I thought I'd write a quick situation report for those of you who had been asking for one...
The news from Gaza is very disturbing. The kidnapping of an Israeli soldier that resulted in massive buildups of troops and armaments around the Strip (roughly 10,000 soldiers) has also resulted in power and water being cut to the 1.4 million people who live in one of the most densly populated places on earth. I'm struggling with coming to terms with people around the world accepting that this has any sort of moral weight. Punishing 1.4 million people for the actions of a handful, runs counter to the values that I thought I was raised with. I'm so disappointed that this sort of thing is acceptable to the majority of governments in the world - and that people generally feel like they either have no culpability in this situation - or that there is nothing they can do about it. Ask Peter MacKay if there is anything hypocritical in how much we support Israel and what a fuss we made about cutting support to the democratically elected, yet "terrorist" Hamas-led government. Ask him if he had heard that a Palestinian man was killed by the Israeli army in Ramallah last weekend or about the two Palestinian workers who were shot dead when they took the wrong road trying to avoid the two hour wait at a random checkpoint last night. Ask him what his stand is on collective punishment and if he supports the Geneva Conventions. For those of you who don't know what I'm refering to you can read the text yourself...
From Convention IV, Art.33: "Civilians must not be punished for offenses that they personally did not commit. Collective penalties, intimidation and penalties against civilian populations are prohibited."
So thats the situation in Gaza - Tanks are about to roll into the narrow streets of the refugee camps there. While the Israelis may (very unlikely) find their missing soldier, I'm sure there won't be TOO TOO many Palestinian deaths, and if there are, we have already learned that one Israeli life is worth dozens of Arab ones. It's a sort of racial arithmetic that has allowed the supporters of Israeli policies towards the Palestinians to go unquestioned. And don't think that you support Israeli policies? Think again.
*****
As for the situation here in the Ramallah area, the IDF (Israeli army) has apparently sealed the city and closed the roads between here and Nablus. We stayed in town instead of heading to Ramallah today just in case we wouldn't be allowed back - but a number of my classmates live in the center of Ramallah, so I don't know if they will make it to class tomorrow.
Right now, here in town nothing, is different except for the rumours that are flying around amongst us foreigners. It's unlikely, I think, that anything will happen even in Ramallah, outside of a temporary curfew, when the Israelis seem so intent on an invasion of Gaza. Thats my take on the situation. I'll try and post the thoughts of my friends here as well...
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
The World Cup comes to the West Bank
Nightly, many of us here have gathered at the Nadi (arabic for "club") where we've payed our 5 Shekels ($1.25 CDN) received our inclusive can of coke and settled in with the locals to watch the World Cup matches on a 4 meter by 4 meter outdoor screen. While in Holland last week I made the mistake of wearing my Argentine soccer jersey (a souvenir of my trip to Argentina). While waiting for the bus in Haarlem, someone drove by and yelled something at me. I instantly knew why and I quickly recoiled wondering if Holland was scheduled to play Argentina that day. I changed shirts and checked and while they weren't playing each other, they WERE in the same group.
The Argentina - Holland game took place a few nights ago and I watched it with my jersey on, beside a man named Muhammad whom I had met earlier that day in the cell phone store. Muhammad had asked me who my team was, I told him Argentina (leaving out my indifference towards soccer, typical of Canadians) It turned out he is also a fan so he then gave me a ride back to my apartment in his truck, decked out with, sure enough, a large Argentine flag.
Palestinians, it should be noted, generally cheer for the underdog. Not surprising that a people under a brutal and sustained colonial occupation would do so. But this support has it's limits: In a game a few nights ago between the crowd favourite Ghana and the Czech Republic. Ghana scored a goal that had the Nadi jumping. That is until the striker who had scored celebrated his goal by pulling out an Israeli flag from his sock. Turns out he plays regularly for a Tel Aviv club. Needless to say, Ghana quickly became the West Bank's least favourite team.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/ghana/5092762.stm
The Weekend?
