You might think, as I did, that a day where all we do is get up, pack and drive to the airport would be a fairly uninspiring finish to this series, happily this is not the case.
We are de-briefed on our way to the airport on security measures. Not unsurprisingly if the Israeli Police think you've been traipsing around the West Bank talking to Palestinians they get a bit worried. We have spent time in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Bethlehem, and we agree to stick to these tourist destinations as our itinerary for the two weeks.
As soon as we enter the quizzing begins. At the main doors to the airport a man asks us where we've been and what we've been doing. Perhaps it's our rehearsed answers, given in unison that rouse his suspicions, but as soon as we're through the door, we've picked up someone in plain clothes following us.
Things do not bode well as we queue for the security gates. As well as being asked the usual airport things (did you packs these bags etc) Israeli security deems fit to ask after our personal relationship, who we've been staying with, who are family here is and so on and so on.
Our bags are x-rayed, and while Camilla is fine (Security sticker "2"), mine causes problems.
I've packed, in the bottom of my suitcase, a series of folders and information packs picked up from various institutions (including the UN and B'tselem). My bag is pulled over to the search area where the security person delves immediately past the electrical equipment (packed on the top of my bag) for these papers. You might wonder why some papers and folders would be targeted so instantly- we certainly did.
Once they see the various documents (including "Facing the Wall", and the UNs "Humanitarian Monitor") it's fair to say they're not buying the "tourist" line (which we stick to). Here's how the next bit goes:
Why do you have these papers?
"I like to read"
Where did you get them?
"I picked them up from various places"
What places
"Bethlehem, you know, around."
Why do you have them?
"I like to read"
But this is more than reading this is... facts and figures
"It's all just reading, I have other books too"
Show me
"This is a history of Prussia, and this is a fiction book called Wait Until Spring. I really like reading, I'll read anything."
Who are you traveling with?
"Camilla, she's over there"
(Camilla is called over, and her bag opened)
Where are you from?
"Norway"
You have family there?
"Yes my parents"
What languages do they speak?
"Er... Norwegian and English"
He then goes on to ask the same questions about 5 times, including asking her to continually repeat her parents names and then what her brothers and sisters are called, and what languages they speak too.
I wouldn't say he was satisfied by our answers, but we're in a position where he can't go any further without accusing us of lying about what we've been doing.
Our bags are moved to another post, x-rayed again, and gone through in detail for traces of explosives. (Luckily they don't pull out the massive UN Access and Closure poster I have in the middle of my bag- I keep trying to think how I'm going to explain it!)
A slightly bent screw in the bottom of my laptop is a major issue, but I assure them it's never been tampered with or repaired, and they let it go at an X-Ray.
It's difficult to see how much of this has to do with security. My massive plastic bottle of Olive Oil is given just a cursory glass, despite containing 2 litres of suspicious oily liquid, same thing with the bottle of wine.
After our luggage (and by this point we're both a bit shocked at how they're allowed to do all this) they move onto us. We are taken away separately (which neither of us are happy about) and walked by security to curtained rooms. I kind of know what coming at this point. We spoke to someone during our interviews who broke down when they described to us this exact treatment at the hands of Ben Gurion Airport security.
After removing anything metallic from my person I'm thoroughly metal-detected, including my armpits and the soles of my feet. I am wearing shorts with metal buttons on them that appear to be a cause of concern. I can hear another security officer taking their time going through Camilla's flowing trousers in the curtains next door, I consider shouting out to her, but decide against it.
I am told to wait, while the metal detector guy calls for a supervisor. Here's the conversation when he arrives:
We have a problem
"What's that?"
The zip on your shorts
"What about it?"
It's metal
"I have a metal zip?"
Yes
"Okay"
We need to check it
(I show my flies to them)
"You mean this zip?"
yes
"It's metal"
That's the problem
"What's the problem with my metal zip?"
We need to scan it.
"Go for it" (I thrust my crotch forward)
Not like that, you need to pull your shorts down.
"Tell me why?"
It's for security, you can just pull them down.
"No thanks, I'll undo them"
(I take my time and drop them to my knees as instructed- I'm still wearing boxers by the way)
The zip is scanned, and the metal detector is touched briefly to my crotch and they are satisfied that my zip is no longer a threat to security.
Soon after this Camilla and me are walked through check in, and into the terminal building, bypassing the rest of security (although our baggage security sticker status is raised from "2" to "9")
On reflection, of this treatment a few thoughts occur, and here they are:
When we were inside Bethlehem, and coming through checkpoints, our ethnicity (Westerners) gave us preferential treatment, we weren't stopped by guards often. But at the airport the opposite occurs.
Why did they go straight for papers in my suitcase? Were they looking for them?
Did our cover "story" make things worse, or did it help us? What would they have done if we told them everything that we'd done?
How much of what they did was legal?
What an embarrassment for the security of the nation- I'm not talking about us being embarrassed, we're fine. I'm talking about the embarrassment a government should feel at stripping aid workers and volunteers, or at giving people a grilling for reading UN reports, or for asking what Camilla's brother and sister are called.
Is this game played on both parts (ours by avoiding the whole truth, them by giving us a hard time without satisfactorily explaining why) necessary? Does it discourage or encourage us to come back and keep going? (Yes!)
Looking back, and thinking of things I wish I'd said. I want to go back in time to where the security guy says, "What is this reading?" and tell him, "You know what- you read it. You'll get more out of it than I would." or to pick up the report and read loudly at random, "Overview- Regional Focus, West Bank including East Jerusalem, Israeli High Court Dismisses Appeal of Susiya Residents. During a 6th June hearing, the Israeli High Court dismissed the appeal that was filed in 2001 by residents of Susiya (population 250)..." and so on.
I also want to go back into that curtained room and shout over to Camilla that "They're telling me to pull my shorts down!" laughing as I undress.
Afterwards, wondering about the legality of what just happened Camilla says "Surely they can't go against International Law, giving people a hard time, just on the pretext of security?". Then we both burst into nervous laughter as we realise that the incident sums up the whole Palestinian situation.
Then we shut up because we worry we're still being listened too or overheard.
Next time will we be allowed in? What security sticker will we make it to- "20"?
More importantly, will Al Mahkrour mountain still exist for us to visit?
Thanks for reading.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Day 12- Friday
Despite our 12 hour writing shift yesterday we still need to spend most of the morning finishing things off and tidying up the office.
With the Advocacy work completed we have a hand over meeting to present the work that we've done. We feel exhausted, and gutted to be handing our work over to someone else, but we feel that we've left it in good hands and are determind to follow up when we get home.
We're both a bit sleep deprived and Camilla is developing a serious headache but we head off for our farewell evening meal- back on Al Mahkrour mountain. It is beautifull and emotional to be back in the Tent restaraunt on Al Marhkrour, with friends and colleagues eating our final meal. Me and Camilla are both a bit quiet, and sad to leave.
We enjoy the meal and conversation and are done at around 7pm when we go and take some final pictures of the wall in Bethlehem. The night doesn't finish there however,
We have been playing basketball regualrly as a thoroughly enjoyable part of our evenings and a big match has been organised on the best court in the West Bank. The court, in the Catholic Action School is a product of joint Israeli and Palestinian work. A committee spanning both groups worked to import the court. The Israeli group used connections to import the full size parquet floor in from the US and accross into Bethlehem, the Palestinians, working with Catholic Action readied a state of the art sports hall, that is the most modern and developed structure we see in our time there.
