My visit to Palestine (18th – 26th January 2003)
By Caroline Johnson


I have wanted to do more about Palestine for a long time. Twenty years ago I lived in the United Arab Emirates for 3 years where I worked for a Palestinian company. They told me about the history of the region and the plight of the Palestinian people. Since then I have demonstrated and protested about the issue.

I’m now 38 and live with my partner and two children aged 9and 4. I work in the gardening section of a Social Services day centre for adults with a learning disability; I am a UNISON union convenor representing around 2,000 members.

At last years UNISON conference I heard about a group of Trade Union activists planning a trip to Palestine. I followed the visit with interest and when they returned invited one of the delegates to speak at my UNISON Branch committee meeting. Our branch decided to help organise and send delegates on a fact-finding visit, so that we could give eyewitness reports on the situation. We also wanted to pursue an initiative by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to twin the second cities of Ramallah and Birmingham (UK) both at a formal and informal level.

By January 2003 we had 10 delegates for the trip (including members from UNISON, CWU, NUT, Birmingham Trades Union Council and a student). The Holy Land Trust arranged our accommodation, itinerary and meetings in Palestine. We visited 18 different organisations, two of which were Israeli. We visited Health Centres, Human Rights Organisations, Trade Unions, Politicians, Universities and Refugee Camps.

This is my personal account of the visit.

I have always kept myself up to date with the situation in Palestine and the refugee camps outside, so I thought I knew what to expect, but nothing could have prepared me for the unbearable situation that exists in Palestine today. The level of oppression was so intense, and I was starkly hit by the absolutely calculated method of oppression. In Palestine they call it collective punishment.

Our first morning was spent with an Israeli, Jeff Halper, from the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. We toured the Palestinian area of East Jerusalem and Jeff explained to us how the Israelis are taking control of the area. Settlements surround east Jerusalem housing 176,900 Jewish settlers; these settlements are linked by a system of roads that only the settlers and the army can use. These roads divide up all the villages in the area.

In Palestinian East Jerusalem the Palestinians only have access to 7% of the land. Israeli settlements take up 35%; they designate another 35 % as Green Land and the rest is Military zones. There is no room for the Palestinian population to grow and most are denied building permits to build or extend their homes. Through necessity they are built anyway and so there are hundreds of buildings condemned for demolition by the Israelis.

Although the Palestinians represent a third of the city’s population, they receive only 11% of the municipal budget. This has resulted in a lack of basic services such as sewage, roads, paths, and regular rubbish collection, mail service, public transport, street lighting, parks, community centres and schools. The contrast between East and West Jerusalem is amazing; it really is like two completely different countries.

Jeff took us to see the busy Qalandia check point on the Northern border of Ramallah. There are no road systems for the Palestinians (due to destroyed roads and checkpoints), so there are no bus routes. Everyone has to get out of their car or taxi and walk through the checkpoint – if you are old, young, disabled it doesn’t matter. Even if you have the correct permit, you can wait for hours, depending on the mood of the soldiers on guard.

Jeff’s organisation believes that the Israelis have implemented what he calls a Matrix of Control; a “complex web of constraints that employs a mix of military and administrative control, attrition, suppression, deligitimisation and diplomatic isolation, combined with massive Israeli settlement construction, to compel the Palestinians to submit to an Israeli controlled mini state.” I was really impressed with Jeff’s organisation and so on the way back I asked him how many Israelis thought like him and were involved in the campaign; His answer: “do you want me to name them?”

Next was a tour of the Old City, through the Souk in the Muslim Quarter, to the Holy Sepulchre, then on to Haram Ash-Sharif and Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall (Wailing Wall.) Right in the middle of the Souk we saw a huge Israeli flag. Our guide told us that Sharon had brought that building in the middle of the Muslim Quarter; the flag was a kind of “up yours” gesture. Settlers have taken over some buildings in the Souk. Shopkeepers told us that they get daily harassment from settlers and have had shop windows broken and goods smashed.

In the afternoon we met Btselem (an Israeli Human Rights Organisation). They collect evidence and statistics about Human Rights violations in the “Occupied Territories” and publish reports. The organisation aimed to influence Israeli public opinion. Depressingly, they told us that their mailing list had halved during Sharon’s term in office.

