Goodbye

Goodbye heat (and cold in winter)
Goodbye rubbish lying all over the place
Goodbye sense of community
Goodbye to falafel, shawerma and hummus
Goodbye to showers without water pressure and putting toilet paper in bins
Goodbye Taybeh beer
Goodbye new friends
Goodbye to swimming outdoors
Goodbye to checkpoints, Occupation Wall, settlement colonies and long security checks at the airport.
Goodbye to speaking Arabic
Goodbye to stone buildings with water canisters on the roof
Goodbye to services
Goodbye Ramallah
Goodbye Palestine.

Hello...

Oh the irony...

of the J-love.com pop up, which appears when you load the Haaretz web page:

'Find Jewish singles in your area'.

Are they talking about the settlement-colonies?

Heaven is...

The surprise of stepping in a service when the temperatures have hit triple figures (Fahrenheit of course) and finding it has air conditioning.

Quite probably one in a million.

Running out of steam

Well, a week goes by without a blog update: symptomatic of my general malaise. It's been a long summer, and I just haven't had the get-up-and-go recently. Here are some notes:

The weather has been in the mid-30s for the last few days, and is forecasted to continue this week. When it's this hot, even sitting inside offers no relief, and it can be difficult getting to sleep at night.

Re: the dead dog at the bottom of the pit. The day after I wrote that post, I noticed someone/thing had set fire to the carcass. Then a few days later, it was gone. All that remained was the black ashen outline. Closer inspection revealed the now burnt dead dog had been moved (goodness knows by who or why) about 10 meters to the left, where it currently remains.

I went to a wedding this weekend, where Naser Faris, an apparently famous singer had been hired for the night at a cost of 15000 shekels (roughly 4000 US dollars or 2000 pounds). He belted out Dubke songs for 6 hours (which is a kind of personal hell for me) and then at 3 am we all went inside for 'late dinner'. Inside the one room of the father of the groom's castle of a house that we went into, there was a swimming pool, pool table, and fitness machine. Apparently the man has friends in the PA. Surprise, surprise. I wonder what percentage of the population earn 15000 shekels a year (or less) here?

It's going to be a long, hard season for the Boro!

The Ramallah Cultural Palace

A few nights ago I went to a concert at the Ramallah Cultural Palace in aid of families in Gaza who continue to live in extreme suffering due to the Israeli Occupation Forces incursions.
(As an aside, notice how nothing has been said/done by the 'international community' to stop these atrocities, even though they've been ongoing for twice as long as those in Lebanon).
The seven piece group, whose name I forget now, played traditional Palestinian songs, which had the crowded clapping and singing along.
However, from a personal perspective (and probably because I don't know 'the classics'), it was the venue that stayed with me.
The UN, who along with the Palestinian Authority and Japanese government built the palace over the course of six years, describe it in the following way on their website:

Opened in 2004, The Ramallah Cultural Palace is the first and only cultural centre of its kind in the Palestinian territories. The centre contains state-of-the-art facilities including a 736-seat auditorium, conference rooms, several exhibition halls designed to handle anything from intimate poetry recitals, to film premieres and big-ticket music events.

And let me tell you, it's not called a palace for nothing.
On the one hand I can appreciate how important it is to have a venue for artistic and cultural expression, especially when it gives people a real release from the difficulties they face in their everyday lives living here.
On the other hand, this venue is so extravagant, that only the wealthy can afford to go there in the first place. (For instance, the eulogy to the suffering of Gazans prior to the performance was read in English, and then read in Arabic!) It was also quite shocking to sit in the 'state of the art' 736 seat auditorium, knowing that just a mile or two away, people are still living in incredibly densely populated refugee camps, because the UN decided to invest its money in building a palace for the elite, rather than some form of social housing that could have benefited the legions of the poor. (And when I say legions, 51% of all Palestinians are currently living below the poverty line).

Two Dead Dogs

On the way to the swimming pool, at the bottom of a small quarry I pass, there is a dead dog that is slowly decomposing. The first day I saw it I thought it was sleeping, but now the rib cage is clearly visible. I have to admit it's quite fascinating to watch its transformation and decay from a distance.

Yesterday, there was another dead dog lying in the middle of the road. I'm guessing it was probably hit by a car, and it was already covered in flies and letting out a pungent smell. Thankfully this dog was removed when I made the same walk this morning. It's a different matter when the smell of decay gets in your nostrils.

Two Encounters

Yesterday I had two contrasting encounters that made me very reflective of the way foreigners are treated here.

In the morning, I was walking back along the main street from swimming, and a guy selling watermelons literally stepped right into my path, sliced off a small piece from the melon he was holding, and offered it as a free taster. While doing this the following conversation took place:
Him: Are you a Christian?
Me: Pardon?
Him: Are you a Christian?
Me: Yes.
Him: Where are you from?
Me: I live in Canada.
His response to this was to kiss his teeth loudly and dismissively, and walk away. Now I've endured my fair share of occasion insults and tirades while I've been here, especially since the economic siege began to really kick in, and heightened by the recent massacres in Lebanon. However, usually it'll come from someone sat next to you in a service. This guy actually went out of his way to insult me, and he was stood there selling Israeli watermelons! [If there's one thing Palestinians don't need to import it's fruit and veg.]

Yesterday evening I was returning from Ramallah in a private taxi. The driver also asked me where I was from, and when I told him he replied 'you're very welcome' [Ahlan wa Sahlan]. We started chatting and it turns out he was from Jenin, but had moved to Ramallah four years ago for work, since there is 'no work' in Jenin. He lives in a flat with some other guys, and only visits his wife and four children once every two weeks. By the time I reach home, he had invited me to his village (a fairly common invitation when you talk to anyone longer than 5 minutes here), and we said a very warm goodbye.

The contrast couldn't be clearer, and it made me realize that those people who like to have a go at foreigners would do so regardless of the current situation. Up till now I've almost excused such behaviour because, let's face it, Western governments really are screwing Palestine, and if it helps these people to insult someone foreign and get some catharsis, who am I to stand in the way. However, I've now decided now that such people are just [censored] who are mean and nasty. I've met plenty of warm and hospitable Palestinians, even in some cases when I know they don't like foreigners or their governments, to know that I should treat people who go round insulting strangers as I would anywhere else in the world.

A Brief Statement by Free Professor Ghazi-Walid Falah

A Brief Statement by Free Professor Ghazi-Walid Falah

3 August 2005

I would like to make a brief statement. This was a political arrest and
detention. Because of what I reveal in my geographic research on Israeli
land policies, and the geography of the Occupation. I am a well-known
social scientist, a specialist on the Middle East and Israel, a citizen
of Canada, and tenured professor at the University of Akron, where I
have taught geography a number of years. I am also a Palestinian Arab,
born and raised in al-Jaliil, the Galilee, where I had returned in early
July to be with my ailing mother, awaiting brain surgery in Haifa.

The month of July was a terrible month for the Palestinian people in
Gaza and under the Occupation, and most especially for the Lebanese
nation. And also on a very personal level for me. I endured a nightmare
created and orchestrated for me by the Israeli police and Shin Bet
Secret Service. I believe I was arrested and put through this prolonged
ordeal of humiliation and psychological torture to teach me a lesson:
because I am a scholar who researches on Israeli geopolitics and its
treatment of Palestinians in Israel and under the Occupation, and I tell
the truth.
What are the facts? I was arrested without charge on July 8 and held in
detention for over three weeks (July 8-30, 2006) after taking some
photos in a resort area north of Nahariya, an area full of tourists,
with some panoramic views. For much of that time I had no access to
legal counsel. I was kept for prolonged periods without healthy food,
and for several days without sleep. I was interrogated repeatedly. Often
tied to a chair, there were five interrogators. In one session I was
kept 60 hours. Some of the psychological maltreatment and verbal abuse I
was subjected to was a form of psychological torture which I will not
detail here.

I was not allowed access to a lawyer for the first 18 days of my
detention. I was freed on July 30 because no charge could be brought.
There is no evidence against me because there cannot be.

I believe my rights have been gravely violated by this ordeal. It is an
affront to international scholarship in the social sciences. The
Israelis are proud of their universities and research. But there is
another dark side to the world of science pertaining to the realities of
Israel: the Israeli government would like to intimidate and silence
researchers who speak uncomfortable truths to power. That should not be
forgotten. At one level, it is what my detention, humiliation and
harassment were all about. Read what I write. Think about its
implications.

I am grateful to all those who joined in the international campaign to
help free me. The Israeli government was well aware of their efforts. I
am grateful to my family, wife Jamila and children for their love, and
perseverance together with me in this ordeal. They have suffered greatly
and now can breathe a sigh of relief. Thank God my mother passed through
her surgery OK, even though I could not be at her side. The Israeli
state has made a serious error in trying to cow and intimidate me. I
will seek legal redress, and redouble my efforts on researching its
brutal geopolitical realities. I will not be silenced!

1 hour!

That's how long it took me to get from Ramallah to Jerusalem today on the bus.

Even the most conservative estimates suggest that it only took 15 minutes, prior to the Occupation Wall and checkpoints. (The least conservative I ever heard was 6 minutes!)

I wonder if Israel will compensate me for time lost?

The route itself was farcical. Despite the Occupation Wall and the Kalandia checkpoint, it's possible to drive around them. Today, we ended up going down the road to Bethlehem - essentially from the North-East side to the South-East side of Jerusalem, before entering the city via one of the Maale settlement colonies or whatever they're called (biggest settlement colonies in West Bank). The journey back, in a straighter line, but not less convoluted, took thirty minutes.

