The November Visit- Part 2

Ramallah

Our first excursion today was a visit to the grave of Yasser Arafat, housed within the rear of the Palestinian Presidential Palace in the city of Ramallah. For a figure perceived to be consigned to the history books by someone of my background, Arafat is ever present within Palestinian politics but also continues to be divisive, even in death. This division was most poignantly illustrated by the grandeur and ceremony of his resting place, contrasting the former PLO leader's face having been cut out of propaganda posters, during our meander through the refugee inhabited area of Ramallah. From accounts by Palestinians that I heard, it is caused by a clash of the great admiration of Arafat, and a feeling of anger in relation to the Oslo agreement. This is but one indication of the multi faceted nature of the Palestinian question, which at a first glance can appear to be a conflict based solely upon the idea of a defensive occupier fighting against many oppressed occupants. Nothing is black and white.

Ever Present in Palestine: The Grave of Yasser Arafat, Ramallah, Palestine.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography)

However, this must not detract from the contrastingly clear cut battle for the maintenance of human rights in Palestine. The Palestinians are even denied the right to bury their dead. Every concealable way to humiliate the Palestinians is allegedly employed by the increasingly right wing Israeli government. In response to resistance against the IDF, collective punishment is seen as a perfect way to send a message of who is in charge by the government. Soldiers think nothing of using explosives to destroy the houses of suspected militants, and we have been told that the more collateral damage to others who happen to live nearby, the better it is for the Israeli Army. The worrying thought is, that this is only the face of the occupation we have been shown, a mere look glimpse into a plethora of multi-faceted abuse and violence.

A Campaign for a Basic Right: Ramallah, Palestine.

 Already, only two days into my experience in Palestine, the sheer reports of inhumanity, degradation and callousness practices by the Israeli state leaves a cold feeling.

A Forgotten Cause?: Ramallah, Palestine.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography)

The November Visit- Part 1.

First Impressions...

Upon flying into Tel Aviv, you are greeted by a sprawling metropolis, a Manchester or Liverpool in the Middle East. Unlike flying to a UK city though, the post flight welcome into Israel involved a lengthy wait for certain members of our travel group when the 3 hour hold up at passport control occurred. Frankly, when using the phrase 'certain members', I refer to the members of our group who had an appearance which could be vaguely attributed to an Arab or Muslim background. This crude security profiling, perhaps a thinly veiled attempt to dissuade perceived sympathisers visiting Palestine, or maybe just some light relief for the Israeli border guards, is just one indication of the questionable attitude employed by the Israelis in response to the Palestinian question. 

Airports are Dark Places at Times: Tel Aviv, Israel.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography) 

A stark contrast is noticed when arriving in the Palestinian territories en route from Ben Guirion Airport. The well developed city of Tel Aviv clashes vividly with the Palestinian city of Jericho. The lack of investment in the infrastructure of Jericho and the surrounding area is evident. Even without reading road signs or noticing checkpoints, one's entry into the Palestinian territories is noticeable by a lack of street lights and markedly poorer waste disposal. Basic amenities such as running water are also routinely denied to the Palestinians, as witnessed by the lack of sanitation within the girl's accommodation of where we were staying. Although not surprising, evidence such as this further illustrates the pursuit of an intentionally poor stance on basic human rights from both governments. However, even with poor infrastructure, the charm of the Occupied Territories cannot be denied. A hospitable people and naturally beautiful landscape makes for a hard to resist combination. This was a welcome counter balance to the ever present political situation in Palestine; perhaps providing a metaphor for the continuing resilience of the Palestinian people in the face of thier persecution.

Beauty in the Face of Adversity: Jericho, Palestine.
(Photo Courtesy of Emerson Photography)

Privilege and duty

Really good to see some of the people again who came in this trip... This was the CADFA event in Kentish Town  on Human Rights Day. Several of the group spoke and several came and helped... Clearly this visit to Palestine and seeing something of what's happening there has created a determination to do something to see the situation there better.

One of the people who came to listen wrote this account of the evening and called it "Privilege and Duty"  (thank you Sam A.):

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CADFA’s UN Human Rights Day Event, Kentish Town, Saturday 10th December 2016.

