I was planning on writing a more thoroughly thought out blog post today but it is now 11:32pm and I wanted to at least write something today so that I commit to writing this week. I was thinking about putting out a second edition of my thoughts on this conflict, but then I played RISK instead. And watched park of two movies, and talked about which was better Age of Empires II or Starcraft. Basically I had a fantastic day.
The reason that it was so fantastic was many, but one of the clear reasons is how I have been accepted into my Palestinian family. While I live with five other American guys, I spent quite a bit of time with the director's family. While I still am consistently confused and even frustrated by culture, the hospitality and love that I have been shown is unquestionable. I particularly like the three boys, because I feel like we are brothers. Not only are they very welcoming and physical with me (two points that are encourage by culture) but we have gotten to the point where we can make fun of each other a lot. I have heard more Canadian jokes here than I knew even existed.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Week Ten and Eleven Review (Indeterminably late)
The reason that I have not been up to date with posting about my life in the Holy Land is because I had a period of time where I felt very drained. I'm not sure if this chronological list will be enough of a defense for my inaction, but I will try and make it up during the last 9-10 days that I am here...
Yesterday was a normal summer camp day. The one point of interest was that there was a city wide bread strike. I heard that the Palestinian Authority was attempting to reduce the price of break from four shekels to three and a half shekels per kilogram. In retaliation, all bread production was stopped for a day. Though it did not greatly affect me, it was interesting to see economics in action.
Sunday was a day of relaxation. A friend of mine was going to Tel Aviv for his work and I was able to tag along. Other than helping with some of the youth for a while (he works with youth who have mental and physical disabilities), the day was spent body surfing on the best waves I've seen since South Africa.
On Saturday we went into the Nagev desert to visit some Bedouin people. It was a very interesting experience. Their villages - which they have lived in before the creation of Israel - are not recognized by the government and so they are denied basic services. As soon as we got off the bus at the first village a man started yelling at us in Hebrew about Netanyahu and the US Congress. We stayed long enough to see his shipment of water arrive by tractor; costing about 70 shekels per cubic metre, it was approximately 10 times more expensive than anywhere else in Israel.
On Wednesday we went into Hebron (for the second time) to join in a conference about economic development, specifically tourism. The quote that stuck out to me was, "Tourism is to Palestine what oil is to Saudi Arabia." We were lucky because the translation was very good and we - like many times before - experienced amazing hospitality.
Tuesday afternoon was spent at a short home stay. My self and one of the other American guys went to a friend of the director's daughter for lunch. It was a very causal experience. Our host was training to become an X-ray technical but he was currently looking for a job. In the mean time he was making the decorations for his brothers wedding to save money. Not only were the decorations very good, but he had a good eye for interior design.
The previous Wednesday (the 13th) was my first time in Hebron. They say that Hebron is 'the occupation within the occupation' or that it is the place that you can feel the oppression. It did not disappoint. Hebron is the only place in the West Bank where there is a settlement within a Palestinian city. This creates a situation of consistent violence. The Israeli settlement is actually build on top of a major market area; to protect themselves from thrown stones, the Palestinians built a chain-link fence above their heads. This fence does not protect them from other waste such as water or sewage though.
Also while in Hebron for the first time, we stopped by a glassblowers. If was my first time seeing it in real life. Like my secret fascination with tennis, I think that this is another thing that I love that few people know about. It was way cooler than I imagined it would be. In another life, I think that I would have been very happy being a glassblower.
On the 12th, we went around Jerusalem with a friend of ours who has worked as a tour guide. The day was splendid except for when we tried to go to the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. Both times our friend was denied access because he was Palestinian and he did not have his Jerusalem ID with him. When we asked what the issue was - especially since we were not required to show any ID at all - we were told that all Israeli citizens needed to show ID. This conversation was going on as a birthright tour was being waved passed all of the security.
Finally, all the way back on the 11th of July, the summer camp went to an amusement park in Ramallah. It was a dinky little park but it was pretty fun and I managed to not throw up (which is quite good considering that I hurled the last time I was on the Berry-Go-Round). The kids loved the 4D theater that was there, but it was probably the worst one I have ever been to. My favourite part was an interesting situation. I got corned by a few girl that I did not recognize. They told me they were from Wi'am and that they wanted to borrow some money to go on more rides. Without hesitation the guys that I was hanging out with quickly grabbed me under my shoulders, picked me off the ground and carried me away.
Yesterday was a normal summer camp day. The one point of interest was that there was a city wide bread strike. I heard that the Palestinian Authority was attempting to reduce the price of break from four shekels to three and a half shekels per kilogram. In retaliation, all bread production was stopped for a day. Though it did not greatly affect me, it was interesting to see economics in action.
Sunday was a day of relaxation. A friend of mine was going to Tel Aviv for his work and I was able to tag along. Other than helping with some of the youth for a while (he works with youth who have mental and physical disabilities), the day was spent body surfing on the best waves I've seen since South Africa.
On Saturday we went into the Nagev desert to visit some Bedouin people. It was a very interesting experience. Their villages - which they have lived in before the creation of Israel - are not recognized by the government and so they are denied basic services. As soon as we got off the bus at the first village a man started yelling at us in Hebrew about Netanyahu and the US Congress. We stayed long enough to see his shipment of water arrive by tractor; costing about 70 shekels per cubic metre, it was approximately 10 times more expensive than anywhere else in Israel.
On Wednesday we went into Hebron (for the second time) to join in a conference about economic development, specifically tourism. The quote that stuck out to me was, "Tourism is to Palestine what oil is to Saudi Arabia." We were lucky because the translation was very good and we - like many times before - experienced amazing hospitality.
Tuesday afternoon was spent at a short home stay. My self and one of the other American guys went to a friend of the director's daughter for lunch. It was a very causal experience. Our host was training to become an X-ray technical but he was currently looking for a job. In the mean time he was making the decorations for his brothers wedding to save money. Not only were the decorations very good, but he had a good eye for interior design.
The previous Wednesday (the 13th) was my first time in Hebron. They say that Hebron is 'the occupation within the occupation' or that it is the place that you can feel the oppression. It did not disappoint. Hebron is the only place in the West Bank where there is a settlement within a Palestinian city. This creates a situation of consistent violence. The Israeli settlement is actually build on top of a major market area; to protect themselves from thrown stones, the Palestinians built a chain-link fence above their heads. This fence does not protect them from other waste such as water or sewage though.
Also while in Hebron for the first time, we stopped by a glassblowers. If was my first time seeing it in real life. Like my secret fascination with tennis, I think that this is another thing that I love that few people know about. It was way cooler than I imagined it would be. In another life, I think that I would have been very happy being a glassblower.
On the 12th, we went around Jerusalem with a friend of ours who has worked as a tour guide. The day was splendid except for when we tried to go to the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. Both times our friend was denied access because he was Palestinian and he did not have his Jerusalem ID with him. When we asked what the issue was - especially since we were not required to show any ID at all - we were told that all Israeli citizens needed to show ID. This conversation was going on as a birthright tour was being waved passed all of the security.
Finally, all the way back on the 11th of July, the summer camp went to an amusement park in Ramallah. It was a dinky little park but it was pretty fun and I managed to not throw up (which is quite good considering that I hurled the last time I was on the Berry-Go-Round). The kids loved the 4D theater that was there, but it was probably the worst one I have ever been to. My favourite part was an interesting situation. I got corned by a few girl that I did not recognize. They told me they were from Wi'am and that they wanted to borrow some money to go on more rides. Without hesitation the guys that I was hanging out with quickly grabbed me under my shoulders, picked me off the ground and carried me away.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Week Nine Review
Considering that this was the first week of the summer camp, it was a very tiring week. Though I had a great week, it's been a long time since I've had to run after a large number of young kids. That didn't stop us from using the weekend for a trip though, as well as going to a lecture on Wednesday night...
My position at the summer camp has been solidified as Wi'am's professional unqualified photographer. Because I am floating around taking pictures, I have also made a role for myself being the energy and discipline guy. This last week we spent four days at Wi'am - running different stations - and one day at a swimming pool. I really love the summer camp; it reminds me a lot of my found memories of Camp Squeah. Language is the biggest issue, but many of the kids are almost conversational in English and my limited Arabic helps me get by. Without trying to sound cocky the kids really love me; I was wondering if it would be different in other cultures but it seems that kids all around the word like a 21 year old that acts like a child.
