|
|
|
?? A.M. There was a huge strike in East Jerusalem yesterday.
We met Omar Barghouti, he spoke to us about the importance of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) movement. In the territory of 48 resides 1.4 million Palestinians. 80% of Gaza residents are refugees. Every peace deal since the Oslo Accord until today have always precluded discussion of the Palestinians that live in 48.
BDS movement have had many recent successes. Deutsche Bank, Elvis Costello, Santana, Sweden Life, Denmark Bank, Norway Life.
The aim of BDS is to attain peace and justice.
Dialogue groups have the tendency to normalize the occupation. Both Israeli males and females are complicit in their silent tolerance of occupation. Collaboration with Israeli institutions is to be accomplices to the occupation. Israel is aware of the BDS movement, so it has begun to blur the product origins of the goods produced in Palestinian territories and Israel. If Israel will not made the distinction, then neither will the movement when it put BDS into action. We should only pick the battles that have the highest probability of success; there is little merit in going after battles that cannot be won.
Israel military base along highway 90. Jericho used to have entrances from the north, south, and west; IDF has since sealed the north and south, so the remaining point of entry and exit is to the west.
We pass Raoja town, which is Zone B. The highway is Zone C.
The Kibbutz here grow palm, grapes, strawberries. Normally Palestinians dig 5 meters for water; the Kibbutzim dig deep down 15, 20 meters for water. There is great concern that this callous disregard for water resource will deplete the aquifers.
The West Bank town of Nablus has been the home to 500 Jews. When the Palestinian authority entered talks with Israel during the Oslo Accords, they were offered relocation to Israel 48, but they turned down the offer. They have always lived with Palestinians, and continue to show their solidarity with the Palestinians. They have representation in the Palestinian authority. This sect of Jews is called the Shomriim, the descendents of Eron. They do not believe in the book of Moses, and continue to conduct lamb sacrificial ceremonies on Mount Jyajim.
The border between Jordan and Israel.
Mount Giloa.
Nazareth is an Arab city; illit Nazareth is a primarily Jewish town after 77 because Ariel Sharon could not stand seeing a primarily Arab city.
531 houses were destroyed, the vast majority were in the village of Saffouri.
Cactus is the natural fence, and its root can be consumed. Tour of the graveyard.
The old castle on the hill. We see a calendar that depicts the old appearance of the village of Saffouri, with the same castle at the top of the hill.
Jews have started to emigrate away from Israel.
Arab female school/monastery.
Ruins of a monastery. Try as they may, they cannot erase Palestinians’ memory of their history, culture, language, and the traces of villages.
In 1948, the town of Sakhnin was 70,000 Dunam, population 3,500; today, it is less than 10,000 Dunam, population 30,000. There are 38 settlements, 20,000 Jews. Neighboring town is Misgav.
Discrimination is entrenched in every aspect of Palestinian lives. The education spending per Jewish child is 4,500 NIS, or approximately 1,100 USD; per non-Jewish child is 300 NIS, or approximately 75 USD. There are no scholarships for non-Jews. Nazareth hospital is very crowded.
20% of the population of Haifa city is Arabs.