Alastair Mitchell

2nd October 2007.

East Jerusalem.

My journey to Bethlehem was a lot quicker today, with a fairly uninterrupted route out of Jerusalem. I got a few pictures taken at the Wall, just inside the West Bank side at the Bethlehem checkpoint, and hopefully they will still be in time for the local newspaper in Oban to print it along with the publicity for the recital. It’s important I raise as much money as I can, so it’s important that the publicity is good.

As I walked around Bethlehem after lunch, I got a phone call from the conservatory in Jerusalem, and when I said that I’m moving to Bethlehem they immediately said they’d be willing to subsidise the high property prices in Jerusalem if I’ll consider staying there. They want to promote the cultural life of East Jerusalem, and it’s important that they do, but they’ll have to offer me a pretty good deal, as at the moment I’m really looking forward to moving.
It’s another unfortunate side-effect of the Wall, that East Jerusalem is getting more and more cut off from the rest of Palestine. For example, the best hospitals in Palestine are in East Jerusalem, with some offering specialist treatment not available in other hospitals, so any patients that need to access those hospitals who have West Bank ID, and not Jerusalem ID need to apply in advance for a special permit. There were some reports recently that on Yom Kippur, when the checkpoints close, there were unacceptable delays in getting patients in need of emergency care through into East Jerusalem from the West Bank. So, the ESNCM want there Jerusalem based teachers to live in Jerusalem, but whether I do or not will depend on how attractive they make that prospect.
The journey back was a little longer than on the way there as the bus was stopped at the checkpoint for 16 minutes while everyone was taken off, had their passports checked and the bus was searched. The delay was also increased by the car in front being held for a while - the occupants, two twenty-something Palestinian men were prime targets for suspicion, and their nonchalant attitude further slowed proceedings.

East Jerusalem.

After a very slow journey to Bethlehem this morning, following a few errands at the Jerusalem branch, I enjoyed some lunch at the shawarma place opposite the conservatory.  My teaching today was fine, although interrupted a little by a train of cars that passed by a few times with young men hanging from what seemed like every possible opening, waving Palestinian and Fatah flags, shouting, blowing the horn and firing the odd gunshot in celebration.  I assume that it was connected to Israel’s release of 57 Palestinian prisoners, who began arriving back into the West Bank throughout today.  It’s a good gesture by Israel, but they’ve still got quite a way to go, with around 10,000 Palestinians still in their custody, many held without charge.
My music history class went well, but when I asked the students at the end which piece that I had played was their favourite, out of Machaut, Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, Sibelius and Thomas Ades, they nearly all said either the Bach or the Mozart – I thought the Sibelius, or even perhaps the Ades would have been more popular.
I went to see a flat on my way home, and took a look around a very nice large, modern three-bedroom top-floor apartment near the Bethlehem checkpoint.  It would be sharing with another teacher from the Bethlehem branch and the location is good too.  I’m going to take a look around Bethlehem tomorrow, so barring the eventuality that I find it too quiet I’ll probably move over there in the next few days.

30th September 2007.

East Jerusalem.

After a month in and around Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah, today two other teachers and I took a day trip north to Gan HaShlosha, near Beit She’an in Northern Israel. Gan HaShlosha is a series of spring water pools, that naturally maintain an all year round temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, connected by landscaped waterfalls and walkways. It would have been an incredible spot before it was commercialised, but even still it is a good place to spend an hour or two swimming around then drying off under the warm sun.

I think that I’m going to try to spend more time inside the West Bank from now on. Whenever I’m in Israel, although the country itself is fine, I feel uncomfortable because of the politics - it feels like I’m constantly biting my tongue. Also, it’s good to support the Palestinian economy as much as possible, so with that in mind, I’m going to go on a fact-finding mission to Bethlehem on Tuesday, to see where the good areas are to live and get an idea of cost.