Monday, December 27, 2010
Jerusalem, Israel
Music by Jorge Drexler, lyrics in Spanish and English below:
Por cada muro un lamento
En Jerusalén, la dorada
Y mil vidas malgastadas
Por cada mandamiento.
Yo soy polvo de tu viento
Y aunque sangro de tu herida
Y cada piedra querida
Guarda mi amor más profundo
No hay una piedra en el mundo
Que valga lo que una vida.
Yo soy un moro judío
Que vive con los cristianos,
No sé que Dios es el mío
Ni cuales son mis hermanos.
No sé que Dios es el mío
Ni cuales son mis hermanos.
No hay muerto que no me duela,
No hay un bando ganador,
No hay nada más que dolor
Y otra vida que se vuela.
La guerra es muy mala escuela
No importa el disfraz que viste,
Perdonen que no me aliste
Bajo ninguna bandera,
Vale más cualquier quimera
Que un trozo de tela triste.
Yo soy un moro judío
Que vive con los cristianos,
No sé que Dios es el mío
Ni cuales son mis hermanos.
No sé que Dios es el mío
Ni cuales son mis hermanos.
Y a nadie le dí permiso
Para matar en mi nombre,
Un hombre no es más que un hombre
Y si hay Dios, así lo quiso.
El mismo suelo que piso
Seguirá, yo me habré ido;
Rumbo también del olvido
No hay doctrina que no vaya,
Y no hay pueblo que no se haya
Creído el pueblo elegido.
Yo soy un moro judío
Que vive con los cristianos,
No sé que Dios es el mío
Ni cuales son mis hermanos.
No sé que Dios es el mío
Ni cuales son mis hermanos.
Yo soy un moro judío
Que vive con los cristianos.
'google translate'd to English:
On each wall a lament
In Jerusalem, the golden
And a thousand lives wasted
For every commandment.
I am dust of your wind
And while your wound bleed
And every stone dear
Save my deepest love
There is no stone in the world
Worth what a life.
I am a Jewish Muslim
Living with Christians,
I do not know that God is mine
Or which are my brothers.
I know that God is not mine
Or which are my brothers.
No dead does not hurt,
There is no winning side,
There is nothing more than pain
And another life to be flown.
War is very bad school
No matter the costume he wears,
Forgive me not ready
Under no flag
Worth any fantasy
What a sad piece of cloth.
I am a Jewish Muslim
Living with Christians,
I do not know that God is mine
Or which are my brothers.
I do not know that God is mine
Or which are my brothers.
And no one gave him permission
To kill in my name
A man is a man
And if God willed it so.
The same ground floor
Continue, I'll be gone;
Rumbo also from oblivion
There is no doctrine which is not,
And there's people that is not
Believed the chosen people.
I am a Jewish Muslim
Living with Christians,
I do not know that God is mine
Or which are my brothers.
I do not know that God is mine
Or which are my brothers.
I am a Jewish Muslim
Living with Christians.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
What Peace, Palestinian Territories
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| What Peace, Palestine Territories |
It is unclear of when civilizations evolved into empires, but it all started with Akkad, on the banks of the Euphrates, southwest of modern Baghdad . He was the first leader to expand his area of influence in the 24th and 23rd centuries BC. By the 3rd century BC, the kings of what we now know as the Middle East, were tempted by news brought from traders of fabulous riches beyond the horizon. Later, the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Byzantines, Islam, Crusaders, Mongols, Ottomans and Europeans were the main empires to take over the area.
While the British were promising Palestine to the Jews in 1917, with the Balfour declaration, the Arabs were fighting alongside the British to oust the Ottomans. Later, subject to British occupation, Palestinians found themselves confronted by an influx of Jews who had never before set foot in Palestine but who claimed equal rights over the land. When they were offered half of their homelands by the UN, Palestinians rejected the plan. For the Palestinians forced to leave it was about the right to the homes where they lived and the land they farmed. For the Jews, one of the most enduring foundations of Judaism is that God promised this land to the Jews.
Israel has the fourth largest military in the world. Shirl MacArthur, a congressional correspondent for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, estimate that the U.S. aid to Israel is approximately US$5.5 billion a year, half for economic aid and half for military. According to McArthur, from 1994 to 1998, Israel received $29 billion in waived loans.
