First signs of losing land

The wall around al-Walaja, which will extend to cut off Cremisan.

As the plan to build the separation wall continues, more and more signs of this process are ravaging the lands of Cremisan and the Makhrour valley, just outside of Bethlehem and Beit Jala. Demolitions, uprooting of olive trees, and wall construction are increasing at a rapid pace, as these plans become increasingly a reality, and Bethlehem faces losing its last green space. Wall construction in this area has been going on for at least a year, and in the last month al-Makhrour valley is under threat.

The wall is ever-expanding around the village of al-Walaja, discreetly built behind trees, so that the residents in the neighborhood in Gilo cannot see what is happening on the other side.  Between the Cremisan monastery and the Salesian Sisters of Cremisan school, barbed wire is being set up, marking the line of the wall, that will soon cut off the Salesian Sisters from the monks at Cremisan winery.
(See this post for more pictures).

Map c/o BBC

Not only will the wall cut Bethlehem from a monastery that has been part of their Christian heritage and the wine that they frequently buy, it will also cut of Bethlehem and Beit Jala's last green space.  As part of the planned wall expansion, the Makhrour valley, another green area enjoyed by Bethlehem residents and home to 57 Christian families agricultural land, will also be cut off.

On April 3, the first signs of al-Makrours fate were seen.  The Israeli military came into Makhrour and quickly demolished a residential structure as well as the electricity grid erected by the Bethlehem municipality.  (A video and article about the incident).

Today, the al-Makhrour restaurant, built by a family whose home had been demolished by the Israeli military in this area, was completely demolished.


The Israeli military claims that these structures were built without permits.  But in Area C, the area under full Israeli control, permits are nearly impossible to get.

Demolition of al-Makhrour restaurant. Photo c/o http://yfrog.com/ob9a4uhtj.

The Israeli military spokesman claims that the planned construction for the wall is primarily for security reasons, saying: "The rout of the security barrier is based on the specific security considerations of the area. In the Beit Jala region, it is there solely to keep terror out of Jerusalem." (See BBC's recent article).

He noted the violence occurring between Beit Jala and Gilo 10 years ago, during the 2nd Intifada.  With no acts of violence occurring, however, in the past 10 years, and with the separation barriers deep cutting into the West Bank behind the green line, security concerns are highly questionable.

I, myself, spend my weekends walking and picnicking in Cremisan and Makhrour, and ask the question: Is security a justifiable reason to cut people off from their agricultural lands, schools, monasteries, and a place of respite?

Natural Springs...Then why don't we have enough water?

 In an effort to enjoy the lovely Spring weather in Palestine and also to explore the natural areas surrounding Bethlehem, my fiance and I have gone on several hikes in the past month or two.  One of the delightful surprises for me on these trips was the discovery of natural springs in the villages surrounding Bethlehem. These trips, however, also carried with them the realization of the intricacies of the injustices of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, especially in the issue of water collection and distribution.

 After hiking through Wadi (Valley) Makhrour, we ended our hike in the village of Battir.  At the center of this village is a natural spring. After a long hike, we were able to fill our bottles and enjoy the fresh taste of natural spring water.  

On another hike, we stopped in the middle for a rest near a natural spring just down the hill from the village of al-Walaja.  This spring flows from a waterfall and eventually fills a pool with its clear, pure water. 

On the one hand, we enjoyed these natural wonders, while on the other hand being confronted with the injustices of Israeli occupation.  Although Battir's spring is overflowing, Palestinians are not allowed to build any structures in order to collect this water.  Instead, the must allow it to flow to the valley, to aquifers, from which the Israeli authorities will collect this water, and then sell it back to Palestinians for expensive prices.  The same goes for the spring that lies just outside the village of al-Walaja.  Near this spring, two water pumps are found, which pump the water from the spring.  The towers of Mekorot, the Israeli water company, which collects this water and subsequently sells it to both Israelis and Palestinians, can be seen from this hike in the nearby settlement of Gilo.

Battir's spring is overflowing with water after this year's abundant amount of rain.

