From June 30:
We went to meet them this morning at around 7:30am, and they were no where in sight. After climbing over the crest of the hill, I called one of the older men in the family and he said they weren't coming today..."Maybe tomorrow." I can't blame them; I don't think I'd want to come back either.
For the past couple weeks, my teammates and I have been accompanying young shepherd boys as they graze their sheep and work on their olive trees located near the Israeli military base in the area. The base was built in the late 90s and since then, it's been difficult for them to get access to their land. With international accompaniment, they felt more comfortable and decided to give it a go. Several times, Israeli soldiers harrassed the boys while I was there and told them they had to be a certain number of meters from the base...one day it was 300 meters, the next it was 100. I asked them for an order stating the actual distance, and they always said there was none. Usually, the soldiers would ignore the boys until they started to head home with their sheep. Then they would come down from the base and tell them to go home and threaten them in what little Arabic they knew to "Be careful!" I spoke with one soldier on a couple occassions...he said he doesn't agree with everything the army is doing in the area, but he needs to follow orders.
Last night, I conducted a video interview with one of the shepherd boys. A few days earlier, he was punched in the face by an Israeli soldier at the base. Two of my teammates, Nicoletta and Georgia, were present at the time. The soldiers shouted for the boy to come up to the base; Nicoletta called out to him to wait for her. He didn't wait. On the video of the event, you see the boy surrounded by soldiers and then he walks away from the base with blood dripping from his nose. As I replayed the footage for him to identify who hit him, he easily picked out the soldier. It was the gate guard, an Israeli of Ethiopian origin. My heart sank.
Israel has a very diverse population; Jews from all over the world live there. And just as in the United States, certain groups have a harder time than others as they integrate into public life. Ethiopian Jews are newer immigrants to the state of Israel. It is widely talked about that Sephardic Jews (from the Middle East and Africa) do not have nearly as much economic or political power as Ashkenazi Jews (of European origin). They are usually part of the lower classes and there is the feeling that the Ashkenazi elite could care less about their communities and their concerns. Many of the Sephardic Jews that serve in the army have a reputation of being really tough; as if they are trying to prove their loyalty to ensuring the security of Israel. They want to make it known they are part of the state.
I honestly don't know what was going through the soldier's head when he punched the shepherd boy. Perhaps he was ordered to do it, but I felt pained for him and also pained for the 11 year old boy in front of me. They probably have more in common than they know. I think we all share more similarities with our "enemy" than we'd like to admit, both good and bad.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Clarification on the Last Post
I want to make a clarification on my last post. Someone asked me if the barrier north of At-Tuwani is part of the same large barrier the Israeli government is building around the entire West Bank. The answer is no. They originally wanted to build the large barrier there, but the Israeli High Court ruled they had to build it further south. That is another reason the Court was so angry the Israeli army continued to build any type of structure north of At-Tuwani. Click here to view the route of the current/future large barrier Israel is erecting (select the first map on the right hand side). This map was created by B'tselem, an Israeli human rights organization.
They also have a map of the southern Hebron Hills region (where At-Tuwani is located). Here's a small portion of it:
- Route 317 is the Israeli bypass road north of At-Tuwani.
- The blue areas are Israeli settlements.
- Hill 833 is the Israeli settlement outpost near At-Tuwani. It has been there since 2000. The Israeli government considers settlement outposts to be illegal under their laws (Israeli citizens taking and building upon land without "legal support" of the Israeli state). Avigayil and Mitzpe Yair are also settlement outposts.
- The Palestinian village of Susiya under threat of demolition is near the Israeli settlement of Suseya.
- The red line marks the area the Israeli goverment declared a closed military zone in the 70s and later again in 1999. The Palestinian residents were harrassed by the Israeli army and even forced on trucks to leave the area both times. They won their case to stay on their land in 2000, but they still face scrutiny of their land rights by Israeli settlers in the area and sometimes the army and the Israeli Civil Administration.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The Gift of Pessimism
I’m now writing stateside. Arrived in Washington, DC on Saturday night and have been spending time resting and seeing old friends. Since I had so little access to Internet while I was in Palestine, I’ll be writing several more posts over the next week or so.
From around July 23:
A couple evenings ago, my teammates and I were sitting down to lentils and curry outside of our house in At-Tuwani when one of the villagers walked by and greeted us. “Salaam alaykum,” he said with an unusually large grin. He said he had just come from an Israeli High Court case on the low barrier wall the Israeli army had built along the Israeli bypass road north of the village in early 2006. This barrier has often prevented Palestinians in villages south of it from reaching the nearby larger towns to buy/sell supplies or visit family members. The army made a hole in the wall to allow donkeys to pass by and occasionally cars, but would close it as they saw fit.
