I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos
Tuesday 10 November 2009
Palestine 2009 (59 photos), by Maggie Fisher
I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos
Monday 9 November 2009
Bethlehem - The Wall and graffiti
The Wall and checkpoint in Bethlehem prevent Palestinians from travelling to Jerusalem, their spiritual home. there's much wit and humour painted on the wall.
Dahaisha Refugee Camp
Bethlehem 's Dahaisha Refugee Camp is home to third-generation Palestinian refugees. here are two pictures which might give you some idea of the overcrowding.
Friday 30 October 2009
ps: paranoia and photos
we'd been advised not to take any West Bank material through Tel Aviv airport. Israeli authorities don't want foreigners going home with evidence of the way they treat Palestinians. so hastily packaged up literature, films and camera memory card for posting in Jerusalem. expect it to take about 10 days - fingers crossed my photos don't get lost in the mail. will let you know when they arrive and post some on this site.
at Tel Aviv you're given a number from 2 to 6 denoting your suspect status. mine was 3 so very few questions and no luggage search. N, wearing hijab, was given 6, had her luggage thoroughly searched, was questioned in detail and given two body searches. this, like the checkpoint, is not about security. it's designed to humiliate and make you determined never to go there again. strangely enough it had the opposite effect! another friend who took the next day's flight had been given a 2 and thought he'd sail through. but when they discovered his case contained lots of books they pulled him over. obviously don't like readers...
Tuesday 27 October 2009
steadfast
our last evening together was at the YMCA in Beit Sahour, the base for our trip. we (about 130 internationals and several host families) were treated to a fantastic concert. first a group of local young people performed traditional Palestinian dances. they were terrific - so exciting and uplifting. then musicians from Edward Said Music School played traditional music for us. wonderful stuff which got loud applause and cheers from the audience. much good humour and thanks all round. the evening ended on a surreal note (sorry Alexis) - a rap about Palestine from a young Korean olive picker. imagine watching a very slim young Korean guy, dressed in tee shirt, overshirt and long baggy shorts, confidently rapping about Palestine where you can't understand the language but know you'd agree with every word if you could. all goodness and hope and humanity was there that evening. I was told the Arabic word for it and of course have forgotten, but it means steadfast. it means that the Palestinians have their culture and their traditions and they know who they are and they are here to stay.
Monday 26 October 2009
a peaceful day in the holy city of Jerusalem
Sunday was our free day. N and I'd decided to spend it in Jerusalem - me to lig around and she to do likewise having first been to the Al Aqsa Mosque to pray. two of the guys from the programme joined us, Is a British Pakistani, the other Dutch. they all went off to the mosque and agreed to meet two hours later at the Damascus Gate. I spent a peaceful couple of hours wandering around the Armenian Quarter and through the Christian then Muslim Quarters to reach Damascus Gate right on time. Only N was there, quite distressed. they'd got to the entrance to the mosque (security barrier) only to find a crowd of people who told N get away quickly as it was dangerous - Israeli soldiers had stopped people from going in or coming out. a Sunday school was taking place and mothers were outside frantic to have news of their children. N said one little boy was led out distraught, clinging to the person leading him. we don't know what caused it (specifically this time) but the army was there in force, firing rubber bullets and using tear gas. Is had already made his way into the mosque as men and women go through separate security.
there was nothing we could do so N and I decided to go to the Jaffa Gate from where you can walk the ramparts of the old city. first sustenance so found a lovely cool little cafe just behind the Gate which had delicious pizza. started our rampart tour and ended up again at the Damascus Gate. N, worried about the two men and hadn't had time or inclination to shop so we decided to get down from the wall. passed a cafe in an open area where some other members of the olive picking group were and joined them. just then a group of people in red jackets rushed by carrying a Muslim woman. they put her down on the steps of the church opposite us and were administering first aid. she'd been hit in the head and was moaning and vomiting. then about 15 Israeli soldiers (the ones in black not khaki) came by with helmets and clubs. they went down the alley from where this woman had been brought but came back about 5 minutes later and stayed on the opposite side to us and the injured woman. then Is appeared. told us the soldiers had been hitting people - he'd got wacked on the legs and when he showed his passport, had it knocked to the floor. our Dutch friend then appears. he'd stayed outside the mosque taking pictures - they thought he was a photographer and left him alone.