The lecture was given by a Jewish American man. He highlighted a few very good points. First, the explained the Jewish mentality that supports the creation of things such as the separation wall. He told us how he grew up learning that "there is a tyrant in every each which seeks to end (anihiliate) us." Second, he made the connection between Christian antisemitism, the Holocaust and subsequent unquestioning support for Israel. He posited that mainstream Christianity, rather than dealing with its guilt for providing the principles for the Holocaust and changing its theology, only shifted its theology to place the significance of the Jew on an unnecessary pedestal. Third, he said that he hopes he can see the day when "Christians don't need a Jew to give them permission to be proper Christians," in the sense that they need to accept the struggle of social justice.
On Sunday, we went to Jericho. It was the hottest day of the year so far, ranking in the middle 40s. It was a pretty incredible day that included the Mount of Temptation, the Zacchaeus tree, and the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea was my favourite, especially since it was the first time I was successfully able to float on any body of water - I failed Aqua Level 4 because of my BMI. The sea is even more powerful than I imagined, as I was able to float in a kneeling position (the hardest part is keeping your balance). I would have tried to see if I would float while trying to 'stand' in the water, but the beach we went to did not let us get deep enough to try. I also rubbed the famous mud wherever I could and let it dry, making me the softest I've ever been since I had to wear overalls because my pants wouldn't fit. It wasn't all fun and rubbing mud on each other; at one point one of the guys got hit by a wave, which renders you blind due to the salt. Luckily there were showers right beside the shore.
My position at the summer camp has been solidified as Wi'am's professional unqualified photographer. Because I am floating around taking pictures, I have also made a role for myself being the energy and discipline guy. This last week we spent four days at Wi'am - running different stations - and one day at a swimming pool. I really love the summer camp; it reminds me a lot of my found memories of Camp Squeah. Language is the biggest issue, but many of the kids are almost conversational in English and my limited Arabic helps me get by. Without trying to sound cocky the kids really love me; I was wondering if it would be different in other cultures but it seems that kids all around the word like a 21 year old that acts like a child.
The lecture was given by a Jewish American man. He highlighted a few very good points. First, the explained the Jewish mentality that supports the creation of things such as the separation wall. He told us how he grew up learning that "there is a tyrant in every each which seeks to end (anihiliate) us." Second, he made the connection between Christian antisemitism, the Holocaust and subsequent unquestioning support for Israel. He posited that mainstream Christianity, rather than dealing with its guilt for providing the principles for the Holocaust and changing its theology, only shifted its theology to place the significance of the Jew on an unnecessary pedestal. Third, he said that he hopes he can see the day when "Christians don't need a Jew to give them permission to be proper Christians," in the sense that they need to accept the struggle of social justice.
On Sunday, we went to Jericho. It was the hottest day of the year so far, ranking in the middle 40s. It was a pretty incredible day that included the Mount of Temptation, the Zacchaeus tree, and the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea was my favourite, especially since it was the first time I was successfully able to float on any body of water - I failed Aqua Level 4 because of my BMI. The sea is even more powerful than I imagined, as I was able to float in a kneeling position (the hardest part is keeping your balance). I would have tried to see if I would float while trying to 'stand' in the water, but the beach we went to did not let us get deep enough to try. I also rubbed the famous mud wherever I could and let it dry, making me the softest I've ever been since I had to wear overalls because my pants wouldn't fit. It wasn't all fun and rubbing mud on each other; at one point one of the guys got hit by a wave, which renders you blind due to the salt. Luckily there were showers right beside the shore.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Kids and Countries
Today I am going to tell you about a way that I think. I hope it will show you two things about myself: one, that I believe that many things are interconnected, and two, that I judge many situations by placing their value in their long term results and big picture applicability.
The interconnected aspect is one that is more likely to be known about me. For my Senior Seminar class last semester, I wrote an essay that asked questions about how people change as they study Peace and Conflict Transformation. My assumption being that if people are going to be successful at Peace and Conflict academically, they will need to become more aware and more skilled at dealing with conflict intra- and inter-personally. This is often known as the "peace must come from within" cliche.
The second aspect that I want to describe here is a little more difficult, and so I will use an example from the summer camp. I helped set up a penalty shot game. As we were playing though, many of the kids tried to break the order of turns and take a number of extra shots. Each time, I tried to stop them - many times I could not - scolded them a little and tried to return to the order. As I was doing this, some of the other volunteers shook their heads at me, non-verbally suggesting that I should either give up the activity or let the kids decide. I did not though, but stuck to it.
The question that remains is this. Is it good to think in this way? It provides me with a significant amount of motivation and allows me to change my interpretation of struggles into challenges, but are there downsides that I do not realize? Am I in danger of taking the true meaning out of events and falling into messianic legalism (someone who takes on suffering only to follow the rules; ya I made it up)? Will this thought process lead me on a path towards attaining those long-term big picture goals, or will I fall short surrounded by a life of unenjoyed 'trainings'?
Well, whatever happens I'll probably do the same thing on Monday.
The interconnected aspect is one that is more likely to be known about me. For my Senior Seminar class last semester, I wrote an essay that asked questions about how people change as they study Peace and Conflict Transformation. My assumption being that if people are going to be successful at Peace and Conflict academically, they will need to become more aware and more skilled at dealing with conflict intra- and inter-personally. This is often known as the "peace must come from within" cliche.
The second aspect that I want to describe here is a little more difficult, and so I will use an example from the summer camp. I helped set up a penalty shot game. As we were playing though, many of the kids tried to break the order of turns and take a number of extra shots. Each time, I tried to stop them - many times I could not - scolded them a little and tried to return to the order. As I was doing this, some of the other volunteers shook their heads at me, non-verbally suggesting that I should either give up the activity or let the kids decide. I did not though, but stuck to it.
The reason is because of the second aspect. When I look at that situation, I do not just see kids shooting a football, but I see the relationship of power and fairness. I see the struggle of certain groups that are unable to get there legitimate way, and the desire of other groups to dominate. I see the temptation to let the situation sort itself out and take a position on the sidelines. When I am in that situation and I am getting frustrated, I remind myself that this is probably training for when I will need to stand up to real disparities; situations when I do not have the power of physical strength or authority but when backing down leads to diminished rights at the least, and genocides at the worst. I honestly view dealing with children today as training for significant portions of my later life.
In a really strange way, I relate that one kid that is trying to steal the ball and use it for himself and his friends as any imperialistic country. While I'm not sure if I see myself as the United Nations, I do see this small struggle as a microcosm of very real world problems. Because the world has had many issues when the struggle for equality has been suppressed or ignored, I cannot ignore that struggle, no matter how small of a form it may take. Maybe it is crazy, but it is the same reason why I try to challenge my friends to be better friends, not just for the sake of their current relationships, but so that they will be better wives, husbands, mothers and fathers.
The question that remains is this. Is it good to think in this way? It provides me with a significant amount of motivation and allows me to change my interpretation of struggles into challenges, but are there downsides that I do not realize? Am I in danger of taking the true meaning out of events and falling into messianic legalism (someone who takes on suffering only to follow the rules; ya I made it up)? Will this thought process lead me on a path towards attaining those long-term big picture goals, or will I fall short surrounded by a life of unenjoyed 'trainings'?
Well, whatever happens I'll probably do the same thing on Monday.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Preceptions
I was planning on writing a post in the next few days about my friends comment on my last post. It would have taken quite a while to properly articulate the issue, but luckily, Al Jazeera has done it for me. The issue comes from a simple questions, but one that is steeped in history, politics, power and race. It is the questions of how we can know something about the "other," and how we come about that knowledge. Before I came here, I had a lot of presumptions and ideas about what it might be like. My parents and extended family continuously reminded me to be safe. Did they highlight this because they knew that I was going to a place that had seen the destruction of war many times before, or because I was going a dangerous place in and of itself?
