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.