It is Camilla, myself and our colleagues facing the local team. We play for an hour and a half and it's a seriously good game. Both sides are pretty equally matched and everybody plays hard, but in good spirits. No one really keeps score, and the match is close, but I'd have to say we edged it overall.
We get back to the apartment and enjoy a final Gin and Tonic before collapsing, too tired to really get upset that tomorrow we fly home.
With the Advocacy work completed we have a hand over meeting to present the work that we've done. We feel exhausted, and gutted to be handing our work over to someone else, but we feel that we've left it in good hands and are determind to follow up when we get home.
We're both a bit sleep deprived and Camilla is developing a serious headache but we head off for our farewell evening meal- back on Al Mahkrour mountain. It is beautifull and emotional to be back in the Tent restaraunt on Al Marhkrour, with friends and colleagues eating our final meal. Me and Camilla are both a bit quiet, and sad to leave.
We enjoy the meal and conversation and are done at around 7pm when we go and take some final pictures of the wall in Bethlehem. The night doesn't finish there however,
We have been playing basketball regualrly as a thoroughly enjoyable part of our evenings and a big match has been organised on the best court in the West Bank. The court, in the Catholic Action School is a product of joint Israeli and Palestinian work. A committee spanning both groups worked to import the court. The Israeli group used connections to import the full size parquet floor in from the US and accross into Bethlehem, the Palestinians, working with Catholic Action readied a state of the art sports hall, that is the most modern and developed structure we see in our time there.
It is Camilla, myself and our colleagues facing the local team. We play for an hour and a half and it's a seriously good game. Both sides are pretty equally matched and everybody plays hard, but in good spirits. No one really keeps score, and the match is close, but I'd have to say we edged it overall.
We get back to the apartment and enjoy a final Gin and Tonic before collapsing, too tired to really get upset that tomorrow we fly home.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Day 11- Thursday
We spend 12 hours writing. There is not much else to say about that.
We catch up all the interviews we hadn't transcribed yet, format them, and put them into a workable document.
It's kind of a cheap day blogging wise- but they'll be more tomorrow, our last full day here.
We catch up all the interviews we hadn't transcribed yet, format them, and put them into a workable document.
It's kind of a cheap day blogging wise- but they'll be more tomorrow, our last full day here.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Day 10- Wednesday
True to form we are given a huge breakfast before being sent off for our final day in the field. We start at the top of the Bethlehem pecking order with the Mayor Dr. Victor Batarseh. He is a powerful, dignified man, and tells us a lot about the city.
In yet another Norwegian connection we find that last week we met the Norwegian Prime Minister and has a photo of the two of them shaking hands. We have our photo taken at the end of our interview too.
We are dog tired and the first interview is a pretty tough one so by the time we get to Wi'am (www.planet.edu/alasah) we're drooping, but some Arabic coffee picks us up.
Then a short break and some delicious Chicken Shwarma before heading off to our final, and one of the most exciting meetings, with OCHA, the UN Organisation for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (www.ochaopt.org). We are given the same briefing they gave Tony Blair two days earlier. In fact I sat in the same chair he did.
We have lots to talk about and they have some incredible statistics about the occupation and we discuss a number of quite technical points including reliability of information and environmental issues as a possible international community pressure point. It's all really useful.
We end the day completely exhausted. We think about trying to catch up with our note taking but settle instead for some more basketball (the sport of our time here) and a slap up meal at the Hospital where we are staying. We enjoy great food and drink in the company of some colleagues and finish the day off with Gin and Tonics with the family we are staying with before passing out.
In yet another Norwegian connection we find that last week we met the Norwegian Prime Minister and has a photo of the two of them shaking hands. We have our photo taken at the end of our interview too.
We are dog tired and the first interview is a pretty tough one so by the time we get to Wi'am (www.planet.edu/alasah) we're drooping, but some Arabic coffee picks us up.
Then a short break and some delicious Chicken Shwarma before heading off to our final, and one of the most exciting meetings, with OCHA, the UN Organisation for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (www.ochaopt.org). We are given the same briefing they gave Tony Blair two days earlier. In fact I sat in the same chair he did.
We have lots to talk about and they have some incredible statistics about the occupation and we discuss a number of quite technical points including reliability of information and environmental issues as a possible international community pressure point. It's all really useful.
We end the day completely exhausted. We think about trying to catch up with our note taking but settle instead for some more basketball (the sport of our time here) and a slap up meal at the Hospital where we are staying. We enjoy great food and drink in the company of some colleagues and finish the day off with Gin and Tonics with the family we are staying with before passing out.
Day 9- Tuesday
We're getting more and more into the details of the area now. We meet with the Applied Research institue of Jerusalem (ARIJ) and they give us a real insight to the situation.
Following this we go to the East Jerusalem YMCA and have another really invigorating discussion about the area.
When we leave these two meetings we are a buzz with ideas and talk abou the future and potential of the area.
Lunch is a lovely meal of meat in the Al Mahkrour tent restaurant with colleagues and friends. We have a great time looking at some more castles, chatting, and eating lots and lots of food!
After we reluctantly leave the mountain and head back to Beit Jala for our last family interview.
We were offered the chance to stay with a family in Beit Jala on one of our nights there, and we take the opportunity to do it. After the interview we head to our hosts family where we begin about 6 hours of feasting on top of our already full stomachs. The family explain, there are only three things to do here: eat, sleep and study!
They're not joking. After the main meal their son takes us for a walk. At least he takes us for a Palestinian walk, which means driving around in a car. Despite the fact that the West Bank is incredibly small and close together, people never walk more than 500 metres without calling a taxi!
We drive into Bethlehem and are taken for Ice Cream, we are treated very well by the restaraunt and enjoy a great view out of Bethlehem as the sun sets. Then we hits the streets turn up the Arabic music on the stereo and cruise the streets. Except we don't really see anything, most places are closed most kids are just hanging around. We do see one disco and a community centre but that's it.
At one point we simply run out of places to go to. After taking a couple of turns and driving for a while Bethlehem literally just stops. No more lights, no more houses, nothing. We turn the car around and the son tells us that we can't go any further without entering Israel.
When we return it's up to the roof terrace for pepermint tea (and more snacks). We spend the evening watching fireworks over the city. It is exam results day (A-Level equivalents), and students have achieved a particularly high average. Everyone is in high spirits. Students clutching their papers drive the streets hanging out of their windows clapping singing and launching fireworks wildly into the air.
It makes a great view. The family wryly observe that had this happened five years ago, Israel might have fired some rockets back.
It's 12 before we head to sleep and neither of us rest well despite comfortable beds. We both complain the next day of dreaming about work.
Following this we go to the East Jerusalem YMCA and have another really invigorating discussion about the area.
When we leave these two meetings we are a buzz with ideas and talk abou the future and potential of the area.
Lunch is a lovely meal of meat in the Al Mahkrour tent restaurant with colleagues and friends. We have a great time looking at some more castles, chatting, and eating lots and lots of food!
After we reluctantly leave the mountain and head back to Beit Jala for our last family interview.