I wanted to finish the ramparts walk, left the three of them together and agreed to meet at 5 at the Jaffa Gate. resumed my hot but peaceful walk and made my way back to our rendezvous in plenty of time. passed the cafe where we'd had lunch and heared classical music coming from it. there was a flat screen on the wall so stood and watched Pinchas Zukermann play Bruch's violin concerto with the Israeli Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta. found this juxtaposition of endless cruelty and violence and sheer beauty really upsetting.
what I'd forgotten to tell you was how this ghastly day had started - going through a checkpoint (Bethlehem). you get to the Wall and there's something that looks like the entrance to an abbatoir - two narrow lanes, concrete on one side, then very high wire mesh forming a narrow lane, then high metal posts forming the second lane. (one's entrance the other exit). there's a third ramp which was open at the side and this was marked 'humanitarian route'! so you walk up these ramps single file till you get to an open area with the barriers you find at airports to wind you up and down till you get to the next bit which is the security scanner. no army personnel in sight. you just put your bags/shoes/belts whatever on the rolling belt and walk through the metal detecting door. the person behind you can only get through his bit if you're clear. boots and belts back on you walk to the next area where you show your passport to an Israeli soldier who doesn't even look at you. if you're a Palestinian you hold your pass up to the window with one hand and put your hand in a fingerprint (?) scanner with the other. It took us 20 minutes to do all this and there was no crowd. it is what it's designed to be - totally humiliating and degrading. the brother of someone running the project who lives in Bethlehem but works in Jerusalem (there's no work in Bethlehem) gets up at 2.30 in the morning to be there well ahead in the queue for when it opens at 6am. he goes to work doing manual labour and repeats the process on the way back. apparently he gets home, eats his meal and goes straight to bed. his wife and child hardly see him.
I'll tell you about the farewell party that evening in a separate blog.
there was nothing we could do so N and I decided to go to the Jaffa Gate from where you can walk the ramparts of the old city. first sustenance so found a lovely cool little cafe just behind the Gate which had delicious pizza. started our rampart tour and ended up again at the Damascus Gate. N, worried about the two men and hadn't had time or inclination to shop so we decided to get down from the wall. passed a cafe in an open area where some other members of the olive picking group were and joined them. just then a group of people in red jackets rushed by carrying a Muslim woman. they put her down on the steps of the church opposite us and were administering first aid. she'd been hit in the head and was moaning and vomiting. then about 15 Israeli soldiers (the ones in black not khaki) came by with helmets and clubs. they went down the alley from where this woman had been brought but came back about 5 minutes later and stayed on the opposite side to us and the injured woman. then Is appeared. told us the soldiers had been hitting people - he'd got wacked on the legs and when he showed his passport, had it knocked to the floor. our Dutch friend then appears. he'd stayed outside the mosque taking pictures - they thought he was a photographer and left him alone.
I wanted to finish the ramparts walk, left the three of them together and agreed to meet at 5 at the Jaffa Gate. resumed my hot but peaceful walk and made my way back to our rendezvous in plenty of time. passed the cafe where we'd had lunch and heared classical music coming from it. there was a flat screen on the wall so stood and watched Pinchas Zukermann play Bruch's violin concerto with the Israeli Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta. found this juxtaposition of endless cruelty and violence and sheer beauty really upsetting.
what I'd forgotten to tell you was how this ghastly day had started - going through a checkpoint (Bethlehem). you get to the Wall and there's something that looks like the entrance to an abbatoir - two narrow lanes, concrete on one side, then very high wire mesh forming a narrow lane, then high metal posts forming the second lane. (one's entrance the other exit). there's a third ramp which was open at the side and this was marked 'humanitarian route'! so you walk up these ramps single file till you get to an open area with the barriers you find at airports to wind you up and down till you get to the next bit which is the security scanner. no army personnel in sight. you just put your bags/shoes/belts whatever on the rolling belt and walk through the metal detecting door. the person behind you can only get through his bit if you're clear. boots and belts back on you walk to the next area where you show your passport to an Israeli soldier who doesn't even look at you. if you're a Palestinian you hold your pass up to the window with one hand and put your hand in a fingerprint (?) scanner with the other. It took us 20 minutes to do all this and there was no crowd. it is what it's designed to be - totally humiliating and degrading. the brother of someone running the project who lives in Bethlehem but works in Jerusalem (there's no work in Bethlehem) gets up at 2.30 in the morning to be there well ahead in the queue for when it opens at 6am. he goes to work doing manual labour and repeats the process on the way back. apparently he gets home, eats his meal and goes straight to bed. his wife and child hardly see him.
I'll tell you about the farewell party that evening in a separate blog.
