Tristan Anderson

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36435
i just read all about Tristan Anderson, yes, the boyfriend of the girl I was on birthright with. He's still in critical condition, as far as i know, and he had a part of his frontal lobe removed. They've been going to the Ni'ilin protests for a few weeks on Fridays, and they described them as "crazy" every time, but the 6th they said was calmer than before. But the protests in the village are intense, with army hummers chasing people around and shooting tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and live ammunition. Just for protesting what the International Court says is an illegal wall. In Ni'ilin, it is especially bad.
He's a nice, really interesting, funny guy, who is well-read but has little formal education. He's a hard-core protester who has protested all over the world at "free trade" meetings and anti-war protests. He has all kinds of knowledge about the different military and police weaponry and procedures. Anyway, it is really sad to be reading about him from the comfort of a touristy beach town in Egypt. It was something completely unnecessary, that the Israeli military didn't have to do. I guess to steal land force is always involved (the wall is well within the Green Line). Still, they way they SHOOT tear gas at people... if they wanted to, they could have thrown it, or shot it anywhere but at someone's face. But, that's the way it is, Israel has complete power and its soldiers do whatever they want, carrying out missions that provoke more violence.
Anyway, I'm here, safe, and I just got my open water certification. I'm going to St. Catherine's monastery at Mt. Sinai soon, hopefully tomorrow, then maybe Luxor, Cairo, or Alexandria. It's hard to write this knowing that this guy is in critical condition and really could die, and already has brain damage. And that no one cares, and the situation probably won't change anytime soon.

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36435

It's been a while

So, I went to Hebron, in the West Bank, you can ask me about the details later... But I witnessed the effects of the occupation on regular people. I was mostly around Tel Rumeida, where some insane Israeli settlers live in the middle of Hebron. A few moved in after 1967, and more have been moving in and establishing other settlements since. They have a few streets to themselves, free from any Palestinians, right in the middle of the city of 165,000 people. The Israeli army literally welded the doors shut of the Palestinian houses and shops. The settlers have tons of IDF/IOF troops stationed around them, and there are many checkpoints around town, where people are searched and held up (in 2 ways) by 19-21 year old soldiers. Around the settlements, the Palestinians have cages around their windows, because the settlers routinely throw rocks and other objects at them. In a main market street, there is a big fence/mettle mesh over the walkway, protecting the people below from objects thrown by the settlers who live above.
The settlers have a "price tag" policy which states that any action they perceive as being "against" them from the Israeli army/authorities or anyone else, the settlers do something against the Palestinians around the settlements. The army, who is constantly around the settlers, is only interested in protecting the settlers, so the settlers go unpunished. In late 2008, the "House of Peace," a h0rribly named house illegally occupied by settlers, was taken over by the army, and the residents were evicted. So the settlers went crazy, and rioted through town (watch some youtube videos), burning tons (i'm not sure how many, at least 25) of cars, etc. https://www.ijn.com/ijn-news/israel/587-jew-vs-jew-violence-over-evacuation-of-peace-house-in-hebron
The leader of Kach, (not sure of their current name) lives in Tel Rumeida, too. His name is Noam Federman. His political party constantly changes their name, because Kach/Kahana Chai is officially a terrorist organization in the US, Israel, and the EU. He's protected by the Israeli army in Hebron.
Anyway, it was really interesting. The old city area is beautiful, and the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs is amazing. (look up the 1994 massacre there) People were really nice, and food was really good and cheap.
2 days ago I crossed the Israel-Egypt border, and now I'm here in Dahab, a touristy town on Red Sea. I'm enrolled in a diving class, so I can finally get my certification. I plan on going to St. Catherine's monestary, climbing Mt. Sinai, going to Luxor, the pyramids, and Cairo in the next week. Kind of a lot packed into a little amount of time. Then, I'll fly to Istanbul. For now, though, I'm paying $3 a night (with my Brazilian roommate), eating good food, and taking it easy.

Continued...

