I recently received this email from a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron. Hebron is a microcosm of the West bank. A small Jewish Israeli settlement has been built in the middle of a mostly Muslim Arab city. The small settlement is protected by over 2000 Israeli soldiers and security personnel. I can say from personnel experience, even if you are a privileged American, dealing with the Israelis in Hebron is pretty intimidating.
HEBRON REFLECTION:
"This is Our Life"By Abigail Ozanne
This morning I was reflecting that in the nearly four months I had been in Hebron I have been cursed, insulted, spat at, pushed, threatened with arrest, detained, tear gassed, had my home invaded by soldiers, stoned, and threatened with death. It is only a taste of what the Palestinians endure.Recently the soldiers arrested a journalist for taking pictures. The soldiers grabbed him, handcuffed and blindfolded him, and led him away. I expressed how sorry I was to his brother. The brother replied, "this is our life."
He said that at different times in the past Israeli forces had shot, beaten, and arrested him.Two weekends ago, after soldiers beat two men, one to unconsciousness, tear gassed everyone in an enclosed space, and arrested several people, including the journalist, I said what a terrible day it had been. Our Palestinian neighbor answered, "this is our life."
I am a member of the Undoing Racism Working Group in CPT. We have been working on addressing racism within CPT. Through this work, I have become more aware of my unearned privilege as a white American. In Palestine this means that I am asked for ID less. The soldiers cannot arrest me although police can. The soldiers are not likely to beat me. If I am arrested, I do not need to fear being tortured. I am allowed to go most places in the West Bank. Soldiers are less likely to invade our home. If they do invade, they are not likely to ransack it. If I am hurt, arrested, or killed, the international community will say that it is wrong. The Palestinians we work with do not have any of these privileges. This is racism.
As I go about my work, I seek to stand with the oppressed, to dare to be vulnerable. I try to listen to our Palestinian partners and friends about their experiences. I try to understand. And I acknowledge that what I experience is only a portion of the suffering of the Palestinians. I have many privileges here not shared by the majority of the population. Additionally, at the end of my time in Palestine, I can go home. For the Palestinians, this is their life.
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical initiative to support violence reduction efforts around the world. To learn more about CPT's peacemaking work, visit our website www.cpt.org Photos of our projects are at www.cpt.org/ gallery A map of the center of Hebron is at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullMaps_Sa.nsf/0/5618737E38C0B3DE8525708C004BA584/$File/ocha_OTS_hebron_oPt010805.pdf?OpenElement The same map is the last page of this report on closures in Hebron: www.humanitarianinf o.org/opt/ docs/UN/OCHA/ ochaHU0705_ En.pdf
"This is Our Life"By Abigail Ozanne
This morning I was reflecting that in the nearly four months I had been in Hebron I have been cursed, insulted, spat at, pushed, threatened with arrest, detained, tear gassed, had my home invaded by soldiers, stoned, and threatened with death. It is only a taste of what the Palestinians endure.Recently the soldiers arrested a journalist for taking pictures. The soldiers grabbed him, handcuffed and blindfolded him, and led him away. I expressed how sorry I was to his brother. The brother replied, "this is our life."
He said that at different times in the past Israeli forces had shot, beaten, and arrested him.Two weekends ago, after soldiers beat two men, one to unconsciousness, tear gassed everyone in an enclosed space, and arrested several people, including the journalist, I said what a terrible day it had been. Our Palestinian neighbor answered, "this is our life."
I am a member of the Undoing Racism Working Group in CPT. We have been working on addressing racism within CPT. Through this work, I have become more aware of my unearned privilege as a white American. In Palestine this means that I am asked for ID less. The soldiers cannot arrest me although police can. The soldiers are not likely to beat me. If I am arrested, I do not need to fear being tortured. I am allowed to go most places in the West Bank. Soldiers are less likely to invade our home. If they do invade, they are not likely to ransack it. If I am hurt, arrested, or killed, the international community will say that it is wrong. The Palestinians we work with do not have any of these privileges. This is racism.
As I go about my work, I seek to stand with the oppressed, to dare to be vulnerable. I try to listen to our Palestinian partners and friends about their experiences. I try to understand. And I acknowledge that what I experience is only a portion of the suffering of the Palestinians. I have many privileges here not shared by the majority of the population. Additionally, at the end of my time in Palestine, I can go home. For the Palestinians, this is their life.
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical initiative to support violence reduction efforts around the world. To learn more about CPT's peacemaking work, visit our website www.cpt.org Photos of our projects are at www.cpt.org/ gallery A map of the center of Hebron is at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullMaps_Sa.nsf/0/5618737E38C0B3DE8525708C004BA584/$File/ocha_OTS_hebron_oPt010805.pdf?OpenElement The same map is the last page of this report on closures in Hebron: www.humanitarianinf o.org/opt/ docs/UN/OCHA/ ochaHU0705_ En.pdf
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