Saturday 24 October 2009
information collecting
thought you might like to know about this 'internet cafe'. it's a pool hall in Beit Sahour, a small town very close to Bethlehem (where our hotel is). there are six computers at the back which are mainly used by young boys who want to play computer games. the noise is incredible so if I sometimes talk nonsense or my grammar needs correcting, blame it on the surroundings!
what I haven't mentioned so far is that each day we've been given a tour or talk or presentation on different aspects of life under Israeli occupation. on day 2 we had a tour of Bethlehem, not the tourist parts, and saw THE WALL. my photos when I finally get to post them will say more than my feeble words. what you will see though is the amazing wit and spunk and sheer defiance in the grafitti. then on to Dahaisha refugee camp. Israelis take more and more land and build more and more settlements. space is not a problem (for them anyway). Palestinians on the other hand are more likely than not refused permission to build on their own land so you'll find most Palestinians build upwards when they need more space. this is also the case in Dahaisha where people are now into their third generation. I can't now remember the number of people living there but it's thousands. until not so long ago there was a gate into the camp which refugees had to get permission to use.
having seen parts of Dahaisha, the following day we had a presentation at BADIL, Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency & Refugees on Israeli apartheid and the ongoing displacement of the Palestinians. suffice to say, treatment of Palestinian refugees contravenes international law but guess what, Israel sticks two fingers up and get away with it. the aim is the maximum amount of land with the minimum number of Palestinians. and it's being carried out in a frighteningly efficient way. another thing which no one seems to realise is that it's the oppressor/invader's financial responsibility to look after refugees but Israel manages to get the UN to fund it. someone asked whether this information was given to British MPs. the guy said it's available but few MPs come to find out. (St Tony who was in Hebron that day didn't bother to come and listen). they're also under no illusions about the Israeli lobby and says it takes a brave MP to speak out. he urged us to do so on our return.
day four we went to Jerusalem and had a talk and tour with an Israeli from ICAHD - Israeli Committee Against House Demolition. Israel is surrounding East Jerusalem with settlements and the wall will encircle them. Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem live in poor to squalid conditions (you can tell a Palestinian house because it has a black water tank on the roof). there's limited water for them so the tanks are to increase the pressure. there's an ongoing process of house demolition and the decision's a random one. there's always the threat of demolition if someone fails to toe the line. Palestinians in E J make up about 35% of the population. however they have to pay higher taxes than their Israeli neighbours. so 40% of municipal taxes come from 35% of the population and they get 7% of services. the roads are crap, there's crap everywhere because there's no rubbish collection, no mains sewerage just septic tanks which leak and sewerage gets into the water system. I forgot to say that if your house is demolished, you have to pay the cost of demolition and you have to pay to have the stuff removed.
day five a presentation on the geopolitical situation under occupation. they use satellite maps and can monitor on an ongoing basis the spread of settlements and outposts. it's scary stuff. and this wall we're told is there for security? that's crap. the wall encircles the settlements and the settlements are about taking the maximum amount of land. Bethlehem, East Jerusalem and Hebron are all surrounded by settlements. I've got website links which I'll post when I get home so you can see the picture.
I think I've already mentioned that during our visit to Hebron we heard about the work of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee.
sometimes it's difficult to take in all the facts. I've taken lots of phots which I'll make available. I've also bought a copy of two amazing films - Jerusalem East Side Story and The Iron Wall so will be finding ways to show them when I get home.
tomorrow is a free day and N and I are going to spend it in Jerusalem. will try to give you my impressions before I leave which is Monday.
what I haven't mentioned so far is that each day we've been given a tour or talk or presentation on different aspects of life under Israeli occupation. on day 2 we had a tour of Bethlehem, not the tourist parts, and saw THE WALL. my photos when I finally get to post them will say more than my feeble words. what you will see though is the amazing wit and spunk and sheer defiance in the grafitti. then on to Dahaisha refugee camp. Israelis take more and more land and build more and more settlements. space is not a problem (for them anyway). Palestinians on the other hand are more likely than not refused permission to build on their own land so you'll find most Palestinians build upwards when they need more space. this is also the case in Dahaisha where people are now into their third generation. I can't now remember the number of people living there but it's thousands. until not so long ago there was a gate into the camp which refugees had to get permission to use.
having seen parts of Dahaisha, the following day we had a presentation at BADIL, Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency & Refugees on Israeli apartheid and the ongoing displacement of the Palestinians. suffice to say, treatment of Palestinian refugees contravenes international law but guess what, Israel sticks two fingers up and get away with it. the aim is the maximum amount of land with the minimum number of Palestinians. and it's being carried out in a frighteningly efficient way. another thing which no one seems to realise is that it's the oppressor/invader's financial responsibility to look after refugees but Israel manages to get the UN to fund it. someone asked whether this information was given to British MPs. the guy said it's available but few MPs come to find out. (St Tony who was in Hebron that day didn't bother to come and listen). they're also under no illusions about the Israeli lobby and says it takes a brave MP to speak out. he urged us to do so on our return.
day four we went to Jerusalem and had a talk and tour with an Israeli from ICAHD - Israeli Committee Against House Demolition. Israel is surrounding East Jerusalem with settlements and the wall will encircle them. Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem live in poor to squalid conditions (you can tell a Palestinian house because it has a black water tank on the roof). there's limited water for them so the tanks are to increase the pressure. there's an ongoing process of house demolition and the decision's a random one. there's always the threat of demolition if someone fails to toe the line. Palestinians in E J make up about 35% of the population. however they have to pay higher taxes than their Israeli neighbours. so 40% of municipal taxes come from 35% of the population and they get 7% of services. the roads are crap, there's crap everywhere because there's no rubbish collection, no mains sewerage just septic tanks which leak and sewerage gets into the water system. I forgot to say that if your house is demolished, you have to pay the cost of demolition and you have to pay to have the stuff removed.
day five a presentation on the geopolitical situation under occupation. they use satellite maps and can monitor on an ongoing basis the spread of settlements and outposts. it's scary stuff. and this wall we're told is there for security? that's crap. the wall encircles the settlements and the settlements are about taking the maximum amount of land. Bethlehem, East Jerusalem and Hebron are all surrounded by settlements. I've got website links which I'll post when I get home so you can see the picture.
I think I've already mentioned that during our visit to Hebron we heard about the work of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee.
sometimes it's difficult to take in all the facts. I've taken lots of phots which I'll make available. I've also bought a copy of two amazing films - Jerusalem East Side Story and The Iron Wall so will be finding ways to show them when I get home.
tomorrow is a free day and N and I are going to spend it in Jerusalem. will try to give you my impressions before I leave which is Monday.
Friday 23 October 2009
a day at the farm
the farm we went to today was in the Hebron direction. it's surrounded by settlements and one of the outposts abuts the farm wall. for those of you who don't know, and I didn't before I came here, illegal settlements are all over the West Bank. they completely encircle Jerusalem and Bethlehem. they surround Hebron and these were the ones we saw today. once settlements are built, the Israelis encourage settlers to form outposts. an outpost may start as one or two caravans/mobile homes. in this case the outpost was designed to link two existing illegal settlements and would cut this farm off completely from other Palestinian farms. I'm trying to upload some images so you'll see what I mean. anyway this farm was one where the olive picking project had been for the last four years because of the aggression the farmer had had from the settlers. actually aggression is a bit too mild to describe this situation. four years ago the IDF came and threw a bomb into his house. his mother and brother were killed. the army wouldn't allow ambulances to come for three days so by the time they arrived it was a case of counting the bodies.
as well as olives, the family has grapes (which the women were picking whilst we were there), apples, pears and lots of vegetables. apparently they're always being asked to sell the land and of course say no. we were told that this land in the Bethlehem area would cost about 200,000 dollars but the Israelis were offering 2 million. anyway the family were delighted to see us and we set to. we picked all morning and then walked to the farmhouse for lunch which was simply delicious. a huge pot was brought out and upended onto a tray. the most delicious dolmades and stuffed courgettes. there were also homemade breads with minced spiced lamb on top, salad and yoghurt. I forgot we had a delicious pea or maybe lentil soup as well.
then back to the field to pick for the rest of the afternoon. we were joined by some young people who live in Amman and work for the UN. one of them is Palestinian and her mother lives in Bethlehem. whilst up a tree stripping olives (as you do) I told one of them about Blair and his encounter with the other group in Hebron and that it made CNN news. he was delighted and said although Blair visits the area often, he's virtually invisible.
the family were absolutely delighted to see N, my delightful Muslim travelling companion. it's rare that Muslims join the olive picking programme (why I don't know), and they made her feel incredibly welcome. we left them just after 4 and drove back to Bethlehem.
whilst we were doing this, about 7 others had travelled to a village close to Ramallah to join a demonstration that's taken place every Friday. they got back late this evening having been tear gassed and fired at with rubber bullets. I know a friend's also blogging and I'm sure describing the day in detail so as soon as I have the link I'll add it.
as well as olives, the family has grapes (which the women were picking whilst we were there), apples, pears and lots of vegetables. apparently they're always being asked to sell the land and of course say no. we were told that this land in the Bethlehem area would cost about 200,000 dollars but the Israelis were offering 2 million. anyway the family were delighted to see us and we set to. we picked all morning and then walked to the farmhouse for lunch which was simply delicious. a huge pot was brought out and upended onto a tray. the most delicious dolmades and stuffed courgettes. there were also homemade breads with minced spiced lamb on top, salad and yoghurt. I forgot we had a delicious pea or maybe lentil soup as well.
then back to the field to pick for the rest of the afternoon. we were joined by some young people who live in Amman and work for the UN. one of them is Palestinian and her mother lives in Bethlehem. whilst up a tree stripping olives (as you do) I told one of them about Blair and his encounter with the other group in Hebron and that it made CNN news. he was delighted and said although Blair visits the area often, he's virtually invisible.
the family were absolutely delighted to see N, my delightful Muslim travelling companion. it's rare that Muslims join the olive picking programme (why I don't know), and they made her feel incredibly welcome. we left them just after 4 and drove back to Bethlehem.
whilst we were doing this, about 7 others had travelled to a village close to Ramallah to join a demonstration that's taken place every Friday. they got back late this evening having been tear gassed and fired at with rubber bullets. I know a friend's also blogging and I'm sure describing the day in detail so as soon as I have the link I'll add it.
