Why do they hate us? Part 2.

"Why do they hate us" would be a more appropriate question to be asked by everyday Palestinians. They are frequently on the receiving end of right wing hate. How many times have we seen or heard the words "Palestinian terrorist"? It is almost as if the words are coupled together.

Yes, there have been individual acts of Palestinian terrorism as there have been by individuals from pretty near all countries. For example American Timothy McVeigh or Israeli Baruch Goldstein. Yet Americans and Israelis are not tarred with this broadrush terrorist label.

In reality the Palestinian population has been remarkably peaceful and patient in the face of repeated violence and attacks.

Today throughout the Occupied territories Palestinians are facing the ongoing theft of their land and way of life. Three years ago they argued their case against the Israeli Wall before the International Court. They won the case but Israel has ignored the ruling and continues construction of Wall.

Every day this week, like last week and the week before, Israeli soldiers invade West Bank and Gaza cities and towns to kidnap and kill. The daily reporting of invasions and mayhem inflicted by Israeli military on Palestinians is reported at www.imemc.org. In July there were 33 deaths as a result of these invasions. There is lots of violence. In the vast majority of cases Palestinians are the VICTIMS of it.

Meanwhile, in many villages throughout the Occupied Territories, Palestinians with support from progressive Israelis and Internationals are practicing peaceful non-violent demonstrations against the Wall and Occupation. These are happening each Friday in different villages north and south in the West Bank - for example Artas, Um Salamun, Bilin. Yet the majority of Americans have never heard of these demonstrations.

Palestinians are the ones who should rightfully be asking "Why do they hate us?".

Why do they hate us? Part 1.

"Why do they hate us" is a question that frequently appears in American media. "They" is usually the third world or some variation. "Us" is usually Americans.

In my experience the question is easily answered. First, "they" do not hate us. People in poor countries are usually astute politically. They know first hand that governments are not the same as people. They don't hate Americans as individuals and are generally friendly.

What many people around the world dislike is not "us"; it is our government's policy, interference and domination in their affairs.

These dislikes are based on US actions which have negative consequences for them. Our government supports unpopular dictatorships, supplies guns and armaments which are used to repress local populations, encourages governments to terminate subsidies of basic foods, encourages governments to privatize or terminate social services, promotes a narrow version of "democracy" and then ignores or sabotages the results when they are disliked by US corporate interests.

The confusion of the American people with American foreign policy makes all the difference. Instead of 'why do they hate us?" the question should be 'why do they hate our foreign policy?' The latter quickly leads to "What is our policy?" which in turn leads to "What are the consequences of our policy?" These are questions which need to be asked and considered.

"Why do they hate us?" The assumption is wrong and the question is a diversion from what needs to be considered.

Erez Crossing, Gaza

Israel is waging a slow strangulation of 1.5 million residents of Gaza Strip.

Checkpoints that should be transferring food, supplies and people in and out of Gaza have been closed off for over five weeks. The weeds in the Erez parking lot show Israel's attitude for toward international law which outlaws collective punishment of civilians.

I hope all people who care about peace with Justice in the Middle East will speak or act out against this outrageous collective punishment.

What I Learned ......

I recently got home for my visit to Palestine-Israel. Here are some of the things I learned or experienced:

1) Many Palestinian activists think that armed confrontation used in the 2nd Intifada was counterproductive and unsuccessful. In that confrontation a small group of armed fighters put the struggle on Israeli terms and sidelined mass participation. These activists believe that a better long term strategy is non-violent civil disobedience and resistance. This form of struggle can include great numbers of Palestinians plus Israelis and Internationals in joint action.

2) Within the Occupied Territories there are signs of a sectarian (Fatah) PA. There is sometimes an unwillingness to engage in open political debate. In the business world this can be caused by fear of offending the existing authorities and what they can do in response. For example, authorities might not renew a business or operating license.

3) An important feature of the new strategy is that it promotes discussion, debate and democracy. These are essential since it is not just a question of getting rid of the Occupation; the question is what will follow.

