This special online 4-part video series, Conflict Zone, follows Aziz Abu Sarah, a cultural educator, a native of Jerusalem, and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer who works in international conflict resolution. 

Part 1: Uneasy Coexistence
This first segment shows Israelis and Palestinians trying to lead ordinary lives, but the complications of living in a conflict zone can be extraordinary.

Part 2: Israel Defense Force
This segment features the Nabi Saleh protest from the Israeli military’s point of view.

Part 3: Palestinian Protesters
This segment features the Nabi Saleh protest from the Palestinians’ point of view.

Part 4: A Space to Talk
This segment highlights the process of creating safe places for dialogue among people who are on opposing sides of a conflict.

Ras al-Amud, East Jerusalem (photo: Activestills)

Many Palestinians in Jerusalem are watching the Israeli elections unfold before their eyes without being able influence their outcome. After 1967, Israel annexed Jerusalem but didn’t annex its population. Palestinians in Jerusalem became “residents” in their homeland. They were given some rights but were given no way to influence the government or its policies that regulate every small detail in their lives.

My life is a good example. I am a Palestinian, born and raised in East Jerusalem, yet I have no right to vote in Israel. In addition to not having the right to vote, I have no right to build on my land and no right to celebrate my identity. If I choose to live abroad for a while, I am not allowed to come back. When I was 16, I lived two miles outside Jerusalem and I was told my Jerusalem residency would be revoked if we didn’t move to East Jerusalem. We had to leave our house, which we owned, to move to rental home in the center of Jerusalem. On our way to Jerusalem we passed by the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, which is also couple of miles outside Jerusalem. However, Israeli Jews can live there with in settlements with no objection by the government that they are living outside Jerusalem. It was yet another reminder that I am not an equal under Israeli law. Settlers can live anywhere, but I cannot. Even in my homeland, someone else decides where I am allowed to live or not live.

My residency in Jerusalem is conditional and according to Israeli law it is quite easy to lose. A few years ago, I started working for extended periods of time in the U.S. Soon after, I was told by the Israeli Interior Ministry that if I stayed abroad for too long I would lose my residency. Later I was told that if I receive American citizenship, which I am eligible for, I would lose my residency in Jerusalem. I could lose my right to ever come back to live in Jerusalem. I watch my American Jewish friends move to Israel and they receive two citizenships under the law of return; I cannot even get one. In order to travel, the Israeli government gives me a travel document, on which it is written that I am Jordanian.

Mahmoud Darwish explained how I feel under Israel’s rule very well:

Ah my intractable wound!
My country is not a suitcase
I am not a traveler
I am the lover and the land is the beloved.
The archaeologist is busy analyzing stones.
In the rubble of legends
he searches for his own eyes
to show
that I am a sightless vagrant on the road
with not one letter in civilization’s alphabet.
Meanwhile in my own time I plant my trees.
I sing of my love.
It is time for me to exchange the word for the deed
Time to prove my love for the land and for the nightingale.

It is not that I am excited about the current elections, which are likely to bring in a government that doesn’t uphold my values. It is the principle that I refuse to be stripped of my human rights. Some might argue that Palestinians in the West Bank can vote for the Palestinian Authority. However, the PA functions more like a municipality than a state. In effect, the Palestinian Authority has no control over borders, immigration issues, airspace, water, and electricity, and cannot even issue a birth certificate or identity card without the Israeli government’s approval. The laws governing all aspects of Palestinian life are decided in Israel and not by the Palestinian Authority. Others might point out that many Palestinians citizens of Israel don’t vote. However, they do have the right to vote but choose to not use it. I personally disagree with those Palestinians who don’t vote because we must speak up, organize and mobilize. Voting is part of that strategy.

The current stalemate in the peace process has created a reality of one state with an ethnocentric democracy. We live in a state where millions of people are denied their rights to influence the government that controls their lives. Many Palestinians live under military law and military rule and are denied basic rights in the legal system.

I am not advocating a one state solution in this article. I am simply refusing to exchange my basic rights for everlasting negotiations and continuous oppression. The excuse that my rights are taken away because the negotiations have not brought about a solution yet is unacceptable to me. I will not have my basic human rights put on hold until negotiations produce results. I ask Israel to treat me like a human being, to give me equal rights and to treat me like a human being. If Israel would like to negotiate until a two-state solution is viable then they should do so. All I ask is that my basic rights are respected, and for an end to the occupation. Israel and the PLO can then take their time negotiating.

