قد عيد الميلاد

Merry Christmas!

I write to you from Ben Gurion airport in Tel-Aviv while in transit to Cairo. In an effort to avoid the inconveniences of Shabbat, I've arrived for my flight 7 hours early. I'm slightly sad that I have to spend my Christmas day in an airport, but the festivities of last night have certainly made me less bummed about spending Christmas in an airport. I'm extremely tired though.

Our day started with a Christmas dinner at the home of our coordinators in Beit Jala. The meal was complete with vegan mashed potatoes, guacamole, and vegan fudge. After exchanging gifts with our secret santa we headed to Christmas Eve service at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. The church itself is small, but truly perfection with high arches made out of limestone, stained glass windows and quaint pews. The service was given in Arabic, English, and German with each participant singing and praying in their native tongue. The service ended with a candlelit procession through Bethlehem singing Silent Night.

We then headed to Manager Square in Bethlehem where there was live music in front of the Church of the Nativity with thousands standing, listening. I couldn't help but notice that 90% of those attending the festivities were young men. This is a reality that I'm slowly coming to realize as public events are overwhelmingly attended by men. To feel comfortable, I usually need some sort of male escort to forgo the creepy stares, space violators, and unwanted comments from the sahba (young men). It's sad really, because women can’t feel comfortable celebrating even religious happenings because of a male dominated culture.

We took a break from Manager Square to have a proper Palestinian Christmas meal of pita, hummus, and falafel. It was nice to reflect with those I’ve gotten close to over the past months. Being away from family has been difficult for all of us, especially during the holidays, and it was nice to share a meal together and share stories and traditions (it also didn’t hurt that our meal cost a mere $2.50 – the cheapest Christmas meal I will ever have!).

The live music ended around 11pm to make way for services at the Church of the Nativity. Tickets are required for this event, so we decided to head to the Shepherd’s Fields in Beit Sahour to occupy our time. Walking through Beit Sahour was when it really felt like Christmas. Beit Sahour is one of two predominately Christian towns in the Israel/Palestine area so we were greeted with “Merry Chirstmas” and “Eid ill Melad Said” by many as we walked the street. Getting to Shepherd’s Fields took three attempts. Our first distraction was a procession of Catholics making their way to Bethlehem that we joined. Complete with mosquito torches, drums, guitars, and voices, we walked and talked with people from all over the world.

We decided to jump out of the procession early to again head to the Shepherd’s Field. As we walked down the street a woman wished us a Merry Christmas from her balcony and invited us in for tea. “From the bottom of my heart, please take tea with me on Christmas.” Leenda was her name and she prepared us tea with sage because that is what Mary had when she delivered baby Jesus. Leenda had children in America and used to be a pharmacist. She was spending Christmas alone, so it was nice to know that we were giving this generous woman company and that we had a bit of tea to warm up.

After tea, we made a third and final attempt to go to the Shepherd’s Field. It was about a 30-minute walk from Manager Square in Bethlehem. The field has since been turned into more of a park – a rarity in Palestine – complete with a chapel, fountain and multiple worshiping spaces. We could hear services in multiple languages, and familiar Christmas carols being sung in German, English, Arabic, and other unknown tongues.

After doing a bit of exploring, my fellow volunteers and I read the gospel from Luke and took some time to reflect on our night. I received a call from my home church in Casselton where I read the lessons and gave a brief rundown of my Christmas Eve in the Holy Land. It was nice to feel like I was a part of the service, despite not being able to hear anyone on the other end, I still felt connected to home.

I am preparing for my parents and brother to visit me here next week. I’m so excited to share my experiences with them. More to come…

Merry Christmas!

Adventures with the Mustashfa (hospital)

Marhabba! (hello)

It’s a beautiful afternoon in Ramallah; about 64 degrees outside and more like 60 degrees inside. I’m trying to get my beloved space heater to work, but with the TV and cable box running, I think I may have overloaded our outlet. We recently acquired a TV and cable box from the family who used to live upstairs. Bethany and I are now proud owners of approximately 1000 channels with countless English=speaking movie channels. It certainly is nice to have, despite the fact that the movies played are on a “world’s worst movie” list somewhere.

This week has been difficult for one unfortunate reason. Though it’s a bit embarrassing, I think it serves as a good story to share about the realities of living here. I acquired the inevitable – travelers diarrhea.

We’ve been hosting a group of ELCA bishops and their wives this week as they explore the Holy Land. Bethany and I accompanied them on Tuesday and Wednesday which included a visit to Yad Vashem (the holocaust museum in Jerusalem), presentations by Israel’s Minister of Interior and Minister of Tourism among other high level government officials, and a trip to our school in Ramallah. After the bishop’s visit to our school, I decided to take a nap and woke up with excruciating pain in my lower abdomen. The pain is what I imagine contractions during child birth might feel like. After three or four hours of intense abdominal pain and vomiting, I decided it was time to visit the mustashfa (hospital).

This time, Bethany and I decided to brave the private hospital upon recommendation from a church member. One of my work-out friends rushed me to the hospital as if I was on the brink of death. After blood and urine tests, I was diagnosed with a UTI, a diagnosis I felt wasn’t quite right. But irregardless of my broken Arabic and my doctor’s broken English, I was out the door with a prescription in hand. I filled the prescription with hope that it would lessen the pain and vomiting. Unfortunately, taking the medication induced something worse: diarrhea and even more intense stomach pain. Considering that one of the boxes of medication had a slinky on it, I should have been concerned.

I was still trying to remain optimistic, but at about midnight (4 hours after I had gotten back from the hospital the first time) I decided it was time to make another journey to the mustashfa. This time another work-out friend of mine, who speaks English well, came with to help me communicate more clearly what was wrong. “Back so soon?” my doctor greeted me. I again explained my symptoms and how I thought my previous diagnosis was incorrect. This time, I was visited by the surgeon, probably because he spoke the best English, and they put me on an IV and another kind of medication. I left the hospital around 3 am full of liquids and drugs.

Thursday, I still was experiencing considerable stomach pain and diarrhea, but it was definitely an improvement from Wednesday. I spent most of the day napping, but was frequently interrupted by phone calls and visits from concerned parties. The English teacher and secretary from school came over to visit, along with several members from the church council, and other community members. Even the 9^th graders wanted to stop by; fortunately, their teacher encouraged them not to. With them they brought advice about what kind of foods to eat and most brought food with them. I am now on a strict regime of potatoes and bananas and staying away from chocolate (doctor’s orders) and lentils. We also spent time hypothesizing how I contracted this Middle Eastern mystery disease; some say the wind, some say the cold weather, I say food poisoning; but whatever, all ideas are welcome.

I certainly felt appreciated by the amount of concern that was shown over my wellbeing. On the flip side, I think the entire city of Ramallah now knows that I have/had diarrhea as I’ve had more conversations concerning my bowels than I ever care to have again.

Today, I am feeling almost 100%. The diarrhea is gone but I still have a bit of stomach pain here and there. Tomorrow, one of the bishops will be preaching at our church and we’ll go to Beit Jala to have a closing meal/service with them before they head to the Galilee and then home.

Hopefully, they’ll let me have shuklaa (chocolate) soon…

Happy Thanksgiving/Eid Said!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am sitting in my flat at the moment trying to get as close as I possible can to the space heater without burning my sweat pants. While the weather outside is still very much tolerable (especially considering that I’ve spent the last 22 winters in the Midwest), but the houses, which are made completely of concrete and limestone block, are cooling quickly. The concept of central heating doesn’t exist here so for the time being, we’re relying on space heaters until diesel is delivered and we can operate the iron heating apparatuses in our rooms.

Thanksgiving was bittersweet. It was the first time that I’ve really missed home. Despite being vegan, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays as it is one of the few times in my increasingly busy life that all of my family and friends are in one place. Also, Thanksgiving is not celebrated here, and in many respects it not only marks a holiday of gratitude, but also the official beginning (as my mom adamantly asserts) of the Christmas season. Much appreciated cards and mail have flooded my mailbox this month, and I am so thankful for these. It’s so great to have something to open and read familiar handwriting.

