Palestine: First Impressions

Excited as we were to leave the UK to embark on our journey to Palestine, we were anxious as to what would happen at Ben Gurion Airport. The previous time we visited we were held in detainment for up to 3 hours, this time we expected the same if not more.

When we were descending into Tel Aviv, we felt as if we were landing in a European City, it was full of lights and sky scrapers. On touching the ground there was applause and cheers. We made our way through the airport where there were several posters about partnerships between Christians and Jews and about how Israel protects its minorities, which was extremely frustrating to see. As the reality is very different, there was no mention of Palestinians or Muslims or any positive affirmation towards a peaceful co-existence between these people.

We reached border control where our passports were checked, we fell victim to our Muslim names and were told yet again to wait in the white room for additional security checks. When waiting to be questioned we spoke with the other people in this room, they were of different nationalities and had been waiting up to 3 to 4 hours. When you are told to wait in this white room you are made to feel insignificant and untrustworthy. I personally felt as if I had done something wrong or was going to. I had a British passport like the majority of those on the same flight as me who all got through fine apart from us.

Shocked was quite the understatement as we were let through after 30 minutes. This was only after one of us was questioned about why we were here, who we worked for, whether they had authorized our leave, what our employers opinion was on us coming to volunteer, what our fathers and grandfathers name was and some family history.

Overall our experience at the airport was not the same as last time and could have been worse. Once through, we collected our luggage and got into a sheroot and headed off to Jerusalem where we planned to stay for the first few days with a friend and her family.

My Month In Abu Dis: Goodbye Palestine

My month in Abu Dis is over. I am now back in the UK and it has been a difficult couple of days in leaving Abu Dis, and Palestine behind. This is firstly due to saying goodbye to several people and places that have created great memories for me. As well as this, there is a certain small guilt attached to returning to the UK. This is not guilt in the sense of doing something bad, but a slight guilt in being very fortunate to live in a political situation that enables the citizens of my country to have freedom, and live a life absent from lingering periodical human rights violations. It is a strange thought to think that right now, in many places, Palestinian life for many lacks so much of the civil liberty that we take for granted here in the UK. Simple things that I have done since returning home, such as going to university and visiting family in another part of the country would be difficult or even impossible for many in Palestine due to the occupation, and the way it has some degree of restricting influence over every part of life.  However, apart from these feelings, I was very pleased with the entirety of the trip, and I would even categorise some less than pleasant experiences as useful learning curves for future travel  in that area of the world. I set out objectives for myself before departing for Palestine and I believe to have accomplished them; writing about the occupation from a human perspective, seeing the real impact of western foreign policy, as well as teaching English, improving my Arabic and visiting some important and interesting places. I would like to thank everybody whom I was involved with, and to anybody wishing to visit, say to you that will be in for an interesting and in some cases, absolutely wonderful time. Just try not to eat falafel everyday.

Taken near Abu Dis on one of the sunnier February days; I will certainly be going to Palestine again in the future.

My Month In Abu Dis: Settlements and the Bedouin

In spite of international law, the state of Israel continues to pursue it's policy of both confiscating land belonging to the Palestinian State, and accommodating increasingly radical settlers in place of those who once lived there. There is no greater illustration of this often tragic practice than the plight of the Bedouin community living near Abu Dis, who build their makeshift homes on pieces of land desired by the Israeli authorities. A proud, nomadic and traditionally conservative people, the Bedouin are now embracing the modern world, and are resisting the demands of the occupying Israeli authorities by clinging to their land, so that expansion of some already huge and luxurious settlements in the area is postponed. 

Living in the lap of luxury, whilst most of the Bedouin and Palestinians struggle
(Photo courtesy of Al-Quds press).

On a surprisingly cold day, I was lucky enough to be invited to the Bedouin school, situated right in the middle of a valley that is dominated by two Israeli settlements on either side; Ma'ale Adumim and Keidar. Aside from violently cleansing the previous occupants of the valley peaks in 90's, the Israeli's that have built there now have their eyes firmly set on eradicating the remaining Bedouin from the valley. This ethnically and politically motivated desire sadly takes the form of many human rights abuses against those who attend the school. Children who take the perilously steep paths, to and from their homes, along the slopes of the valley are allegedly targeted by settlers with guns. As well as this, the IDF have made it a priority to use a piece of land very close to the school as a firing range; leaving many un-exploded shells, dangerously and possibly deliberately uncleared. It is nearly impossible to watch the Children climb the valley, and not feel an overwhelming sense of admiration, as I was told that along with facing many dangers by scaling the slopes of the valley, the Bedouin children do so for at least ten kilometres, there and back every school day.

