This site is best viewed with 800X600 resolution with Internet Explorer
|
|
|
Facing the crawling racial segregation on daily basis. By: Ghassan Andoni I thought I was fortunate to live in Bethlehem area and work in Birzeit University near Ramallah. Off course, to earn the living of my family I have to commute daily between the two places. I know that most of people in other countries will travel larger distances between home and work. Mine is about 35 kilometers, about 25 miles.
Up to 1991, the natural road between both passed through Jerusalem. I used to enjoy it. Traveling through parts of Jerusalem and along the walls of the old city was always a source of joy for me. Even being aware of the Israeli annexation of the city in 1967 and the ongoing massive build up of Jewish settlements all around it, on the practical and emotional level I enjoyed the accessibility of this beautiful and sacred town and looked at all of the new buildings as artificial and out of harmony with this natural and holy landscape. While, some times bothered with traffic jams and with the racial attitudes of the Israeli police- in fact I received more than a hundred traffic tickets going through Jerusalem- yet it was a very convenient ride. Within 35 minutes I could reach my distention and when I am tired of driving I could use the efficient public transportation. From 1991 and until the recent crisis Jerusalem was permanently closed in the face of Palestinians. To be able to reach, Palestinians needed to go through a lengthy procedure of obtaining permits. The most tedious of all was: to be able to provide a reasonable excuse. Praying in the Holy sepulcher or passing through to work were never accepted as good enough reasons. While the closure was enforced for "security reasons" during the gulf war, the war ended years ago but the closure continued to be in effect. Out of necessity, I was obliged to find an alternative road. The infamous Hill valley road was my only option. It goes from Bethlehem to the east until you approach Jericho it then turns north to the north of Ramallah and then back south to the university. 90 minutes drive on poorly asphalted, very steeply mountain roads. It took me sometime before daring to drive through this road. The Israeli police continued enjoying hunting Palestinian cars for traffic tickets. Palestinians are easily identified by a different color of their car license plates. With years, and to avoid getting depressed, I tried to find ways to enjoy my new road. Climbing the hills of the Judean deserts, passing beside the Jahalin Bedouins, going near the villages surrounding both Jerusalem and Ramallah, and becoming an excellent driver were most of the positive aspects of using this road. Being forced to see on daily bases the rapid grow both in number and extent of Israeli settlement all through my travel was a sad indicator of how far are we from reaching a peaceful solution. But with time and by using some of the newly established By-pass roads I managed to normalize my self with the newly imposed reality. With the recent crisis, I realized that I am being caged. Through the first two weeks of this crisis, driving through the Hill valley road became the dream of my life. I was physically confined within an area of 2 squared kilometers. Surrounded from all directions with military checkpoints and Jewish settlements. May be I should tell you a secret that only Palestinians and Israeli officials know. Checkpoints serve to provide the psychological sense of protection to Israelis and disrupt the normal life of Palestinians and beyond that has no value to no one. Anyone who wants to go through and reach any destination within Israel can find dozens of ways to go through. So we both know that checkpoints are set as a policy procedure and security is only the excuse. Being worried about loosing my job and seeing many people reaching Ramallah on daily basis I decided to talk my chance, leave my cage, and try to act normal. Accompanied with a friend I drove towards the Hill Valley road. In few minutes we encountered the first military checkpoint. A long queue of cars, dozens ordered out of the cars to be searched, and soldiers insulting and humiliating anyone who dares to complain. I was up to turn around when a cap driver whispered: just follow me. I did. We drove back few hundred meters and then turned left into a not asphalted road. We drove around the soldiers through the fields. We were never out of the soldiers seen yet they did not attempt to stop us. In few minutes all the cars followed and a new road for Palestinians was in use. We had to do this By-pass turn six more times. Few of them were really difficult to drive through. Finally and after three hours of driving like in mountain rallies I arrived at the University and gave my first lecture. Going back home was very similar. I thought I will never drive this way again yet on daily basis I am taking the same road and started to think about the beauty of the seen. Maybe in some time I will be able to enjoy it. Rationally speaking, areas A according to Oslo accords are completely turned into reservations. I now live in the one called Bethlehem. The roads between them are totally controlled. Some are dedicated for Israeli Jews only and you need to prove your racial origin through a yellow license plate to be able to drive through. Other God made field roads are temporally available until the next change in policy. While the crisis might end, racial segregation is becoming a well-established reality that is more enforced with every crisis that the region encounters. | |||||||||||||||||
|
Send mail to [email protected] with
questions or comments about this web site or any of the activities mentioned and
we will be glad to write you back.
|