On UN Human Rights Day, 10th December, I was reminded again of the importance of the work that CAFDA does. The date commemorates the day, in 1948, when the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, passing resolution 423 (V).

Article 1 of the Declaration states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Every CADFA event brings together people who care about protecting human rights in occupied Palestine. Often, you will hear from people who have visited Palestine on cultural exchange or other projects. Sometimes, too, you can hear from Palestinians who share their personal experience of living under occupation.  

The stories of Gaza, under occupation and blockade, remain marginalised in the media, aside from coverage of peaks in attacks. However, at Kentish Town Community Centre, at CADFA’s UN Human Rights Day event, we had the opportunity to hear from a young woman from Gaza who now lives in the UK.

The people of Palestine are, she said, fully aware of the abnormality of living under occupation and blockade – but continue to live, to go to school and work, as an act of resistance. 

She told us of the recent experiences of her mother who desired to visit Europe to see and hold her children, as is the right of every mother. It took her mother two months of travelling from one end to the other of the Gaza Strip to finally get permission from Egyptian authorities to exit the Gaza Strip into Egypt through the Rafah Crossing. 

Having made it into Europe and seen her children (though she did not make it to the UK to see her daughter there) – and seen the ease with which people can move between states – her mother had to return to the Gaza Strip. 

However, in Greece she was told by Egyptian officials that she could not travel into Egypt, for the Rafah Crossing into Gaza was closed. With no option, she travelled to Jordan to try to cross into Palestine. However, once in Jordan she was denied travel further and had the uncertainty of many weeks and fruitless efforts to seek help before finally being allowed to return to her family within Palestine. 

We were told by the Gazan that the blockade of Gaza by Israel, with Egyptian complicity, results in deaths of Palestinians seeking medical treatment that is unavailable in Gaza due to the ongoing blockade. She told us that two of her cousins, both in their 30s, had died in preventable circumstances because they were not allowed out of the Gaza Strip. 

She, who has not been able to see her mother or father for around three years, urged us to learn about the suppressed stories of Gaza and the West Bank and spread information and take advantage of our privilege in the UK.

In addition, the audience at CADFA’s UN Human Rights Day event had the opportunity to hear from several young people who had recently returned from a youth camp held in the West Bank. We heard of the restrictions that exist preventing Palestinians without the approved pass from entering Jerusalem and how painful this was for the British visitors to go to such a spiritual location without their new friends.

A visitor from the UK found that the segregated entrances of the Al Aqsa Mosque, in Jerusalem, were heavily guarded and, when she tried to enter, was challenged to recite a sura from Quran to prove that she was a Muslim, which she did reluctantly and, then, insisted that she finish when the soldier had had enough. She found that the soldiers in Jerusalem avoided speaking to her, as a tourist, but interacted with her Palestinian friends, asking them about her background.

We heard of the racial profiling that the visitors experienced on arriving in Israel, with those with Muslim sounding names being held back and questioned for a number of hours. These difficulties, however, have not, they were all in agreement, discouraged them from plans to return to Palestine.

One of the visitors told us about what she had learnt at the Prisoners’ Museum at Al Quds University, Abu Dis. She told us about the experiences of families who visit detained loved ones. They are only permitted to communicate with the prisoner from behind wire meshes and patrolling guards. 

Finally, we were told that despite their guides, their visit was still a sheltered one. The harsh experiences faced by Palestinians were only heard through stories. A close encounter we heard about was of a stop at a checkpoint where the bus of visitors was turned back by Israeli soldiers. Later that day, the British visitors discovered, via a Palestinian friend, that sometime after their bus was turned away, a Palestinian schoolgirl was shot at the checkpoint.

The experience of children in the West Bank was provided to us through a video made by a Camden schoolteacher who had recently visited Palestine. We witnessed some of the apparent ‘normality’ of the children in their play and jokes, as well as their fears and hopes. 

The sharing of these experiences and interactions between Brits and Palestinians renewed my sense of urgency about the human rights situation in Palestine – reminding me of how important it is, especially, to hear directly from Palestinians. It reminded me, also, of how important CADFA’s work is and how vital it is to support CADFA in these trying financial times.