The sweet part of Thanksgiving came in spreading the holiday spirit in preparing a meal for three of our close Palestinian friends. The idea came after I was surfing the foodnetwork website for couscous recipes when I came across a picture of what looked like (and ended up tasting like) the best apple pie of all time. As I called in our friends to take a look at this culinary masterpiece, they looked at each other in confusion – they had never seen nor tasted pie before! From here Bethany and I made it our personal mission to bring the wonders of not only pie, but Thanksgiving as a holiday to the West Bank.

It’s important to note that Beth is a vegetarian and I am a vegan, so though we still had slight objections to the idea of cooking meat, we knew that we wouldn’t do Thanksgiving justice without it. Also, it’s important to note that the Muslim mega-holiday, Eid Adha, a time where older Muslims typically make their once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. Traditionally Muslim families slaughter cows to celebrate. To learn more about the pilgrimage, read this article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/11/28/hajj.bridge/index.html

And so began the grocery shopping adventure of a lifetime….

Turkey is not a common entrée here. Yes, it can be purchased like deli meat, but I was seriously mistaken when I thought I could buy a frozen turkey for $0.40/pound like I could at Super Wal-Mart. So after a failed attempt to buy a turkey, Beth and I settled on two two-pound chickens from the butcher’s section at the grocery store. When he asked us if we’d like anything cut off, my first instinct was “la shukran” (no thank you), but upon closer inspection, I realized that the heads were still on the chickens and there was no way that I would be able to stomach preparing chickens without all of the necessary appendages removed. I’m so glad I spotted it before we left the store or we may have had a meatless Thanksgiving.

Another challenging ingredient to find was dairy-free butter. I am still following strict vegan guidelines here and because Orthodox Jewish tradition requires its followers to separate their animal products, I figured a butter substitute wouldn’t be that difficult to find. Again, I was seriously mistaken. After visiting what seemed like visiting a baker’s dozen grocery stores, our coordinators brought us to a giant grocery store in Jerusalem where I found a kind, English speaking, Orthodox Jewish woman who helped translate the Hebrew on the container.

Going to the grocery store in Jerusalem was a brief flashback to my life in the US. One thing I’ve missed while in Israel/Palestine is convenience, there are rarely grocery stores that sell both groceries and produce under one roof. I never thought I would say this, but going to a mega stores with thousands of square feet of inventory never felt better. There honestly was something satisfying about knowing that I could buy both asparagus and pillows at the same store.

So, we had found the two most difficult ingredients and the rest was tracking down out-of-season produce and other assorted sides.

And so began the adventure of making Thanksgiving dinner…

We prepared our delicious apple pie and my grandma’s homemade corn recipe on Wednesday night. It was quickly brought to our attention that we had no pie pan or measuring cups. Thankfully after a few calls home to my mom we ended up measuring by using tea cups and other bowls and cups that was “close.” We ended up finishing both the pie and the corn at 3:30 am, but it was definitely worth it the next day. I think my pie would give my grandma’s a run for its money J

The next day we were looking to tackle the rest of our menu: 40 clove garlic roasted chicken, green beans with caramelized onions and toasted almonds, vegan stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, and apple pie. The chickens posed the largest challenge as neither of us had ever cooked meat like this and that neither felt very comfortable salting and peppering the bird and giving it a “butter massage.” I ended up preparing the chicken and I think it further affirmed my meatless lifestyle.

All in all, apart from the chicken we had a completely vegan Thanksgiving and I did sneak a taste of the chicken and I’m quite impressed with myself. We had a great time sharing a bit of our culture with our Palestinians friends over familiar foods and a much loved holiday. I am truly thankful for the contribution these friends have made in my time here and it was very meaningful for me to express my gratitude.

Thanks for reading. I love comments!!

Laurie

Long overdue...

I finally have time to sit down and update my blog. Though it has been a while since I’ve updated, life here, for the most part, is becoming routine, something I'm enjoying. I finally found a café that has high speed internet connection so I can watch missed episodes of The Office. There are things I miss about home, The Office being one of them, but I’m learning to manage without or find new solutions. I’m getting more acquainted with the city and meeting new people on a regular basis. Last night, Bethany and I went to a party hosted by a group of American contractors for US AID; learning about their work was fascinating as they are working to improve health infrastructure in Palestine.

I celebrated my birthday this past Sunday with a wonderful gift: a visit from my cousin Kaylyn who is studying in London this semester. Her flight to the Holy Land was not without drama however. Since she was traveling alone and did not speak Hebrew, she was pulled into a back room where every inch of her luggage was searched, all electronics taken apart, followed by more intensive searching and questions. Then she was sent through airport security only to be taken to another back room and strip searched down to her underwear. Luckily she was 4 hours early for her flight, otherwise she would have missed it. She was the last passenger to board.

Our weekend picked up from there. We had a night out on the town in Tel-Aviv on Thursday and hoped to spend Friday at the beach but, due to gloomy weather, we went back to Ramallah early; taking it easy for the rest of the night. Saturday we went to Martin and Suzanne's house for lunch. I am always so appreciative of their hospitality. We had lentil soup, rice, dessert and great conversation. Martin and Suzanne are my ELCA coordinators. After that we shared a taxi to Bethlehem and visited the Nativity Church. My birthday was on Sunday. We celebrated at the Dead Sea Spa enjoying the beach, mud, and hot stone massages. It was nice to relax and get away from the rain of Jerusalem/Ramallah. Monday we visited Yad Vashem (the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem) and then the Old City to see the Holy Seplechure. I dropped Kaylyn off at the airport in Tel-Aviv Tuesday afternoon. I was able to be there during her questioning and thankfully it wasn’t anything too invasive.

This birthday was quite a bit different than most. As always, I am overwhelmed by the number of people who wished me well. Thank you! Being away from home made 23 feel a lot older than it probably is. I realize that I have and will continue to undergo a great deal of change which makes it seem like I’ve aged a few years, as opposed to just one. My twenty third year will undoubtedly have its share of ups and downs, but I’m looking forward to all that is to come.

My roommate Beth was very sick last week battling a fever and cold. After three days of fever and feeling sick, we made a journey to the public “mustashfa” (hospital) to be tested for swine flu. (Even when I told Palestinians that I had visited this hospital, they gave me a concerned look.) We went to the emergency room as we didn’t know where else to go. After Bethany listed her symptoms the doctor ordered a test for H1N1 for her and me, because I live with her. After both registering with the hospital we waited to be tested. Because the hospital was out of test tubes, we waited about 3 hours for tubes to be delivered and our test administered. While the healthcare professionals were very nice and spoke English well it still led me to question the quality of healthcare Palestinians receive. Because this hospital is funded solely by the Ministry of Health, through the Palestinian Authority, its ability to stock necessary medical supplies is difficult. We learned later that we could have gone to the private hospital across the street for immediate care. It is expensive (though our health insurance through the ELCA does cover it) and most times that cost is too high for Palestinians to pay.

As I mentioned earlier, my life is becoming more routine. Typically, I get to the school I volunteer at, around 8:40 am. I help Tagreed, the secretary, make copies, file, stamp, and with anything else that needs to be done. Then we work with the younger grades, either 1^st or kindergarden. Currently, they are learning to write “capital A and small a”. Their enthusiasm to use what few words they do know is encouraging. We’ve also been teaching parts of the face; eyes, ears, mouth and nose. The biggest challenge for them is distinguishing between eyes and ears. After a few hours with the younger grades, we then assist grades 8, 9 or 10 with conversation and reading.

