B o s t o n t o P a l e s t i n e :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

bio: Claire is a student of political science. She lives in Jamaica Plain, and is one of many Jewish women against the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Thursday, July 27, 2006 - Night Time in Hares

It's harder and harder to write reports home. Everyday I see, hear, and experience things that I am so sure will finally get through to people in America that the occupation in Palestine needs to end. I don't know where to start, or what will connect with people at home?

Around 10pm last night, I sat down to begin this report, and was interrupted by a phone call from the nearby village of Marda. Three jeeps had entered Marda, and soldiers were throwing sound bombs in the streets. Sound bombs release minimal shrapnel, and usually serve the purpose of controlling crowds at events such as protests. Why were they being thrown in a village at 10pm? The soldiers remained for 20 minutes, and then parked their jeeps by one of the entrances to the town and were still there after we came and left around 11:30pm.

Marda is a village that is entirely surrounded by the wall. There are only two exits. These exits can be closed for days at a time with no explanation. Recently the exits were closed on a day when one of the women in the village had her wedding planned. The bridal party asked the soldiers if they could leave together, and the answer was no. After much bargaining and pleading, two cars were allowed to leave.

Up the hill from Marda is the Israeli settlement of A'riel. Like many settlements built in the west bank, Ariel was built above a Palestinian village. The sewage from A'riel is dumped onto the land next to Marda. The construction of the wall separated Marda from their well, which is now the property of A'riel. Residents of Marda must now buy their water from A'riel. Water shortage is a problem in Marda, and the one remaining spring has been polluted beyond use from the sewage dumped by A'riel.

Many villages in the West Bank are subject to curfews, meaning that no one is allowed to leave their home for days at a time. A Palestinian friend of ours told us about an incident a few years back when his village was under curfew for 11 days. Villagers were only allowed out of their homes for an hour a day. Eventually, the village ran out of food. This friend made the decision to leave his home during the night and try to get food for his family and neighbors. As he was moving from balcony to balcony during the middle of the night, snipers started shooting at him, and he started running across the roofs. He told us how he thought he was going to die, and didn't know if he should stop running, or keep going. This friend is a 22 year-old university student living in the West Bank.

In Hebron, villagers are under curfew up to 100 days out of the year. If they leave their home, they risk being shot by snipers.

In the past week, flying check points have been opening up all over the West Bank. A few days ago, I traveled from a refugee camp in Jenin to Hares, and went through 5 checkpoints. At each of these checkpoints, we spent anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour waiting in line. Checkpoints such as these are part of everyday life for Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli cars are not required to stop at checkpoints. These cars have yellow plates; Palestinian cars have green plates. While you wait in line (hopefully you don’t have to go to the bathroom), you can watch yellow plated cars pass through freely.

Imagine trying to get to work, trying to pick up your child from school, trying to have a life, and spending hours waiting in line each day.

On Saturday in Hares, three settlers from the nearby Israeli settlement of Revava approached a villager in his car, and held him at gunpoint. They then proceeded with the man to his home, and fired several shots in his home. This is the first incident of a settler coming into Hares. The previous night, soldiers took a 15 year-old boy from his home, beat him, and returned him during the night.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - Checkpoint Near Hares

Yesterday a checkpoint opened up outside of my village. I went with another woman from the International Women’s Peace Services (IWPS) to photograph, and ask the villagers and soldiers what was going on. It turned out that all cars, Israeli and Palestinian, were stopped. This is unusual. After about 30 minutes, the cars were allowed to disperse. We stayed to observe. As we were getting ready to leave, a settler started running towards us yelling "shermut!" (whore, in Hebrew) and "communist!" The settler was a man, aged 40-50. I remember the veins in his arms, and his beet red face. Two soldiers grabbed him and restrained him, as he lunged towards us, and tried to spit on us.

Violence from settlers towards Palestinians and internationals is common in the West Bank. There is no system in place to protect Palestinians. You are on your own. You will all hear more about this when I return, and also watch the footage I've taped myself. I am also going to show documentaries that human rights groups staying in the West Bank have made about this problem.

I’m sorry if this email is overwhelming to deal with. The west bank feels this way to me right now.

Love from Palestine
Claire

July 21, 2006 - Ein Hod and Working with the International Women’s Peace Service

I have been in Palestine now for a little over a week. Tonight I arrived at the International Women's House in the village of Hares, to begin my two-week internship. Traveling here we encountered two military checkpoints, through which all cars with Israeli license plates pass freely, while all cars with Palestinian plates must stop and show IDs. (Based on racial profiling, I was not required to show ID, unlike my fellow travelers.)