In addition, in 1990, the U.S. Authorized $100 million for US arms stockpile on Israeli land. The figure today is $800 million and congress just passed another bill increasing this amount by 50%, or $1.2 billion. The U.S also gives aids to other Middle East countries but the magnitude is very different, as well as the conditions.
The second highest aid goes to Egypt, about $2 billion annually, $225 million to Jordan, 100 million to the Palestinian Authority and $35 million to Lebanon.
Other western countries also help. According to Todd Gordon, assistant professor of Canadian Studies at the University of Toronto, contrary to its own policy, which prohibits Canadian military send aid to governments engaged in war or human rights violations, Canadian companies have provided Israel with important high tech electronic components for U.S.-made weapons systems. These include components for Israel's AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, F-15 Eagle tactical bombers and F-16 Fighting Falcon bombers.
The State of Israel won two major wars with Palestine in 1948 and during the six day war in 1967, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Syrian Golan Heights and
Egyptian Sinai were occupied, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestine refugees to flee the country or go into refugee camps. Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, states that acquisition of territory by war is not recognized by the United Nations, therefore, Israel's six day war was illegal and there was a general consensus that it should withdraw from the occupied territories.
However, the imprecision in the language adopted by UN Security Council Resolution 242, weather Israel should withdraw from “territories occupied” or “all territories occupied” have worked in Israel's favor, who continues to build settlements in the West Bank despite freeze agreements.
In 1982 the Egyptian Sinai was returned to Egypt in a peace agreement known as the Camp David I Agreement. The Gaza Strip settlements were dismantled in 2005 but Israel still maintains military control of the area, forbidding the entrance of foreigners, and the movement of residents who are considered to be under “house arrest.” Disputes continue over Syrian Golan Heights and the West Bank. Supporters of the "Israeli viewpoint" note the need of existing states to live in security and therefore only accept withdrawal of areas that do not jeopardize their security.
With a strong military, full support from the most powerful empires in the world and economic interests to be gained from occupation and war, Shalom, Saalam, Paz, or Peace in any language continues to be moving targets in the Middle East.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Al Walaja Village, Palestinian Territories
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| Al Walaja Village, Palestine Territories |
I went to Al Wallaja twice, and during both times, Gilo, the Israeli settlement, was the most visible construction in the area, with roads connecting residents directly to Jerusalem. The development looked like a LEGO project- houses and buildings stacked up on the hillside, orderly and squarely.
The first time I went to Al Wallaja, it was with Majeda and Emilia, to visit Majeda's friends. The house had a spacious living room where we were received, The best memory I have of that day is the hospitality of our hosts. We were greeted with shot cups of water recently brought from the springs in Mecca, a plate of succulent dates and a strong cup of Arabic coffee (black coffee with cardamon.) A few minutes later, dishes with assorted nuts were placed in front of us along with miniature baklava and a fresh pot of black tea.
An hour later lunch was served, and as guests, we had the best pick of the chicken laid out on top of a large tray of rice and vegetables, called maqluba, literally, upside down, because the pot is poured vertically onto a tray. By the time we were ready to leave, we each received a gift. Mine was a beautiful turquoise string of beads from Mecca. Although everyone else in our group acted very natural, Emilia and I were in awe by the generous hospitality.
The second time I went to Al Wallaja was under very different circumstances. I was staying at Bustan Qaraaqa, and this was one of the projects undertaken by the farm, helping local farms with permaculture techniques.
Alice, Stacy, Mike and I rode on a taxi towards the village where Alice bought a picnic lunch. Then the driver stopped near the Cremisan monastery and we walked to Abed's place from there. Although we were clearly in the West Bank, the road is illegal for the use of Palestinians and our taxi driver did not want to get into trouble. Abed's land is very close to Gilo settlement, (although also very separate.) Therefore, Israeli real-estate developers are currently trying to seize his land so that they can expand the settlement. Abed has lived in his cave for 17 years resisting land confiscation, although he has no access to electricity, water or waste infrastructure.
Occupied Territories - Palestine
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| Occupied Palestine |
When the British left Palestine, a Partition Plan was created and on May 14th 1948, Jewish leaders declared the Independent State of Israel. War broke between Jewish and Arabs resulting into the “Armistice Lines of 1949” also known as the “green line.” Palestine was divided into three parts: the Israeli state, West Bank, (under the Jordanian Administration) and the Gaza Strip (under the Egyptian Administration.) During the 1948 war, at least 418 Palestinian villages were demolished and the population expelled from the newly created State of Israel. The first wave of Palestinian refugees and camps were created when they were banned from returning to their homes and lands.
