tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4942501152056989732024-03-06T00:33:11.152+02:00A Teacher In RamallahA diary of my life in the Palestinian territoriesJessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-29173197707476150892008-03-31T20:29:00.002+03:002008-03-31T20:50:01.124+03:00Interrupting Your Day for a Much Belated AnnouncementThose of you who know me personally have probably been aware of this for a while, but I realized recently that not everyone who has been reading my blog is a Facebook Friend of mine, a relative or someone who is on my friends and family e-mail.<br /><br />In late January/early February, after much deliberation, I decided that the changes that we had made with my position at the school were not supporting me in my personal and professional goals, and that I was going to leave the job. I had hoped that a project that I had in the pipeline, to do conflict resolution/leadership training in Jerusalem was going to be funded, which would allow me to stay in the region. However, the sponsoring organization ran into administrative problems with the funder, and the project was put on hold indefinitely.<br /><br />In late February, I returned to New York City, which is where I am right now. I am hoping to line up funding to do some programs this summer in Jerusalem and the West Bank. I need to raise about $10,000 to cover expenses, as I will have to bring a partner with me, as my original partner was recently denied entry by the Israeli army at the Allenby Bridge when she returned from a meeting with some colleagues in Jordan.<br /><br />If you - or anyone you know, including grantmakers - would like to make a contribution or receive information about the project, please let me know. You can leave me a message with contact info in the comments section (only I can see it).<br /><br />Thanks for following along with my adventure. There are so many things that I loved about being in the West Bank, and I am still sorting out my feelings about being back. When people ask me if I'm glad to be home, I say yes - but there is still a bit of yearning to go back to the Middle East. Life, in many ways, is simpler there, although the political situation is complicated...and very little is taken for granted. I am enjoying the creature comforts and cultural diversity of being in New York, but I also look at the price that people pay to live here, and often wonder if it's worth it. Obviously 8 million+ people DO feel that it's worth it, but I'm less and less sure that I'm one of them. When I left New York in August, I shed almost all of my personal possessions. Now, I could go anywhere with little fuss--everything fits into 2 large suitcases and 2 carry on bags. I have lots of options. Perhaps too many.<br /><br />In my About Me, I mention how there are little pieces of my heart everywhere that I've lived. Add another piece for Ramallah. The question is: when home is where the heart is, but your heart is in so many places...where is home?Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-29220219187069488872008-02-02T09:30:00.000+02:002008-02-02T09:38:44.587+02:00Send a MessageI just found out about this service called <a href="http://www.sendamessage.nl/">Send a Message</a> via <a href="http://www.mightygoods.com">Mightygoods</a> that allows you to have a message spray-painted on the Separation Wall (perhaps a Valentine to Palestine? Or your sweetheart?).<br /><br />Proceeds benefit the Pa<a href="http://www.pff-pal.org/">lestinian Peace and Freedom Youth Forum</a>, a local organization in Bir Zeit (very close to Ramallah).<br /><br />Send a message: it's 30 Euros!!Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-68691380738097815052008-01-26T19:54:00.000+02:002008-01-28T11:38:56.330+02:00End The SiegeEdit: here's a video from an Israeli news outlet that covered the convoy/demo. Hebrew speakers will probably get more from this than others: http://www.tv.social.org.il/medini/stv-gaza-relief-convoy-26-1-08.htm<br /><br />It was a cold and rainy day in Palestine today, which somehow seemed appropriate for the occasion. I went to Erez Crossing today for <a href="http://www.end-gaza-siege.ps/IndexEn.htm">a demonstration</a> to stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza. <br /><br />We brought a convoy of humanitarian supplies (thank you to those who donated!), and rallied outside the checkpoint to try to get them inside.<br /><br />On the other side of the checkpoint (on the other side of the Gaza separation wall), Palestinians were having their own rally. I wish that we had been able to join with them. They could be heard faintly from where we were, and the word was that they could hear us, too.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the Israeli commander would not allow our trucks through, so we ended up not getting to watch our trucks pass by into Gaza. It made for a bit of an anti-climatic end, but rumors were spreading that they would allow the trucks to pass by tomorrow. <br /><br />I certainly hope so!<br /><br />(unedited) photos from the day:<br /><br /><br /><object width="500" height="580" align="middle"><param name="FlashVars" VALUE="ids=72157603796701852&names=Break The Siege&userName=jmccoy41&userId=10390939@N03&titles=on&source=sets"></param><param name="PictoBrowser" value="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf"></param><param name="scale" value="noscale"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"></param><embed src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf" FlashVars="ids=72157603796701852&names=Break The Siege&userName=jmccoy41&userId=10390939@N03&titles=on&source=sets" loop="false" scale="noscale" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="500" height="580" name="PictoBrowser" align="middle"></embed></object>Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-82158620788274995982008-01-22T18:58:00.001+02:002008-01-23T08:44:50.596+02:00Palestinian women storm Rafah crossingPart of me says: These are some brave women--Way to go! Fight for your rights using non-violent resistance!<br /><br />The rest of me says: How completely embarrassing that the world could allow a situation to become so desperate that these women would take these sorts of measures.<br /><br />Perhaps calling on Egyptian embassies is a good idea. I know that they are probably concerned that opening the borders would lead to a massive number of people trying to enter Egypt, but at the very least they could open the border for medical emergencies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=27365">Palestinian women storm Rafah crossing; Egyptian police use water cannons, clubs to suppress protesters</a></span><br /><br />Date: 22 / 01 / 2008 Time: 15:34<br /> تكبير الخط تصغير الخط<br />[Ma'anImages]<br />Gaza – Ma'an – Hundreds of Palestinian women were beaten by Egyptian security forces after the women broke through barbed wire on the Rafah border into Egypt from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon.<br /><br />Egyptian riot police used water cannons and clubs to suppress a surging crowd of demonstrators. Women shouted "God is great!" while rushing the gate into Egyptian territory. A number of women lost consciousness in the ensuing violence.<br /><br />The security forces arrested the women, using dogs to break up the crowd.<br /><br />Demonstrations began at the Rafah crossing point on Monday, with protesters calling for the border to be opened to allow Palestinian patients into Egypt for medical treatment.<br /><br />After months of tightening sanctions, Israel imposed a total lockdown on the Gaza Strip on Friday, blocking shipments of food, medicine, and fuel oil. Running on emergency generators, Gaza's hospitals were treating only the most serious cases.<br /><br />Crowds of women gathered at Rafah crossing on Tuesday morning in a demonstration organized by Change and Reform, the Hamas bloc in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).<br /><br />PLC member Huda Na'im said the demonstrators have no intention of backing down: "We won't surrender until they lift the blockade."<br /><br />Hamas said that Gaza's problems will not solved be by shipments of fuel alone, but that a complete end to the embargo that has besieged one and a half million people in the coastal strip was necessary.<br /><br />Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that the demonstrations and sit-ins will not stop until the blockade is lifted.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-13955495366139533032008-01-22T16:13:00.000+02:002008-01-22T14:09:27.106+02:00"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere""Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963<br /><br />I started this as my MLK Day post, but got side-tracked with the Gaza vigil and action alert.<br /><br />If Dr. King were alive today, I have little doubt that he would have plenty to say about the conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. <br /><br />Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere because when people are willing to enact or condone injustice, it creates an opening for people to continue behaving in an unjust manner, or for people to use the 'well they're doing it in ____" excuse to justify injustices that they may wish to perpetuate on others.<br /><br />Very often I hear Israelis and Palestinians talk about their violence as though it is justifiable, and I find myself in the uncomfortable and usually unpopular position of stating that it is not.<br /><br />It is not justifiable for Israelis to kill (directly) over 800 Palestinians in the past two years (number of Israelis killed by Qassams - 1) because rockets are being fired from the Gaza Strip. There are ways to stop rocket fire WITHOUT bombing heavily populated areas or sealing borders. Diplomacy--ever hear of it? Usually the response to that is that there is "no one on the other side to talk to." That isn't true, but you have to be open to hearing what the other side has to say. If you're only willing to talk to people who are going to tell you what you want to hear, there may be a problem finding someone. <br /><br />As a result of the near-total failure of Israel (and the international community, especially the U.S.) to acknowledge Palestinians as equal human beings who have their own dreams of self-determination in their homeland, hundreds of Palestinians have died and countless Palestinians have been wounded or have died from related causes, such as not being able to get to a hospital or because of malnutrition, poor water quality and lack of adequate medical supplies. <br /><br />There is no symmetry in the Israel-Palestine conflict. There is one very powerful country with a strong military and the nearly unconditional backing of the world's only military superpower, vs. the non-contiguous, fragmented Palestinian territories which has a weak governmental structure, no formal military, no control of its airspace or borders, and which constantly struggles with movement restriction and the constant confiscation of land via the separation wall and from Israeli settlements.