Just Another Friday in Bilin

Last Friday I went to Bilin with a friend from our PSE group. We picked up a couple people in Jerusalem and drove to Ramallah, the Palestinian city just north of Jerusalem. There we picked up another person to make a group of five going to join the weekly Friday protest in the dusty little village of Bilin.

Our carload of people was a "little UN". In addition to myself (Canadian-American) there were:

* Letti (Hispanic American)

* Rann (Israeli who has lived in Botswana, Hong Kong and UK)

* Japanese guy

* Brazilian woman who is studying in Australia!

Every Friday for 2 and a half years there has been a protest at Bilin. The villagers are protesting the loss of village land which is simply being taken from them - confiscated because all land in Israel is 'owned by the state' - because the Wall is slicing through this property. Right now it is still a tall fence with a gate the villagers can still pass through to reach the other side which holds the majority of their olive orchards. In future, the threat is the Wall will replace the fence and make it impossible to reach the other side.

There are many many examples of exactly this situation. Because it is relatively close to Ramallah and Jerusalem, and because the local committee has been clear that they want non-violent resistance, this struggle has been actively supported by progressive Israelis and internationals.

It's a good thing that Rann advised the rest of us in the car to be prepared for tear gas and stun blasts. At least fifty IDF soldiers - all armed with Uzis and other artillery - barred the path toward the fence so that the marchers could not approach. The orchard and road had suddenly become a "military zone" (because they say so) and everyone is subject to being shot.
This protest has been going on so long that it is a ritual but it is a rough one which could - and sometimes does - spin out of control.

Here is what happened .....

The protest began after the Friday service in the village Mosque. There were lots of kids and men of all ages. Numerous internationals. Some of the community business people - well dressed - joined in. Some of the kids looked like kids in Pakistan with the long shirts and caps. Others were the tough kids who tried to sell us handicrafts or trinkets before the demonstration.

The march continued until the road was blocked by rolls of razor wire. After chanting for some time, a few photographers and protestors started inching around the barrier. Suddenly there were tear gas and stun gun cannisters landing all around us. People were being hit by the tear gas bombs which look like rubber hand grenades. Tear gas and smoke was everywhere. People were fleeing the bombardment. Breathing in the tear gas hurts the lungs and one has to resist panic because suddenly you cannot breathe.

When my own coughing had ceased I turned around to see who was behind. Just a Palestinian in wheel chair enveloped in smoke and gas! It was much worse than it looks in the photo above.

Pretty soon the military was amidst us and forcibly pushing everybody back. This was happening on village land a quarter mile before the "security" fence! Some of the soldiers were disciplined and not keen to beat people up .... others looked nasty.

Two villagers got arrested - I have no clue why - and numerous tussles broke out.

Two Israeli activists were arguing forcibly in Hebrew with some of the soldiers. It looked like one of the soldiers wanted to beat the guy up.

Just then several military jeeps came barreling down the road, past us and heading toward the village. We soon heard the sound of tear gas and stun guns coming from the village. For unknown reasons the IDF was making an assault on the village, scaring everybody left in the village off the street and into cover.

Skirmishes at the protest lines died down and most soldiers returned to their initial position up the hill. Now village boys started hurling rocks at the soldiers with slings. The soldiers were generally too far away but one boy got off a super shot and hit one of the soldiers. Rumors said that the soldier took it in the eye but later reports indicated just a hand injury. Never-the-less he was carted off on a stretcher.

Meanwhile the soldiers and jeeps that invaded the town were now heading back. There was just one jeep left in town. Seeing it coming, an Israeli guy quickly started putting large boulders in the road. One of the boulders was about two fee high. I thought to myself "This is getting dangerous. This is something they might start shooting real bullets over." But the Israeli was still piling the boulders. The jeep rounded the bend kicking up a cloud of dust as protestors scattered off the road. The jeep driver saw the boulders in the road from 40 yards away as we also were scattering away from the road. I assumed the Jeep would stop and the soldiers be even more violent and trigger happy. But the Jeep driver did not stop .... he accelerated! I thought for sure he is going to impale the jeep's oil pan and transmission on the tallest boulder .... but with huge crash he somehow got over it! I looked to see oil dripping but did not see it.

The boys continued to sling rocks and the IDF soldiers spread out and lobbed tear gas and smoke bombs at them. Fires started in the dry grass amidst the olive trees. People from the village rushed to put out the fires.

After half an hour the boys headed back to the village. Then the soldiers headed back to wherever they came from. There were hundreds of smoke bomb and tear gas canisters littering the road and roadside. I wondered how much each cost and whether this is subsidized by US tax dollars.

Later I talked with Abdullah, the villager who heads the local popular resistance committee. He is about 40, looks like some kind of professional. He has the nicest house in Bilin which serves as the demonstration meeting place. He says they have not really had much success or seen positive change despite the years of protest. He thinks it may take a long time .... "like it did for Ghandi and Martin Luther King".

One of the two arrested villagers was released. The other was taken to jail. The guy in the wheelchair was taken away by medics but recovered and returned to the demonstration.

Just another Friday in Bilin.

Every Palestinian ....

I met Khader working at Radio Isis in Beit Sahour. Khader dresses carefully and his hair is nicely groomed. Like others at the station he is Christian. I did not inquire which type but he seemed devout. In fact the people at the station were somewhat shocked when I said I am not religious. "How can that be?" was their response.

In one of our conversations Khader mentioned that he had spent some time in prison. I inquired and found out the following story which .... I have the impression ..... has been experienced by a high percentage of young Palestinian males. Many have faced and endure much worse.

It happened during the 2nd Intifada when Israeli troops laid siege to the Church of Nativity where some Palestinian fighters had sought refuge. For 72 hours there was a complete curfew in Bethlehem. Israelis surrounded and periodically shelled the cathedral for many weeks. Snipers were looking to shoot to kill.

During this period (April 2001) Israeli troops were going door to door at night in Bethlehem rounding up youth and 'suspects'. They banged on the door of Khader's parents house at 2 am.. Khader says his mother was crying; his father was angry but eventually also crying as the IDF found Khader in his room, checked his ID and took him away. He spent the next two days blindfolded with hands tied in a large holding area with many other people whom he could hear.
After two days his name was called and he was taken for interrogation by Captain Housne of the IDF. Housne is infamous in Bethlehem. Fluent in Arabic, he offered Khader coffee. Khader declined. Housne offered again, suggesting he accept and Khader said OK.

The interrogator then showed Khader a photo of some young men throwing rocks at a tank near the grounds of Al Quds University. Khader was in the photo. It was obviously him, and Khader saw no point in denying it. Housne said this is a serious offense but that he could help. The interrogator then went through a laundry list of things which could turn Khader into informant. Different things motivate different people.

Housne suggested that in exchange for information, he could settle the criminal charges agains Khader. No thanks.

Then there was money. "How are you paying for university? We could help you."

Then a car.

Then women. "We can get any girl for you .... Palestinian or Israeli..... wouldn't that be nice?"

Khader says he declined all of this. He knew what would be expected in return.

The interrogator next tried the religions angle. "How does it feel to be one of the few Christians at Al Quds University?" Khader responded, "No problem. We are Palestinian first of all. Plus we all believe in one God."

Following the interview Khader was taken to a prison near Hebron. His parents hired an attorney to contest the charges against him (for throwing a rock at tank). Khader says the attorney did a good job and got his sentence reduced from one year to six months.

He went to prison in Jerusalem. His cell mates were ages 18 and 31, from Nablus and Jenin in northern West Bank. Because Palestinians cannot enter Jerusalem without a special and very hard-to-get pass, his parents were only able to visit him once. His cellmates' families were never able to visit.

Khader says that the experience was very bad. He lost 15 pounds (he is thin) and says he got gray hairs because of the experience. He prayed to God and that helped.

After being released from prison in the Fall, he found that he had lost his university placement.

He worked to save money and re-enter the university. That finally happened in March of 2003. He completed his graduation requirements in January this year and is now working at Radio Isis.