While the bombs are dropping, the everyday subtle violence and collective punishment continues too.

Some small relief

Prof. Ghazi Falah was released without charge today after 3 weeks of imprisonment.

Topical Notes

Terrorist is such a useless word for so many reasons, one of which is that it homogenizes vastly different groups of people. For instance, having watched Al Manar, the Hezbollah TV channel, I can tell you that they have an army. This isn't some scratched together group of fighters (like we have here in Palestine). This is an army. They have the weapons of an army, the uniforms of an army, the training of an army, and now they're fighting like an army.

People in Palestine love Hassan Nasrallah. It's true. I think it's cathartic for them to see the big bully Israel finally 'getting some'. However, I've also read that Hezbollah's success will further promote armed struggle, and the groups advocating it, at the expense of so-called 'peace talks'. Quite frankly I think that's nonsense. People here are acutely aware of the differences between Hezbollah and the local military capabilities, hence the common refrain 'whatever Hassan Nasrallah says will happen, comes to pass'. (The subtext to this comment is implicit criticism of pretty much all the Palestinian political groups, who promise to return to Jerusalem and many other not so savory things, but have never delivered). If more people are supporting armed struggle, it's because the so-called peace talks have been so fraudulent. However, I think in the West Bank at least, people really aren't sure what to support any more, since the armed struggle has been equally ineffective.

Many people here don't seem to have much empathy for the people of Lebanon though. They would much rather cheerlead Hezbollah than face up to the devastating consequences of the war for the civilian population.

On a personal level, I seem to be increasingly numb to the devastation in Gaza and Lebanon (Yes, Gaza is still happening as well). I don't know whether it's the length of the conflict, the continued inaction of the international community or simply a mental self-defense mechanism, but it doesn't seem to be getting to me as much as it was... which is incredibly sad. Since it's still 'getting to' the civilians of Gaza and Lebanon whether they like it or not.

Finally, why is it that the swimming pool staff can't get the pool clean until 9:15 on weekdays when the summer camps arrive at 9:30, but on Friday, when only families come much later in the morning, they're done by 8:50?

The Arrest of Ghazi Falah

If I hadn't been in such a general funk, and therefore blog funk, I would have posted about this much sooner.

Prof. Ghazi Falah was arrested and detained without charge or access to his lawyer and family 18 days ago, for supposedly spying for Hezbollah and Iran.

Haaretz was finally able to get the gag order lifted today.

Ghazi is a '48 Palestinian, which means he is a citizen of Israel. He is also a Canadian national. His research has always included lots of pictures, and not-coincidentally he is once of Israel's biggest opponents within the academy.
The charges sound absolutely ridiculous, but needless to say, those close to Ghazi are very pessimistic about the prospect of a fair trial in a legal system that has already allowed his inprisonment without charge or visits.

Please read more about this issue at this site.

Check this out!

While I remain too stupified for words, these folks continue to resist:
July 2006 War on Lebanon.
Please take the time to visit their site and show them your support.

Creating Hope Project

On a personal level, one of the worst things about the atrocities being committed in Gaza and Lebanon is that I've lost hope.
Really. It's gone.
And it feels like this is a victory for the Occupation War Machine. I know I've got to keep fighting, but I'm not sure how.
So I'm asking readers for suggestions as to how to restore or create some new form of hope in the midst of the current catastrophes. (Sticking my head in the sand or running away doesn't count).

Lebanon: A Collective Shame

In the last weeks, especially after the invasion of Gaza, I've been carrying around a kind of sadness that isn't just some momentary emotion, but rather more like a disease that you contract if you stay here too long. Sometimes you can even see it in the eyes of people you talk to, although most Palestinians can artfully conceal it most of the time. I'm not so skilled.

I find myself increasingly short-tempered, depressed and have little patience for anything and everything that disagrees with me at any particular point in time. As this sadness has endured, I have begun to shield myself from what's going on around me. I just read the news headlines instead of the articles, I'm constantly thinking about other times and places than those in which I am immersed, and I have become apathetic to the violence, particularly in Lebanon.

Shame on me.

Shame on me for my weakness, my recourse to my privileges and for this burst of self-pity.

Shame on Israel for the despicable use of violence that its completely unethical war machine continues to meat out on a daily basis, and for all its hypocrisy as it keeps 10000 Palestinian and Lebanese nationals hostage ("in jail") while destroying Lebanon and Gaza over three soldiers.

Shame on Hezbollah for it's bellicose disregard for the Lebanese population, and it's manipulation of events in Gaza, when millions of Palestinians in Lebanon live in conditions just as bad, imposed by a Lebanese state that Hezbollah is part of. Shame on them for killing civilans and being no better than Israel.

Shame of the countries of the UN, EU, North America, Russia and many others for their spinelessness and cowardice in the face of an Israeli aggression they could easy stop if there was the political will. Blair and Annan's statement yesterday made me sick with disgust. Shame on them for evacuating their citizens while letting those from Lebanon perish.

Shame on all of the Arab states who profess some mythical unity while standing by and letting Israel massacre innocent Lebanese civilians, while in some cases even supporting it (Saudi).

Shame on those Palestinians who are positively enjoying the retributive force of Hezbollah's actions while showing scant regard for all those people in Lebanon that have been murdered and injured.

Shame on you for living in a world that could let something like this happen.

Shame on all of us.

Israel's Hidden War

You can't miss the bombs and incursions, but you can miss the border guards and bureaucrats! That is unless you read Amira Hass, who tirelessly pursues such injustices.

For those who can't be bothered to click the link, here's her conclusion:

The lowliest clerk in the Interior Ministry and Population Registry has the authority and the opportunity to intervene in the critical affairs of every Palestinian man and woman: when and whom they will marry, whether they will live together, whether they will raise their children together. The power of the most minor Israeli clerk over the lives of the Palestinians is greater than that of any minister in the Palestinian government.

And yet the Western countries continue to demand that the Palestinian Authority behave like a sovereign with respect to a territory and a population that are under Israeli control, and they continue to be tolerant of another policy of mass expulsion that Israel is implementing against their citizens as well.

Holocaust Denial and Palestine Denial

I was speaking to an aging Palestinian man today who said he didn't believe 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis. His reasoning was that it was war, and although Jewish people certainly died during that period, they were just one group among Germans, Russians, French & British.

I haven't talked to many people about this subject, but I assume that such views are not uncommon here. It's easy to just dismiss them, which is what I did at the time of this conversation. After all, witnessing the daily violence that Palestinians endure, it's not hard to imagine why they would be inclined to disbelieve or dismiss any accounts of Jewish suffering.

However, it later occurred to me that there may actually be a much more subtle reason for dismissing this historical event. In this particular geographical context, the history of the Holocaust is inextricably intertwined with the history of the Zionist colonization of Palestine. This second historical narrative, almost a shadow to the first, simply expunged (discursively) the Palestinians from Palestine, (e.g. a land without a people for a people without a land; making the desert bloom). Palestinians have now lived for many years trying to communicate with a world that, largely on account of this Zionist discourse, does not believe or recognize their existence.

Is Palestine denial any less despicable than Holocaust denial?

Fireworks at 10AM!!!

Someone must have got really good Tawjihi results (High School leaving certificate), and couldn't wait to celebrate!

[And of far less significance, Old Man In... makes it to 100 posts.]

Coming and Going (or not, as the case may be).

I had an interesting conversation the other day, which relates directly to this post about the new movement restrictions that are being placed on Palestinians who live abroad. Here is a snippet:

I know his uncle, he’s much older than me, in his late seventies, early eighties. He was an established engineer when there were no engineers in the Middle East, educated in one of the best universities in the Middle East, which is the American University of Beirut. He did a fantastic job, he’s a very famous engineer in the area, and he wants to come here and visit, to see his land, to see his house that he built, and the Israelis are telling him no you can’t come. So instead what he does is he comes to Jordan, because from Lebanon you cannot call here, and the first thing he does is he takes the phone and starts calling. So he called him, he called his sisters, he calls his nieces, he’s just trying to get some balance in his life probably. And when I see him in Lebanon, you feel he’s a broken man. It’s just impossible, I don’t understand it. Why don’t they allow such an old man to come in? What damage to Israel would it do? I’ve no idea.

Mohsen Subhi Plays at The Kasaba

Mohsen Subhi is a Palestinian musician who plays the Oud as part of a quintet. I was fortunate enough to attend his concert at Al Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque in Ramallah last night. [If you click the second link, I think it's his music which is currently playing]. It was a wonderful concert, and the full house was very appreciative. It was also interesting to see who attends these types of cultural events - lots of internationals who are in town for one reason or another (and this includes Palestinians living abroad) and a kind of local cultural elite (even though tickets were very reasonably priced at 20 shekels).

At the swimming pool this morning there was a lizard in the pool! It would try to swim every so often, but it didn't get very far. It eventually got scooped up in the net and thrown out. That's what happens when you don't buy a ticket!

Finally, among all the other innocent Palestinians who have died in the past few weeks, four more residents of Gaza died at the Rafah Border yesterday, where they have been prevented from entering their homeland. It's sickening to see all the "EU condemnation" of the Hezbollah raid today, while things such as this are completely ignored, depsite urgent Red Cross warnings.

How to save yourself some money (and annoy your neighbours at the same time!)