We were offered the chance to stay with a family in Beit Jala on one of our nights there, and we take the opportunity to do it. After the interview we head to our hosts family where we begin about 6 hours of feasting on top of our already full stomachs. The family explain, there are only three things to do here: eat, sleep and study!
They're not joking. After the main meal their son takes us for a walk. At least he takes us for a Palestinian walk, which means driving around in a car. Despite the fact that the West Bank is incredibly small and close together, people never walk more than 500 metres without calling a taxi!
We drive into Bethlehem and are taken for Ice Cream, we are treated very well by the restaraunt and enjoy a great view out of Bethlehem as the sun sets. Then we hits the streets turn up the Arabic music on the stereo and cruise the streets. Except we don't really see anything, most places are closed most kids are just hanging around. We do see one disco and a community centre but that's it.
At one point we simply run out of places to go to. After taking a couple of turns and driving for a while Bethlehem literally just stops. No more lights, no more houses, nothing. We turn the car around and the son tells us that we can't go any further without entering Israel.
When we return it's up to the roof terrace for pepermint tea (and more snacks). We spend the evening watching fireworks over the city. It is exam results day (A-Level equivalents), and students have achieved a particularly high average. Everyone is in high spirits. Students clutching their papers drive the streets hanging out of their windows clapping singing and launching fireworks wildly into the air.
It makes a great view. The family wryly observe that had this happened five years ago, Israel might have fired some rockets back.
It's 12 before we head to sleep and neither of us rest well despite comfortable beds. We both complain the next day of dreaming about work.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Day 8 - Monday
We begin the day with a fascinating meeting with the Center for Cultural Heritage and preservation in Bethlehem (CCHPB)
The meeting starts a little awkwardly as we explain why we are there but soon not only picks up, but catches fire, as we get into some good intellectual debate.
The CCHPB works rehabilitating old historic buildings, rennovating them, and give it to owner rent free on the condition that they allow a public body to use the building for 8 years. After this time they can continue this public body and charge them rent, or decide on a new use of their own choosing.
We soon get into the importance of building a historical narrative, tying the Palestinians to their land. Simply put Palestinians national identity is largely tied to an oral storytelling culture, the traditional Palestinian dress (which varies between each region) and cultural nuances between villages.
We talk about the importance of writing down these things, recording them for posterity and engaging the Palestian people with them. Israel has a very embedded tradition of the land being the people, and the people belonging to the land. We find that Palestinians have the same connection to the land, but it is expressed orally and culturally, not written down or recorded. One off shoot of this is that even deeds for land ownership are often out of date.
When we go to our next interview in the Mahkrour it is with a family that had stopped and chatted to me on a previous visit. The mother in the family enthusiastically repeats the same stories that we have heard from other farmers, over the top of everyones conversation! As the same issues face all of these farmers we spend our time trying to investigate more personnal effects of the occupation.
In the instance of this family one of their personnal stories is a powerful one. When their son was 4 years old, a time he remebers, the IDF were shelling the area and they hid under the bed fearing for their lives, this continued for three days. Now the boy, nine years old, has grey in his hair from stress, and doesn't sleep well. There is always a positive spin to the stories. After the end of the war the family took the sandbags they once used to protect them from Israeli bullets and used the sand from inside to rebuild their own "castle" (farming hut) on the mountain of Al Mahkrour.
The second interview is in the town of Beit Jala, and we discuss many broader issues, and start to hear more about the importance of land ownership. It's a compicated issue, and fundamental to the plight, not only of these farmers, but many people in the Palestine.
According to a number of old laws, if land is un-used for 3 years it falls into the hands of the adminstrative state (Israel) to be taken care of. In many cases the wall prevents people form using their land, and it ultimately becomes the property of the Israeli government.
When the wall is built between Beit Jala and Al Mahkrour mountain there will be an access gate. Access to farmlands will be granted if farmers can prove ownership of their peice of land.
In the event, we realise this is nearly impossible.
Most deeds are in the name of grand fathers of great grandfathers, not the current owners. These need to be updated, but at a cost beyond the means of any of the farmers we talk to. Another problem is that to register the lands you must first contact everyone who has inherited land since the original owner. This means if a father gives lands to two sons, both sons must take the original document, agree the new boundaries and draw up new deeds. Most farmers land is inherited from great grandfathers, and the land is split between as many as 20 modern owners- all need to be contacted for a successful application.
Because of the occupation, many are outside of the country.
The meeting starts a little awkwardly as we explain why we are there but soon not only picks up, but catches fire, as we get into some good intellectual debate.
The CCHPB works rehabilitating old historic buildings, rennovating them, and give it to owner rent free on the condition that they allow a public body to use the building for 8 years. After this time they can continue this public body and charge them rent, or decide on a new use of their own choosing.
We soon get into the importance of building a historical narrative, tying the Palestinians to their land. Simply put Palestinians national identity is largely tied to an oral storytelling culture, the traditional Palestinian dress (which varies between each region) and cultural nuances between villages.
We talk about the importance of writing down these things, recording them for posterity and engaging the Palestian people with them. Israel has a very embedded tradition of the land being the people, and the people belonging to the land. We find that Palestinians have the same connection to the land, but it is expressed orally and culturally, not written down or recorded. One off shoot of this is that even deeds for land ownership are often out of date.
When we go to our next interview in the Mahkrour it is with a family that had stopped and chatted to me on a previous visit. The mother in the family enthusiastically repeats the same stories that we have heard from other farmers, over the top of everyones conversation! As the same issues face all of these farmers we spend our time trying to investigate more personnal effects of the occupation.
In the instance of this family one of their personnal stories is a powerful one. When their son was 4 years old, a time he remebers, the IDF were shelling the area and they hid under the bed fearing for their lives, this continued for three days. Now the boy, nine years old, has grey in his hair from stress, and doesn't sleep well. There is always a positive spin to the stories. After the end of the war the family took the sandbags they once used to protect them from Israeli bullets and used the sand from inside to rebuild their own "castle" (farming hut) on the mountain of Al Mahkrour.
The second interview is in the town of Beit Jala, and we discuss many broader issues, and start to hear more about the importance of land ownership. It's a compicated issue, and fundamental to the plight, not only of these farmers, but many people in the Palestine.
According to a number of old laws, if land is un-used for 3 years it falls into the hands of the adminstrative state (Israel) to be taken care of. In many cases the wall prevents people form using their land, and it ultimately becomes the property of the Israeli government.
When the wall is built between Beit Jala and Al Mahkrour mountain there will be an access gate. Access to farmlands will be granted if farmers can prove ownership of their peice of land.
In the event, we realise this is nearly impossible.
Most deeds are in the name of grand fathers of great grandfathers, not the current owners. These need to be updated, but at a cost beyond the means of any of the farmers we talk to. Another problem is that to register the lands you must first contact everyone who has inherited land since the original owner. This means if a father gives lands to two sons, both sons must take the original document, agree the new boundaries and draw up new deeds. Most farmers land is inherited from great grandfathers, and the land is split between as many as 20 modern owners- all need to be contacted for a successful application.
Because of the occupation, many are outside of the country.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Day 7- Sunday
We decide to take a break and heads to the Mediteranean and the beach. It's a guilty pleasure as this is not a luxury many of the farmers we speak to in the week will ever experience.
This means traveling to Tel Aviv which we set out to do at 9am. We take an Arab bus to the Old City, and walk through it to Jaffa Gate where we take an Israeli bus to the central bus terminal. Traffic is very bad, and we are surprised at it.
When we get ot the terminal, the queues are huge, and we imediately stressed out, even Camilla, who is Norwegian and doesn't believe in queuing is upset by the throngs of people waiting to get on a Bus to Tel Aviv which, after an hour wait, doesn't turn up- in fact no traffic is moving at all.
So we walk out of the terminal and passed the stationary vehicles trying to work out what is going on.
We get onto the Tel Aviv highway and walk passed a large protest. We later discover this is a protest of Holocaust Survivers who say they are being neglected and treated poorly by the government. The march as shut down the entire city centre.
We walk passed this and end up at a junction where traffic is slowly moving again. We decide to take a taxi and fight hard amongst the Orthodox Jews waiting for lifts to try and hail one. Eventually we get on board and head to the beach. By this time we are so tired, and it is so hot that we sit in silence for the whole journey.
Things soon perk up when we arrive though. The sea is warm and close by, the beach is golden sand. Camilla enjoys the freedom of being able to wear a bikini and not attract stern stares of disapproval from Muslim women, or the equally distressing howls of approval from young Muslim men.
There is too much litter around for me and I do not enjoy the hot sunshine but Camilla is in heaven as she swaps between the warm waves and the hot sand.
The taxi fare took up all of our money and we are left with a pittance to spend on food. We buy bread, humous and water and head back to the beach. Camilla bathes and I read in the shade applying sun cream vigorously.
After three short hours we had back to Jerusalem, handle the bus system (and queues) well and get back to meet a friend for dinner at a great outdoors restaraunt. We have a great chat and finish they day rested and ready for the next weeks work.
...Only then do I realise to my horror that I am lobster pink all over and badly burned, despite only being exposed to the sun for milliseconds- typical.
This means traveling to Tel Aviv which we set out to do at 9am. We take an Arab bus to the Old City, and walk through it to Jaffa Gate where we take an Israeli bus to the central bus terminal. Traffic is very bad, and we are surprised at it.
When we get ot the terminal, the queues are huge, and we imediately stressed out, even Camilla, who is Norwegian and doesn't believe in queuing is upset by the throngs of people waiting to get on a Bus to Tel Aviv which, after an hour wait, doesn't turn up- in fact no traffic is moving at all.
So we walk out of the terminal and passed the stationary vehicles trying to work out what is going on.
We get onto the Tel Aviv highway and walk passed a large protest. We later discover this is a protest of Holocaust Survivers who say they are being neglected and treated poorly by the government. The march as shut down the entire city centre.
We walk passed this and end up at a junction where traffic is slowly moving again. We decide to take a taxi and fight hard amongst the Orthodox Jews waiting for lifts to try and hail one. Eventually we get on board and head to the beach. By this time we are so tired, and it is so hot that we sit in silence for the whole journey.
Things soon perk up when we arrive though. The sea is warm and close by, the beach is golden sand. Camilla enjoys the freedom of being able to wear a bikini and not attract stern stares of disapproval from Muslim women, or the equally distressing howls of approval from young Muslim men.
There is too much litter around for me and I do not enjoy the hot sunshine but Camilla is in heaven as she swaps between the warm waves and the hot sand.
The taxi fare took up all of our money and we are left with a pittance to spend on food. We buy bread, humous and water and head back to the beach. Camilla bathes and I read in the shade applying sun cream vigorously.
After three short hours we had back to Jerusalem, handle the bus system (and queues) well and get back to meet a friend for dinner at a great outdoors restaraunt. We have a great chat and finish they day rested and ready for the next weeks work.
...Only then do I realise to my horror that I am lobster pink all over and badly burned, despite only being exposed to the sun for milliseconds- typical.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Day 6- Saturday
Today is a day off and we're able to spend it doing things we want to do. Except we can't really because everything here is so complicated unless you know what you're doing.
Thanks to a lot of plan changes by the people we're staying with they are able to take us to Ramallah for the day. We want to go and see the political centre of the Wets Bank, and see the city.
A long ride begins with a trip through one of the Israeli settlements. Positioned at roundabouts are 400 year old Olive trees, these trees haven't always been located in the middle of settler roundabouts, in fact in most cases they were on Palestinian land. On some of these Olive trees you can see the chain marks where they were uprooted and replanted here.
The settlement is a bit like Las Vegas, an Oasis in the desert, and a complete incongruity with the surrounding area. A lot of the people who live in this particular settlement probably aren't even aware of the political nature of their home, they live here because they get a better standard of living than they could get if they lived in Israel proper.
We visited this settlement last time we were here, and it has grown since then to include an aerospace university. Building, or expanding settlements is prohibited under UN law, but the there are cranes and signs of new development everywhere- how can a peaceful solution to this ever be found?
On the way to Ramallah we drive passed a lot of Bedouin camps, some of their Olive groves have been cut down to make an Israeli road through the area safe, but others remain undisturbed. The Bedouin live simple lives in ever decreasing areas as they too are closed in by walls and have their access restricted.
The first checkpoint we attempt to cross into Ramallah is very busy due to construction work and we decide on a different route. After this detour, and a quick bathroom break in a very swish Palestinian mall we are in the Ramallah centre.
We drive straight up to the Palestinian Authorities headquarters where, after a brief chat with some friendly soldiers, we are allowed to go and have our pictures taken at Yasser Arrafats Mausoleum. (Pictures to follow). It's a very surreal moment, but we're glad to be there.
We are shown to particular landmarks. A police station which was targeted by air strikes following the lynching of two Israelis who found themselves the wrong side of the West Bank. The second place is a small restaurant where, around a month ago, an undercover Israeli patrol rushed in, removed a diner, and executed them in the street. Our guide's friends were dining there at the time.
Following these inauspicious stories, and after walking through the busiest town centre I've ever seen in my time here we end up in a very Western Pizza joint. Just to make sure I get my full worth of experience I forgo the pizza and fries option and pick out "stuffed pigeon"- revenge for my life in London at their mercy. The meat is scarce, but the rice that comes with it is delicious. I recommend it!
Camilla and I break from the party at this point to have a look around on our own. The very first stop is an Ice Cream shop. We have been told that Ramallah is famous for it's rainbow ice cream combinations, and the one we pick up doesn't disappoint. It quickly drips onto all of our clothes in the heat of the day.
We stumble blindly down a few streets, discovering a Canadian Embassy, and some taxi ranks before finding a large fruit market where we buy some Limes for gin later, we are created warmly by all who see us.
The next stop is for Arabic Coffee at a small restaurant cafe and we sit under the blazing sun watching Ramallah life go by until we decide it is time for us to take our bus.
We expressly wanted to take the bus back on our own to get the full checkpoint experience, as faced by most Palestinians. We board a number 18 from Ramallah to Jerusalem and ready our passports.
A the first checkpoint the bus is waved through, and we realise that we have missed the opportunity to get out and walk through the turnstiles and metal detectors that face most Palestinians. We are happy to be through without issue and decide we'll walk through at Bethlehem checkpoint on another day.
