Obama & Illegal Israeli Settlements

Short of Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain uncovering a torrid love affair between Senator Barack Obama and a gay terrorist, by this time next week we will be discussing the impending Obama Administration and the plans for improving America’s International standing both in the Middle East and throughout the globe.

Desperate to shore up the Jewish vote in the United States, Obama supporters have purchased significant airtime in Israel to convince their American expats that Obama is ‘good’ for Israel. The following ‘infomercial’ is therefore worth watching (if only to see the radical methods being employed to reassure Israelis - and their supporters in the U.S. - that an Obama Presidency is not a threat to Israel’s status quo):

The bigger issue facing the next American President, however, is the plan for establishing peace throughout the region and reviving the now almost totally defunct ‘2-State Solution’ - a plan that realistically seems preposterous given the non-contiguous situation in the West Bank where settlements, bypass roads, and checkpoints continue to expand.

Look - we all have high hopes for an Obama-led ‘global change management’ initiative, but its worth remembering what it has taken to get Obama into this position in the first place (and who he will have to appease accordingly). We all know the unfortunate speech he was ‘forced’ to make to AIPAC on the day following his securing of the Democratic Nomination (and from the video above, the price that will need to be paid to the Israel Lobbyists).

More importantly, looking back through history, how successful have U.S. Presidents ever been in attempting to halt the settlement situation in the West Bank (and thus enable any form of lasting peace or a viable Palestinian State)? For an excellent overview of what Obama faces, and what his predecessors have faced, take a look at this brief video from Al Jazeera:

Writing this with the greatest desire to see Obama lead America from next January, it is important to remain realistic - and all the more crucial to realize that the true fight for ‘change’ is only just beginning.

Where On Earth is a Palestine Football Jersey?

OK this isn’t funny anymore. In the throes of my Palestinian football fervor, I spent nearly 4 hours online yesterday trying to simply locate and purchase a Palestine National Team football jersey. Brimming with respect for the accomplishments of the Palestinian National side against Jordan in Ramallah on Sunday, I felt it my duty to proudly sport the kit around London (at least before it gets too cold) - while trying to politically dilute the annoying club football jerseys you see at every turn.

The result - absolutely NOTHING. Apparently had I desired the national team jersey of Namibia or Kazakhstan or perhaps that casino-rich little island nation of Macau (pop. 400K) I’d be in business.

So as a mild departure from serious issues facing Palestine this week, I am appealing to sportswear manufacturers worldwide to end this blockade of Palestinian jerseys. Let your silkscreens run without prejudice! Free your polyester from the vestiges of imperialism!

Heck, I’d even take a replica t-shirt or some socks at this point…

Palestine Football: Escape to Victory?

I have been extremely heartened to read that the first International friendly match was played in Palestine for the first time yesterday as the Palestinian National side drew 1-1 with neighbor and rival, Jordan. Now that FIFA has officially recognized Palestine’s right to play a home match (for the first time in its history), is that not a form of International recognition of the State of Palestine?

An overjoyed fan at Ramallah’s new FIFA-sponsored $4 million football stadium summed it up perfectly:

Our national team, in our stadium, means we exist no less than any other nation in the world.

What is more encouraging is that unlike International matches played in Jordan or Qatar (as has been the norm for the Palestinian Team), several players from Gaza were allowed to travel, including Palestine’s first goal scorer on home soil, Ahmed Kashkash.

After months of negotiation, Israel finally granted 2-day passes to several Gaza players, although any International Football Manager will tell you that 2 days is far from adequate to train and acclimate the players to all aspects of the team’s gameplan.  Worse, several Palestinian players (many rated as the best in the squad) were not allowed access to the West Bank to join the National Team for reasons Israel has defended as ’security concerns’.

So while we can rejoice at the tremendous odds surmounted by a National Team under Occupation, I can’t help but feel an odd correlation to the less than polished 1981 World War II film, Escape to Victory (or simply Victory in the US). I will do you the service of not dwelling too long on this rather simple film - but its premise is strangely similar to what occurred yesterday in Ramallah. Let’s see:

Imprisoned football players living in camps struggling to form a team = Check.

Occupiers deny many of the best players access to the team = Check.

Local crowd (amidst Occupation) feel national pride for the first time years = Check.

Heroic match ends in a symbolic draw = Check.

Only problem with that film - it was FICTION. Luckily there is some tidy reality left to keep us entertained. That’s better than Hollywood any day, and for those searching for yet another reason to recognize Palestine and what can be achieved even under Occupation, there is no better evidence. Hopefully this bit of news can appeal to those who require a little hand holding - or simply to those who know a good script when they see one.

