MPT Peace Team Reports: Palestine/Israel

Goodbye from the MPT 2011 Fall Team

2011-12-08T23:32:00.002+02:00

MPT has made a number of friends in the Huwarra area. One gentleman who visits with us often actually studied for over a year in the USA. “I was so excited,” said he, “to have a chance to tell Americans what is really happening over here. I came home after my year and was very discouraged. I can honestly say I do not think I was able to change even one person’s opinion.” He shared much more of course but went on to say, “Then one friend communicated with me saying that she now listens more and considers different points of view about Israel/Palestine. I guess it takes time for ideas to sink in. I guess I did have an impact just smaller than I would have liked.” Such is the case with our work in this long confusing struggle. We often wish that we could make huge impacts on those willing to listen. But realistically we are thankful for our readers who care enough to learn more and are open to new ideas

Thank you for following the blog, 2011 MPT Fall Team

Al Walaja renamed - All Wall Around Ja

2011-12-08T18:15:00.007+02:00

The village of Al Walaja has a very unique situation. Located near to and west of Behtlehem and south of Jerusalem, Al Walaja has the misfortune of being located near the green line and the route of the separation barrier, aka the Wall. The original village site was taken over by the Israeli forces in 1948. Googling “Al Walaja” will provide the reader with much background information. A recent review of the situation can be found at:

http://www.palestinemonitor.org/?p=1805

In brief Al Walaja lost it original village site and was reestablished nearby. The continuing construction of the wall will greatly reduced the village’s access to land, water, and the rest of Palestine. Al Walaja will be completely surrounded by a prison like wall with only one access road connecting them to the rest of the West Bank.

On our last day of functioning as the MPT Fall Team we visited Al Walaja and participated in their weekly demonstration. Meeting at the village Mosque we had a chance to speak with other activists.

As prayers ended we walked downhill to see the construction route that has been cut through the olive groves. It was a damp day and a muddy walk. For most of the route there was no sign of the military or police

We moved onto a restricted road and were told that only cars with yellow plates (those originating in Israel) could use this road. At one point Palestinians began to place rocks on the road. The crowd’s presence slowed traffic allowing them to drive carefully around the rocks. There were no rocks thrown and no threatening gestures. Many activists were uncomfortable with the rocks on the road. Indeed they did present a considerable hazard to cars moving at normal speed. A short debate started with statements like: “This is a serious hazard; we are here to protect from violence and thus should remove the rocks.” Others said: “We are to be Palestinian led; this is their demonstration.” The discussion was friendly with most of us having very mixed feelings. As we were causing traffic to slow down there was no serious danger at the time. Within minutes one of the Palestinian leaders came over and began to kick rocks out of the road. Activists immediately began to help him. Police arrived shortly thereafter but the rocks were gone by the

The police did try to stop our movement but were greatly outnumbered. The demonstration just moved around them. They followed along behind in their jeep. We approached an entrance to a restricted area and found a line of soldiers waiting for us. After some talking and mutual picture.taking, the demonstration took a side road back to the Mosque.

No rocks thrown, no arrests, no tear gas or the like which led to a jubilant mood of having achieved some success – at least a chance to express our displeasure, have it heard and return home without injury. We were mindful that such demonstrations are a weekly occurrence in parts of Palestine. They are indeed so common that they seldom make the news anymore. But Palestinians risk arrest and injury on a regular basis to protest the injustices of the occupation.

Announcing MPT Teachers Team Summer 2012! Calling all Teachers...

2011-12-06T20:15:00.000+02:00

We're pleased to announce a very special Peace Team to Palestine: the MPT Summer 2012 Teachers Team! This Team will deploy to the West Bank, Palestine/Israel in Summer 2012. Each member will have the option to join the team anywhere from 3 weeks to 12 weeks in the field.

We love our friends that are teachers, who already give so much for peace and justice-- and they make great Peace Team members. We're currently talking with two of many wonderful returned team members that are teachers, to arrange for a Teacher to Anchor this special team.

We need your help! Do you know a teacher at any level K-12 or undergraduate/graduate who would do great work for peace on a team? Someone team-oriented, dedicated, in short just like all the teachers we know! Could you forward this invitation to them with a short note from you telling them about this great opportunity, or invite them to contact Nicole or apply for a team?

Training will start as soon as January for our Part 1/Basic compenent, and the February 10-12th weekend for our Part 2 session will be required. More information about training and more for International Teams under our current program is on our FAQs page. More information about the February session to prepare for this team is at Idealist.org. Even if you're just considering going on the team, we'd love to have you join us for this skills and information session in February.

In Peace,

Nicole L. Rohrkemper
International Team Deployment Coordinator
Michigan Peace Team

(586) 419-1070 (direct line)
NicoleR. MPT@gmail.com

Read more about International Teams in our most recent Teams Insider eNews.

A busy day in and around Hebron

2011-12-04T01:06:00.028+02:00

Any day for an activist in the West Bank can include a surprise or two. Our day in the Hebron area was full of unscheduled action. We had just spent the night with the Christian Peacemaker Team deep in the old city. We arose early to go on check point watch with CPT. This is a daily pre-breakfast task for CPT. Critical check points are monitored to log the number of school children passing and to observe the treatment of others. One MPTer decided to take pictures and chose to continue even after a soldier said “No”. The police arrived later. Police have more authority over internationals. After manipulating the memory card out of the camera and passing it off (a move the soldier unfortunately observed), the camera was handed to the policeman. It could have gotten messy at that point but up rolled a car with TIPH representatives. TIPH, Temporary International Presence in Hebron, is a creation of the Oslo Accord. They observe and file reports – no more, no less. But the Israelis want good TIPH reports. It is our guess that their arrival prompted the police commander to get out of the vehicle and take charge. The camera was immediately returned and MPTers moved out of the way. The soldier and policeman were upset at being overruled. MPTers were relieved.

This is the check point we observed. The soldier is asking us not to take pictures. School children have to pass through the little white building for metal detection and such. These four men are being checked as they complain that they were just checked at another check point to get into this area (True according CPT staff.)

Then a call came alerting us to a home demolition south of Hebron, in Baqa Valley. A quick trip to the CPT house to repack, a taxi and soon we were at another scene. Somewhere in there breakfast got forgotten.

By the time we arrived in Baqa'a the Israeli army had already destroyed a well and a house built next to it, both of which belonging to a local Palestinian family. Baqa Valley located in a mountainous area south of Hebron. It's separated from the notorious Jewish settlement of Qiryat Arba only by a road. The village suffers serious water shortages and locals have been accused of "stealing" water from the settlement in order to meet their basic water needs. Naturally it's arguable if one can steal their own water but that's the pretext under which the Israeli army destroys wells and irrigation pipes belonging to Palestinians in Area C. We were told that one more well in the village was to be destroyed on the following day for the same reasons. This particular family had their well and house destroyed for the first time in 2009. The reason was actually the usual one: lack of permit to built. Their water did come from pipes from a neighboring village. After 2009 the owner rebuilt both his well and home and acquired all the necessary documents proving that the land is his. It was to no avail though, the bulldozers returned.

When MPTers arrived the bulldozers were leveling the ground. The Israeli army was working along with Qiryat Arba settlers to place stones on the property to minimize the chance of rebuilding. We were told by children from the family whose home was demolished that the bulldozer has been at work since 6 am. That's when the family had been awoken from their sleep and given 5 minutes to leave.

The only hint for the existence of the house and the well at this site hours later was the water flowing now all over the place. An MPTer asked a boy from the family why he wouldn't change his pants that were wet. He replied he was beaten by an Israeli soldier earlier during the day and now he had no house to take a spare pair of pants from. His parents were at his uncle's house at the time and were sparing themselves the sight of the bulldozers at work.

We had planned to visit the village of At Tuwani on this day so after watching the home demolition clean up, taking pictures, and talking with the family and other internationals, we decided to go to At Tuwani from this new location. MPT has a history of visiting At Tuwani. You can learn more about this village by reading our old blogs.

The following report gives some good details: http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2009/07/mpt-in-tuba-assist-children-witness.html

This report talks about the Bedouins in Tuba, a village very near to At Tuwani. http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2008/05/bedouin-land-fragile-desert-ecology-and.html And in 2009 MPTers visited again. http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2009/11/cactus-watering-protest-at-at-tuwani.html

Children from nearby villages are still accompanied by internationals and the military as they walk between the Israeli settlement and Israeli outpost on their way to and from school. This is necessary because the settlers have a history of attacking kids on their way to school. We were reminded of President Obama’s recent speech where he commented that Israeli parents should not have to worry about their children when they send them to school. He made no mention of Palestinian kids on their way to school.

The settlement of Ma'On is on the hill. New construction is visible to the left. We are not able to see the Israeli outpost hidden in the trees to the right. International volunteers are not allowed to escort the children, this is considered as a "provocation" by the settlers and the Israeli army. So they only observe from afar trying to make sure the children are escorted safely from various observation points on the hills around the area. The army comes twice daily to provide escort as the children walk to and from school, often late and without completing the whole route. That day they came after the international volunteers had contacted the local DCO, only half an hour late. The children actually rejoiced at the sight of the approaching jeep, they could finally goo home now. Sometimes the soldiers actually provide protection when trouble starts .... sometimes.
Another informal taxi ride and a group cab got us back to Hebron for the another evening with CPT

Sheikh Jarrah

2011-12-03T06:36:00.009+02:00

Readers, After leaving Huwwara MPT was involved in a number of activities and did not have access to a computer or the internet. Although our time as a team has ended and we are separated by many miles, we have decided to continue to blog about our final days and experience together. Peer editing is taking place via email. Thank you for your patience.

Blog readers might wish to review the history of this situation by going to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Jarrah Or http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ir-amim/why-are-israelis-demonstr_b_445968.html

In brief, Palestinian refugees moved to this area when it was under Jordanian rule. The UN got involved and houses were built for the families. The area has been contested for years. Settlers have gained access to some houses even though complaints have been filed including one from the United States government. The above links will give the reader many more details. MPT has a history of involvement with this troubling situation.

MPT वास there in October of 2008 to provide protective accompaniment. The details can be read at http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2008/10/mpt-presence-at-al-kurds-in-east.html

MPT returned in April of 2009 after the family had been evicted. Read that report at http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2009/04/return-visit-to-sheikh-jarrah.html

MPT returned again in November of 2009 to stand watch for two nights. This team (which included one member of the current team) witnessed a police demolition of the tent site. Details can be read at http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2009/11/e-jerusalem-incomplete.html
The tent that was removed by the police in 2009 was located right outside the home that is now the center of controversy. A Palestinian family built an addition without the proper permission. The end result is that Israeli settlers now “live” in the addition while the family remains in the original house. Internationals activists try to have at least two people at the site for each night. This presence created a barrier between the settlers and the Palestinians giving the latter a bit of peace of mind and a chance for decent rest each night.

This is the view from the street. The block addition on the left is the section taken over by the settlers. The small tent is shelter for the activists staying overnight and provides a "gate" and visual privacy for the Palestinians who live in the rear of this compound.

The MPT fall team took a turn on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 15. The task was to stay in the tent guarding the entrance to the Palestinian section of the compound and keep an eye on activities in the Settler section. Settlers have reportedly made much noise (loud music and such), yelled profanities, and thrown numerous things at the activists including water, bleach, vomit, urine, and feces. On this night the only incidents were a few visits to the tent by the settlers. They would stop by and make strange comments and leave. The settlers all seem to be young males who come by each night and party or use the computer. It is not clear if they really live in the addition or just occupy it often.

This is the view from the back side of the tent. There is a small court yard and access to the living areas.

It was a long cold night. We were reminded of a comment made by a young Palestinian in 2009 around a campfire just outside the door of this compound. He said “There are two things I really admire about the Jews. They are very smart and they are very patient.” He continued to say that they will work as slowly as necessary to gradually take over the entire neighborhood. So far local protests and international reactions have not stopped the eviction of Palestinians and the cancerous spread of settlements and settlers.

Readers who are really interested in this situation would do well to watch the videos in the following link. The son of the Palestinian family talks about his life. Israelis (including a middle aged army veteran) talk about their decisions to stand in support of the Palestinians.
http://theonlydemocracy.org/2011/11/new-sheikh-jarrah-video-from-just-vision/

MPT Team Members Complete Fall Team Safely

2011-11-23T04:45:00.000+02:00

MPT Fall Team members have signed off the team, and our US component has returned home safely as of Tuesday evening.

This very committed team has done great work in the West Bank, and remains committed to peace and nonviolence work.

All of us at MPT offer our sincere gratitude to the Fall 2011 Palestine Team and all of our domestic and international Team Members for being such an integral part of MPT's work and mission of nonviolence, locally and internationally.

We also want to thank the volunteers who supported this team and all our teams; those who hold the emergency phone, act as team Point Persons and Home Support, as well as our office volunteers and staff (who do so much-- from keeping records and paperwork on our teams and getting the team checks and funds in order, to making all of our various programs run harmoniously!).

in peace and with thanks,

Nicole R. for
Michigan Peace Team

P.S. If you want to get involved in teams, click the link on the upper right to make sure you get the Teams Insider news. Plus, from wherever you are, our teams policy and deployment committee meets "virtually" by phone and Skype-- positions are open and the committee can use your unique perspective! Email NicoleR.MPT@gmail.com for more info on how you can get involved with MPT teams.

3rd Demo at Kafr Qaddum

2011-11-13T10:59:00.008+02:00

MPTers made their third trip to Kafr Qaddum on 11/11/11, seven years after Yasser Arafat’s death which coincided with Veteran Day in the USA. We are starting to feel like veterans of this demonstration as we see familiar faces and are warmly greeted. We met at the center, had tea/coffee, banners came out, this time they were with the beloved image of Yasser Arafat. Children showed up (they lead the march but disappear before we get to the razor wire and soldiers), we moved close to the wire and a speech commemorating the memory of Arafat was made. After a number of stones were thrown the protesters were assaulted with profound quantities of tear gas and soldiers started gradually forcing the protest towards the center of the village. The tear gas was being shot at about 4-6 feet off the ground. In other words, it had been fired directly at the crowd. A safer way is to arch it up and let it drop. Such deployment can also injure but the velocity is decreased before it hits down at a single location. When fired horizontally, tear gas is like a large bullet and can have impact with people at a large number of points. Protesters have been injured and killed by such directly aimed shots. This time the military assault was aimed at the village’s houses along the road more than any time we had witnessed before. A child was taken out of a tear-gassed house vomiting. Even the local mosque where protestors usually take refugee and where the ambulance was stationed trying to assist the injured was tear-gassed as well after soldiers walked into the village. A local demonstrator was hit with a tear-gas canister in the eye. Rubber coated bullets and sound bombs were shot.