Consecutive Israeli governments, one after another, have failed to practice the values they claimed; they have failed to practice true democracy. However, when governments fail it is not an excuse for people not stand up. Actually, it is the duty of the people to challenge the injustices practiced by their governments.

Until few days ago, I wasn’t able to vote. According to the Israeli system, I still cannot vote. However, my friend Liel Maghen asked a few days ago to vote in my place. I told him whom to vote for and he is casting his ballot according to my choice. When Liel told me that he wanted me to vote in his place, I wasn’t surprised. He is a true liberal democrat who is willing to let go of his privilege in order to support equal rights for Palestinians. I have seen him do it before through his relationships with Palestinians. I can only imagine what would happen if more people like Liel take the same step, if they said: “If you don’t give equal rights to my Palestinian friend then I will give up my right to be equal with him or her.” Imagine if tens or hundreds of thousands did that. The Israeli system would receive a shock, a challenge to the policies of oppression like never seen before. Ordinary people can challenge the system and create a new reality that proclaims true democracy.

Israel cannot control another people and still claim to be a democracy.

Related:
Who gets to vote in Israel’s democracy?

Soldiers prevent activists from reaching the main gate of the E1 area where the Palestinian outpost “Bab Al-Shams” is located, January 12, 2013. (photo: Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills)

In the early hours of Sunday morning, hundreds of Israeli soldiers stormed the newly-founded Bab Al-Shams village, evicting Palestinian and international activists. The eviction took place despite an injunction by the High Court of Justice. However, Palestinians at the site were notified ahead of time that they will be removed regardless of the decision.

The Bab Al-Shams village was created only three days ago by over 250 Palestinians and internationals as a nonviolent response to Israel’s recent decision to build settlement units in the E1 area. According to Irene Nasser, an activist who was present at the scene last night, activists at Bab Al-Shams were arrested and  later released at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah. Six Palestinians were injured during the eviction and taken to hospitals in Ramallah and Jerusalem.

The Israeli government’s decision to ignore the High Court injunction and evict the Palestinians from E1 was justified by urgent security needs. However, there was no further explanation regarding said security threat. (In Israel, the term “security threat” can often be used as a license for any oppressive actions toward the Palestinian people.) It is probably that Prime Minister Netanyahu, who ordered the eviction, made the hasty decision due to considerations having to do with the upcoming elections, rather than with security. However, the consequences of the the Israeli government decision go beyond the action against the Palestinian community in Bab Al-Shams. Netanyahu has made a mockery of the Israeli High Court and, in turn, the rule of law.

According to Haaretz, the village was built  mostly on private Palestinian land, rather than “state land.” Therefore, the government’s decision lacks any legal standing, since the Palestinians were not given a chance to defend their case in court.

Palestinians have little faith in the Israeli legal system, as those living in the West Bank are subject to a military court system and do not have the same civil rights as Israelis. Despite the fact that they have some access to the High Court, most Palestinians simply don’t trust the Israeli judiciary system. However, with just a few blunt, anti-democratic measures against Palestinians, the High Court sided with the Palestinians against the state. The eviction of Bab Al-Shams will diminish whatever trust Palestinians had in Israeli courts.

Palestinians learned today that even if the High Court rules in their favor, the Israeli government is entitled to ignore the court. If the current Israeli government can ignore the court’s decisions with no consequences, then perhaps Israel should reconsider calling itself a democracy. And at the very least, Netanyahu’s disregard for the High Court should alarm Israelis.

Israel considers over 100 of the current settlements illegal. Yet, the government turns a blind eye to these settlements, often built on private Palestinian land. Despite their illegal status, these settlements are protected by the IDF, and receive residential services and infrastructural support. Furthermore, Israel has built over 120 “legal” settlements in the West Bank while preventing Palestinians from establishing new towns or villages in Area C, which constitutes more than 60 percent of the West Bank.

The story of the Migron outpost is easily best example of the Israeli government’s double standard vis-a-vis the settlements; despite building on private Palestinian land, and a High Court decision to evict the outpost, the Israeli government ignored the eviction order. The government then became the advocate of Migron’s settlers and requested more time in order to find a “solution” that would suit the settlers. Eventually, the government agreed to move Migron to a new location.

The policy is clear: Palestinians are forbidden from building on their own land, while settlers will be given complete support for building regardless of the legality or consequences.

And although the government was successful in evicting Bab Al-Shams, it could do very little to destroy the inspiration that Bab Al-Shams has given to Palestinians. The effort to challenge the occupation through nonviolence could be a game changer in the Palestinian struggle.