I enjoy this part of our day. I like visiting with the students and hearing their outlook on Palestine and America. They ask us tough questions: “What don’t you like about Islam?”, “Why do American movies always depict Muslims as terrorists?”, “Why does America send foreign aid to Israel, a developed country?”, “Why don’t Americans know about our situation?”, “Do Americans hate Muslims?”, “Did you vote for Bush in 2004?”; the list goes on. While I am aware that America makes mistakes and I am willing to admit that to the students, it’s difficult for the students to understand that America's priorities, for the most part, lie mostly in domestic and individual affairs. These students are used to seeing American products, such as US AID sponsoring their school, music videos from MTV, so they have a different understanding of how America should reach out. I think the students are dissatisfied with my answers so I have to choose my words very carefully. Usually I take the more diplomatic route, rather than say bluntly, “Americans don’t care about this situation as much as you'd like because they would rather focus on domestic, individual, or other international concerns first.” It’s harsh, but I believe, to a certain extent, it’s true of both American and Palestinian cultures. Any help with this situation would be greatly appreciated!

I usually get back from school around 1pm or 2pm. Beth and I have become involved in the Youth Group at church which meets Tuesday nights. Thankfully, we have translators that help us understand the lessons. Wednesday nights we rehearse with the Zaridash choir, an international choir in Ramallah. We’re practicing for performances in January. It’s nice to work with such dedicated musicians. Afternoons are spent shopping at the vegetable market. Vendor, Eyad, gives us good prices and we're getting to know the employees at two other grocery stores. I try to squeeze in a workout every day with four Palestinian friends who joined the gym I attend; doubles as workout and social time. Nights are spent on the internet visiting with my family and coordinating upcoming visits from friends and family.

Overall, this experience is more enriching every day. I hope to post pictures of Kaylyn and my adventures soon. I love the comments!

Firsts...

Marhabba!

Sorry for the delay in updating my blog. This week has been a week of firsts: first visit to the doctor in Palestine, first visit to the Dead Sea, first blown tire, first Twins game on a beach, and first camel ride.

I’ll begin with the doctor. I woke up on Thursday morning with a swollen and painful left eye. I thought I might have something in my eye from spending the previous weekend in a cave. After the women at my school called an ophthalmologist, I was whisked away in a cab to the doctor. I really didn’t know what to expect and still don’t have a thorough understanding of how the medical system works here. I entered the waiting room to find about 20 people waiting to see a doctor. After filling out paperwork, I am now officially on file as Laurie George Blank. I then passed by two other waiting rooms for our doctor each holding about 20 more people. I saw a doctor immediately who if I ever had surgery on my eye (I did, in 1998) and explained that the swelling was caused by extreme dryness. I was given an ointment and drops and sent on my way. Overall, I was very satisfied with the care I received (a visit was just $25), but concerned that I completely skipped the line. I don’t know why I was allowed to cut the line – it’s a privilege that I’m not comfortable taking advantage of.

Yesterday, our coordinator and American volunteers headed to Ein Gedi National Park and the Dead Sea. On the way there, we stopped for a camel ride in Jericho (Thanks, Suzanne!). Of course it wasn’t without a bit of drama. As we drove along the shores of the sea, the front right tire blew out. It was hot, very hot and the eight of us weren’t exactly sure how to change our tire. Thankfully a kind Israeli family stopped and changed our tire (in the sand!!) and sent us on our merry way. Ein Gedi was beautiful. Overlooking the Dead Sea, Ein Gedi has a hikers paradise with natural springs. Because I’ve never been the hiking type, I stayed with the springs. Afterwards, we headed to the Dead Sea. Unfortunately, I made the grave mistake of shaving my legs that morning and the salt from the sea burned my legs. The water acts as a natural exfoliation, so next time I will not be shaving for several days prior. The Dead Sea is as everyone says it is. It is nearly impossible to go underwater because you are so buoyant, you don’t even feel that wet because the water is so salty. After floating in the sea for a while, we went to a mud pit and covered ourselves head to toe in the mud. After washing it off, my skin felt amazing. Our day concluded with a 3-hour drive home due to a car accident at Kalandia (the checkpoint to Ramallah) – an adventure it was.

Lastly, Beth and I had an evening of fun in Tel-Aviv watching the Twins/Tigers game a week and a half ago. Beth met a USAID employee from Bloomington who invited to a bar in Tel-Aviv that has ESPN. The game began at 11pm our time. Because it went into 12 (I think) innings, it didn’t get over until 3am. Due to the curfew from the Jewish holiday of Sukkoth, all checkpoints were closed from 12:30am to 5am. We decided to pass our time with a nap on the beach. We ended up getting into Ramallah at 6:30am and had school at 7:30. It seemed like a flashback from my days at the U of M. I was tired but watching a baseball game with a pitcher of beer was so worth it.

I’m hoping to post pictures soon. Again, I sincerely appreciate the comments. I hope you’re well!

Bethany and I dressed for wedding


Fencing collects tossed garbage



Wedding Reception



At the Galilee

In Nazareth

Wedding

This last weekend was the best weekend I've had so far. We were invited to a Palestinian Christian wedding on Saturday. The rituals were nearly identical to an American Christian wedding, but with a few differences. The wedding ceremony itself, as far as I could tell as it was in Arabic, was identical. A bride in a white dress, a groom in a tux, a maid of honor and best man (no bridesmaids or groomsmen), and flower girls and ring bearers were all present. The reception was held in Jericho at the Intercontinental Hotel. It was like a mini version of a Vegas hotel complete with pools and vegetation galore, in the middle of a desert. The reception began with everyone waiting for the bride and groom's arrival. They were greeted with fireworks and dancing as they entered. The food was delicious and the live band was great. I'm seriously considering having an Arab-style wedding if and when that day comes... Sunday we were invited to Ma'ale Adudmin for dinner with a Jewish family. Ma'ale Adudmin is the largest Israeli settlement with 37,000 people, complete with swimming pools, several schools, a mall and other conveniences. It is settlements like this that are at the center of peace negotiations at the moment, so being there felt a little eerie. However, once we were in the family's flat, it felt like any other home with any other good family. I can see where it would be difficult to remember that settlements such as these are a breach of international law. Conversation at our dinner was incredibly informative. We learned a great deal about Jewish holiday tradition and current culture. The family had 5 children, all of whom had either served in the IDF or doing national service - national service being volunteering for 2 years after high school in nursing homes or at schools. Completing this service means that the former soldiers are eligible for the social security, public healthcare and everything else that is provided by the government. I also found out that these services come at a cost: a 65% flat rate income tax. Additional there is a 16.9% VAT tax (the same as a sales tax) added to all goods. The family we were talking to was so pleased that they were finally able to purchase their first home at the age of 58. After our visit to the settlement, we went to Tybeh, a local Christian village for Oktoberfest. Tybeh is home to Palestine's only brewery. I recommend trying the beer if you see it, it is delicious. Thanks for reading!!
Mom will try and post a few pictures that I emailed her.

Disturbed...

Last Saturday was perhaps the most difficult day I’ve had here so far. A major takeaway that I hoped to gain from this experience was a better understanding of hate. Up until now, I had questioned the need for peace in this region – mostly because everyday life seems to run normally here, despite the extreme inconveniences of checkpoints, house demolitions, etc. Overall though, I didn’t think many people in this region lived in fear of leaving their homes or felt that their safety was constantly at risk. In essence, there was a need for piece – clear boundaries needing to be set so that Palestinians can carry on with their way of life as can Israelis free from injustice and massive military spending. Unfortunately today, I saw how hate (and perhaps feelings of entitlement) have led people to jeopardize the safety of others and I can say that it is beyond disturbing.