Our Palestinian friend continued to smile as he told us the Israeli High Court ruled the barrier to be illegal. He said the judge was very angry with the Israeli army officials who had been involved in the planning and building of the barrier, as they never sought permission to build it in the first place. The army has two weeks to dismantle it, and every day after that point they must pay Palestinian villages south of the barrier 20,000 shekels a day. This also means the demonstration held against the barrier over a year ago was legal…several Palestinians had been arrested during that demonstration, first on charges they had assaulted Israeli soldiers (video footage proved those charges to be false) and then on charges the demonstration itself was illegal. With the court’s new ruling on the barrier, these Palestinians may finally be able to get back the money they were forced to pay to the Israeli police and receive public recognition they were wrongfully arrested.
I was elated to hear of the court’s ruling! It’s not often you get good news in these parts. The next day, I even heard the army was beginning to tear down portions of the wall west of At-Tuwani. Over the past couple days, I’ve asked a lot of people in the village their opinions of the ruling, and have been surprised with the lack of enthusiasm in their responses. One man said, “Well, we’ll see if they actually dismantle the entire thing.” Another haji (old woman) remarked, “Even if they do dismantle it, that doesn’t prevent them from building something else…The army does as they please; we learned that a long time ago.”
At first, I was a little annoyed with their skepticism, and then I began to realize the wisdom in their responses. Before I left the states, I was reading a book by John Paul Lederach called The Moral Imagination. Lederach is a professor at several universities in Peace and Conflict Resolution programs and has been a practitioner in the field for over 25 years. Hearing the responses of Palestinians in At-Tuwani reminded me of one of the chapters in Lederach’s book entitled On the Gift of Pessimism:
We are not talking here of an attitude born of cynicism…Pessimism born of cynicism is a luxurious avoidance of engagement…The key gift is this: Constructive pessimism teaches us that distrust is needed as a reality check to assure that change is not superficial, Pollyanna-ish, or disguising other intentions. Distrust assures us that we are not dipping into and promoting cheap hope; it keeps us authentic. (55, 61)
My friends’ life-experiences living under violence and oppression have honed a gift of survival within their communities. One Palestinian leader’s words typify this gift and the hope it brings. I don’t remember his words exactly, but they went something like this: “If the wall is dismantled, we will make a big celebration/action out of it and invite press, Israelis, and internationals to see that our efforts and struggle have made this small change. And then we will move onto the next challenge, as there are many. And we hope more people will begin to join us in our struggle.”
He knows they may have to return to this challenge depending on what the army does. Wisely, his hope is not in this ruling, in this seeming victory. It is much deeper than that, rooted in taking one day at a time. Being present to what is and pushing onward to new realities and relationships.
The barrier on a day when the army has closed the opening. Most Palestinians can't afford or get permits to drive on the Israeli bypass road you see in the photo.
From the demonstration against the barrier in June 2006.
From around July 23:
A couple evenings ago, my teammates and I were sitting down to lentils and curry outside of our house in At-Tuwani when one of the villagers walked by and greeted us. “Salaam alaykum,” he said with an unusually large grin. He said he had just come from an Israeli High Court case on the low barrier wall the Israeli army had built along the Israeli bypass road north of the village in early 2006. This barrier has often prevented Palestinians in villages south of it from reaching the nearby larger towns to buy/sell supplies or visit family members. The army made a hole in the wall to allow donkeys to pass by and occasionally cars, but would close it as they saw fit.
Our Palestinian friend continued to smile as he told us the Israeli High Court ruled the barrier to be illegal. He said the judge was very angry with the Israeli army officials who had been involved in the planning and building of the barrier, as they never sought permission to build it in the first place. The army has two weeks to dismantle it, and every day after that point they must pay Palestinian villages south of the barrier 20,000 shekels a day. This also means the demonstration held against the barrier over a year ago was legal…several Palestinians had been arrested during that demonstration, first on charges they had assaulted Israeli soldiers (video footage proved those charges to be false) and then on charges the demonstration itself was illegal. With the court’s new ruling on the barrier, these Palestinians may finally be able to get back the money they were forced to pay to the Israeli police and receive public recognition they were wrongfully arrested.