I heard a story today about someone in town, who instead of paying the 50 shekels for a truck to come and pump out his sewage tanks, was pumping the sewage into the street outside his house, where it would drain away down the hill.

Other residents began to complain to the shop owner who lives opposite this guy, and after a number of such complaints, the shop owner confronted the man in question, who denied he was doing such a thing (and even blamed it on his neighbour, who is also his cousin and lives in America for most of the year). The shop owner accepted his denial, but said he would pass on complaints to the municipality if he started receiving them again.

Such is the fabric of daily life here.

More Disturbing News...

As if we needed anymore!

Israel has begun to enforce a policy of not allowing Palestinians who live abroad to enter the West Bank (entry to Gaza having being prevented since the beginning of the intifada). The story also mentions that other non-Palestinian nationals are being barred entry. In other words, the metaphorical prison just got that much more literal.

Imagine for a moment that you grew up in the West Bank, moved to Europe or North America after graduating from university to find work, leaving your family behind in the process, and then you arrive this summer to find that you can no longer visit your childhood home, your parents, your siblings and their families or your oldest friends.

If this scenario wasn't bad enough, remember also that people living inside the territories are very infrequently given permits to travel (i.e. leave the West Bank). In other words, the State of Israel is now preventing the people who live under their Occupation from even seeing their relatives. And their efforts to hide the many violences they commit on a daily basis, by also preventing foreign nationals from entering this space of Occupation, have also increased.

[But if you're Jewish and live in North America, Europe, etc, you're still entitled to come and live here (i.e. on somebody elses land) at any time].

The End of the Affair

Well, another World Cup comes to its inevitable conclusion. I enjoyed the final. Did anyone else think Zidane's headbutt was absolutely hilarious? It reminded me of Juggernaut from X-men 3. I thought France played better, but they didn't take their chances, and Italy, who looked like they were playing for penalties from half-time onwards, won. Such is football, and such is life.

And now I have to entertain myself for the rest of the summer. What am I going to do?

Life's Small Joys

Last night, after watching the 3rd place playoff in the World Cup at the big screen in town, I won one of the raffle prizes - a (genuine) replica World Cup Adidas Football.

Score!

Stop and Think

All over the UK today, people are commemorating the attack on the tubes (and bus) that happened one year ago, in which 52 people died.

At the time of the bombings, I was here in Palestine. I remember telling a Palestinian friend here about what happened, and her response was to shrug her shoulders. It wasn't that she was being insensitive. It was more that such violence against civilians has become so commonplace here that people's emotional responses have also had to alter to accommodate such frequent and widespread death.

In Gaza yesterday, 23 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli military, almost half the number of those killed in London.

If you are commemorating what happened in London one year ago, stop and think what it must be like to not only suffer such horror on a nearly daily basis, but to reach the point where your reaction to such violence is to shrug your shoulders and just get on with life.

Rumour Mill

It's hard to know what's being said behind your back. Personally I don't care most, if not, all of the time. However, from time to time other people's opinions of you and what you're doing manifest themselves to your front side, so to speak.

Palestinians are, with better reason than most, suspicious of outsiders. I'm sure there are many different stories circulating around me about who I am and what people perceive me to be doing here. The fact that I tend to be vague and unsure myself when faced with these questions probably just encourages creative thinking in this area.

My friend T., having already helped me extensively in the past with my work, posed the question (of what 'exactly' I'm doing here) to me a couple of days ago. Apparently a third party who claimed to know me (although I didn't recognise the name) had said that I was working here and in an Israeli settlement?! It seems the specter of the spy always haunts foreigners here, no matter how long there here for. In fact, I suspect the longer you're here, the longer the shadow grows.

However, just to reaffirm how different behind the back opinion is about me, a young Palestinian-American man, named C. approached my table while I was sat with a friend in a coffee shop, to tell me that his cousin, who was sitting with him on the other side of the cafe, thought I was 'cute'.

Just goes to show: you win some, you lose some!

"The Palestinians have no partner for peace. They will only have one if Israel agrees to recognise Palestine's right to function."

If you've been thinking I've been conspicuously silent on the current Israeli atrocities in Gaza, it's because so much of the news coverage makes me so angry and depressed I simply don't have the heart to blog.

I did enjoy reading this piece though.

The Ills of Computer Games

Computer games have been blamed for everything from teen violence to declining standards of education for some time now in Western society. I was talking to a guy the other day who basically said that the village's social cohesion had suffered because kids no longer played amongst the olive trees together (as they did when he was a boy), but instead played computer games (indoors) all the time. I've no way of knowing whether this is true or not, but what I found interesting is that the same sorts of 'anti-social' discourses that surround computer games in the West have managed to travel here along with the actual computers themselves. I know that studies done in Britain and America have found that many kids spend lots of time on the computer chatting with friends, and sending emails, and that in fact computers have allowed for a new form of sociality, or a new medium for social encounter. I also see kids playing at the club, at the pool and most frequently in the street together. It would be interesting to really look at this issue in depth, but I don't think I'll have the time. (Plus it would be something of a tangent from what I'm doing).
If anyone ever gets round to doing a study or finds one, do let me know.

Some Notes on Roofs

If you've been to Palestine, or indeed any Arabic country, you'll notice that most houses have flat roofs. Here, having a flat roof is necessary because you need to store large water containers there in case of summer droughts. Many families have also started putting solar panels on the roof to generate a little electricity too. Flat roofs also allow for the construction of further floors on top, the cheapest way to create more living space.

I had assumed that these roofs, that are so prevalent now, had been the norm for some time. However, the other day I found out that they are in fact a more recent invention. In fact, it is only since the introduction of a certain type of concrete during the 1940s that people have been able to build such roofs. Prior to that, homes would be built in a dome shape, which would keep the rain out. In those days of course, a two-storey building would be considered a palace.

Another interesting feature, which you see on some buildings in the Ramallah area, is red/orange tiles. These have the (presumably unintentional) effect of making the buildings look similar to the houses in the Israeli settlement colonies. However, it turns out that these red tiles were originally used by the British during their occupation of Palestine (1917-1948), again to keep the rain out of the buildings. When concrete made it's way to Palestine, the tiles (being more expensive) were no longer used. However, they are making somewhat of a come back these days, as a decorative feature (i.e. if you're rich, and can't think of a way to spend all your money, then add some tiles to your house).

Swimming Update

Well I've managed to get up and go to the pool every morning, and the stamina is gradually returning. I was going to write a short post yesterday complaining about the fact that everyday I've been, I've had to wait for the staff to clean the pool. In typical Palestinian (Arab?) fashion, the staff don't tend to get going quickly in the morning, although they are also used to Palestinians clientele who would never dream of actually showing up at 9 on the dot when the pool is scheduled to open. However, much to my surprise, everything was ready upon my arrival today. Either they're getting used to having me around, or perhaps I'm getting used to arriving a little later. I also bought some goggles today to stop my eyes watering for the rest of the day. Hurray.

Gone Swimming

Today I went swimming at the new (outdoor) pool in town. It's a nice, new, clean pool and the water is warm. I also went early in the morning to avoid the worst intensities of the sun, and in fact had to wait for the staff to finish cleaning the pool. The advantage of this was that I had the pool to myself once they were done.

Having not done much (/any) exercise over the last 6 months, it was both good to get going again, and also short lived (due to a lack of stamina). However, I look forward to many return visits and increasing my widths and lengths.

Baton down the hatches!

If you've been reading the Western media sources, you might think all hell was breaking loose here. (See Gaza).
Having traveled back through Al Beira while 30 jeeps were apparently making an incursion, I can assure everyone that at the moment, things are still quite here. If the situation changes, you'll be the last to know, because they will probably knock the power out ;)
But seriously, don't believe everything you read in the papers/on the internet.
On the other hand, when so many Palestinian civilians have been killed in recent weeks, is the current situation really a surprise? The comparatively little attention devoted to such murders is the only reason why it might be.

Hidden in the headlines

Since my post about the commentator was popular, I'll just add that since the Arab teams got knocked out, he's calmed down a bit, although he obviously likes Brazil too.

In other Palestinian news, hidden amongst all the nonsense about the Israeli soldier hostage,

The High Court of Justice ruled Monday that the government and Israel Defense Forces must act to ensure the safety of Palestinian farmers working their fields and to prevent settlers from harming their land, property or persons.

The High Court ruled on a petition submitted by the residents of five Palestinians villages protesting an IDF decision to keep them from reaching their fields in an effort to protect them from settler attacks.

These are the same villages in the South Hebron district that I've mentioned before. As the judge said:

A policy that prevents Palestinian residents from reaching lands belonging to them, in the name of their own defense, is like a policy forbidding someone from entering his home in order to protect him from a thief.

No sh*t Sherlock!

Only here. Really. Only here.

B. reveals his true colours, or, while the World Cup is happening...

I was watching the Italy-Czech Rep. game at my translator, B.'s house yesterday, and at some point his brother arrived home from work in Ramallah and mentioned there had been demonstrations by public sector workers all over Palestine yesterday.

What followed were some shocking stories about a man threatening a pharmacist at knife point just so he could get medicine for his sick son, and a woman in Jenin who offered to sell her son, so she could feed his brothers and sisters.

"F#$% Hamas, man. Really F#$% Hamas," says B. suddenly.

"It's been four months now, and what have they done. Nothing! All they say is 'we will live as one and die as one', but they've done nothing. Four months is too much you know."

B.'s mum is a government worker, and hence hasn't been paid since January. B. later says that is why he and his brother have been working, (and have consequently given up studying).