4) Conditions in the West Bank are generally safe for visitors. The big majority of people are friendly even when they know you are American. It helps to say "Bush Very Bad". This almost always breaks the ice and promotes a big smile or handshake!

5) There no saints. A few taxi drivers will try to cheat you in Bethlehem as well as New York or Vancouver.

6) Old city Jerusalem is one of the wonders of the world. But be prepared for some very hard sell tactics in the markets.

7) Israelis are joining Palestinians at the front lines of the mass non violent resistance. At Umm Salamun I saw three get arrested (along with three Palestinians). At Bilin I was worried for the safety of one brave Israeli.

8) At the demonstrations Muslim Palestinians join together with Christian Palestinians and internationals with ease.

9) Its the policy, stupid! I met a Canadian Israeli woman who lives in Maale Adummim. She would prefer to live in joint Arab-Jewish community. However now she is a 'settler'. Why? She has new condo for $200K that would cost $1 Million in Jerusalem. There are parks and public facilities all over. Property taxes are a fraction what they would be elsewhere. Israeli policy is to take over more and more land using economic incentives where the religious or ethnic zealotry does not work.

10) On the surface Bethlehem looks pretty comfortable. Below that it is struggling badly. The economic infrastructure throughout the West Bank is in dire straits. Despite taking HIGHER taxes from the Palestinians Israel invested almost nothing into West Bank or Gaza infrastructure.

11) All Palestinians are upset at the Fatah-Hamas infighting. Fatah supporters are in denial over evidence of Israeli-US support for Fatah 'Executive Force' and aggression.

12) The extent and pervasiveness of Israeli settlements, checkpoints, restricted roads and overall Occupation is disturbing. How would YOU like to be prevented from travelling outside your town (or across town)?

13) The conflict is over land and resources not religion.

14) It will take robust INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE to bring peace to this conflict. The Palestinians do not have enough people or resources to challenge Israel militarily. Try as hard as it can, Israel cannot vanquish the Palestinians. The balance of forces are such that international intervention is essential. That means it is essential for progressives in the US to bring about a change in US policy.

15) Palestine Summer Encounter is a good program. We met with many terrific individuals and organizations.

Hate Mail

I sent a letter to the editor of my home town newspaper from Bethlehem. The letter is here.

In response, a reader sent the following letter. This letter illustrates the extent of ignorance and hate among a certain segment of the North American population.

How did the author get these prejudices? Misinformation such as described in the previous posting surely contributes.

Misinformation and Bias

Misinformation or disinformation on the Mideast conflict are common in North America. The following article is a good example. It ran in my local paper recently.

The story title is "Palestinians attack Israeli hospitals treating Arabs" and readers are led to believe that Israel shows a "rare compassion" only to be foiled by the violence of their opponents.

The article consists of a few anecdotes and second or third hand information and some very large "conclusions".

The author ignores the violence, death and suffering caused by Israeli actions and policies. You would never know from this article about Palestinians who have died BECAUSE of Israeli actions and restrictions. Just in the past month many have died because Israel has prevented them from getting to their homes in Gaza.

The author blames all Palestinians for the attempted suicide bombing at the hospital in Beer Sheva two years ago. He neglects to inform readers that the same doctor whom he quotes made an informal survey of people in Gaza and found they OPPOSED the suicide bombing at the hospital.

The article essentially stands truth on its head. The clear implication is that the occupiers are benevolent. The victims are violent.

Following are disinformation tactics commonly used in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and illustrated by this article.

1. Substitute a few anecdotes for overall facts.

2. Repeat negative anecdotes and their conclusions. No problem if it is years old. Repeat it over and over.

3. All Palestinians are responsible for the bad actions of any one Palestinian.

4. Good actions by Palestinians are to be ignored. They do not count. For example, how many Americans know about the widespread mass non-violent demonstrations by Palestinians which have been occurring WEEKLY for the past two years in the Occupied Territories?

