Food From The West Bank

Although under Israeli occupation, Palestine has a rich and vibrant culture where taste buds, not just eyes and minds, will reap the rewards of a visit. You will find a colourful cuisine that is filling (trust me..), along with well cooked and flavoursome. A walk down the street in any city will make this pretty obvious. The shops and souks are a goldmine for cooking ingredients; heaps of herbs aswell as lots of fresh produce are easily available if your into cooking some traditional recipes. The street food is equally as good though, and if you're looking for fast food containing some of whats on offer, the freshly prepped falafel, sharawma or kofte is often a far cry from the customary greasy post-night out kebab in the UK.

A Cook's Dream. (Photo Courtesy of Flora Murphy)

If your also lucky enough to have the opportunity of a meal at someone's house, make sure you go. We were served, and very much enjoyed the maqluba, a popular casserole rice dish eaten in the Arab world meaning 'upside down' in Arabic, due to the way its cooked in a pot and then turned upside down when served. Combined with fresh salad and labnah (yogurt), it makes for a highly delectable, authentic meal. Any thoughts of hunger on our last day were very much sated by this filling, but also flavoursome meal.

Maqluba For Lunch. (Photo Courtesy of Nandita Dowson)

If we could have found room for something sweet after such a great meal, we could have had some kanefeh, a dish originating from where many us visited in Nablus. It's a sweet treat made from cheese cooked with sugar syrup, and its certainly worth trying. Although feeling like I ate a lot, I know for a fact that what I ate and wrote about only scratched the surface of Palestinian, let alone Arab cuisine. The bucket list for my upcoming month in Palestine has gorging on more of the food very firmly pencilled in. Quite rightly, Palestine remains proud of its heritage and roots, of which its food is a huge part. Luckily for us, its there to experience.

Kanafeh At Its Best In Nablus. (Photo Courtesy of Flora Murphy)

Broad Horizons

Broad Horizons

CADFA is a charity that thrives on creating international links, but not just between the UK and the Palestinian territories. CADFA aims to establish strong links between our own countries too, and no work exemplifies this more than the work of our friend and CADFA volunteer, Jean Dubost. Below is a sample of his blog, aimed at creating strong links between France and the UK in terms of understanding about, and solidarity for human rights in Palestine.

“Grace à mon stage au sein de CADFA, j’ai eu la possibilité de partir en Palestine fin Novembre pour une dizaine de jours. Ce séjour était organisé par le Higher Council of Youth and Sports (HCYS) entité issue du gouvernement palestinien. Le HCYS a fait appel à diverses organisations internationales (dont CADFA) dans le but de rassembler un nombre conséquent de jeunes internationaux afin de réaliser le premier Palestinian International Youth Camp. Ainsi, nous étions un peu moins de 200 jeunes internationaux et palestiniens à participer à ce séjour. Nous aurions pu être davantage si un nombre important d’internationaux n’avait pas vu leur entrée sur le territoire refusée par les instances de contrôles israéliennes. Mon travail consistait à préparer et à aider une partie des participants avant le départ puis de diriger, en compagnie de deux autres leaders, une vingtaine de participants durant le séjour. Afin de préparer ce travail, les leaders sont arrivés avant les autres et ont participé à deux journées de formation à Jericho, plus vieille ville du monde, qui constituait le point de départ dans ma découverte des territoires palestiniens”.

For the full blog, visit http://cadfafrance.blogspot.co.uk/

Solidarity and Friendship. (Photo Courtesy Of Emerson Photography)

Video from HCYS

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1193037917478774&id=100003177309728

An International Ruling

As the dust settles on yet another Festive period, aftershock from the major UN decision regarding Palestine over Christmas can certainly still be felt in the Occupied Territories. As many will know, on December 23^rd, the UN security council passed a resolution demanding a halt to the building of Israeli settlements within the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Crucially, the usual bedrock of support to Israel in the United States delegation abstained from voting on the resolution, enabling this encouraging step for achieving human right's in Palestine to be taken. This will bring hope in Palestine, as the illegal settlement situation is the a key in fuelling the cycle of violence, aswell as a direct violation of their sovereignty as a nation. It's also a diplomatic rarity to witness the United States partially turning it's back on the increasingly right wing government of Israel, which it has closely supported since its creation in the 1940's. These reasons, along with Secretary of State John Kerry's critical speech regarding Israel's huge role in derailing the road to peace in Palestine, may hopefully see the end of the Carte Blanche for Israel amongst the international community in it's continued abuse of human rights.

A Turning Point Amongst The International Community?
(Photograph Manuel Ellas/AP)

However, no human rights are abused within the UN meeting rooms, and what many in Palestine will be concerned about, is the effect of such international decisions on a practical day to day level. For some, faith in organisations such as the UN has dwindled, due to the previous inaction over the ever growing list of UN decisions that Israel has violated over the years. This now ever growing disbelief in the power of internationalism is a sad reality, but can be very much understood. Even during my experiences in Palestine only last month, I was witness to a non existent international response to a variety of human rights abuses that the Palestinians are subjected to on a daily basis. A more recent and poignant example of such though, was the case of a Palestinian woman being shot dead by IDF soldiers in East Jerusalem just last Friday, to name just one example. Although a step in the right direction has come about internationally in terms of settlements; hope for the future is very much intertwined with the harsh, continued realities of the Israeli occupation in Palestine. It's now hugely important to continue the support for human rights in the country, regardless of headline resolutions.