Regardless, Bravo Palestine! I’m off to buy my new team jersey…

The Badge of Liberalism

Since returning to the UK from Palestine last week and re-immersing myself in the news and media of the ‘West’, some very clear patterns have become more discernible; more transparent. We all know the media bias in the U.S. toward Israel, and although a more pro-Palestinian stance is often apparent in the UK & Europe, I think we are all at risk of missing the bigger picture here.

The last few months, the term ‘news’ has been synonymous with only two major events: 1) The U.S. Presidential Election, 2) The Global Economic Crisis. Not to deny or diminish the far reaching implications of both of these significant subjects, I fear some of the best ‘minds’ capable of truly making a difference or at the very least making ‘noise’ about human issues still occurring in the world (Palestine, Darfur, Tibet, AIDS in Africa, homelessness on our own streets in Western cities) are - as I was before my recent visit to Palestine - ‘asleep at the wheel’.

There is an all together different form of media hypnosis and subsequent apathy that occurs in the intellectual, the devout liberal, and even the activist. By being swept up in the frenzy of elections or manufactured fear of the ‘credit crisis’ we allow ourselves (if only for a few days or weeks) to lapse into the cleverly disguised superficial - perhaps just as mollified by news clips of Sarah Palin or Barack Obama as those ’sheep’ we wittily denegrate watching reality television or reading celebrity bios.

In my eyes, wearing a self-anointed badge of intellectual or liberal or activist must be accompanied by action. Action to find some ‘real’ news of life and humanity occurring around you and throughout the world. Action to speak up, give a strong voice to an issue that quietly whispers among your friends or in the media. Action to discuss subjects beyond the Presidential Elections or your pocketbook and revive discourse on the real, the important, the urgent. If not, we all risk believing that a new U.S. President or a stagnant economy are the main issues in our world. The main issues in life.

You have to earn the badge you wear - however you define yourself. Time to get to work.

Huwwara Checkpoint, Nablus

During last week’s travels through the West Bank, one of the most enduring images that has remained was the situation at the Huwwara Checkpoint south of Nablus on the eve of Yom Kippur.

Notorious for its extensive harrassment of Palestinians attempting to travel to and from Nablus (including students simply commuting to school), the Checkpoint has regularly been the scene of violent clashes between the IDF, resistance fighters (including the Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade), and peaceful residents trying simply to gain access to see family or loved ones living on either side of the border.

The queues lack any sense of order, designed simply to harass and dehumanize the Palestinians who in many cases can wait up to 10 hours to cross the checkpoint. Students are forced to do this daily (!) and many never reach their classes for days on end.

As the sun began to set last Wednesday evening, we became increasingly concerned our group would suffer the same fate as the hundreds of Palestinians herded in and around the security fence. Although fearful, I marveled at the calm - the dignity -  that remained within a people who are forced to endure this treatment every day of their lives. At the last moment, given our International passports, we were whisked away and across the checkpoint - the feeling of guilt and privilege remaining with me even today.

The friction at the checkpoint last Wednesday was palpable. It is not therefore surprising to read today of two reports of Israeli violence at the Huwwara Checkpoint - both within the last 48 hours. According to the International Middle East Centre, a 20-year old Palestinian boy was shot on Tuesday evening at Huwwara simply for approaching the soldiers in frustration at his daily commute and ongoing harassment by the IDF. According to the site:

Adham Shihadeh, 20, began walking through the crossing, and did not stop when Israeli soldiers shouted at him. The soldiers then began firing live rounds at the young man, injuring him in the foot.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. Last night (Wednesday evening) the IMEU reported that a 16-year old boy was beaten and detained by the IDF, again, for being ’suspected’ of carrying a knife (in other words - for no apparent reason).

This has not been an exceptional week. This is every week.

And as we must always point out, this situation continues in flagrant violation of International Law (UN Resolution 242).

This is Huwwara. This is life in Nablus. This is Palestine.

Balata Refugee Camp (Video)

Continuing bruisedearth’s goal of original content, this is a collection of videos shot throughout the Balata Refugee Camp in Nablus on October 8th, 2008. For further background on Balata, please visit the bruisedearth photoset for images and history.

http://www.vimeo.com/vimeo.com/1921536

Balata Refugee Camp - Nablus

We have a toured a number of refugee camps along the separation barrier and throughout the West Bank over past months. Perhaps the most sobering was our visit to Balata Refugee Camp in Nablus yesterday where over 26,000 people live in less than one square kilometer.

A photojourney (with captions and explanations) has been created. Please click below to learn more:

Live From The West Bank

This is a ‘rough cut’ selection of videos shot throughout Hebron and the West Bank this week (October 6/7) as bruisedearth continues through Palestine. Continue to follow us on the Web and on twitter. Today we journey to Nablus - stay tuned!

http://www.vimeo.com/vimeo.com/1910175