To the left, you can see just the beginning of the long journey the children take to attend school. Slightly in view are the  watchtowers. It was too dangerous for me get to close to the boundaries of the settlement.

However, overt violence is not the only tactic used by the settlers and IDF in order to force the Bedouin to move from their increasingly shrinking land. Deprivation of basic amenities, such as electricity, have made the cleverly built school (re-built many times since 1997) solely reliant upon solar power. This is coupled with a refusal to provide an adequate supply of water, whilst settlers dump their chlorine ridden swimming pool water and household waste into the valley.

From the top of this steep incline, garbage, waste and sometimes bullets are sent down into the school.

It is not surprising that this issue can sometimes go unnoticed to some, as much of the mainstream news regarding Palestine focuses on the many other elements of the expanding Israeli settlements within the Occupied Territories. Despite this though, the children and teachers of the Bedouin school near Abu Dis continue to strive towards a better life, and fight a continued resistance through non violent means against the Israeli Occupation and the policy of settlement expansion.

Long may this school carry on its vital and important work.

My Month in Abu Dis: Education Under Occupation

Access to a good education is a fundamental human right. Under the Israeli occupation though, the young adults of Al Quds University (situated adjacent to the separation wall in Abu Dis) have to live, and study, under the constant threat of abuse; quite possibly casting a dark shadow over all their potential futures. During my time at the university, many were keen to tell me their story of just how hard getting a good education in the Occupied Territories can be.

The separation wall is in full view when standing in most parts of the university. Here, it can be clearly seen from a side entrance leading to the IT department.

One such student was Dareen, a 20-year-old English language and literature student, who vividly described how the occupation effects her studies. To reach Al Quds University from her home city of Jericho, Dareen goes through an armed Israeli checkpoint where she experience's her possessions being rifled through, along with having to suffer regular intimidation from the soldiers there. Not only does this result in her being late or absent for many of her important classes, but also leaves her feeling depressed and angry at the situation she and many of her friends find themselves in. In her own words, Dareen described this practice by the IDF as ''a violation of life'' leading to a ''very hard student experience''. As well as this, I was informed by Dareen of a particularly upsetting story of how, last year, The IDF invaded her home during term time at 1am, under the pretext of a weapon's search. During that unsettling evening, she was hit about the head with a butt of a gun, all for just trying to help her distressed mother. All of this is incomprehensible for a student such as myself from the UK, and it's hard not to remain un-impartial regarding the plight of my Palestinian counterparts. When Dareen graduates, her desire is to be translator in Palestine, using her knowledge of the English language to teach and educate others about the occupation, and its subsequent effect on daily life. Thus, not only is the Israeli army periodically abusing the human rights of the students here in Al Quds University, but they also seem to be making an attempt at depriving the world of a talented and hard working individual.

Although usually suffering under the occupation, Dareen Hawi stays upbeat and works hard through the adversity.

Although alluded to by Dareen at length during our interview, it was Ibrahim, a 23-year-old political science student who gave a revealing account some other abuses faced by the student's at Al Quds. In particular, according to Ibrahim, it's a recurring event here for the IDF to regularly attack students with tear gas and shoot at them with rubber coated steel bullets. Ibrahim himself also said that it's not unusual for many of the male students, including himself, to react to this by throwing stones at the attacking soldiers, which previously led to his internment in an Israeli jail for twelve months. As a result of this  Ibrahim not only lost a year of his life, but also now has what they call a 'black mark' on his Palestinian ID card, thus preventing him from undertaking any travel to Jerusalem and heavily restricting his movements to other parts of the Occupied Territories. However, despite this, he still persists in completing his studies and strives to one day, become a professor of political science.

Ibrahim remains confident of getting his degree and continuing his past to becoming a doctor in political science, despite the setbacks.

 From aspiring doctors and dentists to film-makers and writers, everybody I spoke to at Al Quds illustrates just how important it is to retain aspirations of a better future. However, it is a reality that Dareen's and Ibrahim's accounts of life here are echoed by many other students who study at Al Quds. I have also been told that Al Quds students are subject to this aforementioned treatment more than any others in Palestine due to the political connotations attached to the name of the campus; as Al Quds is the Arabic word for Jerusalem. Consequently, it seems getting a good education to enhance one's future here entails regular harassment, intimidation and even violence. A seemingly very poor state of affairs for human rights in the Occupied Territories.

The main building in Al Quds.