Read more:
Police brings down Palestinian outpost, activists resist peacefully
Palestinians build ‘settlement’ near Jerusalem, receive eviction orders from Border Police

Here is the letter from Gaza:

Thanks for your nice message. We are alright so far, and I truly hope your family is well and safe.

The situation here is really terrible and it’s getting worse day after day, and I’m sure the same applies in Israel. Our leaders don’t care about us. They are playing with our lives and the ordinary people of both sides are the ones who always lose. This has to stop!!

This morning, the Israeli F16 military jets hit our area twice. The first time, they hit the building of the council of ministers with 5 huge missiles just a few homes away from our home. Our home was shaking like an earthquake and our windows broke and shattered everywhere, and I felt the missiles inside our home. It was very scary. Of course serious damages happened to all surrounding buildings in the area.

The first time, the Israeli F16 military jets hit Palestine stadium, which is located in the neighborhood next to my neighborhood, with 4 huge missiles, and caused some damages to my home as well. I heard the huge explosions and saw the flames and it was very terrifying. We see and feel death very close with each bombing. Israel is bombing everywhere in Gaza all the time by air, sea and land. Nowhere to hide … Nowhere is safe … We don’t have shelters … We just stay at home so all of us can die at once if a missile would strike our home.

We are still recovering from the trauma of the first war [Operation Cast Lead in 2008-9 - editor]. How will we recover from this? Also the Israeli army (IDF) is sending text messages to us on mobile phones in Gaza with a warning in Arabic: “The next phase is on the way.” They are trying to intimidate us like what happened in the first Gaza war four years ago.This is insane … How much is too much? … I hope this madness will stop as quickly as possible.

Palestinians gather outside the boys school in East Jerusalem to stop police from entering (Photo: Eyad Abu Sarah)

Earlier in the day, stones were thrown in the At-Tur neighborhood at settlers, and one of them was hit. The police arrived immediately to the scene and launched an attack at the school, suspecting that students were involved in the stone-throwing. Residents from the neighborhood and teachers clashed with the police and stopped them from storming the school and arresting students. According to eye witnesses, the police resorted to punishing the teachers by issuing traffic violations and parking tickets to them upon leaving the school.

+972 magazine talked with some of the parents who refused to identify themselves or their children because of fear of retaliation from the police. One of the parents described a phone call he received from his son:  ”I received a horrifying call from my son whose voice was shaking, he said he can’t leave the school and it is besieged by police. My son was terrified that he would be arrested or killed. He was begging me to get him out of school.”

Collective punishment against Palestinian communities and schools is not a new policy of the Israeli police. Throughout the First Intifada in the late 1980s, similar actions were taken to shut down universities and schools. However, this strategy never succeeded in stopping protests or stone-throwing during the First Intifada. The opposite process happened, with more people becoming active in protesting the occupation.

The police action raises another question regarding their response to stone-throwing at settlers. In an incident that I wrote about last month, a Palestinian beaten by Israeli Jews was barely given any attention by the police. The Palestinian community in Jerusalem is convinced that the Israeli police have double standards when it comes to dealing with violence. When a Palestinian throws a stone, it must be stopped at any price, but when a Jew does the same or worse, it is a minor incident that poses no danger.

This incident comes only few days after Palestinian Israelis commemorated the killing of 13 Palestinians citizens of Israel by police twelve years ago. Unfortunately, many Palestinians under Israel’s rule don’t believe that any lessons have been learned since then. Palestinians don’t believe the premise that the police is fair and doesn’t discriminate according to race or religion.

Closing the school for a week is an unjustifiable decision. First, such an action will not stop youth from throwing stones. On the contrary, they are now free with no school, homework, or activities to participate in. Throwing stones might become even more attractive to students who haven’t done so before. Additionally, attacking a school in this manner causes trauma to teenagers who may suffer from it for years to come. Such trauma could affects the decisions and actions of hundreds of young people. In conclusion, police behavior is counterproductive to their goal of putting an end to stone-throwing. Violence generates more violence and the Palestinian teenagers who encountered the police attack on their school are likely to remember this incident with bitterness and rage.

Lady Bird Johnson said that “children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” If the police treats these children as terrorists or criminals, they could grow up as such. Schools should always be off-limits to police attacks, and collective punishment against children should never be tolerated.

Palestinian children in Jerusalem see growing number of extreme settlers moving into their neighborhood. They watch them take their land and enjoy superior rights and better infrastructure. These children are living the consequences of the occupation. They see injustice carried against their community on daily basis. Violence and collective punishment will not bring a resolution or peace.  The solution is to end the occupation, not to terrify children.

