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Diabetes micro-clinics in conflict-ridden West Bank

Detention scene Palestinian day laborers being detained as they return to the West Bank from Israel (Photos by Daniel Zoughbie)
Gunshots in Bethlehem, body searches in Jerusalem, homeland security on steroids

BETHLEHEM – After staying up late working on e-mails, I was about to fall asleep when I heard gunshots and explosions at 1 a.m. I thought for a minute that they were just fireworks, as there have been many late night wedding parties nearby (this is wedding season), but I soon realized they were the sounds of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and Palestinians exchanging gunfire.

From the newspapers and conversations the next morning, I learned that the conflict took place down the street from where I am staying and was an IDF operation meant to apprehend some wanted men. Apparently, there were about 20-25 armed Jeeps which came and surrounded the house(s), and arrested about 15 men. I read in the Israeli newspapers today that Israel is cracking down on the Islamic Jihad because it claims the organization is not respecting the ceasefire. This is, of course, seen by many Palestinians as yet another heavy-handed provocation. The IDF has already arrested 50 members in the West Bank; these men were probably part of that number.

I have also observed tensions inside of Israel. As I was traveling to Jerusalem through one of the many bypass roads (only for the use of Israelis and foreigners), I saw about 30 men being detained. They were Palestinians who had sneaked into Israel to find work, and on their way back were detained at the checkpoint. This is quite a serious problem for them, as I was told that many Palestinians who have been caught in the past have been permanently blacklisted; their names were recorded and further restrictions were put on their movements. Many Palestinians depend on this illegal form of employment in order to put food on the table.

I feel sort of uncomfortable about traveling freely as an American, usually without any problems, while some of the people I have worked with in Bethlehem have not been able to leave the Bethlehem area for years, even to travel to other Palestinian cities. One lady from Bethlehem named Rima asked me which is better— America or Palestine; I responded that both are nice places and have their own benefits and problems. Rima is a stay-at-home mom in her 30s with a good sense of humor. I usually get asked this a lot, so this time I returned the question and asked her what she thinks of Palestine; she responded that it is like a big prison. Rima explained that she has not been in Ramallah, a nearby Palestinian city, in eight years, nor in Jerusalem for five years. One young man named George explained to me how his family had visited a church in Jerusalem every Easter, but now he and his wife and baby must sneak over the borders to celebrate with their friends and family. Needless to say, if they were caught, they would be in big trouble. I got to thinking how I get sick of Berkeley if I do not leave for a month, and Bethlehem is not nearly as exciting as Berkeley. What would I do if I could not leave for eight years? In Bethlehem, there are hardly any unpolluted open spaces to walk; many people do not have adequate homes and live in poverty; there are often violent crimes, and the automobile congestion is atrocious. Wait! Maybe Bethlehem is like Berkeley!

Whenever I visit Jerusalem (some five miles from Bethlehem), I am awed by the beauty of the city. Unlike Bethlehem, a city continuously existing under conditions of instability and occupation, Jerusalem is maintained by a functioning Israeli government that keeps it sparkling clean. The sun scintillates off of the Jerusalem limestone, and the walls of the Old City are a sight to behold. In other sections of Jerusalem, there are shopping malls and every other modern amenity available in the United States.

But … you cannot go anywhere without being searched. It's like homeland security on steroids! Just the same, from my point of view, these security measures are not really effective. For instance, before entering an underground parking lot in the Canyon Shopping Mall (one like you might find in America), the security guards check your car inside and out. In reality, if someone really had bad intentions, they would just drive right through the mini-checkpoint, and the security guards could do very little to stop them. I observed another example of a useless checkpoint in Jerusalem; many Palestinians bypass the checkpoint and IDF soldiers by walking up a parallel street without being stopped or questioned. I suspect that the IDF is not that careless, which leads me to believe that the checkpoints are often more of a symbolic gesture than a practical one. I am convinced that if someone wants to come into Israel to do damage, they will do so regardless of checkpoints and walls. When you enter movie theaters, restaurants and other public spaces, even hospitals, you must go through a metal detector. Jokingly, I told my cab driver, Khalid, that pretty soon searches will be required before entering the restrooms. He looked at me very seriously and said, "That's no joke!" I wonder if we are getting to the point where we will live like this even in the United States. I hope we can understand, before it's too late, that peace, justice and security go hand in hand.

Khalid, a tall, Arab-Israeli taxi-driver wearing an Andre Agassi-type haircut, told me that he is studying to be an electrical engineer and is trying to save enough money to pay for his final year at the university. When I asked him about the conflict, he replied, after releasing a plume of L&M brand cigarette smoke, that he hopes it will get better but that, like many, he remains skeptical. He then changed the subject and laughed as he told me how he and many other Arab-Israelis are fluent in Hebrew, and because of similar physical appearances, they pretend that they are Arab when they have Arab patrons, and Jewish when they have Jewish patrons. He even has a Jewish name that he uses for his Jewish patrons, or if he wants to go to a party. For me, Khalid is a perfect example of how the differences between Jews and Arabs are not very clear – the "irresolvable" differences are manufactured within people's minds, and it is this imagination that is translated into a horrible reality.

—Daniel

Jerusalem panorama
Panoramic view of Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives