Contrast

by Layla Kaiksow

As I drove out of the West Bank and into Israel I was struck by the vast contrast. Palestinians in the West Bank are denied basic human rights, which is now being further complicated by the erection of a destructive apartheid wall being built by Israel. The wall divides Palestinians towns separating Palestinians from their farm lands, Palestinian homes from their villages and all those in the West Bank from Jerusalem. Israel is a highly "developed" area with long stretches of highway, big skyscraper buildings, clean and running water systems, all the normal aspects of a functioning society. Palestinians are denied these simplicities that allow a society to function easily.

Often garbage trucks cannot pass through the checkpoints to collect garbage and the trash sits in the streets uncollected. Often water resources are damaged or stolen by Israeli forces for use in illegal settlements which is now being complicated even further by the presence of the apartheid Wall. Roads are repeatedly damaged by massive Israeli tanks during incursions into Palestinian villages, often they are repaired only to be damaged again weeks or months later. The damage is especially discouraging in the old cities, whose streets date back some hundred years (much older than the state of Israel itself). This damage cannot be repaired for nothing can repair the destruction of a people's heritage.

As I rode along in the car down the long smooth highway, all around me Israeli cars, businesses, and homes I became so disgusted. I spend most of my time in the West Bank; this, in fact, was the first time I had driven through Israel for more than just a few minutes. My thoughts streamed back to the early 1940's, when this land was all for Palestinians, when they had a society that was flourishing, when Palestinian Arabs, both Muslim and Christian, lived peacefully and with their Jewish neighbors. Palestine was actually one of the only places in the world that accepted boats full of Jewish refugees that were fleeing persecution from Hitler in Europe.

Contrary to Zionist propaganda Palestine was not a desolate land without any infrastructure or development before the existence of the Jewish state. In fact Palestinian farmers were exporting 30,000 tons of wheat per year prior to 1948. Between 1921 and 1942 Palestinian orchards producing oranges and other citrus products increased seven-fold and production rose ten-fold between 1922 and 1938. Palestinian production was so great that in 1937 the British Parliament estimated that over the next ten years Palestine would produce half of the world's winter oranges. [Source: Garaduy, Roger. 2000 The Founding Myths of Modern Israel. Newport Beach, Ca: Institute of Historical Review (119, 120)].

I arrived in Nazareth, a Palestinian town within Israel. They are Palestinians who have been granted Israeli citizenship because their towns lie within the borders that were given to the Jewish state in 1947. These Palestinians face discrimination within Israel by the implementation of laws that limit their rights. Many of them fight for their rights for equality under the law and know that they are, at best, second-class citizens on their own land.

Even within Israel, where Palestinians are still denied equal rights, there is a peace among neighbors. This does not mean that the situation is perfect but illustrates the fallacy in the notion that Palestinians (or Arabs) and Jews can not live peacefully together. There is no peace in the West Bank, and there will not be, until Israel ends its illegal Occupation and racial discrimination against Palestinians. Justice will not be served until we see Israel deal honesty with the issue of refugees, Jerusalem, and Occupation.

The following day I returned to Bethlehem. This time we opted to drive through the West Bank along the Jordanian border, the route is more scenic and less tiring for me. As we drove along I gazed out the window at vast stretches of agricultural land. The car was quiet except for the faint sound of Um Kulthum in the background. I was calm and enjoying the scenery, for the first time feeling as though I was in an area that was Palestinian. We had been driving for a while and had encountered no checkpoints, we passed farm lands, greenhouses, small villages, and Bedouin areas. Then it happened- a checkpoint. Then I saw some signs in Hebrew. I casually asked my friend, "I thought we were in the West Bank, doesn't all this farmland belong to Palestinians?" "Oh no," he said, "Over those hills there are settlements, this land is owned by Israeli's, but of course is farmed by Palestinians." I cringed, I wanted to scream and cry all at the same time. My heart dropped to the floor as I realized there is really nowhere in the West Bank or any part of historic Palestine that Israeli Occupation does not control. I naively thought that because we were far into the West Bank this land would be for Palestinians. I became tired again, so sick of seeing the Israeli's control everything.

As we pass the checkpoint into Bethlehem I am reminded once again of the ultimate and unchecked power the Israelis exercise. Not more than 50ft. from the checkpoint waves an Israeli flag atop a building that used to be a hotel, now the Israeli's use it as their personal housing unit for whatever soldiers are staffing the checkpoint. After only one month of being here I have become so tired and sick of the Israeli Occupation. I cannot imagine how I would feel if this was my life and my land being taken. I have an aunt who always says; "you can't take away people's land and expect them to not be upset." Although the issues of Palestine are complicated with many historical intricacies I think she puts it very nicely and gets to the core of the issue.