Hebron Demo and Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

The residents of the Old City held a Protest today against the occupation of their city.

Abed, Tom Medean (the Al Jazeera reporter) and I went there.  There were many political speakers , and balloons the colour of the Palestinian flag were released synbolising a free Palestine.  The baloons were certainly more at liberty than the people. 

Behind bars in Hebron

However the demonstrating seemed to be left mainly to the children who faced a line of heaily armed soldiers.  It had been planned to march through a gate passing the cemetry and into the old city a routeblocked off in recent times but the soldiers were not going to allow this.  Sharifa who was with us told us that her family are buried in the cemetry including a cousin killed by settlers I think two years ago, but she is not able to visit the cemetry as it is blocked off by the Israelis.  She had been looking forward to the chance to say a prayer at their graves but it was not to be.  She was very anxious about us getting too close as she was certain tear gas would be used.  We joined the demo and took lots of photos before having to leave.  I did not like leaving the children – many very young to the soldiers.  I was told that the soldiers would not do anything while photographers were there.  We went back to the old city Rehabilitation Centre where there were activities and more politicians.  I was interviewed for two television stations, I think one in Palestine and the other Egyptian.  I mainly answered about what I was doing there and what I thought about the situation in Hebron.  I was also asked about the Balfour “agreement” and whether I thought the British Government had a responsibility because of it.  How many of you could answer that question??  Most Palestinians will cite this and do consider that Britain has had a large part to play in the situation they are in now and therefor need to take action politically exert pressure on the Israeli government.  Unfortunately I don’t think most people in Britain have any idea or interest in the current situation in Palestine let alone the historical one. It is quite important though to understand how this situation was created.  Anyway I hope I didn’t say anything too stupid!

Bethlehem: it had to be done!We travelled through Bethlehem again and I bought a few bottles of Palestinian beer – very useful these Christian towns!  This time we stopped and I took the opportunity to visit the Church of the Nativity where Jesus is said to be born.  Not much like a stable now!  Packed with tourists – large groups mainly of course, and I had mixed emotions there but again it seemed to have little connection with what we sing about at Christmas.   I also find it difficult to see these tour groups bussed in from Israel, having obviously passed by all the settlements and ignoring the situation for the Palestinians whose country they are visiting.

Tomorrow I start teaching at the Arab Institute.

Oh and this evening I tried to wash some clothes in a washing machine at the Guest House. It flooded the floor twice and I couldn’t get it to work so have no clean suitable clothes for work.  The washing is more of a challenge than protesting.

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