My first week in the West Bank is pretty much complete. I say pretty much since I have really no idea of what the weekend actually is. My classes run Monday to Thursday and the "sabbath" is basically Friday. The West Bank population is predominantly Muslim. I've heard estimates that have placed the percentage at 90-98% Muslim and 2-10% Christian. While many of the Christian Palestinians reside in areas of biblical importance; most notably the old city of Jerusalem and the town of Bethlehem, Birzeit is considered a Christian town because a higher than usual number of Christians live here and have historic roots in this particular area. Many own the innumerable "supermarkets" around town in which you can purchase all of your needs including liquor and beer.
The fact that its a Christian town doesn't mean that they are a mojority and our apartment building is just down form one of the two mosques in and around the town. The muezzin's call to prayer, broadcast 5 times daily and nightly from the loudspeakers affixed to the minarets testify to that Muslim majority. One of the things I can't really figure out though is the 3:30am call to prayer that I am slowly learning to sleep through. My Masters degree in Islamic Studies had failed to inform me of the apparent "middle of the night" prayer time.
The conservative social mores that we were warned about on arrival (having very little to do with Islam but with the society in general) seems to be a fairly fluid arrangement that we've bent here and there. Wearing pants instead of shorts is actually the hardest standard to maintain personally, when the temperature can climb into the high 30's. But having said that, most of the people in the program met up at an apartment building on the outskirts of town last night for a bit of a house party that could have easily been mistaken form one in North America.
The fact that its a Christian town doesn't mean that they are a mojority and our apartment building is just down form one of the two mosques in and around the town. The muezzin's call to prayer, broadcast 5 times daily and nightly from the loudspeakers affixed to the minarets testify to that Muslim majority. One of the things I can't really figure out though is the 3:30am call to prayer that I am slowly learning to sleep through. My Masters degree in Islamic Studies had failed to inform me of the apparent "middle of the night" prayer time.
The conservative social mores that we were warned about on arrival (having very little to do with Islam but with the society in general) seems to be a fairly fluid arrangement that we've bent here and there. Wearing pants instead of shorts is actually the hardest standard to maintain personally, when the temperature can climb into the high 30's. But having said that, most of the people in the program met up at an apartment building on the outskirts of town last night for a bit of a house party that could have easily been mistaken form one in North America.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The Road to Ramallah
The bus stop that takes passengers from East Jerusalem to all places in the West Bank looks a lot more chaotic than it actually is. Its surprisingly easy in fact.
They're not actually busses, but shared taxis that can range from a station wagon to a mini-bus. We found the mini bus to Ramallah, it filled up quickly and we were off.
Blazing through East Jerusalem we got to a road that ran the length of the Wall. It sort of came out of nowhere and I hadn't expected it to be as mundane. But maybe thats the point. It feels, at first, like a highway noise wall - the ones that run the length of the Queensway that shelter the neighbours from the sound of passing cars. But it's length and height are unsettling.
The new practice of the Israelis is to allow nearly uninterupted flow of traffic into the West Bank from Israel at the points in the Wall where traffic is allowed through. But are in turn extremely restrictive about vehicles and people heading from the West Bank into Israel (not to mention ANYONE heading from ANYWHERE into Israel! - but thats for a later story).
Ramallah is a lot bigger, and a lot busier than I had imagined. We met a guy on the bus from Jerusalem named Adam who we figured was also heading to Birzeit. Finding the cabs from Ramallah to the University proved impossible and the three of us ended up splitting the cab ($5 total!). It turns out that Adam has an MA from the Institute that Nora and I are from, and is starting at U of T Law school when we get back. Small world. In fact there are four Canadians here in total out of maybe 25? We're representing.
They're not actually busses, but shared taxis that can range from a station wagon to a mini-bus. We found the mini bus to Ramallah, it filled up quickly and we were off.
