I continue to see a decline in morale among the workers and volunteers at the center, many of whom have little actual work to do. Most volunteers either have no program or direction given to them by department heads, or, the volunteers have to make up their only program from scratch (I've resisted doing this, to some extent, because I was hoping to have more direction from locals to avoid coming in with my agenda and planting it on people).
Several people have asked me what to do about Obama's, et al, comments at AIPAC. So, here are a couple website that give you more info or ways to take action:
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3340.shtml
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/301/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1262
This is a petition circulating to Obama and McCain campaigns.
Other than signing these petitions and writing personal letters of outrage to the campaigns, I'm not sure there's a lot more we can do. When we had caucus's in Washington State, I was able to garnish enough votes for Kuccinich to send a delegate on to the next level; and, I specifically asked the delegate we sent to communicate that we would not be voting for any candidate that gave a blank check to Israel. These sorts of tactics--saying your not going to vote for a candidate unless they change their ways--works a very little, but in such a big country, we need lots of people saying the same thing over and over to get attn. So, go out and tell your friends too, I guess.
Wearily . . .
Yesterday I attended a training by a group that works south of Bethlehem, and I really enjoyed both the nonviolent resistance training and the extra info on Palestinian culture. I am interested in working more closely with this group in the future--to attend protests and demonstrations, etc. with them.
We've been without water in my house for over a week again, and it is really frustrating, because apparently, the old house I'm living in is the only one w/out water right now. We probably have a plumbing problem, but no one has taken the time to fix our water. Everything in the camp is done slowly, if at all. I continue to see a decline in morale among the workers and volunteers at the center, many of whom have little actual work to do. Most volunteers either have no program or direction given to them by department heads, or, the volunteers have to make up their only program from scratch (I've resisted doing this, to some extent, because I was hoping to have more direction from locals to avoid coming in with my agenda and planting it on people).
Several people have asked me what to do about Obama's, et al, comments at AIPAC. So, here are a couple website that give you more info or ways to take action:
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3340.shtml
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/301/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1262
This is a petition circulating to Obama and McCain campaigns.
Other than signing these petitions and writing personal letters of outrage to the campaigns, I'm not sure there's a lot more we can do. When we had caucus's in Washington State, I was able to garnish enough votes for Kuccinich to send a delegate on to the next level; and, I specifically asked the delegate we sent to communicate that we would not be voting for any candidate that gave a blank check to Israel. These sorts of tactics--saying your not going to vote for a candidate unless they change their ways--works a very little, but in such a big country, we need lots of people saying the same thing over and over to get attn. So, go out and tell your friends too, I guess.
Wearily . . .
Friday, June 6, 2008
Reflections on Nazareth and Violence; demo's, etc.
In this post: reflections on Nazareth and Violence; demonstrations today that I attended; difficulty starting classes at the center; politics & action items; etc.
I forgot to mention a couple things from my visit last weekend to Nazareth. Nazareth is 2/3 Muslim, 1/3 Christian, and essentially completely Arab. It was really interesting to me to see how this Arab city is working under Israeli occupation. (I borrow the word "occupation" from the Christian man who gave me a tour of Nazareth village, a rendition of the Nazareth of 2000 years ago. The tour guide talked about how Nazareth has adapted to the various occupations throughout its history: Roman, Christian, Turkish, Israeli, etc.)
Nazareth seemed really clean, organized, and quaint, compared with the cities in the West Bank under the economic, etc. strangle hold. And, it was refreshing to see no soldiers! All the "Israeli" cities in Israel have soldiers with automatic rifles crawling all over them, but in this Arab town, I didn't see even one soldier. I wondered if Israel provides the same security to its Arab citizens that it does to its European-Jewish citizens.
Also, while climbing to the top of the supposed hill where the crowd tried to push Jesus off the cliff, it occurred to me that there were multiple attempts on Jesus life during his ministry (and the attempt at the cliffs was early in his ministry). I can just hear Jesus' family and friends saying, "Come on, do you really need to say those things and place yourself in that kind of danger? You're going to get yourself killed." And so it is with every prophet that has tried to speak truth to power. People don't like hearing the truth when they are doing the wrong thing. And, usually, the family and friends don't understand the prophet's reasons for putting him/herself in harm's way. Either he family/friends disagree with his/her cause or are just plain scared for their loved one's safety (which is a completely natural and legitimate response) But, I think people driven by their conscience have to stay true to their beliefs and convictions; as the 15 year old Jesus said when Mary asked him why he had scared her and disappeared for several days, "I must be about my father's (God's) business."