5. Negative actions by Israel are to be ignored or forgotten. They don't count. Witness this article which ignores a mountain of information documenting Israeli violations of human rights and crimes.

6. Good actions by an individual Israeli organization or person go to the credit of Israel overall. Witness the implication that Israeli hospitals and doctors normally treat injured Palestinians.

The result of this media bias and double standard is readers who are badly misinformed and highly prejudiced.

Witness the thoughts of the person who sends the hate mail in the next posting.

Poem at Neve Shalom / Wahat al-Salam

At the entrance to the "Oasis of Peace" village there is an olive tree and plaque with the following poem printed in Hebrew, English and Arabic.

Olive Tree

Shafted, stuck among three coconut palms
in a layer of gravel from the Home Depot
in the middle of a junction turned overnight
into a square.

Motorists hurrying home
see it perhaps
through clay pots tilting over,
but they have no time for the twisted story
that rises from its trunk or the flat top of the tree,
trimmed with a building contractor's sense of humor.

Nor can they fathom their roots groping
in foreign soil
clutching mother earth
like provisions from home
since the soldiers cut them down.

The olives, offered and unwanted, blacken
my face
and no miniature roses will divert my heart
from the shame.


- Agi Mishol
(Translation Lisa Katz)

Oasis of Peace

Oasis of Peace = Neve Shalom = Wahat al-Salam

I heard about this interesting village from my friend Marvin. He described a village where Israeli Jews and Arabs live side by side in peace and equality. It sounded good and I spent a night in their very nice guest hostel. Neve Shalom / Wahat al-Salam is located midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, in beautiful hills about five miles off the main highway.

The village was founded in the 1970's by Father Bruno Hussar an Egyptian Jew converted to Christianity on land donated by the nearby Trappist Monastery. The early decades were a major struggle. No trees, electricity or water!

Today it is beautiful - a genuine oasis. They have very nice houses and a superb swimming pool in a stunning hilltop setting. The chickens and roosters down the hillside wake one in the morning. You hear both Arabic and Hebrew spoken throughout.

The village includes a bilingual/binational school curriculum. The school administration, teachers and classroom instruction are evenly split between Arabs and Jews, Arabic and Hebrew. There is a long waiting list of people who wish to move into the village.

Neve Shalom / Wahat al-Salam is a model and example of what is possible. It is pretty amazing (and sad) that this is still - according to some people - the only mixed Jewish/Arab village in Israel! This seems a bit hard to believe but what I do know, and what I saw myself, is that both Israel AND the Occupied Territories are basically made up of old Arab villages and new Jewish settlements.

The success achieved by Neve Shalom / Wahat al-Salam - especially the educational component - shows what is possible. If it is true that a two-state solution is no longer possible, this example and what they have done, becomes all the more valuable.

Holocaust Memorial - Yad Vashem

On a magnificent hill overlooking a valley to the West of Jerusalem is Yad Vashem - the Holocaust Memorial. It has bold and impressive architecture - a huge cement A-frame with skylight at the peak.

Inside, the museum is a path through dozens of exhibits which document the discrimination, suffering and atrocities against Jews in Europe especially during the 1930's and World War II. Through photos, text, video and artifacts the powerful exhibits show the conditions imposed in the Jewish ghettoes, the resistance, the violence, the horrors of the concentration camps.

Exhibits include discussion of repression against the Roma (gypsies) and homosexuals. Other exhibits document the historic links of the Jewish population with socialist and communist ideas and movements. Exhibits document the liberation of the concentration camps and defeat of Nazi Germany.

The final exhibit of the path through the museum documents the creation of Israel. I suppose the designers of the museum see this as the final chapter in victory over the holocaust and anti-semitic atrocities.

But is this correct? After five weeks in Israel and the Occupied Territories it strikes me as deeply ironic. Ghettoes, identity cards, economic repression, discrimination based on ethnicity, humiliation of one ethnic group, and state violence against civilians are happening barely ten miles from the museum. It is just that these things are happening behind a very tall wall.

