Trapped

Did you know the Israeli government has imposed a blockade on Gaza since Hamas was elected to power in June 2007? The blockade essentially means restrictions on the movement of goods and people. Only some humanitarian goods are allowed in and only people with life-threatening medical conditions are allowed out. The Egyptians on their side, have also severely restricted movement of people at their border, for fear of inheriting the problems in Gaza.

In response, the Gazans have dug hundreds of tunnels on the border with Egypt to allow goods to enter. Today there are around 700 tunnels that bring foodstuffs, clothes, electronic goods, gas, petrol and even cars into the Gaza Strip.

Last week however, news emerged of an Egyptian plan to build a 20-30 metre deep steel barrier to shut off the tunnels. No-one knows if the Egyptians will go through with it, but just imagine if they do. There are 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip who are completely dependent on the tunnels to meet their basic needs.

The people in Gaza are already isolated from the rest of the world. What would happen if they were totally cut off? How much more desperate can the situation get? What will become of the people?

11 days to go...

Extreme measures

Tonight I have no words, I just ask you to watch. Each film is around 9 minutes long. If you do not have time for both, watch a few minutes of each one (it is important to see the end of the second film to understand the message).

18 days to go...

Puzzled in Jerusalem (part two)

I keep bumping into Palestinian taxi drivers in Jerusalem. It is quite odd. I thought the two sides were not allowed to mix, especially since the second Intifada in 2000.

So I decided to dig a little deeper to find out what was going on.

Basically, these Palestinians are from East Jerusalem, a group of 250, 000 people who have a unique place in this conflict. They are known as Jerusalemites. They have a different status to Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, and from Arab-Israelis.

Jerusalemites carry Israeli identity cards but do not hold Israeli citizenship. They are entitled to free education, health care, social welfare, and all other benefits that Israelis are entitled to. They are the only people, other than foreigners, who can travel freely around Israel and the West Bank.

But to be honest, they do not have an easy time in the holy land. They face housing shortages, bad roads, and irregular municipal services. There are not enough schools. Only 8-10 percent of the municipal budget is allocated to them. If they leave Jerusalem for more than seven years they can lose their identity cards.

Many people blame the Israeli government for neglecting the Jerusalemites. I think the story is more complex. I think the Jerusalemites also have a lot to answer for.

The Jerusalemites were offered Israeli citizenship in 1967. Around 85 percent refused because they said it would undermine their struggle for a Palestinian state. I can understand that.

With their Israeli identity cards, Jerusalemites are entitled to vote in the Jerusalem municipal elections. But they have boycotted that too. This does not make sense to me. They are happy to receive health care, education and welfare from the Israeli government, but they will not exercise their right to vote to influence the decisions of the municipality of Jerusalem.

Jerusalemites are currently 35 percent of the population of Jerusalem. They are an important constituency. Voting could give them a say in how resources are allocated for roads, schools and hospitals, how building permits are distributed, and the quality of municipal services.

They refuse to exercise their political rights because it would mean legitimizing the Israeli occupation. It could also mean risking their lives for collaborating with Israel. And most importantly, it would undermine Palestinian unity, a precious ingredient for their national struggle.

I understand the importance of unity for a national struggle. It is how my people got their State, and why most of my people still refuse to speak out against that State.

Ideology has been an important tool for both peoples, but it is not helping anymore. It is time for some pragmatism.

35 days to go…

A breakthrough?

The news in Israel over the past few days has been about a possible deal between Israel and Hamas for the release of the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in exchange for the the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Gilad Shalit has been held captive by Hamas since June 2006. He is kept in hiding, and denied all contact with the outside world, including from the Red Cross. It is still unclear whether the deal will go through or not, but the mood here is electric.

Sorry for the cliché, but Gilad Shalit has truly captured the hearts and minds of the Israeli people. All around Israel, people hang flags outside their houses and put bumper stickers on their cars, with his face and the slogan "Gilad Still Lives" or "Free Gilad." You can follow his campaign on websites, facebook and twitter.

If the deal goes through, there could be more at stake than Shalit's freedom. It could shift some of the dynamics in the region. First, it could help ease the blockade on Gaza, which is having a crippling effect on the population. Second, the potential deal is understood to include the release of a Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for murder. Barghouti is popular among the Palestinian people and a possible candidate to replace Mahmoud Abbas as president of the Palestinian Authority.

It seems ludicrous that Israel would release hundreds of prisoners in exchange for just one soldier. But I think there is more to this possible deal than meets the eye. It could help unlock issues that have been frozen for years.

What would a deal mean for relations between Israel and Hamas? And where does a victory for Hamas leave Fatah? Could Marwan Barghouti re-unite the Palestinian people? And if so, will Israel want to deal with him?

The answers remain to be seen. But one thing is for sure, if this deal goes through it will put smiles on a lot of faces, at least for a few hours.

37 days to go...

Freedom

The theme of freedom kept surfacing in my travels today.

I started the day in Ramallah, the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority, ten kilometres north of Jerusalem. Today is the five-year anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death. There were numerous parades and rallies in the street to commemorate him. For many years he was considered a terrorist. But for the Palestinian people, he was the leader of their freedom struggle.

In the afternoon, I attended a workshop in East Jerusalem about whether the European Union is helping or harming the Palestinian cause. The two Palestinians at the table kept repeating that unless the Palestinian people gain their freedom, in other words, establish an independent State and end the Israeli occupation, then nothing that anybody does will help them. "Without freedom, nothing matters," remarked one of the Palestinians.

My night ended with the Matrix, which for those of you who do not know, was the film with Keanu Reeves, about human beings freeing themselves from the control of machines. Will you take the red or the blue pill?

Freedom is the foundation for a more meaningful existence. On a personal level, I have flourished when I was free to make my own choices. On a spiritual level, I have found a path that encourages openness and diversity. Freedom is a central theme in the Jewish religion. My favourite Jewish festival is Pesach, which celebrates the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Today, after endless struggles and countless catastrophes, Jews have freedom.

But I wonder: can there be peace for the Jews without freedom for the Palestinians?

50 days to go...