As Nelson Mandela said, “We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.” This is true for Palestinian children just as it is true for Israeli children. It is unacceptable that Palestinian parents have to send their children to schools not knowing if they will come home that afternoon or spend it in an Israeli jail. It is not acceptable that a mother has to convince a child to go to school every morning because he is afraid of the police, as is the case in many families. This is not a normal life, nor does it make Israelis safer when Palestinian children live in trauma and fear.

Perhaps my vision for the future is too naive, but I keep dreaming of a society that respects all humans regardless of race or religion. If that is too much then at least we must expect that children enjoy basic human rights and not be treated as criminals. Is too much to ask that Israeli police officer see a Palestinian 12-year-old child the same way he sees a Jewish one? Mother Teresa put it best when she said, “It’s the greatest poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”

Related:
Chronic uncertainty: Trauma of childhood under occupation
Testimonies by Israeli soldiers detail abuse of Palestinian children
Report by British jurists reminds of the horrors of Israeli child detention

In February 2012, Dr. Marc Gopin and I wrote about the attack on the Baptist church in Jerusalem. Back then, price tag attacks against churches were new. The police issued a statement that they were investigating the incident and would prosecute those responsible. However, little has been done against the perpetrators. This is not surprising, considering the number of price tag attacks against Muslim sites in the past few years, which resulted in almost no arrests. I wrote in October last year about the repeated attacks on mosques that went unnoticed. Now, it seems that we are witnessing the same story all over again.

I find it hard to believe that the Israel Police and Shin Bet security service are unable to find the perpetrators. Many consider the Shin Bet to be one of the top security agencies in the world. However it seems that its ability is limited to arresting Arab suspects, and it is unable to overcome an ethnic bias. Nationalist crimes carried by Jews against Muslims and Christians receive no more than condemnations. The offenders against Christians and Muslims know that they are not going to be held accountable. I am willing to bet money that no one will be prosecuted for this attack. Unfortunately, I also believe that attacks against Christian and Muslim holy sites will continue to take place.

Israel is in dire need for a major reform. It needs to transform from a state that exists to only protect the Jewish people, Jewish sites and Jewish identity to become a state willing to respect and protect all its citizens equally. Israel cannot continue to claim democracy when vandalism against a Jewish site ends with immediate arrests and prosecution while vandalism against Muslim and Christian sites are met with no more than condemnations and lip service.

Democracy is more than holding regular elections. It also entails the development of a ‘democratic culture’ within society and creating a system for managing difference without returning to violence.
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

Israel’s claim to democracy is challenged by the fact that non-Jewish citizens don’t feel the same security Jews feel in Israel. An ethnic democracy favouring one religion and one ethnicity, and promoting the superiority of one identity is no democracy. However, perhaps it is too much to ask from Israel to transform into a true  democracy within the Green Line, while the occupation is still intact in the West Bank.

Related:
Price tag attack on J’lem church provokes religious condemnation
WATCH: Three ‘Price Tag’ attacks in as many days
Shin Bet impotent in face of settler “Price Tag” attacks

Handala graffiti in the West Bank village of Bil’in. (Photo:Palobserver/Wikicommons)

A few weeks ago, on a tour I was leading through the Old City of Jerusalem, I stopped next to a souvenir shop with a t-shirt display outside. I wanted to explain certain cultural and political things that were printed on these shirts. On one of the shirts was the famous cartoon figure “Handala,” created by Naji al-Ali, the most well known Palestinian cartoonist. Al-Ali was assassinated due to his controversial cartoons.

I told the group about al-Ali’s life – he was a Palestinian refugee and a fearless man who spoke his mind. Everyone was subject to his criticism. I continued by describing Handala, a cartoon which depicts a 10-year-old boy with his back turned to the reader. The cartoon has become a symbol of the Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice.

After a few minutes, the owner of the shop came out and started nodding his head in approval. I asked him if it was okay for me to continue talking about the shirts. He said yes. After I was done with my remarks, the shopkeeper told me that I was excellent, saying “I am happy with your explanation, it was remarkable and well done.”

Soon thereafter, the co-leader of the tour, an Israeli named Shira Nesher, turned the attention of the group toward the other t-shirts displayed outside the shop. One was an IDF shirt, another was an Israel Police shirt. There were other funny ones, such as a t-shirt that read “Super Jew.” There were also shirts with political slogans like “America don’t worry… Israel is behind you.”