This is an Every Palestinian story. What happened to Khader has happened (and worse) to hundreds of thousands of his brothers.

This is a success story. For every Khader there are many young men whose lives never get back on track.

Five Miles from Gaza Strip

I drove south to take a look at the Gaza Strip from the outside.
Its not possible to get inside - Israel has closed the borders -
but I thought it would be interesting to see the crossing points
and what it is like around there.

I saw the three crossing points. Raffa in the south is completely
closed and barred. Karni has no traffic and is apparently closed.
There is a lot of military around there including dozens of tanks
and monster bulldozers. Eretz had a few vehicles - TV and Red Cross
crews - but otherwise was completely dead. There was zero movement of commodities or people in or out of Gaza.

What was really interesting was what is outside beyond the vision
of people who live in Gaza. What a difference a wall makes. On one side is one of the most
densely pieces of land on earth. On the other side it looks like
the Canadian prairies! Grass and wheat fields stretching to the
horizon. Who could have imagined?

There are numerous Israeli settlements in the area. I drove around
one close to Eretz. Nice dwellings, lots of space, nice playground,
green grass on a soccer field. I wonder if they ever wonder what
life is like for those in Gaza. (I wonder if the people inside Gaza
realize what a different world lies on the other side of the wall.)
Why are one and a quarter million people jammed into the tiny Gaza
Strip with so much land surrounding them?

One can see justification for Israel controlling who enters their
space. But why are they controlling who can enter the Palestinian
Territories including Gaza?

Israel made a highly publicized pullout from Gaza. Yet they still
control its borders. why? Why does Israel prevent Palestinians from
freely moving between Gaza and the West Bank?

The contrast between the dense controlled open air prison inside
the Gaza Strip and the rolling fields stretching to the horizon on
the Israeli side of the wall is shocking.

As writers have recently said, Gaza is not just a prison, it is a
laboratory. The minders monitor behaviour as they reduce available
food and medicine, prevent movement and apply more or less pressure
and violence. This is what is happening today in Gaza while the
"civilized world" looks the other way.

Tel Aviv Against the Occupation

A bunch of us went to Tel Aviv on Sunday June 10 for a
demonstration marking the 40th anniversary of the start of the
Occupation.

It was fun and great to be there! We did not understand many of the
signs, banners and chants ... but the spirit and basic message were
clear. There are lots of young and old Israelis against the
occupation! With drummers, dancers, clowns and high spirits the
march reminded me of some demonstrations in San Francisco. Lots of
kids. The long procession - many thousands strong - was led by an
elderly lady carrying a large poster photograph of a Palestinian
child crying in front of a demolished building.

Gush shalom was there in force.... distributing posters with the
Israeli and Palestinian flags side by side.

During the rally at the beginning and before the march began, a
friend and I each carried one of the posters with Israeli and
Palestinian flags. We went across the street to a sandwhich shop to
buy a snack. As we waited at the street corner, one of the cars
waiting at the red light 10 feet away, honked. We looked over, half
expecting to see a sign of greeting. Unfortunately it was an old
man shaking his fist at us. A moment later we had another reality
check on the Israeli population. There were two sexy young Israeli
woman right in front of us as we waited to cross the street. They
turned and asked in broken English "Why are you carrying that
sign??! There is no room here for Arabs!"

Across the street, at the cafe we ordered sandwhiches to go. The
Israeli who took the order helped us since we spoke no Hebrew. As
we went to pay I noticed the bill was much less than it should have
been and I asked for clarification. He responded that we were
getting a discount. Why? A nod to the poster.

Whither Gaza?

The above photo shows Gaza City skyline in the distance from Karni Crossing overflow parking lot. It was easy to take this photo because there are no trucks in the overflow parking lot. There are no trucks anywhere since Israel has closed this crossing as well as the other two.

We don't know what is going to happen but it could be grim.