This is an important distinction and one that other people have articulated far better than myself. Therefore I will point to towards them. The first is Edward Said, specifically in his book Orientalism. The other is this article by Al Jazeera. Please read them both.
This is an important distinction and one that other people have articulated far better than myself. Therefore I will point to towards them. The first is Edward Said, specifically in his book Orientalism. The other is this article by Al Jazeera. Please read them both.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Week Eight Review
There is not a lot to review this week before I was gone for most of it. Monday and Tuesday were spent in Jericho and Thursday morning I left for Nazareth. The Wednesday in between was a normal office day, expect for the fact that I was one of three people in the office. The new big thing is that the summer camp has started, and it seems like it's going to be a blast...
Today was the official first day of summer...if you're a kid in Bethlehem...and you've been looking forward to this particular summer camp. The first day was a complete gong show, but it was tons of fun. I thought that I would be taking a support role and focusing on taking pictures, but I found myself in charge of nine kids. The toughest part of the day was the start, when I was trying to help a blind child paint. It helped that he knew a bit of English. I'm not going to put up pictures here because there would be too many. I suggest you check out the album that I've created and will continue to add to as the camp continues.
When we were coming back form Haifa, I met a women from Texas. She had been traveling in Israel for a while. When she asked where we had been traveling, one of the guys from our group - who had been answering most of her questions - hesitated but eventually answered that we had mostly been in the Palestinian territories, even staying in Bethlehem. She seemed to take this answer very well, and I thought that this was a sign that she might be sympathetic to Palestinians. She then told us of her visit to Hebron (generally considered to be one of the most oppressed places in the West Bank). She told us that it was better than she expected and was surprised with how calm it was. It took a bit more conversation and questions until we realized that she was talking about the Palestinian violence against settlers, or that when we said that she felt safe, she meant that she was glad that there were a number of teenagers with assault rifles protecting her from the terrorists. At this point, she started to make some overtly racist and false statements. Each of which I told her I disagreed with and then provided evidence for, example: "I hope the Palestinians will find a way to stop using terror and find a way to start pursuing peace with the Jews," (read this article) which was followed up with "But they are teaching their kids to hate Jewish people." I carried the conversation on for a long time, mostly because I was interested in how far her beliefs went. It was a strange experience, one that seemed like more of a dream because reality had little to do with it. Actually reality had a lot of do with it, but a reality that was based upon assumptions and stories that are not true.
Since I do not have a lot more to talk about, I will leave you with my favourite pictures of the week. I think that it was in Nazareth, in an empty lot near the bus station. Feel free to discuss it's significance.
Today was the official first day of summer...if you're a kid in Bethlehem...and you've been looking forward to this particular summer camp. The first day was a complete gong show, but it was tons of fun. I thought that I would be taking a support role and focusing on taking pictures, but I found myself in charge of nine kids. The toughest part of the day was the start, when I was trying to help a blind child paint. It helped that he knew a bit of English. I'm not going to put up pictures here because there would be too many. I suggest you check out the album that I've created and will continue to add to as the camp continues.
When we were coming back form Haifa, I met a women from Texas. She had been traveling in Israel for a while. When she asked where we had been traveling, one of the guys from our group - who had been answering most of her questions - hesitated but eventually answered that we had mostly been in the Palestinian territories, even staying in Bethlehem. She seemed to take this answer very well, and I thought that this was a sign that she might be sympathetic to Palestinians. She then told us of her visit to Hebron (generally considered to be one of the most oppressed places in the West Bank). She told us that it was better than she expected and was surprised with how calm it was. It took a bit more conversation and questions until we realized that she was talking about the Palestinian violence against settlers, or that when we said that she felt safe, she meant that she was glad that there were a number of teenagers with assault rifles protecting her from the terrorists. At this point, she started to make some overtly racist and false statements. Each of which I told her I disagreed with and then provided evidence for, example: "I hope the Palestinians will find a way to stop using terror and find a way to start pursuing peace with the Jews," (read this article) which was followed up with "But they are teaching their kids to hate Jewish people." I carried the conversation on for a long time, mostly because I was interested in how far her beliefs went. It was a strange experience, one that seemed like more of a dream because reality had little to do with it. Actually reality had a lot of do with it, but a reality that was based upon assumptions and stories that are not true.
