Internationals for Justice in Palestine
Delergation Report Backs - Gihad02
West Bank Update Part II
Hey Everyone-
It's week two for us here in Falasteen and we have seen and done so much
that I just do not know where to start. Last Friday, we left Ramallah and
went on a 6 day expedition to some of the cities a few hours north of here.
So far, we have spent days and/or nights in Qalqilia, Tul Karim, Jayous,
Arraba, Jenin, Beit Fureeq, Nablus, and Al-Bireh. We have met with many
families of martyrs and political prisoners and have also visited numerous
political and social services organizations.
We also have had to go through a few different checkpoints by now. The Israeli
soldiers at the checkpoints searched our things and questioned the group
about where we were going, from where we were coming, and who we were going
to be with. With a few slick lies, we were able to get passed them safely
and without getting detained. It was quite dangerous for us to go through
the checkpoints because we are carrying so much political literature and
have hundreds of pictures (I have over 800 pictures alone) showing the Palestinian
struggle. In fact, on our way to Nablus, we avoided the checkpoint by taking
a dangerous 2 hour drive through the mountains. The road was very rocky
and the mountains were so steep (but gorgeous nonetheless) that we really
thought the car was going to fall off at any moment. And even though we
were exhausted, we made it safely.
In almost every town, but especially in Jayous, we focused on the effects
of the Apartheid Wall. So much more land has been confiscated because of
it and many towns have lost all of their water supply. We were able to go
right up to the wall in Qalqilia and the soldiers shouted from the watch
tower at Emily (one of the other delegates) to move away from it. The wall
is unbelievably huge and many brave Palestinians have covered it in graffiti
(with sayings like THIS WALL WILL FALL).
In Jenin and Beit Fureeq, we spent a great amount of time going to demolished
homes -- many of which were the homes of people who had been involved in
attacks against the Israeli settlers. We also visited the cemetery in Jenin
that was created specifically for the martyrs of the 2002 massacres. In
Tul Karim, we were taken to the very same spots were 6 Palestinians were
shot & killed on the street just one week before we arrived. Some of
their blood was still on the street.
I have left out many details, but we have to go for now. I will try to send
one last email before we leave Falasteen.
I miss you all, but know we are doing well and are learning so much. We
are anxious to share our experiences with you when we return.
Salamaat min Ramallah,
gihad