So, after all that...
Some asshole at the hostel, who seemed well educated, had a little "discussion" with me about our beleifs re: Israel's foreign policy... it made me want to go back and work at StopTheWall (they told me I could back in a week if I felt like it). This fucker, from Detroit but living in LA, was saying that the West Bank was Israel's, and that Israel should force all Palestinians in the West Bank out, and that they would be absorbed into Jordan. Blatant racism, to be expected.

Aftermath of quitting

The Wall is amazing. There's huge murals and grafitti all over it. I'll post pictures if i can get a cpu that will let me.

On the 20 minute bus ride to Jerusalem from Ramallah, I had an interesting experience. At the checkpoint at the wall, a female soldier came onto the bus and asked for my passport, and told me to turn to the page with the visa. I didn't have a stamp/visa, because I asked not to get one (so i can go to Lebanon and Syria if i want). She asked me where I was from, and what my business was. I told here that I came on a birthright trip.. anyway, then she handed back my passport and said "have a nice day." If i were Palestinian, indiginous to what is now Israel, and I didn't have proper documentation, there's no way I would have gotten through, especially withough being searched. But, having an American passport has its benefits.

5 minutes later, the bus was off to the side of the checkpoint and I got a call on my cellphone. The woman said she was from Israel Phones, my company, and that they had noticed that I had called an "059" number - a call to within the Palestinian Authority - two times. She said she was checking to see whether my phone was stolen, and she wanted to know whether I would make any calls to numbers within the Palestinian Territories again. Violation of privacy?

Update and a change in plans....

So, I'm back in Tel Aviv. The day after I sent that email I quit (before I started) at StopTheWall. I felt like an asshole for wasting everyone's time. But I had my reasons. First, I'd be confined to Ramallah for 2.5 months, in a cold apartment where the people could be friendlier. Second, I'm not sure I'm in 100% aggreement with the organization (maybe I am, but I don't know it yet), and that's a priority for something I'd donate so much time to. I'm sure they do good work, and it seemed really interesting and like they had a real impact, but it'd bother me knowing that I'm unsure of everything they stand for. For instance, they reject all contact with Israeli civil society and they're against all normalization with Israel. So... I'm not too sure about that... maybe I agree with it afterall. Also, I had some little issues with the environment. Everyone except the 2 other volunteers chainsmoked in the office, and at the flat 1 guy chainsmoked (Kyle knows how I feel about this). Plus, Ramallah isn't such a great place to spend my vacation. So, I'm selfish. But it ain't every day that I that I'm here, in such an interesting neighborhood, with the pyramids and Petra next door. I still plan on going to at least 1 Friday protest (they're weekly) in the West Bank, and I want to do something to challenge Israeli foreign policy, but not something as dramatic as working for StopTheWall. I'm a quitter.