About 200 metres past the terminal is a flying checkpoint. After about a half hour of queueing a girl from the IDF boards the bus and asks to see everyone's ID. Both myself and Camilla oblige but it turns out Camillas passport hasn't been stamped at the airport, and she's missing her Visa. We are asked to step off the bus while she sorts it out. (I'm allowed to stay in the bus if I want but I decide against it!).
The bus moves on as we wait for a call to her captain. In the end we have to walk back to the terminal to get it cleared. It's a 20 minute walk back to the terminal, and when there we aren't sure who to talk to. In the end we decide to walk through the pedestrian turn styles and ask when we're inside. We wait for red lights to turn green, and for people to shuffle their way forward until it is our turn to have our bags scanned and walk through metal detectors. As we approach the window to show our documents to the wall we realise that we're probably not going to get anywhere.
After five minutes of Camilla trying to explain the situation through a thick reinforced window she is waved through in frustration, I pass without incident. Outside we finally approach the IDF soldier at the terminal. One helpful soldier get us back on a bus with assurances we will pass this time.
Almost as soon as the doors have closed we doubt this will be the case, we have no names to refer to, and Camilla still has no Visa. In the end when we get back to the checkpoint through the traffic queues the same IDF girl asks us if we are "OK?". We say "we are" and she waves the bus on. The checkpoint takes 2 hours.
Back in the Old City by bus we walk up the mount of Olives to our home where we drink GandT and snack on pistachios bemoaning our very own "checkpoint story".
It's the same story for many Palestinians every day.
Thanks to a lot of plan changes by the people we're staying with they are able to take us to Ramallah for the day. We want to go and see the political centre of the Wets Bank, and see the city.
A long ride begins with a trip through one of the Israeli settlements. Positioned at roundabouts are 400 year old Olive trees, these trees haven't always been located in the middle of settler roundabouts, in fact in most cases they were on Palestinian land. On some of these Olive trees you can see the chain marks where they were uprooted and replanted here.
The settlement is a bit like Las Vegas, an Oasis in the desert, and a complete incongruity with the surrounding area. A lot of the people who live in this particular settlement probably aren't even aware of the political nature of their home, they live here because they get a better standard of living than they could get if they lived in Israel proper.
We visited this settlement last time we were here, and it has grown since then to include an aerospace university. Building, or expanding settlements is prohibited under UN law, but the there are cranes and signs of new development everywhere- how can a peaceful solution to this ever be found?
On the way to Ramallah we drive passed a lot of Bedouin camps, some of their Olive groves have been cut down to make an Israeli road through the area safe, but others remain undisturbed. The Bedouin live simple lives in ever decreasing areas as they too are closed in by walls and have their access restricted.
The first checkpoint we attempt to cross into Ramallah is very busy due to construction work and we decide on a different route. After this detour, and a quick bathroom break in a very swish Palestinian mall we are in the Ramallah centre.
We drive straight up to the Palestinian Authorities headquarters where, after a brief chat with some friendly soldiers, we are allowed to go and have our pictures taken at Yasser Arrafats Mausoleum. (Pictures to follow). It's a very surreal moment, but we're glad to be there.
We are shown to particular landmarks. A police station which was targeted by air strikes following the lynching of two Israelis who found themselves the wrong side of the West Bank. The second place is a small restaurant where, around a month ago, an undercover Israeli patrol rushed in, removed a diner, and executed them in the street. Our guide's friends were dining there at the time.
Following these inauspicious stories, and after walking through the busiest town centre I've ever seen in my time here we end up in a very Western Pizza joint. Just to make sure I get my full worth of experience I forgo the pizza and fries option and pick out "stuffed pigeon"- revenge for my life in London at their mercy. The meat is scarce, but the rice that comes with it is delicious. I recommend it!
Camilla and I break from the party at this point to have a look around on our own. The very first stop is an Ice Cream shop. We have been told that Ramallah is famous for it's rainbow ice cream combinations, and the one we pick up doesn't disappoint. It quickly drips onto all of our clothes in the heat of the day.
We stumble blindly down a few streets, discovering a Canadian Embassy, and some taxi ranks before finding a large fruit market where we buy some Limes for gin later, we are created warmly by all who see us.
The next stop is for Arabic Coffee at a small restaurant cafe and we sit under the blazing sun watching Ramallah life go by until we decide it is time for us to take our bus.
We expressly wanted to take the bus back on our own to get the full checkpoint experience, as faced by most Palestinians. We board a number 18 from Ramallah to Jerusalem and ready our passports.
A the first checkpoint the bus is waved through, and we realise that we have missed the opportunity to get out and walk through the turnstiles and metal detectors that face most Palestinians. We are happy to be through without issue and decide we'll walk through at Bethlehem checkpoint on another day.
About 200 metres past the terminal is a flying checkpoint. After about a half hour of queueing a girl from the IDF boards the bus and asks to see everyone's ID. Both myself and Camilla oblige but it turns out Camillas passport hasn't been stamped at the airport, and she's missing her Visa. We are asked to step off the bus while she sorts it out. (I'm allowed to stay in the bus if I want but I decide against it!).
The bus moves on as we wait for a call to her captain. In the end we have to walk back to the terminal to get it cleared. It's a 20 minute walk back to the terminal, and when there we aren't sure who to talk to. In the end we decide to walk through the pedestrian turn styles and ask when we're inside. We wait for red lights to turn green, and for people to shuffle their way forward until it is our turn to have our bags scanned and walk through metal detectors. As we approach the window to show our documents to the wall we realise that we're probably not going to get anywhere.
After five minutes of Camilla trying to explain the situation through a thick reinforced window she is waved through in frustration, I pass without incident. Outside we finally approach the IDF soldier at the terminal. One helpful soldier get us back on a bus with assurances we will pass this time.
Almost as soon as the doors have closed we doubt this will be the case, we have no names to refer to, and Camilla still has no Visa. In the end when we get back to the checkpoint through the traffic queues the same IDF girl asks us if we are "OK?". We say "we are" and she waves the bus on. The checkpoint takes 2 hours.
Back in the Old City by bus we walk up the mount of Olives to our home where we drink GandT and snack on pistachios bemoaning our very own "checkpoint story".
It's the same story for many Palestinians every day.
Day 5 - Friday
It's an important morning as we are going to meet the mayor of Beit Jala. It turns out to be an excellent discussion, he expresses a lot of the frustrations of the town and the farmers place within its' structure.
If the Al Markrour mountain region is annexed to Israeli the city will be reduced an area of 1 mile by 1 mile. 100,000 inhabitants have already had enough and emigrated. When we walk into the municipality building there is a large panoramic picture of Chile on the wall. More citizens live in Chile now than do in the city itself.
Communication between emigrants and those who remain is poor, but a lot of the farmers we talk to want to join families abroad.
After having our photos taken by the official photographer with the mayor, and a few that we take of the mayor pretending to write stuff down for us come out really well. On the way out he shows us his cabinet of treasures from the local area and abroad. One of the objects is an image of St George killing the dragon which is sculpted from local rock. They don't have access to the quarry it came from any more as the settlement of Har Gilo was built near it, and the lost access.
There's always a Norwegian connection, recently visitors from Tromso, a town in the North of Norway have left him a glass polar bear, when he discover Camilla is from Norway he pulls out some guide books, and we have a surreal "small world" moment as we leaf through the official Bergen tourist guide with the Mayor.