It would be nice if one day the final exhibit of the memorial could pay tribute to those who continue the tradition of Jewish humanitarianism and resistance to oppression and racism - people like Barara Lubin, Sergio Yahni, Naomi Klein, Yuri Avnery, Dennis Bernstein, Jeff Halper, Noam Chomsky, Amira Hass, etc etc etc..

Unusual IDF Soldiers

IDF soldiers are normally unfriendly. Every attempt I made to talk with them had been been met with silence or monosyllable response and a sour look.

But these ones were different. Was it a change in policy? Or was it simply different soldiers and personalities? Or was it because these soldiers had seen me being angrily rebuffed by a Palestinian woman when I asked to take her photo as she sat on the pavement with grape leaves for sale??

Whatever the reason, these two soldiers were abnormally open and talkative. One soldier is the son of parents from the Ukraine. He follows international politics and is sorry that Bush's popularity is so low in the USA. "Bush is a good man." But now that Bush is on his way out, who will become President? The soldier asked me who I thought and then suggested his own guess: Hilary Clinton. He thinks this is fine: "Hilary will be good for Israel."

I asked the soldier what he thinks about the situation in Jerusalem. "Its calm on the surface but just below the surface it's not calm at all." The IDF needs a heavy presence to keep a lid on things. I suggested that the tension and lack of calm is because of injustice against the Palestinians. He disagreed and thinks the problem is Muslims against the West. He thinks there should be one world religion.

I was curious about the other soldier and asked his background since he was clearly not European. His family immigrated to Israel from India. He is Jewish by religion. It seems there are many immigrants to Israel from India as well as Ethiopia .... they reside especially in southern towns and cities such as Beersheba.

This made me think about something else I had heard. Apparently many of the Russian immigrants (who are now 20% of the entire population!) are not Jewish - they have come to Israel to better themselves economically. In its desire to expand the non-Arab population the rules about Jewish entitlement have been lax. This has provoked all sorts of controversy. There are reports that all it takes is one easily forged document claiming a Jewish grandmother to have entitlement to Israeli citizenship and a host of privileges. Many of the Russian immigrants retain their Russian Christian Orthodox beliefs, and its hard to see the Jewish ethnicity in the blue eyes and straight blonde hair.

Note the weapons in the photo. All Israeli soldiers carry these American M-16s. I asked why they don't use Israeli made Uzi submachine guns. They said that the Uzi's are not appropriate for crowded Jerusalem. "We would be killing everybody in the area if we started firing Uzi's."

Serving in the IDF is a melting pot for the Israelis. Certainly there is a heavy pro-Israel and pro- Zionist education involved. Certainly it puts the soldiers on the side of the occupiers. That is why it is so important that some soldiers and officers are speaking out against the Occupation. That is why it is so important that Israelis are involved in the non violent demonstrations against the Wall and speak to the soldiers in Hebrew and as fellow Israelis.

People need to persuade the soldiers that the conflict is not Israeli vs Palestinian or Jewish vs Muslim. The issue is justice vs injustice. Although these soldiers would not agree, I sensed they at least had open minds.

Trapped in Jerusalem

I was looking for someone in the Christian quarter of Old City Jerusalem.

When I inquired with someone on the street one thing led to another and pretty soon the family invited me in for tea. The daughter is a school teacher with husband and young son, struggling economically. The mother is living with them in one room although she has her own place and would much rather be in her village near Ramallah. She needs regular medical treatment at a Jerusalem hospital. I wondered why she does not travel to her village since it is only an hour away. They explained that she could leave Jerusalem but could not come back. It takes a very special and hard-to-get permit to enter Jerusalem from the Occupied Territories. So even though she is receiving regular medical treatment at a Jerusalem hospital she could not re-enter. Her only option is to stay.

By chance I met someone else in Old Jerusalem with just the same predicament. He works selling goods in one of the small shops in the Old City. He does not own the shop but works for a daily salary of 50 sheckels (about $12.50). He was dressed in one of the white "night gowns" that we see Iraquis wearing on TV or in photos. He would like to leave Jerusalem but fears that if he leaves he will not be able to get back. As we conversed and I expressed my opposition to Bush's invasion of Iraq as well as the Israeli Occupation, he became quite talkative and said he had been to Iraq and saw the air raid shelter which was bombed in Gulf War 1, killing many hundreds of women and children. He expressed the view that all politicians become corrupt. "Governments are the problem", he said.

I had not previously noticed a boy of about 8 or 9 years of age sitting in front of the store front. The man explained that he is looking after him since his father is serving a ten year prison sentence. "For nothing" he said. Just one of the many thousands I suppose. I did not inquire about the mother but wondered about her later. Had she died? I suppose so, since Palestinian families are very close.

This seems to be the plight of many people. Israel has made it impossible or very difficult for them to move about - consequently there are tens of thousands of Palestinians trapped in Jerusalem unable to return home for fear they will never get back to where the few jobs and health services are.

Economic Challenges

Jericho Resort Hotel

The economy in the Palestinian Territories is generally in bad shape.

In Bethlehem the only industry/craft which seems busy is the wood carving shops. They make olive wood sculptures of Jesus, crosses and other Christian symbols. These small wood carving shops are busy from sunrise to dark but most carvings are for export.

Otherwise the tourist industry in Bethlehem is in dire straits. Many shops have shut down. Hotels are near empty or closed. Tourist buses sometimes come for a few hours to visit the Church of Nativity, then return to Jerusalem to avoid spending the night in 'dangerous' Bethlehem.

My first night in East Jerusalem I chatted with an American tourist at a coffee shop. She was on a trip to Israel with her Baptist congregation from Dallas Texas. She explained that they would not be visiting Bethlehem or the Occupied Territories because it is 'too dangerous' according to their Israeli guide. They would be seeing Bethlehem from afar but not going there!

Having stayed in Bethlehem area for a month, it seems to me that Berkeley California is probably more dangerous than Bethlehem. And Berkeley is not very dangerous! People in Bethlehem are generally friendly and welcoming. In fact one often hears random shouts of "WELCOME!" and "HOW ARE YOU?"

Occasionally one also hears shouts of "I LOVE YOU!" This was amusing since the shouter did not know what they were saying .... Apparently the Arabic word for 'like' is the same as for 'love'!

In Jericho the situation is also grim. The oldest continuously inhabited city in the world is now sprawling, dusty and dilapidated. The main road into the city from the south is closed by Israeli military. To get into the city you need to go through other Israeli checkpoints. There are signs of strife and military conflict around the city - buildings destroyed.

I stayed in a nice five star hotel with huge swimming pool, elegant bar and restaurant, impressive photographs and artwork ..... for $80. Sadly for the hotel, it was near empty.

I spoke with the general manager of the hotel. He had lived in the US but returned to his homeland. The Jericho Resort Hotel was built in the 1990's with joint Palestinian and German investment. It was doing very well and had good occupancy rates. Then the intifada broke out in 2000 followed by Israeli response and repression. After that there was essentially no business. For several years the hotel was closed. The German investors withdrew. Jericho Resort Hotel is now open again but struggling.

How do you develop a business when the town is controlled by checkpoints, tourists are steered away, and the local population (Palestinians) are not free to travel around their 'own' territory?




Military Checkpoint on the way into Jericho.

Visit to Yanun

Yanun Boy on donkey, Upper Yanun Village

International and Israeli Activists






In the northern West Bank, just south of Nablus, there are a pair of villages - Upper and Lower Yanun. Yanun became known six years ago when the entire village was driven out by settlers who had expanded in the surrounding hilltops and then attacked villagers. These were the first Palestinian villages to have been completely driven out since 1948.