My Month In Abu Dis: Mixed Beginnings

“Welcome to Israel”. The billboard that greets every excited passenger on disembarking the arriving flights into Ben Guirion airport. I can't help but think though, perhaps a more honest message would be appropriate. Maybe something like “get ready for your interrogation if you disagree with our government's actions”, for example. Although less catchy, and admittedly a bit confusing for a welcome sign, it would have people quite prepared for what I, and numerous other visitors to Israel and Palestine have had to experience. I take no pleasure in writing that I was detained for 5 hours. During this time I was subject to very harsh and strange questioning regarding events I still know nothing about, by a pair of security officers that I can safely say had perfected a bad cop, worse cop routine. A very unsettling highlight of the whole ordeal was when one of the officers gleefully discussed items from my notebook (used on a short visit last November, which was later taken from my luggage when leaving) and demanded an explanation. I was also threatened numerous times with deportation by the other officer unless I told her the 'truth' regarding the non existent, violent demonstrations that me and my friends were part of. .

Despite my travel plans being somewhat ruined by the staff at the airport, I made headway to my destination. Following my stressful arrival, I was so grateful for the warm welcome and help I received from ordinary Israelis and Palestinians. In contrast to the news reports regarding the increasing level of violence in the past months, I was struck by how relaxed and peaceful Tel Aiv, Jerusalem and the town was and ironically, felt more safe there than I ever have in Ben Guirion International, where there is what seems like a small army of security officers. As I write this now, sitting on the balcony of my accommodation in Abu Dis, perhaps the welcome sign at the airport can finally be appreciated.

Good morning from Abu Dis.

A quick pause for breakfast.

My Month in Abu Dis: One Week Till Departure

After a long respite following our November visit, I will be once again, travelling to the West Bank, on what seems like a fast approaching date. In contrast to my time in Palestine before, this trip will see me working for CADFA as a volunteer for the first time, in Abu Dis. My duties will include continuing to write via blogs, as well as helping with visas, and teaching English conversation. It's also a personal thing for me to improve my embarrassingly basic Arabic. Naturally, I'm excited about this opportunity and can't wait to follow up on the eye opening visit in November, working and living amongst Palestinians.

The visit, which will last for just over a month, also comes at a hectic time in terms of world events, and their subsequent effect on the lives of ordinary people in Palestine. It's hard to ignore the backdrop of the potentially disastrous decisions and attitudes, in the wake of Donald Trump's inauguration for example, and it will be of crucial importance to focus on whether this will translate into more abuses against the Palestinians on the ground. I'm hoping to cover this during my month long visit, and focus on the everyday life aspect of the occupation.

I can only describe the feeling before my visit as anticipation blended with excitement. It will certainly be a challenge in the coming weeks, albeit one I'm looking forward too and am eager to begin. Even in the midst of sometimes intense political issues, I found in November, that Palestine can be a welcoming place with friendly people, and it's this that makes my upcoming challenge a lot less daunting. More updates to follow.

Taken On Our Last Visit: A Photo Of The Separation Wall, Situated Adjacent To Al-Quds University.
(Photo Courtesy Of Emerson Photography)

Creative Writing in English! شعر بالغه الانجليزية رساله من اطفال فلسطين الى اطفال العالم

الاثنين، 22 أغسطس، 2016

Creative Writing in English! شعر بالغه الانجليزية رساله من اطفال فلسطين الى اطفال العالم

 Poetry Workshop

The students took part in a writing workshop with Helena. Working with writing frames, they wrote xome amazing poems about being a Palestinian teenager, and about their memories, see below!

I Remember

I have forgotten the sound of babies laughter

I have forgotten the taste of babies tears

I have forgotten the sight of them crawling

I have forgotten the feel of their touch

I have forgotten the small of babies after a shower

But I remember when they played

Sudain

                                                                  

I am Palestinian

I am happy and funny

I wonder if Palestine will be free

I hear bombs and guns

I see tanks and soldiers

I want to be a doctor to help the people

I am a girl in Palestine.

I pretend to live a nice life

I feel sad and hungry

I touch the impossible dream

I worry about poor people and refugees

I cry when I think about Palestine.

I am a girl in Palestine

I understand why this is happening

I say Palestine will be free forever

I try to help but I can’t

I hope the Occupation will not remain

I believe Palestinians are good

I am a girl in Palestine

                                                                            

I Remember

I have forgotten the sound of the rain

I have forgotten its natural taste

I have forgotten the sight of the beautiful storm

I have forgotten the touch of rain on my skin

I have forgotten the smell of nature after rain

But I remember when I went outside its true, the street became dangerous, not a lot of people go outside because of the storm.