We head back out to the mountain for some really good interviews with farmers whose castles have recently been renovated. One of the more powerful moments is when I ask a girl what she thinks about the wall cutting her off from this land. "We're already in a prison" she replies, "so what difference does another prison make?".
The farmers we talk to are always able to smile in the face of their losses, but when we press the farmer to talk about his thoughts at being unable to come here he is unable to reply, "It's too difficult to think about".
On one of the previous days we were invited by one of the interview subjects to return to his farmland for dinner. We do so, and are treated to an amazing array of homos and falafel, as well as chicken. It's hard to accept their generosity, they give, and are pleased to give, so much to us as their guests, it's a real pleasure.
Following lunch we have a look at a demolished castle. The land owner built the castle whilst waiting for his permission slip to come through from the Israeli courts. The castle stood for 8 months, but because of a delay in the permission process the Israeli army demolished it. The rest of his farmland is untouched, and he is still keen to farm, having done some work to rebuild the terraces and steps up to them. For now his neighbours help him out.
We end up leaving in quite a rush, having spent too long (as usual) talking to them and taking photos. We end up with a whistle stop tour of the Cremsian vineyards, where some amazing wine is produced. Rather than take a tour, our guide knows the monks that run it (he used to play football there) so we are let in the back door and given a tour of the barrels by one of the people who works on the wine.
We learn a whole lot in about 5 minutes, and just have time to stop to pick up a bottle for ourselves before we are again, rushed back to Bethlehem to meet our World Vision contact and return to Jerusalem.
We spend the evening making sure all of the notes we have taken are transcribed and then settle back with some Gin and Tonic, and freshly picked Almonds to talk the night away with some of the people we are staying with.
Tomorrow is the weekend.
If the Al Markrour mountain region is annexed to Israeli the city will be reduced an area of 1 mile by 1 mile. 100,000 inhabitants have already had enough and emigrated. When we walk into the municipality building there is a large panoramic picture of Chile on the wall. More citizens live in Chile now than do in the city itself.
Communication between emigrants and those who remain is poor, but a lot of the farmers we talk to want to join families abroad.
After having our photos taken by the official photographer with the mayor, and a few that we take of the mayor pretending to write stuff down for us come out really well. On the way out he shows us his cabinet of treasures from the local area and abroad. One of the objects is an image of St George killing the dragon which is sculpted from local rock. They don't have access to the quarry it came from any more as the settlement of Har Gilo was built near it, and the lost access.
There's always a Norwegian connection, recently visitors from Tromso, a town in the North of Norway have left him a glass polar bear, when he discover Camilla is from Norway he pulls out some guide books, and we have a surreal "small world" moment as we leaf through the official Bergen tourist guide with the Mayor.
We head back out to the mountain for some really good interviews with farmers whose castles have recently been renovated. One of the more powerful moments is when I ask a girl what she thinks about the wall cutting her off from this land. "We're already in a prison" she replies, "so what difference does another prison make?".
The farmers we talk to are always able to smile in the face of their losses, but when we press the farmer to talk about his thoughts at being unable to come here he is unable to reply, "It's too difficult to think about".
On one of the previous days we were invited by one of the interview subjects to return to his farmland for dinner. We do so, and are treated to an amazing array of homos and falafel, as well as chicken. It's hard to accept their generosity, they give, and are pleased to give, so much to us as their guests, it's a real pleasure.
Following lunch we have a look at a demolished castle. The land owner built the castle whilst waiting for his permission slip to come through from the Israeli courts. The castle stood for 8 months, but because of a delay in the permission process the Israeli army demolished it. The rest of his farmland is untouched, and he is still keen to farm, having done some work to rebuild the terraces and steps up to them. For now his neighbours help him out.
We end up leaving in quite a rush, having spent too long (as usual) talking to them and taking photos. We end up with a whistle stop tour of the Cremsian vineyards, where some amazing wine is produced. Rather than take a tour, our guide knows the monks that run it (he used to play football there) so we are let in the back door and given a tour of the barrels by one of the people who works on the wine.
We learn a whole lot in about 5 minutes, and just have time to stop to pick up a bottle for ourselves before we are again, rushed back to Bethlehem to meet our World Vision contact and return to Jerusalem.
We spend the evening making sure all of the notes we have taken are transcribed and then settle back with some Gin and Tonic, and freshly picked Almonds to talk the night away with some of the people we are staying with.
Tomorrow is the weekend.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Day 4- Thursday
As I said yesterday we spend most of the evening and morning writing up the notes we have taken from our interviews. Camilla is also assembling photos of the area into use able chunks.
We have the morning free, but spend it writing, at 11:30 we're taken to meet a Christian group called Sabeel and sit through one of their services they run to encourage Palestinian Christians in their worship.
Afterwards we have some great conversations, and share lunch with, various people from other charities including a couple of guys from Birmingham and Scotland, and a fellow Norwegian for Camilla to chat away with.
I had a really interesting chat with a Dutch woman who tells me that for 4 months she lived in an Israeli settlement with little understanding of the conflict. It wasn't until she found a couple of sentences in her Lonely Planet Guide book that were promoting Palestinian tour guides that she went outside of the Israeli controlled areas. She spent a few days out with this tour guide (she was his first customer in around 4 months) and suddenly gained another perspective on the land. Since then she joined a charity and now volunteers there.
After this we meet with b'tselem an Israeli Human Rights group who are fantastic. They were founded on the principle that if Israelis were aware of the realities of the occupation they would end it. While things haven't turned out so simply they do simply amazing work to PR the issues around the conflict to Israelis and to lobby the government for social justice.
I urge you to look at their website: http://www.btselem.org/index.asp
As well as giving us some more information on the issues facing Beit jala they talk in general about their work.
One other useful element is a member who takes the time to explain the Israeli Point of View in building the wall, the security situation, the history of Israel and the fear of the Israeli people that they could be threatened as they were in the holocaust again. This is essential in giving us some balance to our view while we are here, and to help us understand that to make a difference we must be bringing people together, not polarising them.
After this meeting we return back and celebrate the birthday of a 5 year old boy who is living in the same building as us. I tell everyone I won't do the karaoke, and then wrestle the mic from the young boy after a few beers to make sure I get an extra go. It's a really fun evening, and I get to play Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles too.
We end up here, in bed, and once more exhausted, try to catch up on background reading and writing notes for the next day, which this blog is keeping me from...
We have the morning free, but spend it writing, at 11:30 we're taken to meet a Christian group called Sabeel and sit through one of their services they run to encourage Palestinian Christians in their worship.
Afterwards we have some great conversations, and share lunch with, various people from other charities including a couple of guys from Birmingham and Scotland, and a fellow Norwegian for Camilla to chat away with.
I had a really interesting chat with a Dutch woman who tells me that for 4 months she lived in an Israeli settlement with little understanding of the conflict. It wasn't until she found a couple of sentences in her Lonely Planet Guide book that were promoting Palestinian tour guides that she went outside of the Israeli controlled areas. She spent a few days out with this tour guide (she was his first customer in around 4 months) and suddenly gained another perspective on the land. Since then she joined a charity and now volunteers there.
After this we meet with b'tselem an Israeli Human Rights group who are fantastic. They were founded on the principle that if Israelis were aware of the realities of the occupation they would end it. While things haven't turned out so simply they do simply amazing work to PR the issues around the conflict to Israelis and to lobby the government for social justice.