The Oslo Agreements left several "core issues" to be settled in any final status agreements.  These issues include Jerusalem, security, refugees, borders, water and settlements; issues that have yet to be settled to this day.  In an attempt to address the issue of water, the Oslo Agreements set up the Joint Water Committee (JWC) within which Palestinians and Israelis were to work together on the issue of water.  Not only does the JWC give Israel veto power to any plans to build structures to collect water, the JWC has not been effective in managing water resources.  Until the Second Intifada, the JWC met frequently, up to 10 times per year.  According to a 2009 World Bank report, since 2002 the frequency with which the JWC met dropped to up to 3 times per year, with only one meeting in 2008.  Clearly, with the lack of meetings of the JWC in the past 10 years, Israelis and Palestinians are not effectively cooperating in the distribution of water.

Al-walaja's spring.

As a result of any lack of discussion on the issues of water, the Israeli occupation controls most Palestinian water sources. With the addition of the building of the separation barrier, 194 Palestinian wells and 85 Palestinian springs are cut off from use by Palestinians.  Even the spring in al-Walaja is currently being cut off from this community by the rapidly building of the separation barrier.  Not only will the water be controlled and taken by the Israeli authorities, but this area will not longer be a place for picnics and family outings as we witnessed on the day we were there.

As we walked back up the hill toward al-Walaja, we passed the construction of the Separation Barrier, which will completely cut of al-Walaja from its spring, its farmland, and the neighboring community of Beit Jala.

Moreover, the use of water between Israelis and Palestinians is drastically imbalanced.  The average Israeli uses 4 to 5 times more water than that of the average Palestinian.  A 2011 B'tselem report showed that the use of water in Israeli settlements compared with nearby Palestinian villages was approximately 400 l/c/d (litres/capita/day) to 20 or 80 l/c/d (depending on the village).  In some places, that is 8 to 9 times the use of water.  Furthermore, the Israeli company of Mekorot sells water to settlement farmers at subsidized prices, whereas the average Palestinian household pays between 5% to 40% of their monthly income on water.

"Nicely" leveled land to make way for the path of the separation barrier.

Resources
ARIJ's (The Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem) for The Status of the Environment in the oPt (occupied Palestinian territories), 2011
Assessment of Restrictions on Palestinian Water Sector Development an April 2009 World Bank Report.
Walking Palestine by Stefan Szepesi

Easter 2012

Here are a few snapshots from my vantage point at the Mount of Olives sunrise service for the English speaking Lutheran congregation in Jerusalem.  Unfortunately, my point and shoot camera doesn't capture amazing photos in the dawn light.  This is my 4th year attending this service, and my 3rd year playing for the music...It's nice to make traditions even in a foreign place!

Inside Israel

Having lived in Jerusalem and currently living in the Bethlehem area, means that a lot of what I have learned and know about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is very West Bank and Jerusalem centered.  I know little about what is going on in Gaza, except for what I hear from the news and only snippets from the situation of Palestinians in Israel.  I easily fall into the mindset that because Palestinians in Israel have citizenship and freedom of movement, their situation must be easier.  Two issues have recently come to my attention that have checked this mindset and reminded me that the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is multi-dimensional.  Although the situations in Gaza, Jerusalem, the West Bank, and inside Israel are all different, they are all part of the varying dynamics of this conflict.

Bedouins in Israel and Israel's "unrecognized" villages
Last year, the Prime Minister of Israel's office as been promoting a plan to relocate about 30,000 Bedouin to recognized Bedouin villages in the Negev in Southern Israel.  Haaretz recently reported that about 190,000 Bedouin live in the Negev Desert: 120,000 of these in recognized villages and 71,000 in localities not recognized by the state of Israel. This plan is said to help those Bedouin who live in unrecognized communities, which are thus not provided with any infrastructure by Israel, a fact which has led to an increase in environmental problems in these areas.

Photo c/o haaretz.com

Last week, a UN committee called upon the Prime Minister to revoke this plan.  Instead of recognizing Bedouin localities wherever possible, the plan calls for land exchanges, compensations, and payments, which could cost up to 6.8 Billion shekels (about 1.8 Billion dollars).

Haaretz mentioned that the report " expressed concern ' about the current situation of Bedouin communities, particularly with regard to the policy of demolitions, notably of homes and other structures, and the increasing difficulties faced by members of these communities in gaining access on a basis of equality with Jewish inhabitants to land, housing, education, employment and public health."

In a recent conversation with a friend, she was describing her experience traveling to some Bedouin communities in the Negev. She likened the situation in the Negev to the situation in the West Bank. The West Bank is currently divided into areas A, B, and C.  Area A is under complete Palestinian civil and military control,  Area B is Palestinian civil, but Israeli military control, and Area C is under complete Israeli control.  In the Negev, there are recognized Bedouin villages, (similar to Area A), unrecognized villages where Bedouin live (similar to Area B), and even Jewish only cities (similar to settlements in Area C). These detailed laws which are legalizing racism in Israel, are new details for me and something that I would like to travel for myself and see in the future.

The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law

Photo c/o haaretz.com

Another issue that has come into the news lately, which has embellished what I know about Palestinians in Israel is the recent passing of the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law. This law prohibits Palestinians who marry Israeli citizens from obtaining Israeli citizenship.  At times these spouses even have a hard time gaining residency permits.  They are not allowed to drive within Israel, work within Israel, or receive health care.  I won't say much about this issue, but guide you to a recent movie on this subject, about one man who is fighting against this law, so that all humans can be free to love and marry whom they want.

Separation Diary

Articles about the Bedouin Relocation plan: HERE and HERE.
Another article about the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law: HERE.

Sharon and my Mother-in-Law by Suad Amiry

Suad Amiry is the founder and director of the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation in Ramallah.  Born to Palestinian parents in Amman, Jordan, she lived there while growing up and then studied architecture in Beirut, Lebanon.  She then moved to Ramallah in 1981, eventually got married and founded Riwaq as a way to preserve historical Palestinian buildings.

As a way of relieving the stress of occupation, she would write email letters to her friends during the 2nd Intifada about living under curfew and neighborhood events.  Specifically, she would tell them about her frustration with living under the same roof as her mother-in-law for forty days during the curfew.  As the curfews took place while Ariel Sharon was Prime Minister of Israeli, she attributes the fact that she needs to live with her mother-in-law to him. She later wrote about about the events when she first moved to Ramallah and her struggle to gain permanent residency in the West Bank.  These two parts were put together and now make up the book Sharon and my Mother-in-Law.


The Observer calls it 'A refreshingly funny account of the absurdities of everyday life in occupied territories'.

Amiry takes the normal, everyday facts of occupation, which most people living here have gotten used to, and points out their ridiculous nature.  From her dog Nura who is given a passport for Jerusalem (a thing which Amiry and other West Bank Palestinians only wish for), to an Israeli soldier who takes Amiry's husband in for questioning after Amiry would not stop looking at him, something the soldier seemed was extremely threatening, to the days spent inside doing nothing while living under curfew, to the nine years it took Amiry to gain an Identity Card to live in the West Bank, she touches on every aspect of life in the occupied territories.

Although, I would not recommend this book as primer to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, for those with significant knowledge, it is an easy read and offers a new perspective on the occupation.  For readers who have not visited Palestine, it will shed light on the everyday complications created by the occupation, the complications which make life here so strenuous.

I first was interested in Amiry after watching her speech at last year's TEDx in Ramallah.  It is an excellent and inspiring video. Click HERE to watch.

Click HERE to buy Sharon and my Mother-in-Law in the US.

Munther Isaac: A Palestinian Christian Perspective

"Christian Zionism has ignored us Palestinian Christians at best; demonized us at worst. Whenever they speak about prophecy and Israel, it is as if we don't exist!...I believe this is because we cause a problem to many Christian Zionists. Why? Because we break the stereotype."

A quotation from Munther Isaac, a teacher at Bethlehem Bible College, who gave a powerful speech at the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference 2012.  He honestly addressed Christian Zionist theology, while at the same time, not denying his identity as a Palestinian Christian.  Please click below to go the video, and other videos about the Christ at the Checkpoint conference.

Munther Isaac: A Palestinian Christian Perspective

Christ at the Checkpoint 2012

Two years ago, I was working at Bethlehem Bible College during the first ever Christ at the Checkpoint Conference.  This year, as an attendant of the conference, I was able to see how this conference has spawned a quickly spreading movement.  Some of world's premier Evangelical leaders spoke, such as Tony Campolo, Shane Claiborne, Steven Sizer, and Gary Burge spoke along with Palestinian Evangelical leaders: Alex Awad, Yohanna Katanacho, Sami Awad, and Munther Isaac. Throughout the week, it was possible to see these speakers, doing theology in a new way, pointing to the need for justice and peace in Israel/Palestine and a recognition of the Palestinian Christian community by international Christian communities. The growth in this year's conference, with Evangelical Christians attending from all corners of the world, is a testament to the growing realization of the situation on the ground in Israel/Palestine and that it is possible to believe in Jesus, the Bible, and justice and peace for both sides in this conflict. As the opposition from the Israeli government toward speakers and coordinators of the conference and the suspicion from Jewish and Israeli groups around the world shows, these conferences have started a new movement that has the potential to turn the tables towards a lasting peace in Israel/Palestine.

Sami Awad speaking at the Christ at the Checkpoint. Photo c/o Antwan Saca.

I will not say much, but lead you to two excellent articles written on the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference.

'Christ at the Checkpoint' Challenges Christian Zionism

Evangelical Church meets 'at the checkpoint'

Also, visit the Christ at the Checkpoint Website for videos and more news from Christ at the Checkpoint 2012.

Lovely...and Ugly

I seem to have gotten in a rut of not posting.  I'm sure busyness was the culprit at first, and then laziness.  But now I'm back and ready to commit to posting once a week again.

Although it is still raining in Israel/Palestine, and even there are threats of snow this weekend, we are the point of the winter where we periodically have days of lovely weather.  A few weeks ago, the weather was perfect for a walk in the hills of Cremisan.

The sun was out and the sights were perfect.  It was a well-needed break from being in cities.  Here are a few shots from the day:

Land near Cremisan monastery and winery.  All of this land will soon be confiscated by the separation wall and there will be no green space left in Bethlehem.

Cremisan monastery from a distance.

The first almond trees are in bloom.  It's the start to the prettiest time of year.

I love these poppies (or they look like them anyway) during the spring.

It was amazing to see the trees in bloom, the hills, and the flowers.  As always, however, there were constant signs of occupation.

The bridge of Road 60 which connects settlers to their settlements in the West Bank and cuts of Beit Jala from most of its land and Jerusalem. I travel this road everyday on the bus to school.

Barbed wire is everywhere.

Our trip ended in al-Walaja, a village which will be completely surrounded by the wall and only connected to Bethlehem through one small opening at one end of the village.  This house is the only house in al-Walaja that is located on the Israeli side of the wall.

This is construction of a tunnel that will allow the family on the Israeli side of the wall get to there family and friends in al-Walaja.

Instead of rerouting the separation wall to the internationally recognized Green Line  or even 50 meters, the Israeli government has decided to spend an extra $800,000 simply to build a tunnel for this family to get to al-Walaja.  Talk about stupid! 

Construction of the wall is expanding in al-Walaja even as we speak.

More wall construction coming from the opposite direction.

Just behind the lone house, you can see the Israeli settlement of Gilo.  Most claim that Gilo is a neighborhood in Jerusalem, and living in Jerusalem, it seems like it is part of the city.  But this "neighborhood" is what has caused Bethlehem and Beit Jala so much loss of land.

The view of the wall construction from the streets of al-Walaja.  This is just how close  it comes, and  how little land it lives the villagers.

Living in Bethlehem, I didn't even know about the details of construction of the wall around al-Walaja, and especially the ridiculous tunnel that is being built.  Is the wall built for security? Security does not merit the winding way the wall cuts through the West Bank and cuts off even single families from their communities and livelihood. With evidence of this tunnel staring us in the face, the reason of "security" for the building of the wall is clearly just an excuse.