I obviously feel some affinity with these stories. Although I don't see myself as a prophet by any means or believe that I will be martyred for some great cause, I do believe I have to follow what I feel I've been called to do. Of course, one shouldn't take needless risks or be careless. Personally, I very much want to live a long, happy life (no martyrdom complex here).
Things seemed to have calmed down in the camp since the incident last week. In fact, this evening, there's a wedding in front of my front door, so I'm looking forward to participating in the festivities.
The violence in the camp last week has given me a renewed opportunity to reflect on our reactions to violence. Most human reactions to violence, I think, can be categorized into the following three actions:
1) React to the violence with violence
2) Remain quiet, but perhaps tacitly support one side
3) Actively speak out and oppose the violence of all sides.
The large majority of people fall into category 2. This is not a judgment on my part, but rather an observation. My personal worldview says that regardless of a person's ideas or actions, I am called to love and accept that person. I may try to change a person's mind but not condemn them (as Gandhi said, I want to change their mind, not kill them for thinking differently from me).
Category two includes people who may be against some violence or some wars but believe there's a point where some forms of violence are acceptable. And, by not taking a strong stance against all violence, those in this camp support all forms of violence, albeit indirectly at times. To explain, those who allow for the lethal violence of the state, military, etc.--even if only at certain times--also encourage the reactionary violence. Since violence will only breed more violence, I believe that those who allow for some violence really allow for all of it. You cannot say that some violence is good and other violence is bad, because once we allow for a little violence, we must accept the consequences (those who live by the sword will die by the sword).
The culture here, and across the world today, is a violent one. This is no different than it ever has been, except that we have more lethal weapons today. I am developing a theory that, throughout history, there is a constant percentage of people of people who fall into the three camps mentioned above. There are always a few people involved in violence; always many people who ride the fence, but can be pulled into the violence; and, always a few people who are against all violence. I am starting to believe that these percentages hold steady regardless of culture, religion, place in time, etc. Perhaps the best I can do as a pacifist is to appeal to those on the fence and try to prevent as much violence as possible.
Regarding the situation in Palestine, as I've mentioned before, the large majority of people here are not involved in violent actions. However, like any other place, the majority of people here will not strongly speak out against those who, they believe, are defending their country (indeed, it can be dangerous for Palestinians to speak out, as they are then seen as collaborators with Israel and will then be targeted). However, you can find some courageous Palestinians who do speak strongly and clearly against the violence of all sides.
I mentioned previously that many people I've told about the evacuation from my house, they just laugh. I should also mention that I found men here much more likely to laugh about the story, and women more likely to respond with concern. However, my encounters are limited to only a few people in the camp, and we cannot draw observations about all of Palestine culture from this limited pool. And, even if we made correct generalizations, there are always people within the society that defy the generalizations.
So, enough of my theorizing and ranting. Today, I attended demonstrations in Oush Grab and Umm Salamuna (sp?). Oush Grab is the land near where I live that Israeli/USA settlers are trying to take over, and today we played games on the hill to tried to show that the land is being used and not open for just anyone to squat on.
Umm Salamuna is the village where I attended a protest before with CPT (recall the pics from my presentation where we tried to deconstruct the wall). I was amazed today to see that the Israeli military has now pushed the protesters back very far from the wall and the settlement, where we had our protest last fall. Now, the military places razor wire in the middle of the village's main road so that protesters on Friday can only get within about a 1/2 mile of where I stood just a few months ago.
In the camp, I'm still working to start English and computer typing classes. Actually holding the classes is proving quite difficult, as the center is not easily granting me permission to use space, equipment, etc. Many of the volunteers here have expressed strong dissatisfaction with their inability to plan and implement events at the center. I suspect a lot of the current strife boils down to stress that the center leaders feel from having almost no money.