<br /><br />And yet, I also take the position that armed resistance is unjustifiable. <br /><br />Often when I say that, many of my Palestinian and Palestinian solidarity circle friends balk. They want to know if I am suggesting that Palestinians just accept their fate and live out the rest of their lives being treated as "less than" Israelis and to be slowly driven from their land until Israel really is from the sea to the river Jordan. Of course not. <br /><br />There is a difference between self-defense and what is being done with the Qassams. Shooting homemade rockets into a predominantly civilian area is not self-defense, and frankly, doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than antagonizing the Israeli government and giving them a reason to continue the strangulation of Gaza. Based on results, it appears that shooting rockets is only making things worse for Palestinians. Israeli policy towards Gaza and the West Bank is still oppressive when there is a ceasefire. It would be smarter to stop all rocket fire and then watch Israel try to justify its restrictions, and to demand that Israel acknowledge the Palestinians' rights to exist. <br /><br />I am not suggesting passivity, but non-violent resistance. Non-violent resistance appeals to the good in humanity, in which eventually, people say "enough--this isn't working." Where is the Palestinian's Ghandi or MLK? I know there are many people who believe that nonviolence is the way, but how can they mobilize more effectively?<br /><br />Ultimately, the answer is not in fighting injustice, but in preventing it from finding a foothold in the hearts and minds of people. That is the essence of the "I have a dream" speech. If there is to be peace in this region, there must also be a willingness for Palestinians and others to work (and struggle) with Israelis to to create a shared vision of what peaceful coexistence will look like. At some point, all of the people must shift and make a commitment to putting aside differences, making apologies and restitutions as needed, and forgiving past wrongs for the greater good and the future of the region. <br /><br />The past cannot be changed. There is no way to turn back the clock and prevent injustices from taking place. The lives that have been lost are gone forever. Towns and villages have been reduced to rubble and dust, and 40-60 years of exile have created a diaspora of a people that will never be again who they were in 1947. There is not and will never be "justice" for that, any more than there could be "justice" for the Jewish Holocaust, the slaughter of the native people of North and South American, or history's many other genocides and dispossessions. Human beings have been doing terrible things to other human beings since they decided that their "own" people were superior to people who they could identify as "others." <br /><br />We cannot change the past, but we can create a different future, and we do not have to accept that the way thing have been up until now (the injustice, the violence, the dispossession) is the way things have to be. Human beings are blessed with critical thinking and reasoning skills that are too seldom applied for the greater good. <br /><br />It is time to start looking at the big picture.<br /><br />I see my role in this, a citizen of the United States of America, as working with other Americans on this issue. We Americans have a lot of responsibility for how our role in the world affects others, including the Palestinians and Israelis. <br /><br />I am not the Palestinian Ghandi or MLK, but I do believe there are a few good candidates for the role. I will be wholeheartedly behind them 100%.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-85941593931134163382008-01-22T15:27:00.000+02:002008-01-22T15:30:36.099+02:00Must ReadSkip Schiel's blog: <span style="font-weight:bold;">http://skipschiel.wordpress.com/</span><br /><br />Skip just left Gaza a couple days ago. He is a photographer, writer and political activist. <br /><br />Thanks for writing, Skip!Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-81274071411705294892008-01-21T23:46:00.000+02:002008-01-22T00:52:18.109+02:00Gaza On Our MindsMy friend Kathy wrote this, but I could have just as easily written it myself. I've been communicating with friends in Gaza via text messages and missed calls. The situation is very grim.<br /><br />Tonight, we had a vigil in Ramallah at Al Manara Square. Here are the photos.<br /><br />Please take action.<br /><br /><object width="500" height="580" align="middle"><param name="FlashVars" VALUE="ids=72157603771695431&names=Gaza On Our Minds&userName=jmccoy41&userId=10390939@N03&titles=on&source=sets"></param><param name="PictoBrowser" value="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf"></param><param name="scale" value="noscale"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"></param><embed src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf" FlashVars="ids=72157603771695431&names=Gaza On Our Minds&userName=jmccoy41&userId=10390939@N03&titles=on&source=sets" loop="false" scale="noscale" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="500" height="580" name="PictoBrowser" align="middle"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Dear Friends and Family, <br /> <br />For some time now the situation in Gaza has continued to worsen. Yesterday the Israeli authorities cut all electricity to Gaza. Al-Jazeera reported this morning that hospitals are running on emergency diesel fuel. Children in incubators in the hospitals will die when the emergency supply runs out and around 70 Gaza residents are waiting for kidney dialysis, just to name a few people and activities that are affected by this cutting of electricity. The temperature is cold in Ramallah and will feel even colder in Gaza due to the dampness of being beside the sea. <br /> <br />I tried to call friends in Gaza, but no one answers the phone. Of course the landlines are not working and people are trying to save their cell phones for emergencies. <br /> <br />What is happening in Gaza is a crime against humanity. When will the world wake up and realize this and do something about it? All of this is happening on the heels of the visit of US President George Bush and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier here last week. <br /> <br />Following is a statement released by Al-Haq just 30 minutes ago. Information from the statement can be used as talking points. <br />Following the Al-Haq statement is some information about a group of Israeli activists responding to the situation in Gaza. <br /> <br />PLEASE ACT TODAY..... <br /> <br />1. If you live in the US or are an American citizen living abroad: <br /> <br />WRITE and TELEPHONE THOSE WORKING FOR YOU IN WASHINGTON AND DEMAND THAT THIS SEIGE END!<br />President George W. Bush (202) 456-1414 president@whitehouse.gov <br />White House Comment Line: (202) 456-1111 Fax: (202) 456-2461<br />Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (202) 647-6575<br />Any Senator (202) 224-3121<br />Any Representative (202) 225-3121<br />E-Mail Congress: visit http://www.congress.org<br />Embassy of Israel, 3514 International Dr., NW, Washington, DC 20008 (202) 364-5515 <br /><br /> <br />2. If you live in Canada or are a Canadian citizen living abroad, in addition to contacting your elected representatives, <br />please e-mail Prime Minister Stephen Harper at: pm@pm.gc.ca <br /><br />3. Everyone: <br />WRITE TO/CALL THE MEDIA AND DEMAND THEY COVER THIS HUMANITARIAN DISASTER AND THESE ONGOING WAR CRIMES. <br />Media contacts:<br />http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/contact/media.asp<br />http://capwiz.com/adc/dbq/media <br />Ask Journalists to interview Palestinians; there is no shortage of those (e.g. in the US, here is a listing of many Palestinian Americans: http://imeu.net/news/palestinian-americans.shtml ).<br /> <br /><br /> <br />****************************************************** <br />AL-HAQ ACTION ALERT <br /> <br /> <br /><br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br /><br />Ref.: 01.2008E <br /><br />21 January 2008 <br /><br /> <br /><br />End the Siege of the Gaza Strip <br /><br /> On Sunday 20 January 2008, Israel's ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip, including the blocking of fuel supplies, forced Gaza's only power plant to shut down, plunging over 800,000 Palestinians into darkness. According to the General-Director of the plant, the shortage of electricity caused by the lack of fuel will affect the provision of medical care and water and sanitation services. On Sunday morning, the Gaza Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, which normally operates 130 wells as well as sewage treatment plants, stated that if the fuel supply is not restored by Tuesday, these services will cease to function throughout the Gaza Strip. Since Friday 18 January, Israel has also closed all Gaza's border crossings and blocked all humanitarian aid, except in exceptional circumstances. With some 80 percent of Gaza's population requiring food aid, the impact of these measures will be catastrophic. This escalation has also been accompanied by an intensifying of Israeli military attacks on the Gaza Strip in the first 19 days of 2008, costing the lives of 69 Palestinians, including four children and eight women, and the injury of over 190. <br /><br />Israel 's current policy in relation to the Gaza Strip and its 1.5 million inhabitants constitutes an unmitigated violation of international humanitarian law including, but not limited to, Israel's obligation as an Occupying Power to, at a minimum, ensure the basic needs of the population under its effective control, and the prohibitions on collective punishment, coercion and unlawful reprisals. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Israel 's current policy and recent actions have shown a casual disregard for the lives and dignity of the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, treating their suffering and the violation of their fundamental rights as little more than an inconvenience that will earn gentle reprimand from the international community and Palestinian National Authority, but will otherwise be irrelevant. With the intolerable conditions and constant state of fear that the Gazan population is now forced to live under, it is time for this position to change. Israel must not be allowed to shield itself from the implementation of its international legal obligations, nor should the international community shy away from enforcing such implementation. Inarticulate fears of disrupting a "peace process" that exists only in vague declarations and diplomatic handshakes, that treats the Gaza Strip as separate from the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Palestinians as a divided people, cannot be an excuse for allowing the continued siege of the Gaza Strip. In fact, if any "peace process" is to succeed, the conclusion reached must embody a sense of justice. This requires, as an unavoidable starting point, that the fundamental rights of all parties be recognised and protected. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Al-Haq therefore calls upon, <br /><br /> <br /> <br />Israel to immediately cease all military operations in the Gaza Strip and to end its policy of collective punishment, including the opening of border crossings to allow the movement of goods and people, and restoring the supply of fuel and humanitarian aid. <br /><br /> <br /> <br />the Palestinian Liberation Organisation to establish Israel's obligations under international law in respect of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip, including ending the collective punishment and ensuring access to essential medical services, food and water and sanitation, as an integral part of any negotiations. <br /><br /> <br /> <br />regional organisations and individual states to take concrete measures, including economic and diplomatic sanctions, to ensure Israel's compliance with international law. <br /><br /> <br /> <br />all international agencies, including the UN, present in the OPT to actively draw the attention of international decision makers to the impact of Israeli policies on the Palestinian civilian population of the Gaza Strip. <br /><br /> <br /> <br />the UN Secretary-General immediately bring the situation in the Gaza Strip to the attention of the Security Council. <br /><br /> <br /> <br />concerned individuals and civil society groups to raise Israel's violations of international law with elected officials in their home counties. <br /><br /> <br /> <br />Palestinian armed groups to immediately cease the launching of rockets targeting civilian population centres in Israel. <br /><br /> <br /><br />- Ends – <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />Rabie Abulatifah <br /><br />Media & Communications Officer<br />Al-Haq<br />P.O.Box: 1413<br />Ramallah - West Bank<br />Palestine<br />Tel.: + 972 (0)2 2956421<br /> + 972 (0)2 2954646 <br />Fax.: + 972 (0)2 2954903<br />www.alhaq.org <br /><br />************************************************************ <br /><br /><br /> FROM GUSH SHALOM <br /><br /> <br />On Saturday January 26, <br /><br />nobody stays home! <br /><br /> <br /><br />End the Siege! <br /><br /> Relief convoy to our neighbors in Gaza <br /><br />Does it help the children of Sderot when we force the children of Gaza to drink polluted water? It seems the government of Israel thinks so (if they think). <br /><br /> <br /><br />Gaza is under siege! Hundreds of commodities needed for maintaining daily life are not allowed into the Strip, by order of the Government of Israel. Even the entry of water filters - vital for purifying the water drawn from Gazan wells, which are heavily polluted by brine, oil and sewage - has already been prevented for over half a year. The Israeli media doesn't succeed (and doesn't even try always) to convey to the public a true impression of how severe the situation is. But anyone who has talked to Gazans in the past months understands that the situation has long since developed into a regional disaster, which puts us, too, in danger. <br /><br /> <br /><br />As is well known, the Gaza Strip is a small, poor, overcrowded territory even in "ordinary" times. The occupation of the Strip did not end with the "Disengagement"; on the contrary, passage of persons and goods, in and out of the Strip, was made far more difficult by the Israeli authorities, and no one can enter or leave, by land, sea or air, except by permission from the Israeli security services. As far as Gazans are concerned, Disengagement brought no liberty, but just made occupation that much worse! <br /><br /> <br /><br />However bad the suffering is of the residents of Sderot, Ashkelon and the kibbutzim and moshavim in the area under the barrage of Qassam missiles, mortar shells and sniper bullets, it is in no way a justification for a cruel siege which severely harms a million and half civilians - men, women and children. The siege is an immoral act and a violation of International Law - and from a practical point of view, increasing the bitterness and suffering in Gaza leads to an intensification of attacks on the Israeli side, not to their end. Unlike what we have been made to believe, residents of Sderot and residents of Gaza are not to be seen as opponents: both are victims of a stupid and vicious policy of the Government of Israel. <br /><br /> <br /><br />In the convoy, departing from all over Israel on Saturday January 26, 2008, we will take with us a large quantity of water filters and firmly demand of the military authorities that they be allowed into the Strip where they are urgently needed, together with basic foodstuffs - flour, rice, oil, salt, lentils, beans - for distribution to residents driven to extreme poverty and despair by the siege. <br /><br /> <br /><br />On the border of the Strip we will conduct a protest rally, simultaneously with a rally held by our Palestinian friends on the other side. Together, we will demand of the Government of Israel to remove the siege of Gaza forthwith! We intend to hold the rally where we can have eye contact with the Palestinians, at a distance of no more than one kilometer. <br /><br />Our friends on the Palestinian side, peace and human rights activists of the Palestinian International Campaign To End The Siege such as the well-known psychiatrist Dr. Eyad Sarraj, will go to the border area despite the great difficulty and risk, in order to greet and support us. It is far easier for us to go towards them and support them. In a joint Israeli-Palestinian action on both sides of the border we will present a true alternative to the continuing escalation, to the shooting and killing, destruction and suffering, missiles and tanks. An alternative of ceasefire, of a true end to direct and indirect occupation, an alternative of peace and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians, for Sderot and for Gaza. <br /><br /> <br /><br />The convoy will include both buses and private cars. It is very important to arrive with a car, if you have <br /><br />one, in order to create a long and highly visible convoy. If at all possible, let us know in advance, even before <br /><br />Monday Jan. 21, to Ya'akov 050-5733276 or Teddy 052-5017141. It is especially important to let us know as soon as <br /><br />possible if you can come with a car - so that we can make better preparations. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Donations to help buy products for the convoy, and defray other expenses, can be transferred via POB 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Israel, or handed to our activists during the convoy itself (checks should be made out to Gush Shalom, and prominently marked 'For Gaza Convoy'). <br /><br /> <br /><br />We have made considerable and lengthy efforts to coordinate this activity. The convoy will depart from organized rendezvous points at predetermined hours, in order to arrive together and create a long convoy. The rendezvous points are as follows: <br /><br /> <br /><br />Haifa: Solel Boneh Square (buses & private cars) 7:45 <br /><br /> <br /><br />Tel-Aviv: Arlozorov Railway Station (buses) 8:15 <br /><br /> Reading Parking Lot (private cars, joined by the buses from Arlozorov 8:30 <br /><br /> <br /><br />Jerusalem: Liberty Bell Park (buses) 8:30 <br /><br /> Teddy Parking Lot (private cars, joined by the buses from Liberty Bell 8:45 <br /><br /> <br /><br />Be'er Sheba: University Gate (buses & private cars) 10:15 <br /><br /> <br /><br />Signs, posters and cloth banners for the buses will be available at the rendezvous points. Please arrive in time to 'decorate' the cars. Everybody is asked to bring from home commodities needed in Gaza (milk powder, mineral water [not of Eden Springs], oil, flour, school supplies [satchels, pens and pencils etc.] and cigarettes) as a family package for a Gazan family. If you want you can add a personal letter in Arabic or English to the recipients. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Those who arrive in their cars are asked to tie a symbolic aid package to the roof of the car (if you were not able to do it before arriving, please bring the products and a rope with you, and we will help you tie them at the rendezvous). <br /><br />We also ask all of you to bring drums, whistles, and those who have them - a shofar, in order to make a huge outcry of breaking down the wall of the siege. Please bring food and drink for a whole day. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Registration for Tel-Aviv and Haifa: <br /><br /> taliashiff@gmail.comTalia Shiff 052-3738832 <br /><br /> <br /><br />Registration for Jerusalem and Be'er Sheba: <br /><br /> moshepesach@yahoo.es Moshe Pesach 050-9702338 <br /><br /> <br /><br />Participating organizations: <br /><br />Gush Shalom, Combatants for Peace, Coalition of Women for Peace, ICAHD - The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Bat Shalom, Bat Tzafon for Peace & Equality, Balad, Hadash, Adalah, Tarabut-Hithabrut, Physicians for Human Rights, Alternative Information Center, Psychoactive - Mental Health Professionals for Human Rights, ActiveStills, Student Coalition Tel-Aviv University, New Profile, Machsom Watch, PCATI - Public Committee Against Torture. <br /><br /> Details on the Palestinian International Campaign to End the Siege to which we are allied: <br /><br /> http://www.end-gaza-siege.ps/IndexEn.htmJessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-38377935221269299022008-01-13T20:36:00.000+02:002008-01-13T20:57:45.280+02:00BDS - Boycott, Divestment, SanctionsMany people who are working to end the occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip promote a strategy known as BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions). Prior to leaving for Ramallah, I was on a local coalition in New York that was exploring this strategy, and also trying to figure out ways to couple it with increasing support for the Palestinian economy through purchasing fair trade Palestinian olive oil, soap, handicrafts and other products. O<a href="http://www.mideastjustice.org/">ne of the member groups</a> ended up with a <a href="http://www.mideastjustice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=49">creative campaign against Leviev Diamonds</a>, which targets an Israeli American who uses his wealth to support settlement building activity in the West Bank.<br /><br />BDS was one of the many strategies that helped to end the South African apartheid regime. It works by isolating the offending country economically and socially until they change the undesirable policy.<br /><br />BDS in the case of Israel/Palestine is a bit more complicated than the South African case due to the level of support that the U.S. government gives Israel both economically and diplomatically (it recently passed a bill worth more than $30B in military aid to Israel). The U.S. never had such a strong backing for South Africa. To learn a little more about how the U.S. supports Israeli occupation and the double standard it has on the BDS strategy, read <a href="http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1488">"Double Standard on Divestment"</a> by Josh Ruebner, which briefly compares the concept of BDS in Sudan to BDS in Palestine.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-62587207069213556062008-01-11T09:19:00.001+02:002008-01-11T09:30:07.688+02:00Executive DecisionThis is my blog, and I started it to be an online journal of my experiences and observations of my experience in Palestine. It is not a news blog or even a political blog, and I am not obligated to allow anyone to use it as a forum for their own point of view. I will acknowledge that, because it reflects my personal experiences and opinions, it only tells one version of the Israel-Palestine story through the eyes of a non-Palestinian, non-Jewish American teacher living in Ramallah in 2007-2008.<br /><br />I didn't start it as a means to have an online debate; frankly, my work here takes up too much of my time to adequately address those who have an opposing point of view. There are many, many other venues, both online and off, where people can become more acquainted with Israeli narratives and justifications for the occupation.