The poor people of Gaza: first there was the economic assault - restricting imports and exports, stopping the inflow of money. Then there was the diabolically named 'summer rains' campaign where Israel bombarded the tiny enclave last Summer/Fall, destroying its one power plant killing many people and generally sowing terror. When that failed to topple the Hamas government the Israeli armed Fateh assaults began last winter.

Over the Spring 2007 there were repeated attempts to forge a unity government. US and Israeli governments plus a small fraction of quisling Fateh leadership never wanted this to succeed. Even prominent Fateh allied members of the community here - like the head of Al Quds University - say that Fateh never reconciled to losing the election.

Finally there was the latest attempt at a military defeat of Hamas ... with the opposite results.
Now we see the money getting ready to gush into the Fateh/Abbas government in Ramallah. Now we see the looming danger of ever greater attacks on the people and elected government in Gaza.

Where will it go and where will it end? Money talks and it can probably buy quite a lot of adherence. But will it not eventually undermine the credibility of Abbas and his new 'government' to be seen so clearly as agents of the US and Israel?

The pundits have been quick to say West Bank is Fateh and Gaza is Hamas. But in the free and fair election, Hamas won a majority in much of the West Bank also. If Israel invades Gaza or completely closes down the water and food shipments, putting the population under ever greater assault, how long will the West Bank tolerate this before it erupts in outrage?
Will popular pressure force the new government to make accommodations and somehow overcome the rift between the different factions and thereby prevent the complete strangulation of Gaza? Lets hope so.

Meanwhile, the Gaza coast is patrolled by Israeli Navy. The air is controlled by Israeli Air Force. The land borders are patrolled by Israeli Army. Gaza is entirely walled in except for a few
crossing/checkpoints. It is something like a closet in your house. You get to live in the closet but someone outside the door decides whether you can leave or someone else can enter, when to allow fresh air in, etc..

Following are some interesting and good analyses .....

From Yuri Avnery and Gush Shalom:
PRESS RELEASE FROM GUSH SHALOM
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/he/channels/press_releases/1181945
929/

GOOD OVERVIEW FROM PROGRESSIVE ISRAELIS
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/he/channels/avnery/1181993439/

From Naomi Klein, sharp Canadian writer
"Gaza - Not just a prison, a laboratory"
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/15/1901/

Websites to keep up
News Source based in Bethlehem:http://www.imemc.org/
Analysis:http://electronicintifada.net/new.shtml

Conflict in Gaza

Here in Bethlehem the situation is normal but people are upset, sad and angry about events in Gaza. There seems to be universal denunciation of the fighting and civilian deaths.

On the other side, powerful forces have worked toward and are happy to see the Palestinian division. Consider the following acts of foreign intervention and meddling which have contributed to the current crisis:

* Europe, US and Canada stopped economic aid to the Hamas government after their free and fair election.

* Israel withholds tax and tariff money owed to the Palestinian government and tries to prevent any money from getting into Gaza to allow government to operate.

* Israel has kidnapped numerous members of the legitimately elected government and cabinet.

* Israel controls the Gaza border and makes it difficult or impossible to enter and exit.

* Israel attacks Gaza from the air, killing hundreds of people, knocking out a major electric power plant and other key domestic services.

* The US has selectively funded the Fatah linked military forces

* Israel allowed these same Fatah forces to enter Gaza and attack Hamas soldiers and stations.

* Israel has been actively attacking 'targets' in Gaza creating general terror and mayhem.
See the blog below for a glimpse ..... http://a-mother-from-gaza.blogspot.com/ (See May 24 entry)

In the last 24 hours Hamas has over-run the US financed Fatah forces and now has assumed sole control in Gaza. Having lost the military showdown, President Abbas has responded by dismissing Prime Minister Haniyeh and the government. In effect the President has done a unilateral take-over of the elected parliament and administration.

To nobody's surprise, the Bush Administration has rushed to support Abbas in this take-over. They have even suggested it may be time to end the economic restrictions!

What will the coming days bring?
Increased Israeli attacks on Gaza? Tightened strangulation of Gaza? Both seem likely.