I was elated to hear of the court’s ruling! It’s not often you get good news in these parts. The next day, I even heard the army was beginning to tear down portions of the wall west of At-Tuwani. Over the past couple days, I’ve asked a lot of people in the village their opinions of the ruling, and have been surprised with the lack of enthusiasm in their responses. One man said, “Well, we’ll see if they actually dismantle the entire thing.” Another haji (old woman) remarked, “Even if they do dismantle it, that doesn’t prevent them from building something else…The army does as they please; we learned that a long time ago.”
At first, I was a little annoyed with their skepticism, and then I began to realize the wisdom in their responses. Before I left the states, I was reading a book by John Paul Lederach called The Moral Imagination. Lederach is a professor at several universities in Peace and Conflict Resolution programs and has been a practitioner in the field for over 25 years. Hearing the responses of Palestinians in At-Tuwani reminded me of one of the chapters in Lederach’s book entitled On the Gift of Pessimism:
We are not talking here of an attitude born of cynicism…Pessimism born of cynicism is a luxurious avoidance of engagement…The key gift is this: Constructive pessimism teaches us that distrust is needed as a reality check to assure that change is not superficial, Pollyanna-ish, or disguising other intentions. Distrust assures us that we are not dipping into and promoting cheap hope; it keeps us authentic. (55, 61)
My friends’ life-experiences living under violence and oppression have honed a gift of survival within their communities. One Palestinian leader’s words typify this gift and the hope it brings. I don’t remember his words exactly, but they went something like this: “If the wall is dismantled, we will make a big celebration/action out of it and invite press, Israelis, and internationals to see that our efforts and struggle have made this small change. And then we will move onto the next challenge, as there are many. And we hope more people will begin to join us in our struggle.”
He knows they may have to return to this challenge depending on what the army does. Wisely, his hope is not in this ruling, in this seeming victory. It is much deeper than that, rooted in taking one day at a time. Being present to what is and pushing onward to new realities and relationships.
The barrier on a day when the army has closed the opening. Most Palestinians can't afford or get permits to drive on the Israeli bypass road you see in the photo.
From the demonstration against the barrier in June 2006.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Celebration in Tuwani
I am leaving in a week, which seems unbelievable. Over the past week, Tuwani has been a really exciting place to be in as they've been celebrating a wedding. The festivities began on Monday night and lasted until Friday. Each night, the men and women would gather separately to celebrate. The women's parties consisted of singing traditional wedding songs as someone played the tabla (the Arabic drum). Then we would drink tea or juice, and then the cassette player would come out and the women would dance (and I loved joining in). I have never seen them so happy. It's not often the women have a chance to get together as they are taking care of the kids, cleaning the house, and cooking all day. So, when weddings happen, they live it up...our parties lasted until about midnight every night.
The day before the wedding, 11 families gave goats and sheep to be slaughtered for the occasion. I've mentioned this to some of you in the past, but as a meat eater, I think it's very important to see where your meat comes from. As a kid in the city, sometimes I thought hamburgers just magically appeared for my consumption. Watching the actual process of slaughtering an animal isn't something I enjoy necessarily, but it gives me a greater appreciation for the process and helps me to see meat as a rare gift, not a right.
As the women waited for the bride to arrive Friday evening (she is from the nearby town of Yatta), my team mates got a call from someone in the village that the Israeli army had set up a flying checkpoint near the entrance to Tuwani. I was imagining the bride's car being stopped by young Israeli soldiers on their way in...what an interesting way to start one's marriage. Luckily, the soldiers left before she arrived and the women greeted her and her new husband with loud ululations, singing and dancing. I am really thankful for times of celebration in this place.
My team mate Cristina dancing with some of the women from Tuwani.
Henna after it has dried.
The day before the wedding, 11 families gave goats and sheep to be slaughtered for the occasion. I've mentioned this to some of you in the past, but as a meat eater, I think it's very important to see where your meat comes from. As a kid in the city, sometimes I thought hamburgers just magically appeared for my consumption. Watching the actual process of slaughtering an animal isn't something I enjoy necessarily, but it gives me a greater appreciation for the process and helps me to see meat as a rare gift, not a right.
As the women waited for the bride to arrive Friday evening (she is from the nearby town of Yatta), my team mates got a call from someone in the village that the Israeli army had set up a flying checkpoint near the entrance to Tuwani. I was imagining the bride's car being stopped by young Israeli soldiers on their way in...what an interesting way to start one's marriage. Luckily, the soldiers left before she arrived and the women greeted her and her new husband with loud ululations, singing and dancing. I am really thankful for times of celebration in this place.
My team mate Cristina dancing with some of the women from Tuwani.
Children showing off the organs of the goat before they are washed and cooked.