<br /><br />I am going to leave the old comments visible, but from this point on, I will be making comments closed to non-members of this blog. From time to time, should the topic of my current piece demand feedback from readers, I will re-open comments.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-34472436295649721742008-01-10T15:47:00.000+02:002008-01-10T16:34:33.167+02:00To Censor, or Not To Censor...that is the QuestionI support the rights of people to speak freely, and do not wish to moderate or censor comments on my blog, but sometimes when I read comments (on my blog and elsewhere on the internets), I wonder if that is a wise choice. After all, this is not a public forum; it is my personal blog. I don't have to give anyone else a space to comment. I could close them or delete them at my convenience. <br /><br />What are the limitations of "free" speech? <br /><br />Most people would say that you do not have the right to incite violence, to slander another person, or to commit acts of libel, and I think that most people would say that although lying is not technically illegal (except under oath), it is essential to tell the truth if you wish to be taken seriously.<br /><br />Part of my personal resistance to moderation/censorship is that I don't want to be the arbiter of truth-telling or determining whether a particular statement qualifies as incitement, slander or libel.<br /><br />This particular statement, by Mr. Kohen, in my opinion, and the one prior to it that I responded to in the comments section, qualifies as slander: "6. I love it when people try to weasel out of their responsibility for supporting terrorists: "No- not me. I supported the Germans in WWII by going to Germany to help them- but not the Nazis". Right."<br /><br />Now, anyone who knows me would probably say that if I had been alive in Germany at the time Hitler rose to power, I would have been thrown into a death camp long before the Jews were, because= before he got around to that death project, he rounded up anyone who would have opposed his regime. It's utterly absurd to call me a Nazi sympathizer. <br /><br />I'm also not a terrorist sympathizer. I don't support people who use violence or fear of violence in order to obtain a political or ideological goal--whether the people who being targeted are civilians or members of the military of the opposition forces (which would probably be more accurately described as resistance). I am a pacifist. This makes me unpopular with a lot of people, especially the ones who feel that the only way to overthrow an oppressor is through force. C'est la vie, it's what I believe. I think the only way to end violence is to break it non-violently, and there are many creative ways to resist non-violently.<br /><br />---<br /><br />Then we have the question of "what is the truth?" It seems like a silly question, but is it? Mr. Kohen sent me a whole list of links that claimed to teach "the truth, " but as I pointed out, consider the point of view the truth is being told from. Most of the links he sent were from right-wing organizations and Zionist groups, so I wouldn't exactly expect for them to be objective.<br /><br />Then there is the question of using holy texts as an unquestionable source of truth. Well, that works if you believe in the holy texts' infallibility, but what if you are an unbeliever? Does that mean that you have to accept something you don't believe in as truth? <br /><br />There is a reason why separation of church and state is a good idea. <br /><br />-----------------<br /><br />The relationship of a blogger to a commenter is assymmetrical--I can write anything I want on my blog, whereas a comment can be deleted. <br /><br />What are the benefits of silencing another person?<br /> <br />If I allow people to comment and say things that may incite violence, commit slander or libel, or spread untruths (or partial truths), am I complicit?Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-62512201700014579862008-01-09T21:33:00.000+02:002008-01-09T21:37:47.693+02:00At least I'm In Good CompanyI didn't realize that I had an <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=%2B%22yishai+kohen%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">(in?)famous commenter</a> commenting on my blog. <br /><br />I feel so privileged to have so much in common with Haaretz and the International Herald Tribune.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-33731781448386069272008-01-09T16:45:00.000+02:002008-01-10T16:35:11.367+02:00ReligionI seldom talk about my religious/spiritual beliefs, but living in the Middle East surrounded by historical religious sites and people who have strong religious identities has encouraged me to be more contemplative about what I believe and why.<br /><br />It has always been difficult for me to talk about faith. I have so many more questions than I have answers. So many people have been oppressed by others in "The Name of God," and those who have strong opinions usually will defend them aggressively. In many of my social circles, religion is a bad word, and the idea of having faith in something that can't be proven through science or reason is laughed at. Religious belief seems to be a uniquely human trait - and often a troublesome one - yet I have never found the idea of atheism appealing or, for that matter, any more convincing than the idea that there is some kind of Spiritual Truth out there that gives meaning to life.<br /><br />It doesn't really matter what you call God in your religion, it seems that although most religions share many beliefs in common, the most damning belief that is widely shared among faiths can be summarized as: "We, the _____, are God's chosen people/righteous ones, our faith is the true faith, and if you do not believe as we do, and it is our responsibility to kill you/punish you/or at least banish you far away from us."<br /><br />Is there really any wonder why there is no peace when there is so much self-righteousness? Is there any wonder why so many people who might be interested in exploring their spirituality would shun organized religion when it spreads that seed of hate?<br /><br />Growing up in Iowa, I had lots of exposure to different types of Christianity and little else. My grandparents are particularly devout members of an evangelical Protestant church, but my parents (children of the 60s and came of age in the 70s) were pretty secular. I grew up in a Santa Claus and Easter Bunny, non-church-going family, and was periodically taught the fundamentals of the Bible when I visited my grandparents or on rare occasions, attended church (Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran or Mennonite) with a friend from school. In small-town Iowa, not going to church was a little unusual, but most of my friends complained about "having to get up early" or "going to lame Religious Ed classes", so I did not really feel like I was missing out on much, and I wasn't going to submit to the pressure to "accept the Lord Jesus as my Savior," in spite of the prayers and good intentions I think the people who applied the pressure had. <br /><br />When I was in college, many of my friends were active in <a href="http://osl.webtest.iowa.uiowa.edu/default4.aspx?type=detail&value=303">Wesley Foundation (United Methodist)</a>, <a href="http://osl.webtest.iowa.uiowa.edu/default4.aspx?type=detail&value=247">Campus Crusade for Christ(mostly Evangelical Christians)</a>, <a href="http://osl.webtest.iowa.uiowa.edu/default4.aspx?type=detail&value=52">Newman Center (Roman Catholic)</a> and <a href="http://osl.webtest.iowa.uiowa.edu/default4.aspx?type=detail&value=154">Hillel (a multi-denominational Jewish student organization)</a>. I became more interested in religion because all of these really good friends were so involved with and passionate about their faith. They really enjoyed the fellowship of having a religious community, and they were doing good work in the community. They invited me to come to their fellowship events and to do volunteer work with them, and I started to learn more about their belief systems. (I didn't know people who were not part of a Jewish or Christian tradition when I was in college; there aren't a lot of non-Christians in Iowa, frankly, Judaism seemed a little exotic in Eastern Iowa! If it hadn't been for an extremely popular professor I had my first year<a href="http://www.uiowa.edu/~religion/holsteincv.html">Rabbi Jay Holstein</a>, I might not have known a lot of Jewish students at school. My circle of friends was not as diverse as it was after I moved to Virginia, and later New York City.)<br /><br />I enjoyed being included in these different communities, but ultimately did not choose any of the above, which strained a lot of those relationships, because they felt personally rejected. For me, it was never a personal rejection of the person (although I did question the choices that some people made that were inconsistent with what they said they believed was right). To a larger extent, I think it was a product of being raised secularly and to use critical thinking, reasoning and my constructed beliefs about morality to guide me. My choices to not become a church member were not a judgment of individuals, but not accepting the religion's dogma/creed in its entirety and my belief that I did not need to choose one path over another. <br /><br />Plus, I had too many questions that couldn't be satisfactorily answered:<br />Why would an all-powerful God be so limited in His/Her vision that there could only be one path to Her/Him? Why does there need to be an authoritarian interpretation of God? If God is everywhere all the time, then it must be in everything, and if it's in everything and we are all supposed to return to a Oneness/Paradise/Heaven, then shouldn't we be much more caring about each other and the world? <br /><br />In my informal study of comparative religion via religious student organizations, I came to see that although there are many paths, they all are fundamentally the same when you strip away the names of the major religious figures, distill the stories to their roots, and focus on the main messages. <br /><br />Seeking a community that could accommodate that worldview, I started to attend unprogrammed <a href="http://quaker.org/">Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) meetings</a>, and eventually joined the <a href="http://avenue.org/quakers/">Charlottesville (Virginia) Friends Meeting </a>after I graduated and moved away from Iowa. <br /><br />If I were to describe what it means to be a Quaker in my own words, I would say: the central belief of Friends is that there is "that of God" in everyone, which allows us to have a direct experience of God. Quakers seek to tune into/magnify that of God in themselves and let that inner spirit (sometimes referred to as the Light within) guide your actions. Seeking that of God in others and letting it guide your actions in your relationship with them helps to ensure that your engage in positive relationships, because you are seeking the best in the other person (and actually finding out what connects you to them--your shared inner Light). <br /><br />Some Quakers (and the original Quakers fall into this category), believe that Jesus Christ was the divine embodiment of the inner Light, and that we should follow Him and His teachings. My tendency is to view Jesus as one