So, I noticed that essentially as soon as Obama clinched the democratic ticket, he immediately made a statement to AIPAC (the "pro"-Israel lobby in the US) saying that Israel had his complete support, blah, blah, blah. But, the thing that really shocked me was that he said Jerusalem should remain Israel's undivided capital. Excuse me! Did any of the media realize that that is actually illegal, according to intl. law and US practice? Not even the US has it's embassy in Jerusalem--it moved it to Tel Aviv after Israel annexed Jerusalem after the war of 1967. The status of Jerusalem is supposed to be up in the air until negotiations between Israel and Palestine are signed. At least Abbas (Pal. President) squawked a little about how one-sided these comments by Obama were.
Here are a couple actions items for you to do, which should only take a few minutes:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/641/t/2439/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24797
Send a message to your congress people, telling them to address why Caterpillar continues to profit from war crimes in Palestine.
http://cpt.org/node/7140
Contact the appropriate authorities to ask them to take action to stop Israel from shutting down more orphanages in Palestine.
I forgot to mention a couple things from my visit last weekend to Nazareth. Nazareth is 2/3 Muslim, 1/3 Christian, and essentially completely Arab. It was really interesting to me to see how this Arab city is working under Israeli occupation. (I borrow the word "occupation" from the Christian man who gave me a tour of Nazareth village, a rendition of the Nazareth of 2000 years ago. The tour guide talked about how Nazareth has adapted to the various occupations throughout its history: Roman, Christian, Turkish, Israeli, etc.)
Nazareth seemed really clean, organized, and quaint, compared with the cities in the West Bank under the economic, etc. strangle hold. And, it was refreshing to see no soldiers! All the "Israeli" cities in Israel have soldiers with automatic rifles crawling all over them, but in this Arab town, I didn't see even one soldier. I wondered if Israel provides the same security to its Arab citizens that it does to its European-Jewish citizens.
Also, while climbing to the top of the supposed hill where the crowd tried to push Jesus off the cliff, it occurred to me that there were multiple attempts on Jesus life during his ministry (and the attempt at the cliffs was early in his ministry). I can just hear Jesus' family and friends saying, "Come on, do you really need to say those things and place yourself in that kind of danger? You're going to get yourself killed." And so it is with every prophet that has tried to speak truth to power. People don't like hearing the truth when they are doing the wrong thing. And, usually, the family and friends don't understand the prophet's reasons for putting him/herself in harm's way. Either he family/friends disagree with his/her cause or are just plain scared for their loved one's safety (which is a completely natural and legitimate response) But, I think people driven by their conscience have to stay true to their beliefs and convictions; as the 15 year old Jesus said when Mary asked him why he had scared her and disappeared for several days, "I must be about my father's (God's) business."
I obviously feel some affinity with these stories. Although I don't see myself as a prophet by any means or believe that I will be martyred for some great cause, I do believe I have to follow what I feel I've been called to do. Of course, one shouldn't take needless risks or be careless. Personally, I very much want to live a long, happy life (no martyrdom complex here).
Things seemed to have calmed down in the camp since the incident last week. In fact, this evening, there's a wedding in front of my front door, so I'm looking forward to participating in the festivities.
The violence in the camp last week has given me a renewed opportunity to reflect on our reactions to violence. Most human reactions to violence, I think, can be categorized into the following three actions:
1) React to the violence with violence
2) Remain quiet, but perhaps tacitly support one side
3) Actively speak out and oppose the violence of all sides.
The large majority of people fall into category 2. This is not a judgment on my part, but rather an observation. My personal worldview says that regardless of a person's ideas or actions, I am called to love and accept that person. I may try to change a person's mind but not condemn them (as Gandhi said, I want to change their mind, not kill them for thinking differently from me).
Category two includes people who may be against some violence or some wars but believe there's a point where some forms of violence are acceptable. And, by not taking a strong stance against all violence, those in this camp support all forms of violence, albeit indirectly at times. To explain, those who allow for the lethal violence of the state, military, etc.--even if only at certain times--also encourage the reactionary violence. Since violence will only breed more violence, I believe that those who allow for some violence really allow for all of it. You cannot say that some violence is good and other violence is bad, because once we allow for a little violence, we must accept the consequences (those who live by the sword will die by the sword).
