My Perception of the Perceptions of Israelis by Palestinians in the West Bank

Something I've perceived about many many Palestinians here:
they all seem to get the difference between the settlers and other israelis
at the checkpoint today my host dad was telling me that they seem to put the super poor people who've recently emigrated to israel from eastern europe or places like ethiopia (and therefore are likely still working to fit in with israeli culture) at the checkpoints and that they're very disrespectful and mean, but that any time he encounters an israeli soldier who grew up in israel, they're very apologetic for having to stop him and are respectful, i've heard that before from others.
it's kinda the same (in my mind) when you see the customs border agents who are extremely rude in the U.S. especially to foreignors...
and usually i can tell they're someone who grew up really poor in detroit (thanks to institutionalized racism in the U.S.) with very little prospects of a future there and a chance as a guard to weild some power... and or you can compare it to the prison guards i encountered in michigan when working with PCAP (Prison Creative Arts Project) where they took this opportunity to once again hold power over someone else...

Al Khalil (Hebron)

June 23, 2007

It's hot today. 45 degrees celcius. But very dry.

We travel as a group with George (siraj center george) to Al Khalil. We see the settlements on the way. Once again huge fortresses that look just like new subdivisions in California. The settlements have created a new road that will eventually cut off Palestinians from getting to Al Khalil without going either some other way or opening a checkpoint. I'm not clear on which exactly. Either way, it makes life that much harder. We visit TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) which was agreed upon by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 1997 (date?) and they report back to their countries (Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Turkey) on all breaches of international law but are not mandated to act. They do however try to help the community by bringing supplies to schools and subsidizing grain, etc. They try to make themselves known in the community. Nevertheless, after the Danish cartoons came out, (January 2006) about 200 school kids attacked the headquarters, breaking windows and causing other damage.

Al Khalil has a population of 170,000. About 400-600 (?) are Jewish settlers but this small population ends up taking over a great area of the city. The main road is almost entirely devoid of commercial activity and many of the people have moved out because of harassment. The TIPH has documented about 13,000 incidents since 1997 (about 4 per day). Most of the town is Hamas but they have a Fatah governor and major. Mostly family clans are more important here than political parties. Police are almost useless in comparison to the power the families wield. The police are unarmed (on orders from the Israeli government). The family leaders are armed. Mafia style all the way.

There was a small population of Jews living peacefully with Arabs in Al Khalil prior to a massacre in 1929 in which 69 Jewish inhabitants were killed (by outside perpetrators). Jewish settlers returned later in 1968... but they were not the same families.

On February 25, 1994, Baruch Goldstein (from New York) killed 29 worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque as they prayed. He was later killed by surviving worshippers. He (and the settlers in Hebron) subscribe to the Kach ideology which states that the whole of the land of Israel/Palestine/whateveryouwishtocallthisland must be devoid of Arabs (and other foreignors) and only populated by Jews for the messiah to come.

There are checkpoint to get into the Old City and to the Ibrahimi Mosque. Our guide forgot his ID so he does not come with us into the Old City. This area is labeled "H2" and is in the center of the city, where most economic activity was in the past. Now with the checkpoints and the driving away of the Arab population it is almost a ghost town with the exception of a few streets. Since the second Intifada in 2000, 1,829 Palestinian shops have been closed and 1,014 Palestinian housing units vacated. The Arabs live on the first level, with Israeli settlers in the upper levels. There is mesh drapings above the walkways (over the first floor) and we are told by the TIPH observers that the settlers often throw things down on the people and the mesh is to protect. Often the TIPH workers are doused with water from above. We are told to walk fast under these.