Ali Abunimah has a more positive perspective in his analysis:
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article7030.shtml


I think Ali makes many good points but the situation is bad and full of tragedy. At this point we don't know where things will end up, but it is hard to see this 'defeat' for the Bush doctrine as a victory for the Palestinians. If one of the US/Israeli objectives was to divide the Palestinians they have succeeded (for the time being) in that.

At Tuwani

In the far south of the 'West Bank' there is a village named At Tuwani. Fifteen families live here ... about 150 people total. There are another twelve villages like At Tuwani in this area.
We visited At Tuwani after seeing Hebron and it was a bit like stepping back 100 years (or more) in time. Some of the people live in caves as their ancestors did. Only a few households have running water. They have three hours electricity per day from a generator. People have lived in this area seasonally for many centuries, mostly as shepherds of goats and sheep.

Despite the fact this is in "Palestinian" territory, there is an Israeli settlement and life has become increasingly difficult for the villagers. They live by grazing their sheep and goats but have their paths and grazing areas increasingly cut back. Settlers and soldiers threaten them. The 100 year old mosque in the village was destroyed. Land is continually being expropriated without any compensation.

Because this the only life they know, the villagers have refused to give up their land and traditional way of life. They have welcomed internationals who have maintained a presence here for years.

We met four Americans and two Italian women. The Americans are with Christian Peacemakers Team. The Italians are with "Operation Doves". This group lives in the village and supports the villagers in their ongoing conflict with the settlers and military. They accompany the kids to school and back to their villages. They witness and document conflicts and settler threats or violence.

A decade ago the local villages pooled all their resources and built a nice school where the kids could learn. Israeli government said that since there was no permit it would be destroyed. Villagers found a good lawyer who fought the case and got a ten year delay. But the ten years is about up. Villagers don't know what will happen. Currently there are about 100 students and 5 teachers working at the school.

It was amazing to see the villagers and their tranquility in the face of these hardships. As we sat under a crude cement overhang in blazing heat several things were impressive:

1) how many flies were crawling over the rice and bread

2) the dedication of these young Americans and Italians who have given up comfort and modern advantages to help these villagers

3) there must be something magical and attractive about this village. On the surface it is dirt poor; there must be something much richer underneath.

The Ancient City of Hebron

A week ago we visited the ancient city of Hebron which is about an
hour south of Bethlehem. Hebron is a city of 150,000 , crowded and
bustling. It is known for its conservativism ... nary a bar in
town.

It is also known for its tension and conflict.

In the heart of this city a few hundred Orthodox Jewish settlers have
taken over buildings and rooms piece by piece. They are protected
by 2000 soldiers. Most of the Old City is now shut down as the
settlers are circled by guard posts and cars are not permitted so
store-owners have trouble getting their goods to store and the
foot-traffic is reduced to near nil.

The settlers goal is take over more and more of the area. According
to numerous reports they threaten local people, harrass kids going
to school, and take over adjacent buildings if they are unused.
We met with a couple members of Christian Peacemakers Team - an
American and a Scot. These people live in the Old City, escort kids
as they walk by the settlement area, and generally serve as
witnesses or advocates whenever something bad is happening. In factual straight forward prose they describe their activities each week. In
addition to CPT there is another non-religious group doing similar
work: TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron).

Eileen Hansen from CPT described the situation as we stood on the
roof of their building in the Old City. She said that these
settlers are much more fanatical than most. They are 'beyond the
pale' even by Israeli standards. For example they have a memorial
honoring Baruch Goldstein, the American Israeli who opened fire in
the local mosque wounding 150 and killing 29 Muslim worshippers.

Some Israeli soldiers have spoken out against the injustice and IDF reservists prepared a photo exhibition showing what goes on in Hebron in a brave attempt to change policy.

Unfortunately the situation continues and most IDF just follow orders.

A few days ago IDF killed an old man and critically wounded his wife and two kids in Hebron. Video footage was shown on Al Jazeera TV. They were after the old man's son. There are conflicting reports how the soldiers ended up shooting the old man, his wife and the young kids.