The women who stay in the International Women's House are here to document human rights abuses against Hares and the surrounding Palestinian communities. When the Israeli military “visits” a house during the night, we are called. When we arrive at the site, we inform the soldiers that we are a human rights group and ask them why they are here. Sometimes our presence and our questions are enough to make them leave. Tonight, this very situation arose during dinner. We received a call from a nearby family, and set out for their home. Upon our arrival, the soldiers left, with no conversation. The members of this community are subject to many such unexplained visits, which often coincide with harassment from nearby settlers, such as stone throwing or other violence. After these incidents, which we photograph and videotape when possible, we write reports, and send out press releases.

One of the many things I have seen in the last week is the separation wall, the concrete barrier that Israel continues to build despite its illegality under international law. In many cases, this wall annexes vast amounts of agricultural land, a chief source of income for Palestinians. Observing this wall from a distance, it’s easy to see the zigzagging pattern that seems almost nonsensical, and the amount of land lost by Palestinian communities and gained for Israeli settlements. The building of this wall also costs many Palestinians their homes, which are destroyed in the process.

I had the opportunity on Saturday to visit Ein Hod, an Israeli artists village "nestled in an ancient olive grove" on the western slopes of Mount Carmel. The village is made up of funky artists and “lefties.” It’s filled with large sculptures and has museums, cafes and a beer house. Ein Hod had the same name pre-1948, but was then a Palestinian village. Upon the entrance of Israeli soldiers in 1948, the Palestinians fled to the woods and have lived a mile up the road ever since. Where they now live, they only recently received plumbing for water and are still waiting for electricity. They are not allowed to return to their homes in Ein Hod, where their former mosque is now a hip bar, and their ancient olive presses are coffee tables in galleries. (Amazingly, one Palestinian resident remains among the artists. She does not receive water or electricity.)

During my visit to Ein Hod, I asked a few of the current residents about the history of their village, and they didn’t seem to know. They definitely weren’t aware that the former residents lived a mile away, many years without water or electricity…or any recognition from the state of Israel.

I will stop now. Time to get some rest, and read a book for a change.

Love from Palestine.