The international in the blue scarf, center right in the photo, was arrested a few minutes after this was taken.

Hazzam Barham, a Palestinian who was lying unconscious from the tear-gas close to the barbed wire was arrested. After this the soldieries targeted one of the internationals and arrested him as well. Here’s a link to the video of both of these arrests:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grli-nG_g-o&feature=player_embedded

They were taken to the police station in Ariel settlement. We later heard that the international was beaten and the Palestinian was humiliated in various ways: spat at and made to crouch with his head between his legs.

It appears that the Israeli Occupation Forces reacted with more violence in other locations as well. The following news release may interest our readers. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=435998

The International was released after spending about six hours in Ariel’s jail. The Palestinian is still being held there and a lawyer has been assigned to him.

Why do the Palestinians continue these demonstrations? What do they hope to gain? There are probably many reasons. One might be the hope of international awareness and a long overdue international statement of "ENOUGH!" Or might it be simply ‘You can steal my land, you can steal my water, you can close my road, you can throw me in prison, but you cannot steal my spirit. I will continue to stand up for my rights.”

A Visit with Amal Jumaa

2011-11-13T09:21:00.003+02:00

MPTers recently joined other activists to visit Amal Jumaa in the Nablus hospital. Amal belonged to Fatah’s armed wing and was sentenced to eleven years of which she served nine. She was released October 11 as part of the Hamas/Israeli prisoners swap. Amal gained a lot of publicity and media attention after going on a hunger strike recently. She made this decision after the Palestinian Authority failed to provide her with the appropriate treatment following her treatment while in prison for uterine cancer.. More information about this can be found at:

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=435876

The history of Amal’s neglected health condition goes much further back though. She was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus back in 2004 and her condition was neglected for six years while she was in both Ramleh and HaSharon prisons. We asked if she was given anything after she had been diagnosed. “Water”, was her reply, and some light pain-killers similar to Panadol. As her condition became graver, she was also administered some drops. They had strong side effects such as constant drowsiness and what was described as fits of madness: pulling her hair, yelling. The director of the prison said she was fine. Amal’s cellmate decided to prove that her behavior was due to side-effects and she started taking the drops herself. Her behavior got bizarre in the same way and she slept through her days as well. A hunger strike was started by other female inmates asking for Amal to be treated. It lasted for 4 weeks and 4 days.

In 2010 Amal was finally taken to a hospital in Haifa for an operation. She was handcuffed the whole time while in hospital and was allowed no visits at all, not even from the Red Cross. After the operation she got transferred to Damun prison. She developed some severe bleeding. Once again she was not treated and was drugged instead. Amal started sending letters to friends and media asking for help from outside. The PA Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs provided money for 4 months so she could buy pads to take care of the bleeding.

Shortly after her release she collapsed and was taken to the hospital in Nablus. Even after freedom had been granted to her, she still had to resort to a hunger strike to receive her right to a proper treatment. Now the Palestinian President himself is making sure she is to be sent to a hospital abroad where she can receive the necessary treatment after the many years of neglect in prison. There have been delays in her travel due to the days off because of the Eid Religious holiday and delays in her having a passport issued to travel. Further tests will determine if treatment will continue in Jordan or someplace in Europe. Amal was visibly tired during our visit. Most of her story was related to us by a friend of hers, she herself had no voice to speak and was constantly slipping into drowsiness. All of her upper front teeth have been taken out during her imprisonment and she showed us where they used to be in her mouth. She managed to stand up and shake our hands when we walked in and also pose for a picture with us.

Amal means “Hope” in Arabic. There are still many concerns but there is now more hope for Amal.

Yitzhar Settlers as Neighbors

2011-11-12T22:31:00.010+02:00

MPT’s fall team took the short walk to the houses at the upper edge of Huwwara. The Palestinians in this area live only about 400 yards for the edge of Yitzhar. We were fortunate to meet Muhammad, a Palestinian with American citizenship and his brother. Muhammad spends part of the year in New York where he and two of sons run an electronics business. Part of his family spends the entire year in this fabulous house. Muhammad said, “Yitzhar is built on the highest point in the West Bank. I believe my house is the highest Palestinian house in the West Bank. But this proximity can be problematic." The family readily talked to us, they have had troubles with settlers throughout the years and are used to being an object of attention for journalists and human right activists alike. We were told that they had had no problems with the settlement till the year of 2008. As a matter of fact up to just ten years ago the family used to have a picnic at Salman al-Farsi’s reserve, an important site for Muslims that is located on land controlled by Yitzhar. But more recently radical settlers came to live there and visiting the reserve became impossible. The first clashes between the settlers and the local Palestinians that took place close to Muhammad’s house happened in May 2008. About 15 teenaged settlers came down the hill and were engaged in a stone fight with Palestinians. Soldiers stood aside as observers and did not interfere, we were told. The settlers claimed that the attack was in response to Palestinians from Huwwara having thrown stones at a settler’s car earlier that day. Twenty days after this incident the windows of the family’s house were broken by 13 Yitzhar settlers. Olive trees above their house were damaged too. Soldiers were reported to have taken no action one more time.

The American's house is on the far left. His brother's immediatly to the right of it. The MPT house is down the hill approximately in the center of this photo.

On February 3, 2011, Muhammad’s wife and daughter were watching TV in the evening when they had their windows all broken again. Muhammad was in Nablus during that time, he heard about the attack and headed straight home. At the Huwwara checkpoint he showed his American passport to the soldiers and two military vehicles followed him home. They arrived to find out that it was not only his house and family who got attacked. Six Molotov cocktails had been thrown into his brother’s house located right next door. Most of the bottles were thrown on the first floor that was burned as a result. One of them hit the window frame of the second floor of the house where the children and their mother were sleeping at that time. Luckily it didn’t go through the window. The wife reports that the settlers were gone by the time her husband and the soldiers arrived and the soldiers refused to believe settlers had anything to do with the incident at first. Eventually though the family did receive significant protection from the army. Soldiers guarded the home for a number of days. Neighbors suggest that Muhammad’s American citizenship was the cause for that.

During a talk with Muhammad’s wife she shared that at the present time she leaves the house on very rare occasions and worries that another settler attack could take place when there’s nobody home. She does not fear them though and keeps on hoping that their house might be a safe enough place one day for her whole family to be united in it again.

Burned trees can be seen above Muhammad's house.

Olive branches and the military

2011-11-09T21:58:00.008+02:00

MPT was told a few days ago, “All of the picking in all of the dangerous places in all the West Bank are all done.” The same individual suggested we pick with a Burin family today near the Huwwara Check Point. For MPT WB vets - the location is east of the main road and right on the NE corner of the military base near the Check Point. We were joined by one ISM activist as we piled into a crowded van and headed north via the back route through the village of Awarta. We ran into a flying check point but fortunately a brief talk and a spotty ID check was all that was required.

This pictures show the service ahead of us stopped at the flying check point. The military base is to the left. The yellow strip on the road is a tire puncture obstacle - best go slow and be sure to go around it. Wooded areas are few in this area but one does exist in the military base. We picked right next to these pines on the far side from this angle.

We arrived at the small grove near an intersection and right up against the back fence of the military base. The olive grove was in sad shape because plowing and pruning had not been done. “Come to our other groves and you will see a big difference,” we were told. “We are not given time to plow and tend these trees.”

A number of branches had been broken off. Settlers were blamed.

This picker has one foot on a branch and one foot on the corner fence post of the military base. You cannot get much closer than this.

Soldiers stopped by a couple of times in the morning, talked, and went on their way. The proximity to the base and the side road seemed to mean that regular patrols could be expected. “Don’t worry about the soldiers; it is the settlers who are really dangerous.” About lunch time a couple of soldiers stopped and said “you have to leave”. That started a lengthy process of other soldiers stopping. By chance some Israelis from Yesh Din, a human rights organization, were in the area investigating a report of olive tree damage and just happened to stop by. When negotiating with the Israeli army it is really helpful to have some supportive Israelis present. They called the local coordinator for Rabbis for Human Rights who in turn contacted the District Commanding Officer who stopped by for a talk. End result: We were able to continue picking, given permission for picking tomorrow, and permission to plow the following day.

We left mid-afternoon as we had an appointment to interview a family about a settler attack….to be reported in this blog soon.

Yitzhar - in the news !

2011-11-08T19:16:00.009+02:00

Climbing up the road behind our Huwwara home we located a village park with a Ferris Wheel and a swimming pool. The houses in this area are the highest in town and the closest to Yitzhar.

We were told that “of all the settlements in the West Bank Yitzhar is the worst.” We’ve heard that said before about other settlements. It sometimes seems that the worst settlement is the one nearest the village where the speaker lives. Yitzhar did make the news recently. The Israeli government closed their high school because they were teaching violence. It is an incredible story. It can be found at http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/ministry-closes-yitzhar-school-over-violent-attacks-1.3932

This is the view above the park. You can just see the edge of some Yitzhar buildings and some of the burned olive trees. "They destroy trees and harass us. They want to claim even more of the land." we were told.

We were up there hoping to meet with an American family who lives in nearby. Good fortune was with us. We ended up sitting in a fabulous house speaking with two Palestinian Americans from New York and Ohio. (Homes in this area have been attacked by settlers. That story will appear in a day or two when we are able to complete the interviews.) The home on the left in the following picture is where we met the American family.

Our landmark mosque with two minarets is visible in from this spot as are the large Huwwara plains and the army base at the far end.

As we shared stories and food one of the men spoke about Palestinians who are still able to travel to Israel to work. There are some but the number is so much lower than before the construction of the barrier fence/wall. “Many used to go. We worked together. I would go to eat with the Jews and they came to my house. We were friends.” said one man. He went on to share that the opportunities to meet and relate with Israelis is greatly decreased. The only Israelis nearby are the settlers of Yitzhar. In the early days even they were ok. “We used to drive up the hill near Yitzhar to picnic. There is a Muslim holy place there. You can see the ocean from there. Going there now is impossible.”

The barrier fence/wall was constructed to decrease the number of suicide bombers, to make it difficult for Palestinians to travel into Israel. The barrier has come at a tremendous cost. The loss of contact makes it harder for these neighbors to be in positive relationships. It is costly financially. Much land is loss. Travel is more difficult for everyone. Maintaining and protecting this hated structure keeps the military busy. The barrier fence/wall is a strategy to end these attacks but Robert Pape, co-author of “Cutting the Fuse” has a different idea. In a nut shell studies show that suicide bombing decreases to almost zero when a foreign occupying army ends the occupation. Read more details at http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2010/10/04/how-end-suicide-bombings-new-book-argues-problem-not-islam-lengthy-military-occup

END THE OCCUPATION ? Now that seems like a strategy worthy of consideration.

Balata Refugee Camp 2011

2011-11-07T19:38:00.012+02:00

The Balata Refugee Camp is only about 5 miles from the MPT home in Huwwara. It is the largest and most crowded refugee camp in the West Bank. Buildings were often built to the dimensions of the original tent and crowded together. As families grow and additional space is needed, they build straight up as there is no horizontal space. Some streets are extremely narrow with just room to walk. There are almost no places for the many youth to play. Noise is constant. 25,000 bodies are living in one square kilometer which is about 247 acres. That is more than 100 person per acre.

The following murals are on the wall outside of Balata. The first one depicts the happy life before 1948.

The second mural shows the sad time of leaving when Palestinians were forced out of their homes and became refugees or displaced persons within their own country. This event in 1948 is known as the Nakba, the Catastrophe.

Many Palestinians still have the keys to their homes, some now speak of their home village although they have never seen it, and the hope to return is still alive.

Refugees lived in UN tents for years before the building of permanent homes started.

If you view the murals and then turn around, you will be looking at the Greek Orthodox Church. We took the tour to the basement and viewed Jacob's Well. The quiet spacious green garden inside the walled church compound stands in stark contrast to the crowded, dusty camp right across the street.

MPT visited Balata recently and took an informal walk through the narrow streets talking with children and adults. We had tea with a shop keeper and his friend. He had been “visited” by soldiers recently but did not want to discuss it. His friend said, “He fears that any publicity may cause the soldiers to return.” This friend spent time in prison for reasons that were not clear to us. We dropped by the Yafa Cultural Center and had a nice conversation with a staff member. He reviewed the history and conditions at Balata. He also shared that Germany (indeed a German social worker sat in on this discussion) was helping to establish a mental health program, a clinic where support groups could meet and therapists could work. Psychological problems caused by overcrowding, stress, unemployment, abuse, grief and despair are rampant. He said, “It is a total community problem; everyone has mental health issues.” It was painful to see this man’s frustration as he said, “I continue to be a moderate but what good does it do? We have waited for freedom for over 60 years and nothing changes.”

Refugees tend to be more involved politically so it was no surprise to see many names on the list of martyrs.

Previous MPT teams have visited the Balata Refugee Camp on numerous occasions. Related MPT blog posts include:

http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2010/10/palestine-refugee-camp.html more information on Balata

http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2010/05/nakba-and-balata-refugee-camp.html the Nakba is discussed.

http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2010/05/nakba-and-balata-refugee-camp-part-ii.html includes reflections on the Nakba, the Catastrophe.

"Body in the Frig"

2011-11-06T13:31:00.005+02:00

Nablus, the birth place of Abu Zent.

Shortly after we arrived in Huwwara (during the time when we had no internet at our home)we were told about the arrival in Nablus of the body of a prisoner who had died 35 years ago. “They kept his body in the frig”, the Palestinians told us. We were intrigued and decided to investigate at a later time. We then heard that it is common practice to require Palestinian prisoners to serve out their entire sentences … even if they died before the time was up. In other words, if one has a 50 year sentence and dies after serving 30, the corpse is required to serve out the remaining 20 years. Such a policy disturbed us. Was it a psychological punishment for prisoners? Was it collective punishment? (Collective punishment is often used to punish a family or community for the actions of one or more members. Collective punishment is illegal under international law.) And, of course, the big question was – Is there any truth to these comments? The following is what we have learned from multiple sources.

Hafeth Abu Zent was born in Nablus on May 24, 1954, and was killed while conducting a military operation in response to the death of a Palestinian child. He died on May 14, 1976. “The body had been kept for 35 years in the so-called Israeli Cemetery of Numbers” - the Ma’an News Agency reported. The practice of keeping some bodies in this unique cemetery is well documented. Graves are numbered so no one can identify who is buried where except the Israeli military. Reports vary but generally claim that there are between 250 and 350 Palestinian bodies being thus held. Some suggest that release of the bodies would allow for autopsies which might show evidence of mistreatment. Others suggest that the organs were harvested for transplanting.

Sorting out truth from fiction can be a challenge. MPT is committed to accurate reporting.

Olive Harvest as seen through our eyes this season; part III: Jit

2011-11-05T12:19:00.006+02:00

We parked the car at the top of this desolate looking valley and began to walk down. It felt like we were walking into a lifeless waste zone.

If you read our blogs about the demonstrations at Kafr Qaddum, you may recall that Jit is the village at the other end of the short closed road. MPT has a history of picking in Jit where there have been numerous problems with settlers. Villagers picked just south of Jit recently at a spot very near the back side of this small army camp. Israeli activists were present to support them at the tenuous location. The army was apparently uncomfortable with the situation. The story we heard was “the soldiers came out and told the Palestinian to leave the areas nearest the army camp. Only the Israelis were allowed to pick in those areas.” The Israelis could not return for day two so the MPT was asked to come.

We arrived to find trees in desperate need of plowing and pruning. The farmer said “We have 167 trees in this area. Our production of olives has decreased by 90% in the last ten years.” He went on to share that they only get one or two days per year to access this area so do not have time to care for the trees. “Tree are like are children.” We are often told. “If you do not care for them, they do not grow properly.” The farmer then said, “We picked 100 trees yesterday so only need to pick 67 today.” If you have never picked olives, then such numbers may hold little meaning for you. But they struck terror in our hearts. 67 trees in one day! We often do only 20 or 30 trees in a hard long day. But it soon became apparent that these trees were in sad shape. Many were done within minutes. In fact it was a quick and easy process. We finished by early afternoon.

The “farmer” has a Master Degree and teaches High School science. He is about 35 with a family and would like to work on his PhD. Many of the people we work with are very highly educated, articulate, and knowledgeable individuals.

Burned olives trees near the edge of the valley.

An MPTer picks very near a military camp.

We found this flare in the olive grove. It appears to be the type that would be fired up in the air to light up an area at night.

Back to Kafr Qaddum

2011-11-05T10:09:00.012+02:00

This Friday for a second time MPT members went back to the village of Kafr Qaddum to show support for the village’s struggle in reclaiming its key road to Nablus. More than hundred demonstrators had gathered, the vast majority of whom were Palestinians. The local council of the village had prepared big posters with the image of Abu Mazin (Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas) in support of his going to the UN. A smaller poster read “UNESCO said Yes to Palestine” and a third one had the image of the Foreign Israeli Minister Avigdor Lieberman and condemned his opposing the UNESCO vote. Children took a poster in hand and the weekly protest started with them in the lead.

Demonstrators chanted in Arabic “Palestine is free”, “Go ahead Abu Mazin”, “Liberman go away”. There was way more global of a message crystallizing this time. It was not only about the lost road to settlers; a distinct political message concerning the UN vote and UNESCO’s acceptance of Palestine was present as well. This time we walked much further. The razor wire and soldiers were located further from the edge of the village. The army’s chief commander approached the group of protestors with two other soldiers behind him and three others protecting them on the side. They addressed Murad, the spokesman of the demonstrators, by name and then we witnessed a ten minute conversation between the later and the Israeli commander in Arabic.

We found out later that during this conversation the soldiers attempted to set conditions for the protest but the Palestinians refused to comply with them unless they had their road back and the other side followed some rules themselves.
The soldiers retreated and then an international, a Canadian Jew, took the loudspeakers on behalf of the demonstrators. He addressed the soldiers in Yiddish and English questioning their grounds for being armed and shooting tear gas when all the villagers were unarmed and just wanted their road back; why was it that both Palestinians and Israelis couldn’t use it. This was a powerful speech and it was followed by one of a small Palestinian girl in Arabic.

There was five minutes of a pause there during which soldiers were advising one another and two sides faced each other peacefully.

Then we retreated back and the demonstration continued; a couple of stones thrown from the Palestinian side, tear gas shot immediately back from the Israeli one, many canisters at a time and right at the demonstrators. Protesters set a couple of tires on fire that made lots smoke as the wind was blowing towards the soldiers. With each tear-gas shooting the soldiers would advance little by little towards us till they were already inside the village. There were a lot of canisters coming straight at us and fast. We saw two Palestinians getting injured: one of them was hit with a tear-gas canister in the hand and was taken away by the ambulance; another one broke his foot while running away from the tear-gas canisters. We learned after the demonstration’s end that two others needed treatment for gas inhalation. Some of the tear-gas canisters were shot at houses. We saw an entire family going out from one of the houses, children crying.

It was not only houses that were not spared by the tear-gas. A Palestinian boy is trying to kick the tear gas canister away from the donkey

There was a sense of tangible spiritual victory for the Palestinians. After the end of the demonstration which lasted for about an hour, Palestinian men walked around the village together singing with big smiles on their faces.

Israel's unknown border

2011-11-04T22:53:00.004+02:00

It looks like a border but is it really Israel on one side and Palestine on the other?

Someone stated recently that Israel is the only country that does not know where its border are. If Israel says, “the Green Line is our border”, then they have to admit that their many settlements in the West Bank are actually in a foreign country. If they say ”the barrier wall is our border”, then they have to admit that they have annexed part of a neighboring country while at the same time admitting that many of their settlements are in a foreign country. If they say “there is no Palestine, it is all Israel from the sea to the Jordan River”, then they have annexed a foreign country and will not have a Jewish majority. It is an interesting dilemma. We would like to research the idea more and that will probably need to happen after our team time is over. Interested readers (who might like to comment, who have knowledge to share on this topic or who could point the team to resource materials) are encouraged to email the team at mpt.wb.office@gmail.com

We were reminded of this concern today during a flying check point stop on the road from Nablus almost to the village of Jit. We were traveling to a demonstration at Kafr Qaddum with other activists. It seemed obvious that the soldier knew we were not tourists going to Qalqiliya as was our agreed upon story. Everybody knows the game and they were pleasant enough and ended the stop by saying, “Welcome to …..(awkward delay)…Israel” It was like he knew how ridiculous and untruthful this would sound to a bunch of activists. I thought “You are a representative of the government of Israel. Are you indeed claiming that this is part of your country?”

Olive harvesting as experienced through our eyes this season; part II : Jamma'in

2011-11-04T21:30:00.016+02:00

Jamma'in is located about 6 km to the southwest of us. The stone quarry/cutting industry is a major source of employment and income for the village followed closely by agriculture – mainly olives. MPT accompanied a Jamma'in family on four occasions. They treated us very well – picking us up, feeding us two meals per day, and driving us home each evening.

Leaving home about 7:00 AM we started each day with a 30 minute tractor & trailer ride over a rough rocky road. We dropped down hill to the south from the village and crossed the major road toward the very large settlement of Ariel. The area between the road and Ariel is a huge olive grove. We picked at the high eastern edge of this grove finding ourselves uncomfortable near an outpost just off the western edge of the settlement of Kafr Tappuah. The family reported to us that last year a settler showed up one day with two threatening dogs. The following day internationals accompanied the family. About ten settlers arrived with guns. The internationals called the military who arrived and sent the settlers away. Understandably this family felt a strong need for international accompaniment.

We are pleased to report that the only disturbance to this year’s picking routine was the appearance of a wild boar. The men threw rocks and chased it off before either MPTers got a confirming glimpse or photo.

It takes this family about 10 days to complete their work. It is difficult to leave such a situation before completion but other needs called us away. We were happy to be able to assist in getting other internationals to join this family for most of their days. Much of the olive harvest work is just like this. Days are long and hard, friendships grow, stories are told, and goodbyes are filled with conflicting emotions.

...................…a view of the illegal Israeli outpost from as close as we chose to approach.

.....................This looks like a big pile but closer inspection identified it as a rock pile home which belonged to the previous generations of this family. Settlers now use it as a campout location or so we were told.

...........................This is the lower entrance; there is a sizable room inside and an interior stone stairway to the upper “deck”. The family was fearful of this place and asked us not to go there but one MPTer had already taken the tour.

…....................sorting olives prior to bagging. That is a stained MPT knee at the top of the photo. There was a lot of kneeling and picking off the ground with this family.

…........loading the trailer for the bumpy ride into the sunset down the hill and up into town.

........ We were fed in two different homes; one at a table with the father only dining with us; the other seated on the floor with the whole family present. The family included the nicest, cutest kids. They came and went so quickly we were never able to determine how many there were.

Olive harvesting as experienced through our eyes this season; part I : Burin

2011-11-02T19:24:00.011+02:00

“If the Olive Trees knew the hands that planted them, Their Oil would become Tears.”

― Mahmoud Darwish

As the olive harvesting season nears completion our team felt there were a lot of things worth sharing from our days immersed in the olive picking. We didn't happen to witness any of the violent settler attacks that took place this year. They happened but not where we were picking. Were we in the wrong place or were we the reason it did not become a problem area. Who knows? Sometimes the less dramatic stories need to be shared and it’s precisely those that we’ll try to relate in this blog entry as seen through our eyes.

Burin – amidst the settlements

The olive harvest this year started in early October and timed perfectly with our team’s arrival in Huwwara. Neighboring Burin was the first village where both picking and our work as team started.

Because of its location between mountains topped by two Israeli settlements Yizhar(with the Yitzar outpost) and Bracha, Burin falls completely into Area C of the West Bank and is under full Israeli control. Ytzhar is at the forefront of the so called "price tag" policy or campaign which calls for attacks against Palestinians in retaliation for actions of the Israeli government against West Bank settlements (for more information please visit: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/yitzhar-extremists-all-settlers-must-fight-construction-freeze-1.287512)

Yitzhar settlement

Those who own olive grove land must receive “prior coordination” from the Israeli Civil Administration (a part of the military administration) in order to be able to tend to their land. Many Palestinians cannot prove land ownership as customary traditions saw land being passed down from one generation to the next without the necessity for formal land registration. Others refuse to apply for “permission”, or if it is given, will only pick on days without it. We accompanied some families who had chosen to pick without permission from the Israeli army. The first day we picked a hundred meters away from Bracha. We saw the olive trees bordering the settlement that had been set on fire earlier in June this year along with about 1500 other trees were reported to have been burned in a single settler’s attack. The total number of trees reported to be destroyed in Burin this year goes up to 4000 and this number seems to be only going up every year. (http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=3412). (NOTE: We are unable to verify the accuracy of this data. 4000 seems extremely high given the data in the UN report of our previous blog.)

The second day we accompanied another family who chose to harvest without permission from the army. Despite our visibility from and proximity to the settlement of Yitzar, we could not help but be awed by the fact that these were obviously days devoid of fear. Farmers sang songs and joked around with internationals under the strong sun. This seemed as much of an act of resistance as picking without permission.

After a couple of days of picking with different families in Burin, we started to see familiar faces and in turn villagers also started recognizing us. While waiting at the village’s center for our work assignmetn, we were the object of unexpected gestures of kindness. A man selling flowers once approached us and merely handed a flower without saying a word, then went back to his morning duties. The small falafel shop sent a kid carrying some tasty sandwich for our second breakfast of the day. It felt good to be connected to these incredibly nice people and receiving these small but deeply appreciated tokens.

Olive Harvest Statistics and Thoughts

2011-11-02T18:23:00.003+02:00

An anecdotal example: Live entertainment was provided by Sami of Sinjil, a small village south of Huwwara just west of the main road to Ramallah. It only got better as they lit an old rickety grill and threw on big beef steaks. Some days have very pleasant surprises. Often the same day in a different location is full of misery and violence.

Anecdotal reports are interesting but can also be misleading. Sometimes we need good data from reputable sources. The UN came out with a report recently. We have tried to summarize it in a fair and concise manner. We hope this report helps you to understand the scope of the problems in Palestine.

-about 45% of the agricultural land in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) is planted with 12 million olive trees, mostly in the West Bank

-olives provide about one quarter of the gross agricultural income in the OPT and supports the livelihoods of approximately 100,000 families.

-44 out of 66 Barrier gates are only open during the harvest season, impeding the regular maintenance of the groves and undermining their productivity.

-some 40% of applications for ‘visitor permits’ (to access olive groves behind the Barrier) submitted by Palestinians on the eve of the 2010 harvest season, were rejected.

-In the vicinity of 55 Israeli settlements, Palestinian access to olive groves is limited to certain times during the harvest season, when Israeli forces are deployed on the ground.

-between January and September 2011, more than 7,500 olive trees belonging to Palestinians were uprooted, set on fire or otherwise vandalized by Israeli settlers.

-of 97 complaints about settler attacks against Palestinian trees, followed up by the Israeli NGO Yesh Din, none (zero) has so far led to the indictment of a suspect.

-in the Gaza Strip, over 7,300 dunums of land along the perimeter fence with Israel, that were previously cultivated with olive trees have been leveled during Israeli incursions in recent years.

If you wish, read the full report at http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_oliveharvest_FactSheet_October_2011_english.pdf

How many time do settlers really attack/harass? How many times do they not attack because internationals are present? Accurate answer would be insightful but we are not likely to find them. Could we say "too often" to the first and "not often enough" to the second?

Update from the 2011 Fall Team

2011-11-02T07:29:00.004+02:00

This picture was taken a few days ago. Our Huwwara home is on the right about as far up as can be seen. We don't see small boys dressed in a coat and tie very often.

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 2. We find ourselves unexpectedly at home. Plans to pick olives at Bil'in were nixed. Palestinians are to pass through a gate in the wall to pick olives on the Israeli side. We learned that internationals are not allowed to enter via this route. Today's pickers will have support as Israelis from Rabbis for Human Rights will join them from the Israeli side. We considered going the long route around but decided not to risk it because of the travel restrictions placed on one of our members.

We learned of a need just east of Tubas near the Taysir check point. Soldiers have turned back pickers recently but have granted permission to pick today. We planned to go but learned at 10:45 last night that the Palestinians have requested no internationals. We were told that the last time internationals came the soldiers cleared everyone from the groves. So today Palestinians decided their best chance to get in the crop was to go it alone.

And such is the pace of life for activists in the West Bank. Plans change quickly at times. This does provide us with a needed opportunity to catch up on rest, house work, planning and blogging. We thought that many of you might enjoy a simple accounting of our time/activities.

Since our arrival we have spent: 2 days in training with ISM, 2 days at demonstrations, 1 day at a work action, 1 day of vacation in Jericho, 17 days in picking olives, and the rest of time in initial travel, orientation, and work days at home. The olive harvest is winding down. We anticipate a change in pace with opportunities to visit other areas, network with other groups, educate ourselves further, take part in house sitting in East Jerusalem, attend some other demonstrations, continue the process of meeting our neighbors in Huwwara, and as always be ready for the unexpected.

We experienced our first flying check point yesterday. A Palestinian farmer had picked us up and was taking us on the back road from Jammain to Deir Istiya to avoid soldiers who had stopped him on the way over. He just laughed when he discovered from passing cars that the soldiers had moved to this road. This was the second time we have watched this man deal with soldiers. He speaks Hebrew and is polite and calm after years of experience. Passports were inspected; we got back on our way; our driver said, "The soldier said - Tell those two not to start any trouble today." Such is the nature of our reception - suspicion and rejection from one side with love and appreciation from the other.

One of Bil'in's main activist in the non-violent struggle against the Wall has been arrested

2011-10-29T20:28:00.010+02:00

Yet another Friday of resistance in Bil’in took place this week. MPTers walked along with residents, other internationals and Israelis to the land given back to the people of Bil’in after they won a case with the Israeli court in 2007, and continued further to where the demonstration would nowadays take place. It took for this small but significant victory for the people of Bil’in four years to be actualized when in June this year the army finally dismantled the Wall in the village and relocated it 150 acres further back into the land of the Modi’in Illit settlement. Even according to the new path 435 acres of village land still remain behind the fence. The demonstrations still continue on a weekly basis and are against the very existence of the separation Wall and the Israeli occupation.

The mood this Friday was grim. The reason for that is that during the last week’s demonstration, on the 21^st of October, Ashraf Abu Rahmah, brother of two Bil’in casualties, had been arrested and accused of throwing stones during the protest. This happened as demonstrators were already walking towards the village on their way back. The soldiers surprisingly crossed the gate and drove with four army jeeps into the village, then arrested Ashraf. To see the video of Ashraf getting arrested please go to International Solidarity Movement’s website: http://popularstruggle.org/content/ashraf-abu-rahmah-brother-two-bilin-casualties-arrested-during-protest

The Israeli soldiers promised to release Ashraf if the demonstration was dispersed but failed to keep their promise after this was done and instead drove away with him in one of their jeeps.

You may remember Ashraf from the following story when in 2009 he was blindfolded and shot in the foot in Nil’in by an Israeli soldier, here is the story as MPT members have related it then: http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2009/07/stories-from-bilin-and-nilin.html

Ashraf’s brother, Bassem was shot dead during Bil’in demonstration in April 17^th, 2009 with a high-velocity tear gas canister that shot him in the chest. Their sister Jawaher is another member of the Abu Rahmah family who lost her life at Bil’in’s peaceful demonstration in December 31^st 2010 after inhaling a massive amount of tear gas.

Witnesses to last week’s demonstration have provided evidence in terms of videos and photos proving that Ashraf, one of Bil’in’s main activist in the non-violent struggle, has demonstrated peacefully as every Friday on the day of 23^rd of October when his arrest occurred, and has not thrown any stones. Despite this evidence Ashraf has been ordered an indefinite extension of his arrest, until the end of legal procedures against him and is still under arrest in the notorious Ofer Prison.

One week after his arrest along with slogans like “End the Occupation” and “Palestine will be state”, we shouted “Free Ashraf” to the soldiers on the other side of the Wall this Friday.

The old barrier stood here. The truck could have not gone any further before July of this year.

Tear gas was shot yet another time at the demonstrators

Two Israeli activists confront the soldiers

Rani Burnet is one of the witnesses of last week's protest and Ashraf's arrest. Part of his body was paralyzed after he had live ammunition shot in his neck by an Israeli soldier in 2000. This hasn't prevented him in participating regularly in the non-violent struggle of his village up to this day.

Demonstration in Kafr Qaddum

2011-10-24T19:00:00.005+02:00

Last Friday (21^st of Oct) our team headed to the village of Kafr Qadum to attend a demonstration that takes place weekly since July of this year. We arrived early and were fortunate to learn more about the situation by the organizers themselves. In 2003 the main road east from the village linking it with Nablus was blocked by members of the illegal Israeli settlement of Qadumim (built in 1976) and has not accessable to Palestinian ever since. After unsuccessful attempts during the last six years to gain justice through the Israeli High Court, the popular committee of Kafr Qaddum took the matter in its own hands and started organizing the weekly demonstrations claiming their key road back. Residents now have to drive 26km to get to Nablus instead of 13km. This leads not only to increased expenses but to delayed arrivals at the Nablus hospital. Three children from the village have passed away during the recent years after failing to receive urgent medical care in Nablus on time. Since July until now six young people have been arrested for taking part in the demonstrations.

The demonstration started right after the Muslim’s noon prayer as Palestinians and internationals walked together on the road. It was already blockaded by the Israeli Occupational Forces close to the end of the village. We approached to a distance of about 50m from the soldiers to where barbed wire was strung across the road. Youth began throwing stones and within a couple of minutes tear gas was fired at the demonstrators. The wind, road, and building lay out was such that the tear gas just followed us down the road as we all ran to escape.

After recovering the demonstration participants approached the blockade again and the process repeated itself. This time when the demonstrators began to run MPTers slipped down a side street and were given shelter by some Palestinians. We were able to see and photograph the soldiers as they entered the village on two separate occasions.

We heard sound bombs and tear gas being fired. Other participants reported the use of rubber coated steel bullets. The demonstration ended around 1:00 PM. It was later reported that the soldiers announced that there would be no olive harvesting on Friday and Saturday although the villagers already had permission.

Life returned to normal quickly in Kafr Qaddum. Kids were playing soccer in the street, no one was arrested this time but one young man was hit by a tear gas canister in the leg and the road is still closed.

Two days immersed in Deir Istiya

2011-10-23T20:53:00.031+02:00

We posted this blog on Thursday, Oct 27. We do not understand why it reads 10-23-11.

This is a view of the Deir Istiya skyline for the walls of the “old city”.

The village of Deir Istiya is one of the West Bank’s largest in terms of land mass originally including 34000 dunums (8500 acres) of which approximately 900 dunums (225 acres) were built up. Dier Istiya is located SW of Nablas and about 15 km from the Green Line. The community has lost approximately one third of its land to the construction of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts. Outposts are illegal even under Israeli law.

The list of losses include (date, settlement name, area lost - 4 dunums=1 acre)

-in 1978, Karne Shomron, 2000 dunums

-1981, Yakir, 3000 dunums

-1982, Emmanuel, 5150 dunums

-1988, Nofim, 500 dunums

-1991, Revava, 1570 dunums

-2000, Gina Shomron, 500 dunums

-2000, an outpost between Karne Shomron and Ginat Shomron, 450 dunums

-2000, another outpost near Revava, 500 dunums

Reported difficulties for the village include:

-reduction of grazing land by 30% as villagers are not allowed on their land which happens to be near to a settlement.

-deliberate pumping of waste water into Wadi Qana causing negative impact on the agricultural diversity and the pollution of drinking water.

-closure of much of the agricultural land causing major access problem for plowing, pruning and harvesting.

-ongoing attacks on the villagers by settlers including live ammunition, sound bombs, and beatings

-(unconfirmed by MPT) the release of wild boar which damage the land and crops

Both members of the MPT 2011 Fall team spent Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 25-26, immersed in the harvest and life of this ancient village. We picked both days and spent the night with a Palestinian family. The following pictures and text share our observations.

We drove to the olive groves in an old truck as the farmer explained that there was a much shorter easier route but they were not allowed to drive that close to the settlement. After a bumpy ride on a very rough road, we started the 10 minute walk to the grove. We were very surprised to be so close to the outpost and also to the settlement of Revava – both clearly visible in the picture.

This is not Wadi Qana as mentioned above but the same process of fouling the land with waste water is practiced in this area. It is hard to express the disgust we felt for a community that would do such to their neighbors’ crop land and for a larger system that would allow such pollution to continue. The water had a slight flow to it indicating that there was an ongoing release of the fluid. But it was basically a putrid stagnant mess of liquid waste. It was impossible to determine what all might be in it.

A tanker truck appeared on the second day and we were told that it would dump bad water to drain into their olive grove. We tried but were not able to confirm that it was dumping.

This lady is trying to harvest some olives from this small tree which is surrounded by filth. We were told this tree would die and saw evidence of other flooded trees having already died. Furthermore, the family reported that too much water prior to harvest negatively impacts the quality and quantity of olive oil.

The picking took place very near the outpost and the settlement. We gained enough altitude to look right down into the outpost.

We were never able to see more than the edges of Revava, the settlement. We were visited by the soldiers and the settlement security. As we were picking during the allowed time, these visits were routine - "no problem" as our Hebrew speaking farmer was inclined to say.

Our landlords reported to us that wild pigs have been released to damage crops in the plains of Huwwara and that a lady was recently hospitalized after being attacked by one. When picking in Jammain, the men said they saw one and chased it off by throwing stones. Wild pigs (boars as they are often called in the USA)can be a huge problem. We are not able to give you an eyewitness account, but the farmer also said, “See the damage that pigs have done to the ground and to this tree.”

We often see a very small scat which all of the folks have said is gazelle. I asked about this much larger scat and was told, “Pig”.

It appears that the wild pig/boar is indigenous to Israel/Palestine. There does not seem to be any clear evidence that anybody has intentionally released them. There is thought that the wall has effected their migration and Israeli army report have shown skyrocketing populations in some areas.

The farmers are not allowed into the groves before 8:00 AM (no picking in the cool hours of the morning even though it is light enough by 6:00) and must be out or moving in that direction by 4:00 PM. Here is the farmer and one MPTer walking out to the truck past the outpost at the end of the day. After dinner a young family member drove us to meet our taxi and said, "They steal our olives; they foul our water; we have nothing left but the air we breathe. Thank you for coming. You give us hope.”

"Welcome" to Israel - Welcome to Palestine

2011-10-23T14:55:00.002+02:00

Two members or the Michigan Peace Team arrived in Huwarra on Thursday, Oct. 8. Entering an area of struggle such a Israel/Palestine is a truly unique experience. We thought you might be interested in the greetings we received.

One member entered with no difficulty. The other was pulled aside at the airport, made to wait, then interrogated (“Why so long? Why Turkish Air? Are you a journalist? Are you familiar with ISM? Who do you know in the West Bank? Do you intend to do any violence against Israel? ….and so on), made to wait again, and then abruptly told, “You must sign this document or you will not be allowed to enter Israel.” The form was mostly in Hebrew but did say in English, “…agree not to enter PLO controlled areas.” Such was one member’s “welcome” to Israel.

A few days later in Huwarra we began visiting around town and handing out cards (in Arabic) explaining our work. A man approached one of us asking “You need help?” He read our card and then said, “Welcome Welcome Welcome.” We stopped at the small grocery store down the hill from our home to pick up a few things for our home. We gave the clerk one of our cards; he refused payment saying, “You come to help us; first time you pay nothing.” Our first taxi driver quoted a low price, he dropped us at our junction saying “you pick olives, thank you” – he then refused to take any money. Such was our welcome to Palestine.

Palestinian Prisoners' Hunger Strike

2011-10-23T12:29:00.006+02:00

Thank you for your patience. We have been without internet access in our Huwwara home since we arrived. We will begin posting blogs today. .........the 2011 MPT Fall Team.

The fall team met in Jerusalem and traveled directly to Ramallah for two days of additional training. Before leaving for Huwwara we visited a tent in Ramallah where persons are on a hunger strike in support of the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in the many Israeli prisons. Civil law structures exist in most countries but such is not the case for Palestinians. They are under a military law which allows for “administrative detention” for up to six months without being charged with a crime or having a hearing. Such detentions can be extended. Palestinians who actively try to resist the occupation even by peaceful nonviolent means are often detained in this manner. The hunger strike is meant to denounce all of that as well as the living conditions inside Israel's prisons such as solitary confinement, ban of visitation, and the lack of medical attention. Apparently the hunger strike continues even after the deal Hamas and Israel reached on Oct. 11 for the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

It didn't take us long to notice the two tents for right in the middle of one of the buzzing with life central squares in Ramallah. There was an old man nearby who seemed to want to talk to us. We went and greeted him and right away he started telling us his story with an unseeing look in his eyes. He told us the names of his relatives who were imprisoned, then pointed to his lower jaw that was completely toothless and made the gesture of teeth being pulled out. Even with some Arabic skills we were unable to determine much of what he was saying. But it was intense with emotion and this needed no words to be conveyed, we clearly felt it. Then tears came out of his eyes. We were unable to communicate with words but hope that our willingness to listen and to share time showed him that we cared. We took his picture and shook hands. We walked away with sadness, hopefully carrying away of a bit of his burden.

Stories of the Olive Harvest in the West Bank

2011-10-13T18:39:00.002+02:00

The MPT Team in the field is busy supporting Palestinian farmers as they engage in nonviolent restistance to the illegal Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

Today, the team had dinner with a local family in a village near Nablus, eating with about 25 Palestinian locals. It was a great chance to make connections and help build recognition, trust, and community for MPT and local folks involved in nonviolent resistance.

As you may know, sometimes things move slowly under occupation, and the Palestinian economy has been all but devastated by the intentional effects of Israeli policy. The team is still working daily with local folks to restore internet and phone access at the main house.

In the meantime, we encourage you to read the archives about Olive Harvest time. Here are some selected articles written my MPT direct from the field, that you might find informational and engaging:

Internationals make a difference with protective accompaniment during Olive Harvest.

What it's like growing olives in the West Bank.

Brief retelling of one incident of settlers stealing olives.

Olive Harvest Accompaniment, and Internet difficulties for Team in WB

2011-10-09T20:06:00.002+02:00

The MPT Fall 2011 team is safe and well and settled in at our home base location in the West Bank this week.

They have been meeting with local folks and our contacts in the area to renew connections and let folks know we are back on the ground for the coming season.

They have begun accompaniment for the Olive harvest time, helping to reduce the threat of violence when asked to go into the fields with Palestinians picking their crops.

For the time being, the demands of this busy time and very limited access to Internet means it will be a few more days at least until the team can post full first hand reports of their work. Keep watching as they will be up soon!

To read more about what Olive Harvest time is like, search "olive harvest" in the search box above for last year's Fall posts.

Thank you for your continued support, and leave your comments for the team on the blog comments section!

Fall 2011 Team Members Arrive Safely

2011-10-04T03:58:00.000+02:00

The whole MPT Family wishes to thank everyone who helped make this team possible, from volunteers, to donors, to staff members.

The team will begin posting reports from the field within the next few days, when they arrive at their home base location. They have arrived in country safely.

We look forward to hearing your comments on our blog!

Nicole Rohrkemper
Michigan Peace Team

Cultivating Hope

2011-09-08T06:00:00.002+02:00

Here on the slopes of hills, facing the dusk and the cannon of time
Close to the gardens of broken shadows,
We do what prisoners do,
And what the jobless do:
We cultivate hope.

-----Mahmud Darwish

Dear MPT friends,

This is Gaby, still hoping to be a part of the MPT’s peace team in Palestine this fall with Fred as my teammate. Thanks so much to those who have already contributed to our team’s cause. It’s a great and empowering feeling to be privileged with the support from people we may not even know personally but who are like-minded and are willing to be a part of our work in Palestine by making it financially possible.