Blazing through East Jerusalem we got to a road that ran the length of the Wall. It sort of came out of nowhere and I hadn't expected it to be as mundane. But maybe thats the point. It feels, at first, like a highway noise wall - the ones that run the length of the Queensway that shelter the neighbours from the sound of passing cars. But it's length and height are unsettling.
The new practice of the Israelis is to allow nearly uninterupted flow of traffic into the West Bank from Israel at the points in the Wall where traffic is allowed through. But are in turn extremely restrictive about vehicles and people heading from the West Bank into Israel (not to mention ANYONE heading from ANYWHERE into Israel! - but thats for a later story).
Ramallah is a lot bigger, and a lot busier than I had imagined. We met a guy on the bus from Jerusalem named Adam who we figured was also heading to Birzeit. Finding the cabs from Ramallah to the University proved impossible and the three of us ended up splitting the cab ($5 total!). It turns out that Adam has an MA from the Institute that Nora and I are from, and is starting at U of T Law school when we get back. Small world. In fact there are four Canadians here in total out of maybe 25? We're representing.
Jerusalem Cont...
...
We didn't make it up to the Temple Mount that day. The hours that they allow non-Muslim tourists is pretty restrictive.
We did, however, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This, I have to admit, for me was the most amazing place I saw in Jerusalem. While our early morning (pre-trip to Birzeit) tour of the Temple Mount the next day was impressive, walking through that church was astounding.
Reading about it in the car with my mom the week or so before that didn't do it justice. We couldn't really understand all the chapels and naves that the tour book was describing. Being there, obviously, it made a little more sense. It is basically a huge building with multiple levels and different nooks and crannies. The line to get inside the sepulchre itself was pretty long so we decided that we could skip it - I will come back for sure - but it's essentially a wooden box, 30-40 feet high - 20 feet wide and long in the middle of a rotunda. This is the site of Jesus' tomb. For me though, seeing the stations of the cross that corresponded with the Greek Orthodox chapel on the second level was the most fascinating spot. In a style that we in North America would instanlty reduce to "gaudy" or "kitschy" the partriarchate had decorated their nave with a glossy metal crucifix and a weeping Virgin Mary with a dagger through her heart. But the life sized two dimensional metal Jesus on a cross actually marked the exact location that it is said he was crucified. I was surprised to find that I felt like the gaudiness of it all didn't come across as inappropriate. It sort of made sense in some way. The rocks into which the crucifix is embedded is protected with glass and you can crawl under an alter and touch the rock and say a prayer. It was far less busy than the sepulchre itself and for me I think just as moving.
We explored the rest of the church and found curious ramps and stairs that lead to different rooms with different relics bereft of the explanatory panels you would be sure to find in North America. The mystery of the church, I think, added to its impact.
After a nap, we regrouped and explored a bit of downtown West Jerusalem. We walked along Jaffa road and ate falafel on a pedestrian mall, then returned to the Hotel to get the sleep we needed to wake up to see the Temple Mount at 7 the next day and then get on the road for Birzeit.
We didn't make it up to the Temple Mount that day. The hours that they allow non-Muslim tourists is pretty restrictive.
We did, however, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This, I have to admit, for me was the most amazing place I saw in Jerusalem. While our early morning (pre-trip to Birzeit) tour of the Temple Mount the next day was impressive, walking through that church was astounding.