			BostontoPalestine Boston support group for the International Solidarity Movement

	Home About us News from Palestine Contact Email Subscribe Donate Current Delegation Summer 2006 Past Delegations Summer 2005 Olive Harvest 2004 Freedom Summer 2004 Past Campaigns Events Photos Videos (ISM) Rachel Corrie Links Speakers Be a Delegate Press faq Actions!		2006 Summer Delegation's Reports Read all summer 2006 reports Claire's reports bio: Claire is a student of political science. She lives in Jamaica Plain, and is one of many Jewish women against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. July 27, 2006 Night Time in Hares July 26, 2006 Checkpoint Near Hares July 21, 2006 Ein Hod and Working with the International Women's Peace Service Thursday, July 27, 2006 - Night Time in Hares It's harder and harder to write reports home. Everyday I see, hear, and experience things that I am so sure will finally get through to people in America that the occupation in Palestine needs to end. I don't know where to start, or what will connect with people at home? Around 10pm last night, I sat down to begin this report, and was interrupted by a phone call from the nearby village of Marda. Three jeeps had entered Marda, and soldiers were throwing sound bombs in the streets. Sound bombs release minimal shrapnel, and usually serve the purpose of controlling crowds at events such as protests. Why were they being thrown in a village at 10pm? The soldiers remained for 20 minutes, and then parked their jeeps by one of the entrances to the town and were still there after we came and left around 11:30pm. Marda is a village that is entirely surrounded by the wall. There are only two exits. These exits can be closed for days at a time with no explanation. Recently the exits were closed on a day when one of the women in the village had her wedding planned. The bridal party asked the soldiers if they could leave together, and the answer was no. After much bargaining and pleading, two cars were allowed to leave. Up the hill from Marda is the Israeli settlement of A'riel. Like many settlements built in the west bank, Ariel was built above a Palestinian village. The sewage from A'riel is dumped onto the land next to Marda. The construction of the wall separated Marda from their well, which is now the property of A'riel. Residents of Marda must now buy their water from A'riel. Water shortage is a problem in Marda, and the one remaining spring has been polluted beyond use from the sewage dumped by A'riel. Many villages in the West Bank are subject to curfews, meaning that no one is allowed to leave their home for days at a time. A Palestinian friend of ours told us about an incident a few years back when his village was under curfew for 11 days. Villagers were only allowed out of their homes for an hour a day. Eventually, the village ran out of food. This friend made the decision to leave his home during the night and try to get food for his family and neighbors. As he was moving from balcony to balcony during the middle of the night, snipers started shooting at him, and he started running across the roofs. He told us how he thought he was going to die, and didn't know if he should stop running, or keep going. This friend is a 22 year-old university student living in the West Bank. In Hebron, villagers are under curfew up to 100 days out of the year. If they leave their home, they risk being shot by snipers. In the past week, flying check points have been opening up all over the West Bank. A few days ago, I traveled from a refugee camp in Jenin to Hares, and went through 5 checkpoints. At each of these checkpoints, we spent anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour waiting in line. Checkpoints such as these are part of everyday life for Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli cars are not required to stop at checkpoints. These cars have yellow plates; Palestinian cars have green plates. While you wait in line (hopefully you don’t have to go to the bathroom), you can watch yellow plated cars pass through freely. Imagine trying to get to work, trying to pick up your child from school, trying to have a life, and spending hours waiting in line each day. On Saturday in Hares, three settlers from the nearby Israeli settlement of Revava approached a villager in his car, and held him at gunpoint. They then proceeded with the man to his home, and fired several shots in his home. This is the first incident of a settler coming into Hares. The previous night, soldiers took a 15 year-old boy from his home, beat him, and returned him during the night. Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - Checkpoint Near Hares Yesterday a checkpoint opened up outside of my village. I went with another woman from the International Women’s Peace Services (IWPS) to photograph, and ask the villagers and soldiers what was going on. It turned out that all cars, Israeli and Palestinian, were stopped. This is unusual. After about 30 minutes, the cars were allowed to disperse. We stayed to observe. As we were getting ready to leave, a settler started running towards us yelling "shermut!" (whore, in Hebrew) and "communist!" The settler was a man, aged 40-50. I remember the veins in his arms, and his beet red face. Two soldiers grabbed him and restrained him, as he lunged towards us, and tried to spit on us. Violence from settlers towards Palestinians and internationals is common in the West Bank. There is no system in place to protect Palestinians. You are on your own. You will all hear more about this when I return, and also watch the footage I've taped myself. I am also going to show documentaries that human rights groups staying in the West Bank have made about this problem. I’m sorry if this email is overwhelming to deal with. The west bank feels this way to me right now. Love from Palestine Claire July 21, 2006 - Ein Hod and Working with the International Women’s Peace Service I have been in Palestine now for a little over a week. Tonight I arrived at the International Women's House in the village of Hares, to begin my two-week internship. Traveling here we encountered two military checkpoints, through which all cars with Israeli license plates pass freely, while all cars with Palestinian plates must stop and show IDs. (Based on racial profiling, I was not required to show ID, unlike my fellow travelers.) The women who stay in the International Women's House are here to document human rights abuses against Hares and the surrounding Palestinian communities. When the Israeli military “visits” a house during the night, we are called. When we arrive at the site, we inform the soldiers that we are a human rights group and ask them why they are here. Sometimes our presence and our questions are enough to make them leave. Tonight, this very situation arose during dinner. We received a call from a nearby family, and set out for their home. Upon our arrival, the soldiers left, with no conversation. The members of this community are subject to many such unexplained visits, which often coincide with harassment from nearby settlers, such as stone throwing or other violence. After these incidents, which we photograph and videotape when possible, we write reports, and send out press releases. One of the many things I have seen in the last week is the separation wall, the concrete barrier that Israel continues to build despite its illegality under international law. In many cases, this wall annexes vast amounts of agricultural land, a chief source of income for Palestinians. Observing this wall from a distance, it’s easy to see the zigzagging pattern that seems almost nonsensical, and the amount of land lost by Palestinian communities and gained for Israeli settlements. The building of this wall also costs many Palestinians their homes, which are destroyed in the process. I had the opportunity on Saturday to visit Ein Hod, an Israeli artists village "nestled in an ancient olive grove" on the western slopes of Mount Carmel. The village is made up of funky artists and “lefties.” It’s filled with large sculptures and has museums, cafes and a beer house. Ein Hod had the same name pre-1948, but was then a Palestinian village. Upon the entrance of Israeli soldiers in 1948, the Palestinians fled to the woods and have lived a mile up the road ever since. Where they now live, they only recently received plumbing for water and are still waiting for electricity. They are not allowed to return to their homes in Ein Hod, where their former mosque is now a hip bar, and their ancient olive presses are coffee tables in galleries. (Amazingly, one Palestinian resident remains among the artists. She does not receive water or electricity.) During my visit to Ein Hod, I asked a few of the current residents about the history of their village, and they didn’t seem to know. They definitely weren’t aware that the former residents lived a mile away, many years without water or electricity…or any recognition from the state of Israel. I will stop now. Time to get some rest, and read a book for a change. Love from Palestine.