We are hoping to be able to leave in the beginning of October and thus our time to fundraise is limited. To make this trip happen, we still need to raise more funds. Since I am the one who is in the greater financial need and who entirely counts on fundraised money to make this trip happen, I thought I could tell you more about myself and my motivation to be on a peace team so that you can feel more like you actually know me.

After I came back from being trained to be on MPT’s peace team I’ve had quite some time to reflect on what it means to be a non-violent presence in a conflict-torn country. I had to formulate my opinions and strengthen my convictions in order to stand up to family and friends concerned about my safety, in order to try to make them understand. While I still haven’t managed to accomplish the latter, in the process of trying to do so, it became more and more clear to me the importance of taking an active stand.

I’ve been doing quite a lot of volunteer work but it ultimately felt like I had to be elsewhere, do something else, something greater. Working with refugees felt like I could go a step further, to where the root cause of their situation laid. With my studies of Arabic and Middle-Eastern culture and history it all naturally lead me to Palestine and a quick search on the Internet brought me to the Michigan Peace Team. I am also lucky enough to be in the US right now so that I had the chance to fly to Michigan and get trained. It feels like all the past events and my background have been secretly preparing me for this trip and I do feel like that this will be a very significant journey in my life.

While studying in the university, my colleagues and I all dreaded the Palestinian-Israeli conflict being drawn-out in a History exam. It was the most complicated question. When engaging in a conversation with someone about it, what people most often say is that this is a very ancient problem, impossible to solve. I believe that somewhere in the “writing it off” as “a complicated issue” we’re dismissing the human side of it along with the actual people involved in it, born in it and living through it every day of their lives. I believe that the only way to be truly reminded of that is to be there with them, with those for whom the “cultivation of hope” (as Mahmud Darwish has put it) has turned out to be such a difficult and yet not impossible task. It’s an offer hard to turn down and the personal growth that would come along with this work is undisputable.

Fred has already described the donation methods for our team’s fall trip in his fund-raising letter. You may also donate by clicking on the Network For Good button on the top right corner of this page and designate Fall Team 2011. Michigan Peace Team is a grass-roots organization with a very modest budget. My team will need to cover all of our costs, including plane ticket, training, and food/lodging on the ground. While at this point I can cover the cost of my air fare thanks to kind donations, I still need to fundraise the money necessary for food/lodging on the ground. The cost of living per person per day in the West Bank is 30$. If you are willing to support us financially to make this trip happen, you can kindly sponsor one day for a team member in the West Bank. Of course, any donations, large or small, are welcomed. I want to personally express my gratitude for those who choose to do so, as well for everyone who supports us spiritually.

I really hope our next blog post will be from the Holy Lands…

Most grateful,

Gaby

My fund raising letter

2011-08-30T20:42:00.006+02:00

August 2011

Dear Friends,

A small bird found lying on her back was asked, “Why?” She responded, “I heard the sky is falling.” “And you think that you can hold up the heavens with those spindly legs?” To which she replied, “One does what one can do.”

I traveled to Palestine in 2009 with the Michigan Peace Team to do what I could do. Although I did not anticipate a second trip, I find myself called to return. I will spend about 7 weeks working in northern Palestine near Nablus this fall. As this is olive harvest time much of our work will be in the groves accompanying and picking with farmers. We work only in problematic areas, e.g. areas near settlements (illegal Israeli communities built inside Palestine in violation of international law.) We may also monitor checkpoints, attend demonstrations, visit places and groups, continue to learn about the many complicated issues, and be a peaceful support for the downtrodden (Luke 4:18). Simply providing some hope and support can be powerful deterrents to violence.

Gaby, my team mate from Bulgaria, has experience working with refugees and children in multiple international situations. She speaks many languages including Arabic and fluent English. Her talents and experiences will be very helpful. We travel as a team, work as a team, and share expenses as team. Many non-profits cover expenses and/or provide some compensation; MPT does not have those financial resources. Teams need to fund raise.

Gaby (age 27) and I are in very different situations. One of us has spent recent years volunteering rather than accumulating wealth and, after a long career, the other is financially comfortable. If you feel led to donate (donations to MPT are tax deductable), you may wish to consider the following options:

1. Donate quickly and easily at www.networkforgood.org —just enter “Michigan Peace Team” in the Charity Name search on the left side of the page—then click “Donate Now”. Please note - “2011 fall team –Gaby” if you want 100% to be used to cover Gaby’s expenses OR write “2011 fall team” if you want your donation split evenly.

2. Send a check (payable to Michigan Peace team) to MPT, 808 W. Barnes, Lansing, MI 48912-2220. On the memo line write “2011 fall team –Gaby” if you want 100% to be used to cover Gaby’s expenses OR write “2011 fall team” if you want your donation split evenly.

3. If for some reasons (injury, emergency, etc.) our trip does not proceed or is cut short, Tax Codes and MPT procedure do not allow for the return of donations. All donations would go toward nonviolence work and/or future peace teams. If this reality is a concern, you could opt to mail your MPT check to me. I will hold it and forward it to MPT in late September. Thus if problems occur prior to that time, I can return your check to you. (Contact me for mailing address - Fred)

Donate anytime but those received prior to Sept. 20 would be most helpful.

We will report regularly about our experiences at http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/

I will be sharing individually on my personal blog (contact me for the URL – Fred)

A part of our commitment is to share about the experience after our return. Please consider how and when I might be able to present a program or join a discussion.

Whether through material acts or spiritual acts, thank you so much for your continuing support. Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns, or comments. Some of you may consider my involvement unsafe, unwise, or misguided. I might have felt so myself a number of years ago. The more I have learned; the more I feel called to this kind of involvement. I encourage you to continue learning about the issues – this one or some other, discern the appropriate action for your understanding, and to do what you can you.

in Peace, Fred

www.michiganpeaceteam.org

New Fall Team

2011-08-21T16:18:00.007+02:00

Hello Friends of MPT,

This will be my second trip to Palestine with MPT. I am excited to be going back, seeing old friends, making new ones and learning more about the changes in the last two years. The Fall Team will be staying in Huwarra again, the same house, so I anticipate feeling somewhat "at home". My teammate is Gaby. She will add statements of her own.

That is me on the right and Gaby on the left.

in Peace, Fred

Hello, my name is Gaby and I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend almost a whole week in Michigan in the company of the incredibly courageous and inspiring folks from Michigan Peace Team and my fellow teammate. Travelling across the country to be here was definitely a worthwhile decision to take and I am currently looking forward to being a part of the Fall Team in the West Bank and I have set all my hopes that I would be able to fund-raise the necessary amount of money to make this trip happen.

I have gotten to know the Middle East and its amazingly warm and hospitable people in the process of my studies and some of my trips but I have never been in Palestine before. Therefore I am truly excited by the possibility to head there soon and hopefully offer my no matter how small personal contribution to a more peaceful situation.

Update on Sandy Q. Injuries & Legal Action, Thank You for Support!

2011-06-10T01:09:00.000+03:00

Teamer Recovering from Broken Wrists, Filing Civil and Criminal Lawsuits

Read about Accountability of Israeli "Security" Forces on Yesh-Din's website.

Thank you to all our friends and members who have voiced their support of the Spring Team and member Sandy Quintano after she suffered serious injuries as a result of assault by Israeli authority forces on May 1st, 2011.

You support has been overwhelming. Sandy would like everyone to know she is at home and recovering from two broken wrists and a head injury (the head injury turned out not to be serious). She maintains her positive outlook and attitude, as ever. She is recieving medical treatment from her physicians and is currently in a split on each wrist (the left one, she is happy to report, she can remove for periods of time now!). Her right wrist has a more severe break, and will require more extensive treatment and physical therapy.

Sandy reminds us that it's everyday violence against Palestinians that is the biggest issue, as she has been on two Peace Teams with MPT and has seen the results of the occupation first hand.

Sandy is continuing her work opposing military violence and the occupation, by preparing to file both Civil and Criminal charges against those who injured her. She is working with the organization Yesh Din and Israeli attorneys to prepare her case. Reporting and raising awarness about these kinds of abuses of power and military violence against unarmed, nonviolent civilians is key, according to Yesh Din.

We hope to share more and cover the progress of the legal actions as matters develop. Sandy's team continues the work of doing follow up to their team experience, and supporting one another through this situation. Please watch for additional reports from the team on our Palestine blog in the near future.

Read about the MPT West Bank Spring Team's experience standing in nonviolent solidarity against Israeli forces, and Sandy's serious injuries on the front lines of the demonsation.

“Allah Loves Gentleness in all Matters”: one peace worker’s experience at an Israeli checkpoint

2011-05-30T22:15:00.002+03:00

On the day that my teammate and I left the West Bank we took a bus from Ramallah to Jerusalem. Just before the bus arrived at the checkpoint it stopped, and two armed Israeli soldiers boarded and began to check everyone’s identification. As one soldier turned to talk to another passenger, his machine gun hit my teammate on the shoulder. He seemed not to notice, and I do not think that this move was intentional, especially since international travelers usually are treated with much more courtesy than is extended to Palestinians. Still even when it is by accident, being hit with someone’s automatic weapon is unnerving.

After the soldiers checked our passports, they told us to take our bags, get off of the bus and proceed to a nearby building. In order to do this we crossed a yard with more soldiers, more weapons, a view of the high concrete separation wall, barbed wire, and a vehicle so heavily fortified with military accessories that it looked more like a tank than a jeep. When we reached the building we waited in a line that was not long, but moved slowly. I saw a Palestinian woman who had gotten there ahead of us walking away from the checkpoint and back towards the West Bank. She held what looked like a green-colored passport and seemed upset. I wondered what had happened.

When we got to the front of the line, large metal turnstile doors were turned on electronically to allow my teammate to enter the building. After about ten minutes I was admitted as well. I then put my luggage through the screening machine and gave my passport to an official who was standing behind a thick glass window. At this point, my teammate was told that there was “a problem with her passport” and that they would have to “check on it.” MPT teams stay together in such situations, so we were both instructed to “step aside.” From where were told to stand, we could not see the security personnel. We had no idea how long we would have to stay there or what was wrong. It seemed like we waited for a very long time, although in truth I do not think that it was more than a half an hour.

One of the officials appeared and instructed us to proceed through a heavy door. We were then left in a metal, windowless room that could not have been more than five feet long and five feet wide. What I found particularly strange and somewhat unsettling about this space was that it had a grate for a ceiling. It felt very much like being in a cage. Once again we were told to wait for an unspecified amount of time and without any explanation. I wondered what would happen next. Would there be more rooms? Would there be some sort of interrogation?

I remembered the story told to me just a few weeks beforehand by an elderly woman I met in Jerusalem. I will talk about her in general terms as I know that she would be terrified if she thought that anyone might suspect her of criticizing the Israeli state. She is Jewish, speaks fluent Hebrew, and loves Israel where she lives half of the year. She also holds a passport from a Western country that supports Israel. All of these factors work in her favor as far as Israeli officialdom is concerned. However, she was born in an Arab country, and this makes her suspect in their eyes.

She will insist to anyone who questions her that she cannot help where she was born and that she holds no Arab sympathies, but this did not stop airport security from detaining her for four hours the last time she tried to enter Israel. She told me how during that time she was kept in a room so small that it was impossible for her to sit while one official after another interrogated her. Sometimes they posed questions that were ordinary but repeated over and over again. Other times they made outlandish accusations. She confided her story so that it might serve as a warning to me, and at one point in the conversation she leaned forward and spoke with an intensity and seriousness that startled me; she said “be very careful of what you say, you never know who is listening.”

I then thought of the abuses that Palestinians often suffer at checkpoints, well- documented by humanitarians and peace workers (Israeli, Palestinian and international), as well as the many accounts of Palestinians who have been tortured in Israeli prisons and have the scars to prove it. I knew that as an American citizen, there was little danger that I would suffer any such fate, but how long would I have to stay in this building made of metal and concrete that seemed designed to intimidate, and what might I be forced to see or hear while I am here?

I decided that this train of thought was not helpful, so I tried to calm my mind by focusing on my breath and a tiny spot on the zipper of my suitcase. Just as I was starting to feel as though I was prepared mentally to face the worst, the silence was broken by a voice that came over the intercom above our heads. It instructed us to take our bags and leave. When we got to the other side of the door, my teammate asked one of the guards what the “problem” with her passport was, but no explanation was given. Again we were told to leave. We then went to the parking lot on the other side of the building to wait for another bus to take us into Jerusalem.

When the bus arrived it was ordinary and not particularly luxurious, but when I stepped onto it I felt like I was stepping into a sanctuary. Finally, I was free of the checkpoint. I cannot tell you what type of music was playing on the radio, all l I remember is that it seemed incredibly soothing. After I took my seat, I noticed a sign above the driver’s head. It said “Allah loves gentleness in all matters.” I am not a Muslim[1], nor would I describe myself as a religious person, but I found this message to be extremely comforting. I let my gaze rest upon it. It was as if the bus driver knew that all of the passengers had just experienced a form of low-level, but nevertheless anxiety-producing, violence at the hands of a military state and wanted to reassure us that our relatively meek and nonaggressive response to it was not a sign of weakness nor was it reason to be ashamed, but rather praiseworthy behavior.

Suddenly I felt a connection with the bus driver, the other passengers and with the thousands of Palestinians who must pass through checkpoints every day, for some twice a day, and maintain a calm exterior despite whatever feelings of helplessness, fear or anger that might arise. I looked at the Palestinian women and men in simple, loose-fitting clothing. They sat quietly. Some looked out of the windows. Soon they would gather their belongings and begin the day in Jerusalem. “Allah loves gentleness in all matters” - why doesn’t this type of story ever reach the headlines?

[1] It should be noted that “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for God, and Muslims consider it to be the same God as that of the Christians and the Jews. While it is often associated with Islam it is not exclusive to Islam.

Tourism as a vehicle for right-wing Israeli political propaganda: the reflections of one peace worker’s experiences on a trip to the Dead Sea

2011-05-25T20:27:00.005+03:00

Recently I decided to take a break from work. What better way to escape temporarily from modern stresses and political conflict than to spend a day at the Dead Sea floating in the briny water, sun bathing, and covering my skin with mineral-rich mud? Surely there is nothing controversial about a trip to enjoy the beauty of one of the world’s natural wonders - or so I thought.

