| Update:
February 14, 2003
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| Click Link to Read I took my mobile out of my pocket and rang the Consul, explained that I was trying to get to Salim Village to have tea and celebrate Eid with a friend, and that despite the fact I was wearing my high visibility jacket, and had been wearing it around this soldier for a month, he was shooting at me. Further down the hill and another shot. I yell "International" at the top of my voice and continue down. The Consul talks to me as I pick my way across the impossibly muddy mess that is Azmout Checkpoint (or not as the case may be). Aty the other side he comes running up to me and pokes me hard in the ches\t with the barrel of his M16. The Consul is still on the line. "Why are you poking me with your gun?" Now he tells me this is his country, he's in charge here
and I'm not going to Salim. I'm going back the way I came or he's going
to shoot me. It's 9.30 am and I ask the Consul to speak to the IDF for
me, and if they refuse permission, to ask them to fax a map and directions
of how I can get to the village. I know it's impossible. The army has
dug up all the roads and surrounded Salim and two neighbouring villages
with a 10km ditch. The only possible route is through another two checkpoints,
and then a half hour walk down the settler road, where Palestinians may
not walk. Anyone on the road is likely to be hassled by soldiers, or even
worse, armed settlers. No ambulances can get into the villages, and already
2 people have died at I tell Ze'ev that I intend to go to Salim, that I have spoken to my Consul (he listened in after all!) and that I'm not leaving till I get permission to go. So begins the long wait. Shortly after he stops a car, detains the driver at gunpoint, puts him against the wall, and parks the car in the kmiddle of the road to Salim. He shoots at anyone who approaches the checkpoint. His three stooges sit against the wall of a house, looking bored and depressed. It is raining. I make more calls. Three internationals will join me later I hear. The ISM media office prepares a press release to send out. A shepherd is next. He is detained at 10.30 and made to sit against the wall. His sheep are left to their own devices. Later two Internationals will try to retrieve them. They will not be good shepherd material and will be relieved when his brother appears and rounds the sheep up. They do manage to retrieve the donkey and tie it to a tree though. The shepherd is in for a lousy day. At about one Ze'ev will decide he is cheeky, cuff him and make him squat facing the wall. He will join another man who dared to question Ze'evs responsibility. A Gynaecologist will join those who are not cuffed. He was given permission to cross earlier. When he returns to the checkpoint, Ze'ev will fire a shot in his direction and tell him to go back. An International will walk to him and walk back with him. Ze'ev will take his ID and make him sit against the wall. "Why?" the international will ask. "Because he didn't go back when I told him to" Ze'ev will say. I will phone the Israeli Human Rights Group Hammoked, in front of Ze'ev, explain the situation to them and pass the phone to the doctor. After the phone call Ze'ev will threaten the doctor and then give him back his ID and tell him to go. Every now and then Ze'ev will ask me if I have my official answer. Not yet I will tell him. More phone calls with the Consul. "Where exactly are you?", "What's your passport number?" She will give it to the Israelis, even after she promises not to! The three Internationals arrive. It gets chaotic at times
and decisions seem arbitrary and strange. Some pass with impunity, some
cross without any problem. Others are detained for wanting to go from
one village to another. Others are allowed to go. Some are shot at long
before they get near, and don't come any closer. Ze'ev will assault at
least 8 of the men during the course of the day, kicking, punching, banging
heads against the wall. Several times he announces loudly that is not human.
Time passes. I remind the Consul that all I want to do is vist as friend
for a cup of tea. I remind Ze'ev that I am not at war with him, and neither
is he at war with "Where are you going?" asks one of the soldiers. I go to get cigarettes from the shop in Azmout. I meet a man who has grazes and tells me was assaulted by soldiers trying to cross the valley. I ring Hammoked again, and they speak to him and take his details. 4pm and I ring the Consul again. She is surprised to hear from me. Thery told me that they spoke to the soldiers and you have gone to the village" she says. "Can I go to Salim?", I ask Ze'ev. He ignores
me. I turn to the soldier. "You guys must really enjoy my company" I say. "I'll be back again tomorrow and then I'll go to Salim. Ze'ev suddenly comes to life, "Go now" he says, pointing to the village. I have won. His authority has been undermined. His orders have been overturned. Diplomatic pressure has been applied. Some of the men are detained until 10pm. It is cold and raining. I sleep the night in Salim. People are increasingly worried about the checkpoint, many avoid it, some can't. Arbitrary decisions are made. Arbitrary detentions and assaults take place every day. They don't belive the world will help. They don't know how it will stop. None of the 3 villages has produced a suicide bomber. The only possible explanation I can see for it, is that the Israelis are trying to crush the villages. It may be working. Many villagers have given up and moved into Nablus. The settlers have been down and stolen sheep, wild pigs have appeared on the land inexplicably, wells have been contaminated. I remember the discussion with the soldier at one point
during the day. "Don't you agree that Israel has the most moral army
in the world?" he asks. "No" I respond. 2- Israeli Army Attempts
to Stop ISM Activists from Visiting Families in Nablus House ==================================================================== 3- Hebron:Life in H2 for a Palestinian Reflection on 87 continuous Days of Curfew February 11, 2003 You might... If you walk out your front door onto the "settler
only" street - now no longer yours. If you can't face another day inside, after being confined 87 days Inside a small apartment, and step our of your door, you might get shot. If all food has been eaten, since curfew has lasted so long, And your children are hungry, and you look for an open shop. You might get shot. If you hear the call to prayer, and break curfew to go
to the mosque, You might get shot. If you hurry down the street during curfew, your little children each holding your hand, trying to get them safely to school. You might get shot If you're a school girl heading home after school is
dismissed, and it's curfew, If you're part of a gathering crowd on a street, If your home is on land wanted for settlement expansion. It might suddenly be demolished. If you go to sleep one night. Soldiers might bang on your door, beat you and trash your home. If you bring complaints about soldiers' excesses to higher
authorities Reflecting on all this, you say: Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical initiative to support violence reduction efforts around the world. To learn more about CPT's peacemaking work, please visit our website at http://www.cpt.org |