Since I do not have a lot more to talk about, I will leave you with my favourite pictures of the week. I think that it was in Nazareth, in an empty lot near the bus station. Feel free to discuss it's significance.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Weekend in the Galilee
I have returned from my weekend in the Galilee. Overall it was really great. We spent one day around the Sea of Galilee and another day going to the Mediterranean at Haifa. We spent this morning visiting the Church of the Annunication. There were a few highlights.
We broke into the mountain of the Beatitudes. We were told to go up between the two banana plantations. We eventually got to a fence and a complex that looked strangely like a retirement home. We decided to jump the fence and check it out. We had lunch overlooking the Sea of Galilee and walked into the chapel that marked the spot. We weren't sure if we were supposed to pay to be there, but the guard at the gate only asked if we had a car inside when we left.
Trying to get to the beach in Haifa, we got hoodwinked by a taxi driver that dropped us off the the religious and also minisculely small beach. (It's the religious beach because usually there is only one sex allowed per day). After trying to call the taxi service three times and getting promptly hung up on each time, three of us decided to run back to the tourist office that helped us arrange the taxi. The girl there was very nice and took the - BC Ferries approved - customer service approach that placed all the blame on parties that could not respond. We eventually got another taxi to take us to a real beach, and spent the rest of the day there.
At the beach, everyone had some sort of an encounter with Jellyfish (I got hit on the arm, leg and chest lightly) but one of the guys had a very unfortunate collision with one. His bicep was the worst and it started to become inflamed almost immediately. Luckily we had a disposable cup and after much convincing we got him to pee in it and pour it on his wounds. The sting was still serious, but we think that the urine helped with the pain and the inflammation.
On Saturday, it was amazing how many things were closed, and yet a few things were open. Complete streets were deserted in Haifa, a major port city, but intercity buses were still running (even though we were told that they would not be). On that same vein, we also stopped at a Kosher McDonalds. The dairy sections was a completely separate building right next door.
We broke into the mountain of the Beatitudes. We were told to go up between the two banana plantations. We eventually got to a fence and a complex that looked strangely like a retirement home. We decided to jump the fence and check it out. We had lunch overlooking the Sea of Galilee and walked into the chapel that marked the spot. We weren't sure if we were supposed to pay to be there, but the guard at the gate only asked if we had a car inside when we left.
Trying to get to the beach in Haifa, we got hoodwinked by a taxi driver that dropped us off the the religious and also minisculely small beach. (It's the religious beach because usually there is only one sex allowed per day). After trying to call the taxi service three times and getting promptly hung up on each time, three of us decided to run back to the tourist office that helped us arrange the taxi. The girl there was very nice and took the - BC Ferries approved - customer service approach that placed all the blame on parties that could not respond. We eventually got another taxi to take us to a real beach, and spent the rest of the day there.
At the beach, everyone had some sort of an encounter with Jellyfish (I got hit on the arm, leg and chest lightly) but one of the guys had a very unfortunate collision with one. His bicep was the worst and it started to become inflamed almost immediately. Luckily we had a disposable cup and after much convincing we got him to pee in it and pour it on his wounds. The sting was still serious, but we think that the urine helped with the pain and the inflammation.
On Saturday, it was amazing how many things were closed, and yet a few things were open. Complete streets were deserted in Haifa, a major port city, but intercity buses were still running (even though we were told that they would not be). On that same vein, we also stopped at a Kosher McDonalds. The dairy sections was a completely separate building right next door.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Security
Yesterday morning I left for Nazareth with the American students. I have safely arrived at the Fauzi Azar Inn and had a full day of travelling to and around the Sea of Galilee. Before I get to the trip (in future posts) I want to talk about our journey to Nazareth.