Reading about it in the car with my mom the week or so before that didn't do it justice. We couldn't really understand all the chapels and naves that the tour book was describing. Being there, obviously, it made a little more sense. It is basically a huge building with multiple levels and different nooks and crannies. The line to get inside the sepulchre itself was pretty long so we decided that we could skip it - I will come back for sure - but it's essentially a wooden box, 30-40 feet high - 20 feet wide and long in the middle of a rotunda. This is the site of Jesus' tomb. For me though, seeing the stations of the cross that corresponded with the Greek Orthodox chapel on the second level was the most fascinating spot. In a style that we in North America would instanlty reduce to "gaudy" or "kitschy" the partriarchate had decorated their nave with a glossy metal crucifix and a weeping Virgin Mary with a dagger through her heart. But the life sized two dimensional metal Jesus on a cross actually marked the exact location that it is said he was crucified. I was surprised to find that I felt like the gaudiness of it all didn't come across as inappropriate. It sort of made sense in some way. The rocks into which the crucifix is embedded is protected with glass and you can crawl under an alter and touch the rock and say a prayer. It was far less busy than the sepulchre itself and for me I think just as moving.
We explored the rest of the church and found curious ramps and stairs that lead to different rooms with different relics bereft of the explanatory panels you would be sure to find in North America. The mystery of the church, I think, added to its impact.
After a nap, we regrouped and explored a bit of downtown West Jerusalem. We walked along Jaffa road and ate falafel on a pedestrian mall, then returned to the Hotel to get the sleep we needed to wake up to see the Temple Mount at 7 the next day and then get on the road for Birzeit.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Jerusalem
My flight from Amsterdam to Jerusalem went smoothly except that I again, got only an hours sleep tops. Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport is pretty beautiful. Immaculate and spacious apart from the occasional smoker it wasn't such a bad place to kill an hours time while I waited for Nora. When she got there we found a shared taxi and went to Jerusalem. We were dropped off at Damascus Gate as the sun was rising (it was 5:30am) and wandering through the old city before anyone was there was a total shock. It's a norrow, enclosed environment when the shops are closed, when they open it gets jammed with people and goods. We found a hotel that was still open and both got rooms. We slept for a couple of hours and then decided to go out and explore. Up to that point I had really not seen as many soldiers as I had expected, but it turns out that it was like that because it was so early. We were in the Muslim quarter of the Old City and we made our way over to where we thought was the Temple Mount and as we turned one of the random corners it suddenly came into view. The greyish roof of the Al-Aqsa Mosque first, then underneath the crowds gathered at the Wailing Wall, then the golden Dome of the Rock.
We wandered around and made it down through the metal detectors to the plaza of the Western Wall. For some reason it wasn't of the proportions that I had expected but it was still impressive, though dwarfed by the Dome of the Rock....
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Amsterdam Part I
I made it in one piece to Amsterdam yesterday. I guess this was the easy part of the trip! Saying goodbye to Danielle and my Mom was tough - the fact that my poor dog Tess is sick just made it that much worse. On top of that I got maybe one hour of sleep on the plane. Match Point was playing and since I had seen it only a couple of weeks ago I could pretty much guess how much I slept through. Arriving to Schipol ("Skip-pol") was cool - its' connected to the train station so I managed to get into Amsterdam with ease. Having said that, finding a Hotel was much tougher. I went to the tourism office in Centraal Station (an amazingly efficient domestic and international train station) and the only place they found for me was a youth hostel in a place called Haarlem (I spent the night with 7 other backpackers - another interesting first). I managed to figure out how to get to Haarlem by train (15 minutes away) and eventually the right bus to take through the city. I checked in and dropped my bag off and went back to Amsterdam deciding not to wait and take a nap as I planned.
Back in Amsterdam I basically walked around through the different neighbourhoods exploring the city. I decided that I would buy a tourist pass on my way back through the city in August which gives me access to most of the museums and a canal tour as well. So what I'm going to do today is go see Anne Frank's house.
Amsterdam is a pretty cool city. I've never seen soooo many bikes! definitely more bikes than cars - but what I can't figure out is that I haven't seen a single bike helmet. I guess I sound like an amateur but even the kids - babies! - don't get helmets. And the bikers weave in and out of the pedestrains and the cars and because the roads aren't that wide I've seen many a near collision in the 24 hours that I've been here. Crazy!
My time here on the public library computer is nearly up so I'll be back with more news of Amsterdam and my arrival in Tel Aviv!
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