3rd March
Bethlehem.
Rarely does news travel far in the Occupied Territories. A Bethlehem friend of mine remembers with humor that during the siege of Bethlehem in 2001, a global news event, when visiting the Jordan Valley at the time, a mere 40 minute drive away, some people were unaware anything was happening high up in the hills above. It often appears as though the people of Palestine have, for understandable reasons, grown tired of keeping up with the news. But this appearance is false, for some occasions do register here. Some events stand out as significant, to the extent they reach within the collective conscience of the nation, and the scenes from Gaza this week have moved into this category. Despite the isolation of Gaza, people here are now engaged by the experience of their national brothers and sisters to the South.
For example, yesterday was announced as a day of mourning, with many shops and businesses closed, and today saw further demonstrations against Israel’s recent behavior. These demonstrations took place in many areas, particularly across the Southern West Bank, with a 19 year-old demonstrator shot dead by an Israeli settler near Ramallah, and a 16 year-old demonstrator shot in the chest in Bethlehem who is now in a critical condition in Bayt Jala Hospital. This adds to the death yesterday of a 14 year-old demonstrator in Hebron, shot in the heart by the Israeli army. These deaths are interesting, for the Israeli tactic of responding to stone-throwing youths with live bullets seems to be reserved only for Palestinians, because in the many violent clashes between the more militant of the Israeli settlers and their own army, never has the army killed them.
The focal point of the demonstrations here in Bethlehem took place at the separation wall near Rachel’s Tomb, a mere few hundred metres from my home, and witnessing the tear gas, sound grenades and live ammunition being used by the Israeli army, with stones being returned by the Palestinians most of the morning, I decided to call a private taxi to the conservatory, rather than take my usual route by shared taxi. It was a wise choice, as en route our driver took us to the other side of the area affected, and looking back we saw the Israelis blocking the road of my normal route. Although I rarely feel under threat here in the West Bank, at times of high tension it is not good to stand out, so for foreigners it’s best to be inside a car, rather than wandering around this kind of scene.
On returning through the area this evening, the crowds of youths had dispersed, leaving behind only upturned skips and lots of rubble and stones concentrated around the point where the Israelis had set up their position.
Tomorrow may see a continuation of these demonstrations, but now that Israel has temporarily withdrawn from Gaza, I expect things will settle down. That is, until the next event to capture the nation’s attention, and provoke it’s response.