Meeting with Settler

Saturday our group had a meeting with someone who lives in the settlement of Efrat. "Settlement" probably conveys a different image than most imagine because this community has been there since the early 1980's. Thousands of residents live there. It has the look and amenities of a trendy suburban community in southern California.

We listened as Artie Geldman expressed his views:

* it's not a 'settlement' it's a 'neighborhood'

* he does not recognize the Green Line; they are in the 'land of Israel'

* they used to get along well with the nearby Arab village

* he opposes the Wall where it hurts Palestinians 'with no improvement in Israeli security'

* they used to get along well with Christian Palestinians
* the conflict used to be over land but it is now a struggle against 'Islamofascism'

* Americans who benefitted from the genocide of Native Americans have no right to criticise Israel

Artie grew up in Chicago. He meets with various visiting groups who are curious about settlements such as Efrat. He also consults with and advises 'large philanthropic donors from the US'. I suppose Artie is advising them how to donate to expand or benefit these settlements. Do they get tax write-offs for this? If so, why??! These settlements are at the crux of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. They have effectively rendered impossible a two state solution. And yet our government rewards donors who give money for this to perpetuate the conflict??!

It was a strange coincidence that this settlement (Efrat) is beside the village Wadi An-Nis where there had been the demonstration last Friday. In fact it is because of Efrat that the wall has been routed deep inside Palestinian territory and effectively stolen a lot of good farm land. We had supported the farmer to go onto his land for the first time in five years while settlers from Efrat shouted abuse.

We had seen two sides of the coin: Efrat with its wealth and benefits; Wadi An-Nis which is struggling to keep a minimum of what it has against more and more restrictions and take-aways.

Villagers March against Sewage Pit.

Last Friday there was another demonstration in the afternoon. Some of our group joined it to make the day a demo 'double-header'.

We walked through the village of Artas which is just a few miles south of Bethlehem. The immediate problem faced by this farming community is that the nearby Israeli settlement has built a large trench at the head of the fertile valley above the village. The Palestinian community believes the huge excavation is going to be used for some type of waste disposal for the nearby Israeli settlement. They are worried about the danger of run-off or seepage from the waste contaminating their downhill farm fields.

We joined the local community to march from the village up to where the excavation is. With an Israeli settlement on the hilltop there is a fence along the hillside and Israeli soldiers at the ready.

At previous demonstrations soldiers have forcibly prevented villagers from reaching the excavated area. But last Friday they just looked on and did not stop the peaceful demonstration. The villagers spirits were high and some of them exuberantly threw dirt and pushed boulders back into the excavation. A dead olive tree was symbolically stuck back in the ground and propped up with rocks.

The group was expressing their frustration and also sending a message: Stop taking our land. No you cannot use our farm land as a sewage dump!

Unfortunately the only witnesses were the participants and the onlooking 20 IDF soldiers.
No matter ... the villagers were exuberant in having a chance to show their opposition to the threatening waste dump. An elderly Palestinian lady who is the owner of the property looked on in support of the protest.

First Time in Five Years ....

Last Friday there was a successful protest at a village south of Bethlehem ... Wadi An-Nis. About 100 people - half Palestinians from the village and half International and Israeli activists faced off with the Israeli military while settlers looked on from nearby. It was tense for some moments but finally the soldiers allowed the farmer and friends to tend to some of his grape and olive trees. The first time in five years he has been able to!!

Here is the background: Farmers from Wadi An-Nis who own property to the west can no longer reach their land due to preparations to build the 'Separation Barrier' and because there is a settlement (Efrat) nearby. An Israeli military detachment prevent Palestinians from getting 'too close' to the settlement even if it is to reach their own land and still a half mile from the settlement.

This action is of the type that some Palestinians are now advocating: mass non-violent resistance against the Occupation. Organizers were very pleased with the results. Yet there was a bittersweet element. When I congratulated, the Palestinian farmer his response was .... "Congratulations for being able to go to my own land??!"

Israeli Groups B'TSelem and ICAHD

Last weekend we all took a bus to Jerusalem and met with two very good organizations: B'TSelem and Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD).