While there might be plenty to be said about who's responsible for the current crisis, (and there are certainly many different opinions about that here), what struck me at that moment was that I, someone who has had to do a fair bit of scraping by myself at certain points in my recent history, had now become one of the primary sources of income for a family of four.

B. sudden enthusiasm for arranging interviews has and will certainly benefit my project, but it also strengthens the feeling inside that doing research in Palestine is a form of rape. While I stand to gain a great deal because of the time I've spent here, I can't see how the people I live amongst will receive any benefit at from my work, except in the most obtuse and obscure sense. Would I be better off working for a NGO, or would that be another way of ensuring that Band Aid solutions endure while emergency surgery is desperately needed?

I don't really know how to feel sometimes. On the one hand, being here, spending money and employing some people is a way of 'helping' Palestinians. On the other hand, they wouldn't need help if the governments of the various countries I've lived in (and plenty others beside) hadn't suddenly cut of what was essentially the only source of income on a national scale.

Sometimes when you stay here you feel really lost and hopeless like this. I think this is why the football is so popular. You can just turn it on and forget about everything else, which unfortunately is the easiest 'solution'. Sometimes it even seems like the only solution.

Watching the World Cup in Palestine

Palestinians, like many other people all over the world, love the football world cup. Most people, including many women I've spoken to, have a team they're supporting. Frequently, as last night bore witness, this team is Brazil. This is partly because they're picking the favourites, and partly because La Liga is the most high profile domestic league here.

Coca Cola (big bottling plant in Ramallah) and Jawwal (the Palestinian mobile phone company) have taken advantage of this popularity, and set up a number of big screens in Ramallah and the villages around. It costs 5 shekels to watch all the games screened that day here, and you also get a free drink. Crowds have varied in size, but Brazil definitely drew the largest last night. Tunisia is also quite popular, representing the only Arab team with a chance of qualifying.

Interestingly, the television rights for the region were bought by a company called ART (Arab Radio and Television network), who are charging $400 a year for subscription to their package of channels. This is a lot more than many people here (and no doubt elsewhere) can afford. However, thankfully all the Palestinian channels (there are four in Ramallah for instance) pirate the footage from ART and broadcast it for free. The big screen events actually have an ART subscription, because Coca Cola and Jawwal have paid for it.

Watching the games on ART is quite amusing actually, because the commentator basically just shouts like a fan for the whole game. Particularly when Tunisia are playing, he essentially just cheers for them.

"Run [insert player's name], run!"
"THANK GOD! THANK GOD!" [After another Spanish near miss].

He also has a habit of coming up with the most random (and frequently racist) sentences, especially in the second half when he's running out of things to say.

"Argentina. Eva Peron. Flamingo" (?!?!)
"Japan, like a computer virus that seeks to destroy the Brazilian system."

He even started to talk about Sven Goren Erikkson's affair and the tabloid expose that followed during the England-Sweden game. Tunisia-Ukraine (later today) may be the last game where he's able to express his outright partisan support, but I suspect that like most people here, his allegiances will easily shift come the next round. There should be a good crowd though, with Tunisia needing the win to progress.

Yella Tunis!

The battle of Huda Ghalia - who really killed girl's family on Gaza beach?

IDF investigation say IDF didn't do it. Chris McGreal's investigation suggests otherwise.

Surprise, surprise.

I'm back!

Did you miss me? (Did you even notice I was gone?)

Well folks, it's been a busy couple of weeks. Taking a holiday can actually be more tiring than usual day to day life, once you factor in the traveling and then the frantic rush to see as many people as possible.

Getting to Jerusalem has become even harder - we actually drove through a car park to get from one crappy stone dirt track to another.
The journey in the opposite direction has become a little easier, if only because the bus now goes directly to Ramallah, driving around the Kalandia checkpoint (don't ask because I can't figure it out either).

Although I was much calmer for both legs of this trip than on previous occasions, I actually encountered more hassle than at any other time before. I got an hours worth of working over at the airport security, and even got to go into the shop changing-room style booth to be frisked with the metal detector. In the corner there was a bin full of used latex/surgical gloves, and I don't think they were put there just to exert physiological pressure. They also forgot to give me back my digital camera, which I only realized when it was too late, but thankfully I was able to pick it up from the airport on my return leg.

My return to Palestine was preceded by watching the film 'United 93' the night before. DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM THE DAY BEFORE YOU FLY ANYWAY! The pilot on my (real) flight even said 'there's a lot of traffic at the moment. From here I count 15 planes in front of us before we get underway'. I sat there wondering whether he had actually seen the film or whether this was in fact the mother of all coincidences and what that portended. We did however arrive safely. My I-pod also decided to break just before the return journey. I'm happy to say that it has now made a miraculous recovery.
Hamdu Lillah!

While away, I was surprised/shocked to learn how many people didn't know about the current siege of Palestine. It's simply unbelievable to read things like "There can be no business as usual with a government that has not yet accepted the fundamental principle of peace," - Ms Ferrero-Waldner, EU somebody talking about Palestine, when a) I've just had to relive pictures of the girl in Gaza that lost her entire family to an Israeli shell (what was that about accepting peace?), and b) I live among teachers, nurses and civil servants who are the people being effected by this boycott. Hamas still has money. These people don't.

I can only assume that all these EU people, and every other politician and diplomat simply has no idea what's going on here. In fairness, I guess that doesn't really distinguish them from the rest of their populations. Despite all my anger and disgust though, it's good to be back in Palestine.

Old Man's New Profile Picture

Sunset and shadow on my wall.

Hopefully I'll also be able to get it up on the right hand side too.

Busy, busy, busy. Just about to take a break.

Tonight's treat from my landlady...

was a chocolate mousse on biscuit base. Very nice!

Kharbatha Misbah

Yesterday I visited my friend A. who lives in KM. This is a village East of Ramallah, which lies very close to the Green Line. A. teaches at the local school, and wanted me to meet some of his colleagues, so I had to get up early and was in Ramallah by 8:30. However, there was only one service going to KM, and it was empty. The driver said we would be waiting two hours for the car to fill up, but offered to take me there for 50 shekels. After a bit of uming and ahing I relented, and off we went. In order to get to KM, you have to follow the road that winds its way through most of the villages east of Ramallah. This elaborate journey takes about 40 minutes altogether. Prior to the intifada, Palestinians used to be able to use the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway (that runs right through their land), but they have now been banned from using this road. In fact, KM is divided from the nearby villages by this highway. In order to ensure (racial) separation, the Israeli Authorities built a tunnel underneath the highway, linking KM to the next village. This tunnel, which lets you know you've finally reached the village, also has gates at either end, should Israel wish to imprison the KM residents at any points. A. finds the prospect of being like 'birds in a cage' amusing to think about - probably because it hasn't actually happened yet.

Once in the village I went directly to the school, which was conspicuously devoid of pupils. Although 700 hundred boys attend this school (age 5-18), yesterday was the last day of the teaching term. Schools here have all but broken up for the summer holidays (and it's not even June!) The staff room however was packed, with staff trying to grade the final exams so that all the pupils would be able to graduate on Tuesday. I was able to sit and talk to some of the staff while A. was finishing some of his own administrative work. Beyond the usual formalities, the people I talked to - who haven't been paid in 3 months now - all seemed fairly acquiescent to this fact. The recent marriage of one guy and the engagement of another may perhaps have lightened the mood.

After a couple of cups of tea, A and I walked to his house, on the edge of village. A. lives with his mother, two brothers and four sisters (his father recently passed away) in a small dwelling which contains four rooms. The living room/guest room where we sat contained a three piece suite, with an extra chair, a table against one of the wall and some plastic chairs. A variety of tapestries woven by Um A. (A.'s mother), school certificates, verses from the Kor'an and a picture of two children from A. extended family who had been martyred (murdered by the Israeli Occupation Forces) covered the unpainted concrete plastered walls. After sitting a while with A. next oldest brother, we were joined by his sister's fiance and another friend of A.'s from the neighbouring village.

Just after twelve we ate lunch. In order to do this the table was moved from the wall, and the sitting room became the dining room. I think this double usage of space is fairly common, especially in smaller houses. [For instance, the bathroom was in fact part of the kitchen that had been walled off, although not all the way up to the ceiling. One of the two bedrooms was also the TV room]. Despite the fact that all of A. family was at home, the only other member to join us was A. older brother, who is close in age to A. [His younger brother is only 5]. This gender exclusion is common in Palestinian homes, and warrants an entire post of its own, which I will endeavour to do when I can do justice to the topic. For the time being, I'll simply state that all the females, except for A. youngest sister, remained something of a ghostly physical presence (seen for glimpses before disappearing again) while I was visiting. However their labour - our delicious dinner - was clearly tangible. [When I asked, A. said they were eating in the kitchen].

Dinner consisted of the fabulous musachken: bread covered in olive oil, pine nuts and onions, and eaten with baked chicken. A.'s mum had also grilled some chicken, which was served on a massive tray of rice, potatoes and carrots. A real feast!

After dinner, there was the obligatory Arabic coffee, some talk of the latest developments with regards to the building of the Israeli Occupation Wall (referred to simply as 'the apartheid' (in English) by people living there), a discussion about religion (mainly asking me what the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism are), and talk about a recent football match between two of the villages that ended in a fight. Due to the intense heat, we weren't able to walk around the village or A.'s family lands, so we remained in the guest room until the early evening. Catching a service back to Ramallah necessitated a 15 minute wait - since there are only 10 cars (carrying 7-9 people each) for the whole village (5-6000 people). I did however, finally get back to Ramallah, and from there, home.

