Monitoring Violations

by Katharine Maycock

From: Bullet Points (used w/permission)

Little has changed on the map for the normal Palestinian since the Road Map began. At the end of July 2003 the majority of the 2 million Palestinians in the West Bank were surrounded by 133 permanent Israeli-controlled military checkpoints plus - in the North alone - 29 iron gates, 222 earth mounds, 52 roadblocks plus 22,000 metres of ditches and trenches sealing off roads and tracks around villages and towns.

In addition 'flying' or mobile checkpoints are erected daily. In fact when a few permanent checkpoints like Surda were ceremoniously dismantled as a concessionary step, a few days later 3 flying checkpoints had replaced it, and it is now operational again much as before. So much for progress under the Road Map.

The horrific scale and cruel nature of the Jerusalem suicide bombing on 19th August may lead many people to think that it was Hamas who was the first to violate the ceasefire. The images of injured and bloodstained Jewish orthodox worshippers pierced many hearts especially when it was revealed that amongst the 20 people killed were 3-year-old Tehilla Nathenson, 11-month-old Samuel Zargari, 9-year-old Yissaschar Dov Reinitz and 3-month-old Samuel Taubenfeld. However, the bombing was Hamas' revenge for Israel's targeted assassination of several of its leaders in the preceding weeks, which they regarded as a gross violation of the ceasefire agreement.

On the 8 August two Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed in an Israeli army incursion into a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus.On the 12 August two Israelis were killed in separate Palestinian attacks - one in Ariel settlement in the centre of the West Bank, and the other at the entrance to a shopping center. On the night of the 13-14 August, Israel invaded Jenin and Qalqiliya to make arrests and imposed a curfew in Hebron before surrounding the house of a wanted Palestinian, Mohammed Ayub Sider. Israeli troops fired heavy weapons at the house between 1:30am - 5am, by which time the house had been completely demolished and Mohammed Sider was dead.

Who was monitoring this situation during this internationally backed and publicised peace process? Well, actually a man called John Wolf and his team of 6 Americans. This is the total sum of "monitoring" at the moment. Although the Road Map calls for the Quartet to establish a formal monitoring mechanism, none has been published and the USA has nominated itself sole 'monitor' of events on the ground, to the consternation of many Palestinian, Israeli and international humanitarian organisations. The Quartet, it seems, has abrogated its responsibility.

Har Homa settlement - formally Jabal Abu Ghuneim

as seen through the barbed wire of the Bethlehem checkpoint

Meanwhile, those Israelis who can't afford cars or drive, live with the fear of boarding a bus. Isobel is a Jewish widow in her 60s from Chile. Every week she takes the bus into Jerusalem to our Hebrew class. Her children speak Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, Polish and English between them yet she has survived mostly on Spanish for 10 years. She used to live in Baqa, a middle class suburb of West Jerusalem, but moved to Har Homa a year ago - one of the most visible and controversial settlements built on land belonging to Bethlehem. Why did she 'overstep the line' into occupied territory? Because for her, the only line was financial and the monthly rent in Har Homa is $350 cheaper than in West Jerusalem. When I asked her about the 'separation wall' that now runs below the settlementnext to Bethlehem, she shrugged. I'm not sure she comprehends the political implications of settlements. I doubt she even thinks of herself as a 'settler'.

Others in my Hebrew class do. Moshe is a Texan who has recently brought his family of 5 young children to live in Shilo, a settlement in the heart of the West Bank. He was a Christian, who converted to Judaism on a close reading of the Old Testament, and firmly believes the land belongs to the Jews. He seems a mild mannered character who simply wants to live according 'to biblical principles'. I asked him if he has a gun yet