At the B'TSelem offices we had an overview of the situation by their Director of International Relations, Risa Zoll. Risa described their work in documenting human rights abuses and countering popular myths and mistruths. She talked about the huge increase in illegal Israeli settlements AFTER the 1993 Oslo Accord. She talked about the facts vs myth of the Wall: how it is claimed to be for security but the majority of the wall is being built on Palestinian land. According to their research 95% of Jewish Jerusalemites have never been to a checkpoint into the Occupied Territories even though there is one just ten minutes away! B'TSelem is going to open an office in Washington DC ..... it is much needed.

Next we met with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). For several hours we drove around Jerusalem to see with our own eyes how Israel has established a 'matrix of control' to change the population of the area and make life increasingly difficult for Palestinians.

A few of the highlights:

* Views of illegal ettlements encircling Palestinian neighborhoods.

* Visit to Ma'ale Adummim - huge settlement of 33,000 with its ironic 'library of peace' in an ethnically pure zone which is further dividing the West Bank. All built on Occupied Territory.

* Visit to site of a demolished home and presentation how Israel makes it nearly impossible for Palestinians to get building permit.

* Visit to the wall on the road south which put Jerusalem's Al Quds University and the Palestinian parliament on the 'wrong' side of the wall.

We were all impressed with the clarity and good works of B'TSelem and ICAHD.

Bethlehem!

Last Thursday I met the Palestine Summer Encounter group and we came south to Bethlehem area. It has been an intense and busy week!

Each of the 15 participants is living with a Palestinian family, volunteering at a local organization and studying Arabic. Combined with local events and meetings plus travelling by foot or bus it all adds up to a busy time.

The group is diverse and very interesting with people from Switzerland, Norway, Bulgaria, UK and Canada in addition to the USA. There is an Iraq War veteran who is now in medical school, numerous university students (Phd and undergraduate), one retiree, and others who had the interest and time like myself.

It is very interesting talking with people in the group and how they came to be here. For example there is an exuberant 21 year old female who grew up in a Evangelical Christian church in Arkansas. She talks about how normal it is for the Baptist and Evangelical churches there to be Christian Zionist - very pro-Israel and blind to the Palestinian perspective. She read the influential 'Left Behind' series of books and came to Israel last year with a group from her church. But after reading the book "Whose Land? Whose Promise?" she started to see things differently. She describes how she became angry when she realized the distortions and falsehoods. Now, her goal is to return and live in the Palestinian Territory after she graduates university. As a music major she looks forward to working with a school choir here!

Each of us is volunteering at a local organizations - hospital, kids' summer camp, media outlet, etc.. I am volunteering at Radio Isis - a local radio station - and helping prepare a proposal for expansion of their tower and transmitter. My house-mate is Norwegian and here partly because his girl-friend is a psychologist working with Doctors Without Borders in the nearby Palestinian city of Hebron. He is helping to build a climbing wall and other equipment that will be used in an upcoming summer adventure camp for kids.

In the afternoons we have two to three hours of Arabic instruction. The teacher is excellent. She combines presentation with classroom practice and the time passes quickly. We are learning the Arabic alphabet and have covered 6 of the 28 letters so far. Unfortunately there are a few important sounds/letters which have no English equivalent so we just have to constrict the throat and stomach and utter 'gghhh' or something like that.

Friends and family have all advised me to BE SAFE! It seems very safe here in the Bethlehem area. This is partly because it is a small city. However it is also because the population is friendly to visitors and foreigners. It is nothing like many third world cities where there are thieves looking for a chance to take advantage of a foreigner. Especially after coming here from East Jerusalem - where there are machine gun carrying soldiers everywhere - it is striking how FEW soldiers or police there are. My host family says the Palestinian community polices itself.

While it is quiet and relatively peaceful now, a few years ago it was not. Our host told us how Apache attack helicopters fired missiles at cars and houses in this area during the Intifada (uprising) a few years ago. Roads were blocked and the Israeli military imposed a siege and curfew for months. Many people died. Looking at the tranquil (and economically depressed) Bethelehem now, it seems strange to imagine.