Quick update

Does your landlady appear with warad diwali and stuffed aubergines when you come home late? No. Nevermind.

I've put a variety of photos on to my flickr page, including this one:



Click here for the rest.

I visit a friend today, which was fun, and there's plenty to blog about, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow. I'm worn out after another day of sizzling temperatures.

Sometimes

Sometimes, after a hard week and a long day, when the weather's been hot and you're tired, you'll read an article about some people who seem a millions miles away, and you'll cry.

Hafle (Party!)

So there was me thinking that this party I had been invited to was going to be a bit of a knees up with 'a few of the guys'.

Believe me, I'm learning not to make even the most basic assumptions when living in a foreign country.

Hafle, which is Arabic for party, would have been better translated in this case as 'large reception in which most people who will be graduating invite their entire family and the department staff to a suit and tie style bash'.

Oldman rocks up in his jeans and t-shirt. -1 point for the foreigner.

I've been to weddings that are less grandiose than this event was. All the soon-to-be graduates, holding candles, paraded into the hall (down a flight of stairs) to some very dramatic music, walked down the two side aisle to the back of the room, then up the centre aisle, through three hooped arches and took their seats on a platform. After a prayer (or something to this effect) for the day's shaheedas (martyrs = blokes killed by Israel), there was then speeches, presentations of certificates, dancing, singing, more dancing, more speeches, and a cake cutting. All of the above was interspersed with lots of music, played at an extemely loud volume. It seemed like I was the only one to notice/dislike this though.

I have to say that the whole event was some what overwhelming. I guess it was essentially a communal wide graduation party. There was no food and only soft drinks (standard for a predominantly Islamic country), and apparently things were toned down because of the earlier incursion/murders. (Goodness knows what it would have been like had it gone off as planned!) Despite all this, I have to say I found the whole event rather boring. Every graduate to be got to give a speech (see update on the seminars post) and combined with the hot weather, and slightly stuffy atmosphere, I think I'd just had enough. Plus hungry oldman isn't a happy oldman.

Nevertheless, it was quite the experience.

But first, a 'small' aside...

Ok, hands up who saw the news that Ramallah was invaded today?

Anyone?

Read the story and see a few pictures here.

I can't begin to express how serious this incursion was. Timed not at all coincidentally to coincide with Olmert's speech to the US congress (i.e. when that would be making the headlines), the Israel Defense Force (sic) incursion was the most serious attack on Ramallah since the invasion in 2003. This is Ramallah people. The army simply doesn't go there. Nablus, yes. Hebron, yes. Ramallah, no. Until today.

And they didn't just attack anywhere. It was the Manara. This is the Palestinian equivalent of Trafalgar Square. The attack, which really took people here by surprise (which itself is unusual), left the central area in a mess.

On a personal note, I had to delay my trip to the party, since it was being held in a reception hall on the edge of Ramallah. When I did arrive in the city (after getting the all clear from a friend who was there) the last ambulance carrying a martyr was driving to the hospital. Funnily enough (although I'm not laughing) this was the first time I've experienced Palestine as it is usually represented on the television news (gunfire and all). Needless to say, being a foreigner and walking past a crowd of angry and aggrieved Palestinians wasn't the most comfortable experience in my life, but most people were more concerned with clearing up the mess (broken glass, stones, various other items cluttering the street).

Let's hope this event was exceptional and not some sort of foreboding of events to come!

The Strange Case of the End of Degree Seminar Presentation

[Strange as in unfamiliar. The seminar presentation format was what you might consider standard.]

I was invited by some friends to their seminar presentations at the University of Birzeit. To graduate from Birzeit, you have to complete a seminar (all other courses are lecture or lab-based) and to fulfill the seminar requirements, you have to present a 15-20 minute presentation based on original research at the end of the term. When I was an undergrad we had to do presentations frequently. Here, they only do one, and boy do they take it seriously.

Firstly, everyone dresses up in a suit or smart dress to present their work. Secondly, some people invite their entire family to watch. Thirdly, nearly everyone else at the university who is known to the presenter is invited, even though the classroom may only (read: probably) seat 30 people. Fourthly, the entire event is filmed/photographed as though someone were getting married. Fifthly, at the conclusion of the presentation, everyone celebrates as though someone just got married. Flowers (and occasionally cuddly toys) are given to the presenter, chocolates and sweets are handed to everyone who attended, and in the most extreme cases, presenters walk ceremoniously around campus with all their friends singing and clapping. It's basically a pre-graduation, graduation party.

And every person who graduates Birzeit has to do this!
(Although not everyone goes to such extremes!)

UPDATE:
I went to another friend's seminar today, who is studying English. Hence the presentations were all in English. Something I didn't realise yesterday, was that at the end of each presentation, the presenters make an Oscar like thank you speech. Another guy who I also know, had to bite back the tears as he thanked Allah, the 'two candles in his life' (mum and dad), his professor, his friends and everyone at the university of Birzeit.

Anatomy of Collective Punishment

You begin with a free and democratic election, in which the population votes for a party considered a 'terrorist' entity by the US and its allies.

The US then not only cuts off all funds to the government, but also uses its economic and political muscle to prevent other countries from supporting that government too.

Since 1/3 of the population relies, directly or indirectly, on a state salary of some sort, 1/3 of the population is immediately effected by the sudden loss of income. Naturally, the poorer you are, the less money you have in savings or in capital investments, and thus the harder you are hit.

This 1/3 of the population thus has to start cutting back on expenses. Bills are no longer paid and people have to start relying on credit from shopkeepers to buy even the basics like food and medicine.

Shopkeepers, faced with declining income due to the spiraling credit, begin to cut back on expenses themselves. If they are able to, they establish a line of credit with the suppliers of their goods. If they aren't, their stock declines.

Suppliers, such as food producers and clothes makers, are forced to essentially provide their product for free, or stop providing it. They in turn cut back on expenditure.

Forced with a widespread recession, private institutions are heavily effected. All the staff at the University of Birzeit are told they will be paid half wages this month, and will have to work for free over the summer semester, since students can no longer afford the tuition fees.

Despite this situation life continues because:

1, People are by now use to frequent and unexpected (financial) crises, and know it will end sooner or later;

2, Due to the frequency, they have developed coping mechanisms to endure them;

3, There's no much else to do anyway. They're certainly not going to sit at home just because foreign governments are systematically punishing them.

In other words, that's life in Palestine!

A little piece of chaos

I decided yesterday afternoon, that since it was the weekend, I would go to Ramallah with a friend for the evening. However, the Israeli Defense Force (sic) had decided to stop all traffic going in and out of Ramallah yesterday, at least along the major roads. So about a kilometer from where the flying checkpoint usually gets set up, due to massive congestion, we had to get out of the bus and start walking. My friend referred to this as Palestinian sports. However, when we got the point in the road where the army was suppose to be, there was nothing but cars. While the checkpoint had been removed, the congestion it caused remained long after, since people simply couldn't wait patiently, and had blocked the opposite side of the road. Collective punishment was never easier to administer, or more readily aided.

After walking a few kilometers more to get to Ramallah, I then had the misfortune later in the evening of eating some dodgy fried chicken, which cut my night rather short. Thankfully the congestion had long since cleared by the time I made my way home.

A.’s Crazy Hamlet Production

This afternoon finally saw the completion of my friend A.'s masterpiece, an abridged and adapted version of Hamlet. A. studied the play as part of an English Literature course on Shakespeare and for his final assignment, decided to make a short film. Although his film consisted (eventually) of just three short seasons, the production was quite epic.

We originally shot two scenes last week, without any preparation or rehearsal. However, A., ever the perfectionist, wasn't happy with their quality, and therefore decided we needed to do it again. This is the point when things started to get complicated. Firstly, he decide to write another scene, featuring two new characters and a mix of Shakespeare's dialogue and his own. This of course required two new actors, and they had to learn their lines, and it also meant we had four people to co-ordinate with regards to arranging a time to film. He also had to convince his friend to play a woman. A.'s argument that boys used to play women in Shakespeare's time wasn't well received, but he did eventually manage to persuade his friend.

However, now ready to film, A. discovered that the media department (from which he had borrowed the camera for the first shot) wouldn't let him use their camera again. Hence another day's delay while A. tracked down another camera - one that was of a slightly lesser quality this time. Finally, this afternoon, it all came together. With a fifth friend tagging along as an extra, A. delivered part of Hamlet's 'to be or not to be' soliloquy from the new venue of a prison. The second scene was a dialogue between Ophelia and the Queen just before Ophelia kills herself, (with Ophelia singing Shakespeare's lines to Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'). The final scene was an entirely improvised conversation between Hamlet (still in prison) and Horatio (your truly).

At the end of the day, I don't think we'll be winning any Oscars, but it was good fun nevertheless and A. seemed pleased with the results, (at least at the time of writing).

Boycott/Nakba

So the reason for no memorializations a couple of weeks ago - the Palestinians in the West Bank don't mourn the Nakba until today. (It was the Palestinians inside Israel who commemorate the event when the Hebrew calendar marks Israel's independence). On the BZU campus, which I was visiting today (see next paragraph), there were a couple of tents representing the many camps where Palestinians still live (although no longer in tents).