We began the day touring Hebron, a city in the West Bank where Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Jacob and their wives are buried beneath the Ibrahimi Mosque and a conjoined Synagogue. As you can imagine this is a holy site for Muslims, Christians, and Jews. The tombs lie below the Mosque and Synagogue with Jacob, Leah, and Joseph ‘s tombs being in the Synagogue, Abraham and Sarah’s tombs being accessible to both, and Isaac and Rebecca’s tombs on the Mosque side. Christians are granted access to both sides (with the exception of the Mosque on Friday and the Synagogue on Saturday due to the respective Sabbaths), but Jews and Muslims are not allowed in each other’s half except for a few days a year. Muslims and Jews used to be able to move freely through the houses of worship until 1994 when Baruch Goldstein, a Brooklyn-born physician entered the mosque on the Jewish holiday of Purim during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with an M-16 and killed 29 Muslims and injured tens of others as they prayed in the mosque. Bullet holes are still apparent in the mosque and bulletproof glass has since been installed to protect the Muslims. Despite this being an extremely disturbing act of terrorism, in a settlement nearby, there is a memorial tribute to Goldstein and as one woman is quoted in saying on a YouTube video “it’s a shame he didn’t kill more Muslims.” There are theories of him having an accomplice as doors to the mosque were locked, barring anyone from leaving at the time shooting started and after the crime scene was investigated, more bullets were found than Goldstein was said to have had. It still remains a mystery.

After the Mosque, we walked into the Jewish zone of Hebron an area that is only accessible to Jews and Christians, to observe the checkpoint and the ultraorthodox Jewish settlers. Rabbi Moshe Levinger began colonizing the center of town after Israel seized the West Bank in 1967. Though these moves were against Israeli law, they ultimately garnered endorsement, even after a settlement of Kiryat Arba was established nearby to draw the settlers out. As a result, the city is quartered up into zones. Each armed settler in the Old City is protected by as many as four armed soldiers stationed on rooftops and street corners, allowing the 600 Jews there to roam freely in the streets, carrying machine guns and hurling anti-Arab chants. Clashes break out between settlers and soldiers regularly, not to mention repeated violence and terrorist activity towards Muslims. It was a very weird sight, male orthodox Jews looking like they just came from a Gap commercial suit with white shirts and khaki pants, carrying machine guns across their shoulders walking home from Synagogue.

After observing the settlers, we went to the Old City to shop. Like all of the old cities here, they are comprised of stone buildings and streets that are close together. Above the narrow streets was fencing with garbage and other random items caught in it. When I asked our tour guide about the purpose of fencing he said that Jewish settlers often throw things down onto the vendors including garbage, feces, and bleach to destroy their product. After shopping in the Old City, we met with a Palestinian family who lives on the border of the Palestinian zone and the Jewish zones. Though they are not accessible to each other by ground, they are by rooftop.

The Palestinian family has nine children who are now forced to live entirely within one room because it is the only place they can feel secure. They used to have two rooms for the entire family to fit comfortably, but settlers burned it down killing one of their children. The doors are without locks as settlers have repeatedly shot them out. Furthermore, the settlers shot holes into the family’s water tank, making it impossible for them to get water. A new tank costs around $100 (a great sum for this family) but cannot be installed without a building permit from the Israeli government. Palestinians unfortunately, are not allowed to have building permits, so the current water tank they have is there illegally, which if discovered could cost them their house.

The irony of all of this is that in order to provide a secure area for the Jewish settlers, the IDF has stations on rooftops watching over the properties. As we went to the rooftop of the Palestinian family we were visiting, an IDF station was about 20 feet away, in clear view of a soldier. Under laws of occupation, the occupier must protect both the citizens of its country and in the land that they occupy, obviously this isn’t happening.

I thought that this would be the most upsetting part of the day, but unfortunately, I was wrong. We left Hebron for the small village of At-Tuwani, a primitive subsistence village with the great misfortune of being with 200 meters of Ma’on, a settlement full of ideological Jewish settlers. The settlers began moving to the area in the early 1980s and have been terrorizing the community ever since. It started with attacking shepherds with sticks, then settlers began stealing, poisoning, and killing Palestinian livestock. At one point they poisoned a Palestinian barley crop that was planted for a resident’s goats to graze in, they could not drink the milk for months for fear of drinking poison and dying.

Attacks on adults are one thing, but settlers have been targeting children for years. At-Tuwani houses the only school for miles. Children from surrounding villages walk to school in the morning are often met by harassment from adult settlers of Ma’on. Harassment can be as minor as yelling obscenities to throwing stones and stealing money and backpacks, to beatings. The Christian Peacemaker Team was approached to help accompany the children as they walk to school. Within two weeks, three CPT volunteers had been hospitalized as they were met by settlers with bats and chains. Now the IDF accompanies the children to school, yet they are still subject to harassment and terrorism.

The list of attacks truly goes on and doesn’t show any sign stopping (for a more detailed list of attacks you can read here http://www.cpt.org/hebron/documents/Tuwani_media_packet.htm). Although many of these attacks have been caught on tape and turned into the Israeli police and IDF, nothing is done. I question how residents like the settlers benefit the state of Israel. Certainly the mentality of lawlessness would or should be of concern. It’s puzzling.

Obviously after learning this, it brings an entirely different dimension to the notion of peace and piece. I still don’t have all of the answers, but there must be a better solution than the status quo.

Thanks for reading. I love the comments.

Galilee and Peace Talks...

Today was my first day back from a three-day holiday. As a group, we spent Monday – Wednesday at the Galilee enjoying swimming in freshwater and taking in religious sights. I’m reading the Bible with a great deal more interest since I can picture where the stories took place. The Galilee includes many famous stories and places such as Nazareth, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, and Jericho. Nazareth is the site of the Basilica of the Annunciation where it is believed that the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she was pregnant with Jesus. We also visited the Greek Catholic Synagogue Church – a synagogue built on the site of a synagogue said to be where the young Jesus regularly prayed and later preached.

Next we arrived at our accommodations at the Galilee and enjoyed the sea. This is where Jesus walked on water though scientists believe that he skated due to a freak cold spell – the jury’s still out for me. The next day we visited the ancient town of Capernaum, Jesus’s home base during the most influential period of his Galilean ministry. He also recruited his first disciples here: Peter, Andrew, James, John (all fisherman), and Matthew (a tax collector).

Wednesday we spent time at the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3 – 10

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The verses are beautiful as is the view of the Galilee. Now there is a church and gardens on the site. Next we went to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes where Jesus fed 5000.

Lunch was at Pagoda a Chinese/Thai restaurant. I had no idea how much I missed a good Pad Thai and it was nice to feel like I was eating something from home. Our last stop was to Jericho. The city of Jericho is the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth as well as the lowest (1200ft below sea level). So far the terrain of Israel/Palestine has been mountainous, but Jericho is quite different, a valley miles from the Dead Sea and completely flat. Security in Jericho is very high since the second infitada and is often where heads of government meet.

Settlements were at the center of peace talks this week between Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas refuses to engage in peace talks as long as settlements are still under construction. Israel has ignored Obama’s call for a settlement building freeze, though they have now agreed upon “restraining” settlement activity. Ultimately, Obama called for negotiations to be made without preconditions and on Tuesday, Obama, Netanyahu, and Abbas met. Though there were no breakthroughs, both sides did agree to send negotiating teams to Washington net week and there was a general agreement that peace talks should restart quickly.

The notion of settlements is a double-edge sword. While the building of settlements in the West Bank is illegally confiscating Palestinian land, the construction of them (and the wall) employs thousands of Palestinians. A Palestinian friend told us last night that his friend had recently lost his job with a family and two kids. When I asked what he did, he said he worked in the settlements and the slowdown cost him his job. It’s very ironic. Prior to these talks there were currently around 2500 units in production and 500 more planned, I do not know what the current plans are post-peace talks.

The talk of settlements unfortunately is just the tip of the iceberg for peace. Bigger negotiations such borders, Jerusalem, the right of return for Palestinian refugees will prompt much greater debate. Most people favor a two state solution, but when actually considering the logistics of moving 500,000 Israeli settlers out of the West Bank and negotiating borders as well as figuring out what to do with people who were forced to leave their homes in 1948 or later, it’s a nightmare, not to mention questions of whether Palestinians can maintain an economy without ties to Israel. A one state solution is far and wide easier logistically, but can Arabs and Israelis coexist?