The Occupation Still Goes On.
(Photograph Nayef-Saif Twitter)

The November Visit- Part 5 (The Wall)

Abu Dis- Continued

After the prisoner museum, you get a feeling of a larger prison for the Palestinian people, one also ever present and foreboding in everyday life. I am of course referring to the separation wall within the West Bank. The part of the wall that we saw was situated right next to the Al-Quds University. One account from a Palestinian friend spoke of the arduous journey just to attend classes, and the effort and determination needed just to get an education, a liberty many take for granted in our home countries. Unfortunately for the other students there, they are also subjected to harassment, violence and detention from the Israeli side of the wall. Abu Dis is an area with a lot of Israeli military camps. It is common for students to be arrested during exam time, and every week, it has become routine to have accommodation raided by Israeli soldiers, seemingly hoping to disrupt and intimidate by any means possible. From a student's perspective, this is awful, and one can only admire the courage and positive attitude of students in Palestine, in the face of what appears to be an attempt to stop them succeeding in life. As the majority of Palestine's population is now under 30, keeping this spirit is a necessity. The stakes are high though, as within our time there, we were told of an incident where 39 students were allegedly shot and injured by IDF soldiers within university grounds.

The Wall Winds It's Way Into All Aspects of Life: Abu Dis, Palestine.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography)

The sphere of influence in causing harm the wall has is not just limited to education. The infrastructural issues the wall has caused, and the ongoing land grab by the Israeli government, has created innumerable problems. Over capacity schools, families split apart, death from electric fences and forced migration are just the tip of the iceberg. It is a logical question to ask why build it then? Especially when every secure kilometre costs £5m. The answer of course is related to Israeli security, but also seems to be that the Israeli government wishes to keep the cycle of division and hatred going, as when the security issue dies, so does the justification for getting Palestinians to leave their homes.

Reminiscent of Berlin. Abu Dis, Palestine.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography)

What I found in Palestine, was that the majority wish to live in peace. Away from war, away from harassment, building a happy life for themselves and their loved ones. Politics should be sidelined for now, until the basic maintenance of human rights is upheld. Until our governments take action on this, I fear that the problems will only continue and worsen.

Will the Era of Walls Continue? Abu Dis, Palestine.
(Photo Courtesy of Flora Murphy)

The November Visit- Part 4

Abu Dis- The Museum

The prisoner museum in Abu Dis paints a vivid picture of the Israeli military internment system, and what life is like inside it. Imagine Guantanamo Bay. Instead of only being one facility though, where foreign nationals are abused, imagine a multitude of facilities, where citizens of their own country are thrown into jail, often without any formal charges or legal representation. Now, imagine the scenes of torture and abuse at Abu Gharib, and apply that to more people, on a larger scale, with more government backing. By doing this, you will have a similar picture of what the Israeli government does to many Palestinians within its prisons. It is sadly said by many in the Occupied Territories, that every Palestinian has some experience of this process, either directly or indirectly.

Tear gas thrown into cells, brutal interrogations, beatings, threats against families, use of the USA's EIT (Enhanced Interrogation Techniques), and even shootings to the head are said to occur within these shadowy complexes. Visits from family are also reportedly either routinely denied or heavily monitored, as well being made deliberately dangerous; as the Israeli guards sometimes use visits as an excuse to arrest more suspects. Guards even force prisoners to rush during their trips to the toilet, in another attempt at making them more uncomfortable. Needless to say, facilities are poor in the prisons, and to get even basic items to pass the time, Palestinians go on hunger strike, which carries a real risk of death either by beating from the Israeli guards or medically unsafe forced feedings.

When females are interned, Israeli prison authorities allegedly often deliberately put them in with Israeli women, convicted of crimes such as drug dealing or prostitution. This policy reportedly results in the widespread abuse of Palestinian women imprisoned in state jails, in a similar way to the men interned elsewhere. The worrying thing is, according to our guide, 50 people, both men and women, are interned in these varied facilities every month, a figure which is noted to be on the rise.

The November Visit- Part 3

Jerusalem

As a history student, it would be improper for me not to begin this by saying that even a 10 minute stroll through the winding cobbled streets of Jerusalem's Old City, is to follow in the footsteps of some of modern, medieval and ancient histories' most famous figures. It's also difficult not feel a sense of wonder in having being shown the most famous sites of monotheistic religion in the world. History is not confined to the past though, new chapters are written in every passing moment, and nowhere is this more true than in Jerusalem. On the same streets where Jesus was said to have walked to his crucifixion, the Wailing Wall is situated, where Saladin rode and Ariel Sharon resided, Israeli soldiers continue their policy of trying to make some Palestinians a broken minority. Religious humiliation is the weapon of choice in this city. Solders routinely stop any Muslim or Arab looking person en route to holy sites. A practical way from Israel's point of view in maintaining security yes, but also perhaps a symbolic gesture from them, that it will always be a struggle to achieve a comfortable home in Jerusalem for some Palestinians.

Entry is Not as Open as it Looks: The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography)

The road leading to Jerusalem was also interesting, as it is littered with heavily fortified Israeli settlements and checkpoints. One can only describe these settlements as luxurious looking compounds guarded by both the IDF and armed settlers. We were told that taxes are made so low that even those with no religious inclinations are encouraged to move here to enjoy the climate and luxury. For those who have seen coverage or documentaries on the problem, you know of the reported violence and racism committed by a vocal minority of those living in similar places, in the name of preserving their right to the land. For those who haven't, it's well worth researching.

Settlements Can Only Make the Road to Peace Longer: Jerusalem, Palestine.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography)

Seen as many Palestinians will never want to leave their legitimate homes, it is up to foreign governments to pressurise the Israeli Goverment into steadily winding back its abuses of human rights, without compromising its State's security. This is not just a matter of ethics, but global stability, as the abuses appear to fuel a seamlessly never ending cycle of violence, that we sadly see in the news.

 Under Occupation, But Still Welcoming: Jerusalem, Palestine.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography)