17th September
East Jerusalem.
The old saying Look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves is true in many ways. What brings that to mind is the state of Palestine’s streets – they are without exception, covered in rubbish. Whether it’s just a few small things like plastic bags and cigarette ends, or what looks like entire rubbish tips left to rot in the sun, it’s a strange sight for someone used to the tidiness of Europe. I’ve also seen three unattended skips on fire on the pavement in the last two days.
But what is the reason for this? Is it that the state lacks the resources to tidy the streets? Or is it that nobody cares? Perhaps a bit of both, but I can’t help thinking that some street cleaning wouldn’t break the bank – also it would help if people didn’t throw down their rubbish with such constant abandon. In a similar way to when you have a tidy desk, surely everyone would think a little more clearly if their paths were not constantly blighted by obstruction.
When I was in Ramallah a few days ago with Ata from the conservatory, he seemed to agree; ‘the people here are very generous, very warm-hearted. But why do they litter? They don’t care about it – it makes me ashamed of being Palestinian that our country is such a mess. I never drop litter, and I never use my horn.’ The use of the car horn here is a story for another time, but he clearly feels strongly about the state of the streets. Maybe the saying could be reissued for Palestine; Take care of your country, and your country will take care of itself.
