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Palestine & Israel

‘Imagine the indignity of not being allowed to walk down the street or drive a car in your own city?’

November 29 marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Tal Sagi from Breaking the Silence during the tour of Hebron. Photo: Ahmad Alami Tal Sagi from Breaking the Silence during the tour of Hebron. Photo: Ahmad Alami

Today, on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I think about the spirit, resolve and strength of Palestinians in the face of an Israeli military occupation that has been ongoing for 55 years. All of us who care about justice must every day, and especially today, stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people who are working hard, in spite of constant pressure and harassment, to resist the occupation. 

On a recent trip to Palestine, I visited Hebron, the second largest city in the West Bank with Trócaire and partner Breaking the Silence. Breaking the Silence are a group of ex Israeli soldiers who work to raise awareness of the daily realities of life in the occupied Palestinian territory, with the long-term aim of ending the occupation.   

Israeli soldiers on the street near The Tomb of the Patriarchs. At the military checkpoint to the right, identification must be shown to soldiers. Photo: Ahmad Alami Israeli soldiers on the street near The Tomb of the Patriarchs. At the military checkpoint to the right, identification must be shown to soldiers. Photo: Ahmad Alami

Today, Hebron is home to just over 200,000 Palestinians and around 400 Israeli settlers who live in and around the city centre, with an additional 400 Israelis attending a local religious school. There are 600 Israeli soldiers posted in Hebron, and soldiers were visible at checkpoints, on the streets and particularly around the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a site of religious significance for both Jews and Muslims. The soldiers enforce movement restrictions on Palestinian residents through checkpoints and barriers. These restrictions mean that while I, as a foreign visitor, could move freely around the area near the Tomb of the Patriarchs, Palestinians cannot do the same.   

In the aftermath of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in 1994, in which 29 Palestinians were killed, the Israeli government began introducing severe restrictions on Palestinians in parts of Hebron, in particular the area around the Tomb of the Patriarchs. These restrictions, enforced by the military, encroach on every aspect of life for Palestinians; where they can go, what they can do, when they can do it.  

On certain streets in what is called the ‘sterile zone’, Palestinians are not permitted to drive cars, operate shops or in some cases even walk down the street. This has created a ‘ghost town’ where shops and businesses are closed, apartments are abandoned and there are no cars and very few people. On Shuhada Street, Palestinians are not allowed to walk on the street. For the five families that remain living there, they must exit their homes through the back door or over the roof area. 

Graffiti at the headquarter of Palestinian activist group, Youth Against Settlements, who are committed to non-violent resistance against the occupation. Photo: Ahmad Alami. Graffiti at the headquarter of Palestinian activist group, Youth Against Settlements, who are committed to non-violent resistance against the occupation. Photo: Ahmad Alami.

Due to the forced closure of Palestinian run shops, there are over 1,800 empty shops and businesses in Hebron. Businesses that had thrived for generations sit silent behind welded shut doors. Ancient market places like the camel market and spice market are crumbling ruins, while the ancient city gates that used to connect this part of the city to the main market area are now concreted up.  

It is a uniquely disconcerting feeling to walk down city streets where only the bones of the streets remain. All the life, all the color in this ancient part of Hebron is gone. With life being made so unbearable and no way to make a living, over 1,200 families have left this part of the city.  

Imagine the indignity of not being allowed to walk down the street or drive a car in your own city? Imagine the relentless grind of knowing that you must pass through multiple checkpoints in order to go to the shops, go to work, or visit family and friends, and that at any time you could be turned away from one of these checkpoints and your entire day upended? 

In the occupied Palestinian territory, Israeli military law applies to Palestinians and Israeli civil law applies to Israelis. Under military law, the arrest of minors is permitted, and people can be arrested without charge and without trial under administrative detention. In the occupied Palestinian territory, Palestinians do not have equal rights and are not treated equally under the law.   

The injustice faced by the Palestinian people is visible everywhere in the West Bank, from the military presence to the separation wall and the proliferation of military checkpoints. And there are the daily realities that you don’t see; violence and intimidation, arbitrary house raids and arrest – particularly of young men – and home demolitions. The Palestinian activists we met in Hebron talked about the denial of their identity, the lack of control they have over their daily lives, their experiences of violence and arrest, and attempts by the military to take over their homes for new settlers. 

The daily reality of life in the occupied Palestinian territory for Palestinians is a tangled web of injustice. They are being slowly and deliberately pushed off their land. They must live under a military occupation that implements a system under which they are second class citizens. They do not have equal access to vital resources such as water. They must pass through an enormous separation wall to move between Jerusalem and the West Bank, and only then if they have the relevant permit for this. Their spaces and their identity are being constricted and controlled on every level.  

It is deeply unjust that the group that someone is born into means that they do not have full control over their daily lives and that their human rights are denied on a daily basis. Walking down an eerily silent street in Hebron in what should be a vibrant and thriving market place put this daily reality into sharp focus for me.  

Today, on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I think about the spirit, resolve and strength of Palestinians in the face of a military occupation that has been ongoing for 55 years. I stand with the people of Palestine in their fight for justice. Are you with me? 

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