Beit Sahour--First Days

June 21, 2007

Not sure how to express that I am in Palestine (Falasteen) and that it really feels like a home. Maybe not my home, but a welcoming home. Some thoughts, not necessarily in order:
The cab driver from Jerusalem tells stories of the "religious peoples" (Jewish, orthodox I assume, maybe Hassidic) who he drives to Tel Aviv and Talpiot to go to visit prostitutes. They ask first if he is Arab or Jewish and finding he's Arab they get in. That's how he already knows where they want to go. They dont want someone to drive them who might tell their family and ruin their reputation. He says "they are coming fast fast... ha ha ha..." and tells me how they consummate their marriage through a hole in a sheet. All an odd and somewhat uncomfortable conversation to have with my cab driver. Talked about the Gay Pride parade set for 5pm tonight. He says 2 years ago the "religious peoples" stabbed someone and now they're trying to protest the parade again. So many cops out. No soldiers at the checkpoint. Mohammed (my cab driver) is happy.

I arrive at Bethlehem University and then take another cab to the Siraj Center where I meet Wilandra, Kit, David and Rodrigo (others in the program) and George and Micheal directing the program. Micheal takes us on a tour of Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity, great falafel at a place right on the square. There are muslims and christians and tourists all milling about. He shows us the bus station and how to get to Bethlehem University. At the University we're given orientation and a brief overview of the problems the university has experiences with the intifada and the closure of schools for three years by the israeli government in the early 80's. We meet our professor and agree to start the course on Monday after the other two students arrive.
Micheal takes me to his brother's home where I will live. Joseph is 31, his wife, Jumana is 28, John is 5 and Jessie is 3 month old. All very friendly and hospitable. My room is on the third floor with a balcony. Amazing. I nap and then Micheal takes me to get a cell phone and shows me how to walk to where Kit et all are staying. He drives me by the settlement "Har something". It looks like a huge imposing subdivision. And it's so close. The settlement and it's surrounding fence has confiscated a lot of what was Beit Sahour land. People dont have access to their fields anymore. Some people still build on what they believe is their land but because Israel now considers it theirs these houses can be destroyed at any time.
The watch American Idol and Charmed here.
Dinner is tasty... maashi ("stuffed") this time squash, liver, chicken wings, pita bread and salad. John is super cute and talks nonstop. I say he's my "ustath arabi" and he says "nooooo!" but i think he feels important.

Joseph confirms there really are hyenas here. [AWESOME!!] Says they're native. But he says he's only seen one in his life.

Joseph's opinion of Palestinian political situation: there's no chance for a Palestinian state. everyone knows this but the politicians dont want to say it. Gaza they call "Hamastan" and the West Bank is "Fatahland". The West Bank will come eventually under Jordanian control, with Palestinians still having their own president, etc. Gaza under Egypt. He complains of the kids who are poor and easily bribed at the checkpoints to bring across bombs city to city through the checkpoints. The Israelis know this happens so now they target all children for more intensive searches. Joseph is really really mad at Hamas and extremists in general.
Jumana's brother and mother came by after dinner. Very sweet. We eat "fowkoos" which is like a slightly-furry cucumber and it's much better than cucumber. Beit Sahour is known for them.

Joseph used to guide tourists to Herodian (Herod's tomb I think?) and the Sea of Galilee (once again I might have this wrong, maybe it's the Dead Sea?) as it's a 5-6 hour hike, but now he can't take them there anymore because there are soldiers and it's not permitted. He's lost a lot of work. He works in a tourist agency. Joseph and Jumana have lived in Germany and he mostly guides German tourists as he speaks German fluently. His father was one of many sons in a poor family and a german Father came and basically adopted him. The German man was an important person of opposition to Hitler and also is supposedly famous for some book he wrote about communicating with spirits... his name is Joseph [cant remember last name right now!] and Joseph is named after him.

June 22, 2007

Breakfast is bread, cheese, meat, jam, coffee or tea. Kit and I shared a taxi (5 NIS-New Israeli Shekels each) to the checkpoint. There we get out and enter through a turnstyle into a steep pathway up to the checkpoint. This is next to the gigantic separation wall. I'm a terrible estimate of distance but it's at least 5-8 times my height. at least. lots of pictures of the grafitti on the wall. "Israeli Apartheid, American Dollars" and such. At the top of the cement walk (enclosed by fence) you reach the first side of the checkpoint and a soldier with an M-16 checks my passport. After this, we enter walk about 50 feet and enter another building with a metal detector and our bags are checked. Then we stand in line and watch as some women in hijab are taken to a private room for searching. We then go through another turnstyle and have our passports checked again and David is sent back because he forgot his passport and is trying to get in with only a Colorado driver's license. We then are finally allowed to exit and I survey the barbed wire fortress I've been allowed to leave. Only a small number of Palestinians have permission to go into Israel. The family I live with only gets to go on Christmas and Easter to Jerusalem.

From there we take Bus 124 (3.5 NIS) to Damascus Gate and Kit and I walk to Jaffe Gate, while Wilandra takes a taxi. The day is spent wandering around the old city... the Jewish Quarter, the Arab Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter. Kit and I pay 16 NIS each to enter the Ramparts Walk which circles the Old City from above. We see Al-Aqsa and many churches... Finally we find ourselves at the Western Wall (the Wailing Wall) and put our long sleeve shirts back on so we can enter. I show Kit how to get to Zion Square where we explore Ben Gurion street (my second time) and buy cheap earrings. I'm starting to get used to the civilian-looking people carrying M-16's (Paige had told me they might be guiding groups). Kit's still getting used to this. We try to take a photo in McDonalds of the salads they offer--truly fresh, made in front of you (not that we ate there) but photos are apparently forbidden in McDs, which is funny because three soldiers had posed with us earlier. Unfotunately for McD's I'd already snapped a shot... As we walk back, it's amazing to be talking shop with a bgirl, we're discussing freezes and the scene, when all around us is the "Holy City" and we keep having to remind ourselves it's real. Arriving back at Jaffe Gate, we find Wilandra still wait for her new cell phone from a "friend" who may not be as friendly as she'd hoped, so we decide to head back to Bethlehem. People are very helpful in helping us find the bus back and my little arabic seems to come in handy. On the way, we're stopped by an Israeli police officer who checks that everyone on the bus has the ID pass... entering is pretty much the same as leaving. Maybe a little quicker. A lot of walking and a lot of obedience to the young female IDF officer working there. She does not smile.

I meet the family Kit and Wilandra live with. The daughter works at the ice cream shop across the street, Flavors and Wasim, the cousin works at a toy store a few doors down. Wasim likes rap and is actually a fan of KRS-1, Q-tip... and Atmosphere! His brother is a DJ and DJs parties and weddings. He studies in 6 of October, Egypt. When asked about the siege of the church of the nativity in 2002 (?) he says it was "cool" and laugh shyly. "It was exciting at least--it's usually so boring here". There were tank rolling through the small town's streets (18,000 people live in Beit Sahour), curfews and his house was searched many times. He once had to make a run for it to make it home.

Dinner at Joseph & Michael's parents house: 8 priests from Germany, Chile, Argentina and Switzerland are being entertained. Jiryis arrived to surprise them. He's the younger brother of Joseph & Michael who has been working as an engineer outside of Abu Dhabi.
Ice cream that night on the rooftop with John yelling over to the neighbors and Joseph trying with very little success to quiet him. It's strange being in someone else's home because I never know when I'm being perceived as standoffish and when as a nuissance. They are so hospitable and I dont want to take advantage!! They are so welcoming, I can imagine wanting to spend a lot longer than the one month here.

Experiences en route to Palestine

June 20th, 2007

3:45am I arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv.