Suddenly, the shopkeeper face turned into a frown. He looked at me and said “I am not happy with what she is saying.” I asked him why he is selling such t-shirts if he is not happy with them. He stumbled and finally said “tell them that I am forced to sell these shirts – they force me to display them,” referring to the Israeli government.

However, reality is different. I know of shops in Jerusalem that do not sell these kind of shirts. Shopkeepers make a choice based on ideology, and that choice costs them financially. Many tourists in Jerusalem want to buy these Israeli shirts. Our shopkeeper, like many others, is faced with a dilemma: sell t-shirts that go against their ideology, or make less money. Despite choosing to sell the shirts, our Palestinian shopkeeper was not proud of displaying the IDF logo. On the contrary, he seemed ashamed to the point that he had to lie about being forced to do it by the government.

The dilemma facing the shopkeeper is not unique. Traveling around the country, I have met many Palestinians in similar situations. Tens of thousands of Palestinians faced a similar dilemma several weeks ago, when they received permits to enter Israel during Eid al-Fitr (the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan). While many Palestinians support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement (BDS) and are against vacationing with Israelis, the beaches in Tel Aviv were full of Palestinians who have never been before. Thousands of Palestinians took the chance to shop in Israeli stores for the Muslim holiday. These Palestinians were met with the dilemma of ideology versus curiosity, causing many of them to act in ways contradictory to their political beliefs. Those who went to the beaches in Tel Aviv choose to show their kids the sea that they had only heard of.

The shopkeeper in the Old City, the Palestinian shoppers in Israeli malls, and those vacationing in Tel Aviv had an internal clash between identity, ideology, politics and reality. Many Palestinians face similar dilemmas on daily basis. They live in a place where making any decision in life is a dilemma.

One friend told me that has been shopping at Rami Levi supermarket which is known for being a pro-settlements chain. He claimed that the prices are sometimes 10 times cheaper than Palestinian shops in the West Bank. It is a large store, and isn’t subject to the same restrictions, taxes and fees (due to checkpoints) as Palestinian shops. He justified his actions by explaining that he cannot afford to shop in a Palestinian store.

I quickly began explaining how he needs to support Palestinian shops and the Palestinian economy. I asked him whether he feels guilty buying from a settler shop instead of a Palestinian one.

He looked at me with a puzzled face, and after a sigh told me that I could not understand his reality. He continued, saying, “You have a good job, you can afford being self-righteous and spend 8 times more in order to buy in the Palestinian store. I can’t.” He explained that he has to choose between a hungry night for his children for the sake of a political ideology on one hand, or compromising for the sake of feeding the children on the other.

After talking to him, I found myself facing a dilemma of my own. On one hand, I wanted to tell him that one cannot grow the Palestinian economy by shopping in the settlements. Prices will go even higher and unemployment will increase if people continue to buy from settlements. Palestinians inevitably increase their suffering by not supporting Palestinian products. On the other hand, I could not tell the man to keep his children hungry. I left feeling conflicted – knowing what is right, but also understanding the price others have to pay.

Research shows that the people behind “Innocence of Muslims,” the film which disrespects Islam and the Prophet Muhammad and set off riots across the Middle East after it was uploaded to YouTube, are nothing more than a few Islalmophobic individuals. They produced a very a low cost, low quality film which aims to mock the Prophet Muhammad, and present Islam as a violent and irrational religion.

The producers of the film were able to achieve more than what they desired or expected. It was not the film itself that had an impact on those watching, but rather the violent response of Muslims protesting the film in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan and other countries. These violent protests gave power to the producers. Without them, it is probably fair to guess that the film would not have gotten any attention or almost any views.

However, by now thousands of people watched the trailer due to the protestors. Since one of the goals of the film is to show Muslims as violent irrational people, the violent protestors confirmed the negative image of Muslims. Those who do not know much about Islam or Muslims are watching the protests on television; they see Muslims attacking embassies, and appearing angry and untrustworthy.

If we take a deeper look, I am convinced that the self-proclaimed Muslims attacking embassies and foreigners are the true enemies of Islam. It is they who are insulting the Prophet legacy more than any film or production. The real challenge facing Muslims today is how stop such people from becoming the face of Islam.

The film is disgusting and disrespectful, but should these protestors punish diplomats from foreign countries? Aren’t these diplomats guests that should be respected? One cannot fix a wrong with another wrong, and attacking Americans or foreigners to punish few individuals behind the film is a criminal act. Instead, a good Muslim would follow in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet used to tell his followers not to respond to insults with insults, but rather to do good to those who insult. He said, “I have family that I do good to them, but they insult me, and I visit them and they don’t reciprocate. Therefore choose the better path. A person you have enmity with, be to him like a dear friend.” Perhaps self righteous Muslims who are violently protesting should take more time to learn about Islam, rather than use it in a disgraceful way.

According to the Hadith (saying of the Prophet), the Prophet said, “he who believes in God and the Last Day must honor his guest” (Sahih Bukhari). When the prophet was asked by other Muslims to pray against their unbeliever enemies, he responded. “I was not sent to curse but to be merciful” (Sahih Muslim).

One of the stories I grew up hearing in my Islamic school is about the Prophet’s Islamophobic neighbor. This person would leave his garbage outside the Prophet’s house every day without fail. One day, the neighbor was to sick to leave his garbage. The Prophet was so concerned for his neighbor that he went to visit him at his home in order to offer his assistance.

Now, as I watch the television stations and read the calling of some self-declared Imams to protest – to attack and kill – I ask myself why. Where did these people get their knowledge from? These self-righteous preachers and protestors are the ones insulting the Prophet and his legacy. While thousands of people are dying on a daily basis in Syria, these protestors seem more concerned with a crappy film than with innocent lives. Why aren’t they in streets protesting the massacres in Syria?

Muslims today face a challenge to protect Islam from radicals and ignorance. Preachers, leaders and Muslim communities must speak louder and louder against such violence. However, the ignorance is a result of an education failure. These protestors did not learn the Islam that teaches peace and love, but rather have gotten a corrupted version which calls for violence.

Yet in the midst of this depressing week, I found some inspiration. My encouragement came from Libya, the place where U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens was killed last week. People came out and spoke up against the thugs and killers in the name of Islam. Some Muslims decided to stand up to those trying to brand Islam as a violent, intolerant religion. Most importantly, they were willing to take responsibility. During the protest, people held signs denouncing the murder of the American ambassador. Other signs disowned the killers and apologized to the American people.

I found that the photo below generated much discussion on Facebook. Some took the negative route, comparing Muhammad to Jesus as if they were sworn enemies, while others claimed that this was a minority of Muslims who believe in peace and respect. What was most important for me is that people were inspired by this photo. Thousands of people liked and shared this photo because it strengthened hope in a future without religious enmity.

Muslims protesting the killing of the American Ambassador in Libya (facebook)

I believe the people in the photo represent the silent majority among Muslims. They represent a majority that needs to follow in the footsteps of the courageous ones who speak up and defend their faith. This is the kind of protest that honors Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Now, we need more Muslims to toughen up, get rid of their indifference, get out and speak up for peace and against the misrepresentation of Islam.

Another attack took place last Friday, in a gas station, against a Palestinian worker. All of these attacks have one thing in common: groups of racist Jewish groups feeling safe enough to attack Palestinians without fear of being brought to justice. The Israel Police is yet to deal with this epidemic in the city, or work to protect Palestinians as it works to protect Jerusalem’s Jewish population.

Nassim Abu Ramuz, who was attacked by Israeli Jews in Jerusalem on Friday, September 7, 2012

To understand these attacks more, I spoke with Nassim Abu Ramuz, 21, from East Jerusalem and learned from him about his confrontation with three Jewish men at his work. Below is the interview.

Where do you work?

I work in a gas station in Katamon. I have been working there for three years.

Were you ever attacked or assaulted before while working there?

No, Things were okay until this event.

So, tell me what happened on that night you were attacked.

I was doing the night shift, there is not much work so I work on my laptop. A car pulled in with three men and a woman. The woman asked for the bathroom key and I gave it to her. Then one of the guys called me to fill gas with NIS 20. I asked him to turn the car around because the gas tank was on the other side. He said that he was tired and high, so I pulled the gas pipe toward the other side of the car.

Did you notice anything wrong with them?

They had beer with them, they might have had too much to drink.

What happened next?

They were cussing at each other in the car. One of the guys came out from the car. He said that he needed help because the car was overheating. I helped him and gave him water to add to the radiator.

It seems you got a long okay, how did the violence start?

The other guy in the car threw a bottle of beer in the water bucket that customers use to clean car windows. I asked him why he did that and told him not to do such things. He started yelling at me saying “You are disgusting Arab, you don’t tell me what to do, you live in our city, we do what we want here, we can kill you if we want.” I could see anger and violence on his face.

What did you do then?

