Oush Grab: A microcosm of the complications.
Note: for background of Oush Grab and the recent Jewish settler activity which is threatening the Beit Sahour community, please scroll down and read the July 9th entry “Unavoidable?”
Monday night the settlers came— 150 total, according to their latest email— to spend the night at the abandoned military structures on the top of Oush Grab, where they hope to establish a settlement. Monday night was also the last night of Beit Sahour’s Facous festival so the municipal park was packed with families until about 10pm. At 10pm, the non-violent resistance aka our “loud party” began. It has been very important for all of the protesting in Beit Sahour to remain nonviolent and even non-confrontational because the community does not want Beit Sahour to become a place riddled with violent conflict (which sometimes feels inevitable, even at “non violent” demonstrations). As a result, resistance has manifested itself in very creative events to occupy Oush Grab and show that unlike Israel common rhetoric that settlements are only occupying ‘uninhabited land’, yes, this land is occupied and is used. The settler’s presence impeded movement in and out of the festival as the soldiers turned back a lot of people coming in despite their use of a Palestinian road, on land officially and formerly given to Palestine. Honestly, I think it was not only for the benefit of protecting the settlers but also the Palestinians. Settlers are not your typical Israeli citizen: they arrive armed with M-16s and M-4s and are not afraid to use them. Fortunately there is a back entrance that could be opened so the families could come to the park. That being said, there were much fewer families at the festival on Monday because the quick-fire temper and excitability of the settlers does not make the park a safe place to bring your children and family. But here are a few events that help to breakdown some of the complications of Palestine, non-violent resistance and the occupation in general.
1) The IDF: Even though it is illegal on many levels— from their violation of the military order to the desire to construct a settlement (even the United States condemns this)—the settlers were allowed to stay. Legally, the soldiers are responsible for making the settlers leave. At the same time, they are also responsible for protecting the settlers; therefore, when they don’t leave, the soldiers need to remain. Often the settlers have larger guns and are very erratic so they get their way despite IDF demands.
2) Political future: Settlements are strongly contested by a lot of Israelis themselves. The Israeli future has two options- the One State Solution which would be a democratic state at the forfeit of the Zionist dream of a Jewish state or the Two State Solution which would have a Jewish state and a Palestinian state. As settlements continue to spread across Palestine, appropriating their land, it divides Palestine into small little sections which is quickly destroying any viable Palestinian state. The One State Solution then becomes the only option and, not wanting to give up the dream of a Jewish state, this is not the desire of most Israelis. More settlements=more land division=less viability=no Palestinian state.
3) Palestinian Government:the mayor of Beit Sahour, a Fatah member, originally gave permission for a DJ to come for our late party. During the party the mayor changed his mind and forbid the DJ to come. When asked why, he said that it would be too loud for the neighbors even though a lot of the neighboring families had been approached and informed about the party. Reality? Most likely the mayor probably obtained some phone calls from Israel telling him that he needed to be careful. Because Palestine is basically at the mercy of Israel’s government, a single threat that future negotiations could turn sour from any ‘excitement’ is enough to convince the municipality to halt activities. This creates an interesting tension: the desire to protect your land and your people vs. the desire to appease future negotiation partners. The end result is upset community members who feel as if the mayor’s passion is not aligned with his land (especially because Beit Sahour is famous for its solidarity and creative nonviolent resistance during the intifada) and an increased desire by individuals to take matters into their own, i.e. potentially violent, hands. Hamas was elected because there is a prevailing distrust of Fatah and they promised very strong municipal services as well as solidarity with the Palestinian people. In the heat of the frustrations with the mayor and feeling as if he did not support Beit Sahour in the face of threat, it was not difficult to see why people supported Hamas.
4) Inner-group Violence:During the middle of the facous festival a fight broke out between two Palestinian guys and it escalated pretty quickly before it was broken up. If we are unable to have harmony with those closest to us, how will we be able to have harmony and transform relationships with those who are our enemies? Erupting in violence amongst one another does nothing for the cause, let alone the individuals fighting. There needs to be solidarity among the Palestinian people but family disputes, religious differences and a host of other things continue to divide them.
5) Hate: A very deep sadness and tragic existence permeates this conflict. The generalizations used to perpetuate lies and mask reality actually physically make my stomach choke up. After the settlers left we climbed to the military base. The graffiti painted on the walls said, in Hebrew, “death to the Arabs!” among other things. The generalization of “Arab” ignores that the Palestinian people are indigenous to this land and did not move in from neighboring Arab countries but also, tragically for the settlers, blatantly wishes death upon some of their own people, the Arab Jews.
6) Middle ground?: It’s not obvious, but I pray it is there. For example: on the military compound some of the internationals painted over last week’s “land of the Jews!” comments with a star of David, a cross and a crescent equaling “coexistence”. The settlers crossed out the cross and the crescent so only the Star of David remained. I was talking to a Palestinian who said that he thinks we should repaint it and only have the cross and the crescent remaining, crossing out the Star of David because “they did it to us”. Fortunately, the majority of those around discouraged him, with one man saying: “No, that is not the only way. We should paint the Star of David, the cross and the crescent and write equals peace”.
I hope for that. I pray for that. This is the Holy Land but the land itself should not be God. I believe we are forfeiting the major principle of love and caring for one’s neighbor— a principle found in Islam, Judaism and Christianity— when we decide that violence (physical, emotional, verbal) and harm against others is excusable for religious pursuits. It is contradictory and hypocritical.
