We take a trip to Hebron, a Palestinian city in the west bank. However, it is a city of intense antagonism, abuse of power and a demonstration of the worst of human behavior and the inhumanity with which we seem capable of treating one another.
Within the city of Hebron which has expanded over the years from the old city, there have been 6 little settlements placed within and on top of this city by Israel. Neighborhoods have been cut up into little pieces, shops and streets closed arbitrarily, military check points set up all over the city and settlers building and expanding their homes and spaces overtop of existing Palestinian homes and shops. We meet up with Sue and Imar from Christian Peacemakers Team, an international group that helps to monitor the interactions between the military and the Palestinians. We are toured around the city and see where homes have been destroyed and roads have cut off Palestinians from one another and from their businesses and places of worship.
Everyday, children must pass through a military check point, have their back packs inspected and sometimes detained for no reason as they go to school. Everywhere you go in this palestinian city there are security cameras, military towers, and soldiers on roofs with machine guns. When in one of the main market squares, even our group has a gun trained on our gathering as a suspicious one. Because the Jewish settlers have built up homes on top of Palestinian homes and shops, metal grating and tarps have been installed over the markets and shops that line the streets because the settlers through garbage, rocks, urine and feces out of their windows and onto the people and the shops below. This city has been divided up into zones where Palestinians may not go any longer. Imar tells the story of the recent arrest of his 12 year old brother who was detained on the way to school. He was thrown in jail without parental access with no charges laid. When charges were finally laid he was accused of throwing stones at the soldiers (which he denies) and kept in jail for 12 days until bail was set and could be paid. Trail date is still pending. This is but a few of the many examples of antagonism and inhuman treatment that keep this conflict on the edge of the boiling point all the time.
Every Saturday there is a military accompanied walk through the Palestinian area by the jewish settlers and their friends as a way of intimidating and putting pressure on the inhabitants and asserting their rights to go wherever they please. We take a walk up to the mosque, a site of a horrific massacre, and we must go through 2 screenings by Israel military just as the Muslims must do on their way to worship each day. Even inside the temple there is Israeli security cameras monitoring. We leave Hebron sad and discouraged at how entrenched the conflict is.
We return to Jerusalem where we are given a tour of east Jerusalem by the communications director for the PLO. He shows us more about the affects of the Israeli policies about the wall, demolition of neighborhoods and settlements east of the green line. He also shares a copy of a letter written by the Palestinian government following the offensive visit by Defense minister John Baird who met with the Israeli government in East Jerusalem in violation of international law and UN condemnation. Once again Harper's government has lowered our reputation in international circles.
It's been a full day and it's hard to see signs of hope for a peaceful solution. It is very complex historically and emotionally, and the levels of fear, anger and distrust is increasing on both sides
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