Hi all,
Made the trip south to Hebron today- journey takes a lot longer than it should due to checkpoints. Being Friday it was pretty quiet but was nice to wander around the old city- endless winding passages in between beautiful old buildings. The centre of the old city has been taken over by an illegal Israeli settlement that is protected by huge numbers of IDF soldiers. To access this part you have to go through a security control, metal detectors and past a load of young Israeli soldiers wielding machine guns. There is a mosque just inside the security controls and every Palestinian who goes to access it is subjected to even more ID checks. You can feel the tension in the air, though the Palestinians are all very hospitable and do their best to make you feel at ease.
Now back in East Jerusalem for our final night- maybe time for one last falafel by Damascus Gate before we leave!
Anyway, the purpose of this blog was primarily to keep the family updated as to my whereabouts, but I hope that it has also been of some interest and has provided a little insight into what Palestine is really like. I should probably try and say something profound to try and sum the whole experience up, but really that would be impossible. All I can say is that I would urge anyone and everyone to come and visit- meet the people, see the situation for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Have met some amazing and inspirational people, seen some beautiful (and some awful) sights, and will definitely be returning.
Mum and Dad- back in England late tomorrow night (Saturday 7th), so may call tomorrow or Sunday!
Lots of love
F
xxxxxxx
Hebron had a really tense atmosphere. There weren't too many people around, cos it was Friday, and there wasn't much open. So all in all we didn't hang around too long. It took ages getting back too thanks to a checkpoint you have to go through to get back into East Jerusalem (but not to get out?!).
Anyway yeah we're back in Jerusalem now, looks like I won't manage to visit the Garden of Gethsemane this time around. But basically, as F says, we leave tomorrow, we made it safe so far, and probably if we don't reach London ok cos the plane crashes or something you'd hear it on the news anyway.
So we managed to safely spend two weeks fulfilling the lefty stereotype, getting tear gassed in Bil'in, visiting a community project, going to Stars and Bucks in Ramallah, and keeping a blog. Except most of the time when people blog from Palestine it's full of incisive observations and intelligent political and social commentary. I like to think I've managed to avoid this cliche and instead keep the focus firmly on Eastenders and GI disturbances.
I've met some very inspiring people. One thing I have learned from being here is that you should never underestimate the value of a cultural emphasis on collectivism rather than individualism. Especially in situations of struggle. I don't think Fatah get to take credit for the low crime rate here. And I think this fundamental approach makes a profound and positive difference to the experience of the Palestinian people.
My own parents are off the radar in Norfolk, god knows if they're ok or not, I hope they show up safe on Sunday! Anything could have happened to them...
Anyway yeah, don't be scared to come and visit here yourself. I'm definitely coming back, it's been a great two weeks.
Much love to all
I'll catch the Eastenders omnibus on Sunday
L
xxx
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