Last words before leaving Palestine

I feel I owe it to Palestine to write one more blog before leaving here. There hasn’t been time to write in the mornings, and I am too tired in the evenings. That goes for this evening too, except that news from Nablus and how it is affecting my friends there is keeping me from relaxing. Last night the Israeli army invaded Nablus, headed into the Old City, massacred 5 men, and injured dozens more in a futile attempt to destroy a new, independent, guerilla group called “Lion’s Den.” No, Palestinian armed resistance will not bring peace, but people are applauding such resistance because Israel is assassinating Palestinian civilians and children at an ever increasing rate: so far this year 175, including 41 children. Some of those deaths were retaliation against Palestinian attacks on Israelis, but it is hardly tit for tat. Israel wages war and Palestinians resist. It is grim. As a young Palestinian said to me this afternoon, as he was driving me back to my house, “How are we going to stop this?” Well, of course I don’t know. How are we going to stop the climate criminals? How are we going to stop white supremacy? Etc. How are we going to keep trying, when we cannot see the arc bending towards justice? Back to Nablus: for two weeks Nablus has been under siege by the Israeli army, meaning all entrances are closed by military checkpoints. (Do Americans know what a military checkpoint is? Not really.). To get into the city, you have to know all the little villages surrounding the city, and which back roads might be open. Even then, you might encounter a “flying checkpoint” – one that wasn’t there a few minutes ago, but is now manned by soldiers and a metal strip of spikes across the road. Once inside the city, you can’t be sure where you might end up, but certainly it won’t be the bus station you used to use. Then there is the question of leaving the city. At this moment, Israel is intent on keeping every one of the 475,000 inhabitants locked down. So, all exits are blocked. Again, your driver can try back roads, but there is no guarantee he will be successful. If I get into Nablus, I might not get out again in time to catch my plane back to the States. Some of you know that I am trying to meet up with “my family” in Nablus, and with my friend, Mohammed, who is also director of the Palestinian House of Friendship. (PHF) I had made up my mind to go to Nablus in spite of the dangers, in order to see my family for the first time in 3 years, even if I couldn’t see Mohammed, who has been ill. But I can’t risk not getting out of the city in time to fly home. Tonight I heard from Mohammed that actually he is not in Nablus, but in Ramallah, getting further medical testing. And Majed is there too. And maybe I can meet up with them in Ramallah. Maybe, maybe. And it would mean not seeing my family at all, not this year. Tomorrow has come and gone. I did see Mohammed and his three adult children in Ramallah. (I did not get to Nablus to see my other family, which was expecting me.) The mini-van public transport from Bethlehem to Ramallah was a smooth hour and 20 minute ride. The ride back at 4:30 was one big traffic jam which our driver avoided several times by taking detours through narrow village streets along the way. I took photos of the settlements and soldiers we kept passing on the main roads. And of the air pollution, which is intense here. I haven’t time to edit this ramble. I would like to give you a sense of what the day in Ramallah was like. Majed picked me up in the center of the city and took me to a posh café – so posh that it served bagels and lox and did not have Arabic coffee! However, it is one of Mohammed and Majed’s favorite places. I had a latte and large slice of Tiramisu. Then I launched into my interview of Majed, which lasted 2 hours, until Mohammed arrived, straight from the doctor’s office where he had undergone the last series of diagnostic tests. I knew I couldn't trouble Mohammed to dictate his annual thank you letter to American PHF donors, so had prepared questions for Majed instead. Majed was truly delighted to be asked to fill me in about the last year’s activities at PHF and projections for the future. He is the main executer of the projects that Mohammed initiates. As such he has taken about 40 trainings and then himself trained 2 Palestinian women to carry out the projects. I can’t include more details here. Suffice to say that It is a privilege to support the work of PHF. Let me know if you have any questions about Palestine. I am eager to share what I have learned and the people I have met.