There was also a big trade fair at BZU, promoting Palestinian products and supporting a boycott of Israeli ones. I don't know if a full boycott is possible here, simply because Israel controls everything going in and out of Palestine, but I'm sure the conscious raising efforts are worthwhile. Having said that, there was one stand promoting Coca Cola products. I can only assume this is because there is a bottling factory in Ramallah?!?

Haircut

Forgot to add also that I got a much needed haircut yesterday. It took me a long time to pluck up the courage since I've seen a number of internationals come back from the hairdresser with significantly less hair than they had intended to, but the results, in my case, seem alright. And for only NIS 15, probably the cheapest haircut I've ever had, (except for when I use to buzz cut myself for free).

Smart Cars, Home Visits, Petrol Crises and Swimming Pools

Due to some blogger.com problems and being busy, I have accumulated some posting over the last couple of days that I will now present in amalgamated form:

Spotted!

One Smart Car (you know, the dinky little ones), with German number plates. I think there is a Goethe Institute in Ramallah as well as a consulate, but I'm not 100% sure.

Palestinian Hospitality

For the UEFA cup final on Wednesday (more on that later), I manage to wrangle an invitation (it was a genuine invitation though) to my friend M's house since I don't have a TV. Since Palestinian hospitality, (in fact, probably Arab hospitality, but I don't have much of a comparison) is different from what we might enjoy in the West, I thought I would record my experiences here.

Firstly, you are not allowed to do or pay for anything. Even the taxi ride there and back was part of deal, no matter how much I protested/tried thrusting notes into my host's hand. Secondly, even though M. invited me, it was as if his whole family had, in the sense that there was a collective effort by his brothers and parents to make me feel welcome and attend to my needs.

After arriving, and greeting the aforementioned parents and brothers, M. showed me his family's land, which has a good view of the neighbouring village and an Israeli settler-colonist road that divides the two villages from each other. (The only way to go from one to the other is via a tunnel built specially for the purpose of keeping Palestinians out of sight and out of mind). M. family grow a number of fruit and vegetables, including zucchinis/courgettes that, when stuffed, formed part of a delicious dinner. M. house consisted of a kitchen, living room, and three bedrooms. One for the boys, one for the girls and one for the parents. The second floor is a work in progress, although in this case, I'm not sure how much progress is being made. (Palestinians often build their houses in a piecemeal fashion, because of the cost relative to income). We ate dinner in the living room, which was quickly converted into a dining space by moving the table that was against the wall and bringing in some auxiliary chairs (c.f. Peter Kay).

As well as the stuffed zucchinis, M. mum had roasted a chicken and made Warad Diwali (stuffed vine leaves). Yum. M. and I with his younger brother. I've noticed that families here don't necessarily eat all at once, except perhaps on weekends, since different schedules often mean different eating times. Then we moved into what I can best describe as their garage area, where we smoked an aiguilles with a couple of M. friends from the village.

When it was time for the game to start, we actually went to a local cafe (due to TV reception difficulties at home), which here looked more like an enlarged concrete container. Needless to say, Boro got humiliated, and it was a little before midnight when the final whistle was mercifully blown. Depending on where you live, 'public' transport finishes any time between 7pm and 10pm here, so if you visit someone's house, you're staying the night.

M., his younger brother and I were all shacked up in the boys room. Here in Palestine, large numbers of siblings (seven to eight in some cases) share the same sleeping space, and I've been curious about how this has actually been accomplished. In M. case, there is a pile of mattresses and a shelf with blankets and pillows on. You grab one of each, and then find a space on the floor. Since two of M.'s five brothers are married and have their own house, there's not too much of space issue in this case. His other brother slept in front of the TV in the living room. Apparently this is also a long established habit.

The next morning we got up at 6:30, had a quick cup of tea, and were on the bus to the university by 7.

Fuel Crisis

I never know exactly how much media coverage certain events over here are receiving in different parts of the world, but believe me, the current fuel crisis which you may or may not have heard about it a huge deal here. Palestine receives all its petrol and diesel from one Israeli company, which decided to stop supplying fuel after the Israeli government stopped using Palestinian tax money, (which they are currently withholding illegally,) to pay the debt owed to the company. It's hard to imagine not having any fuel. The impact is phenomenal here. Not only do hundreds of thousands of people rely on jobs that involve driving, but millions rely on the services (taxis) to get from one place to another on a daily basis. Since the services need refueling far more regularly than private cars, the impact of the shortages is already being felt. Since today is Friday - when most people don't go to work - tomorrow will be the first day when the effects of the fuel shortage can be seen and felt. One taxi driver was already complaining that Israelis pay 20 NIS (shekels) for the same amount is costs Palestinians 100 NIS to buy. I read people may start going to the settler-colonist petrol stations. Palestinians' have a well-established ability to cope with the various problems the Occupation throws at them, and I also heard people have already started experimenting with engine fuel and other substances to keep the cars running.

UPDATE: Apparently Abbas has managed to secure the supply of petrol by taking money from the Palestinian Investment Fund to pay the debt. I don't know what this fund does, but I'm sure when people (probably foreign governments) were contributing to it, they didn't intend for the money to end up in the coffers of Dor Allon - the Israeli company that supplies the fuel).

Swimming Pools

Talking of Occupation related problems, any one who has visited Palestine, particularly in the summer, with be aware of the limited access to water here. However, after some friends invited me to go swimming (a trip that had to be postponed because of the fuel situation in fact), I've learnt that there are a number of pool at least in the central area of Palestine, that are built on top of natural springs.

And finally…how to get to Gaza

I'm sure many Palestinians would like to know how to do this. Well, the other day I was speaking to a young woman who lives in Jerusalem (and hence has a Jerusalem ID, which allows her to travel all over Israel). Her mother's family lives in Gaza, and prior to the Intifada, it apparently took them just two hours to drive down and visit. (The same amount of time it took me to visit my family when I was doing my BSc). However, since permission from the Israeli Authorities to visit Gaza is now more of a historical relic than something that actually exists nowadays, these visits no longer take place. However, a few years ago this woman's grandfather was seriously ill, and so her father and mother had to go. Permission to travel there was, as usual, denied, so her parents ended up going to Amman in Jordan, then flying to Cairo, and from Cairo across the Sinai to Gaza. Apparently this incredible feat was accomplish in one day, albeit a very long and tiring one. It's amazing that no matter how long you live in Palestine, there are always a whole host of stories like this that continue to astound and shock you.

Apple comes to Palestine

As I was coming home, I saw a couple of adverts for i-pods. Then, on returning to the village, my friend T. had a surprise - a shiny new 12 inch PowerBook. So it's official. Mac is now in Palestine.

For the love of God!

The donkey is back in the field next to my house, and it's toe-curling cries seem to have got louder, more frequent, and consequently more annoying. It's amazing how just one 'ea-aww' can create an affective resonance of immense pain and suffering.

Photos from BZU elections

I discovered this link and this link, which include photos from the University of Birzeit elections a couple of weeks ago. There are also a few photos of the IDF appearance that I blogged about.

What the photos don't (and perhaps can't) show, is the sheer pagentary of the elections across the campus.

58 years later

And the sun is still setting in the West, oblivious to everything that has happened here since 1948.

Yesterday's sunset

Perhaps the biggest irony is that the sun is actually setting 'over' Tel Aviv. However, due to the pollution cloud, the city can't be seen (from here) except on clear nights. The pollution nevertheless makes for wonderful dawn and dusks.

This particular sun marks not only the passage of day into night, but also the 58th anniversary of the Nakba (or catastrophe). There was little commemoration here.

Road Signs and Traffic Lights

I don't go to Ramallah that much, which is perhaps why I tend to notice the little changes that occur every so often.

Coming back to Palestine in January, I noticed that there was a new set of traffic lights between the city and Kalandia. There has also been another set added on the road heading out of Ramallah to the north.

Today, I noticed that there are some new road markings further down this road, as you leave the city on the way to Surda. This is the first time I've seen any markings in Palestine - well, except for the settler-colonist roads.

Ironically though, as I was leaving the city (although nowhere near these new markings) there was a massive traffic jam caused by a fairly nasty crash. This involved a service and a van full of paint, which has subsequently spilt all over the vehicle and was running off down the street, leaving a pointedly different set of markings.

Only in Palestine...

would you get Israeli Defense Force soldiers, protecting Palestinian children, from Israeli settler-colonists.

I decided to post this link because I actually visited Hirbat Al-Tuwani last summer. It's a tiny rural village, and I mean tiny (around 200 people). We were told about the problems with settler-colonists while there, who are apparently not even Israelis per se, but Jewish immigrants from America and France (although I do realize Israel is a nation of Jewish immigrants).

The saddest thing is that this village is so tiny and relatively isolated, that these people didn't even really care about the rest of Palestine, let alone anywhere else in the world. They just went about their lives, which in most cases meant farming the land. Then one day a settlement sprang up on a nearby hilltop, and now they can't tend their own land (- this was the place where settlers-colonists poisoned the water wells and grazing land -) and their kids can't even get to school safely.

How much are tickets to Eindhoven?

Seriously!?

"Twenty years after liquidation, as Steaua were winning the European Cup, Middlesbrough had again awoken the dead. Viva Boro."

Palestinian Shorts

Short posts...you can't wear shorts in the West Bank. It's just not appropriate!

After a week in which lots happened, I've spent this week doing very little. The big news in fact, is that the damn mosquitoes are back! They really are my arch nemesis here. This time though, I'm armed with a trusty plastic fly-swatter provided by my landlady. Quake in fear vampiric little bugs - your end is near!!