As soon as the tour bus, filled with travelers from around the world, left Jerusalem, a voice came over the loud speaker telling us that the Israelis had “made the desert bloom.” The tour guide talked with pride about Israeli irrigation techniques and how from an aerial view it is easy to tell where Israelis live because those areas are green. What this guide did not mention was the very serious problem of water discrimination suffered by Palestinians who live under Israeli occupation. For example, the Jordon Valley, a region that includes nearly 30% of the land in the West Bank and refers to the area west of both the Jordon river and of the northern part of the Dead Sea, is the most fertile part of the Palestinian territories, yet 98% of the water resources in the Jordon Valley have been put under the control of Israel through a series of military decrees. The state water company Mekorot provides water to the Israeli settlers, who illegally occupy Palestinian land, at subsidized rates not available to the Palestinians who then must pay many more times the price for the same water. In addition, because Palestinians are prohibited from digging wells more than 200 meters deep, the water from their shallow wells often drains into Israeli wells which are between 500-1200m deep.[1]

Not only did this tour guide neglect to mention the issue of water discrimination suffered by Palestinians, she completely omitted the Palestinians from her narrative, despite the fact that much of the bus trip involved driving through the Palestinian territory of the West Bank and past Palestinian homes and people. The story we were told was based on the “myth of empty lands,” a phrase used by historians and others to describe the mentality of settlers intent on acquiring new territory at the expense of the already-existing indigenous population. (The phrase often is used when describing the attitudes of European settlers in colonial North America and South Africa). This mindset denies the existence of the people whose livelihoods depend upon their ability to use the land on which they live and their ancestors have lived for centuries. Part of the power and appeal of this “myth of empty lands” for those who believe in it, is that even if it has little to do with reality, it expresses certain political goals and aspirations. Every time that Palestinians are driven off of their land, this myth seems to come closer to the truth.

A number of times the bus passed rows of tree stumps, and although I cannot be certain, they looked very much like the remains of former Palestinian olive groves. Such remains exist throughout the West Bank and are a familiar sight to the thousands of humanitarian workers, peace activists and others (Palestinian, Israeli, and ‘international’) who have documented the intentional destruction of olive trees, some of which are centuries old, by Israeli forces and the Israeli settlers who occupy the land illegally. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture Israelis destroy one productive olive tree every minute in the Palestinian territories.[2] This practice is a form of ethnic cleansing in that it serves to rid the area of Palestinian people: farming families who for generations have owned the land, tended to the trees, and depended on the yearly harvest find themselves forced to join the ever-growing ranks of refugees. These rows of tree stumps which dot the countryside along the highway were never mentioned. In fact, whenever we passed them, the guide would draw our attention elsewhere, to the “flourishing, green Israeli settlements” on the hilltops, the ancient story of Masada, or what we could expect to see at the Dead Sea.

Also not mentioned by the guide and further contributing to the destruction of Palestinian farms and groves is the apartheid road system that has been created by the Israeli government in the Palestinian territories. While approximately 1,661 km of new highways called “Israeli by-pass roads” have been built in the West Bank, the Palestinians who live there are prohibited from using most of them. In addition, these highways have a 50 to 70 meter buffer zone on each side, so that for every 100 km of road, roughly 41,525 acres of Palestinian land has been confiscated.[3] Palestinians who need to travel must use instead the alternative, and oddly-named, “Fabric of Life” road network, which connects one Palestinian area to another. These roads usually are made of stone, dirt or gravel. Often they take long and winding routes and fall into disrepair. As a result, it is not uncommon for a Palestinian to spend hours traveling a distance that an Israeli is able to travel in a matter of minutes. Because these Palestinian roads are often one-lane, they can be blocked or closed easily. In fact, have spoken with a number of Michigan Peace Team volunteers from previous years who told me how they had spent days helping Palestinians remove piles of rocks that had been put on their roads by Israeli military and settlers.

I sat with the other international travelers in the comfortable, air-conditioned tour bus as it sped down the modern Israeli highway. Most seemed not to notice the dirt roads we passed or realize the place of privilege that they occupied as tourists traveling in occupied Palestine with an Israeli company. I heard one innocently remark to another about how easy it was to travel in the area and that there had been so much improvement in the system of transportation in recent years.

While human rights workers monitor Israeli checkpoints in order to help discourage, prevent or at the very least document the human rights abuses that occur on a regular basis against Palestinians, who often are forced to wait at them for hours, riding on an Israeli bus with an Israeli license plate meant that we passed through the checkpoint with no difficulty. The presence of soldiers with machine guns in full view was somewhat daunting, but every effort was made to put this situation in a positive light for the tourists. We were told that “security was needed because Bin Laden had just been killed” and because Israeli Independence Day celebrations would be held soon. Not surprisingly nothing was said about the upcoming 60th anniversary of al-Nakba or ‘the disaster’ for the Palestinians.

The checkpoint soldiers waved at us. One female soldier who looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old flashed us a big, innocent smile as she waved. Her expression was full of hope and friendship. Who could resist? The tourists, already in high spirits, began to return the waves and smiles. It seemed that an alliance had been formed, but I had to ask myself, upon what was this alliance based? What level of awareness did these tourists have? Did they realize how much was being omitted and distorted by the tour guide? What would they tell their friends and families after returning to their home countries? `

On the return trip from the Dead Sea and especially as we came nearer to Jerusalem, the tour guide’s speech become more overtly political. First she invoked the Holocaust (never mind that the Palestinians had nothing to do with it) then she spoke of how “the Jews only wanted a nation just like everyone else in the world” (a statement problematic from so many perspectives and on so many levels that it can hardly be addressed here). Then came the bomb – “we are surrounded by Arabs who want to push us into the sea.” On that note a busload of tired tourists, salty and sunburned, pulled up to the hotel. No one seemed to have the energy or inclination to question what they were told, and at any rate, no opportunity was given.

Photo to the right: t-shirts for sale at the rest stop on the way to the Dead Sea. While the Israeli government may call its military forces in the West Bank "Defense Forces," Palestinians and many others consider this to be misleading and believe that the term "Occupation Forces" more accurately describes the role of the Israeli military in this region.

[1] This information was provided by the organizers of “The 6th Bil’in Annual Conference on Popular Resistance” in Bil’in, Palestine in April of 2011. It is based on the personal experiences and eyewitness accounts of thousands of people, Palestinian, Israeli, and ‘international,’ who have lived and worked in the area for years. It is also based on documentation provided by additional sources including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Palestinian Authority, the Ma’an Development Center, Peace Now, and reporters for the Guardian, New York Times, and Washington Post.
[2] See jordanvalleysolidarity.org
[3] This material was provided at the above-mentioned Bil’in conference and comes from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and The Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs.

Spring Team Safe Back at Home- Reports to Come on Blog!

2011-05-24T18:06:00.000+03:00

Dear Readers and MPT Members/Friends,

All of our Spring Team (Palestine) Members have arrived safely home to their families and are resting/recovering from their Team experience.

They are working on reports and updates regarding Sandy's injuries and the events of May 1st, as well as other team reports. Please watch the blog for more soon!

Thank you to all for your inquiries and support regarding this team. Your support is critical!

Sincerely,

Nicole
MPT

Sandy Arrives Home Safely

2011-05-10T16:09:00.000+03:00

One of MPT's Spring Team members to the West Bank has arrived home safely. She will be receiving further medical treatment for serious injuries inflicted by Israeli soldiers at a demonstration last week.

Please read more about Sandy's injuries on the blog reports on this page.

MPT

Resisting in Izbat at Tabib

2011-05-03T21:30:00.013+03:00

The village of Izbat at Tabib is located in Area C of the West Bank in the Qalqilya district. Recently, there has been an order to begin the construction of a fence alongside the highway that borders the village that would cut the people who live there off from 40 dunams of their farmland. Construction was due to begin on Sunday so my teammate and I, along with other internationals, traveled to Izbat at Tabib on Friday at the request of the villagers to stay with them and be a peaceful presence.

Moussa, who has lived there all his life, welcomed MPT into his home and have us a tour as he told us about the situation there. Currently 32 of the 45 homes in Izbat at Tabib have demolition

orders which can be executed at any time. In addition to these current orders, one home has already been demolished in the past two years. Moussa pointed out these homes to us as we walked, including his own, which he has been trying to build for the past five years. He also showed us his grandfather’s house, the oldest in the village, which was built in 1920. Already, 45% of their land has been stolen from them.

People gathered on Saturday afternoon to erect a tent outside the entrance of the near the farm land that was being threatened. The Mayor of Izbat at Tabib and others asked the internationals to stay the night in the tent as it was expected the army would come by, if not that night, then possibly early in the morning. The village had taken their case against the construction to an Israeli court but had yet to hear the verdict so it was unknown whether it would begin on Sunday as previously planned or not.

Saturday night as we sat around drinking tea in the tent, military jeeps drove by a few times.

Around 8:00pm two of them stopped and the soldiers got out. The commanding officer instructed the soldiers not to speak with us as he questioned our reason for being there. After telling him we were enjoying tea and talking with friends and didn’t know when we would be leaving, they got in their jeeps and drove off. An hour or so later two more military keeps drove in and turned into the main street of the village, making their way through before leaving again. The rest of the night passed without incident.

The next day, Sunday, around noon more military showed up and this time stopped to take photographs of the tent and homes in the village. When I asked the Mayor what they were doing, he said it was an intimidation tactic. They were taking photographs of all the homes and structures they were going to demolish.

It was around noon or so that a few military jeeps and a bulldozer arrived and parked at the head of the roads that leads to the entrance of the village, down the street from where the tent was set up. After discussing, it was decided the most important thing would be to stay near the army jeeps and the bulldozer and only have one or two internationals back at the tent. We stood there for at least an hour. The soldiers were not telling us to leave or that it was Closed Military Zone but more and more kept arriving. By the time the army began to take action against the demonstrators, we counted at least 6o soldiers including border police.

When it seemed as if the army was going to begin to move into the village it was decided that two of us would move on ahead with video cameras to record what happened. Shortly after another international and I went on ahead with our cameras, we saw and heard commotion. This was when I heard a scream and saw my teammate falling to the ground and then the group of soldiers honing in on the other internationals. Later on talking with my teammate, she said one of the soldiers told an international to move and when he refused, threatened to arrest him. My teammate tried to link arms with him and this is when she was thrown to the ground, which resulted in a superficial head wound and two fractured wrists, one of which needs surgery. Almost immediately after she was thrown, three of the internationals were arrested and moved out of the way.

When things had calmed down slightly around ten minutes later, I made my way through the soldiers to the back where the army medic was attending to the teammate. While I was there I also saw the three arrested internationals, one of whom had bruises covering his face from being beaten by the soldiers. The medic took care of my teammate’s immediate needs and then called the Israeli civilian ambulance. Our things, including her passport, were in our bags that were in the tent but the army refused to let us retrieve them insisting that the hospital would treat her without her passport.

However, when we switched ambulances at the Machsom checkpoint into Israel the ambulance drivers told us she needed her passport or would not be treated so while she continued onto Me’ir Hospital in Kfar Saba I returned to the village. When I got back to Izbat at Tabib the soldiers, who were well aware of the situation my teammate and I were in, told me if I tried to go back to the tent to get the passport I would be arrested. Any international who brought it to me would not be allowed to return to the tent. After around 45 minutes of waiting and trying to negotiate with the soldiers, two internationals were able to bring over our bags and I was able to then find my way into Israel to Me’ir Hospital.

At the hospital they took x-rays and determined that my teammate had fractured both wrists, one of which would heal with casting and the other which would most likely need surgery. After staying the night in the hospital and having a CT scan done the next afternoon, it was determined that she would need surgery on her left wrist.

While we were not able to be in Izbat at Tabib to witness the actions of rest of the day, as well as the following days, please visit the International Women’s Peace Service website and the International Solidarity Movement to read their accounts.

- Tali

Video Footage of Michigan Volunteer Injured in Israeli Military Action

2011-05-03T20:00:00.008+03:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIDEO FOOTAGE RELEASED OF MICHIGAN PEACE VOLUNTEER INJURED IN ILLEGAL ISRAELI MILITARY ACTION

Nablus District, Palestinian Authority (West Bank)

Released: Tuesday, May 3^rd, 2011 at 12:00 EST (GMT -4)

Press/Media Contact: Sheri Wander, Michigan Peace Team (USA Contact) 734-754-0648, or sheriwander.mpt@gmail.com. General Inquiries see below.

XXX

Sandra Quintano (age 60), American citizen and resident of Port Huron, Michigan left Me'ir Hospital in Kfar Saba, Israel on Monday after being treated for two broken wrists and a cut to the head. The injuries occurred as a result of an assault by an Israeli soldier in the village of Izbet al-Tabib in the Qalquiliya District of the Palestinian Authority on Sunday afternoon. Ms. Quintano was at the village as a member of Michigan Peace Team (MPT) to participate in nonviolent demonstration, and to help prevent violence against civilians (primarily Palestinians and international activists).

MPT is releasing video footage of Ms. Quintano being injured and the time immediately following on their website today, http://www.michiganpeaceteam.org/for_immediate_release.htm . Video, reports and more information will be made availble by the Team in days to come at www.MPTinPalestine.blogspot.com. Additional footage of the nonviolent demonstration and the arrest of several international activists is being reviewed and is expected to be released in days to come. Those interested in a copy of video footage or using footage on their website should contact MPT directly.

MPT Team members had been in the village since Friday, along with other local community organizers and international activists, to protest the construction of the separation wall through village land, the confiscation of agricultural and homestead land to build the wall, and to protest the scheduled demolition of 31 homes currently owned/occupied by Palestinian families. On Sunday afternoon, Israeli military forces and bulldozers entered the area. Ms. Quintano was injured when soldiers physically assaulted nonviolent activists.

The MPT Team is continuing their work at MPT's West Bank location near the city of Nablus. Ms. Quintano expects to fly home within the next few days for further medical care, as her injuries are serious and will require further treatment.

Michigan Peace Team (MPT) trains volunteers from all walks of life in nonviolent action and communication, and deploys peace teams to areas of conflict worldwide. MPT currently maintains a presence of rotating teams in the West Bank (Palestine), and has worked in the region for over 8 years. For more information on MPT, see www.michiganpeaceteam.org, and MPTinPalestine.blogspot.com. MPT's main office is located in Lansing, Michigan.

More information regarding the injuries and arrest/detainment of at least three other international activists at the same demonstration can be found on the ISM website: http://palsolidarity.org.

XXX

For further information contact:

Main Press/Media Contact: Sheri Wander, Michigan Peace Team President (USA Contact) 734-754-0648 or SheriWander.MPT@gmail.com

General Inquiries: Nicole Rohrkemper, MPT International Teams Coordinator (USA Contact) 586-419-1070 or NicoleR.MPT@gmail.com.