of the great spiritual leaders of his day, rather than the capital "S" Son of God, a holy being born into a human body to a Virgin Mother. I acknowledge that as a personal belief of mine and respect others enough to respect their point of view. I always hope that others can find it within themselves to respect mine. It is a contentious belief among Friends in certain circles. <br /><br />Today, I still identify myself as a Friend (Quaker), and I am most aligned with a liberal, <a href="http://www.universalistfriends.org/">Universalist Friends</a> interpretation of the tradition. I am mostly comfortable with that choice, although I am uncomfortable when some Friends who, having sampled some of the negative aspects of organized religion elsewhere, insist that the Universalist Friends version of spirituality is the best! <br /><br />I don't see it as the best faith or spiritual practice, just the most accurate reflection of where I think I fit. I love it when my friends invite me to participate in their traditions, whether that is breaking the fast during Ramadan or Yom Kippur, having an Easter feast, chanting at a gathering of Buddhists or sharing yoga and meditations with Hindus. I love the beauty and variety of it all; it creates a wonderful counterpoint to the very simple, plain practice of a Quaker meeting for worship. <br /><br />Sometimes, however, it is very difficult for me to be in this part of the world and to hold onto the belief of "that of God in everyone." The drama of religious war is played out literally here. When religious beliefs are used to promote a political agenda and or justify control of land and other resources, it is even more deadly. <br /><br />It is easy to get caught up in the endless cycle of blame, violence and retribution. <br /><br />It is easy to label someone an "other" and dehumanize them. <br /><br />It is hard to be objective and also to be honest with people when you think that they are making wrong choices.<br /><br />It is hard to say: "I see that of God in you AND your enemy." <br /><br />It is hard when definitions of justice are not really about justice, but revenge based on who did what to whom and when. Can there ever really be justice for loss of life, livelihood, freedom or joy? <br /><br />It is hard when everyone wants the same thing: self-determination for "their people" in a specific place, at the exclusion of the "other". <br /><br />How do we break this cycle of violence and ensure the needs of all of the people of this region are met?Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-89229935697425157392008-01-08T19:28:00.000+02:002008-01-08T21:29:09.433+02:00ConflictThe gentleman who commented on my last post insists that the "Philistines", if they had only accepted the deals offered to them time and again (and I would wager that he thinks they were good offers), instead of rejecting them violently, would no longer be stateless. His solution now is: send them to Jordan.<br /><br />This is an unproductive narrative. Transferring "the Philistines" to Jordan is a fancy way of saying ETHNIC CLEANSING. Ethnic cleansing=illegal. It was illegal when Hitler did it and when countless other regimes did it, and I don't think that Israel (or the U.S.) should get a get out of jail free card when/if they do it. Anyone who proposes such a thing should be charged with incitement of crimes against humanity; it is an act of hate speech. (And lest he or anyone think I have a double standard, I believe the same should hold true for those who believe that Israelis should be "thrown into the sea".) <br /><br />Time and again, an argument is made that if the Palestinians had accepted the offers that were given to them (Peel Commission, UN Mandate, Oslo, etc.), they would no longer be fighting for their national aspirations. To some degree this is true: if hindsight were foresight, the earlier offers made to Palestinians were certainly better than what they are likely to get from Israel now in negotiations, which has consolidated its power in the international community and secured critical alliances with the U.S. (and to a lesser degree, the EU). <br /><br />The greater question is: on whose authority can one country or governmental body determine the sovereignty of another people? The idea that the colonial power or an international body should have the privilege of determining for the inhabitants of an area what its boundaries are is a pretty anti-democratic concept. Why should the majority of inhabitants be denied the ability to continue to live on their land and be with their people in one country? <br /><br />I also chuckle and grimace when I hear someone say that the Philistines/Arabs (they never say Palestinians) can just go to Jordan (or Egypt). A. Jordan and Egypt don't want them. B. They don't want to go to Jordan or Egypt. The Arab people are united in language (with regional dialectical differences) and may have similar cultures, but they are far from homogeneous and have long held unique social identities that vary by region, religion and social class. The Arab League, like the EU, might wish to join together for economic reasons, but they would still wish to retain their own national identity. Certainly if you asked a Saudi if they are the same as Jordanians, they would have a long list of how they differ, and how they have no desire to be a citizen of the other country. Palestinians have considered themselves uniquely Palestinian for quite a long time (since long before the Zionist movement began), and have strong ties to the same piece of land that Israel would like to claim. The million dollar question in my mind is not: how do you get rid of the Palestinians or Israelis, but how do you get these people to decide to build a shared future together?<br /><br />Some people inevitably will start talking about how they can't live with "them." As someone who has the privilege of being able to travel to both Israeli areas and Palestinian areas, I can see how everyone is so much more alike than they are different. Everyone has the same dreams for their children's safety and well-being. Everyone wants freedom. Everyone wants to have the right to reach their greatest potential. <br /><br />I believe with humility, honesty and hard work (and apologies for suffering and restitution for losses) there could be forgiveness and reconciliation. It's not a pipe dream of an idealist; it's the recognition of someone who sees the humanity on both sides of the Green Line. <br /><br />Peace is possible, if you want it.<br /><br />----------<br /> <br />This weekend while I was at the IPCRI conference, an Israeli woman said that she wants to make peace with Palestinians because she loves Israel. She believes that all people have a right to their own nation, and she wants to make peace with Palestinians so that they can coexist beside each other. The premise of this statement suggests that she believes that the only way that a people can have self-determination is if they have their own country. <br /><br />I can understand what she is saying, but I don't think it is acceptable for the self-determination of one "people" at the expense of another. This sort of thesis doesn't acknowledge the existence and rights of the people who were living on the same soil when the Zionist movement began. My hope for this young woman is that she--and others, like the man who wrote in the comments--will find other ways of envisioning a future beside Palestinians; it may be too late for the two state partitioning of this tiny bit of land, and all are attached to it.<br /><br /><br />I also wonder about what it means when someone talks about the rights of a particular "people." Like the Arab "people", there is not one Jewish "people"; there are many Jewish people. Orthodox, Ultra Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, etc. and a large number who identify as agnostic or atheist, but culturally/ethically Jewish, and a wide Jewish Diaspora that includes people of many races and distinct sub-cultures. Is there one country that can embrace all of them as equals? If there is a country for a certain kind of "people", must someone who is part of that group uproot themselves from a successful life elsewhere in order to "return" to a country whose soil they have never touched? <br /><br />I don't believe that it is necessary for "a people" to have their own country. We are all one people, and paradoxically, all unique individuals. What everyone needs is a home (although some of us may feel that we could be at home in many places). What is important is to live in a country that provides equal rights for all of its citizens, strives to ensure that their basic human needs are met, provides equal opportunity under the law, and adheres to the <a href="http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html">universal declaration of human rights</a>. <br /><br />Enough with the nationalism and insistence on privileging a certain kind of person. Equality for all!Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-84852458676086598852008-01-05T21:10:00.000+02:002008-01-05T21:34:15.368+02:00IPCRI Peace Education ConferenceI'm back from the peace education conference. I'm a bit wiped out right now from all of the workshops so I'll have to do my main report tomorrow, but my gut reactions:<br /><br />1. I enjoyed meeting all of the Israeli peace educators. This wasn't really an activist oriented conference, so it got a little frustrating at times for me, but it was nice to get a chance to meet people on the other side of the Green Line who are trying to do work in their communities and with Palestinians to lay the groundwork for peace. <br /><br />2. I was disappointed to see the lack of Palestinian presenters and participants. There were only a handful of Palestinian presenters, and I would say that the participants were about 40-50% Israeli, 30% international, and the remainder Palestinian. I suspect it was probably due to a combination of anti-normalization/collaborator pressure from their communities and the lack of activism in the orientation of the program. <br /><br />3. Most of the Israelis seemed reluctant to talk about the occupation, but seemed very determined to express how much they desire peace and how much they would like to know that Palestinians also desire peace. Lots of talk about "getting to know and understand the 'other.'" and many, many dialogue or exchange projects. On the flip side, there were very few Palestinians who participated that expressed frustration (publicly or to me) about the lack of dialogue about the occupation. I don't know it that was just due to the silencing effect that talk about occupation and what peace looks like had on people or what.<br /><br />4. I had the general sense was that most of the people (and the organizers) are of the two-state solution persuasion.<br /><br />5. I got a sense of the fear that Israelis have about their security, and even though I think it's largely overblown, it does need to be addressed. However, what troubled me most is that the silence about the occupation and its negative impact on Palestinian society was deafening. Security for one group should not come at the expense of the other's rights. I got a lot of silence when I said that to some people. Others agreed, but it's clear that there is much to be done with the Israeli public, if that's how "peace people" are.<br /><br />6. There is some really great interfaith peacemaking work going on.