For those who need to waste some time, have you every thought about whether there really are such things as British intellectuals?

Also, I know this has been around for a while, but why not check out this web-site after it has been Gizoogle'd. 5 seconds of fun fo' sho'.

Results

Well the votes were counted and Hamas came out winners with 23 of the 51 seats on council. Fatah got 18 and PFLP got a respectable 5 as the third placed party. I didn't actually make it out to campus for the announcement, although I did hear that the Hamas supporters were celebrating elsewhere anyway to avoid potential confrontation.

Speaking of which...

Few major events at the University of Birzeit (graduations, final exams, student elections) escape the close attentions of the Israel Defense Forces (sic), which, in its unstinting efforts to protect the Israeli public from the "terrorists" who come here to study such things as Architectural Engineering, English or Commerce, decided to make a brief appearance too yesterday.

As is the usual practice, six jeeps stopped along the road which runs along the bottom of the university (the Uni is at the top of a hill) and, since it was lunch time, some of the university's male population raced down there and begun to throw rocks before too long. This gave the army a pretext to begin shooting rubber bullets, which got everyone's attention on campus - well, that and a couple of explosions (it really is like theatre, including the large audience that assembles to watch). After a few more minutes of this, the army suddenly started firing automatic weapons (machine guns), which is when things started to get a little hairier, automatic weapons being far less discriminating with regards to where the bullets end up. There is also an army protocol with regards to their use, so they have to be threatened in a certain way before they start spraying them around. However, thankfully they left soon after that, which gave the already excitable electorate even more reason to march around chanting.

As for the results, I don't think anyone is terribly surprised. Prior to the Fatah victory last year, which was widely seen as piggy-backing the sympathy over Arafat's death, Hamas had won the previous ten years. Aside from the US opposition -> Hamas support factor, one person told me they voted Hamas, even though they voted for Fatah in the general elections, because they didn't like the hooligan-style antics of the Fatah party on campus. (This included one member bringing a gun on to campus last summer and threatening students, leading to the closure of the campus as a safety measure and then due to protests).

I don't know if there were any celebrations last night, but campus has returned to normal today, and the continuing hot weather certainly doesn't encourage spending too much time in the sun.

The Election Section Redux (The Return of Ray Von)

With everything else going on in this part of the world, one annual event which may have been overshadowed in the international press, but is nonetheless making headlines here is the annual student council elections at the University of Birzeit. Each year, the 7000 strong student body elect a council according to proportional representation. I bumped into a friend last night who told me about the candidate debate today, so I decided to make the trip to the University to see what it was all about.

Entrance to the campus is unusually tight, and apparently has been for the last week or so. (This is due to last year's gunfire - of the celebratory kind - after Fatah won. Traditionally Hamas has dominated the elections/student council). I met a friend after arriving, who showed me around, pointed out which party was which, and translated the proceedings once they got going. There are seven parties running this year. Every party, bar one, is affiliated with one of the major political parties. However, they all have different names. So the Fatah group are called 'The Guys' and Hamas is called 'The Islamic Collective'. Islamic Jihad, the PFLP (split into 2 groups), Muhadara (Barghouti's party) and the group independent of any political party (whose name escapes me) made up the numbers.

The reason for the nomenclature is historical. Prior to the Palestinian Authority's arrival in 1994, political parties were banned by the Israeli Occupation Authorities. Therefore all of the groups had to make up names so they could disclaim affiliation when they needed to. Since the elections have been running for a number of years now, and happen every year, they are seen as an important indicator of the current political mood among the Palestinian population. (The general election in January was the first truly democratic one Palestine has had, and there was only one other election besides this one).

The student elections are also a real spectacle! (Lights, camera, action!)

Before the debate, all of the parties and their more ardent supporters marched towards a stage that had been erected for the purpose of the debate. The entire university closes down for two hours while the debate goes on - even the staff are given the time off - so there are plenty of dis/interested spectators. Many students proudly display their allegiance - each party has a different colour - and there are plenty of flags for people to wave. Fatah and Hamas are, conspicuously, the largest parties in terms of support. This was also reflected in the debate - if you could call it that.

Each leader was given 5 minutes to speak, and then someone from the university administration asked all the candidates questions, which they had to answer within 3 minutes. The presentations involved every party criticising Fatah and Hamas for fighting with each other all the time, except for Fatah and Hamas, who just criticised their main rival. Then, when asked what they would do about student affairs, they all began to talk about the national political situation. In fact, the candidates talked a lot about the national situation and very little about the university or the issues students face specifically!

Quite notably, all parties (including Fatah) condoned yesterday's suicide bombing, except Muhadara (and they didn't exactly condemn it!) Each time this happened, the reaction was far less equivocal than this article would make you think. The candidates for Hamas and Fatah were passionate orators, and the PFLP group also did well, because Ahmad Sadat's daughter was speaking for them. (Ahmad Sadat is the leader of the PLFP, who was in the Jericho jail that was raided last month. He was captured, and is now in an Israeli jail).

However, quite unexpectedly the sun came out, and the heat combined with the amount of time I had to stand led to a premature exit. I certainly wasn't the only one who was tired, although I was probably one of the few people who got sun-burnt!

The elections are tomorrow. The word on campus is that America's current crusade against Hamas is making Hamas very popular amongst the Palestinian students. The flip side - America's support for Fatah - is having the opposite effect. We shall see - results come out at 8 or 9pm.

More cause for pessimism

Even I didn't anticipate being so prescient the other day and now after what's happened, and the inevitable response unfolds, I feel even more pessimistic. I can't understand how, with evidence so obviously proving that violence begets more violence, which begets more violence in turn, people continue to seek violent solutions to problems they are simply exacerbating.
Haram.

This Gideon Levy article, written on Friday, is well worth a read if you're in a reflective mood.

Happy...no wait.

It turns out that Easter in these parts isn't until next week. Despite the presence of both the Latin and Orthodox churches in the West Bank, everyone celebrates next week (Orthodox Easter), although Christmas Day is celebrated on the 25th December (according to the Latin calendar). This obviously doesn't stop the masses of tourists from visiting Jerusalem this week. In fact, it's a double bonazza for all the businesses there!

Good Friday, or Sad Friday

Since Al Quds (Jerusalem) isn't too much of an inconvenience to get to from where I'm staying, (although it could be much more convenient), I thought I'd visit the Old City and see what Good Friday, or Sad Friday as it's known in Arabic, was like in the 'Holy City'. God had obviously decided that in order to give people a real taste of how unpleasant it was to get crucified, s/he was going to make it really hot. And I mean HOT!

Rather predictably there were masses upon masses of people. The other two times I've been to the Holy Sepulchre were during the summer (i.e. peak tourist season), so although there were huge numbers of tourists/pilgrims today, it wasn't that different from the other times I've been. In fact, the only differences were: i) groups carrying crosses, & ii) police regulating the flow of foot traffic when any of the aforementioned groups stopped to pray/sing/listen to a sermon or site-history.

Personally, I can't see how traveling to Jerusalem for Easter would be a very religious experience. There are so many people, you can't experience any sense of calm or reverence there, and the whole old city is totally geared towards tourist consumption. There are so many cameras (both digital and film), that the whole experience stands out more for its sense of spectacle, occasion and ritual. So I guess that's where the religious aspect comes in.

Flickr is proving uncooperative, so here's the link to some photos I took.

Anyway, due to the intense heat, I wasn't able to last much more than two hours, and then it was off home again. Interestingly, on the way back to the West Bank we managed to drive around the Kalandia checkpoint. That is to say, it's entirely possible to drive around it, rather than go through it. I would ask what's the point, but then I might feel compelled to offer my answer, and I'm just too tired at the moment. Also, despite the fact that Cadbury's sells lots of chocolate over here, there are no Easter Eggs. I'm slightly surprised they haven't tried to exploit this market. Wherever you are, have a good holiday (whether it's Jesus' death, Passover, or the Prophet's birth you're celebrating this weekend).

What are donkey's really saying?

There are a couple of donkeys and horses who live in a field just across the road from where I am staying, and they frequently come across the road during the day to graze amongst the olive terraces that lie beside my residence. One or perhaps both of the donkeys are prone to making the most gut curling ea-haw (or however you write that donkey noise, you know what I mean) at all the times of the day and night. Sometimes I wonder what they are trying to say and to whom, exactly, are they trying to say it. I imagine these donkey's could probably write the most moving laments or sad ballads were they able to, but perhaps they're just saying "alright mate" to their friends, and I'm getting it all wrong.

Some more Amira Hass reading

For anyone who's following life here, or for those who are really procrastinating today. I'm hoping this link will be good for a long time, so I can come back to this article in the future. Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll release another book.

Palestinian Film Festival

You don't know how tempted I am to fly to London just to attend this. If you manage to go, please send me/post a report.

It's a buyer's market!

Now that I've had a rant, I also wanted to post an update on the car situation here after the police raid last week. T.'s car is now for sale, since he will be fined 10000 JD (alot of money!) if he's caught driving it again. Indeed, a number of cars with yellow number plates now have signs in the window with a couple of phone numbers to contact!

Pessimism

Living in Palestine, you have a keen sense of what's going on politically in the region. I don't think it's any stretch of the imagination to say that the events of the past week have caused a great deal of frustration for all those living here, (well, except for the Israeli Settlers).

