Palestine, I'm here to understand and witness!

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This is one of these blogs where I have strictly no idea how to start and how to write what I was fortunate to enjoy for a full day in Hebron and around Bethlehem and East Jerusalem. First, the word enjoy is clearly not the right one! The word witness is way more accurate! I have a serious interest in international politics, and therefore I'm truly interested by what is happening here...but we could go back 3000 years...or only 70 years...and a blog will never be enough to try to comprehend the daily reality here!



Before stating any bias, here is, was and is still today my own statement about the relationship between Palestine and Israel. I believe in a two States position living in peace side by side. For this, I do not support the Jewish colonies in Palestine and do believe these should not only stop, but most of them be removed. My point of view is actually shared by most of the international community. I did realize during this full day visiting Palestine that peace will probably never come. Because in Israel as well as in Palestine, those who lead any move are not the moderate, but the extremist....and that nothing is going to change in the respect. Maybe Obama has it right. He didn't do much openly for neither Israel or Palestine over his mandates...simply maybe because if you look closer....if you are a moderate, nothing sadly will ever happen. Life here is not geared toward peace and understanding, it is geared toward land, history and pride!



I landed at 4am at Ben Gurion in Tel Aviv. I was ready for an interview by the immigration officer....instead, I had a grumpy unwelcoming young lady to ask me few simple questions. This could have been done nicely, it wasn't...the first ambassador of a country is the immigration officer...doing your job is protecting your country, but you can also do it with a smile and being courteous! That is what I call education, a complete lack of it!



I took the a shared van to my hotel in Jerusalem, so you already know what is coming next. Was happy to get a shower and an hour sleep in a bed before taking a taxi to the meeting point of the what would be an amazing day.



Today, I will be touring Hebron, Bethlehem and East Jerusalem with Green Olive Tours. The are an alternative tour company providing tours to the West Bank. These tours do not focus on the traditional religious places most tourists/pilgrims are interested in, but focus rather on the life of the people...and the daily reality of Palestine. We first take a taxi to the West Bank. It's my luck today, there are only three of us. A French lady with a solid interest for the Arab world. To put it simply, she is learning Arab, but is not a Muslim. Than there is the young Italian lady, working in development field in Ethiopia. Let put it simply, an interested, interesting and engaged group! My luck! Our guide cannot get into Israel, so he has to wait for us on the other side. Going out of Israel in Palestine mean you go slowly through a check-point....but no stop here, not showing any passport...smooth entry to Palestine!



We get picked by our guide just on the other side...change car...and it's on for the drive to Hebron. First stop less than 20 minutes on the road. Here we are, the army is setting up a new container, this is basically one more future colony. You can feel the air is more than electric. This is simply an occupation. And you guess, they are doing it next to Palestinian Houses...and these people know they will pretty soon lose their land, as the Israeli army will "secure" the area! I told you...this day will be one of those!



To better understand Palestine today, you need to understand what is Zone A, Zone B and Zone C. Zone A is under military and civil rule by Palestine. We speak mainly about the cities. Zone B is under Palestine civilian authority, but military authority is done by the Israelis. Zone B is mainly the villages and countryside. Zone C, is under full control by Israel...these are mainly the roads leading to the hundreds of colonies, and the colonies themselves.



So now you really want to understand it...Hebron is Zone A...but they have 550 colons living in 4 buildings in the middle of the city....and 2500 Israeli soldiers to protect them. Try to have peace here, it will not happen! When your land is occupy, you either leave, or you fight...if not Hitler would still rule most of Europe!



Our guide doesn't have to tell us much...he just need to show us! While in Hebron, we meet in the streets few International Observers...it's pretty easy to understand what is going on! This is not protecting Israel, this is occupation, and therefore, how could you have two States in peace with such a standing situation.



We meet few Orthodox Jews in the streets. These guys do not do the 2 years compulsory military service! Go figure out! We meet the Israeli soldiers too. As such, we are treated as International Observers. We are asked all the time where we are form, what is our religion, and more important, are we part of any organization. I'm European, my religion is not your business...and I do not need to be part of an organization to witness what I see here!



Our guide has already been taken for hours, just before his guests....our guide had already to keep his group at the lunch place for hours, because fights started just outside at lunch time. So yes, electricity is in the air! We are going to visit the Tomb of Abraham. Well, not with our guide. The sacred place is shared by the Jews and the Muslims. Yes, Abraham is in all the sacred books....all of them! Today is one of these 10 days per year as a Jewish sacred day, so the full place is open only to the Jews. Israeli Army is all over the place, and Muslims are kept away. But we can walk anywhere we want, and visit the Abraham Tomb, on both side...with our cameras in hand. Trust me, it is an experience!



Our lunch is shared with a local family. Later on, we are back in another area of Hebron, to visit some of the local industry. Next, back to East Jerusalem...no we are not doing the Banksy tour, but yes, we are on the other side of the Wall of Shame, more than 700km around Israel.



We are also walking a Palestinian Refugee Camp. Not a lot in terms of building if not that it is one of the area with the highest density on earth. But more important, these refugee camps do exist for the last 68 years...so yes, you have third generation refugees. Why do they not leave the refugee camps after so many years. Because living a refugee camp would mean giving up on the land that was taken of your grand-parents, back in 1948! The land is the issue here...land, history, pride...if you can't understand it, you won't understand that peace is not coming tomorrow!



As you can see, it's impossible to write properly about the issue in such a place...this entry is what it is...but the only way to have an opinion is not to read the news, it is to walk those streets!

Our day is not over yet, we are making a last stop in Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity. A truly small door lead to the Church. Interesting, next to each other, you have an Orthodox, an Armenian and a Catholic Church...and then we go downstairs, to the place where Jesus is born. We are surrounded by a huge group of Koreans. And I cannot stop thinking...look at where you are...thousands of years of history, religion, land...what do I do with such a day!



And as easy as it went to leave Israel, we change car one more time, and we are heading back to Israel....short one minute stop at the check-point...no passports out...we are back in Israel, we are the "Internationals"...and I feel sad that my guide was not allowed to enter Israel for years....that the roads of Palestine have to be packed with armed Israelis...and that today, don't ask me if peace will ever come...it won't...because here pride and guns speak! No humanity and understanding!



Never ask me to sign any petition for Palestine...or Israel....as nobody is right, they are all wrong! But don't forget, if you were 17 years old born in Belgium in 1939...what would have you been at 22....fighting for your land and your freedom is not a right, it's a duty!



One day peace will come...

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Comments

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I agree with you...
other than the ending. Peace will only come when the world ends.