Friends and Family, Well Wishers: Show your support for Sandra, fellow activists, and Palestinians in Izbet Al-Tabib by leaving a comment at www.MPTinPalestine.Blogpsot.com. Any information cleared for release will be shared on this report website; for confidentiality and other reasons MPT cannot provide additional information to loved ones at this time. Friends and family are encouraged to contact Sandra's Home Support Person, Ed Harder, at truevel@gmail.com.

MPT Team Member Seriously Injured by Illegal Israeli Military Action

2011-05-02T06:14:00.003+03:00

The International Solidarity Movement provided this

photo of Sandy immediately following her injury.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MICHIGAN PEACE TEAM MEMBER SUFFERS HEAD, WRIST INJURIES AS RESULT OF ILLEGAL ISRAELI MILITARY ACTION

Izbet al-Tabib, Palestinian Authority (West Bank)

Released: Sunday, May 1st, 2011 at 19:30 EST (GMT -4:30)

Contact: Sheri Wander, Michigan Peace Team (USA Contact) 734-754-0648, or sheriwander.mpt@gmail.com.

On Sunday May 1st, 2011 in the village of Izbet al-Tabib in the Qalquiliya District of the Palestinian Authority, Michigan Peace Team (MPT) member Sandra C. Quintano suffered serious injuries after being physically assaulted by Israeli Military forces at a peaceful demonstration. The injury occurred at approximately 2:30pm local time, after Israeli military forces and bulldozers arrived at a demonstration site.

Ms. Quintano was standing with a group of 8 nonviolent peace activists on a roadway, gathered in an attempt to prevent violence by Israeli military, and prevent military and bulldozers from proceeding further into the area. The soldiers closest to the activists first approached a young man standing next to Ms. Quintano, and indicated he would be arrested if the group did not move. According to the Michigan Peace Team members present, several soldiers then closed in on this young man in a physically threatening manner. As had been previously agreed, the activists attempted to link arms to prevent one person from being singled out of the group as a target for violence.

It was as the soldiers made physical contact with the activists that Ms. Quintano says she felt herself being sent “flying through the air.” She describes that she felt she was “picked up and thrown out of the way” by Israeli soldiers. The nature of the assault is unclear; video footage of the incident and many additional eyewitness accounts are being reviewed at this time. MPT hopes to release more information as soon as possible.

Ms. Quintano suffered a gash to the head (see photo) and both of her wrists were broken. One of the wrist injuries appears to be particularly severe, according to her doctors. She was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and is undergoing observation and testing to determine the full extent of her injuries. Ms. Quintano was admitted to the hospital and will stay at least overnight. She was accompanied by an MPT teammate. We will share more information on Ms Quintano's medical condition when it is made available.

Shortly before Ms. Quintano was injured, MPT Team members estimated that there were approximately 50 Israeli authority personnel present and more arriving all the time. These included military (Israeli Defense Forces) and special Border Police forces. The number of military and police present, as well as the number of activists is still being determined as MPT reviews video footage and eyewitness accounts. There are reports that at least three other nonviolent international activists were injured by military personnel and detained or arrested at the scene.

MPT Team members had been in the village since Friday, along with other local community organizers and international activists, to protest the construction of the separation wall through village land, the confiscation of agricultural and homestead land to build the wall, and to protest the scheduled demotion of 31 homes currently owned and occupied by Palestinian families.

Ms. Quintano is certainly not the first nonviolent peace activist injured by the Israeli military. Perhaps the most well-know incident is that of 23 year-old peacemaker, Rachel Corrie, who was killed while attempting to prevent an illegal home demolition. Her case is currently in the Israeli court system.

Michigan Peace Team (MPT) trains volunteers from all walks of life in nonviolent action and communication, and deploys peace teams to areas of conflict worldwide. MPT currently maintains a presence of rotating teams in the West Bank (Palestine), and has worked in the region for over 8 years.

For more information on MPT, see www.michiganpeaceteam.org and MPTinPalestine.blogspot.com.
Read about a previous MPT Team Member visit to the village of Izbet al-Tabib at: http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/2009/09/izbat-at-tabib-daily-harassment.html, or search “Tabib” or “Qalqilya” on MPTinPalestine.blogspot.com for more Peace Team reports about the village/region.

More information regarding the injuries and arrest/detainment of at least three other international activists at the same demonstration can be found on the International Solidarity Movement website: http://palsolidarity.org/2011/05/18071/

For further information contact:
Sheri Wander, Michigan Peace Team President (USA Contact) 734-754-0648 or SheriWander.MPT@gmail.com

Nicole Rohrkemper, MPT International Teams Coordinator (USA Contact) 734-754-0648 or NicoleR.MPT@gmail.com

XXX

Michigan Peace Team | 808 W. Barnes Ave. | Lansing, MI 48910 USA

Visiting Bedouins in the Jordan Valley

2011-04-27T19:28:00.017+03:00

The ancient and the new were viewed in the Jordan Valley as MPT members were treated to a field trip by the Sixth Annual Bil’in International Conference for Palestinian Popular Resistance. After a short visit to Jericho we were met by a member of the Jordan Valley Solidarity Group who acted as a guide to help us understand the problems the Bedouin people are facing due to the military occupation of their ancient land and the ethnic cleansing tactics of the State of Israel. Two generations ago, there were 300,000 Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley. That number is now down to 56,000 – one sixth the population.

First we stopped by the dried up Al Auja spring that used to provide water to much of the southern Jordan Valley. It is dried up because Israel has drilled deep wells and stolen the water. Israel provides the water only to the illegal Israeli settlements. Only in the winter does the spring now provide a tiny bit of water. The Bedouin are forced to buy water from Israel in large tanks at exorbitant prices.

Then we moved into Ras Al Auja, a community of about 300, to see the school project that is underway. We saw the mud bricks that are being made and helped to stack some of them. Currently classes for kindergarten and preschool are held in a tent structure for around 20 students. When the mud brick school is completed, hopefully within a month, the expectation is to teach classes for children up to age eleven. The brick making is being done by volunteers, mostly women, because the men are at work. The teachers are also volunteer women. We were privileged to meet two of them.

The school is being built of mud brick because that makes it easy to rebuild. Since the majority of the Jordan Valley is in Area C, under full Israeli control, the Bedouin people cannot get permits to build any structures, not even homes. In the days when the Bedouin roamed about the Jordan Valley they lived in tents as we all would imagine. Today Israel is enforcing containment and preventing them from moving about, particularly across the border into Jordan. For centuries these man-made borders have meant nothing to the Bedouin. They have migrated with the seasons and availability of resources at will and have had no particular national allegiance. Now that Israel is forcing them to be more stationary, it would make since for them to build houses, but without permits there is risk that anything they built would be destroyed by the Israeli army as has happened all over the West Bank and Gaza. The homes we observed were made of tenting materials—burlap, canvas, sac cloth and plastic tarps, corrugated metal, screening, dried vegetation such as woven reeds, twigs, etc.

The finale of our visit was being served lunch in the Center of the Jordan Valley Solidarity Group. The Jordan Valley Solidarity Group is a grassroots movement of the indigenous people with the support of some internationals, particularly from Great Britton. This Center is in a building thought to be the oldest building in the Jordan Valley, dating back the Ottoman era. It has been rebuilt over time. It is made of stone, mud bricks, metal and wood framing. While quite primitive it is much more substantial than most structures surrounding it in the community. It has a sink with running water where they cook and wash dishes, a primitive toilet, fire places for heat and cooking. There is little furniture, most seating is made of stone and mud benches covered with burlap or not. There is hope that Israel will respect the ancient quality of the Center and not destroy it as they have so many other buildings in the valley, especially schools.

In the near distance, as we stood at the building site of the school in Ras Al Auja, we could see two illegal settlement farms that exist on the stolen property of the Palestinians, their land, their water. Many of the Bedouin are forced to work on the settlement farms because they do not have water to do their own farming and they are not allowed to graze their sheep and goats near the settlements, under threat of stiff fines. They work for $10-$20 a day. Many Palestinian children are also working on these settlement farms. The lack of schools in the Jordan Valley is greatly caused by the division created by the military occupation regulations which make it the Palestinian Authority’s responsibility to provide the schools, but denies the permits or land to do so. Many Bedouin children must travel long distances by bus, through military checkpoints where they are frequently harassed by Israeli soldiers, into the few Palestinian villages for school. These schools are overcrowded and it is difficult for the Bedouin children to fit in due to the very different lifestyle they lead. Many of the children drop out of school and go to work, knowing that even if they complete their education they are likely to have to work on the settlement farms due to the severe human rights violations created by the only nation in the world permitted to ignore all Geneva Convention International law for occupying countries and protected from all UN resolutions by USA vetoes.

Bil'in Demonstration Against the Wall

2011-04-26T12:25:00.009+03:00

As every Friday, the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the apartheid Wall that has annexed almost 60% of Bil’in’s land was held. The day began with a memorial for Bassem Abu Rahmah who was killed in April of 2009 when he was shot in the chest with a high velocity tear gas canister while participating in a weekly demonstration in Bil’in. Bassem is one of five nonviolent protesters who have been killed during anti-Wall demonstrations since December of 2008.

After the memorial and noon prayer, the group of around three hundred Palestinian, Israeli and International peace activists gathered at the village center to march down to the Wall. The atmosphere was energetic with a loudspeaker playing music and the demonstrators chanting for the end of the Occupation.

There was an immediate attempt by the Israeli army to drive back the protesters with a barrage of tear gas that was briefly effective but recently released prisoner Abdullah Abu Raymah enthusiastically urged the people to continue to the goal of the fenced barricade between village land and the surrounding military road. As the majority of the crowd approached the fence, they were sprayed with skunk water. Again, Abdullah encouraged the demonstrators not to retreat, explaining particularly to the “first timer” internationals the skunk water could only reach as far.

The action quickly moved to the west side of the area with the protestors going through the fence to approach the assembled soldiers. Several Palestinians climbed atop army jeeps, waving Palestinian flags and according to the videos a demonstrator apparently managed to throw a tear gas canister back into one of the jeeps. Also as seen in the video footage on Bil’in website, there was much struggling, pushing and hitting as the soldiers attempted to force the unarmed group back inside the fence. Several people, including Mohammad Khatib, coordinator of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, were carried away from the fenced area with injuries. One international had a bloodied hand attended to by the medics. After the demonstration was called to a halt by members of the Bil’in Popular Committee, MPTers saw long time friend Iyad Burnat, limping. He explained he had been beaten by the soldiers. We celebrated the success of this week’s demonstration with a cup of tea with our friend.

To view more facts, pictures and videos of the demonstration, please visit Bil'in village's website.

Prison as a Weapon Against the Nonviolent Resistance

2011-04-26T11:38:00.004+03:00

As mentioned, it was wonderful to see Abdullah Abu Rameh at the conference after being released from his 16 month imprisonment this April. Not only Abdullah, but another citizen of Bil’in, Adeeb Abu Rahmeh, had just been released in December after spending 18 months in Ofer Prison. Both are well known and respected in the community for their nonviolent resistance against the Occupation.

The lawyer that represented Abdullah Abu Rahmeh gave a talk on the strategies the Israeli military uses against Palestinians. She said that the prisons are the only real weapon Israel has against the Palestinian nonviolent movement and is using it to put its leaders away.

The tactics used often begin with the minors of the villages. Unlike international law which recognizes a minor as anyone under the age of 18, Israel considers a minor in the West Bank to be anyone under the age of 16. Often the soldiers will come to the homes of minors in the middle of the night to handcuff and arrest them at gunpoint. The children are then taken to a remote location and since it is against the law to interrogate them in middle of the night, they are forced to stay awake until morning when they are taken to the police station.

They are interrogated after being kept awake all night, denied food, water, use of the bathroom, being blindfolded and held at gunpoint. Then they are asked questions about their own activities at the demonstrations as well as the activities of the suspected leaders of the popular resistance movement. If the children acknowledge to throwing stones at the Wall in the past, this nonviolent act is charged as a criminal offense and they can be put in jail for weeks. The court refuses to dismiss any information given by these minors because they have given it “willingly”. In the recent trial of Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, the judge actually stated that there was no scientific evidence that these children were traumatized.

Another tactic of the prison system is the strict regulations around visiting rights. Under international law, prisoners must be held in the occupied land. This means, Palestinians prisoners should not be taken to prisons inside Israel. Both Abdullah and Adeeb spent their time in prison at Ofer Military Base. While Ofer Military Base is technically inside the West Bank, you need an Israeli Permit to visit it, which is the same for most prisons in Palestine.

A woman attending the conference from the European parliament asked why she was denied permission to visit and tour the prisons and if there was a way around this. The lawyer said that these Palestinians prisoners, such as Abdullah and Adeeb, are considered “security prisoners” and only first degree family members and lawyers are allowed entry to see them. The Red Cross is allowed in to monitor and view the prison conditions, but their reports are not accessible.

As this lawyer said, a democracy is only as good as its prisons.

*Photo by Hamde Abu Rahme of Adeeb Abu Rahme after his release from prison

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

2011-04-25T20:42:00.003+03:00

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign is an integral part of the nonviolent resistance against the illegal Israeli Occupation. At the conference was Omar Barghouti, a founding member of the BDS movement. Barghouti shared the purpose and benefit of BDS, not only as the key to ending the Occupation of the West Bank and the siege of Gaza but to granting all Palestinians, including those within Israel, their full rights. The BDS movement is a call put forth by the Palestinian people, lead by the Palestinian with the support of Israeli and International activists. As Barghouti stated in this video clip from the conference,

“You get to decide whether you can help us or not but you do not put words in our mouth and say this is what you really want. We’re not native idiots who cannot express ourselves. Believe us, we have average intelligence or above average intelligence, we’re quite rationale, and we know exactly what we want – self determination.”

Barghouti also touched on the importance of the Boycott from Within, a group of Israeli citizens both Palestinian and Jewish, dedicated to the BDS campaign. Click here for the video clip discussing the Boycott from Within as well as the greater international community's role in BDS.

To learn more about the BDS movement, visit the website at www.bdsmovement.net

Palestine and the Arab Revolutions

2011-04-25T17:16:00.002+03:00

It was no surprise that there was much talk at the conference of the revolutions spreading across the Arab nations. The question often brought up was, what does this mean for Palestinians? What makes Palestine different from other Arab countries? Why have we not seen the same revolution that has happened in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, Libya and other countries?

One response that was given was that these countries do not have the geographical separation like the West Bank and Gaza, the physical separation of the Wall, nor do they have the colonization strategies of the settlements and Israeli only roads that are creating Bantustans across the West Bank.

In one of the discussion panels, Dr. Karma Nabulsi who is a professor at Oxford University and until 1990 a representative in the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) in Lebanon, Tunis and the United Kingdom, said,

“Any regime that is representative in the Arab world stands with the Palestinian people because the Arab people are with us. It’s very simple."