I walked away towards my office, I pressed the emergency button which starts the alarm and calls security. The same guy heard the alarm and came towards me. He said, so, you are calling the police! You think something will happen to us? I am not afraid and I am going to kill you. You are disgusting Arab, and started cussing at my mother and sister using an word Arab between every other word. Suddenly he walked towards me and started punching me, and the other two guys ran out of the car and held me while the other guy hit me. Then they threw me on the ground and they kept kicking me and hitting me.

What made them stop?

Fortunately, a few minutes later, group of workers at the Dominos Pizza nearby passed by the gas station after finishing their shift. They saw what was happening and came and pulled these guys away from me. They saved my life.

Did you call the police?

Yes, The police came, I told them what happened. We have cameras at the station so they could find out the car number and all the details they needed. Then they left. They told me that they will find them and bring them to justice. I on the other hand went to Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem.

The police were contacted by Ynetnews on Saturday night and they said the “were aware of the case and that it will be investigated once a complaint is filed.” So, they are not looking for the perpetrators because you didn’t file a complaint yet. But you say they came and took your testimony on site.

Yes they came the same night. I couldn’t go to the police station because I was in the hospital but when I left the hospital I went to the police station and filed a complaint. I don’t understand why they didn’t investigate before I went to the police station in person.

What was the reason these guys attack you? Was it alcohol or is it another reason?

One of them was shouting, “You disgusting Arab, I am going to kill you.” It was clear that they attacked me for being an Arab. They didn’t see me as a human being, they didn’t care about hitting me. Maybe alcohol made had an effect but I don’t think they would have attacked me if I were Jewish.

Are you afraid to go back?

I told my boss at the gas station that I am not going to work night shift again. I don’t want to put my life in danger. I was lucky that the Dominos Pizza guys heard me and saved my life otherwise I would have been dead. It is not worth it to work the night shift and be killed.

What do you want to happen to the perpetrators?

I want them to be held responsible for what they did to me. They should be arrested and taking to court and sentenced.

Do you believe the police will be arrest them and charge them?

I can’t tell. From what I hear and know it is hard to believe something will happen to the guys who attacked me. I am worried that the police paid me lip service. They have all the evidence they need to get them and charge them. It is up to them to really make it happen or not. The perpetrators called the Dominos Pizza shop and asked them to organize a sulha [reconciliation] between me and them. I refused and passed the phone number to the police. These guys are not hiding so there is no excuse for the police not to arrest them.

Why is your faith in the Israeli police is so shaken?

Every day, there are incidents of Jews attacking Palestinians in West Jerusalem. They don’t all get to the media but it has become the norm. The same day I was attacked there were two other incidents of Jewish boys attacking Palestinians. No one seems to care.

Do you believe there is a chance that coexistence can happen in Jerusalem between Jews and Arabs?

From the news and reality on the ground. I don’t have much faith in peace or reconciliation anytime soon. things are getting worse. As I said, attacks against Palestinians happen every day in Jerusalem. People say peace needs to happen between people, but I am not sure it is possible. Maybe if our politicians make a decision for peace, it can happen.

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At this point, Fathi Abu Ramuz,  Nassim’s father, joined the conversation to contribute a few points. Fathi was more expressive and perhaps more angry than his son. He stressed:

When an Arab attacks a Jew in Jerusalem or anywhere, the Israel Police declares an emergency and the Palestinian is caught within minutes or hours. However, when a Palestinian is assaulted, the police do nothing even when they have all the evidence in their hands.

I believe the police wants the violence against Arabs. The country lack of response to attacks against Arabs is a proof that it is encouraging these attacks. The youth that are going around attacking Arabs are carrying the policy of the Israeli state. Their hatred is coming from their government.  So I say to the police, please make a decision to stop violence. Enough is Enough.

They might ask you why you choose to work in an Israeli place?

I live in Jerusalem, I have to work in Jerusalem. You came to Jerusalem after me.  If you don’t want us to work here give us our state and we will not work in your shops. But if you hire our children then you have to guarantee their safety. You cannot hire our children to be attacked and killed and then ask us to do nothing about it. You are generating violence by allowing these attacks. You are feeding into racism.

Are you hopeful that the guys who attacked your son will be brought to justice?

I hope so, but I am not delusional. The police works from racist ideology themselves. If they wanted to catch the perpetrators they could have already. These guys are free because the police doesn’t care. So, I am pessimistic. but I hope they prove me wrong and deliver on their promise of bringing us justice.