Applying henna before the wedding.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The Oddity of the Commonplace
Though this seems strange, I'm going to let CNN dictate what I write today. Last Saturday, a large action took place in the Palestinian village of Susiya (the same village I wrote about last week that's under threat of demolition). There were over 250 people, including three busloads of Israelis coming from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beer Sheva. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go as I was nursing the toilet in At Tuwani, but many Palestinians were greatly encouraged by the action and by the support they received from so many Israelis and internationals. There was also a lot of press present. Here is the link to a story done by CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2007/07/09/wedeman.mideast.cave.dwellers.cnn
Since I know the village and its history pretty well, I'm slightly critical of the piece, but it does give you an idea of what life is like in Susiya and some of the issues facing them.
As of now, the Israeli High Court has not made it's final decision regarding the fate of Susiya. A few days ago, I was sitting around with one of the Palestinian leaders in the area and my team mates as we were discussing what he would like us to do if/when Susiya is demolished. He said there are Palestinians in many villages keeping their eyes pealed for the transport of large bulldozers on the Israeli bypass road. As soon as anyone sees one, we'll be notified and get out to Susiya as quickly as we can, calling human rights organizations and press along the way. The strange thing about this conversation is that it seems normal... and I've been struck by the many things here that seem normal but just shouldn't be:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2007/07/09/wedeman.mideast.cave.dwellers.cnn
Since I know the village and its history pretty well, I'm slightly critical of the piece, but it does give you an idea of what life is like in Susiya and some of the issues facing them.
As of now, the Israeli High Court has not made it's final decision regarding the fate of Susiya. A few days ago, I was sitting around with one of the Palestinian leaders in the area and my team mates as we were discussing what he would like us to do if/when Susiya is demolished. He said there are Palestinians in many villages keeping their eyes pealed for the transport of large bulldozers on the Israeli bypass road. As soon as anyone sees one, we'll be notified and get out to Susiya as quickly as we can, calling human rights organizations and press along the way. The strange thing about this conversation is that it seems normal... and I've been struck by the many things here that seem normal but just shouldn't be:
- One of the two year olds in At Tuwani can now pronounce three words: Mama, Baba, and Jaysh (referring to the Israeli army)
- A little girl told me yesterday about crying with her grandmother when her father was put in jail last year. He was arrested after he spoke at a nonviolent protest against the wall the Israeli army built near At Tuwani (he was charged with hitting a soldier...though the video footage shows he never even raised his hand).
- A team mate had to go to the nearby Israeli police station yesterday to give testimony about settler violence against Palestinians that happened in Susiya in March. The same Palestinian man who was arrested last year jokingly asked her to tell his friends at the station "Hello."
- Palestinians joke about the nearby jail being a five-star hotel because it has running water and electricity, whereas they do not.
These discussions are commonplace, and they and we joke about them to keep ourselves going. I don't know if people will be able to make jokes about the demolition of Susiya if it happens, but I expect there will be a lot of anger and tears when that day comes again. Pray for people here as they go on living and resisting oppression; they are much stronger than I. God give us all strength and, yes, even laughter.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Reading the News as a Spiritual Discipline
You'll notice I've added on the right side of the main blog screen a place for interesting websites and news articles concerning the situation here in Palestine and Israel. The Tabula Gaza blog is by an American citizen named Philip Rizk. Philip has been working in Gaza for the past couple years doing peace and conflict resolution work through the English Anglican church. He is currently working on a documentary on Palestinian nonviolence. I thought his insights and perspective would be good for those of you who are interested in what is happening in Gaza and the political scene here.
The issues here are really complicated and painful. I urge all of you to read many news sources (including those from outside the US) and keep an open mind to perspectives you don't understand. Even though I am here doing work in the West Bank, I don't completely understand the dynamics in Gaza and between the political factions at this time. We all have a lot to learn, myself included. As a friend recently wrote in an email to me, "I feel like it is becoming a spiritual discipline even to read the news these days, to choose to take in what is happening around the world, especially where you are."
The issues here are really complicated and painful. I urge all of you to read many news sources (including those from outside the US) and keep an open mind to perspectives you don't understand. Even though I am here doing work in the West Bank, I don't completely understand the dynamics in Gaza and between the political factions at this time. We all have a lot to learn, myself included. As a friend recently wrote in an email to me, "I feel like it is becoming a spiritual discipline even to read the news these days, to choose to take in what is happening around the world, especially where you are."
