LIFE UNDER CURFEW

David Cockburn – has returned to the Middle East.
He continues to keep Edges informed of the situation.

The shouts outside woke me, and for the second time in the week I was afraid. The sounds of soldiers beating on steel doors, as they entered the old market area at about 12-30 am was un-nerving. For the past week we’d been living under 24 hour curfew – which applies only to Palestinians, not Jewish settlers or internationals – and we had received many phone calls in that time, asking for our help – to escort children to school, to monitor Palestinians being detained for prolonged ID checks, or to be present when soldiers were breaking into houses and damaging property.

With each phone call had come the need to respond, probably bringing confrontations with Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers. Our non-violence training, and need for spiritual calmness were being put to the test, and it was wearying. Language difficulties complicated the situations, but generally we coped. But nevertheless we knew that we had to respond when we could, and we knew that we were doing some good.

So it was a huge relief to hear the 12 or so soldiers break into 3 groups, and hear their voices slowly fade away as they went through the deserted market area, still banging door; thankfully the phone did not ring. If I was afraid, what about Palestinian residents?

Hebron was a bizarre enough place when I first visited, some 18 months before, during a Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) fact-finding delegation. It’s a divided city, which causes great tensions between the communities. H1, the Palestinian controlled area, is home to about 80,000 Palestinians. H2, the Israeli controlled area, has 4 small Jewish ‘settlements’, the Tomb of Abraham / Ibrahimi Mosque, and 20,000 Palestinians. Only this area has curfew imposed. Just outside Hebron are the major ‘settlements’ of Kiryat Arba and Harsina. Now I was back, this time as a trained and signed up ‘Reservist’ member of CPT, for two weeks in the city. The city was even more bizarre, more battle scarred, and with more deprivation and fear.

A couple of nights before, we had been called out to observe soldiers searching a house, and to request that the soldiers leave. The caller had said that soldiers were breaking things. One family member claimed to have been hit, while the soldiers claimed they were looking for curfew breakers. Soon after we arrived the soldiers left – observing and photographing can prevent abuses. We took no photographs – using a flash gun at night with heavily armed and frightened soldiers is not recommended. In the narrow passageways of the old city, with high buildings, the soldiers are potentially vulnerable, but no Palestinian is stupid enough to fire on them from there, as the retaliation would be devastating.

Life under curfew is very difficult for Palestinians. It can last days at a time, and while I was there one period lasted for 5 days, with only a 2 hour break for people to buy food. Naturally that makes getting to a job almost impossible, and many others have lost their jobs during the Intifada, or are market traders, so work – and income - is in short supply.

During curfew, teachers and children are supposedly allowed to go to school – but are often stopped, or harassed by soldiers. Escorting children was building peace – if the children were not there, their education would suffer, they might throw stones at soldiers, and their other education – life under military occupation - would increase. The parallels with Belfast were clear. When teachers or children were stopped we spent much time observing, questioning soldiers, contacting their commanders, and helping to get them through. Several times soldiers declared a ‘Closed Military Zone’, meaning that we could be arrested if we did not leave. We stayed, and staying took away some of their power. Non-violence can work!

The four Jewish ‘settlements’ in Hebron are the cause of much of the tension. About 400 settlers live there, and walk between them and the Tomb of Abraham. Often they are heavily armed, and abusive to Palestinians and Internationals. Verbal (being called nazis) and physical (stonings or assault) abuse of Palestinians and team members from them is not uncommon, and usually IDF soldiers take no action; if a Palestinian had done the same things at the least they would have been stopped, more probably arrested. Responding with gracious words, and seeking to love those who would make themselves our enemies was hard work. 18 months before it had been much easier to have a conversation with soldiers or settlers.

Slowly these settlements are expanding, and areas around them have been trashed, and Palestinian shops have had the star of David painted on them – as a sign of future possession. Compared to 18 months ago, fewer Palestinians live in the old market – life is getting too difficult – but moving out gives the potential for occupation by settlers – a sort of low level ethnic cleansing.

ID checks are supposedly for ‘security’, but in reality are used to harass Palestinians. Just before I was in Hebron, one of the team heard shouting, and coming round a corner saw a Palestinian against a wall, with soldiers shouting at him, and kicking the wall right next to him. Imagine being that Palestinian – not knowing whether the next kick would be to you, or the wall. When the soldiers saw the team member they stopped shouting and kicking. Being there and observing can make a difference, and its one of the reasons why Palestinians have long been asking for an international observer team, and why it has been resisted by Israel. We always carry phones and cameras, but even just standing watching can calm situations…. But, at times it feels vulnerable.

The other time I was afraid was when some Palestinians started shooting, and this quickly escalated into the IDF using heavy weapons, only a few tens of metres away from our apartment. Was I mad to be there I asked myself? In mid-August I’d planned to go out in October / November, but was asked to go in mid-September. The timing seemed good, so I agreed, and had an intense month preparing (as well as doing a full time job). I was booked to fly on September 15^th. After the September 11 tragedy, I considered pulling out. We are peacemakers, and the middle east more than ever needed people to pray and act for peace. I was concerned however, but very glad to have a praying church behind me, and caring friends. Talking to the team before I went, the situation seemed reasonable, but I was aware that I was entering a potential war zone, and aware that even there God is present.

I was surprised how many Palestinians we met spontaneously offered condolences – most of the team is north American – and nowhere did we hear or see any pleasure at the tragedy. For the most part the attitude was ‘we know what it is to suffer’.

Taking a group of four Europeans around the old city while under curfew, an old woman emerged from her house saying she was hungry. Fortunately the curfew was lifted shortly afterwards, but if it had not been, some 40 Palestinian women were going to break curfew and go to the Palestinian controlled area and buy food. We had been asked to escort them, as with our presence they were much less likely to be harassed by settlers, or stopped by soldiers. We don’t initiate such actions, as they need to be led by locals, but we know that by being there we can help them. Any actions which help to reduce suffering, and offer a non-violent way of challenging injustice reduce fear and build peace. Palestinian women can act much more freely than men, who are likely to be arrested.

Sadly, on the Jewish New Year, we got a call to go and monitor some Bedouin near Samu’, close to the new Jewish settlement of Suzea. The IDF had come in the night, and destroyed several homes, leaving the message that they would be back that evening to finish the job. We went with Palestinian human rights monitors. Some 120 people had been made homeless, and had their possessions stacked on trailers to move away. In one location, some 20 young men, had been made homeless – was this action more or less likely to turn them towards violence ?

The reasons for the expulsions were clear. They were close to a road and powerline, running between two expanding Jewish settlements. The settlements wanted their land, and the IDF was helping that. Its low-level ethnic cleansing, and while it is going on, there is little hope for peace. The settlements themselves are illegal, and built on confiscated Palestinian land. However, it is not unique, all over the West Bank and Gaza, homes are demolished so settlements can expand. Its done either by armed settlers, or the IDF, and is experienced as terrorism. Tragically, and inconsistently, the U.S. continues to arm and fund Israel while it is doing this.