Thursday 22 October 2009
Hebron
hard to describe how shocking the situation is in Hebron. You may have heard on the news a couple of days ago that St Tony was heckled in Hebron. he happened to be in the Ibrahimi Mosque when one of the olive picking groups arrived. two Muslim girls approached him and he thought they wanted to be photographed with him. was taken aback when they refused. was further taken aback when they took him to task over his failure to help the Palestinians and told him he would have been better spending less time invading Iraq. never one to like being confronted with the truth he was led away by his bodyguards. apparently he also said he didn't have time to spare to greet the cyclists for peace who were due in Hebron about half an hour later. his outspoken sister-in-law and her daughter were part of the group. what a hypocrite he is.
anyway we were taken on a tour of the old city. Hebron is 6,000 years old and beautiful. at least it was before the Israeli settlers decided to occupy some of the houses. whenever a settler puts his caravan/belongings on Palestinian territory the army immediately come and provide security for them. there are 500 settlers occupying houses in the old town and 2,000 soldiers. their presence could not be missed. the army's carved up the old city into four areas and effectively closed it down economically. there are over 100 barriers in Hebron ranging from huge concrete blocks to metal gates to barbed wire. you name it, they've got it. a thriving city is now no longer functioning. but for the Palestinians locked inside these areas, daily life means going through a checkpoint every time they want to go into and out of their own streets. schoolchildren, even the little ones, are searched each day, twice a day. schools within this cordonned off area now start at 9.30 in the morning, not 8 like other schools. there's a school called Cordoba just inside the barrier and the settlers used to come and throw things at the children. the school now functions because an Italian human rights group came and oversees things - stopping the settlers from their barbaric acts. we walked down streets which used to be bustling with activity but now are almost empty. overhead are wire nets with rocks not stones, rocks and all kinds of stuff thrown down on Hebronites by fanatic settlers. I've taken photos and will post them later.
there's a street, actually there are several, where the Israeli army welded the front doors shut so they can only leave their houses via the back. however many of these old houses do not have a back door so they have to leave by the windows and walk across the roof of a neighbouring house to get down. imagine if you were really sick or about to give birth. it also means that the social life of the Palestinian community has been cut. Palestinian families are large and it is common for family members to live close together. however if they have the misfortune to live in this particular quarter, instead of a 50 metre walk to their brother's they have to make a 12 km trek around the checkpoints. cars are no longer allowed in so whatever they need they have to carry. apparently the Israeli Supreme Court ruled this illegal but the military ignored it and carried on anyway.
at the start of the last century before all this terrible stuff started, there was a jewish community in Hebron. they were Palestinian and lived peacefully with their Palestinian muslim neighbours. at partition they had to leave and some of they moved to Israel. the settlers who have illegally occupied Palestinian houses in this area say they are reclaiming jewish property. this is not so. the original jewish population refuse to move back and say they will not do so until the settlers and army leave. so the courts say it is illegal and the jews who used to live there say it's illegal.
the Reuters photographer who was with us the other day when we were olive picking on Amon's land was also with us today but wandered off when we went for a seminar on the rehabilitation of Hebron. he told us he saw children of settlers playing in the street (6/7 year olds) and stopped to talk to them and photograph them. they took him to their school where he took more pictures. then one of the 6 year olds pulled 3 bullets from his pocket and said 'look, we have ammunition'. then he said 'we have more at home' and invited Phil back with him. Phil went and said the house was crammed with guns and ammunition. he was very upset - as we were when we heard it.
there's an amazing organisation called Hebron Rehabilitation Committee and they're rebuilding the old city with the aim of getting Palestinian families to return. the pictures they showed us were amazing and I'll post the link to their website when I get home. so far they've attracted 5,000 Palestinians back and their aim is to get 10,000. the project is funded by most European countries and has won major awards. Blair had the same presentation as we had just before he went to the Ibrahimi Mosque. by the way to get in to the mosque you have to go through a checkpoint with armed soldiers. muslims who pray 5 times a day go through this 5 times a day as well as all the other checkpoints and barriers to get to the mosque itself. it's one of the holiest of muslim places and where Abraham is buried.