I urge you to look at their website: http://www.btselem.org/index.asp
As well as giving us some more information on the issues facing Beit jala they talk in general about their work.
One other useful element is a member who takes the time to explain the Israeli Point of View in building the wall, the security situation, the history of Israel and the fear of the Israeli people that they could be threatened as they were in the holocaust again. This is essential in giving us some balance to our view while we are here, and to help us understand that to make a difference we must be bringing people together, not polarising them.
After this meeting we return back and celebrate the birthday of a 5 year old boy who is living in the same building as us. I tell everyone I won't do the karaoke, and then wrestle the mic from the young boy after a few beers to make sure I get an extra go. It's a really fun evening, and I get to play Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles too.
We end up here, in bed, and once more exhausted, try to catch up on background reading and writing notes for the next day, which this blog is keeping me from...
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Day 3 - Wednesday
Today is all about interviews. Having spent last night working on questions to ask the farmers we will meet the first job is to get them printed off so we can refer to them while interviewing.
A taxi takes us to Bethlehem because all of the car pool cars are in use. It manages to get the whole way there without passing through a checkpoint. The one checkpoint we do pass through is unmanned. This is not to say that movement is free. There are many cars and people not even allowed to travel the roads we take, and tunnels we go under to get there.
We arrive a quickly head to the mountain where we meet to farmers, cousins, and their families. These families have both helped rebuild their own huts following support from World Vision. As I'm about to spend the night transcribing the conversations we had there, I won't go into them. The land and their work as farmers is simple. But just up the road from their farms life gets very complicated. Most of the farmers have already had land confiscated by Israel for the building of a road and tunnel, their fear is that the rest of it will be taken to build and Israeli settlement.
Aside from this there is the issue of the wall. Currently we can pass freely between Beit Jala and the mountain because there is one checkpoint and the wall is not complete. However the completed wall will completely sever the people from their land.
Most of the farmers live in Beit Jala town centre but rely on the farm land more and more as a source of food to sustain their family and some secondary income.
We spend the afternoon walking between farms, and visiting different castles, in total we meet with three different families one of which is preparing to celebrate a wedding. The Palestinian girl is marrying a man she met whilst working in Germany and once the wedding is over she will move back to Germany with him. It is common for young people to leave the area seeking a better life.
One of the things she tells us is that she is most sorry for her mother, who grew up in occupation, and will die in occupation, and who never in her whole life experienced freedom, as she had in Germany.
These interviews are interesting and we take photos, afterwards, their generosity and hospitality is amazing and we are made to feel completely at home, and completely relaxed.
After taking pages and pages of notes we return to the Mount of Olives where I write this. This evening we will play volleyball and eat and drink in a cafe which is within the grounds of the place we are staying in.
We have many notes to transcribe and I envisage a late night. Tomorrow morning is free- and it looks like we'll need it!
A taxi takes us to Bethlehem because all of the car pool cars are in use. It manages to get the whole way there without passing through a checkpoint. The one checkpoint we do pass through is unmanned. This is not to say that movement is free. There are many cars and people not even allowed to travel the roads we take, and tunnels we go under to get there.
We arrive a quickly head to the mountain where we meet to farmers, cousins, and their families. These families have both helped rebuild their own huts following support from World Vision. As I'm about to spend the night transcribing the conversations we had there, I won't go into them. The land and their work as farmers is simple. But just up the road from their farms life gets very complicated. Most of the farmers have already had land confiscated by Israel for the building of a road and tunnel, their fear is that the rest of it will be taken to build and Israeli settlement.
Aside from this there is the issue of the wall. Currently we can pass freely between Beit Jala and the mountain because there is one checkpoint and the wall is not complete. However the completed wall will completely sever the people from their land.
Most of the farmers live in Beit Jala town centre but rely on the farm land more and more as a source of food to sustain their family and some secondary income.
We spend the afternoon walking between farms, and visiting different castles, in total we meet with three different families one of which is preparing to celebrate a wedding. The Palestinian girl is marrying a man she met whilst working in Germany and once the wedding is over she will move back to Germany with him. It is common for young people to leave the area seeking a better life.
One of the things she tells us is that she is most sorry for her mother, who grew up in occupation, and will die in occupation, and who never in her whole life experienced freedom, as she had in Germany.
These interviews are interesting and we take photos, afterwards, their generosity and hospitality is amazing and we are made to feel completely at home, and completely relaxed.
After taking pages and pages of notes we return to the Mount of Olives where I write this. This evening we will play volleyball and eat and drink in a cafe which is within the grounds of the place we are staying in.
We have many notes to transcribe and I envisage a late night. Tomorrow morning is free- and it looks like we'll need it!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Day 2- Tuesday
We have slept 13 hours, but I still sleep in and am very nearly late for our first full day.
I stuff two peices of bread with Nuttella on them into my cool bag, insert that to my bigger back pack and head to the office for the days briefing.
Soon we are off to Bethlehem where we meet the members of the office there, including Civil Engineers who are doing all the re-design work for the area, sponsorship people, and the area directors.
After some sweet Arabic Coffee and a lot of questions from me and Camilla we head out in a car to visit the Al Markour Mountain area of Beit Jala ( a village near Bethlehem) where we will be working. I loose all sense of direction once we get into the winding streets of Bethlehem but or Translator (who also happens to manage the project) guides us surely through.
Once there we visit a few of the rennovated Castles. These castles (they're more like stones huts for temporary accomodation of animals and people) are used by the farmers to cultivate the land more efficiently during key seasons. Oncce the wall is completed they won't be able to visit the land as readily and an ability to stay overnight will be invaluable.
We also travel along some of the new roads others of which are in dire state of repair.
It is a boiling 35 degrees, but the cool air trapped inside the various castles we visit is a great felief. An eduring memory is standing within the simple living accomodation and staring out over the rows and rows of trees. The farmers must be very proud, and feel lucky to farm this land.
We meet one such farmer I'll call him Emad. We share freshly picked almonds with him and listen to his story. Hearing him talk gives us some really clear gudiance as to what questions we will ask over the next few days.
His castle is quite well off, it already has electricity and a bathroom, more advanced than the other that the project is helping. Tomorrow we will interview him in more detail and his family as well, for now we sit drinking sweet tea and over look the beautifull scenery of the Mountain.
We stop for falafel in a small on the road side restaraunt, it is my first of the trip and is deliciously filling, and full of good things. I love falafel and it really picks me up!
We pay a quick visit to the Church of the Nativity (where Christ is said to hav been born), which is a nice building but filled with very pious tourists and less than pious flash cameras at every turn. I'm also put off slightly by the tour guides who are uncomfortable not because they are aggressive, but because they are desperate.
A further trip to the Shepherds field is cancelled due to closure. Another activity, a trip to a refugee camp is also cancelled because no one can get in touch with the leader there. The last cancellation is a particular disapointment, but we are learning very quickly to be flexible.
We spend some time atthe office reading all of the background information and thinking of questions before going back to jerusalem.
Here we quickly get changed out of our sweat drenched clothes and head right back out again for dinner and shopping with some friends who are taking good care of us on this trip.
Finally we're at home writing up our questions before another full day tomorrow.
The sun is sapping our strength quickly during the day, so an early night will be very important.
