Military Order 1649

On 13 April 2010 the Military Order 1649 and Order 1650 were entered into force. These orders were issued by the Israeli Occupation Force's Central Command. (www.alhaq.org ). It states that Israel will deport any and all Palestinians with Gazan residency found without a valid permit in the West Bank. A valid permit can only be issued by Isaeli Authority and a Palestinian Identity Document does not apply. Such persons will be considered as illegal in the West Bank and contravening the law and will be regarded as "infiltrators".

Last week, Ahmad Sabbah (40) fell victim to these Orders. He is a Palestinian born in the West Bank but holds a Gaza address; he lived there for ten months only. In an attempted to change his residency in 2000 the Israeli authority declined the application because they froze the population registry of Gaza at the time.

He was arrested soon thereafter on 1 November 2001 and was released on 21 April 2010 after serving a nine year prison sentence. Instead of being reunited with his wife, Hanan (35) and child, Yazan (10) as expected he was deported to Gaza. Alledgedly on the day of his release he was given an ultimatum; he could be released to Gaza or serve a further six months in jail. He opted for the former. However, he refused to cross the checkpoint close to the Gaza Strip and is now living in a tent a few metres outside the city since last week. Three other detainees who were released is said to have joined him there.

Hanan had to apply for a visitor's permit every six months during his imprisonment that allowed her to see him for one day after every 45 days because he had a security file and was considered a security threat for Israel. This meant that she could visit him for only four days in a period of six months. So, off course she became more and more excited as the end of his prison term approached, but clearly the political agenda of Israel had a different fate in store for the family of three. His deportation was shocking and it came as a total surprise. Her son and brother went to the Ghaliel checkpoint to meet him while she waited at home. There they were informed that he will not be arriving to meet them. When we interviewed her a few days ago we learnt that her main concern now is not only for the safety of her husband but furthermore she fears that her son may also be deported because he too has a Gaza address.

Hanan has a history of detention in her family. Two of her brothers were arrested; one is serving a life sentence and the other was killed during an attempted arrest. The Israeli Army demolished the family house with him inside. He died instantly.

The occupation "kidnapped" her Heart

Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli Military detention facilities alledgedly went on a hunger strike during the month of April 2010.

Their complaints ranged from human rights violations whilst in captivity to the humiliation that families suffer on visitation days. Some family members have reported in the past that they were denied access to the facility just minutes before seeing the prisoner.

Others claimed that they were subjected to strip searches because they were considered a security threat. Only first-degree family members with a valid visitors permit issued by Israeli Authorities are allowed to register for visitation.

This permit is valid for three months to one year. Families are elligable to visit the prisoners once a month for a period of 45 minutes only. Once it expires they have to apply for renewal that can easily be denied. Family members supported the April 2010 strike and would not register for visitation.

I interviewed Em Mohammed, the mother of Masoud (20yrs) who is now serving the last three years of a five year prison sentence. He was arrested in 2008 in an attempt to free Palestine from Israeli occupation in the West Bank. She has eight children, five daughters and three sons. Her eldest son was arrested in 1993 at the tender age of 14 years and also spent one year in jail.She starts at 5h00 in the morning to catch the bus that leaves at 5h30 to take the families to the respective prisons. They travel to Taybe checkpoint where they are allowed to cross between 7h00 and 7h30. Here they go through a stringent security check before they are allowed to pass. Thereafter she waits a further one to two hours at the prison before seeing her son for 45 minutes. To communicate with him she has to speak through a double glass over a telephone system. All conversations are normally recorded and therefore their privacy is enfringed.

He often writes letters to the family that she keeps neatly stowed away in two a heart shaped boxes. He draws beautiful animations and appeals to her in his encouraging letters to take care of herself and not to worry about him. "How can I not worry", she says.

Before his arrest he worked on a farm and sold vegetables at he market. However he always dreamed of attending university. She mentioned that he will have to marry upon his release because the population of Palestine has to increase if they wish to gain their freedom from Israel.

I asked her if she would change his circumstances if she could. She said: "This is his destiny; it is not my choice." It seems as if destiny has other plans for his future.

Arafat's Tomb

I also visited the tomb of Yasser Arafat.
A bus load of teenage boys and two adult men came just as I arrived; probably a school excursion. The room went completely silent as one-by-one they saluted his tomb and said silent prayers before returning to the bus. Palestinians view him as the cornerstone in their struggle for freedom. Today, it was blatantly clear with the respect that was shown around his tomb.

Turkish Bath in Ramallah

They say a change can be as good as being on holiday. I have to agree with this statement.

I had a day off today and decided to spend it in Ramallah at a Turkish Bath. It was a heavenly experience. The best decision since I've arrived in the West Bank. I will recommend this treatment to everybody. Listen to your body. If you need a break from the pressures of work; go and take care of yourself.

Clearly Israel-Palestine is not all doom and gloom. There are some lovely cultural, historical, religious, sites and places for relaxation to visit that are of interest.

Lunch with Sammy&Rula

We went to Nablus this morning to attend the service at The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd. Thereafter lunch was served at the home of Sammy and Rula, a Christian Palestinian couple from the congregation. It was lovely to be with them. I felt at home and comfortable. They were so hospitable and would not allow us to leave. I definitely made some new friends. Their house is aproximately two hundred years old and has been in the family for generations. Sammy mentioned that the Christian population in Nablus used to be more than eight hundred but this number has reduced drastically over the last few years. We discussed at length the occupation of Palestinian land by Israel and the seperation wall. We talked about the place for Christianity in a predominantly Islamic country and came to the conclusion that peace can only be achieved once you find true peace in your heart. We need to build the country and not the army.

Richard, a photo journalist from the UK is visiting our placement for a few days. He is covering a story on the effects of the seperation wall on the farmers and he is scheduled to exhibit his work in a few months. I saw some of the photographs he took. It is just incredible.

Taybe / Efraim Checkpoint

All Palestinians who live in the West Bank and work in Israel have to pass through a checkpoint at some point. This is true for Tulkarm and surrounding areas. Their checkpoint is called Taybe also known as Efraim. Around four thousand people cross this checkpoint every morning between 4h00 and 7h00. Workers line up at Taybe as early as 02h00 in the morning. Israel claimed that it was neccessary to protect its land and people against Palestinians who are a security threart. We are not allowed to pass through the checkpoint. Apparently before passing through to the other side they should lock their fingerprint, show a valid permit and have their bags scanned. Most times they are subjected to utter humiliation; they are talked down to and insulted to a degrading level. Sometimes people are turned back and if this happens they will lose a days work and will not be paid. "No work - no pay". This is a concern as the per capita income for the Tulkarm population is only around $250 per annum.

Shufa Girls School

Shufa is a village outside Tulkarm. For a while they had no electricity in the village. Apparantly they refused to have electricity installed some time ago because the village would not collaborate with their oppressor, Israel. This will soon change it seems; they will be provided with electricity in a few months. Having such a firm opinion for a cause is both fair and applaudable. There is an Israeli settlement next to Shufa; these two communities never interact with each other. Probably as a result of propoganda, solidarity and a strong sense of patriatism. Until just last year the Shufa Girls School used to be of mixed gender (both boys and girls attended there), but as from the next school year the boys will attend at the new Shufa Boys School. The School celebrated with an open day and awards for academic achievement. It would have been special to have a few sports or cultural awards. They had beautiful items of song, poetry, dance and theatrics. The underlying message was to achieve freedom for Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem.