Beit Jala 4 July 2010

Palestinian attempts to remove barbed wire in Beit Jala

It is hard to say the protest began as normal because there were only six or so Palestinians protesting but the protest began as normal in the West Bank city of Beit Jala yesterday. Palestinians have been holding weekly Sunday afternoon protests against the construction of the Israeli separation wall which will cut their city in half and annex large parts of their land to Israel. Recent protests have seen in escalation of violence by Israeli soldiers which now routinely fire tear gas into the densely populated city irregardless of women, children and other bystanders. Today was no different.

Palestinians approached the construction site of the wall, which was fully active with crains, drilling and a construction crew on site. Fifty meters from the construction site, the IDF erected a barrier of barbed wire and dispatched one unit authorized to use crowd dispersal methods such as stun bombs, high velocity tear gas canisters and arrest. After ten minutes of chanting and an attempt by one palestinian to physically move the barbed wire, the IDF began firing tear gas canisters at the protesters and in the direction of the houses of the village.

The crowd retreated into houses to escape the gas leaving a group of Palestinian and Israeli photographers standing near the line of troops. One soldier (an American from Ohio who studied at George Washington University) begin asking the photographers where they were from in the world. As this conversation began a Palestinian from Beit Jala named M, who was standing among us, whispered in my ear that “this soldier is a nice one”. The soldier heard him and a conversation between the two broke out about the legitimacy of the soldiers presence in the village.

The soldier maintained a clear line that the wall is necessary for the protection of Israeli citzens and he would not be there if it was not “for you people” pointing at M. He kept repeating “there has been no terror since the wall has been built” and grew frustrated with the questions regarding occupation like “do you know we live under an occupation” that M was asking him. At one point, M asked about the route of the wall and why it was not placed on the green line. The response was that the green line is not an internationally recognized border, thus Israel had no obligation to follow its path. In the soldier’s mind, as he stood with an tear gas gun in his hand ready to suppress a non-violent protest, the green line was not valid and the occupation was an involuntary act forced upon Israel.

The soldier in conversation with a Palestinian from Beit Jala

The conversation continued for some time with small interruptions from the firing of tear gas canisters at civilian houses in the village. M kept looking at me and saying “this soldier is a good one” and “he believes in the Palestinian struggle”. It was hard to take M’s comments seriously as I believe that, while this soldier was in good spirits and chatting, his demeanour could change in a matter of seconds. Yet, I live in Tel Aviv and return home after the demonstration while M is forced to remain occupied. His ability to see the decency in soldiers through a mere conversation was inspiring given their behaviour in his city. I guess the simple ability to talk with a soldier was something of great importance to M. The conversation between the two of them ended with a promise to “talk about the situation” more in the future. Perhaps next week in Beit Jala they will continue where they left off.

IDF soldier firing tear gas into the city of Beit Jala

Everyone was heading back to their cars and homes when stun bombs were heard on the upper edge of the city, close to the city center. We jumped in the car and arrived just in time to be caught between the Shabab and a group of soldiers. The Shabab were throwing stones and the soldiers were firing tear gas canisters directly at their bodies. This was all taking place in the heart of the city of Beit Jala while the city was trying to continue with its daily operations. Taxis were on the street, children walking, and shops open. Tear gas canisters were getting caught under cars, giving the strange effect that cars were on fire. The situation was surreal and finished quickly as the soldiers retreated close to the building area of the wall. As soon as the urban “fighting” began it was over and so was the Beit Jala demonstration for this day.

I returned to Tel Aviv and went for a drink with an old German friend of mine. It was jarring to feel in the midst of Tel Aviv society after being in Beit Jala. It is as if I am living two different lives which are deeply connected to each other. As we were sitting, some people starting asking my friend about the German football team and a conversation began among us. The young Israelis talking with us clearly just got out of the military and meeting a German in person was an uncomfortable experience for them. When we informed them that my friend lives in Ramallah and I spent the day in Beit Jala, their faces completely changed. The conversation slowed and we were left alone. Often the subject of the West Bank will end conversations in Tel Aviv bars. It is a sad reality of this country. My reality of living in Tel Aviv but spending most of my time in the West Bank reinforces a feeling that the disconnect between the reality of Israeli’s position in the West Bank and her desire to live a normal life is so far out of sync that only something truly revolutionary or tragic could break this never ending cycle of madness.