Update #1: Environmentalism in Palestine
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010
Greetings from Beit Sahour, West Bank! I hope that 2010 has begun positively for everyone.
Vaguely stated intentions:
This is the first of what (hopefully) will be fairly regular updates about my experiences volunteering in the Palestinian Territories. The email list is somewhat lengthy at this point, and includes a diverse range of perspectives and knowledge bases about the current situation in Israel/Palestine. After a great deal of contemplation about precisely how one should approach the privilege of communicating with such a wonderful group, I've decided simply to try to honestly explain my experiences. I do this in the hope that people will ask questions and independently research as needed, will forgive explanations which are insulting to one's intelligence, and will generally accept my intentions to provide information, not persuade. Bias is clearly unavoidable, but I wish to operate from as balanced a perspective as possible. Always, always, ask questions! And forward these updates to anyone who might be interested!
Currently:
I'm wrapping up a brief stint volunteering on a permaculture farm in Beit Sahour, located in the West Bank of the Palestinian Territories. Beit Sahour is basically an extension of Bethlehem, which is just south of Jerusalem. This region is one of the quietest and safest places in Palestine, largely thanks to the high tourist traffic. In conversation with Palestinians here, they speak darkly about the current situation in other towns such as Nablus and Hebron. Towns most affected by the wall (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrier) are a different story entirely.
The farm was founded to address environmental concerns in the West Bank, which are largely overlooked due to the perpetual instability and basic humanitarian concerns which characterize life in Palestine.
The situation:
Bounded by desert to the East and South (Judean and Negev, respectively); facing increasing drought due to climate change; densely populated; and lacking basic control over natural resources, the environmental concerns of the West Bank cannot be overstated. A general overview of what I have learned at the farm follows.
Water:
• The Israeli water company Mekorot controls over 80 per cent of the water supply to the West Bank
• To ensure high water pressure in the illegal Israeli settlements during the heat of summer, water is frequently shut off entirely to West Bank towns. These shutoffs can last months, while settlements enjoy swimming pools and green lawns.
• Nearly 230,000 Palestinians lack access to the water network altogether, relying on expensive trucked-in water or contaminated local springs.
• Israeli settlements are strategically placed above access to the aquifer.
• For more information about the illegal settlements, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_settlements
Farming:
• The "West Bank Barrier Wall" (see wikipedia for more info) strategically separates farmers from some of the most fertile and desirable farmland.
• Capitalizing on support for environmentalism, Israel designates "nature preserves" throughout the West Bank which prevent Palestinians from farming or otherwise developing the land. In several cases, these "preserves" have since been developed as Israeli settlements, such as Ha Hamar.
• Settlers are well known for harassing and disrupting life for Palestinians in a variety of ways. These include uprooting olive trees (the traditional crop) and tearing out irrigation from farmers' fields.
• Farmers also face harassment and/or military obstruction while trying to access their fields and/or harvest crops such as olives.
The Farm:
• Maintains a nursery of drought-resistant trees, provided free of charge to Palestinians.
• Experiments with water-conserving practices to provide useful information to farmers interested in conserving water (or without access to water resources)
• Supports farmers facing eviction from their land
• Collaborates with youth organizations, planting trees and building sustainable structures
• Leads by example, harvesting and recycling rainwater and farming a particularly infertile patch of ground.
In Other News...
Crossing the border from Egypt was ultimately a simple process, because of my American passport and stated intentions to vacation within Israel. It may come as a surprise to some (as it did to myself), that a person will receive intense questioning and ultimately may be denied entry for carrying anything linking oneself to Palestine, including books with political content, relevant journal entries, an Arabic phrasebook, or any stated interest in the situation or plans to visit the West Bank.
To enter the West Bank, one must obtain a three-month tourist visa. The more tourist visas one receives, the more questioning one faces. Consequently, long-term volunteers/workers face the daunting challenge of increasingly elaborate fabrications about their exploits in Israel (it stands to reason that a person simply cannot be on vacation indefinitely). Israel has recently become much harsher towards internationals. A series of deportations in the past week has cost the West Bank several well-known journalists and other volunteers. Additionally, Israel recently stopped issuing Israeli work permits to persons employed by high profile NGOs such as Oxfam International. These persons are now faced with either the tourist visa conundrum, or applying for West Bank work permits, which are difficult to obtain, impractical, and too complicated to further explain here.
Closing:
Regardless of one's opinions about the current situation in Israel/Palestine, it cannot be denied that Americans face a specific responsibility to remain updated on the present reality. The United States annually provides Israel with between $2 and 3 billion, amounting to one-third of our total foreign aid. As the primary supporter of Israel's actions, the US plays an undeniable role in shaping the daily lives of both Israelis and Palestinians.
For more information, I cannot sufficiently recommend:
Films:
• Occupation 101 and Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land (to be viewed in that order), both available at freedocumentaries.org.
• The Lemon Tree, by Sandy Tolan
Overview: israelipalestinian.procon.org,
News: maannews.net
For a basic introduction to major points of contention: research Operation Cast Lead (Goldstone Report), the "West Bank Barrier,” Israeli settlements, and home demolitions (see icahd.org).
Please: ask questions, brainstorm ways to take action, share this blog and continue the fantastic work that everyone is doing in their communities.
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