Friday, June 29, 2007

Welcome in Palestine!!! Welcome, welcome, welcome!!!

(warning: graphic images below)

So I've moved around a lot quite quickly.

Tel Aviv is still the same place that looks like it hasn't been painted in 40 years - that is for the majority of the population, not the Americans who move into the fabulous suburbs. I honestly think it's too hot for mosquitos to survive, roosters still wake me up, and old men pulling carts yell in Yiddish "altezachen" (old things) -- a sort of mobile Goodwill Industries if you will.

Jerusalem is still the amazing, but frighteningly divided city it is. It's strange to see oblivious Jewish-American tourists eating up the hippie lifestyle of their secular Judaism, while down the block you have ultra-orthodox yelling "Nazim! Nazim!" at people who enter their neighborhood dressed inappropriately. I had an orthodox man spit at me yesterday -- it's amazing to me that as little as Americans know about the Israel-Palestine conflict, they know even less about the internal conflict amongst Israelis. More about that in future posts.

Israel has decided to "celebrate" the "reunification" of Jerusalem 40 years ago by putting up signs and billboards celebrating this "victory". A victory that has effectively resulted in the demotion of civil and political rights for East Jerusalem which is now surrounded by rings of Jewish settlements that have trapped the people. They are not allowed to build new homes or expand their homes, many homes are demolished to allow the expansion of the Jew-only neighborhoods, and the route of the wall has broken up neighborhoods, families, and people's lives. Meanwhile, a huge middle finger of an illuminated banner "celebrating" 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem hangs on every lamp post. They can be seen all the way into East Jerusalem.

Ramallah - There is tension in the air, but it is not at all unsafe. As opposed to interactions inside '48, where people are cold if not hostile -- when they're not carrying guns -- in Ramallah, everyone yells "welcome in Palestine, welcome, welcome, welcome!" and little boys run after you with their greetings. Yes, there was an assassination a few weeks ago and incursions around the city by the Israeli army. Right now, though, the most striking difference from last year is that the US-backed security forces of "President" Abbas line the streets of Ramallah and you see more of the elite "sabahtash" or Force 17 crews around. Districts of Ramallah are highly secure and it's clear that the Gazan fighters that were evacuated with Israel's permission are filling up hotels in these areas. I saw a man, clearly a fighter, who's patched eye couldn't cover up the fact that he was angry Fateh's coup didn't work in Gaza. The bad news is that now all these forces are filling up the West Bank. Collaborator Gazans have come here en masse and pro-fateh armed units are lining up on the Jordanian border waiting for orders from Abbas and permission from Israel to come in. It's rumored now too that the 500 strong Egyptian pro-Abbas forces that were set to invade Gaza to finish the coup over Hamas might still enter.

Nablus - I'm trying to make my way up to Nablus to attend University. However, the city had a massive invasion over the past few days with 100+ vehicles. Curfews were imposed and the Israeli army took over the radio stations in order to broadcast this news. Fierce battles continue and to me it seems like this is a serious incursion. It's the largest in a few months and the fact that the resistance managed to injure 8 Israelis is a very big deal. Sure, there have been numerous killing and injuries of Palestinians, 30 Palestinians were kidnapped by the Israeli Army very swiftly and the refugee camps have been sieged. Normally the injury rate for Israeli Army is very low, however. I suspect that they will be out soon and will spend a few weeks torturing those they took and then come back for assassinations, rather than large scale armored invasion -- this is usually how they work. So for those of you worried, this means it will most likely be safer for me.

Gaza - what a mess. One of the most densely populated places in the world subject to some of the most frequent invasion of their sovereign territory (well, if you expel a people from their land and then put them in a very large refugee camp which they are not allowed to enter or leave and they can't go to their own oceanside land and then call it sovereign, you can see how this word is very flexible). Two days ago a number of invasions and attacks left 14 dead, including a 9 year old boy. I finish this report with a collection of news reports

This is what US aid to Israel looks like



Photo

Reuters

Wed Jun 27, 6:18 AM ET

A Palestinian woman carries her daughter after she was injured by an Israeli tank shell in Gaza June 27, 2007. Israeli forces killed at least 10 Palestinians, most of them gunmen, on Wednesday in their biggest raid in the Gaza Strip since Hamas Islamists took over the territory two weeks ago, medical workers and residents said. REUTERS/Ismail Zaydah (GAZA)

Photo

AP

Wed Jun 27, 5:40 AM ET

The bodies of two wounded Palestinians are seen inside a car as they are taken to the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday June 27, 2007. Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed eight Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, Palestinians said, the bloodiest fighting in the area since the Hamas militant group violently seized control two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

Photo

Reuters

Wed Jun 27, 10:42 AM ET

A woman carries a girl injured by an Israeli tank shell in Gaza June 27, 2007. (Ismail Zaydah/Reuters)

Photo

AFP

Wed Jun 27, 2:25 PM ET

A wounded Palestinian child lies on a hospital trolley in Gaza City following an Israeli offensive. Nine Palestinians were killed on Wednesday as Israel launched twin offensives in the Gaza Strip, triggering the deadliest violence since Hamas fighters overran the territory 12 days ago.(AFP/Mohammed Abed)

Photo

Reuters

Wed Jun 27, 3:48 PM ET

A wounded Palestinian woman lies on the ground after she was injured by an Israeli tank shell in Gaza, June 27, 2007. (Ismail Zaydah/Reuters)

Photo

AP

Wed Jun 27, 5:30 AM ET

A Palestinian man carries a wounded boy at the Shifa hospital in Gaza City,Wednesday, June 27, 2007. Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed eight Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, Palestinians said, the bloodiest fighting in the area since the Hamas militant group violently seized control two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

Photo

Reuters

Wed Jun 27, 8:46 AM ET

A Palestinian woman carries her daughter after she was injured by an Israeli tank shell in Gaza June 27, 2007. (Ismail Zaydah/Reuters)

AP

Wed Jun 27, 10:50 AM ET

A Palestinian man carries a boy who was wounded in an Israeli army operation into Shifa hospital in Gaza City, June 27, 2007. Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed ten Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, Palestinians said, the bloodiest fighting in the area since the Hamas militant group violently seized control two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Majed Hamdan)

Reuters

Wed Jun 27, 9:29 AM ET

Palestinian children wait in line to receive food distributed at a soup kitchen in the West Bank city of Hebron June 27, 2007. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun (WEST BANK)

Photo

Reuters

Wed Jun 27, 6:14 AM ET

People carry a wounded Palestinian girl (L) and a boy after they were injured by an Israeli tank shell in Gaza June 27, 2007. Israeli forces killed at least 10 Palestinians, most of them gunmen, on Wednesday in their biggest raid in the Gaza Strip since Hamas Islamists took over the territory two weeks ago, medical workers and residents said. REUTERS/Ismail Zaydah (GAZA)

Photo

AP

Wed Jun 27, 5:26 AM ET

A Palestinian woman carries her wounded daughter at the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday June 27, 2007. Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed eight Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, Palestinians said, the bloodiest fighting in the area since the Hamas militant group violently seized control two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

Photo

Reuters

AP

Wed Jun 27, 9:02 AM ET

Palestinians carry the body of a badly wounded man at the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday June 27, 2007. Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed eight Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, Palestinians said, the bloodiest fighting in the area since the Hamas militant group violently seized control two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

Reuters

Wed Jun 27, 5:07 AM ET

A woman carries a Palestinian girl injured from an Israeli tank shell in Gaza June 27, 2007. Israeli forces killed at least 10 Palestinians, most of them gunmen, on Wednesday in their biggest raid in the Gaza Strip since Hamas Islamists took over the territory two weeks ago, medical workers and residents said. REUTERS/Ismail Zaydah (GAZA)

Why are you here...please wait...welcome???