<br /><br />7. There is so much work to be done...<br /><br />8. There are partners on both sides, but they will have to be brave to work with each other.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-52857891048346271962008-01-03T21:35:00.000+02:002008-01-03T23:12:27.605+02:00Peacebuilding and NormalizationI am going a <a href="http://www.ipcri.org/files/jan4-5program.html">conference tomorrow & Saturday </a>that is sponsored by the <a href="http://www.ipcri.org">Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information</a>. The <a href="http://www.ipcri.org/files/abstracts.pdf">abstract</a> looks weighty and I'm looking forward to networking with the other participants.<br /><br />Peace work on the ground here is very tricky. There is a significant contingent on both sides that feels that there can be no dialogue with the other. There are Israelis who don't want to talk about making peace when there are Qassams flying from Gaza. There are Palestinians (and a fair number of international activists) who feel that engagement with Israelis while there is an occupation is tantamount to submission to or collaboration with oppression. The term they use is "normalization" which refers to having normal relations with Israelis, rather than isolating them or penalizing them for their actions.<br /><br />My personal take on it as an international, (and not just any international, but as a citizen of the USA), is that internationals have an obligation to engage with Israelis, and that engagement is not normalization, it's diplomatic conflict resolution, and it's also recognition that not everyone supports the actions of their elected leaders and wants to see a policy change. <br /><br />My government (much to my chagrin) gives a lot of money and weapons to Israel every year which allows it to to perpetuate an occupation, and in addition to money and weapons, it also gives an incredible amount of diplomatic support to Israel when others on the world stage criticize Israel for its occupation. I disagree with that sort of support to Israel and lobby my elected officials accordingly, but If I can't change my government's actions in the short-term, then the only remaining choice I have is to engage with the reality on the ground. <br /><br />In my opinion, engaging with the reality on the ground is two-fold:<br /><br />1. Dealing with the reality of occupation<br />2. Trying to end the occupation<br /><br />To me, dealing with the reality of occupation means doing the best you can to improve the quality of life for people on the ground. The international community pours a lot of aid into Palestine, especially the West Bank, perhaps too much. It's unevenly distributed and seems highly concentrated around Ramallah. It also sometimes seems like the EU and the US give aid to Palestinians so that they can absolve themselves from the guilt that they don't put much pressure on Israel to end the occupation, which is the primary reason the situation is bad enough to warrant it. <br /><br />Trying to end it means using non-violent resistance and all legal and diplomatic channels at your disposal in order to shake off the occupation. I have friends who think that armed resistance is okay and that a revolution is in order; my take is that even if occupied people have a right to resist occupation, in such an asymmetrical battle, guns are the worst possible means of resistance. <br /><br />I think it would make far more sense (as has proven to be the case in most of the small victories that have been made, Bil'in for example), for Palestinians to align with Israelis who seek to end the occupation, even if the only thing they agree on is that ending the occupation is desireable. Most Israelis don't want to see a one state solution and many struggle with the question of whether an injustice was done to the Palestinians in 1948 & 1967, so there is a parting of ways after the occupation issue is resolved, but if an alliance with Israelis only accomplished that objective, it seems like it would be worthwhile strategically. Would it not? Sometimes you have to take interim steps towards your goals.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-10056222157620702742008-01-02T19:57:00.000+02:002008-01-02T21:10:52.377+02:00Arabic in IowaThe New York Times had an article called <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/education/02education.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin">Bridging Cultures, and Taking Arabic to Iowa</a> in today's paper. This article was forwarded to me by directly by Susie Swartzendruber, who drove the effort for the Arabic program at Kalona Elementary. Thanks Susie!<br /><br />First of all, I will say that I think it's great that they're teaching Arabic to the kids in Iowa, and I wish that it had worked out better for me to do some collaborative work between my students at the Friends School and the kids in Kalona. (It's not impossible, but it's looking less likely, now that I'm down to just doing after-school programs, and we have an existing cooperative project to do with a school in California). <br /><br />Language-learning is a great way to learn more about a culture. I think that the diversity of the Arabic-speaking world and the culture are widely misunderstood across the USA, so on that note, kudos to Mid-Prairie* for opening the door for greater understanding and hiring an Iraqi to teach Arabic, even though (and perhaps I should say ESPECIALLY because) there were xenophobic reservations from some quarters. <br /><br />(After watching the whole <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%2B%22khalil+gibran+international+academy%22+%2B%22new+york%22+%2Bcontroversy">Khalil Gibran International Academy debaucle unfold in New York City</a>, it seems like the concerns mentioned in the article were hardly worth mentioning.) <br /><br />However, I also felt a bit ill at ease with all of the publicity this program is generating. <br /><br />At first I thought it was the premise: teaching Arabic in rural Iowa--how novel! I get that teaching Arabic in rural, mostly lily-white Iowa may seem a bit incongruous. But by that logic, most foreign languages are a bit out of place. <br /> <br />Then I thought that I was just being overly protective of my origins. How many examples of small-town Iowa do you need to include in order to pound home that, why yes, this seems like a highly unlikely place to learn Arabic? The Amish and the Mennonites! The Rotary Club! Ice-cream socials! I suppose these sorts of things are particularly colorful to a journalist in New York City, but to me, they are just part of where I grew up. It's nice small-town Americana, but really...is this essential to the article? <br /><br />But what I think it really is that hit me is that the <strong>whole idea </strong>of teaching Arabic is a novelty, and there is a clear "other-izing" of Arabs and Muslims. <br /><br />It may be couched in a polite way "Bridging Cultures", but there is something dark about this piece: <br /><br />the "language of the enemy" comment, <br /><br />the fixation on the fact that Ms. Al-Attar is *gasp* Muslim who is *gasp* teaching Christians (totally secular language education) and the fear that "Christians are being taught to be Muslims"<br /><br />the drama of her experience with the regime of Saddam Hussein, <br /><br />and fact that people can be "reassured" that the grant is funded by the Bush Administration (a <a href="http://exchanges.state.gov/NSLI/">National Security Languages Initiative</a> grant, by the way).<br /><br />It's a shame to me that in an article that purports to be about bridging cultures, there is so much emphasis on differences and fear. <br /><br />I suppose "Kids take to learning languages like ducks to water and are, in general, more open to new things" or "people from different cultural backgrounds can coexist quite nicely" wouldn't make for a very interesting article.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />*I graduated from Mid-Prairie. Kalona is the town right next door to Riverside, where I grew up. Home sweet home.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-53522367501190810032008-01-01T08:18:00.000+02:002008-01-01T08:34:42.734+02:00Happy New Year!It appears that I need the kick in the pants of something like NaBloPoMo to post on a regular basis, so I have signed up for the Blog365 ultramarathon, which means that I'm supposed to post something on one of my blogs EVERY SINGLE DAY*<br /><br />*except, if I'm away or if my computer is broken, I'm allowed to write something to post later, and since there are no prizes in Blog365, I can even backdate things that I have to post later to give the illusion of actually putting up new content every day.<br /><br />I will try not to do that.<br /><br />My computer is still broken and I still haven't figured out the best way to get it to the Apple Care place in Rosh HaAyan to see if they can fix it on site. I did finally figure out how to get to the Central Bus Terminal in Jerusalem and learn how to use the <a href="http://www.egged.co.il">Israeli Egged buses</a> over Christmas, so perhaps I will manage to get it to them by the time school starts again.<br /><br />I went to Haifa for Christmas to hang out with a friend of mine, her boyfriend and his family, who stuffed me full of things like lamb and sweets. It was great to be with people on Christmas (even if they didn't speak English very well and my Arabic, well, it sucks!) and the hospitality was wonderful, but it's been hard (especially during the holidays) to be away from family and friends. <br /><br />I don't think I'm an expat in the making, folks. I see a future for myself of being based in the US and traveling for short-term stints abroad. Maybe it would be easier if I was gallivanting around the world with a husband/boyfriend. Solo, it wears on you, my friends.<br /><br />After I got back from Haifa I was nailed by a cold virus that I've never had before, and I am just now feeling back to normal. I've spent most of the past few days sleeping, drinking tea with lemon, and prepping myself for 2008. Which, I'm starting to think is going to rock.<br /><br />More later.<br /><br />Love you!Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-26450810265253536592007-12-20T14:50:00.000+02:002007-12-20T14:58:18.753+02:00Experiencing Technical DifficultiesI am likely to be MIA for a while; my Macbook needs a new hard drive, which may entail shipping it back to the USA (sob!!) if it can't be repaired at the Apple repair center in Israel (which I am not even sure how to get to, given it's in an industrial park somewhere between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and I have no car).<br /><br />I do have computer access in my office at the school...but lucky me--I'm off until January 14! I'll be in and out of Ramallah for the next few weeks. When I'm here--or if I can get my laptop fixed locally--I'll post.<br /><br />It's been pretty quiet lately, aside from my Christmas card/year end fund-appeal marathon (high on stress, but not a worthy tale to report).<br /><br />Seasons Greetings & Happy Eidchristmahanakwanza.