In June 5th, 1967, war erupted again, to what became known as the six-day war, when Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Gaza strip, the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula and the Syrian Golan Heights. In the course of this war more than 350,000 Palestinians were forced to flee, some becoming refugees for the second time.
To date, 207 settlements have been built in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and 217 settlement outposts (illegal settlements by Israeli laws) established, with a total of 480,000 Jewish settlers. Jews from all over the world have the right to settle in the State of Israel, including the promotion of the immigration of one million people from the Soviet Union.
Despite settlement freezes imposed and accepted by Israel, bids for new settlement building increased by 550% from 2007. Settlements are built on less than 3 percent of the area of the West Bank, however, due to the extensive network of settler roads and restrictions on Palestinians accessing their own land, Israeli settlements dominate more than 40 percent of the West Bank. The Israeli government has implemented a consistent and systematic policy to encourage Jewish citizens to migrate to the West Bank. Financial benefits and incentives are given to attain this goal. Settlers often carry out violent attacks against Palestinians and their property with legal immunity, and often with implicit support from the military itself.
The first Intifada (popular uprising) of 1987 reflected Palestinian resistance against the occupation. It consisted of stone throwing by young Palestinian against well equipped Israeli soldiers. Many of these youth are still in Israeli jails. The second Intifada in 2,000 involved arms and terrorist attacks. Terrorist actions from all sides, including Israeli military personnel have been common occurrences since the start of the war in 1948, as illustrated in some of the casualties following the armistice:
11 August 1953, Israel military forces using demolition mines, bangalore torpedoes, 2-inch mortars, machine-guns and small arms attacked the villages of Idna, Surif and Wadi Fukin, inflicting casualties among the inhabitants and destroying dwellings. The body of an Israel soldier in full uniform with identification tag was found in the village of Idna after the attack. The Mixed Armistice Commission condemned Israel for these attacks.
2 September 1953: Arabs, infiltrated from Jordan, reached the neighborhood of Katamon, in the heart of Jerusalem where they threw hand grenades in all directions. Miraculously, no one was hurt.
3 September 1953: Sovereignty over the DMZ (Demarcation Zone) between Syria Israel is questioned when Israel start a creeping border attempt by using a water diversion in DMZ; USA threatens to end aid to Israel by the Foreign Operations Administration. Israel moves intake out of DMZ.
In September 1953, Israeli General Headquarters orders Unit 101 to drive Bedouins out from the Negev and push them southward to the Sinai. Unit 101 soldiers act aggressively: they raid the Bedouin camp, shooting aimlessly, confiscating arms and burning tents. The Bedouins run away, leaving many wounded behind. For a few days Unit 101 pursuits the Bedouins until they are out of the Negev.
2 October 1953: The explosion of a land mine on the Israel railway north of Eyal derailed an Israel freight train. The Mixed Armistice Commission has held Jordan responsible for this act of violence which fortunately caused no loss of life and relatively little damage, as the train was made up of empty tank cars.
14 October 1953: Approximately half an Israeli battalion crossed the demarcation line into Qibya village, attacking the inhabitants by firing from automatic weapons and explosives. Forty-one dwelling houses and a school building were destroyed. Resulting in the cold-blooded murder of forty-two lives and the wounding of fifteen persons and the damage of a police car, and at the same time, the crossing of a part of the same group into Shuqba village, breaching article III, paragraph 2 of the General Armistice Agreement. A number of unexploded hand grenades, marked with Hebrew letters and three bags of TNT were found in and about the village
Oslo Accords I and II were signed in 1993 and 1995 enabling Palestine to have a representative government, but it did not give them sovereignty over Palestinian land occupied during the 1967 war. Therefore, the West Bank is being fragmented by settlements, barriers, bypass roads and the “Segregation Wall” build in 2003. Israel is currently in control of 57% of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The state of Israel's area is 20,770 sq km with a population of 7.1 million. Gaza strip and the West Bank's area is 6,220 sq km, with 4.1 million people.
Three are approximately 7.0 million Palestinian refugees and a third of them live in the 59 refugee camps throughout the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. In Gaza, 70% of the population live in refugee camps.