In response, the UN and some liberal church groups encouraged villagers to return and offered protection. For the past several years there have been three or four volunteers from the Ecumenical Church network who live in the village to be a witness in case of assault or attack.

I went up to Yanun and spent the night there because the regular volunteers were away and they needed another volunteer.

Getting there was an adventure. The main road in the West Bank does not have signs indicating directions to the Palestinian villages. Ror the most part, road signs just point to the Jewish settlements! Directions to Yanun were vague ... volunteers had always gone there by taxi from the Nablus checkpoint. I ended up taking a rented car straight up the valley.

During the drive I received a cell phone call and was told I was on a road the settlers have claimed should not be used! Fortunately I had a rented car with yellow license plates (Israelis, settlers and others with authorization to enter Israel).

The valley is beautiful with olive and fruit orchards, hay fields, hills and the Jordan Valley to the east. Villagers live a traditional way of life - boys shepherding, families tending to the olive and fruit orchards.

Settlers have taken over the surrounding hilltops and installed industrial level chicken coops. There are now soldiers, lookout towers, night lights, security fences, etc.. It is rather eerie given the serenity and tranquility of the valley and lifestyle of the lower valley where boys ride donkeys and elderly women sit on the ground and shell walnuts.

I spent the night in Yanun with an Israeli refusenik - former soldier who refused to be part of the Occupation. We had good conversations and it was interesting to learn his viewpoints. As part of our duties we walked to Lower Yanun, maintained a visible presence and generally just were 'about'. Not a hard job in such a beautiful place.

Next day the regular team returned. It is an interesting group: Norwegian woman, Swiss guy, South African woman. They are all volunteers from organizations part of the World Council of Churches. WCC played an important role opposing South African apartheid and now is in the forefront trying to bring peace with justice in Israel-Palestine.

The volunteers have all been to Palestine previously. The slow pace at Yanun is a bit too slow for some of them. But its just a three month commitment and an internet cafe is just a ten mile donkey ride away!

The situation in Yanun exemplifies what is going on throughout the West Bank: Israeli settlers move in, take over hilltop, establish 'security' perimeter which gradually expands and takes more and more of the land needed for village shepherding and orchards. The settlers are armed with machine guns and self-righteousness. After initial assaults the conflict becomes one of slow grinding down.

The population of Yanun is about one half what it was.

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.

Adam, Rana and the Gaza Strip

Thursday morning at breakfast I met Adam and Rana.

Adam is a Palestinian who now lives in the US and has US passport. He says life became much more difficult after 9-11 and he changed his name to reduce the problems. He is trying to get to Gaza to visit his sister. He is here on short vacation from his job with IBM and the days are ticking by .... Israeli security keeps putting him off. "Call back tomorrow." Day by day his time is running out. He came all this way to visit his sister and in the end may be prevented.

Rana is an attractive young woman who works in Gaza. Her tightly wrapped head scarf indicate she is Muslim. She is fluent in colloquial English and I thought she might be the 'mother from Gaza' blogger! But no .... Rana works for Save The Children and is visiting the main office in Jerusalem plus meeting her friend Adam. Rana says she lives in Gaza and both exit and entrance are difficult. Because she works for an international organization with offices in Jerusalem she was able to exit. But she knows other women who have tried and are unable to leave. They are effectively trapped. Others cannot get in. They cannot get out.

Meanwhile Israel is still bombing in Gaza and on the news here yesterday they reiterated the Israeli threat that nobody in the Hamas government is safe from being targetted for assassination.

I took a photo of Adam in the St George's Cathedral courtyard. Unfortunately Rana preferred not to have a photo taken.

Just out of view .....

Jerusalem's Old City is an impressive sight. The best viewing of it is from the famous Mountain of Olives which is actually a nearby hill. This is where virtually all the famous photos of Jerusalem are taken and where tourists go.

Barely out of view from this area - to the south - is something else which is becoming famous. The Wall. It is just a few miles south of Jerusalem yet visitors never see it because it is just barely out of view from the Panoramic Viewing Area.

