Letter from Palestine, 11. Chaos, people and future.
14th November 2004
Dear friends!
Where to start this time? I have tried to structure a bit by writing a disposition, but I doubt I will manage to keep it. As the situation in Ramallah has been described as chaos, I might say that it is a bit of a chaos in my head as well.
I got a comment after last letter; that I probably started to lose some of my neutrality. Then I found out that I might not have been clear enough about my point of view. I am not neutral. I was not neutral when I came, I have not become more neutral after what I have experienced, and I have no plans of becoming neutral while being here. I understand neutrality in this conflict as a support to Israel. To be neutral in a conflict where there is one occupier and one occupied, is to support the occupier. I want to be on the side of the oppressed, and in this case it is the Palestinians. I have thought about being objective, to try to refer both sides, but it is not easy, and I know I don’t try hard enough either. I thought I should tell this, to those of you who believe you can trust everything I write. I have taken side, I know that, and I mean it is right, and I want you to be aware of it.
Your expectation for this letter might be to get a good description of the Palestinians’ experience of the death of Arafat. I don’t think I can give that. I have been to Jericho again. I heard many times that Arafat was dead before the official message came. When it came, the message that Jericho and all the roads on the West Bank were closed also came. I heard that it would be like that the three days the mourning lasted for all, and then in Eid, because this Muslim feast came just afterwards, of course because of “security reasons”. So I did not expect to get out until the weekend was over. But then the unbelievable happened yesterday, they opened Jericho, and one of the roads to Jerusalem, and they didn’t even look at my passport when I passed the checkpoints. I still don’t understand this “security system”.
Now I should try to describe Palestine in these historic days after Arafat. I have to admit that it has not been as special as it may be should have been. But it is probably because I was in Jericho when he died. If I had been in Ramallah, I would have experienced it differently. In Jerusalem I would also have experienced it in another way. In Jericho the day became a TV-day with different Arabic and English channels, trying to find the best direct pictures. Jericho seems so quiet, but I did not take the chance to go around in the streets alone these days. When we drove through the city, I saw that there had also been feelings working in Jericho. Many places burnt tires showed that there had been many fires in the centre. I was told that it was because they were nervous.
When the roads opened yesterday, many relatives came to my host family in Jericho. Because it is Eid, everybody has holidays, and also the Christians use the chance to visit their family in other towns, as far as possible. I had an exciting talk with my hostess’ brother-in-law and his son-in-law, and I want to tell you some of our talk.
It was mostly about politics, not very surprising. The father-in-law showed a great optimism about the future. He also believes what he tells; he repeated “remember this”, as he seemed to know that what he tells will happen. Israel does not have any excuse not to negotiate any longer, he said, as they have used Arafat as the excuse. In this way he believed that Arafat’s death will result in peace negotiations. He believed in a peaceful solution within a couple of years. I see it as unbelievable after having heard about Israel’s settlement politics earlier. The son-in-law said it will take 10 or 20 years, or more, before it is possible to see the peace come.
It turned out to be a quite intense discussion, about the basis of the conflict, readiness for war, wishes for peace among the people, obstacles and possibilities for peace. Father-in-law has an own way of provoking his own people. A reason that he wanted to see everything from the view of Israel, might be that he has lived in USA several years and has a Spanish passport; he is not an average Palestinian. The son-in-law is from Nazareth, he has then Israeli citizenship, but is as they say here 3rd class citizen, after European and Oriental Jews. I have to admit that I mostly defended the son-in-law; it was much easier to understand him after all I have seen and heard. At the same time I was impressed about the openness the father-in-law showed about who started the war in 1967 and about the corruption among the Palestinian leadership. It is certainly easier to believe in a peace in two years, if the attitude of the father-in-law, with repentance for own sins and a try to see the other side, is prevailing among people. But how is it possible for a people oppressed for so long? For me it is also obvious that such an attitude first has to come from the side of Israel, the occupier. The conclusion was “we have to talk together”. I believe that is true, and if father-in-law is right, it will happen now that Arafat has passed away.
I must mention Mordechai Vanunu in the end. I had got many news messages when I opened my e-mail yesterday evening. He had disappeared in the TV news about Arafat, so I was not aware of what had happened. It is probably also the meaning from Israel arresting him a few hours after the death of Arafat. So it was good to read news on the Internet. I met him in the church today; he was surprisingly well as always. He told that they had taken his laptop and searched his room, but he had come back in the evening after they had questioned him. He has house arrest, but nobody controls if he goes out. He sees it just as a demonstration of power from Israel. They can do want they want to do. But he had trust in the Norwegian government. I hope he is right, that they will do something. The strongest experience today was the sermon, where we got a detailed description on how a large group of soldiers with weapons had entered the cathedral close at breakfast time Thursday, to arrest a single man, and how he still had a living faith and hope.