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-56002572159143811222007-12-08T21:02:00.000+02:002007-12-10T23:26:41.357+02:00ICAHD Alternative Tour - Dec. 7, 2007<object width="500" height="580" align="middle"><param name="FlashVars" VALUE="ids=72157603404588396&names=ICAHD&userName=jmccoy41&userId=10390939@N03&titles=on&source=sets"></param><param name="PictoBrowser" value="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf"></param><param name="scale" value="noscale"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"></param><embed src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf" FlashVars="ids=72157603404588396&names=ICAHD&userName=jmccoy41&userId=10390939@N03&titles=on&source=sets" loop="false" scale="noscale" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="500" height="580" name="PictoBrowser" align="middle"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/10390939@N03/sets/72157603404588396/">Photos from ICAHD tour (if the pictobrowser isn't working)</a><br /><br />Yesterday I went on a tour sponsored by the <a href="http://www.icahd.org">Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions</a><br /><br />The tour was marketed towards average Israelis in order to "learn about the facts on the ground in East Jerusalem. Visit settlements and Palestinian neighborhoods. This tour is intended for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, to go a little beyond the 'Them and Us' discourse, and to learn from a guide who has in-depth knowledge of the issues and an alternative perspective." <br /><br />I thought it would be interesting to hear what an Israeli peace organization says to a group of average Israelis. The tour guide was Eyal Niv, who was a lieutenant in the IDF for five years, serving in a technological unit. He recently completed a double major BA in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies & Communications at Hebrew University. Eyal is certified to teach Hebrew as a foreign language by Hebrew University, and currently teaches at the Holy Land Institute in Sho'afat (East Jerusalem). He is also studying for his MA in sociology and anthropology and speaks Hebrew, Arabic and English.<br /><br />My personal objective: just listen and learn.<br /><br />It turned out to be quite the interesting tour, and I may have to go on more of them. <br /><br />The tour departed from Ra'Anana (near Tel Aviv), but they picked me up at about 9:30 just after the Qalandia checkpoint, and we were on our way. <br /><br />Our first stop was <a href="http://nofzion.co.il/">Nof Zion</a>, a settlement currently under construction in East Jerusalem. It will take over about 500 acres or so of land in East Jerusalem and require the demolition of several Palestinian homes.<br /><br />Then we went into the Holy Basin, near the City of David, which is where archeologists are digging to establish the historical ties of Jews to Jerusalem. It is funded by <a href="http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Tshuva_Yitzhak_574360378.aspx">El Ad CEO Yitzak Tshuva</a>and other benefactors, and is selectively focusing only on the Jewish narrative, which is of concern because it disrupts the site for those who might also want to learn about the other historical residents of Jerusalem. The site is guarded by a private militia (similar to Blackwater). In the surrounding area, there are about 50 Palestinian homes that have been officially taken over by settlers, and residents say that there are others that have not "gone public."<br /><br />Then we stopped in in Ras al Amud to see the<a href="http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=272">Ma'ale Zietim settlement</a> (which is sponsored by an American named Irving Moscovitz), which is right beside the Dome of the Rock in the old city. The completion of this settlement will cut off the old city from the West Bank and prevent contiguity so that East Jerusalem can be the capital of the Palestinian state.<br /><br />Then we went to the neighborhood of Silwan, where almost 90 homes are scheduled for demolition to make way for settlements and learned a bit about the convoluted process that Palestinians have to go through in order to try to prevent house demolitions. Some tidbits: of the 70+ square km in East Jerusalem that were annexed into the municipal borders after 1967, Palestinians can only request permits to build on about 9 square km of the area--most of which was already built up in 1967. The rest is reserved for green space, Jewish settlements and security. This means that if Palestinians build outside of the approved area (remember, the approved area is built up!), they risk demolition. The process of applying for a permit is also prohibitively expensive - approximately 100,000 NIS (a bit over $25,000) - which doesn't include the cost of all of the engineers and other professionals required to create the plans. It is also extremely bureaucratic. I have a barely comprehensible chart of the process that you have to go through in order to get one of the Palestinian permits. I will have to scan that later, since I can't find a link to it on the ICAHD site. Most homes built after 1967 are unpermitted, and there are 20,000+ homes that have received demolition orders (which do not expire). <br /><br />There are over 100 demolitions each year. When a house receives a demolition order, there must be at least 30 days notice. However, the demolition order just has to be placed on the property--not to the property owner. Sometimes they are hung in an out of the way place, or even just thrown onto the yard, which means that the resident may not even know about it. When they arrive to demolish the house, they usually come after the men have left for work. The family has 30 minutes to get their belongings out of the house, and then foreign workers come and toss other items out the window (so that Israel doesn't have to compensate them for their personal belongings). The demolition can take as little as 20 minutes, up to several hours. <br /><br />When a demolition begins, men from the surrounding neighborhood end up coming home, out of concern that their own homes could be next. This not only invokes fear into the community, but causes economic hardship in the form of lost income. <br /><br />Last, we drove along road 443 - an Israeli only road - and stopped near Ma'aele Addumim, which is part of one of the giant settlement blocs that Israel wants to incorporate into the Israeli state if there is a two state solution. Annexing Ma'ale Addumim and the other settlements in the bloc will effectively cut the West Bank into two non-contiguous sections. <br /><br />That's no problem for Israel, however--Israel has plans to create a transportation corridor to re-route the Palestinians away from settlements and Jerusalem by creating tunnels and other separate transportation infrastructure, which will necessitate the removal of the <a href="http://www.icahd.org/eng/articles.asp?menu=6&submenu=2&article=411">Jahalin Bedouin</a>, a nomadic tribe who originally lived in the Negev before 1948. <br /><br /><br />Other tidbits they offered (and observed) during the tour (from my notes):<br /><br />Palestinians pay taxes at a higher rate than other Jerusalem residents because they have to show proof of residence every 6 months or risk losing their property. The tax receipt is one form of proof.<br /><br />Palestinian neighborhoods do not receive the same services as the Jewish areas of Jerusalem--they often lack garbage service, adequate water supply, have no public transportation (they must use private bus services), do not have properly maintained roads or sidewalks, and lack educational facilities (there is a shortage of 1,400 classrooms in East Jerusalem).<br /><br />The comment was made more than once that Palestinians in East Jerusalem are not politically active, and even if they were, many of the policies that affect them are not controlled by the municipality, but by the Israeli government (residents of East Jerusalem are not Israeli citizens although they do pay the same taxes). <br /><br />The guide also pointed out that most Israelis are apathetic about the situation and would prefer to just live in security and not have to deal with Palestinians, leaving the situation in the hands of those who are active--the ideological types such as the settlers.<br /><br />Home demolitions are not about security - only 1 in 12 are even marginally related to security issues. Most are due to lack of permits or other eminent domain issues. If it was about security, then they might need to rethink their strategy - studies have shown that 55% of suicide bombers experienced house demolitions.<br /><br />International law states that it is permissible for israel to build a security barrier if it wishes, but it should be along the Green line. The separation wall is almost entirely inside West Bank territory, and it zigs and zags all over the place in order to annex settlements and other resources, such as water supply and fertile farmland.<br /><br />The separation wall is often credited for stopping terrorism inside Israel, and it is true that cutting off access makes it somewhat harder. However, people can and do move through the checkpoints, and as one can see in Gaza (where there is also a separation wall), rockets could be fired over it or people could tunnel beneath it. Therefore, the closure of the West Bank is only one factor in reducing terrorism. Other reasons given: the unilateral ceasefire/hudna given by the Palestinians in the West Bank, no more Arafat, and Israeli domination during the 2nd intifada and through the use of checkpoints.<br /><br />Maele Addumim has lots of non-ideological settlers (people who live in settlements for economic reasons, rather than religious/Zionist ideals), but the settlement is useful for creating facts on the ground that will enable Israel to acquire more resources.<br /><br />On water issues: <br />The World Health Organization recommends that people receive 100L/day per capita for their basic needs - drinking, cleaning, work, etc. Palestinians receive on average about 60 L/day per capita. The settlements receive about 600L/day per capita.<br /><br /><br />---<br /><br /><br />Later in the tour, the guide asked us to consider the following questions in regard to what we saw: Is it legal? Is it moral? Is it wise?<br /><br />For me, it was an emphatic no...but I'm not sure what other people on the tour thought. Some of them were certainly troubled, but they kept fixating on security issues, and when I was dropped off at Qalandia, I said to the group that anyone who wanted to come to Ramallah was welcome to be my guest. The final words I heard from one man were: I will come to Ramallah when the Palestinians want peace with Israel. They don't want peace.<br /><br />I told him that I disagreed with that assessment, but that unfortunately didn't have time to debate the point with him...and off I went. There are a lot of people on both sides that think that there is "no one on the other side to talk to." It isn't true. <br /><br />One thing that would help immensely is if Israelis could see beyond the typical Zionist narrative to see how negative the impact of the creation of Israel and the subsequent actions it has engaged in during its efforts to root itself in the Middle East have been on the Palestinian people. It was not a "land without a people for a people without a land," any more than North and South America were empty when the colonists arrived. What seems like a heroic narrative to one people is a narrative of conquest and destruction to another. That needs to be acknowledged.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-79700708765321190982007-12-08T16:03:00.000+02:002008-11-19T13:21:52.952+02:00Scary!