2/17 email to Megan, father, and mother

Here I am, in Ramallah. The office was converted from a big apartment, and is now a smokey workplace. When I came in, Maren and Jamal (the coordinator) were really nice, and asked me a lot about Birthright, and why I was in Ramallah. They advised me to get rid of my Birthright phone, because in the past people have gotten calls asking if they had contacts in Palestine, etc. And now I have the job, if I want it. I moved my stuff into the flat, right around the block, where the other volunteers live. Aiden, Paul, and Mohammed (who i have yet to meet) all live there. The toilet doesn't work (you have to use a bucket to flush it) and they aren't using the heater to save money. But the work seems really interesting and satisfying. They do a lot of outreach to the Global South (a term that Maren used), they oppose "normalization" with Israel-which I am grappling with but coming around to. They oppose economic normalization, but also things likesummer camps where Israelis and Palestinians get together.. Why? Because this promotes the idea of equality when things are materially not equal. They don't want to have this idea of a false sense of peace when in fact Palestinians do not have the right of return, refugee status, etc. I'm still grappling with it, though. Seems counter-intuitive to me. A lot of the work is compiling news reports, documenting demonstrations, and outreach to activist communities and organizations around the world (especially the Global South). On March 31 there is an international day of BDS- Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, which the organization started, I think. All together, there can't be more than 10 people working here, although many people come and go. The organization is actually an umbrella organization for Palestinian associations and NGOs. They all come together under the same banner and do things like international outreach.
Coming here was interesting. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian part of Jerusalem but outside of the wall, (around the time I talked to you on the phone) I started noticing graffiti-"Fuk Israel," a star of David crossed out, "[a star of David] = fascism," and a lot more in Arabic. Then, I went through the checkpoint at Kalandia, on the way to Ramallah. On the way into the West Bank they don't stop you-just on the way out. The murals and graffiti was amazing-really amazing- inside of the wall. Anyway, I'm safe, and I'm sure I'll be fine. Maren is Italian, and she's been living here for 3 or 4 years without a problem. Paul, from San Mateo, has been here over a year volunteering and teaching English without any issues. Aiden, who has been here for 4.5 months has been fine, too. Anyway, there is very little sign of the occupation within Ramallah - it's occupation-lite here. Everyone I've met is really genuinely nice, and I'm told that that's the way it is here. Other details... beside being filled with cigarette smoke, there's a lot of political posters here, and a whole bunch of posters of maps detailing the occupation. Also, there's a whole bunch of Che. In the apartment (which is actually pretty spacious), I'm in the living room for now, but Aiden is leaving in 2 weeks, so I'll probably take over in his room. From the back window, there's a view of an Israeli settlement on top of a hill- maybe a mile away. More... I guess I'll have the opportunity to travel a lot within the West Bank, and to take photos for the organization. Anyway, I could still change my mind, but somehow I doubt it. So, there it is.
I love you so so much. I guess I'll get a new phone soon. Oh, and I have to go to Jerusalem to get a stamp in my passport (or the equivalent), so I can clear checkpoints. Love and miss you. Sorry I'm going to be gone so long. mike

Ok, i finally figured it out

So.. Here I am, at a smokey hostel in Tel Aviv. It's full of characters, to say the least. The first person I met was an annoying guy from Tucscon, AZ who is going to join the Israeli military, despite not speaking Hebrew. The second guy was a biochem PHD student from Argentina, living in Portugal, who is going to go to Gaza, if he can make it. He wants to help rebuild houses. Despite being so educated, it seemed like he had no idea of how to get in. The borders are sealed, even to aide workers lately (this guy wasn't even a part of an organization). He was asking the woman working at the hostel if he had to take a tunnel to get in.
So, here I am. Tomorrow I'm going to Ramallah to meet with someone regarding a position with Stopthewall(.org). At this checkpoint, apparently they won't search me or give me any trouble. If this job doesn't work out, I'm gonna go to Egypt.
Israel is. . interesting. There's a huge military presence. Every day I see more signs of it. Today, I saw what looked like a 747 being followed by drones or tiny planes. A few days ago I saw something looking like a star (during the daytime) over the West Bank, that I think was an observation satellite.

Birthright... It was a fun trip, but was really well engineered to get participants to support Israel. To be expected. (Free trip tho.) For example (there are many, many examples), we visited the main military cemetary, with the graves of heads of state and Theodor Herzl, right after visiting the Holocaust Museum. Current conflicts are constantly being put in the context of the Holocaust.

Questioning Israel or discussing the conflict was not an easy thing to do in the environment of my trip. In front of the Western (Wailing) Wall, I noticed that there are 2 huge trees that had been planted between the Wailing Wall and the Al Aqsa Mosque minaret. A asked a girl "Talya" if she thought that they had planted the trees there on purpose, so people coming to the wall wouldn't have to see the tower or hear the call to prayer. Then we had this strange 5 minute conversation, like dissadents have in totalitarian societies. 1 person would offer a small piece of information alluding to their political beleifs, then the other would go a little bit further. It was a weird interaction, but after we had an idea that we were like-minded, it was a great feeling, especially b/c at that point I hadn't encountered anyone questioning of Israel's foreign policy, just people considering joining the Israeli military, wanting Israel to "go in there and kick some ass," etc.
So, that's the deal.
I'll write more later. I'm being safe and cautious. Israel couldn't feel safer. We'll see about Palestine.