Days pass by here each one very unpredictable. Yesterday we heard significant complaints about the rumored plans by the accomodationist branches of Fatah for the creation of a department for "Mughtaribeen" (expatriates) dropping the language of exile and diaspora and coming closer to abrogating fully the internationally recognized rights of refugees. Whatever the real story is, the sensitivity shows that the issue of refugees remains the core of the Palestinian struggle. Earlier, we went to help a farmer in Um Salamone to reclaim his land by planting trees and clearing rocks. We are told that a settler had come and uprooted the trees of another farmer and burned them the day before. The settler comes from the nearby colony of Migdal Oz which is surrounded by video cameras so clearly if they want to stop this they could. In any case, the farmer actually follows procedure and lodges a complaint with Israeli police via phone, a policeman arrives and takes his statement and asks him to go with him to (where else) the colony of Migdal Oz. Not more than ten minutes after they leave, heavily armed Israeli occupation soldiers arrive and ask us what we are doing then pick on the younger Palestinian men volunteering with us (asking them for their ID cards and asking them questions).
We toured the Old city of Hebron with visitors of mixed background including a Jewish and Catholic couple (even though not religious). The soldier at the gate to the Ibrahimi Mosque says the woman with Jewish background needs to go from another entrance to the section that is just for Jews. The building has been a mosque for 1400 years but has always welcomed visitors of all religions. After a Jewish terrorist killed 29 worshippers and injured over 100 in 1994, the Israeli authority did not react as you would have hoped (by removing the 400 racist fanatical settlers living in the heart of this city of 400,000 Palestinians) but reacted by securing more space for the colonial settlers, taking over more buildings in the heart of Hebron and dividing the mosque into a "Jewish" and "nonJewish" areas. As we walked in the old section of Hebron (now very much commercially dead thanks to the settlers), we encountered Israeli soldiers on patrol and we talked to a young man who took us into the roof of his house showing us along the way a room that had been burnt by settlers. On the roof we see the building next door (connected actually) that was taken over by settlers and soldiers. A soldier in the watch tower and settlers on their window is what the 9 Palestinian Children in the house see as they play in the balcony.
We also encounter wonderful Jewish and non-Jewish colleagues and supporters who do not swim with the tide of oppression. Many Israelis who do not buy their government's lie about avoiding "Area A" (the 5% of historic Palestine that now is the concentration camps for us Palestinians). They come, share meals with us and learn new things and yes build friendships. These kind of unexpected encounters are common here every day. Life with human camaraderie and solidarity in the Unholy/Holy Land remains beautiful despite all of the problems and challenges. We hope you come experience it.
I will be in Spain 14-15 Dec in Madrid, 16-18 in Barcelona participating in conferences and giving talks. In Madrid, in the frame of joint activities carried between The Culture, Piece, and Solidarity Haydee Santamaria Association, and AIDUN Center for Refugee are convening the second international symposium entitled : ”Middle Eastern Politics: Myth & Reality http://www.culturaypaz.org/
(I will be in Italy in early January and in the US in March also on speaking tours)
Video: Palestinians being evicted from their home in Jerusalem to be taken over by settlers.
Action 1: European Union demands Israel ends all its settlement and occupation of areas beyond the Green Line including in Arab East Jerusalem [This is significant but European public needs to push their governments to now follow-up with sanctions until Israel complies with International law http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
Action 2: The March on Gaza Dec. 27-Jan 1 will be accompanied by demonstrations and vigils around the world. We will have a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) in Bethlehem area to plan actions. Email me for details. Please plan events in your city and try to include BDS actions (http://www.bdsmovement.net )
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
http://www.qumsiyeh.org
http://www.pcr.ps
Quote of the day from the chief Rabbi of the city of Safad (a city that was before 1948, 80% Palestinian and has since been ethnically cleansed of its natiev Palestinian population, see http://www.
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