                                                              I Remember

I have forgotten the sound of her voice

I have forgotten the taste of my mum’s food

I have forgotten the sight of my beautiful mother

I have forgotten the feeling of her hug

I have forgotten the small of my mother

But I remember when my mother played with me.

I Remember

I have forgotten the sound of the waves

I have forgotten the taste of fresh fish by the sea

I have forgotten the sight of the sea

I have forgotten the feeling of relaxation

I have forgotten the smell of salt water

But I remember playing in the sea at Jaffa, I remember fishing with my family

 Danya

 

I am Palestinian

I am happy and funny but I don’t have money

I wonder if I will get money?

I hear you talk

I will see you soon

I want to die I hate this life

I am happy and funny

I pretend I am a strong man

I feel angry because I want to

Touch the sky

I worry about failure

I cry. I want to die

I am happy and funny.

I understand I can fly

I try to fly

I hope to fly

I believe I can fly

I am like superman.

I am happy and funny

I am Palestinian

I am happy and funny

I pretend I am free

I feel angry

To touch the sky is forbidden

I worry about the soldiers

I am happy and funny

I cry in the night

I understand this life

I feel angry

I believe I can make Palestine free

I touch the ground

I am happy and funny

I am Palestinian

I am happy and funny, I jump like a bunny

I wonder if I can touch the sky

I wonder if I can fly

I see love going away

I pretend I am Russian mafia

I am happy and funny

I feel angry because I am hungry

I touch the ground then I turn around

I worry about school, I don’t want to be cool

I want good marks and swim in the pool

I cry a lot, I feel so hot

I am happy and funny

  

I Am Palestinian

I wonder if I’ll see you mum?

I hear you screaming

I see you in my dreams

I see our hands holding tight

I want everything to be allright

I am Palestinian

I pretend I am strong

I feel very wrong

I touch your beautiful hands

I worry because we never let go, our fingers entwined,

And a greater love you’ll never find.

I cry not to see you mum.

I am Palestinian

I understand your problems

I say I need her now

I hope to pull her hand from the ground

I believe I have her hand, nothing more

I am Palestinian

The younger students drew maps of Palestine and wrote their thoughts and feelings about their country within its borders.

السبت، 20 أغسطس، 2016

A Visit to the Prisoner Museum and l Quds University

Fayez and Helena took the students on a visit to the Abu Jihad museum at Al Quds Universiy. The students saw artefacts created by prisoners, artwork and letters. They also went inside a reconstructed cell, to feel for a moment what it is like to be incarcerated.

Some of the students found rubber bullets and tear gas containers in the university grounds Fayez explained that the University has often been a place of conflict and clashes, with regular demonstrations held by students

"

When we returned to the camp, the students made posters inspired  by the prison museum. The children are uncomfortably close to this subject, as all of them know people who have been arrested or are in prison. Pictured are Ahmed, Waleed and Yusuf with their Drawing of a Palestinian flag, which is now displayed at Dar Assadaqa

الأربعاء، 17 أغسطس، 2016

English Classes at Summer camp

The students have daily English classes at Summer Camp. These are a mixture of fun activities, conversation and creativity. Students have made maps of Palestine, and written their thoughts and feelings on their maps.

the boys and girls drawing the family tree

Diana is teaching English classes 

A Visit to the Museum of Maths

Fayez, Diana and Helena took the students to the Museum of Maths, part of Al-Quds University, where they had a go at interactive exhibits, 

The students had time to play in the park first!

Mohammed swinging on the bars

Issam intrigued by one of the maths puzzles

Salam, Dayna and Sudain at the museum

Fayez and Diana with the students at the museum

Working out some maths!

A Visit to Abu Dis Fire Station

The children were given a tour of Abu Dis Fire Station. The firemen explained how the Palestinian Fire Service works, and carefully explained how to use the equipment. The children were allowed to climb into the cab of the fire truck, and were each given a turn at using the high pressure water hose

Waleed in charge of the hose!

We all had a really fun time!!!

الأحد، 14 أغسطس، 2016

Summer Camp at Dar Assadaqa

The students attending Summer Camp have been enjoying a variety of different activities. As well as daily English lessons. students have been writing poems in English,visiting local places of interest like the Prisoner museum in Abu Dis and craft activities.

The students drew signs for CADFAs new office

Writing poems in English.

Diana ,Helena and Fayez .