We left just before 8am, planning to walk to and through the checkpoint and catch a bus at 9:15am. We got to the checkpoint at about 8:40am and got into a fairly short line (about 25 people). After about ten people had gone through in a reasonable fashion, we heard a muffled Hebrew message from blown out speakers. The turn-style that had been letting people through two at a time stopped. We slowly realized that the soldiers had decided to take a break: there was no one there. One white tourist pushed himself to the front of the line and shouted, "I have an appointment." Nothing happened. The break lasted about 35 minutes, which allowed the line we were in to swell from 20 to over 100 people. At this point, some people were cutting into the line. Because we did not speak enough Arabic to communicate and we did not know any better, we let these people in front of us. We quickly realized our mistake. As soon as the line started moving again, people began to shove from all sides. Gone was the community feel of Palestine, gone was the public discretion of touching strangers (especially women), gone was the friendly and welcoming nature: it was every person for themselves. As a soldier stood above us on another layer - holding his assault rifle - I felt like I was in a slaughterhouse. Each of us mindlessly pushing towards our death. About 40 people pushed in front of us until we could get to a point where we formed a basic wall of bodies to allow the members of our group to pass through without being shoved to the side. My thought as I strode through the checkpoint, defiantly keeping my passport in my pocket: If this is the only interaction you have with Palestinians, it would be impossible not to dehumanize them.
We took two buses to get to the Old City of Jerusalem and then the central bus station. A the central bus station we also had to pass through security. Like the checkpoint, it required a metal detector and an x-ray scanner for our bags. Unlike the checkpoint, there were seven metal detectors and three x-ray machines instead of one each. It also took 30 seconds instead of an hour and 10 minutes. Inside the bus station, there was a lot of military. I think that most of them were off duty, but soldiers carry their guns with them at all times. As I waiting in line for ticket information, a man in plain clothes walked past me holding his fully automatic machine gun in two hands.
From the central bus station we two buses to Nazareth. On the first and longer of the two, I asked a soldier if I could sit beside him. His name is Danny and his English was quite poor. We didn't talk much because he quickly started to play poker on his phone. I'm guessing that he was 19. At one point on the trip, he fell asleep and his Trevor Assault Rifle rested against my leg. I glanced over to check. It was fully loaded.
We left just before 8am, planning to walk to and through the checkpoint and catch a bus at 9:15am. We got to the checkpoint at about 8:40am and got into a fairly short line (about 25 people). After about ten people had gone through in a reasonable fashion, we heard a muffled Hebrew message from blown out speakers. The turn-style that had been letting people through two at a time stopped. We slowly realized that the soldiers had decided to take a break: there was no one there. One white tourist pushed himself to the front of the line and shouted, "I have an appointment." Nothing happened. The break lasted about 35 minutes, which allowed the line we were in to swell from 20 to over 100 people. At this point, some people were cutting into the line. Because we did not speak enough Arabic to communicate and we did not know any better, we let these people in front of us. We quickly realized our mistake. As soon as the line started moving again, people began to shove from all sides. Gone was the community feel of Palestine, gone was the public discretion of touching strangers (especially women), gone was the friendly and welcoming nature: it was every person for themselves. As a soldier stood above us on another layer - holding his assault rifle - I felt like I was in a slaughterhouse. Each of us mindlessly pushing towards our death. About 40 people pushed in front of us until we could get to a point where we formed a basic wall of bodies to allow the members of our group to pass through without being shoved to the side. My thought as I strode through the checkpoint, defiantly keeping my passport in my pocket: If this is the only interaction you have with Palestinians, it would be impossible not to dehumanize them.
We took two buses to get to the Old City of Jerusalem and then the central bus station. A the central bus station we also had to pass through security. Like the checkpoint, it required a metal detector and an x-ray scanner for our bags. Unlike the checkpoint, there were seven metal detectors and three x-ray machines instead of one each. It also took 30 seconds instead of an hour and 10 minutes. Inside the bus station, there was a lot of military. I think that most of them were off duty, but soldiers carry their guns with them at all times. As I waiting in line for ticket information, a man in plain clothes walked past me holding his fully automatic machine gun in two hands.
From the central bus station we two buses to Nazareth. On the first and longer of the two, I asked a soldier if I could sit beside him. His name is Danny and his English was quite poor. We didn't talk much because he quickly started to play poker on his phone. I'm guessing that he was 19. At one point on the trip, he fell asleep and his Trevor Assault Rifle rested against my leg. I glanced over to check. It was fully loaded.
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