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHgsU1JINWbusrHDg_YcPA7Q81PiGjjsrCTxmBfKd2bQ49G_2TvAuIkK1RCXxJ7wMI0itzch1_DGMbHjHMqdjjBoBxUXaJjoxS7zxrzSVkbRNlhnLd6lvGffwrO2k5MREpKoxq_scoAU/s1600-h/troops.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHgsU1JINWbusrHDg_YcPA7Q81PiGjjsrCTxmBfKd2bQ49G_2TvAuIkK1RCXxJ7wMI0itzch1_DGMbHjHMqdjjBoBxUXaJjoxS7zxrzSVkbRNlhnLd6lvGffwrO2k5MREpKoxq_scoAU/s320/troops.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141603033264374754" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.misspoppy.com/catalog/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=16346">Unborn Baby Ornament</a><br /><br />Officially one of the creepiest things I have ever seen. Comes in "brown" skin tone, too.<br /><br />I know it's supposed to be satire, but seriously...I think I threw up a little bit!<br /><br />Discovered via <a href="http://www.fussy.org">Fussy</a>Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-27736656167202876122007-12-08T11:50:00.000+02:002007-12-08T11:56:46.407+02:00Rumor: Military Aid to PAThis is just a rumor that I heard, but I was wondering if anyone could substantiate it:<br /><br />Russia is giving military aid to the PA to buy tanks.<br /><br />Now, given the fact that Israel controls all of the borders and I have a hard time imagining that they would allow this as it might impact their own security, I'm guessing that this is not true...but the rumor also speculates that this is going to be done to quash dissent if the upcoming negotiations lead to concessions that the people don't accept. Basically, the PA has to shut down dissent or Israel will do it. Given the disconnect between the PA and the people demonstrating against the Annapolis photo-op, this is a little bit scary.<br /><br />Anyone know anything?Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-9262651667712739992007-12-08T10:59:00.000+02:002007-12-08T11:48:34.180+02:00Diaspora vs. West Bank vs. Gaza vs. East Jerusalem vs. Israeli ArabsThe report from yesterday's <a href="http://www.toursinenglish.com">ICAHD tour</a> is forth-coming, but I've been ruminating on a couple things that the tour guide said. It's been stuck in my mind for the last 24 hours.<br /><br />The first thing that he said that jarred me was that Palestinians in East Jerusalem aren't very political or politically aware, and that it was frustrating (for Israeli peace activists) to try to mobilize them to oppose housing demolitions because they didn't seem to be as interested in working together as they were in looking out for their own families. (Note: I'm recalling from my notes and paraphrasing.) <br /><br />I don't know a lot of East Jerusalemites, so I don't really feel terribly qualified to dispute that, but based on what I know of Palestinians elsewhere, I can't quite imagine that being a truthful statement. Most of the Palestinians I know are extremely politically aware, but their level of political engagement varies. People who are politically active put themselves at risk here. When non-violent resistance and public demonstrations are responded to with violence, arrests or harassment, it tends to cut down on participation. The silencing of dissent is pretty corrosive if you're trying to have an engaged citizenry and mobilize people politically. It happens when organizing resistance to Israeli occupation, and it also happens within Palestinian society (the anti-Annapolis demonstrations being fresh in my mind).<br /><br />Second, I don't think it's the role of Israeli peace activists (or internationals) to be mobilizing the Palestinians. Supporting, sure. Idea-sharing? Sure. Partnership? Why not? Organizing? Hmm.<br /><br />Third, I can imagine how people who have a standing demolition order on their house may be reluctant to speak out against the demolition of someone else's house. It may not be internal rivalry or lack of concern for their neighbors that prevents people from organizing. The sheer terror of possibly losing one's home probably prevents the residents of East Jerusalem (and elsewhere) from organizing to oppose housing demolition orders.<br /><br />--<br /><br />The other thing that he said that was interesting to me was that the occupation has succeeded in creating different classes of Palestinians, and how that is being used to maintain hegemony over the Palestinian people. <br /><br />This thesis is based on the following assumptions/observations:<br /><br />Palestinians in the diaspora are disconnected and marginalized.<br /><br />Israeli Arabs (Palestinians who stayed inside Israel) are not interested in being part of a Palestinian state, because their Israeli citizenship gives them a lot of social benefits, in spite of not being fully equal citizens inside Israel.<br /><br />East Jerusalem Palestinians, like the Israeli Arabs, are also not enthusiastic about being part of the Palestinian state, for the same reasons as the Israeli Arabs. (This seems a little unlikely, given the fact that most residents of East Jerusalem haven't accepted Israeli citizenship.)<br /><br />West Bank Palestinians accept what is happening in Gaza because they don't want their lives to become like those in Gaza.<br /><br />Gazans = isolated and imprisoned, no rights.<br /><br />The resulting observation was that because nobody wants to risk giving up/losing the benefits and privileges they have, there is no Palestinian unity. Without Palestinian unity, Israel and its supporters can do just about anything they want and play each faction off of each other in order to maintain chaos while grabbing more and more land for settlements and other projects.<br /><br />I'm not sure what to make of this analysis. It may be a bit simplistic, but it also makes some sense, and wouldn't be the first time that the game "divide and rule" was played. I guess the million dollar question is: what can be done about it?Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-31876915663864248212007-12-07T23:05:00.001+02:002007-12-07T23:11:20.003+02:00Experimentation/Misc.See how I am not a designer, yet I try anyway?<br /><br />I was getting tired of the generic header that comes with Blogger, and thought I'd try to whip up something a bit more relevant to the blog. <br /><br />I'll have to add a few more photos to fill it out, but it's a slight improvement, I think.<br /><br />-----<br /><br />I see that I have an offer for a free translator. Cool! <br /><br />-----<br /><br />I went on an Alternative Tour of East Jerusalem sponsored by the <a href="http://www.icahd.org">Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.</a> I'll write up a report tomorrow w/ photos. Time to get to sleep!<br /><br /><br />Good night!<br /><br />P.S. I AM going to get back into the daily post; I've just spent a good chunk of the week trying to get myself organized.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-16385322241542408452007-12-04T00:20:00.000+02:002008-11-19T13:21:53.372+02:00Red, Red Wine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMMWXN5bkar11p-76jel5XUqoKXnkPuq25WlCiCqRC3KAILh46D2poTKEhKKER5jvf8yJyfV8w6T9umBWx7FGiNSJg8kxmefDUWvGMhAZaw787mEtImA5gZXi2j6akpbFWxdlS3-yTgw/s1600-h/taybeh_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMMWXN5bkar11p-76jel5XUqoKXnkPuq25WlCiCqRC3KAILh46D2poTKEhKKER5jvf8yJyfV8w6T9umBWx7FGiNSJg8kxmefDUWvGMhAZaw787mEtImA5gZXi2j6akpbFWxdlS3-yTgw/s320/taybeh_2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141523181232407490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZTBreNVkZpROonik9Y2zc0tze7Oi8Xwi4dT37LuPW10oIJzBSe6GblrT3n8wswsCvrr6Esym5Pr2U9ETt7bxAi7s1N9bs9TmCcKnHXS0GoDLmAIIRAdeZn40Fa2RszVuaawoge1gn0g/s1600-r/VECCHIO.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHY6RLguhhZlqjyDEVz67byfCKPgbQFplvlvAZTQH_cOpC8-2PNnvFE4-GUeXrgWaVJvQBwglptZlIkRUM7HSsfhRbK5lLNGB7chzWezR2eL7FN5VcbxG0_kzV1e9oOGyc3niyw5I0a1o/s320/VECCHIO.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139875485748773794" /></a><br /><br />Alcohol is not a frequently imbibed substance in Palestine, but I decided over the weekend that it was necessary to buy a bottle of wine. It's not cheap to buy imported products here, so I decided to take a risk on a local wine, <a href="http://www.cremisan.org/html/history.html">Cremisan Cellars</a> 2002 Rosso Vecchio, a Carignan/Merlot blend. Cremisan has been open since 1885, and operates out of a monastary near Bethlehem.<br /><br />Not too shabby! It's on the dry side, and reminds me a little bit of the Rosemount Estates Shiraz/Cabernet blend. Cheap, but drinkable. Gotta love the monks for keeping the wine flowing.<br /><br />Between the wine and the beer, who says that Palestinians don't know how to have a good time?<br /><br />I will have to give the edge to the brewmasters though. That <a href="http://www.taybehbeer.com">Taybeh Golden </a>is pretty decent stuff.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494250115205698973.post-26350059653444541462007-12-01T23:29:00.000+02:002007-12-02T00:22:19.153+02:00Insha'AllahI've noticed over the three and a half months that I've been here that people here are chronically stressed. Even in times of calm, there is always the potential for that to change at any moment, and as people go about their daily life and deal with the realities of living under occupation - depressed economic conditions, checkpoints, long commutes due to various obstacles (checkpoints, Israeli-only roads, the separation wall) - they persevere. <br /><br />This isn't to say that aren't upset, but rather that somehow they have developed some coping mechanisms in order to get by. The number one method: Insha'Allah.<br /><br />One of the first phrases I learned in Arabic is Insha'Allah, which can be translated as "God Willing." It is used with such frequency that it is almost a joke, especially used in the following context: Insha'Allah, we will get your space heater tomorrow. (Which can also be interpreted as-you may get a heater sometime in the next week or so.)<br /><br />However, in other times, Insha'Allah takes on another layer of meaning. Insha'Allah, it will only take about 1 hour or so to get to Bethlehem (about 12 miles/20 km away), Insha'Allah, the wait at the checkpoint will not be too long. Insha'Allah, it will rain and we will have water in our cistern.<br /><br />It is in this context that the grace of this phrase is revealed. It is a turning over of control to Fate, to God. It isn't a surrender to the occupier, but a willingness to allow things to unfold as they do and to not hold on to the anger and stress that the realities life in an occupied land brings, for by holding on to it you bring upon yourself stress-related illnesses and disease.<br /><br />I am still learning to say Insha'Allah. It has not been an easy time trying to adjust to this life. I am so used to my freedom. I am so used to people understanding me when I speak and understanding what others say. I am so used to feeling secure. I am so used to just picking up the phone to make a coffee date. There are a hundred things that I used to take for granted that I will never take for granted again. <br /><br />It is hard for me to say, "Insha'Allah, the wait at the checkpoint will not be too long" when I know only too well what it is like to move without restriction. My instinct and everything I have known in my life up until now resists.<br /><br />Insha'Allah, it will get easier.Jessica McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04462033430847862918noreply@blogger.com0