The culture here, and across the world today, is a violent one. This is no different than it ever has been, except that we have more lethal weapons today. I am developing a theory that, throughout history, there is a constant percentage of people of people who fall into the three camps mentioned above. There are always a few people involved in violence; always many people who ride the fence, but can be pulled into the violence; and, always a few people who are against all violence. I am starting to believe that these percentages hold steady regardless of culture, religion, place in time, etc. Perhaps the best I can do as a pacifist is to appeal to those on the fence and try to prevent as much violence as possible.
Regarding the situation in Palestine, as I've mentioned before, the large majority of people here are not involved in violent actions. However, like any other place, the majority of people here will not strongly speak out against those who, they believe, are defending their country (indeed, it can be dangerous for Palestinians to speak out, as they are then seen as collaborators with Israel and will then be targeted). However, you can find some courageous Palestinians who do speak strongly and clearly against the violence of all sides.
I mentioned previously that many people I've told about the evacuation from my house, they just laugh. I should also mention that I found men here much more likely to laugh about the story, and women more likely to respond with concern. However, my encounters are limited to only a few people in the camp, and we cannot draw observations about all of Palestine culture from this limited pool. And, even if we made correct generalizations, there are always people within the society that defy the generalizations.
So, enough of my theorizing and ranting. Today, I attended demonstrations in Oush Grab and Umm Salamuna (sp?). Oush Grab is the land near where I live that Israeli/USA settlers are trying to take over, and today we played games on the hill to tried to show that the land is being used and not open for just anyone to squat on.
Umm Salamuna is the village where I attended a protest before with CPT (recall the pics from my presentation where we tried to deconstruct the wall). I was amazed today to see that the Israeli military has now pushed the protesters back very far from the wall and the settlement, where we had our protest last fall. Now, the military places razor wire in the middle of the village's main road so that protesters on Friday can only get within about a 1/2 mile of where I stood just a few months ago.
In the camp, I'm still working to start English and computer typing classes. Actually holding the classes is proving quite difficult, as the center is not easily granting me permission to use space, equipment, etc. Many of the volunteers here have expressed strong dissatisfaction with their inability to plan and implement events at the center. I suspect a lot of the current strife boils down to stress that the center leaders feel from having almost no money.
So, I noticed that essentially as soon as Obama clinched the democratic ticket, he immediately made a statement to AIPAC (the "pro"-Israel lobby in the US) saying that Israel had his complete support, blah, blah, blah. But, the thing that really shocked me was that he said Jerusalem should remain Israel's undivided capital. Excuse me! Did any of the media realize that that is actually illegal, according to intl. law and US practice? Not even the US has it's embassy in Jerusalem--it moved it to Tel Aviv after Israel annexed Jerusalem after the war of 1967. The status of Jerusalem is supposed to be up in the air until negotiations between Israel and Palestine are signed. At least Abbas (Pal. President) squawked a little about how one-sided these comments by Obama were.
Here are a couple actions items for you to do, which should only take a few minutes:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/641/t/2439/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24797
Send a message to your congress people, telling them to address why Caterpillar continues to profit from war crimes in Palestine.
http://cpt.org/node/7140
Contact the appropriate authorities to ask them to take action to stop Israel from shutting down more orphanages in Palestine.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Nazareth and Update on Fighting
I returned to the camp last night after a great weekend in Nazareth and Galilee. I really enjoyed Nazareth, but didn't find the Sea of Galilee--at least the part I saw near Tiberius--to be impressive. I hope to go back at some point to visit the Mtn. of Beatitudes and some other places near the Sea of Galilee, and I imagine I'll like those places better (Tiberius was just a modern city to me).
A friend and I visited Nazareth Village on Sat., which is a replica of what life was like in Nazareth 2000 years ago. I enjoyed that outing, and afterward, we climbed to the top of a high hill where it is thought the crowd tried to push Jesus off the cliff. We had great views from there of everything: Mtn. Hermon, Armageddon, etc.
