Snapshots of Occupation

"We are not animals, we are human." -Mother from the village of Nabi Saleh

A common echo from the people here, spoken with pride but tinged with pleading for an American audience to go back and speak of the systematic violence and displacement of Palestinians. Over and over again, we hear people repeat to us with disbelief how many times the US Congress stood up to applaud Netanyahu. It breaks my heart to hear the stories and to stand in front of these men and women, accepting their hospitality, knowing my country pays for the weapons that fire rubber coated bullets at 11 year olds.

Tear gas canisters at the base of the wall/fence at Bil'in, where they have been nonviolently protesting for the last 6 and half years. Anna and I stayed at the home of Abdallah Abu Rahma, who was recently release from prison for his role in organizing the nonviolent resistance. The night before we arrived in Bil'in, the Israeli army had set off 16 sound bombs through out the village at 4 a.m. for the sole purpose of instilling fear. His 2 year old son calls the Palestinian flag, "No to the Wall" because of the weekly demonstrations.

The wall at Bil'in that has been built well past the green line, which divides the West Bank from Israel. Bil'in won their court case with the Israeli Supreme Court that this wall must be dismantled and moved back. Although they only were granted a little more than half of their land, it's been years since the decision and nothing has changed.

A Palestinian house sitting on a kibbutz inside of 1948 Israel. The man from the kibbutz considers himself a "leftist" of Israel politics and hates Netanyahu. However, he said he just found out a year and a half ago that his kibbutz contained a Palestinian village. Although this house, which sits on the hilltop overlooking the kibbutz has Arabic inscribed into the stones of the house.

Hebron. Hebron is well inside of the West Bank but is being overrun by settlers. These settlers are often the most ideological and fanatical. Almost all of them carry guns. Palestinians have had to put up these nets above their streets to protect them from the large amounts of trash the settlers throw on them.

Our guide, a member Youth Against Settlements, has lived in Hebron his whole life. He can not walk past those stairs or else he will be arrested. The road to the stairs is surrounded by settlers and there is a Palestinian school at the end of the road. Settlers harass the children everyday as they walk to school, throwing things, yelling at them. They are escorted by many adults every day as they walk to school. He goes through the checkpoints located within Hebron daily, sometimes multiple times. He knows the soldiers, the soldiers know him, but every time they ask for his ID card and never call him by name.

The wall in Hebron which separates an apartment complex and goes right up to the door of the building. This whole street has basically been evacuated and condemned since Israeli settlers are constantly throwing things over the wall at Palestinians. This whole streets of homes and markets are destroyed.

Walking through Hebron, we came across some Israeli settler children. One of the guides said "hello, how are you doing today?" The child immediately ran away, screaming, "Arabs, Arabs!" A soldier came within 30 seconds with a gun. The guides said peace to them and the soldier said, "I have no words of peace for you."

And our government supports all of this with massive amounts of military aid. And our Congress stands up and applauds Netanyahu's speech. Yet we have been welcomed with overwhelming kindness and hospitality. It's almost impossible to bear.

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