The average water supply to Palestinians in the West Bank is a scanty 50 liters per person per day (just half of the World Health Organization recommended minimum) while Israeli settlers living in the same area receive an unlimited supply. Statistics show that the average consumption of West Bank setters is 280 liters a day for domestic purposes. If total consumption is taken into account, this disparity is even greater. Palestinians are prohibited from drilling new wells or deepening existing wells. Before 1967, Bethlehem for example, was self sufficient in water, and now they buy back their own water from Mekerot, an Israeli company. There are constant water cuts, at times for up to 40 days or even longer. This forces residents to depend on their reserves on water tanks if they can afford one. As an American lawyer from the World Bank working in this field told me, water supply has been used a “weapon” by Israelis in the West Bank.
After the Gaza International Airport was bombed in December 12, 2001 by Israeli forces, Palestinians have to go to much more stringent security checks at the Ben Gurion airport in Israel and all land borders than foreigners. Jordan left the West Bank as a result of the 1967 war, when the Israeli shekel was adopted as Palestinian currency.
There are 200,000 Arabs living in Jerusalem old houses they cannot get permission to renovate. Palestinians are restricted from developing their own manufacturing and business while Israel has 17 industrial centers in occupied West Bank. The average wage of Palestinian in these centers is 1,700 ILS while the minimum wage in Israel is 4,000 ILS and the average wage 7,000 ILS. The unemployment rate in the West Bank is 30% and in Gaza it is 60-80%.
Without a national currency, access to their own aquifers, airport, and an economy destroyed by Israeli controls of roads, water, most of the land, through established military zones, Palestinians have no sovereignty and are slowly being driven out of their land.
Regardless of this reality, Palestinians still dream of going to their homes, many holding their keys while in refugee camps and exile. On the other hand, the Israelis dream of a world without exile, and a land of their own is becoming more and more a reality. Although Israeli fear is at the moment kept at bay, it can be re-ignited at any moment, given the fragility and inequality gaps continuously widening in the region.
Alrowwad Cultural and Theater Society, Bethlehem - Palestinian Territories
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| Aida Camp, Bethelehem - Palestine Territories |
After his village was occupied by the Israeli military and his father's land, crops and 400 sheep herd taken, his family was forced to live in temporary tents and were later transferred to Aida Refugee Camp. But his fate was different than most residents of the camp. Thanks to scholarships, he was able to get his PHD in Biological and Medical Engineering in France, and after working in his field for a few years, he returned to his hometown. He speaks French and English perfectly, besides of course, Arabic.
Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour and a group of friends founded ACTS in 1998. He wanted to give something back to his community and he is also the initiator of the “Beautiful Resistance” against occupation and its violence. “Everybody is a change maker, everyone is responsible. Nobody has the right to say I can't do anything or it's hopeless. We owe to leave a better heritage for our children and the generations to come,” says Dr. Abusrour. The center's mission is to empower the community, with focus on children, youth and women. It promotes the respect of human values and rights thorough arts and education as beautiful and non-violent means of self-expression and resistance against the ugliness of occupation and its violence.
There are 5,000 people living at Aida Refugee Camp, who were relocated from 41 different villages that were destroyed during the 1947 war. Aida Camp was established in 1948, on rented land by the The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for 99 years. The area is approximately 217,000 sq feet. The camp has no playgrounds, green spaces, health center, clinic, or day care for children. Therefore, ACTS serves as a center where children and youth can play and express themselves.
Palestinian refugees continue to hold on their old rusty keys and claim their Right to Return to their lands. Article 11 of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 of 1948 is often cited as the basis for this right. The language of this article reads: “ the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.” However, this resolution is only an advisory statement, therefore, not enforceable. Israeli leaders, such as David Ben Gurian, the first Prime Minister of Israel, insisted at the time, that as long as Israel could not count on the dedication of any Arab refugees to remain "at peace with their neighbors" resettlement was not an obligation for his country.
Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour told me that his family never got any compensation for their land, herd or house. He feels Israel and the international community owes his family an apology for the pain and suffering from the occupation. But instead, he said, “all we get a is a label that all Arabs are terrorists.”
If you feel moved to contribute to Alrowwad, please go to:
www.amisalrowwad.org in France
www.alrowwadusa.org in the USA
The website in Palestine:
www.alrowwad-acts.ps
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Nablus, Palestinian Territories
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| Nablus, Palestine Territories |
It was easy to be oblivious to Nablus' recent bloody past as I walked through colorful stalls of fruits and vegetables, heaps of dates and dried figs, spices, olive oil and soap, seeds, nuts, hard and soft goat cheese and yogurt balls. The old city is very similar to Jerusalem so I am assuming that the last version of it is Mameluck from 1260. During British rule, Nablus was a site of local resistance and the Old City quarter of Qaryun was demolished by the British during the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine.
It was much more pleasant to be in Nablus' old town than in Jerusalem. For one, there was no harassment from souvenir sellers, restaurant owners, tourist guides and irritating tourist crowds.
I saw men working at fresh halva , zata (a mixture of roasted sesame and dried oregano), kanufa, baklava and different sweets – Nablus is famous for olive soap and its sweets. I bought herbs from a 600 year old spice store and tried a freshly made Kanufa, just before heading out to the Al Shifa Turkish bath across the street. This is the oldest public bath in the country, built in 1624.
Nablus was founded by the Roman Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and it has been ruled by many empires during its almost 2,000 year long history. It is located in the northern West Bank, approximately 40 miles from Jerusalem, with a population of 126,000 predominantly Muslim, with small Christian and Samaritan minorities.
After Israel declared its independence, Transjordan (now Jordan) occupied Nablus. Thousands of Palestinians left towns captured by Israel, many of them settling in three refugee camps established in 1949-50. These camps are located within the city limits where original residents and their families still reside.
Since the 1947 Partition Plan, Nablus and its residents have suffered several blows. The level of violence increased at the start of the Second Intifada in 2000 until 2005 when 522 residents, including civilians were killed and over 3,000 injured during an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) military operation.
Israeli soldiers and setters have also been killed, in attacks such as the one in April 2002, when 30 civilians were killed attending seder dinner during the Jewish religious holiday of Passover. This incident was followed by Israeli “Operation Defensive Shield” when at least 80 Palestinians were killed and many houses destroyed. The Al Shifa hamman where I had my bath and a massage, was hit by three Apache Helicopters in those days.
Several historic buildings from the 1st and 15th century were also severely damaged during IDF attacks. At least 60 houses from different historic periods were destroyed as well as the entrance to the old market (Khan al-Wikala), and three soap factories. IDF bulldozers also destroyed 85% of al-Khadra Mosque and 40% of the Greek Orthodox Church.
After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied several Arab territories in the West Bank including Nablus and many settlements were build during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Since 1995, the day-to-day administration of Nablus is the responsibility of the Palestinian National Authority as a result of the Oslo Interim Agreement on the West Bank, but Israel maintains control over entrances and exits to the city.
Despite all this bloody past, the town was calm as I walked through shops. With my backpack filled with dates, figs, goat cheese, spices and tea, and my hair still wet from my visit to the Al Shifa hamman, I headed out down the souq to the bus station. Majeda was waiting for me in Ramallah so that we could go home to Bethlehem together.
Marda Permaculture, Palestinian Territories
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| Marda Permaculturejavascript:void(0)rmaculture Farm, Palestine Territories |
I met Murad Alkhfash in Jordan during my Permaculture Design Course. He founded Marda Permaculture in 2006. The goal of the project is to model and share small-scale farming techniques with neighborhoods in the 23 surrounding villages. Since being in Jordan, I have adjusted my concept of a farm. Marda Permaculture is a little over half an acre and even though it is small, Murad has its challenges running it.
The ancient landscape surrounding Marda used to support orchards, olive groves and shepherding, but it is now degraded, the soil depleted and water must be purchased from an Israeli corporation that sources Palestinian aquifers. Also, many former landowners and farmers are now landless due to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Villages such as Marda exist throughout the occupied West Bank, where resources and land are scarce and daily life for the average citizen is often difficult. The unemployment rate is seventy-five percent in Marda, and gaining permits for work and travel outside the West Bank is extremely difficult. Travel between towns is equally difficult because of the numerous checkpoints, leaving many Palestinians few options for earning a livelihood. Therefore, developing sustainable agricultural practices may be the best solution to holding onto one’s land and livelihood, says Murad.
But for Murad, this is about more than just employment and growing things to eat. It is also about identity and community: “Most land is taken because nothing is growing there. We want to encourage farmers to farm and to use land so they have something.”