But if you walk just a couple hundred yards beyond the viewing area you see why the residents of Bethlehem can no longer travel to Jerusalem. Twice as high as the Berlin Wall, it snakes along the hills shutting off people from Bethlehem and the Occupied Territories to the south.

Jerusalem!

Jerusalem .... Holy site for three of the world's major religions. Within throwing distance you have:
* 3rd holiest site of Islam - Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock
* Judaism's holiest site (Western Wall and Temple Mount)
* the site of Jesus crucifixion and resurrection!

Jerusalem is truly a wonder. The Old city is a walled area with the holy sites, teeming markets, alleyways and tunnels criss crossing and a small number of entrance ways. To the north is Damascus gate ... so called because it heads north towards the Syrian capital.

Outside the walled Old City are west Jerusalem with modern apartments and shopping centers, plus East Jerusalem which has traditionally been Arab/Palestinian but where increasing numbers of Jews are moving.

Within the old city are thousands of Orthodox Jews, young and old Palestinians working or selling at tiny markets, Muslim woman in tightly wrapped head scarves and full length dresses, markets selling crafts, spice, vegetable and meat markets. As well as being a tourist center, many people live in the old city. Its all kind of amazing.

The police and IDF also have a strong presence. All the gates and religious areas are heavily patrolled. Soldiers carry submachine guns with truncheon at the ready. Israeli police or military are everywhere in Jerusalem. Their jeeps and military outposts are all over - night and day.

I have the impression the military keeps a lid on things but there is much tension below the surface. In my first 24 hours here I saw two different fist fights break out among young Palestinian men.

Getting to Israel

I left San Francisco at 8 am Monday and finally arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at 4 pm Tuesday. It is a long trip, especially with New York and Brussels stops. As expected, security for the El Al flight from Brussels to Tel Aviv was much tighter than usual. The security person asked a lot of questions about my trip. Interesting details like .... what is the name of the person who gave you those maps??? Fortunately the name of my friend Marvin Cohen did not provoke any alarm in the mind of the security person. She just carried on with more detailed questions like .... Where does Marvin live?? Is he married??

It seems to be an effective technique ... I had nothing to hide but was momentarily trying to remember Marv's last name!

Luggage check is also much more thorough than usual when flying El Al: they make you go to the luggage transfer area, identify your bag, open it up and show what is in it. One of the other passengers was not so lucky: his large whiskey bottle had broken in transit so his clothes were smelling ripe and with broken glass throughout.

As I was boarding the plane I was thinking maybe I should have avoided El Al. With the conflict and Israeli bombings in Gaza and threats of retaliation, wouldn't El Al be a target? But then I remembered .... the association of airplane bombing with Palestinians is a myth like so many others.

Plane arrived on schedule at Ben Gurion Airport. No problem getting visitor's visa .... then headed for Jerusalem by shuttle service. As we dropped off other passengers it was interesting to see the different areas. Israel is very hilly and the hills are populated with apartment buildings as far as the eye could see. The area near the highway is heavily populated. It was also interesting to see how many Orthodox Jews are in the communities ...... they make a large portion of the population in the areas we drove.

Getting ready ......

I am preparing to travel to Palestine. Purpose is to see the situation first hand and volunteer/contribute in some way. It is a small effort in opposition to the billions of US tax dollars which routinely go to support the occupation.

Meanwhile the situation in Gaza is still tense. The US financed and Jordanian trained Fatah soldiers were conveniently let through Rafah border crossing by Israel so as to do their dirty work. On PBS Lehrer show Ray Suarez scolded the Palestinians and suggested - with a straight face - that Fatah and Hamas would be better off working together rather than killing each other and bystanders. Thanks Ray. Meanwhile there are some real journalists who have described what is going on including the hidden hands of manipulation. Like this journalist and mother living in Gaza: a-mother-from-gaza.blogspot.com