After returning to the camp, I've heard a number of conflicting stories about what happened the night of the fighting and what's happened since then. What's really interesting (and sad) is that none of the events were covered by local press (you can't find anything about the event anywhere). So, all the facts are left to those word-of-mouth accounts. Part of the reason for the lack of coverage may be Palestinians' embarrassment about in-fighting. Another part of the reason may be that people see this as an isolated, family dispute, and not worthy of news coverage (with everything else going on here). One person said to me, "This was a small fight, even though it seemed big at your house."
However, according to intl. volunteers accounts, yesterday, there was at least one more shot fired in the camp, and consequently, hundreds of Palestinian police and military from Ramallah patrolled the camp with their M-16's ready.
What I've heard is that there was much external pressure on the two families involved in the dispute to end the immediate hostilities, so a 3 day cease-fire was put in place. But, that cease-fire ended today, so several locals have told me to be careful because the fighting could start again. I may not sleep at my house tonight because of the threat (in that case, I would sleep at a friends house or in Jerusalem).
According to some reports I've heard, the fighting started because a man from one family accidentally ran over (in his car) three kids from another family. The family w/ the children tried to or did kill the man with the car (I suspect this is the man I saw who was beat up on Thurs. afternoon--see previous blog). There were revenge shootings on both sides, it sounds like. At least one person was killed, maybe two.
When I was leaving the camp on Fri. morning, I saw the remains of two cars that had been burned to the ground during the fighting. These cars were about 100 feet from my house, so it's now wonder that there was a lot of fighting and explosions around my house. Here are the pics of the two burned out cars:
I'm still lying low for the moment and hoping the violence doesn't flair again. One person told me this sort of thing happens in the camp about once a year, so hopefully this is my one time for the year. When I tell locals about what happened to me, they listen, interested, and then laugh with me. It seems that people here find a situation like mine funny unless the person is actually hurt or killed. This sort of violence is all too common here, so people don't find it that extraordinary.
A friend and I visited Nazareth Village on Sat., which is a replica of what life was like in Nazareth 2000 years ago. I enjoyed that outing, and afterward, we climbed to the top of a high hill where it is thought the crowd tried to push Jesus off the cliff. We had great views from there of everything: Mtn. Hermon, Armageddon, etc.
After returning to the camp, I've heard a number of conflicting stories about what happened the night of the fighting and what's happened since then. What's really interesting (and sad) is that none of the events were covered by local press (you can't find anything about the event anywhere). So, all the facts are left to those word-of-mouth accounts. Part of the reason for the lack of coverage may be Palestinians' embarrassment about in-fighting. Another part of the reason may be that people see this as an isolated, family dispute, and not worthy of news coverage (with everything else going on here). One person said to me, "This was a small fight, even though it seemed big at your house."
However, according to intl. volunteers accounts, yesterday, there was at least one more shot fired in the camp, and consequently, hundreds of Palestinian police and military from Ramallah patrolled the camp with their M-16's ready.
What I've heard is that there was much external pressure on the two families involved in the dispute to end the immediate hostilities, so a 3 day cease-fire was put in place. But, that cease-fire ended today, so several locals have told me to be careful because the fighting could start again. I may not sleep at my house tonight because of the threat (in that case, I would sleep at a friends house or in Jerusalem).
According to some reports I've heard, the fighting started because a man from one family accidentally ran over (in his car) three kids from another family. The family w/ the children tried to or did kill the man with the car (I suspect this is the man I saw who was beat up on Thurs. afternoon--see previous blog). There were revenge shootings on both sides, it sounds like. At least one person was killed, maybe two.
When I was leaving the camp on Fri. morning, I saw the remains of two cars that had been burned to the ground during the fighting. These cars were about 100 feet from my house, so it's now wonder that there was a lot of fighting and explosions around my house. Here are the pics of the two burned out cars:
I'm still lying low for the moment and hoping the violence doesn't flair again. One person told me this sort of thing happens in the camp about once a year, so hopefully this is my one time for the year. When I tell locals about what happened to me, they listen, interested, and then laugh with me. It seems that people here find a situation like mine funny unless the person is actually hurt or killed. This sort of violence is all too common here, so people don't find it that extraordinary.