Still no gin and tonic.
I stuff two peices of bread with Nuttella on them into my cool bag, insert that to my bigger back pack and head to the office for the days briefing.
Soon we are off to Bethlehem where we meet the members of the office there, including Civil Engineers who are doing all the re-design work for the area, sponsorship people, and the area directors.
After some sweet Arabic Coffee and a lot of questions from me and Camilla we head out in a car to visit the Al Markour Mountain area of Beit Jala ( a village near Bethlehem) where we will be working. I loose all sense of direction once we get into the winding streets of Bethlehem but or Translator (who also happens to manage the project) guides us surely through.
Once there we visit a few of the rennovated Castles. These castles (they're more like stones huts for temporary accomodation of animals and people) are used by the farmers to cultivate the land more efficiently during key seasons. Oncce the wall is completed they won't be able to visit the land as readily and an ability to stay overnight will be invaluable.
We also travel along some of the new roads others of which are in dire state of repair.
It is a boiling 35 degrees, but the cool air trapped inside the various castles we visit is a great felief. An eduring memory is standing within the simple living accomodation and staring out over the rows and rows of trees. The farmers must be very proud, and feel lucky to farm this land.
We meet one such farmer I'll call him Emad. We share freshly picked almonds with him and listen to his story. Hearing him talk gives us some really clear gudiance as to what questions we will ask over the next few days.
His castle is quite well off, it already has electricity and a bathroom, more advanced than the other that the project is helping. Tomorrow we will interview him in more detail and his family as well, for now we sit drinking sweet tea and over look the beautifull scenery of the Mountain.
We stop for falafel in a small on the road side restaraunt, it is my first of the trip and is deliciously filling, and full of good things. I love falafel and it really picks me up!
We pay a quick visit to the Church of the Nativity (where Christ is said to hav been born), which is a nice building but filled with very pious tourists and less than pious flash cameras at every turn. I'm also put off slightly by the tour guides who are uncomfortable not because they are aggressive, but because they are desperate.
A further trip to the Shepherds field is cancelled due to closure. Another activity, a trip to a refugee camp is also cancelled because no one can get in touch with the leader there. The last cancellation is a particular disapointment, but we are learning very quickly to be flexible.
We spend some time atthe office reading all of the background information and thinking of questions before going back to jerusalem.
Here we quickly get changed out of our sweat drenched clothes and head right back out again for dinner and shopping with some friends who are taking good care of us on this trip.
Finally we're at home writing up our questions before another full day tomorrow.
The sun is sapping our strength quickly during the day, so an early night will be very important.
Still no gin and tonic.
Day 1- Monday
We spend the night travlling with little sleep. As well as being delayed as we leave Zurich the queues at the passport control of Israel are choc a bloc. We inch forward through the crowds and I keep thinking to myself how I already miss the British ability to queue.
We are questioned twice as we enter, once, cursory, at the passport control desk, and a second time, more personally as we walk toward the baggage reclaim. For reasons unknown we are pulled to one side and quizzed as to where we are going, wo we are staying with, how we know each other.
In the end we are two hours late arriving at the Hospital where we will be staying on the Mount of Olives. Oh yes, and it's very very hot- already- and it's 5 in the morning!
We are greeted by various sleepy people and luckily work out which room is our. The room is big, and the bed good. We have an en suite bathroom and are sharing with a Canadian family.
We pass out.
We wake up at 1pm for a quick induction, including security training and issuing of mobile phones etc. and a chance to meet and greet the people of the office, we also go through the project we will be covering in more detail.
We go for coffe and a sandwich at Aroma in Hebrew University. The University admits both Arab adn Israeli students, although there are a lot more Israelis than Arabs. The coffee and sandwich are delcious! (I have portobello mushroom).
Back at the flat we quickly find oursleves caught up in a Basket ball game in which Camilla and a 6ft 6 Candian guy beat three of us in three consequtive games (the shame). Camilla used to play for a team, and I get the feeling basketball will form a large part of any evening sports, although personally my ears prick up when I hear that one of the people has built a frisbee golf course (much more my style). it's very windy.
After a good game and a nice sit down and chat enjoying the spectacular views of this amazing landscape we feel thoroughly at home and ready for a bed/a drink as no one takes us up on the drink we turn in and are in bed by eight thirty for 13 hours sleep.
We are taken to a local palestinian supermarket to buy groceries and other such stuff for the time we are here. I'm confused by the choice, or lack of, but in the end settle for some basics including rice and pasta, some luxuries including Pringles and Pistachios, and some neccessities like toilet roll and water.
We are questioned twice as we enter, once, cursory, at the passport control desk, and a second time, more personally as we walk toward the baggage reclaim. For reasons unknown we are pulled to one side and quizzed as to where we are going, wo we are staying with, how we know each other.
In the end we are two hours late arriving at the Hospital where we will be staying on the Mount of Olives. Oh yes, and it's very very hot- already- and it's 5 in the morning!
We are greeted by various sleepy people and luckily work out which room is our. The room is big, and the bed good. We have an en suite bathroom and are sharing with a Canadian family.
We pass out.
We wake up at 1pm for a quick induction, including security training and issuing of mobile phones etc. and a chance to meet and greet the people of the office, we also go through the project we will be covering in more detail.
We go for coffe and a sandwich at Aroma in Hebrew University. The University admits both Arab adn Israeli students, although there are a lot more Israelis than Arabs. The coffee and sandwich are delcious! (I have portobello mushroom).
Back at the flat we quickly find oursleves caught up in a Basket ball game in which Camilla and a 6ft 6 Candian guy beat three of us in three consequtive games (the shame). Camilla used to play for a team, and I get the feeling basketball will form a large part of any evening sports, although personally my ears prick up when I hear that one of the people has built a frisbee golf course (much more my style). it's very windy.
After a good game and a nice sit down and chat enjoying the spectacular views of this amazing landscape we feel thoroughly at home and ready for a bed/a drink as no one takes us up on the drink we turn in and are in bed by eight thirty for 13 hours sleep.
We are taken to a local palestinian supermarket to buy groceries and other such stuff for the time we are here. I'm confused by the choice, or lack of, but in the end settle for some basics including rice and pasta, some luxuries including Pringles and Pistachios, and some neccessities like toilet roll and water.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Prelude- 26th July
Following a tourist visit to Jerusalem in March of 2007 where we spent time with family, myself and my fiance Camilla were given the opportunity to re-visit Jerusalem to do advocacy work for a charity.
The charity have been working on a project with the farmers of Beit Jala (a village in Bethlehem) to help them maintain and work their farm lands following the construction of an Israeli sceurity wall.
During our stay, as well as touring the area extensively we will interview a series of stakeholders in this project to assess the impact the work has had on the lives of the people affected by the building of the wall.
This blog will diarise each day we are there and will include personnal views on the experiences we have. These views are not in any way endorsed by the charity.
The charity have been working on a project with the farmers of Beit Jala (a village in Bethlehem) to help them maintain and work their farm lands following the construction of an Israeli sceurity wall.
During our stay, as well as touring the area extensively we will interview a series of stakeholders in this project to assess the impact the work has had on the lives of the people affected by the building of the wall.
This blog will diarise each day we are there and will include personnal views on the experiences we have. These views are not in any way endorsed by the charity.
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