After visiting the farm, Murad took me to his mother's home, a beautiful stone house with stables and a large patio overlooking the city. It was so beautiful, it looked like an ancient castle, but Murad told me his father built it only 60 years ago. I had tea with the family and then walked with Murad, his wife and daughter to his house. The guesthouse I was staying at was right next door. The next morning, we walked together to the end of town of catch a taxi to Nablus.
I was intrigued by another gray gate and barb wires as we reached the asphalted road to Nablus. It was similar to the gate I saw when I entered town. According to Murad, these gates have been installed by the Israeli military to control access of the Palestinian population in towns. According to him, at times, these gates are closed and checkpoints are installed, which can take hours or days to travel the 15 miles to Nablus. His brother used to commute to work, but was forced to move into Nablus because of the erratic transportation. Now his house, next to Murad's, is the guesthouse for the permaculture students and visitors.
As we jumped into the cab, I took a last look at Ariel settlement up on the hill. Modern buildings and housing development very similar to any American suburb were neatly stacked together, unlike the more organic, more ancient looking housing sprinkled over land on the valley. The roads settlement residents use are separate from the ones in the West Bank. They have direct and fast connection to Jerusalem and other major cities in Israel.
As Arabs without permit cannot leave the West Bank, Israelis are also not allowed into the West Bank unless they have authorization. This separation only contribute to distrust and I think it is a major cause for hatred between Arabs and Jews. If these neighbors were allowed to see and visit each other, they would be mutually appreciative of their cultures and find more in common between them than not.
Hebron, Palestinian Territories
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| Hebron, Palestine Territories and Israel |
Located approximately 15 miles from Jerusalem, Hebron is home to around 165,000 Palestinians and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated around the old quarter. This city has the traditional burial site of Abraham and his family and is considered the second holiest city in Judaism after Jerusalem and fourth for Muslims, after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The Ibrahimi (Abraham) Mosque is located at the site known as the Cave of the Patriarchs. Abraham, Sara (his wife), Isaac (his son), Rebekah (Isaac's wife), Jacob (son of Isaac) and Leah (Jacob's wife) were buried there.
Even this important religions site is split between an Arab and Jewish sides, with separate entrances, both guarded by the Israeli military. Isaac hall is located at the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Abraham and Jacob halls serve as a Jewish synagogue. To move from the Arab to the Jewish side of the Cave of Machpelah, as the Cave of the Patriarchs is also known, there were checkpoints where bags were checked and bodies went through metal detectors.
But what best represents the separation and militarization of the city for me is a scene I saw on the streets that still sticks in my mind: An Israeli guard with a machine gun across his chest at the bottom of a dilapidated Arab building where a child of about four our five played by the window on the third floor.
Hebron is important for the Jewish community, also because this is the town where King David started his rule. I saw many military tanks in town and walked into a military base by chance, near the tomb of Ruth and Jesse (King David's father.) Needless to say, there is a lot of tension between Jewish settlers and Arabs in Hebron and a bloody recent past.
Feeling threatened by the new influx of Jews after the Balfour declaration in 1917, and their claim on holy sites, Arabs rioted in 1929 killing 67 Jews and wounding 40. Almost 500 Jews survived due to the shelter and assistance given by their Arab neighbors and British Police. At the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt took control of Hebron, and in 1950 it was incorporated into Jordan along with the rest of the West Bank. After the the 6-day war in 1967, Hebron became controlled by the Israeli military.
In 1994, right after Rabin and Arafat signed the peace agreement between Israel and Palestine in what is known as the Oslo agreement, Barush Godstein, a radical Jew living in Hebron, killed 29 Muslims and injured 129 who were praying at the Ibrahimi Mosque. After this, the peace process in the area stalled and many more incidents followed, including riots and protests throughout the West Bank. For example, within 48 hours of Goldstein's massacre, 19 Palestinians were killed by the The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF.)
As any other city in the Middle East, Hebron has a long history of bloody conquests. Mosques turned into churches and back and forth into mosques throughout history. For example, Byzantine emperor Justinian built a Christian church over Abraham's tomb in the 6th century, later destroyed when Islamic invasion took place in the 7th century. In 638, the byzantine church at the site of Abraham's tomb was converted into a mosque. In 1099 Christian Crusaders took Hebron, turning the mosque and the synagogue into a church again and expelling the Jews living there in 1106.