Finally arrived...after hours of travel and a quick stint in Kiev city proper. I can say that it's good to be back. I love this place, both '48 and '67, but nearly every interaction with '48 makes me feel uncomfortable. This all started when my flight on a foreign airline switched in Kiev to an El Al flight. Well, let's back up -- Kiev was a beautiful place. Much more modern than that xenophobic and paranoid reports by travelers online which I read in preparation. The train station is one of the largest I've ever seen in my life and as a result my original goal of traveling to Babi Yar ( the sight of the largest massacre of Jews at one single time ) was foiled by the fact that NOTHING is in English. Like many of my layovers, I got out - ate some local fare - viewed the local scenery - got back to the airport.

At the airport, I crossed through the gate where they check your ticket to see if your flight leaves soon enough. Immediately upon crossing I was approached by shabak (the israeli domestic intelligence) and an interrogation began. Flights to Israel require you to arrive three hours prior...the net result of which was three hours of interrogation. I'm not sure why this occurred exactly. Perhaps it's because I have visited the West Bank (although they would never mention the word "territories" in the interrogation for fear that I don't know such a place exists and they just confirmed it does). It is also perhaps because I don't have family in Israel. I think it is much more likely that my annoying walking-in-circles bored-out-of-my-mind at the airport got suspicion of the cameras. That and that fact that a very jovial American with a hiking backpack was on my flight. He was chatting up the only Palestinian on our flight and security approached the Palestinian and demanded ID and the ID of the American talking to him. This kid and I had bought the same flight path off the same website and they began his interrogation with questions as to whether he knew me.

Then begins the fun - can you imagine what idiocy is discussed in a three hour interrogation? I was discussing my favorite philosophers, the streets I've lived on, the food that my friends in Israel cook, what their political/religious beliefs are, and even about my "sister" (one of those 50% guesses they make and hope to strike-gold with).

Then it moved onto the strip search. As if out of a bad SNL comedy movie, the action of a man pulling a rubber glove over his hand and snapping it is apparently a shtick that creates fear/laughter worldwide (depending on which end of the glove you're taking). Then, my bags were spread out on three tables and combed over by a team of five idiots. I say idiots because whoever is assigned to bother an American student is clearly low on the pecking order -- that's not to say they aren't aspiring to be water-boarding Palestinians someday, so questions my answers to which they could not possibly understand were asked again and again. It turns out (imagine!) that there is a policy that you can't carry a laptop onto an airplane. As if this lie wasn't transparent enough, apparently the ban applies to the cord to plug in my camera, but not the camera itself. It also includes earphones...thanks guys.

All of this was packed up and to be mailed to me at my address in Tel Aviv. Sadly, all of my DVDs were taken, detained, or "disappeared" - police states generally lack a "lost & found". I can't imagine the intelligence will find Arrested Development or the Office very fun since I tend to think they're a particularly American brand of humor. The Battle of Algiers might be good food for thought if they take the time to watch the whole thing.

As you can imagine, one might have the urge to relieve their bladder at some point. A simple request that at the time merely meant "I have to go!!!" to me turned into a sort of surreal scene from a horrible movie. I was escorted to a bathroom in which huddled a fraternity of Borat-looking men, furiously smoking cigarettes in uniforms that appeared to be dulled by a combination of boredom, sunlight, and the fall of the Soviet Union. Sensing the opportunity to break our shared boredom, I pulled out a cigarette, but my personal guard rejected that advance.

To have a man stand next to you while you're urinating is one of those things that men are somewhat used to. The need to get back before the beginning of the next inning usually prevails to calm any discomfort. A man who had just strip searched you and now stood perpendicular to you looking at you is another experience altogether.

Apparently my preference for a window seat was ignored as well -- ok not just that, any of my preferences had gone out the window as I was reissued a ticket to sit next to the two other individuals who had been interrogated with me. VIP seating you might call it - if it weren't that we were sat in the back, with the Palestinian interogatee furthest from the aisle, and two large (but clearly bored) security guards seated behind us. The buffer of about five rows they placed between us and the rest of the flight really put the exclamation point on "welcome to Israel".

So now I'm here - finally got my computer and things. Tel Aviv is horribly hot and humid, Jerusalem is much better, Ramallah even cooler.