I've taken lots of photos today but haven't had a chance to look at them properly and don't know how to upload on this system. but I'll do it when I get home and let you see them.
anyway we were taken on a tour of the old city. Hebron is 6,000 years old and beautiful. at least it was before the Israeli settlers decided to occupy some of the houses. whenever a settler puts his caravan/belongings on Palestinian territory the army immediately come and provide security for them. there are 500 settlers occupying houses in the old town and 2,000 soldiers. their presence could not be missed. the army's carved up the old city into four areas and effectively closed it down economically. there are over 100 barriers in Hebron ranging from huge concrete blocks to metal gates to barbed wire. you name it, they've got it. a thriving city is now no longer functioning. but for the Palestinians locked inside these areas, daily life means going through a checkpoint every time they want to go into and out of their own streets. schoolchildren, even the little ones, are searched each day, twice a day. schools within this cordonned off area now start at 9.30 in the morning, not 8 like other schools. there's a school called Cordoba just inside the barrier and the settlers used to come and throw things at the children. the school now functions because an Italian human rights group came and oversees things - stopping the settlers from their barbaric acts. we walked down streets which used to be bustling with activity but now are almost empty. overhead are wire nets with rocks not stones, rocks and all kinds of stuff thrown down on Hebronites by fanatic settlers. I've taken photos and will post them later.
there's a street, actually there are several, where the Israeli army welded the front doors shut so they can only leave their houses via the back. however many of these old houses do not have a back door so they have to leave by the windows and walk across the roof of a neighbouring house to get down. imagine if you were really sick or about to give birth. it also means that the social life of the Palestinian community has been cut. Palestinian families are large and it is common for family members to live close together. however if they have the misfortune to live in this particular quarter, instead of a 50 metre walk to their brother's they have to make a 12 km trek around the checkpoints. cars are no longer allowed in so whatever they need they have to carry. apparently the Israeli Supreme Court ruled this illegal but the military ignored it and carried on anyway.
at the start of the last century before all this terrible stuff started, there was a jewish community in Hebron. they were Palestinian and lived peacefully with their Palestinian muslim neighbours. at partition they had to leave and some of they moved to Israel. the settlers who have illegally occupied Palestinian houses in this area say they are reclaiming jewish property. this is not so. the original jewish population refuse to move back and say they will not do so until the settlers and army leave. so the courts say it is illegal and the jews who used to live there say it's illegal.
the Reuters photographer who was with us the other day when we were olive picking on Amon's land was also with us today but wandered off when we went for a seminar on the rehabilitation of Hebron. he told us he saw children of settlers playing in the street (6/7 year olds) and stopped to talk to them and photograph them. they took him to their school where he took more pictures. then one of the 6 year olds pulled 3 bullets from his pocket and said 'look, we have ammunition'. then he said 'we have more at home' and invited Phil back with him. Phil went and said the house was crammed with guns and ammunition. he was very upset - as we were when we heard it.
there's an amazing organisation called Hebron Rehabilitation Committee and they're rebuilding the old city with the aim of getting Palestinian families to return. the pictures they showed us were amazing and I'll post the link to their website when I get home. so far they've attracted 5,000 Palestinians back and their aim is to get 10,000. the project is funded by most European countries and has won major awards. Blair had the same presentation as we had just before he went to the Ibrahimi Mosque. by the way to get in to the mosque you have to go through a checkpoint with armed soldiers. muslims who pray 5 times a day go through this 5 times a day as well as all the other checkpoints and barriers to get to the mosque itself. it's one of the holiest of muslim places and where Abraham is buried.
I've taken lots of photos today but haven't had a chance to look at them properly and don't know how to upload on this system. but I'll do it when I get home and let you see them.
Wednesday 21 October 2009
Church of the Holy Sepulchre made me sick
it didn't really. it was the pomegranate juice... we went to Jerusalem for the day, tour in the morning and seminar in the afternoon. I'll do a separate blog for the seminars. but back to the church or rather back to the Wailing Wall. this was where our tour started and it was another scorching day. we joined lots of other tourists looking at the Wailing Wall where there was no shade at all and then we queued in the heat for the Al Axar Mosque where there was little shade and then we walked through the Muslim alleyways to get to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. lots and lots of people and tourists and heat and religious stuff and by the time we got there I really didn't want to see another Church. OK I know it's not just another church but if you're a non believer and you're fed up with all this religious stuff including pilgrims chanting carrying a cross you think the world is mad and a little less religion would be a good thing. so I wandered off with N my new Muslim friend and found some freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. came back to the steps of the Church of the Holy Sep and its hundreds of tourists milling around and suddenly felt horribly sick. (it was the juice not the heat). absolutely nowhere to go! you can't be sick on the steps of the Church of the Holy Sep. so I rushed to our guide and said help and she took me to the Lutheran Church nearby where she knew there was a bathroom. so the Lutherans saved me from defacing the front of one of the holiest places in Christendom.