Click here for our video clip of her speaking at the conference on the Arab revolutions as well as the Palestinian struggle both within the Occupied Territories, within Israel and among the refugee diaspora.

The 6th Annual Bil’in Conference on the Palestinian Popular Struggle

2011-04-25T16:45:00.005+03:00

Like many before, the Spring Team had the opportunity this past Wednesday to travel to the village of Bil’in and attend the 6^th Annual Bil’in Conference on the Palestinian Popular Struggle. It was three days of community and solidarity with Palestinian, Israeli and International peace activists as we came together to discuss the various aspects, strategies and ideas surrounding the nonviolent resistance.

It was also a time to celebrate the latest victories of the Popular Struggle such as with the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions Movement (BDS) as well as the recent release of Bil’in citizens Abdullah Abu Rahmeh in March from Ofer prison after 16 months of imprisonment and Adeeb Abu Rahmeh in December after spending 18 months in prison.

These next few posts will go over some of the highlights from MPT’s time at the conference in Bil’in, including the weekly Friday demonstration and a special field trip on Saturday to the Jordan Valley where we were able to witness the increasingly dire situations many Bedouin villages are facing.

Spring Team Arrives in the Field

2011-04-18T17:47:00.002+03:00

The first two members of MPT's Spring Team to Palestine/Israel have arrived safely in the field and are preparing for the last leg of their journey.

They have met up safely after their flights, and have rested a bit, and will continue on to the MPT headquarters right away.

Watch for more posts from the team very soon!

Nicole Rohrkemper
International Teams Coordinator
Michigan Peace Team

Natalie

2011-03-18T18:50:00.002+02:00

Hi,

My name is Natalie and I 'm excited to be going back to Palestine as a co-anchor this spring. After I graduated from college two years ago, I went on my first team to the West Bank with Michigan Peace Team and instantly fell in love with the people and the land. I always knew I wanted to return, but wasn't sure if it would be a real possibility. Needless to say, when this opportunity arose, I was both surprised and thrilled. It has been great getting to know my fellow team members so far this weekend and I'm encouraged and inspired by their dedication and passion. I can't wait to return to the familiar sights, scents and people of Palestine and am grateful for all those who have made it possible.

Denise

2011-03-18T17:18:00.004+02:00

Hello, my name is Denise and I am new to MPT, but I am looking forward to traveling to Palestine to do peace work. I am excited about our team and getting to know my team members both this weekend and in the field.

This Saturday some friends are having a party. I am disappointed that I will have to miss it, but they have been kind enough to let me create an MPT display in their front hallway in order to raise awareness about the organization and the situation in Palestine. I hope that this will help us to raise funds for the group to travel. The display includes pictures from Natalie's last trip to the West Bank.

Suzie Q

2011-03-18T16:51:00.004+02:00

Hi,

I'm Suzie Q, returning to Palestine this spring as a co-anchor. I was the last member of MPT in Palestine last fall. I did not really expect to ever go back but the opportunity has presented. I am so pleased to meet my team mates and train in anticipation of returning to to Palestine where I will get to see the friends I made there last fall. To think I told all those loving, gracious people that I would probably never get to see them again. It will be so good to have a cup of tea with them & hear what has been happening in their world since the olive harvest. Keep posteed to learn of our progress!

Spring Team Training

2011-03-18T16:21:00.002+02:00

Hello from Lansing!

Denise, Suzie Q, and Natalie met last night to form a team that will travel to the West Bank this Spring. Now we are working for the next few days on team building and nonviolence training at the Michigan Peace Team building where we are living and training together. Following, you will find each of the individual introductions for the members of the 2011 Spring Team.

MPT Teams Insider E-News (January)

2011-02-01T19:33:00.000+02:00

Here is a preview of the E-News; click here or below to read it in full resolution online!

Read the latest for those interested in following (or joining!) our teams: http://bit.ly/fXw08l.

Click the link above for training dates, application deadlines,

deployment timelines, budget information and more.

Questions? Contact NicoleR.MPT@gmail.com. Want this monthly newsletter delivered right to your inbox? Sign up here- no junk mail, we promise!

Link to Article by Christian Palestinian on Al-Nakba

2011-01-26T00:36:00.003+02:00

Melkite Batholic Church in the Village of Albassa, home to Christian Palestinian Nimer Haddad.

MPT 2011 International Peace Team members are currently in preparation and training. In the meantime, we will occasionally share links or stories of interest on this blog (which is usually reserved for MPT Peace Team field reports). Please check back in coming weeks for more links, as well as introductions to upcoming team members and news about our next team(s).

The following is an excerpt from a personal story by Nimer Haddad, a Palestinian friend of MPT:

I come from a Christian Palestinian family. My parents were members of the Melkite Catholic Church in Albassa Village. I’ll be describing to you shortly the kind of life the Christian Palestinians of Albassa Village had before 1948, and during the tragic events of 1948 that Palestinians call “Alnakbah” which means the “Catastrophe”, and the life in Diaspora with all its inhuman suffering.

I still remember as a little kid how one of my older sisters was seriously shot on her way from her Uncle’s house. She was only 16 years old. I saw neighbors carrying my wounded sister home. She needed immediate hospitalization. My parents and cousin Yousef Haddad were unable to take her to the nearest hospital in Acco city because the road to that city goes through the Jewish coastal city of Naharia, which was blocked for traffic....

You can read the rest of Nimer's story online by clicking here. This story was shared on www.olivesforhope.com, a blog by Catherine Young (an American who has traveled in Palestine). Linked by persmisson of Nimer Haddad.

Thank You to MPT Team Members

2010-12-21T18:04:00.003+02:00

Thank You from the MPT Core, Staff and Volunteers to all our wonderful MPT International Peace Team Members in 2010!

All of our team members in the field have returned home safely at this time.

Please watch our blogs for updates on Teams and International programs in 2011/12 and beyond!

As always, if you have any questions or are interested in joining an international team please do not hesitate to contact me directly (NicoleR.mpt@gmail.com).

Sincerely,

Nicole Rohrkemper

International Teams Coordinator

MPT

Demonstration in Jerusalem

2010-11-12T17:15:00.005+02:00

MPT joins in demonstration with affiliate peace group Women in Black in Jerusalem. One of several demonstrations in Israel, this one is held every Friday at Paris Square, a busy intersection in West Jerusalem.

Before Women in Black (WIB) began in Israel, there were earlier movements of women who demonstrated on the streets against political oppression in South Africa and Argentina.

In 1987, 20 years after Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian intifada began. WIB in Israel began as response to the violence in 1988. Women gathered weekly to hold silent protest for peace wearing black clothing, a sign of grief for lives affected by the violence of militarism and war.

Israeli WIB have been recognized with peace awards in 1991,1994, and 2001. Today there are WIB organizations in over 40 countries. http://www.haaretz.com/news/women-in-black-marks-20th-year-but-occupation-continues-1.236160
After the demonstration, the group gathered for a photo. In addition to the women(and men) from Israel, there is pictured MPT and people from Interfaith Peace Builders based in Washington,D.C.

Typical Palestinian Village

2010-11-09T14:11:00.003+02:00

In a valley south of Nablus lie a number of villages. MPT talked to Ali Omar from Huwwara who works for the Palestinian Authority. The village in the picture is Oldala, to the right- out of picture range - is Beita.

Each village in Palestine grew up around a spring, where water comes to the earth’s surface usually part way down these low mountains. In this semi arid region, water is very precious. Illegal Israeli settlements locate on tops of mountains and drill deep wells to access the water.

A Settler uses 8 times the amount of water an average Palestinian uses according to Ali Omar. There is also a problem of mountain top settlements discharging their sewage down to Palestinian communities.

The village of Oldala’s spring is 100% dried up. The Palestinian Authority closed the water bottling plant in Beita five days ago because of sewage contamination to the water.

The illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar is west of these villages. The settlement was founded in 1984 “ to take advantage of the large reserve of state lands. Itamar is known for the many farms and hamlets (outposts) the dot the otherwise barren hills east of the village” http://www.middleeastexplorer.com/Israel/Itamar

Friday in Bil'in

2010-11-08T11:57:00.005+02:00

Friday MPT participated in the nonviolent demonstration against the apartheid Wall in Bil’in for the second week in a row. We were privileged to meet not only some of the brave Palestinians we observed in the film Bil’in Hababti but also many astounding internationals who attend each week to support Bil’in’s struggle for freedom and justice.

We met a young man who is paralyzed after being shot at a demonstration some years ago and now attends the weekly demonstrations in a wheelchair, wearing a gas mask and sometimes filming the action. We met members of the families Abdullah Abu Rahmah and Adeeb Abu Rahmah, who are both in prison for their nonviolent resistance.

Palestinians opening the gate at the apartheid fence, Israeli Occupation Forces behind cement barrier

We met Khamees Agurahma, a 29 year old man who sustained a head injury from the kind of tear gas canister that killed Bassem, the man who was known as the heart and soul of Bil’in. After 8-10 days in a coma and being paralyzed for 4 months, Khamees is much better but not completely healed. He still attends the demonstrations but “stays back” now. He helps out as a caretaker of the International House that the Popular Committee of Bil’in provides for the lodging of the many internationals, a courtesy MPT accepted last week. Khamees stated this type of canister has been made illegal now. Khamees was injured Jan 23, 2009. He is Bassem’s cousin.

Tear gas driving demonstrators away from apartheid fence

We met Iyad Burnat who was also in the film, participating in the demonstration with some very creative messages the Popular Committee has put together. He is the acting leader of the Committee, since the imprisonment of Abdullah Abu Rahmah and continues to play a very active role in the weekly protests. He spends a lot of time with the various internationals, explaining the various methods of Boycott, Deinvest and Sanctions, which the Popular Committee all over Palestine endorses.

We met a Norwegian parliamentarian and mayor, both in Bil’in to observe and participate. We met two young women from So Korea, a young man from Spain, two young women from Poland, all spending their vacations with International Solidarity Movement (ISM), picking olives and supporting Bil’in. The young women who provided our orientation for international “first timers” were Israelis from Tel Aviv, one a Ukrainian immigrant. There was a group of senior citizens from Oxford, England, an author of children’s books from Indiana. Women from the Netherlands encouraged us to change our government’s policies concerning Israel/Palestine and acknowledged the hypocrisy of their own country. There was a young man from Germany who works in Ramallah and his visiting mother in law.

Iyad (in Palestinian flag), Emily, MPTer, & British demonstrators networking

We met Emily Schaeffer, an impressive 31 year old Human Rights attorney, who is an Israeli immigrant from Boston. She devotes most of her time to working on legal issues of Palestinians, such as the battle Bil’in has fought to get their land returned to them, and the trials of Palestinians arrested for speaking out against the wall. She is a regular visitor to Bil’in, traveling frequently from her home in Tel Aviv.

It is so encouraging to witness the persistence of the Palestinians and the support of the internationals. The atmosphere is very enthusiastic. It feels so good to be a part of that, one can forget momentarily that in spite of these positive forces for good, the Palestinians are still living in a large crowded prison.

A Blue Sky Day

2010-11-03T17:34:00.012+02:00

Razor wire fencing bordering Palestinian olive trees

Picking olives overlooking the settlement

From the village of Kafr Qaddum, it was a 30 minute steep climb then descent to the farmer's trees.

For many Palestinians, the olive harvest is a major source of income. One middle aged mother working the 10 hour day consumed only tea and water. When MPT asked why she declined the prepared food, she said that she gets sick whenever she eats. She is postponing recommended hospitalization in order to help finish picking olives.

The olive trees are surrounded on three sides by various sections of the illegal Israeli settlement of Qadumim. At times the voices of playing children were heard from the settlement.

It was a beautiful day. The anticipated disruption by Israeli soldiers or settlers didn't happen on this particular day.

A Palestine refugee camp

2010-10-31T19:39:00.006+02:00

Meet Handala. He is a Palestinian refugee who represents the sadness and hardships endured by the Palestinian who longs for a homeland with justice and human rights. Although created in the 1970’s by Naji Al-Ali, the Handala figure can be seen on t shirts and painted on walls throughout Palestine.

Balata Refugee Camp, one of the largest in the West Bank, is located in the southeastern section of Nablus, the largest city in the West Bank, directly across the street from the religious shrine known as the ancient Jacob’s Well. It exists in stark contrast to the elaborate cathedral and lush green gardens, well tended by a staff. In Balata camp there is almost no green to be seen, mostly just gray cement.

Approximately 800,000 Palestinians were kicked out of their homes in 1948, when Israel declared itself a nation, in possession of the native Palestinians’ land and homes. At first the Palestinians were determined and hopeful of return to their homelands but after a few years some accepted the United Nations (UN) offer of refugee camps. Balata is one of these UN camps.

Mustafa Farah, the tour guide and translator at Balata, explained some of the history to MPT members today. Originally, the one square kilometer was home to 4-5,000 refugees, living in tents, with 2-4 public bathrooms. Over the years the UN built very small cement block houses in place of the tents and the population has grown to 25-26,000 inhabitants. The houses are built with adjoining walls; the streets are very narrow passageways. A very large person is not able to pass through them. As the families have grown they have expanded their homes up, adding more stories, as they have nowhere to go horizontally. They must stay within the space of their original tent. Mustafa showed us one the “uninhabitable” houses originally built by the UN, and yes, there is a family living in it.

The great-grandchildren of the original residents are now growing up in the Balata camp. These generations of refugees have experienced all manner of horrors of the Occupation, e.g., killings, incarceration, closed schools, demolished houses, and curfews preventing people from getting to medical care, school, and work. Some of these conditions have improved since the end of the second Intifada, “We are able to breathe,” stated Mustafa. But these Palestinians are still plagued by serious issues of overcrowding, unemployment, lack of educational, medical and social resources.

Creative Play in Palestine

2010-10-31T18:59:00.003+02:00

For the last 6 years the village of Bil’in has organized weekly nonviolent demonstrations protesting the Israeli separation wall which denies access to 60% of the village’s land.

MPT viewed these pictures before Friday’s scheduled protest. The play material pictured is spent ammunition that Israeli soldiers used against the demonstrators.

FREE Tix to MPT's Gala Signature Event! Plus, Trainings for 2011

2010-10-28T19:36:00.002+02:00

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Israeli High Court ruling not enforced by soldiers

2010-10-28T11:08:00.003+02:00

MPT encountered this same situation in the village of Kafr Qaddum two days after this video was taken. The farmer MPT was helping chose to leave his field because his identity papers show his history of Israeli prison and travel outside of Palestine forbidden. If the soldiers asked to see his papers he said he would be sent to prison again. His uncle was killed by settlers in 1988.

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