I admire Obama for taking the initiative to restart peace talks, but his power seems limited as, in my mind, the only action the US could take to prompt Israel and Palestine from dragging their feet is end our foreign aid – a budgetary power given to Congress. Israel has the largest foreign lobby in Washington, so it is unlikely this will happen. Below is a breakdown of aid and other forms of trade that we are engaged with in Israel that I found online, it’s amazing to see how much interaction we do with each other. It is also important to note that we also fund a great deal of social projects through USAID for Palestine too, mainly around building hospitals and schools, that could easily be suspended as well, but I do not have the specifics on.

According to the book "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" by Walt and Mearsheimer, "Israel receives on average about 3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year, an amount that is roughly one-sixth of America's direct foreign assistance budget and equal to about 2 percent of Israel's GDP. In recent years, about 75 percent of U.S. assistance has been military aid, with the remainer broken down into various forms of economic aid. In per capita terms, this level of direct foreign assistance amounts to a direct subsidy of more that $500 per year for each Israeli."Other US help includes:

• US Jewish charities and organizations have remitted grants or bought Israel bonds worth $50 billion to $60 billion. Though private in origin, the money is "a net drain" on the United States economy, says Stauffer.

• The US has already guaranteed $10 billion in commercial loans to Israel, and $600 million in "housing loans." (See editor's note below.) Stauffer expects the US Treasury to cover these.

• The US has given $2.5 billion to support Israel's Lavi fighter and Arrow missile projects.

• Israel buys discounted, serviceable "excess" US military equipment. Stauffer says these discounts amount to "several billion dollars" over recent years.

• Israel uses roughly 40 percent of its $1.8 billion per year in military aid, ostensibly earmarked for purchase of US weapons, to buy Israeli-made hardware. It also has won the right to require the Defense Department or US defense contractors to buy Israeli-made equipment or subsystems, paying 50 to 60 cents on every defense dollar the US gives to Israel.

US help, financial and technical, has enabled Israel to become a major weapons supplier. Weapons make up almost half of Israel's manufactured exports. US defense contractors often resent the buy-Israel requirements and the extra competition subsidized by US taxpayers.

• US policy and trade sanctions reduce US exports to the Middle East about $5 billion a year, costing 70,000 or so American jobs, Stauffer estimates. Not requiring Israel to use its US aid to buy American goods, as is usual in foreign aid, costs another 125,000 jobs.

• Israel has blocked some major US arms sales, such as F-15 fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia in the mid-1980s. That cost $40 billion over 10 years, says Stauffer.

Well, it is time for me to go to bed. I hope you’re all well. Thanks for the comments!

Laurie

Eid-il-Fitr

Good evening everyone,

So I'm still have difficulties uploading pictures - hopefully this will be resolved soon. I'm eager to share more about my experiences through pictures.

The focus of this week has been the end of Ramadan (a notion that I am admittedly extremely excited about) and the beginning of Rosh Hashanah - a celebration of the Jewish New Year. It is only by coincidence that both fall during the same time this year, but this dramatically complicates the security issue. During the Muslim Sabbath (Friday) and other designated holy days of prayer, many Muslims go to Jerusalem (provided they can attain a permit which are easier to get during holy periods) to pray at the Dome of the Rock as it is the third most holy site for Islam. On Wednesday, my roommate Bethany and I tried to go to a volleyball fellowship for internationals not realizing that it was an important day for prayer. We waited at the checkpoint for two hours before deciding to turn back - the most frustrating part of this was that we were in a line about ten people deep, but still had at least another hour before we would go through metal detectors ( the final step of the checkpoint process) due to an IDF slow down. We later found out that some 400,000 Muslims had entered Jerusalem on Wednesday to pray and the number was expected to be much greater on Friday. We had our first Arabic lesson on Friday, thankfully we were picked up by our country coordinators - otherwise we would have had to line up around 8am, to ensure that we could get into Jerusalem by 5pm. Literally, people will line up for miles. The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid-il-Fitr, the Festival of Breaking Fast and carries the same weight as Christmas does for Christians. People go to mosque in new clothes and exchange gifs with friends and family.

Rosh Hashanah started yesterday which means that Palestinians are barred from entering Israel, even if they possess a work permit. As I grow more into my role as an American in Palestine, my privilege is more and more apparent. This morning, Bethany and I attended worship in Jerusalem as we were being commissioned by the Bishop of the ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land). A friend of ours was going to be officiating the Arabic speaking congregation at the same church and offered to accompany us through the checkpoints and transportation. We hadn't given a second thought about being able to pass through Kalandia, he on the other was extremely nervous as his work permit may not be able to trump Rosh Hashanah, despite being able to prove being a Christian pastor on a Sunday. Thankfully, there were no problems, but again, I was reminded of how accompanying the Palestinian people in their struggle is difficult simply because I have white face and a blue passport.

Also, over the past weeks I have been learning more about the internal struggles and prejudices of Palestine. I am largely surrounded by Arab Christians, who comprise of about 3% of the Palestinian population. This identity not only subjects them to prejudice from Israelis, but Muslims as well. Particularly with Hamas gaining support in the West Bank, many Christians are scared that it will largely compromise their freedom to worship and abide by their traditions (namely, women not having to cover their head). In 2006, Hamas won a democratic election in Gaza. Since coming to power, women must be covered and are no longer able to work or drive. It's the ultimate paradox of a democratic election with very undemocratic policies. I will be writing more about the advantages and disadvantaes of Hamas and Fatah in posts to come.

Of the Christians I have talked to, they have no problem with Muslims on an individual level, but feel as a religion, their beliefs are too strongly imposed on the population. As a Westerner, I assumed to find a large Christian presence in the Holy Land, but they are leaving at record numbers, partly due to the occupation and partly due to fear of losing religious freedom. Many Muslims believe that Christians side with the West, a largely untrue assumption and see them as a threat to Islam. Unfortunately, the peace process with have to extend further than Israel and Palestine, but Christians and Muslims.

I hope you're well. Again, I sincerely appreciate your comments. I head to the Sea of Galilee in a few hours (it's 3am West Bank time at the moment) for Eid-il-Fitr since it's also a school holiday. My main objective is to walk on water - stay tuned...

Peace,

Laurie

Checkpoints...

Happy Sunday,

I’ve just come back from a grocery run with my roommate, Bethany. We typically buy our groceries at a store up the hill and our produce at the market. A few days ago we got a kilo (about 2.2 pounds) of avocados for 5 shekel or $1.10, so I’m happy to announce that guacamole will continue to be a staple in my diet. Usually we pay for avocados, but because we don’t need a kilo of chilies, onions, garlic or limes, we get them for free. Because families are big here (most have between 4 and 6 children) food is sold in large quantities. Since we’re shopping for the two of us, we’ve gotten a lot of produce for free.

This weekend has been filled with activities. Yesterday was spent in Tel-Aviv at the beach. Suzanne, one of our country coordinators and all 6 YAGMS spent Friday night in Beit Jala following a mepeace meeting there. Mepeace (pronounced “me peace”) is an organization of Israelis, Palestinians, and Internationals that meet periodically to discuss peace issues and make contacts. There we learned about both Ramadan and Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath), more information about both is below. I found it to be very educational and I met some wonderful people from all over the world.

The ironic thing about going to the mepeace meeting was that the journey there was a clear indicator of how far away peace for this region really is. In all, a journey that typically takes about 30 minutes took us over 3 hours. We first took a shared taxi from the Manarha (Ramallah’s city center) to Kilandia (the West Bank’s busiest checkpoint). We were dropped off a mile away because traffic was bumper to bumper. Once I arrived at the checkpoint, we realized the backed up traffic was because vehicles were prohibited from entering Israel due to it being the Muslim holy day and during their holiest month – Ramadan.

After getting to the walk-through portion of the checkpoint, we were met by a huge crowd. About 200 people were trying to fit through three narrow lanes that look similar to cages – I can now say I know what it’s like to be a cow being herded. It was very dehumanizing. The lanes were narrow, designed to create a single file line, however, because many people are denied at the checkpoint for not having proper permits, the rejected have to try to get back through the narrow lanes, causing people to have to climb up the fencing to let others through. Needless to say there was a lot of pushing and confusion along with mothers frantically trying to find their lost children. Once my line was permitted to enter the screening point, I was surprised to see that only one metal detector was being utilized (despite having 10 available) on one of the biggest traffic days of the year. Going through this once was hard enough – but thousands do this everyday.

After waiting another 20 minutes to enter security, I made it through the checkpoint with little questioning. Because I carry an American passport, I am not questioned besides a request to see my entrance stamp. Despite massively disagreeing with checkpoints being built within Palestinian territory, I am pleasant to the IDF soldiers – I don’t think any of them enjoy monitoring checkpoints, let alone having to turn away people from wanting to pray at their holy site. Three years of military service is mandatory for all Israelis and typically poor Israelis get the worst positions – working checkpoints and executing evictions. The IDF is notorious for being one of the least disciplined militaries. It is not uncommon to see soldiers on their cell phones running a checkpoint or smoking a cigarette. The women wear their uniform with flip-flops and massive sunglasses. Also soldiers are not allowed to leave their arms anywhere, so at all times they’re carrying a machine gun – it was startling at first, but I’m getting used to it now.

Checkpoints are essentially a border crossing. When you go through a checkpoint, you are entering into a different country – Israel. I don’t have a problem with a country wanting to protect its borders – virtually every country does this and has the right to. The problem with checkpoints in Israel/Palestine is that they were built entirely within Palestinian territory that was agreed upon in 1967. This means that Israel has created new borders for the West Bank that are strategically placed around their illegal settlements and water resources.

Imagine if Canada came to North Dakota, put up a huge wall that split the state in half. In order to get to Fargo, your place of work, you had to get a permit to cross through a checkpoint. Also, if you had land on the other side of wall, you would need a permit to access it, except when you got there, the Canadians built homes there and people were living in them, despite you being able to provide proof of ownership of the land. This is very much what happened in Palestine.

Now imagine that you are willing to accept your new country borders, but Canada confiscated your land within those borders saying it was now government property and you cannot show proper ownership so now they build settlements for more Canadians. This is what is currently happening in Palestine.

Sometimes to me, the idea of settlements could seem understandable if there was a housing shortage in Israel, but there is a huge surplus. Many settlement units remain empty in addition to thousands of apartments in Jerusalem. Settlements are also strategically placed on top of hills and cut Palestinian territory off from one another, so Palestine’s borders are referred to as “Swiss Cheese” as it’s basically a bunch of little pockets of unoccupied territory that they now have. Whenever a new settlement is created, multiple checkpoints are built to create new country borders. It is these acts that have gotten Israel in big trouble with the UN, but the reprimands have done little to stop the development of settlements as more are currently being built.

If you’re interested in how the Israel/Palestine conflict is portrayed in the American media, I would strongly recommend checking out “Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised land.” It’s a documentary you can watch for free if you Google it. It gives a great background to the conflict that isn’t reported in America in about an hour and twenty minutes. Watch it and let me know what you think.

Sorry I don’t have pictures yet. I have a weak computer signal that can’t handle the amount of data transfer required by pictures. I’ll try again next week.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support. Read below for more information about Shabbat and Ramadan. I love comments!!

RAMADAN

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar – that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays “move” each year. In 2009 Ramadan begins at sundown on August 22.

For more than a billion Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a month of blessing marked by prayer, fasting and charity. Ramadan retains its focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to Allah (God).

Why this month? Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam. Around 610 A.D., the prophet Muhammad took to wandering the desert near Mecca while thinking about his faith. One nigh a voice called to him from the night sky. It was the angel, Gabriel who told Muhammad he had been chosen to receive the word of Allah. In the days that followed Muhammad found himself speaking verses that would be transcribed as the Qur’an. At many mosques during Ramadan, about one thirtieth of the Qur’an is recited each not in prayers known as Tarawih. In this way, by the end of the month the complete scripture is recited.

Fasting: Muslims practice Sawm, or fasting, for an entire month of Ramadan. This means that they may eat or drink nothing, including water while the sun shines. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (duties) of Islam. As with other Islamic duties, all able Muslims take part in sawm from about age 12. During Ramadan in the Muslim world, most restaurants are closed during the daylight hours. Families get up early for Suhoor, a meal eaten before the sun rises. After the sun set, fast is broken with a meal known as iftar. Iftar usually begins with dates and sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost.

Fasting serves many purposes. While they are hungry and thirsty, Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. And in this most sacred month, fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers.

SHABBAT

Shabbat symbolizes the seventh day in Genesis, after the six days of creation. By religious Jews, it is observed from sundown on Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact time therefore differs from week to week and from place to place, depending on the time of the sunset.

Shabbat is observed both by positive observances, such as three festive meals and restrictions. Work and other activities (such as lighting fire, using electricity, driving) are forbidden for religious Jews. Shabbat is considered the day of rest not only for religious reasons, it has social elements as well: the belief that people deserve a day of rest from work to prepare for a new week and spend time with their family. Some of the customs of Shabbat are: Recitation of Kiddush, or “sanctification,” over a cup of wine at the beginning of Shabbat before a meal, eating a festive meal, blessing over a Challa (special bread), enjoying Shabbat (Oneg Shabbat), honor Shabbat by beautifying self and home, and Havdala, or “separation,” at the conclusion on Saturday night.

Back to school

Marhabba!

I’m halfway through my first week at the School of Hope in Ramallah, Palestine. My time here so far has been a mixture of both fun and frustration, but I’m eager to become more adjusted to how the school functions. Also, Arabic lessons start next week, which will be extremely helpful.

School of Hope is a private, Christian school that caters to kindergarten through 12^th grade. Currently there are 472 students enrolled with 70% of them being Muslim. Working in the school has had its share of ups and downs. The ups usually have to do with helping students practice their English and getting to know them on a more personal level. This week I led conversation groups of 10^th and 8^th grade students. I find that they are very willing to share their culture with me (I’ve already been invited to coffee by my 10^th graders after Ramadan and they’ve been introducing me to Arab music) and give an honest commentary on it.

Particularly when talking about dating, many are frustrated with the strict tradition AND the gossip in the community. The idea of a boyfriend or girlfriend implies that there is a sexual relationship and therefore brings shame to not only the people involved but their families as well. Many dating situations are very secret and typically two people will become friends and then announce an engagement. If two people are dating, they refer to each other as “best friends” as the phrasing is more socially acceptable. I am very curious to find out how a shame culture plays a further role into Arab culture.

The downs of working at the School of Hope is questioning whether I feel useful. Simple tasks like filing paperwork are impossible because I don’t read Arab script. Also, my presence sometimes serves as a distraction rather than an assistance. I’m sure the allure of a foreigner will wear off in the coming weeks, but I don’t like feeling like a burden.

Overall, my experience has been good. Today I followed the music teacher and taught elementary students American songs like the Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I’m adjusting to reading music from right to left. Arabic is written from right to left and so is their music. Also, I met with the technology coordinator and they are hoping to launch an online schooling program where students can submit homework and quizzes online. I’ll be in charge of finding programs that have these capabilities (similar to Blackboard, Moodle, or WebCT) and making it so that teachers and students can access it. Hello, transferable skills.

Saturday we are planning a trip to the beach in Tel-Aviv – I hope the bikini my mom sent in the mail gets here on time!

Thanks for reading. I love the comments! Pictures to follow...

All moved in!

