dealing with demolition orders

My contact (I'll call him Hassan) took me to a meeting called by the Governor of Hebron Province. When demolition orders are issued the people concerned need to know what to do - ignoring it is fatal. And the first person they'd go to would be their community leader. So all the community leaders had been called so they'd know the tortuous process the Israelis use, and therefore be able to give the right advice. Slides were shown of a demolition order (which apparently is often purposely left under a rock or stone, so that it can be missed). Then there's the announcement in the paper (but written in such small tight script you could overlook it, even if you did buy the correct copy of the newspaper, which you probably wouldn't). The person receiving the order then needs to take it to the court; the meeting was given a list of legal firms which would do the work for free. It's all frighteningly efficient within the Israeli legal system. 

Hassan has huge respect for the Governor who said at the end of the meeting that it was critical this information was available to everyone. He (the Governor) said he'd called the meeting for all community leaders, and unless those who'd failed to turn up had an acceptable excuse, he'd come down hard on them. 

Hassan added that he couldn't bear to work in East Jerusalem where house demolitions are a daily occurrence. There the owner is fined for having an 'illegal' property and has the choice of either demolishing his/her own home or paying the costs of bulldozers, trucks, police etc, AND the cost of removing the rubble. So some people demolish their own homes rather than have this financial burden as well!

South Hebron Hills

This is a Zone C area in the occupied West Bank which means it's under the control of the Israelis. They've deemed it a military zone and are trying to remove the indigenous population (mainly Bedouin) from the land by demolishing their dwellings. At the same time they're building settlements. In the top photo if you look closely you'll see on the skyline a settlement which has electricity and therefore air conditioning etc, running water and swimming pools for some and all the things you'd expect in the 21st Century. Out of view there's a large white building which houses the chickens they raise as part of the settlement's economy. The chickens also have electricity, temperature-controlled environment, piped water and food. On the slope just below the settlement you'll see a cluster of small shacks. This is the Bedouin community. It's only very recently they've acquired electricity from solar panels as they weren't allowed to use the posts and wires running through the village. Demolitions are on-going.

Here's the school for Bedouin children, paid for by funds raised by caring people. You'll see the wind's so fierce the awning's ripped to shreds. But the murals are jolly. On the opposite side of the road/track is a firing zone.

Then we drove to the school at Khashem Al Daraj. The school's large enough to take 32 children and you can see it's jolly and has its own playground. (Apparently some older children were using the slides and swings as they'd never had access to such things). A team of four or five stayed at the school for several days to paint the murals, using the children's hand prints for some of the patterns. Parents can't afford even small amounts towards the cost of teachers hence the ongoing need to raise funds. The previous school could take only 6 children and had no toilet. 

Bedouin economy is pastoral and the women make cheese from the milk. The milk is poured into a goat skin and then shaken by hand for hour upon hour. Solar panels enable the milk separation to take place without labour, thus allowing the women to do other things. Electricity also means dairy products can stay fresh and get to market, improving the economy. A nursery means the children are cared for allowing the mothers time for themselves and the chance to do other things.

We then drove to another community where our guide said the next thing needed there was a tarmac surface for the track. And at another community he said a school was needed here too. The scenery was  breathtaking.

getting to Hebron

Flew to Amman as it's cheaper than flying to Tel Aviv, spent a day there wandering around ruined Roman temples and climbing an incredibly steep Roman theatre. Amman sprawls over hills and has virtually no public transport so the roads are clogged by tens of thousands of cars, most of which seem to be taxis. Jordanians are charming and friendly and every other one seems to be a Palestinian. Here are a couple of photos.

Caught the bus the next day to King Hussein Crossing (Allenby Bridge), and what a spectacular drive it was down and down to the Jordan Valley. Then through the Jordanian side (lots of stamping of passport etc), across the bridge to the Israeli side. Was expecting it to be similar in tone to Tel Aviv i.e. unsmiling and suspicious, but not at all. Very friendly if rather chaotic, lots of smiles and waved through. If anyone reading this wants the detail of the trip in terms of visas, where to get the bus/shared taxi etc, just let me know. It's rather complicated and each side has specific demands.

One night and a day in Jerusalem staying in the Austrian Hospice. Could see out of my window on Friday morning a group of Christians processing down the Via Dolorosa chanting to Jesus to bless them when they got to his Kingdom just as twenty to thirty Israeli police/army/riot police gathered in the same spot to wait 'in readiness' to quell any trouble from Muslims going to or from Al Aqsa Mosque.  It's got to be the most (un)holy place on earth! Here's the view from the Hospice roof.

Jerusalem to Bethlehem by very expensive taxi as all the roads were blocked (although no one knew why), through the checkpoint and on to Beit Sahour for a night and a delightful welcome from Milada at the Arab Women's Union Al Beit Guesthouse. Then next days final leg to Hebron to meet my contact. I've described the situation in Hebron in an earlier post (from 2009). Little has changed, if anything it's worse.

things to take on your walk

You won't need a flak jacket as you're perfectly safe as a privileged Westerner. But you'd be wise to take effective ear plugs just in case anyone in your party snores (men and women sleep separately in family homes). Walking long distances on little sleep can be a bit rough as we know to our cost.

Loo paper and a towel come in handy as well, while for toilet privacy you might find it preferable to go al fresco!! Water for showers is in limited supply (the settlers have swimming pools...). These are just a few practical tips. The whole walking experience is unforgettable and the people are dignified, helpful, friendly, generous and honest. Do visit them, you'll receive a welcome of a lifetime!

life under occupation

The circumstances and rules change from day to day. You'll see concrete blocks and other barriers by the roadside at intersections with roads leading to Palestinian villages. These barriers can be put in place within a matter of hours so that a few soldiers can effectively seal off access for as long as they wish. Imagine what that's like, in your own country, to be denied freedom of movement to go to work, to take your produce to market, to go to school or to go to hospital. And it happens all the time. Then there are the checkpoints where your papers are scrutinised and if you're lucky, you go through relatively quickly. The brewery at Taybeh for instance told us they used to get their bottles from Portugal but they had such hassles from the Israelis that they now have to buy from them. Hops and grain for making the beer are also imported and secure delivery for meeting orders cannot be guaranteed. This does not make for a healthy economy.

The whole situation is in fact very edgy and paranoid. A young foreign journalist told us an instructive story. He'd bought a sim card shortly after arriving in Palestine, paying cash and not registering name or details. Nor did he give the new number out to anyone. A few days later he gets a call from someone high up in military security questioning him as to what he was doing there. So how did they get the number? You figure it out.

I've already described life in East Jerusalem. You might have heard on the news that a settler family has been murdered. This was near where we stayed the first night and we've now learned that about 20 of the men of this village have been rounded up (reports of people being maltreated) and the whole area closed off. Reminds one of German and Vichy reprisals in WWII. That occupation lasted only four years, this has gone on for forty four! Armed settlers can attack or bully Palestinians at will, with soldiers there to protect them.

We saw many memorials on walls and public places and in private homes to martyrs and we're not talking of suicide bombers but people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. On our path in even some rugged and isolated areas we found spent military cartridges and a tear gas grenade.

Abraham Path

Staying at the friendly El Beit Guesthouse, run by the Arab Women's Union and the wonderful Milada, were the board members of the Abraham Path. William Ury, the founder of this initiative, is a top American negotiator and if you've got 15 minutes or so to read this link you'll see not only that he's a remarkable and clear-sighted individual but also what the Abraham Path is all about. The board (about 12/15 people) were walking extensive parts of the path checking its viability for tourists in future. The entire project is designed to assist and enable the Palestinians, including some in the poorest rural areas, to develop a tourist economy. The board were also documenting their trip so that the website in future is really informative and helpful. Their website is http://www.abrahampath.org/about.php and you can follow their current trip right now. And this is the link to William Ury's talk.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/william_ury.html

friends at Beit Safafa

We had a couple of free days at the end of our walk. Spent one walking around Bethlehem and arranged to visit our friend Hashim's family in Beit Safafa the next. BS is a Palestinian village in East Jerusalem, but inside the wall so checkpoints have to be negotiated. They came to fetch us but there were a few heart-stopping moments when the soldiers realised we had no visa stamps. Our passports were handed back but R's identification papers not. A few minutes later they let us through.

What a welcome! All the family were there to greet us - three generations - and more arrived during the afternoon. We were treated to a wonderful feast and their warmth was indescribable. Some of the younger members had never met their uncle, including one in her 20s, as he's not able to visit them nor return home at all. H's sisters saw him 4 years ago when they all met in Jordan. Such are the trials Palestinian exiles are forced to endure.

The family house and garden is now bordered on one side by a settler-only road and on another by Gilo settlement, a veritable blot on the landscape. Palestinians such as these are under constant pressure to sell up. We toured the old village and saw houses blocked up and derelict (Israel will not allow Palestinians to build or rebuild). We were also shown other houses taken over by settlers. It was a moving and extraordinary day, one we shall never forget.