They lost my luggage (thanks Air France who, due to a delayed flight and then an overbooking --i voluntarily surrendered my seat in exchange for a 300 Euro voucher for another flight-- sent me JFK-Paris-Budapest-Tel Aviv, so I arrived at JFK at 4:30pm on Monday and arrive Tel Aviv 3:45am on Wednesday). I was supposed to be in Bethlehem (West Bank, Palestine) already, but my new plan is to go to Jerusalem and hopefully meet up with Nicole's friend Paige who is currently living in Tel Aviv but taking a break for a couple of days in Jerusalem. This way I'll have the luggage sent to my hostel and will end up being much closer to where I eventually need to be. It's now around 5am and I'm just taking it all as it comes. Waiting for the shuttle bus to Jerusalem. Dawn is slowly awakening. Morning in the "Holy Land". Holy to so many many people. It's not that I never imagined I'd visit someday in my life. But still it's all a little surreal.

Some thoughts: pretty decent food on all my flights. No problems at immigration. Though I was the only person stopped randomly about 100 yards from exiting the plane. The no-nonsense female officer: "Show your passport. What is your name? Where are you going? Why are you here? What are you planning to do? How long will you stay here? Do you have any family here?" Then "Ok, go." I wondered did I look particularly less Israeli or less Jewish than the rest of the passengers? Tell that one to New York and Montreal.

7am puts me in the Old City of Jerusalem (I think I'm in the Armenian Quarter). At a guest house Elad recommended. Citadel Youth Hostel off David Street, near Jaffe Gate. No check in til 11am. Free internet. Thank goodness for gchat because I'm able to feel like i'm not so far away. Which is of course a blessing and a curse. We'll say blessing on 3 hours sleep since Monday morning and no idea what's going on... Yoni recommends "Cafe Hillel" on Jaffe Road and give adequate directions, so off I stomp into awakening Jerusalem. People watching over a capucchino and croissant reminds me of a 100 backpackers hangouts I've visited (well, 12 maybe? have I travelled that much?) but I wonder how many people are visitors like me, how many are here studying or living for a year, how many have made aliyah, how many are natives. I see some women in hijab, some men in black hats and with side-curls... others are hard to identify as one religion/ethnicity/nationality or another. There is a surprising amount of diversity. I've seen quite a few people who are most likely of African descent. A few who possibly could be Asian though not entirely sure. I am just surprised. Lots of men with noserings. I love it.

I'm right near Jerusalem Hostel, which is where my email from Paige said she was staying so I check in to the dorm room and find myself in a bed next to the one labeled "Paige". Perfect. Too easy. 65 shekels per night. That's about $15.

I wander down Jaffe Road and turn left into the Market. The halvah man gives me sample after sample of halvah each more delicious than the last. He explains that halvah is Turkish and is made from sesame seeds. They then add nuts or coffee or whatever flavor of the day... But it's hot out and halvah is not exactly thirst quenching. I walk down to one of the many fresh orange juice smoothie stands to get an orange-banana-strawberry-mango smoothie. More meandering on Ben Gurion Street, which looks like some plaza cobblestone area in L.A. Nap time. It feels like midnight. It's 11am. I sleep til 6pm.

Paige and I eat at Vegetarian Garden. The security guard stops me to check my bag. "No guns?" he says, smiling. "No gun" I say and laugh. It's not really all that funny though. I remember this scenario entering the mall in Bogata, Colombia. We meet up with Yoni's friend Adam and his friend David at Bar 33(name?) and I drink Israeli beer--Goldstar. Not bad... The place is dark and dimly lit and perfect for the "Holy Land". I feel like I'm sitting with friends in the East Village though... When we discuss my immanent departure the next day into the West Bank, they express concern for my safety but are all genuinely interested in my experience and are excited for my trip. Adam takes us to a giant "secret" hole in the ground which he calls "Sultan's Pool" though we're not really sure what it actually is. Surrounding it is an Arab cemetary. We continue on bar-hopping, stopping in Mike's Place for a look (hommage to my friends who've spent many a night there) and then some other bar where David's friend played in what seemed to be a folk-country band from the two songs I heard, curiously placed above the bar in what looked like a giant TV screen. Final stop is Schnitzi's for chicken schnitzel... pretty damn tasty. And I've only been eating meat again for two days. But it ain't half bad here...