Reflections from Palestine - Part IV
First published on Indymedia Ireland
Part IV
Jewish settlers driving by give antagonistic glances and stares, while cars and bus loads of visitors to the nearby Jewish cemetery and 'tomb' of the ancient biblical figures of Jesse and Ruth every now and again have one ruthless passenger who rolls down the window and comments, 'Drop dead!' Being called a 'Nazi' by Jewish settlers is a regular occurence here - you just have to get used to it and not get pissed off.
Fawaz, a 21 year old English student, informed me this evening that he twice evaded a beating from the army and police as a result of the mere presence of International Solidarity Movement activists. It's good to get positive feedback and to know that one is at least preventing such crimes.
Later on in the day two semi-drunk Israeli soldiers of Russian origin aggressively break up our peaceful Tuesday evening by demanding we stop filming them. Understandably so, seen as we had earlier recorded them knocking back some cans of beer in the vicinity of the Palestinian house we were taking care of. They sexually harrass one of the female internationals present before cowering behind their military outpost once again.
The story behind Issa’s house in Tel Rumeida district is a key part of the successful nonviolent resistance waged here. The legal owners of the property carry blue I.D., meaning they are residents of East Jerusalem. The Israeli police informed them 7 years ago that they would lose their blue I.D. if they continued to live in the Hebron region, so they went back to Jerusalem and soon after the army occupied their house.
They remained there on and off for the next 6 years years. When they eventually left in early 2007 settlers occupied the house and stripped it bare. All this despite the fact that Palestinian activists managed to legally receive confirmation from the Israeli High Court that only the owner should be allowed to live there, or a tenant of the owner.
Now, though the house has been ransacked by the army and settlers, Palestinian ISM’ers intend on developing it into a nonviolent base to confront the occupation. It's geographically positioned in a very significant area. Surrounded by olive groves, it finds itself located between the Tel Rumeida and Beit Hadassah settlements, hotbeds of extremism which have caused fear amongst the local Palestinian community for decades.
It's important here that I acknowledge atrocities have been committed against moderate, orthodox and extremist Israelis - but the concept that this is a war between two equals is a fallacy. It's more like pitching Barcelona against Doncaster United in the F.A. Cup (no offence intended to the players of Doncaster United).
Continued at Part V
Part IV
Jewish settlers driving by give antagonistic glances and stares, while cars and bus loads of visitors to the nearby Jewish cemetery and 'tomb' of the ancient biblical figures of Jesse and Ruth every now and again have one ruthless passenger who rolls down the window and comments, 'Drop dead!' Being called a 'Nazi' by Jewish settlers is a regular occurence here - you just have to get used to it and not get pissed off.
Fawaz, a 21 year old English student, informed me this evening that he twice evaded a beating from the army and police as a result of the mere presence of International Solidarity Movement activists. It's good to get positive feedback and to know that one is at least preventing such crimes.
Later on in the day two semi-drunk Israeli soldiers of Russian origin aggressively break up our peaceful Tuesday evening by demanding we stop filming them. Understandably so, seen as we had earlier recorded them knocking back some cans of beer in the vicinity of the Palestinian house we were taking care of. They sexually harrass one of the female internationals present before cowering behind their military outpost once again.
The story behind Issa’s house in Tel Rumeida district is a key part of the successful nonviolent resistance waged here. The legal owners of the property carry blue I.D., meaning they are residents of East Jerusalem. The Israeli police informed them 7 years ago that they would lose their blue I.D. if they continued to live in the Hebron region, so they went back to Jerusalem and soon after the army occupied their house.
They remained there on and off for the next 6 years years. When they eventually left in early 2007 settlers occupied the house and stripped it bare. All this despite the fact that Palestinian activists managed to legally receive confirmation from the Israeli High Court that only the owner should be allowed to live there, or a tenant of the owner.
Now, though the house has been ransacked by the army and settlers, Palestinian ISM’ers intend on developing it into a nonviolent base to confront the occupation. It's geographically positioned in a very significant area. Surrounded by olive groves, it finds itself located between the Tel Rumeida and Beit Hadassah settlements, hotbeds of extremism which have caused fear amongst the local Palestinian community for decades.
It's important here that I acknowledge atrocities have been committed against moderate, orthodox and extremist Israelis - but the concept that this is a war between two equals is a fallacy. It's more like pitching Barcelona against Doncaster United in the F.A. Cup (no offence intended to the players of Doncaster United).
Continued at Part V
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