Chaotic greetings from Hanne.
Dear friends!
Where to start this time? I have tried to structure a bit by writing a disposition, but I doubt I will manage to keep it. As the situation in Ramallah has been described as chaos, I might say that it is a bit of a chaos in my head as well.
I got a comment after last letter; that I probably started to lose some of my neutrality. Then I found out that I might not have been clear enough about my point of view. I am not neutral. I was not neutral when I came, I have not become more neutral after what I have experienced, and I have no plans of becoming neutral while being here. I understand neutrality in this conflict as a support to Israel. To be neutral in a conflict where there is one occupier and one occupied, is to support the occupier. I want to be on the side of the oppressed, and in this case it is the Palestinians. I have thought about being objective, to try to refer both sides, but it is not easy, and I know I don’t try hard enough either. I thought I should tell this, to those of you who believe you can trust everything I write. I have taken side, I know that, and I mean it is right, and I want you to be aware of it.
Your expectation for this letter might be to get a good description of the Palestinians’ experience of the death of Arafat. I don’t think I can give that. I have been to Jericho again. I heard many times that Arafat was dead before the official message came. When it came, the message that Jericho and all the roads on the West Bank were closed also came. I heard that it would be like that the three days the mourning lasted for all, and then in Eid, because this Muslim feast came just afterwards, of course because of “security reasons”. So I did not expect to get out until the weekend was over. But then the unbelievable happened yesterday, they opened Jericho, and one of the roads to Jerusalem, and they didn’t even look at my passport when I passed the checkpoints. I still don’t understand this “security system”.
Now I should try to describe Palestine in these historic days after Arafat. I have to admit that it has not been as special as it may be should have been. But it is probably because I was in Jericho when he died. If I had been in Ramallah, I would have experienced it differently. In Jerusalem I would also have experienced it in another way. In Jericho the day became a TV-day with different Arabic and English channels, trying to find the best direct pictures. Jericho seems so quiet, but I did not take the chance to go around in the streets alone these days. When we drove through the city, I saw that there had also been feelings working in Jericho. Many places burnt tires showed that there had been many fires in the centre. I was told that it was because they were nervous.
When the roads opened yesterday, many relatives came to my host family in Jericho. Because it is Eid, everybody has holidays, and also the Christians use the chance to visit their family in other towns, as far as possible. I had an exciting talk with my hostess’ brother-in-law and his son-in-law, and I want to tell you some of our talk.
It was mostly about politics, not very surprising. The father-in-law showed a great optimism about the future. He also believes what he tells; he repeated “remember this”, as he seemed to know that what he tells will happen. Israel does not have any excuse not to negotiate any longer, he said, as they have used Arafat as the excuse. In this way he believed that Arafat’s death will result in peace negotiations. He believed in a peaceful solution within a couple of years. I see it as unbelievable after having heard about Israel’s settlement politics earlier. The son-in-law said it will take 10 or 20 years, or more, before it is possible to see the peace come.
It turned out to be a quite intense discussion, about the basis of the conflict, readiness for war, wishes for peace among the people, obstacles and possibilities for peace. Father-in-law has an own way of provoking his own people. A reason that he wanted to see everything from the view of Israel, might be that he has lived in USA several years and has a Spanish passport; he is not an average Palestinian. The son-in-law is from Nazareth, he has then Israeli citizenship, but is as they say here 3rd class citizen, after European and Oriental Jews. I have to admit that I mostly defended the son-in-law; it was much easier to understand him after all I have seen and heard. At the same time I was impressed about the openness the father-in-law showed about who started the war in 1967 and about the corruption among the Palestinian leadership. It is certainly easier to believe in a peace in two years, if the attitude of the father-in-law, with repentance for own sins and a try to see the other side, is prevailing among people. But how is it possible for a people oppressed for so long? For me it is also obvious that such an attitude first has to come from the side of Israel, the occupier. The conclusion was “we have to talk together”. I believe that is true, and if father-in-law is right, it will happen now that Arafat has passed away.
I must mention Mordechai Vanunu in the end. I had got many news messages when I opened my e-mail yesterday evening. He had disappeared in the TV news about Arafat, so I was not aware of what had happened. It is probably also the meaning from Israel arresting him a few hours after the death of Arafat. So it was good to read news on the Internet. I met him in the church today; he was surprisingly well as always. He told that they had taken his laptop and searched his room, but he had come back in the evening after they had questioned him. He has house arrest, but nobody controls if he goes out. He sees it just as a demonstration of power from Israel. They can do want they want to do. But he had trust in the Norwegian government. I hope he is right, that they will do something. The strongest experience today was the sermon, where we got a detailed description on how a large group of soldiers with weapons had entered the cathedral close at breakfast time Thursday, to arrest a single man, and how he still had a living faith and hope.
Chaotic greetings from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 7:44 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home