three days worth of picking the olives
not a skill many of us have. our first day's picking was the first day of the programme. it was also immediately after the long day getting here, and to cap it all it was incredibly hot. that said it was a wonderful experience. we were driven to the field. it took an hour to get there even though it's not far as the crow flies. don't think they have crows here but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. the field belongs to a family who live not far from their land and in fact you can see their house down in the valley. but because of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank this family has to take the same route as us - an hour each way to tend their trees. so how do you pick olives? you put sheets under the trees and pick by hand. the high ones can only be reached by ladders. then you sort them on the ground, picking out the leaves. we novices were very slow of course but then saw the farmer's sons shaking the trees - much faster. the farmer maintained a dignified stance thoughout the whole session and kept pointing out olives we'd missed on the tree or ones that had fallen off. he relaxed at the end though when people were taking photos and his grandchildren were there. the rest of the family made us feel most welcome and gave us delicious coffee mid morning - coffee made with cardamon. by late morning I was wilting and lunch a welcome relief. the women and children arrived with huge pots (another hour's drive) and served us the most delicious rice and grilled chicken and salad and yoghurt and wonderful dolmades.
next morning we went to a field which can only be accessed with Israeli permission and through two locked gates. the gates are high and have rolls of barbed wire around them. they (the gates) are positioned under a huge overpass - a fast road for settlers' use only which sits on enormous pillars. the Israeli soldiers were there when we arrived but let us through without any problem. Amon whose land it is, was a completely different personality and generation from the farmer the previous day. he's in his 30s, and has travelled widely in South America and Europe. he says you have to know how to speak to/deal with the Israeli guards. you have to tell them what you want and what you're doing and not be cowed. anyway the reality is he can only get to his land and his house by passing through these gates. apparently when the gates were erected he was able to open them fully and drive though. now he's not allowed to do that so has to use his scooter. we walked almost half a mile from the gates to his house where his mum greeted us. their house was built in 1890 by his grandfather (but I think it's more likely his great grandfather as his mother looked younger than me). during the time of the Turks he said. (I've taken some pictures but can't upload them here. there are no internet cafes in Bethlehem and I'm using the one computer in the office of an arts centre in Beit Sahour. will post them when I get home.) anyway the atmosphere was extremely jolly and we worked hard. there are a number of Dutch people in the group and they were joined for the day by a Dutch/Spanish photographer taking pictures for Reuters. so a small group of us went with Amon to another field where a Palestinian and his wife (in traditional dress) were picking olives. Amon told us that these particular trees belonged to his cousin who wasn't living there and that the man picking the olives with his wife had no work so the arrangement was that the cousin got half the harvest and the man the other half. Amon also pointed out trees on a steep slope and we asked who harvested them. he said no one but that people came and 'took' the olives -Palestinians who have absolutely no money. the owners of the trees live in Chile or Peru and they're happy that they go to people who need them. it's a way of helping the community he said. I forgot to say that the harvest is down by 15% which means if you have oil to sell you get a higher price. in fact Baha our guide told us it's the worst harvest for two or three decades. not enough rain.
today's land was close to the Israeli wall. can't remember the name of the village and my notes are back at the hotel so I'll post that information later. it's a community where the wall separates the houses from the land so the amount of land the farmers can utilise has been slashed. when the wall was being built a couple of years ago the Israelis were doing major construction very close to the school. this of course led to lots of tension and children throwing stones at the military. the Israelis consider Palestinians over the age of 14 to be old enough to be tried in a military court so this particular Palestinian village has the highest percentage of juveniles in military jails. anyway on to the land and wonderful greetings from the family. we picked steadily all morning and were much better at it on day three than at the start. again delicious coffee and tea served to us. the tea's infused with sage but not the large leaf sage we have at home. the session ended with lunch in the field - rice and kofta and roasted vegetables and yoghurt. wonderful!
sorry this has been a bit long but I have to make use of the computer when I get a chance. come olive picking all of you. you'll love it and you'll love Palestine and its people.
next morning we went to a field which can only be accessed with Israeli permission and through two locked gates. the gates are high and have rolls of barbed wire around them. they (the gates) are positioned under a huge overpass - a fast road for settlers' use only which sits on enormous pillars. the Israeli soldiers were there when we arrived but let us through without any problem. Amon whose land it is, was a completely different personality and generation from the farmer the previous day. he's in his 30s, and has travelled widely in South America and Europe. he says you have to know how to speak to/deal with the Israeli guards. you have to tell them what you want and what you're doing and not be cowed. anyway the reality is he can only get to his land and his house by passing through these gates. apparently when the gates were erected he was able to open them fully and drive though. now he's not allowed to do that so has to use his scooter. we walked almost half a mile from the gates to his house where his mum greeted us. their house was built in 1890 by his grandfather (but I think it's more likely his great grandfather as his mother looked younger than me). during the time of the Turks he said. (I've taken some pictures but can't upload them here. there are no internet cafes in Bethlehem and I'm using the one computer in the office of an arts centre in Beit Sahour. will post them when I get home.) anyway the atmosphere was extremely jolly and we worked hard. there are a number of Dutch people in the group and they were joined for the day by a Dutch/Spanish photographer taking pictures for Reuters. so a small group of us went with Amon to another field where a Palestinian and his wife (in traditional dress) were picking olives. Amon told us that these particular trees belonged to his cousin who wasn't living there and that the man picking the olives with his wife had no work so the arrangement was that the cousin got half the harvest and the man the other half. Amon also pointed out trees on a steep slope and we asked who harvested them. he said no one but that people came and 'took' the olives -Palestinians who have absolutely no money. the owners of the trees live in Chile or Peru and they're happy that they go to people who need them. it's a way of helping the community he said. I forgot to say that the harvest is down by 15% which means if you have oil to sell you get a higher price. in fact Baha our guide told us it's the worst harvest for two or three decades. not enough rain.
today's land was close to the Israeli wall. can't remember the name of the village and my notes are back at the hotel so I'll post that information later. it's a community where the wall separates the houses from the land so the amount of land the farmers can utilise has been slashed. when the wall was being built a couple of years ago the Israelis were doing major construction very close to the school. this of course led to lots of tension and children throwing stones at the military. the Israelis consider Palestinians over the age of 14 to be old enough to be tried in a military court so this particular Palestinian village has the highest percentage of juveniles in military jails. anyway on to the land and wonderful greetings from the family. we picked steadily all morning and were much better at it on day three than at the start. again delicious coffee and tea served to us. the tea's infused with sage but not the large leaf sage we have at home. the session ended with lunch in the field - rice and kofta and roasted vegetables and yoghurt. wonderful!
sorry this has been a bit long but I have to make use of the computer when I get a chance. come olive picking all of you. you'll love it and you'll love Palestine and its people.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
interrogation
arrived at Tel Aviv airport with N, our stories well rehearsed. walked confidently up to immigration desk together and presented passports. mine was stamped fairly quickly but then, reflected in the glass, I saw a uniformed person standing right behind me. I was told I could go but N was to be questioned. we're together I said so was directed to the 'holding pen' in the corner. won't bore you with the detail except to say we were asked the same questions about every half an hour, each time by a different person (politely). after about three hours I said we'd had nothing to drink so someone went away and came back with a bag with a bottle of water and a sandwich each. an hour later N was called in to another room so I followed and they said they knew she'd tried to get in before and been refused. she convinced them she was no threat (hijab equals terrorist of course) and they said we could go. we then had to retrieve our luggage and wait for someone to search it. that took another half an hour for the scanner person to come and then they spent about 20 minutes searching our luggage. I kept thinking how am I going to explain 60 biros? finally got out of the airport just after 11pm and after another wait of about half an hour got a shared taxi (sherut) to Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. another guy who'd been in the holding pen with us and was on the same programme had waited for us. he was British Pakistani and they didn't like that either. the sherut driver was a lunatic and drove so fast it was almost funny. no buses of course to Bethlehem at that hour so we hailed a taxi to take us to the hotel. he said he could drive us to the checkpoint so we could walk through and find our own way after that (for 90 shekels) or take us all the way there for 300. when we gasped he said he'd have to drive the long way round to avoid the checkpoints. (driver's Palestinian and not allowed into West Bank). as it was well after midnight and we didn't know where we were going anyway, we said yes. the taxi driver was very kind, kept asking other taxi drivers along the way where our hotel was, and finally phoned our emergency contact to get directions. we reached the hotel just before 1.30am to be greeted by kind hospitable Palestinians working in the hotel and shown our rooms. an experience I wouldn't have had on my own and N says she thinks they were polite to us because I was there (they were not so last time).
Friday 16 October 2009
getting your story right
there are about 8 of us on the same flight tomorrow and we've had to work out whether we're travelling singly, in pairs or as a group. this is so we can safely get through controls at Tel Aviv airport (reknowned for its bullying tactics). I'm travelling with N, a young British muslim from London - she was refused entry last time so we've had to perfect our story. will let you know in the next couple of days if it worked! hope they don't go through my luggage or I'll have to explain why a tourist needs gardening gloves, binoculars, 60 biros and a 450g tin of shortbread with picture of a castle on the front. I had planned to say I'm there to see migrating birds but I'm so crap at bird identification I'd easily get caught out. however my facial recognition is pretty hot. I should have joined the force like my brother! A of course is relieved I didn't.
thought you might like our last glimpse of St Ives last weekend. always look on the bright side...
Thursday 15 October 2009
Olives
quite a few of you will know I'm off to the West Bank this weekend to join an international group helping with the Palestinian olive harvest. apparently there are 85 of us this year from all over the world. we'll be going to farms/fields where the settlers are particularly aggressive or obstructive (backed up by the Israeli Defence Force), the idea being that international helpers/observers will help lessen the tensions and if nothing else, bear witness to the true situation.
I'm hoping to post stuff whilst I'm there, but it may be sporadic.
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