Hello everyone,

I am writing to you from an internet cafe in my new home - Ramallah. My roommate Bethany and I moved into a flat across the street from the school we're working in last night. So far we've been managing. We're still in need of a few important items (like internet), but it'll all come together after these next few days. We were hoping to pick up a few things today to complete our kitchen, but because it is Friday (the Muslim sabbath) almost nothing is open. In conjunction with Ramadan, it's been difficult know when stores and restaurants are going to be open. Typically on weekdays (everyday but Friday), stores are open until about 6pm and after 7:15 (the official time that fasting ends) the town is dead. Things begin to pick up around 9pm again and the city shuts down at 12am. Many bars and resturants do not serve alcohol out of respect for the holiday.
Ramallah is known to be a very cosmopolitan city or "Palestine's bride" as my guidebook so affectionately calls it. The population is younger and it is the epicenter for social change as the Palestinian Authroity is beginning to implement more social services in an attempt to develop itself. I am eager to watch as those changes as they occur. I still have a great deal of exploring to do, however it's difficult to navigate around the city due to the hills and curvy roads. Street signs are a luxury here.
These last few days of orientation have been filled with sight seeing, including an all-important visit to Yad Vashem, the holocaust museum in Jerusalem. The museum was very well done - I wish I could compare it to the one in Washington DC, but I was too young to understand it at the time. It went through a timeline beginning with the rise of Hitler and the Nuremberg laws all the way to the establishment of Israel. Certainly this was a reminder of why having a Jewish state is very important to Jews and quite frankly, I don't blame them. They've been subject to persecution for centuries and after the horrors of the Holocaust, it's important to their survival that they have a homeland, but the phrase "promised land" as is so typically used to describe this region is distrubing.
To me, the biggest question is not whether Jews should have their own country, but at what expense. Presently, I have no alternative solutions to offer, but it's clear that the current situation is not working for either country - Palestinians are seeing their rights vanish before their eyes and Israelis pour billions of dollars into defense and security in order to feel safe in their own country.
At this point I don't sympathize with Israel, but as a believer in rationality (thank you, economics major), I am curious to find out more about Israel's rationale to beefing up security and why they haven't made greater strides at peace.
Beaches in Tel-Aviv in two weeks!
Thanks for reading.

Settlements

Us being denied access to an area of our tour. The wall has just recently went up. Residents on the inside of the wall have been given a key to unlock a gate so that they can go in and out as they please. But, when a resident came to let us in, he was denied access. It was a clear violation of his rights - none the less he was not grated them.
A street in the Old City.
The Wall.
Bethany at the crucifix.
The three men on the right were evicted from their homes, on the left is our tour guide, Rotem.

Loooonnnggg entry…

Today was an important day, not because Madonna visited the Western Wall in the Old City to pray (I was there just a few hours before her!), but because we were given insight to current sources of conflict. Much has been said about Israeli settlements, but I never understood the concept of them until we took a tour with The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD).

While I thought I had a pretty good understanding the differences between Israel and West Bank and the Israeli Defense Force’s (IDF) occupation of Palestinian territories, it is clear to me that it is much more complex than I originally anticipated.

Originally we started to commute around Palestine, I was confused by the location of the checkpoints. There is checkpoint operated by the IDF to get from Bethlehem to East Jerusalem, both cities within the borders of the West Bank along with numerous checkpoints that block Palestinian territory from Palestinian territory. The reason for this is because Israel has slowly since 1967 occupied territory between the Green Line (the border established after the 6-day war in 1967) and the location of the checkpoints in order to secure more land for Jews.

Going through checkpoints can be incredibly difficult for Palestinians as they must have a work permit in order to go across the border freely. If they do not possess such a permit, they must apply for one (and pay for one – sometimes NIS 1000 or about $380USD) in order to cross the border for a day. For people who have chronic health problems that require the expertise of someone practicing on the other side of a checkpoint, this can become very expensive and hazardous to their health.

While having a work permit means that a Palestinian has an opportunity to work in an industrialized country, checkpoints pose significant obstacles. Workers typically start lining up at 3am in order to ensure that they get through a checkpoint and arrive to work on time. Some with work permits have moved to East Jerusalem (Palestinian area of Jerusalem), but rent there is about 3 times higher than in Palestine. The wall has also produced a great deal of unemployment (this is from the literature I received today and may vary from what I have previously mentioned): 50% in the West Bank and 80% in Gaza.

We began our tour with a brief overview of recent history in Israel, showing the moving lines from 1948 and on. Then we met three brothers (pictured) living in Jerusalem who had recently lost their homes due to an Israeli eviction. All three men, in their 50s, had been born in those homes and they were built as compensation for being displaced after the war in 1948. The homes were in Jordanian territory until 1967 when Jerusalem was split and the home now was a part of West Jerusalem (Israeli territory). After this change over, Israel, claimed ownership of the land and in an attempt to make West Jerusalem more “Jewish”, the Palestinian families, along with 58 others were evicted from their homes on the grounds of not paying an Israeli settlement organization rent for a home they owned. In the middle of the night IDF soldiers surrounded the home and the families were given 20 minutes to collect their things and leave. The women weren’t even given time to put on headscarves. The IDF issued the family a tent to live in. Period. This eviction caused such an uproar that Hilary Clinton commented and Jimmy Carter paid the families a visit. Currently the family is homeless and has set up camp across the street from their former home. Hours after everything was emptied from the home, Israeli settlers moved in.

Many evictions and home demolitions have happened this way. Because of a culture where documenting ownership of land prior to 1948 when many people received compensation from then-controlling governments, Israel claims ownership of these lands because Palestinians were never given proper documentation.

While evictions and home demolitions are taking place in existing homes, the notion of settlers has reached a new level. Since the 70s, the Israeli government has been creating settlements in Palestinian territories. These settlements violate the agreed-upon boundaries established in the 1967 agreement. They have since been adjusted in Peace agreements in Oslo and at Camp David, which now allocates these areas to Israel. While all may seem fine and dandy now, the land was unlawfully seized by Israelis from Palestinians and they have adjusted boundaries as they see fit afterwards. Also, in an attempt to maintain US support, Israel has hired 10 American public relations firms to lobby media companies to show Israel in a good light. An example would be that Israeli settlements are often referred to as “neighborhoods” so that any conflict can appear to be unprovoked by Israelis.

A question you may have is why would any Israeli agree to live in a settlement in the middle of Palestinian territory or move into a home that a Palestinian was evicted from (especially one that generated enough media attention that both Hilary Clinton and Jimmy Carter felt compelled enough to personally comment on)? It’s important to understand that there are two kinds of settlers: economic and ideological. Currently there are 450,000 settlers living in the West Bank, and most settlements have around 30,000 people in them.

Economic settlers live in settlements for, you guessed it, economic reasons. Despite popular belief, Jerusalem is the poorest city in Israel. Settlements are a huge attraction for people living at the margins because the Israeli government subsidizes nearly everything: rent, education, healthcare, etc. Also, some are located close to industrial areas, making it easy to access quality work. Living in a settlement is a nice alternative to the poorer areas of Jerusalem.

Ideological settlers are the scarier alternative. They believe that living in Israel is their right and Palestinians are intruding on their God-given right. In Hebron, a southern Palestinian town, nearby settlers have terrorized Palestinians. They destroy farmland, throw stones at Palestinian children as they walk to school, and harass the neighborhood so that many are afraid to come out of their homes.

We drove into a settlement towards the end of our tour and I found them to be quite, for a lack of better word, unsettling. The settlement looked like something straight out of the pages of Pleasantville or Beverly Hills. The grass was incredibly green; the streets were lined with Palm trees. The flats were clean, every roundabout was landscaped, and the pools were filled with children on a hot day. While it sounds like a nice neighborhood, it is in the middle of a desert. Water is already a precious resource for the area. Palestinians comprise of 33% of Israel/Palestine’s population, but receive 10% of the water. Clearly the settlements are receiving a disproportionate amount of water as they have pools and greenery. The boundaries dictated by the wall have been strategically placed around aquifers, giving Palestine no control over water; it is also illegal for them to build wells leaving them at the mercy of Israel for this resource.

There has been a great deal of talk about solutions for Israel/Palestine. Many (including President Obama) support a two-state solution. Presently, however, current Palestinian territory is completely separated from each other, not only between Gaza and the West Bank, but parts of the West Bank are completely separated from one another. Logistically, this would be even more of a headache as it would require the relocation of Gaza’s residents and Arabs living outside Palestinian territories (around 250,000 total), plus it would require Israel to give up territory to reconnect the West Bank – unlikely.