More on recent attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem:
> The holy war against Arab-Jewish relations and the Jerusalem lynch
> Attacks on Palestinians highlight history of lax enforcement on Jewish extremists

Protest against the rising cost of living in Bethlehem, West Bank (photo: RRB/Activestills.org)

Prime Minister Fayyad found himself at the center of the anger and frustration of the Palestinians. In the first few years following his appointment, Fayyad received rave reviews by locals and internationals alike for his work in reviving the Palestinian economy and tackling corruption. However, he is now facing a financial crisis, considered the worst since the Palestinian Authority’s inception, due to a dip in donor funding and rising costs of living.

Despite an expected 5 percent growth in the Palestinian economy this year, this growth is a deceptive figure. The Palestinian economy is captive to the Israeli occupation and is regulated and handcuffed by the Paris Protocol, an agreement that preceded the Oslo Accords. In a recent post, Haggai Matar explained new modifications to the Paris Protocol, which reaffirm Israel’s control over the Palestinian economy. Haggai explains how in a time when Palestinians are shifting towards popular resistance, an economic agreement with Israel contributes to the irrelevance of their  government. While Palestinian activists have been calling on the Palestinian Authority to annul the Paris Protocol, Fayyad has defended the agreement, claiming the present problems are not related.

Based on the Paris Protocol, every new economic opportunity in the Palestinian territories is subject to Israeli approval. For example, it took the Wataniya telecommunications company years to get Israel’s approval to launch. Wataniya, like the Palestinian economy on the whole, was held hostage by the Israeli government as a bargaining chip.

The Palestinian economy is dependent on foreign support to the PA and NGOs, which are the biggest employers in the Palestinian territories. Even now, as Palestinians protest against Fayyad, some are calling him to solve the unemployment problem among youth by increasing government jobs. Many Palestinians have begun to see government and NGOs jobs as their only employment possibilities.

Yesterday, Fayyad responded to his critics in a series of posts on his Facebook page, which argued his case and why he shouldn’t resign from his position. He responded to those accusing him of being out of touch and unsympathetic to the Palestinian street struggles. He started his posts by saying that he understands the Palestinian suffering and their living conditions because of the hike in prices, and that he hopes that they will be able to overcome this crisis together.

He also criticized the violence in the protests against him and said:

I respect freedom of expression in all its forms even when it includes personal insults against me and doubts my intentions. I accept it. But putting burned tires on the roads and throwing stones at the fire trucks and not allowing ambulances to pass is not within freedom of expression.

In his defense, Fayyad blamed the occupation for the crisis, pointing out checkpoints, roadblocks and a lack of resources. He also blamed the donor nations who have not paid what they pledged to the Palestinians, singling out the Arab countries for not keeping their promises. Fayyad seemed frustrated when he wrote, “ I don’t have a magic wand to fix these issues easily, we are in a financial crisis and that is the truth.”

Fayyad is not known to be popular among many Fatah leaders. As the protests started, Fatah leaders began to speak about  the need to replace him, and some claim that Abbas is already holding consultations on a possible replacement. One of the harshest critics of Fayyad was Tawfiq El-Tirawi, the former head of intelligence and member of the Fatah Central Committee. Tirawi blamed Fayyad for increasing the Palestinian debt to over $4 billion, and accused him of leading the Palestinians towards destruction. On the other hand, Fayyad found some support from Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Shaath, the head of the Fatah Commission of International Relations. He defended Fayyad, arguing that the premier is not the problem or the reason for the prices hike.

Fayyad himself responded to those calling for his resignation by saying that he is not holding tight to his position. He claimed that he is willing to step aside if he is not able to deal with the situation, and if his departure will offer a solution.

This is toughest challange Prime Minister Fayyad has yet to face in his job. While it is true that there are many external factors to the Palestinian financial crisis, he is in a role of responsibility. Just like he took credit for bringing more money from donors to the territories, he has to face his failure in making the Palestinian economy dependent on unreliable donor funds.

However, what is more important than whether or not Prime Minister Fayyad holds onto his job is the role of the Palestinian Authority. Since it’s inception, the Palestinian Authority failed to deliver on its promises. No statehood, no freedom, and no dignity for the Palestinian people. Its sole justification for existence has become providing services, creating government jobs, facilitating modest business growth, fundraising, providing some internal law and security services, and – some say - enabling the Israeli occupation. If the Palestinian Authority is unable to provide basic services, then its role and purpose are unclear. The Palestinian Authority’s reason for existence is going become an increasingly tough sell to the Palestinian people, who might turn against it when they are done with Fayyad.

Related:
PA-Israel trade agreements only stabilize occupation
Abbas: Israel’s man in Ramallah
The man who invented the PA calls for it to be dismantled