Then, the Kurdish Muslim Saladin took Hebron in 1187 and in 1260, Sultan Baibars established Mamluk rule, building minarets onto the Cave of the Patriarchs and forbidding Christians and Jews from entering the sanctuary. During the Otoman period, there was a slow influx of Jews back into the area. By 1523, there were 10 Jewish families registered as living in Hebron.
I wonder what the Patriarchs and prophets are thinking in their tombs, as so much killing is done in their names.
Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories
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| Bethlehem, Palestine Territories |
Although it is located only five miles south of Jerusalem City, it takes a long time to get through security by the “segregation wall,” the almost 80 feet tall wall built in 2005 separating Jerusalem from the West Bank.
Over half of the district is designated “closed military area” and 4% of of the land was confiscated by Israel who has authority over the majority of land. As the majority of other West Bank cities, the unemployment rate in the Bethlehem District is high, estimated at 40.5%.
It was a busy month at Majeda's house, a single Muslim woman who lives in the middle of an apartment complex occupied by her six brothers and their families. Emilia, a young woman from Boston, also rented a room at Majeda's and we went to many family events together. During Eid, seven goats were expertly killed outside the house. This is the ceremony Muslims perform once a year to honor Abraham's blind faith to God who allowed him to kill a goat instead of his son. We were supposed to have a barbeque afterwords but it didn't happen because of problems with the water supply . Sometimes the water is cut for up to 40 days, I've heard. This is the reason all houses have so many water tanks on the roof.
We also attended an engagement and wedding and spent probably the equivalent of days drinking tea and coffee at Majeda's six brothers and three sisters homes. Her older nieces came to visit almost every day in the evening to get candy, drink tea, watch TV and visit aunt Majeda. Children, sisters-in-law and neighbors came to the house all day long. Arab families are very gregarious and visiting one another is a daily ritual.
I felt very welcomed at Majeda's home and learned a lot about Muslim lifestyle. By the way, my own family in Brazil is the same size as hers: Six brothers, three sisters, and we are both the middle child. Majeda was very accommodating and a great host during the time I spent at her house. I met a lot of people while I explored the rest of the West Bank
and got first hand experience about everyday life in occupied Palestine.
Checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem
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| From Checkpoint between Bethelehem and Jerusalem, Palestine Territories |
Even when there were not many people in line, crossing the checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, it was not a pleasant experience for me. As a foreigner, I knew I would get through with no problems but it was always stressful. The checkpoint is a militarized version of security at airports. Besides placing bags on the tarmac, taking shoes and belts off, and going through metal detectors, there were military personnel with machine guns walking over our heads. We could see them and they could see us. The beep of metal detectors constantly went off, and the revolving doors that lead us to the window where documents were checked, shut unexpectedly as we tried to enter. Only a few people are allowed in at a time and the military personal control the opening and closing of the doors. Voices in Hebrew came out of strident microphones, apparently giving instructions when order in the line was threatened. It sounded exactly like a Nazi scream in a concentration camp. I pondered at the reversal of roles, at human nature...
Palestinians are required to show not only their identification and permission letters to go into Jerusalem, but also have to place their entire hand on a finger print device. An Israeli guard, usually in their early 20's, checks documentations placed against the bullet proof window. They take their time, regardless of the size of the line, waiving people through with a bored face when they feel satisfied with the documentation presented. There is usually only two windows opened at rush time, and one off peak.
The requirements for Palestinians to get permission to go to Jerusalem are strict. Usually, people have to be older than 30 years, married with children, and posses a certification of employment from an Israeli company, or proof of a doctors appointment. They also have to “be clean” in the Israeli computer, which means never been involved in politics, not a small requirement, considering 60 years of occupation. Married people and family members who live on the opposite side of the wall get sporadic permissions to visit each other.
As it turned out, I made to my appointment at the Aida Refugee Camp. When military personnel trying to organize the lines saw me among a mass of male workers, they waved for me to get ahead of the line. I had my mobile phone in my hand as I was trying to call my roommate Emilia to tell her that I would be late. The workers with tired faces and callous hands made way for me to walk through them to the beginning of the line. I still don't know the reason of this special treatment, weather it was because I am a woman, foreigner or because of the mobile phone in my hand ready to make a call.
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