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Not Sexy Enough for the Press
This is something I just finished writing for CPTnet (CPT's list serve for information on current CPT projects). I spent the night in Susiya after this tour/action with another teammate in case there were any problems with Israeli soldiers or settlers. Thankfully, things were calm. However, I'm exhausted...time to sleep...
At-Tuwani Reflection: Not sexy enough for the press
30 June 3007
By Sarah Scruggs
I feel today was a historic day in the South Hebron Hills. As the world follows the sensationalized stories of violence and division between Hamas and Fatah, Palestinians in this rural part of the West Bank are uniting to nonviolently exert their right to live and work on their lands. Palestinians from many villages in the area, along with CPT , other internationals and a few Israelis, gathered together in solidarity with the village of Susiya which is under threat of demolition pending a decision by the Israeli Civil Administration. Young and old, women and men, all of them have stories of the horrible affects of the Israeli occupation on daily life and their efforts to stay on their lands. Today, I saw those stories converge into energy for unified action.
As we took shade under a tent in the late morning, one of the Palestinians spoke to the gathered group about what has been happening in Susiya over the last 20 years: confiscation of land by the Israeli army for Israeli settlements and army bases, house demolitions, violent attacks on Palestinians and their livestock by Israeli settlers, the lack of response from the Israeli police to such attacks, etc. He stressed that Susiya is an example of what is happening everywhere in the South Hebron Hills; the story of Susiya is everyone’s story. It is only by uniting together with a common strategy that real change will take place.
Following this speech, we ventured out into the hot sun to take a walking tour of the village. We visited actual sites of attacks and house demolitions as Susiya residents recounted their stories. Eventually, a group of Israeli army jeeps and soldiers joined our entourage. They were confused as to our purpose in walking around, but did not stop us. Israeli army units in the area change frequently; I wondered if any of them knew the history of the village and hoped they were listening to what the residents said. They followed us to a road which the Israeli army closed to Palestinian use. We stopped about 30 meters short of the barrier, which is the farthest any Palestinian has ventured on that road since its closure over five years ago. The group then returned to the tent for lunch.
What I learned from today is stories are powerful. Though today’s gathering and tour was a small beginning for unified Palestinian action in the area, it is laying the path for common stories and action in the future. This may not be sexy enough for the press to cover, but I believe it is the stuff people and governments around the world need to hear. I thank God for the chance to share their stories, and I pray for the day when Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills will not feel a need for the presence of CPT and other internationals as they go about daily life.
At-Tuwani Reflection: Not sexy enough for the press
30 June 3007
By Sarah Scruggs
I feel today was a historic day in the South Hebron Hills. As the world follows the sensationalized stories of violence and division between Hamas and Fatah, Palestinians in this rural part of the West Bank are uniting to nonviolently exert their right to live and work on their lands. Palestinians from many villages in the area, along with CPT , other internationals and a few Israelis, gathered together in solidarity with the village of Susiya which is under threat of demolition pending a decision by the Israeli Civil Administration. Young and old, women and men, all of them have stories of the horrible affects of the Israeli occupation on daily life and their efforts to stay on their lands. Today, I saw those stories converge into energy for unified action.
As we took shade under a tent in the late morning, one of the Palestinians spoke to the gathered group about what has been happening in Susiya over the last 20 years: confiscation of land by the Israeli army for Israeli settlements and army bases, house demolitions, violent attacks on Palestinians and their livestock by Israeli settlers, the lack of response from the Israeli police to such attacks, etc. He stressed that Susiya is an example of what is happening everywhere in the South Hebron Hills; the story of Susiya is everyone’s story. It is only by uniting together with a common strategy that real change will take place.
Following this speech, we ventured out into the hot sun to take a walking tour of the village. We visited actual sites of attacks and house demolitions as Susiya residents recounted their stories. Eventually, a group of Israeli army jeeps and soldiers joined our entourage. They were confused as to our purpose in walking around, but did not stop us. Israeli army units in the area change frequently; I wondered if any of them knew the history of the village and hoped they were listening to what the residents said. They followed us to a road which the Israeli army closed to Palestinian use. We stopped about 30 meters short of the barrier, which is the farthest any Palestinian has ventured on that road since its closure over five years ago. The group then returned to the tent for lunch.
What I learned from today is stories are powerful. Though today’s gathering and tour was a small beginning for unified Palestinian action in the area, it is laying the path for common stories and action in the future. This may not be sexy enough for the press to cover, but I believe it is the stuff people and governments around the world need to hear. I thank God for the chance to share their stories, and I pray for the day when Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills will not feel a need for the presence of CPT and other internationals as they go about daily life.