Let's do a quick review. This week the EU, following a host of other governments, cut off aid to the Hamas led PA. They did this because a) Hamas refuses to recognize Israel, b) They refuse to disarm and halt all attacks on Israel, and c) They refuse to recognize past agreements.

While this has been happening, Israel has been shelling Gaza constantly (while also closing all the entrance/exits preventing the transport of grain among other things into Gaza), and two days ago switched from football pitches and militant training bases to residential areas. Yesterday, as a result of this decision, a nine year old girl was the latest Palestinian killed, as she sat in her home which was hit it by a shell.

The constant shelling is providing a footnote to the first news item, and I have yet to hear of any condemnation for the attacks on civilians. The fact that Israel a) refuses to recognize Palestine, b) refuses to disarm or halt attacks on Palestinians, and c) refuse to recognize past agreements (one example being the one handing control of some Gaza border crossings to the Palestinians, which Israel has now closed causing chronic food shortages in Gaza for the last month) comes as no surprise to anyone living here.

No doubt in a few weeks or months, when the next suicide bomber blows himself up in Tel Aviv or Netanyha after his father/mother/brother/sister/child/ was killed by the shelling or some other Israeli attack, we can all sit at home in front of our television sets and think that all that shelling was worth it just to quell the 'terrorists'. And the extraordinary violence that is the Occupation will keep ticking along.

Thoughts about Tom Hurndall

I was just reading this article in the Observer this morning about the death of Tom Hurndall in Rafah (Gaza). Tom was a photographer/student who was shot in the head by the IDF as he helped children to safety. The shooting was covered up by the Occupation forces, and his parents have mounted a 3 year campaign to 'out' the truth, culminating in an inquest (in Britain) next week.

This event, and a couple of others that were similar and are mentioned in the article always evokes a feeling of ambiguity in me. It's always shocking to read about his death, and also the cover-up (although I can't say this comes as a surprise). I wonder sometimes though whether all this coverage of Hurndall and the other GB and US activists who were killed, deflects attention from the broader problem, or helps to bring it into focus?

Almost 5000 people have been killed since the start of the 2nd Intifada, with almost 4/5ths of those being Palestinians. And yet, how often do you see hand-wringing in the Guardian (which offers better coverage than most papers) over all those Palestinian deaths. Instead, 2 Brits and a yank become the focus of news stories, plays, book publications, etc, etc. In all 57 foreigners (neither Palestinian or Israeli) have been killed in that time, or 1% of all the casualties. (See B'Tselem)

On the other hand, the inquest into Hurndall's death does bring to light the systematic violence and lawlessness of the Occupation forces in the Territories, in a way that is palatable to the British public and other international communities. The tribunal also offers the possibility of international accountability and justice, which is surely an important step in really addressing the broader problem of the Israeli Occupation.

Returning to the story, my biggest sympathies lie with Hurndall's family. How terrible to not only lose a son, but to also have three years of your life taken from you as you crusade to find answers. It's ironic that coming to Palestine is often harder for those who stay at home than the people that actually come here. Tom Hurndall surely must have known what he was getting into going to Rafah. However, I wonder if he considered the impact his life and death would have had on other people besides himself? Still, without his witness where would we, or more importantly the residents of Gaza, be?

P for Pirate

Continuing this week's theme of mildly illegal activities in the OT, I was invited to someone's house yesterday evening, and there on the coffee table was a DVD copy of 'V for Vendetta', a film I just saw 2 weeks ago in the cinema. At 15 shekels, a bargain, although I'm sure it's better to watch it in the cinema.

Arab Films

"The colleague was waved on his way, while Sinno was held for nine hours."

If you enjoy Arab films, as I do, you'll find this article fascinating. Can't wait to see Iraq in Fragments.

Free TV

Did you know, if you live in Palestine, you can get satellite television for the cost of an aerial installation. I don't know the dynamics of it all, but I'm guessing that since anyone can pick up the signals in the air with the appropriate technology, you only pay for it if someone is charging you - which no one does here. Apparently, people have even invented software that decodes the encoded channels, so they can be watched by the masses. How's that for democratization of the media, (at least along liberal consumerist lines). Even families who are very poor only have to stump up for a TV set and aerial, hence satellite TV is widespread here. The only problem then is the loss of reception when the wind gets up and the aerial is blown over.

On a related note, Palestine only has one TV station, appropriately named Palestine TV, which has offices in Ramallah and Gaza. Most of the time people watch other Arab networks, particularly from Egypt (where there is a huge media industry) and Lebanon. There are also four 'MBC' channels, which show 'Western' (which in this case means popular US) shows and films. However, since I don't have a TV set, my life goes on without them (and I'm perfectly happy about this).

Police Story 2

Alas. Not a Jackie Chan film, but a story that contains perhaps as many laughs. On my way home yesterday, the police were still out catching those who hadn't paid their car registration. However, contrary to popular belief, they had rather craftily moved their checkpoints to one of the back roads that people were using after their friends told them about the checkpoints in the morning.

After seeing this, I went to T. shop to pick up a few supplies, and found T. looking concerned. His car, it turns out, had been impounded by the police, because he had yellow plates (not registered properly) and hence hadn't paid the tax in two years. As he put, 'why should I pay when I can't drive anywhere?' However, what made the story tragically amusing, was that T. wasn't driving the car at the time. Instead, he had sent his shop assistant, J., to run some errands, who was then caught in the car and arrested. T. had even known about the police checks, and suggested an alternative route to J., only to be scuppered by the unprecedented/unexpected show of police intelligence.

However, in Palestine it's possible to talk your way around/out of anything. T. sent his brother-in-law, M., to the police station. M. has a Jerusalem ID, and was therefore able to claim the car was his and reclaim it (and J. at the same time). However, T.'s car, like many others here, is now sat outside his house, since he can no longer drive it.

During this incident, I was also told that you could buy a little car (e.g. fiat punto) for NIS 2000 here (just US$400) if you get it on the black market. T. suggested that 80% of people buy their car that way, because the import taxes may double the value of a car bought abroad. (His example was a $40000 car would cost $100000 by the time it reached the buyer living in the West Bank). On top of that, the Palestinian Authority tax apparently comes to NIS 3000 (US$600) a year (another T. quote). Hence the thriving black market.

Palestinian Police Hard at Work

Walking into town this morning, you couldn't help but notice that there were Palestinian police stationed on the main road at the top and bottom of the hill. Although the town has a police station, I've rarely (if ever) seen the police actually doing any work since I've been here. Apparently this morning's show of force was most probably to catch people driving stolen cars or those who haven't registered their yellow license plates properly. If you're caught, it's the last time you'll see that car! Someone also told me there is a new scheme to reduce the import taxes on cars, to encourage people to buy them legally. I don't know what the town's residents think about this, but the policemen certainly provided entertainment for the daily coffee drinkers.

'Happy' Land Day?!?

If only this really was a historic commemoration! Alas, no.

Back in Palestine

The thing about traveling to Palestine, which as a foreigner you have to do via either Tel Aviv or the Allenby Bridge (on Jordanian border), is the amount of unpredictablity involved. For instance, I didn't think I would speak to an immigration officer who was so tired she thought the place I was traveling to sounded like an Israeli company. However, this speeded my arrival so I appreciated her mistake. I thought this time might be the most difficult after the spate of kidnappings a couple of weeks ago. Instead, it was perhaps the easiest. It just goes to show, states are more penetrable than there sometimes made out to be, because they are the sum of their parts. And when their parts are tired they're not quite so fearsome as they can seem at other times.

It's really nice and warm at the moment, and there's also a gentle breeze blowing in from the coast so it doesn't get too hot. Arriving very early in the morning, I also got to witness the amazing morning fog patches, which cover small areas of land like ghosts. It's a surreal experience to enter one, since your visibility is immediately reduced to less than 10 meters. Then you suddenly pop out the other side and everything is clear again.

Decision Time

Well, after soliciting the opinions of people who are in the West Bank, it seems everything is back to normal there (bearing in mind that the *normal* itself changes frequently). Apparently all the militant groups came out against the kidnapping, something which escaped the (Western) news. So I look forward to returning soon.

Well, I say 'look forward', but I actually dislike the journey part quite intensely. A long and arduous journey is made harder by the unpredictability of the immigration officials and the anticipation of this process beforehand. I'm assuming recent events will only make things harder.

I do however enjoy being in Palestine once I'm there.

With Kadima's win in the election yesterday and the anticipation of borders being drawn, I have begun to wonder exactly what traveling to Palestine will be like in future? Will Israel issue exit/entry visas every time someone enters and leaves the West Bank? (Since this prospect threatens to increase the difficulty of and slow down travel even more, I would guess the answer would be yes). No more quick day trips to Jerusalem.

Opinion Poll

Although I'm sure nearly everyone who reads this blog knows (roughly) where I am at the moment, I'm currently not in Palestine for those few who don't. This has absolutely nothing to do with recent events there, although after last week's IDF incursion in Areeha (and the strong whiff of British government collusion) some people may think that's probably for the best.
With the subsequent Al Asqa Martyr Brigade proclamations that were made in Gaza and the kidnapping of a random group of foreigners in Gaza again, I now face more serious questions about my safety as a foreigner in the West Bank than I have done before previous visits.
While I ponder these questions, and seek the advice of people actually living there, I thought I would also ask my readership for their advice or comments.
Remember when leaving comments only to leave your first name, and don't sign into blogger even if you're a member.

(And lest we forget what the real problem is, see the Saturday March 18th entry here at Raising Yousuf).