After today, I’m finding that the current situation in Israel/Palestine has a chilling resemblance to my study abroad alma mater, South Africa. A group of people is being aggressed by a dominant force. Palestinians are restricted from moving in their own country and they have no voting rights to choose leaders that impose these restrictions on them. The stories of rejected permits in Israel/Palestine remind me of the papers blacks were required to carry to move about their own country. Palestinians, like black South Africans are subject to economic development restrictions in the name of security. Unfortunately this situation only seems to be getting worse before it gets better and sadly there are very few people engaged in the happenings of the country. Americans commonly are accused of being misinformed about the issues their own countries face – the same is true of Israelis, very little understand what their government is doing and simply see Palestinians as unruly.

Well, that’s enough for this evening. Please let me know if you have questions – I would be happy to answer them. I love, love, love the comments!!

Also, I have received my address and cell phone number (you can call from Skype for two and a half cents a minutes). Please message or e-mail (blan0196@umn.edu) if you wish to receive either.

Special thanks to:

Rotem, our very knowledgeable tour guide

Dad, for a good phone conversation

Marc Broussard, for accompanying me through song as I write

Day One: Bethlehem

The streets of BethlehemThe spot where Jesus was born.
The spot where Jesus was born, the star picture above is under the blue drapes. Many people kiss the star.
The outside of the Nativity Church where Jesus's manger is.

I’m sitting in my room in Palestine listening to a Palestinian protest, I’m not sure what they’re saying but there is chanting and yelling. I’m curious to read about it tomorrow as I assume that this will be a regular occurrence during my time here. Don‘t worry, I’m completely safe and have been advised to stay away from any kind of demonstration.

We arrived in Tel-Aviv around 3pm (7am CST) and are staying at Thalith Kumi in Beit Jala, Palestine. I will be staying here for a week until I move into my permanent residence, which I am pleased to announce, is in Ramallah, Palestine. I will be working in a school, but do not know my exact role yet.

Last night we had a meal in a nearly empty local restaurant down the street from my country coordinator’s home. Because Muslims are currently observing Ramadan, the streets are emptier as they cannot eat when the sun is down. Most wake up before sunrise (around 4am) to eat and then fast until sundown, which is about 7:30pm here. Ramadan continues until there is another full moon, which will be sometime in mid-September.

Today our group spent time in Bethlehem. The streets were quite empty as today is the Muslim Sabbath. We visited the Nativity Church, the site where Christ is thought to be born. All of the buildings here are made out of limestone, so it can be extremely bright during the day. We spent the rest of the day walking through the streets of Bethlehem. We took a break for falafel – a ball with chickpeas and spices that’s fried. You can find it in the US, but it’s much better here.

Walking through the streets of any city in the West Bank, you can’t help but notice that there are very few women out and about, particularly after dark. Women are usually only seen when they are on their way to work or shopping for groceries. If they wish to go out after dark, they need to be accompanied by a father or brother. Men loitering the streets is also an indicator of a high unemployment rate. Most Palestinians are not allowed to enter into Israel, those that are allowed find that crossing a checkpoint can take upwards of 6 hours, so commuting can be difficult. Many Palestinians have college educations, but the local economy does not support jobs that require that education. Most people work in factories or in construction of the Israeli settlements – very ironic.

Look forward to more posts as I continue to see this amazing place! I love the comments!

Special Thanks to:

Suzanne, my country coordinator for making vegan brownies

Faddi, a young man I met today with a fabulous name

Bethany, MY ROOMMATE FOR THE YEAR!!

Bye, Bye, Birdy

It’s my last night in Chicago, rather the United States, before my journey to Palestine officially begins. I thought a week of orientation would go quickly, but I found the exact opposite. While the speakers have presented interesting, relevant topics, I’m distracted by a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and a “what-were-you-thinking” voice in my head. We closed our group activities this evening by an open mic night. The Jerusalem girls created Discernment: The Musical. We adjusted a few popular Broadway songs to fit the Young Adults in Global Mission process from application to departure – the best part was seeing the creative juices work in my fellow volunteers, this is going to be a fun year.

We had an opportunity to speak with Marideth, a volunteer who just returned from a year of service in Bethlehem. For the first time, I could create an image of where I was going to be spending my time for the next year. My placement, roommates, and apartment location are still a mystery, but it hasn’t bothered me as much as I thought it would – in fact I’m looking forward to the surprises.

Tomorrow my group and I depart from LSTC at 11:30 for O’Hare. My flight for Frankfort leaves at 3:45 and arrives at 6:55am local time and then we depart for Tel-Aviv at 11:30ish. Your prayers during that time would be greatly appreciated.

Keep the comments coming – I appreciate them all!

Special Thanks to:

Logitech, for creating a webcam my parents can operate

Pastor Paula, for so generously offering a room in her house since apparently my room is rented out

Allison, for dealing with my last minute moving madness from Minneapolis

New beginnings

And so it begins.

 

It’s still difficult for me to adjust to this new beginning. I firmly believe that I adjust well to change – in fact, it is a circumstance that I routinely invite into my life, sometimes unnecessarily. But, as these last few weeks have been filled with lasts – last Chipotle burrito, last drive in my family’s prized Camry station wagon, last evening out with friends who have significantly influenced my life in seemingly every detail, last night in my bed, last hug goodbye to my overwhelmingly supportive and patient family – thinking about the firsts that come with new beginnings seems out of place.

 

But, as I lie in a dorm bed at the University of Chicago, it appears I’ve come full circle. It wasn’t long ago that I said seemingly permanent goodbyes to my friends and family in North Dakota to start a new chapter in Minneapolis. Now, those same feelings of fear of the unknown and unfamiliarity that flooded my thoughts four years ago in Frontier Hall linger in my mind. I suppose every new beginning is some other beginning’s end, I just need more time to convince myself of this.

 

In the light of moving forward, I have been giving a great deal of thought to what exactly I hope to gain from this experience. I’ve been rereading “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert in attempt to gain some witty phrases to incorporate in my blog writing and in hopes of identifying a solid purpose to my presence. Though I am usually a fan of spontaneity and going with the flow, if my years at the leadership office have taught me anything, it’s that it’s important to have clear vision of what I’m doing before I’m too far into something I no longer know where I am or what I originally set out to do. **Maryam or Bethany, if you’re reading this, my hope is that I won’t need to pull over to the side of the road and get out of the car. **

 

So in the spirit of setting expectations:

 

I am in pursuit of gaining a new world vision through the eyes of religion.

            My previous international experiences have shed light on culture and cultural interactions through multiple lenses. But, perhaps one of the most relevant, particularly in American foreign affairs is the role of religion in international relations. What Divine threads connect and divide us?

 

I am in pursuit of understanding the role of women in Muslim culture.

            It’s no secret that birthrates are booming among the Muslim demographic. Sooner rather than later, they will be a considerable presence in the United States. I know, particularly in Palestine, strides are being made to improve literacy rates and the status of women, but I would like to better understand how the role of women play a greater role in Islamic society. Furthermore, I look forward to seeing the differences in American Muslim culture and Middle Eastern Muslim culture.

 

I am in pursuit of understanding hate.

            I don’t know that I’ve ever used that word in reference to anything and actually meant it, especially towards another person, but it’s sustained presence is at the core of seemingly all world conflicts. Where does the idea of hate come from and how is it sustained?

 

Lastly, I am in pursuit of reconnecting with the Holy Spirit.

            At this point, I feel as though we’re good acquaintances – we can always pick up right where we left off, but why did we quit communicating in the first place?

 

It’s going to be one unforgettable year.

 

Special thanks to:

Carl, for quite possibly the best hug I’ve ever gotten at the airport this morning.

Tara, for sending me my new favorite quote.

Mallory M., for seeing me off in Fargo – no really gets my Chelsea references here and I miss you dearly.

Mom, for letting me cook a whole 10 days using onion and garlic.