Internationals for Justice in Palestine
Delergation Report Backs - Emily01
Greetings from Ramallah:
I have just arrived back from a five day trip all around northern Palestine. We visited Qalqiliya and the neighboring town of Jayous, Tulkarem, Jenin, and Nablus. This portion of the delegation mainly focused on the destructive reality of the Israeli wall, refugee experiences, home demolitions, and the lives of families of martyrs.
The first stop in Qalqiliya was intense. The entire city is surrounded
by the wall, which stretches eight meters in the sky. There is only one
entry way to both enter and exit. This one entrance is guarded by IDF forces
that decide when to open and close the entryway. I heard many stories of
children waiting at the gate to be "let out" to go to school with
many missing school or showing up late due to intentional neglect of the
entryway. Citizens of both Qalqiliya and Jayous explained how they felt
as if they lived in prison. The wall has not only acted as a major land
grab (with hundreds of acres being annexed into "Israeli" territory),
but has also served as a way of imprisoning people on their own land. Furthermore,
aside from the intimidating and barbaric style of the concrete wall, it
is fully protected by surveillance cameras and enormous manned guard towers.
In areas where it is not electrically charged, motion sensor guns will be
installed.
It was in Qalqiliya where the wall has already been completed, the rest
of the landscape, however, is littered with building cement blocks just
waiting on the roadside to be erected.
It is surreal to be here in Palestine remembering being in Berlin shortly
after that wall was taken down. I can't help but wonder how long it will
be for this wall to come down. The implications of this “security
measure” leave even more to ponder.
Jenin and Nablus were also highly intense. With Nablus under siege and Jenin
still reflecting the massacre of 2002, us as delegates could not help but
feel overwhelmed. Buildings in Nablus were ridden with gun shots and lots
that once had a home or a storefront were left in only shambles and remains.
Home demolitions are extremely common creating empty land and an increased
refugee population.
As many of you can tell, my writing is not clear. I have been exposed to much in the last few days and it is difficult to mold it into words. I hope that what I can muster will help give you an impression of life in Palestine under Israeli military occupation.
I must go now, for it is late at night in downtown Ramallah. I shall leave you with the mad honking of horns from the streets of Ramallah, the energetic Arabic music, and the shouts of the late-night street vendors.
I am grateful for all that I have learned so far, all that I have seen, and especially for all of the amazing people I have had the chance to meet.
I promise to write more soon.
-Emily-