The next morning we head for Ramallah and an early meeting with the Mayor. We spent three days in Ramallah, to talk to people about our idea of twinning up with Birmingham. As well as any official twinning, we want to twin our hospitals, schools, trade union branches, cultural centres; community groups etc with their counterparts in Palestine and build a real and lasting relationship.

The Mayor thought the twinning idea was excellent. He said that people felt as if the world had stopped watching, that people didn’t know what was really happening, or that things were getting worse daily. He said that ongoing contact between people would help the Palestinians from feeling so alone. He then told us about the impact of the occupation on the work of the Municipality.

From 1993, Palestinian businessmen began to return to Palestine, bringing money with them to spend. The economy improved and there was relative peace. In 1995 the Municipality used foreign donations to rebuild the devastated city of Ramallah. People felt that maybe peace was possible and many led a semi “normal” life.

Since the 2001 Al-Aqsa intifada semi “normal” life has run for the hills. There is 60% unemployment (85% in the refugee camps), there is rising malnutrition particularly among children, there are closures and curfews and the economy is in ruins. No man under the age of 35 is allowed to travel anywhere. We met so many people who hadn’t seen their relatives and friends for over 2 years, even though they only live in the next town. Palestine is now a collection of fragmented prisons, or as our guide said, “human zoos that nobody visits”.

It is almost impossible to provide any kind of planned services under these conditions. The Municipality can’t afford to pay teachers so they only get one quarter of their wage. Our taxi driver had been a Maths teacher that morning. The Israeli incursion last year left the infrastructure in ruins. Tanks had knocked down all the streetlights and smashed the pavements. The Israeli soldiers wrecked hospitals, schools and offices, smashing up equipment and generally breaking as much as they could.

Amazingly, the Palestinian people manage to survive this daily torture, and they do it with such courage and dignity.

We dashed in the rain from the Van and went to visit the UPMCR run by Mustapha Baghouti. Here we met Dr Jihad and Dr Mohammed who told us about what the occupation is doing to the Nation’s health. In no way in this short report can I do justice to the level of knowledge I gained spending time with those Doctors. However their organisation has a web site and the address is at the end of this report. When telling us about how the occupation affects providing health care, Dr Jihad told us how Dr Mohammed had been used as a human shield for 4 hours by the Israeli army during the long incursion in Ramallah. Dr Mohammed shrugged shyly and I wondered how people could possibly be forced to live in this way.

Next we visited the Spinal Cord Injury Centre. It was set up with funds from the Swiss Government because the existing hospitals could not cope with the high number of injuries leaving people with permanent disabilities. We met several patients, including 14 year old Abed but I was most affected by Rae’da who is 32 with 2 children aged 8 and 10. Rae’da was paralysed from the neck down when an F16 bomb hit her house nine months ago; due to the closures she hasn’t seen her children since just before the incident. It felt so intrusive, ten of us, standing around her hospital bed. I asked if Rae’da minded talking to us. She said she was happy that people are interested in what is happening so it has to be ok; She wanted us to tell others what is happening.

Over the next two days we hurried from meeting to meeting. We went to Birzeit University and broke curfew for the first time. Students in Palestine deserve the highest honour in the world, their persistence and determination in pursuit of education in the most impossible circumstances is amazing.

We had a very tense afternoon with Dr Sehwail at the Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture and with Ala at Adameer a Palestinian Human Rights NGO. (Please see both organisations websites) Ruby and I couldn’t talk for two hours after that. We were so shocked by what we learnt it was difficult to take it in and we didn’t want to break down in the bustling Ramallah street, where everyone, even the children, live daily with the things we’d just learnt.

On Thursday the sun came out and we all felt a bit more cheery. We were sad to leave Ramallah but today was Hebron, and we chatted all the way on the bus. The Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint told us that we couldn’t enter, so this meant a detour. We went to an outer road of the city, which had been bulldozed by the Israelis and climbed the 5ft, very muddy mound left behind. We were only there for a day trip unlike other people laden with shopping, babes in arms (or the elderly man, helped by two boys with a wheel barrow, attempting to get his new wardrobe home).

At the other side we took a taxi to the market to meet Joanna from the Christian Peacemakers Team. Joanna is 55 and lives with her team in H2 in the very centre of Hebron. H2 has 400 settlers occupying it and 2,000 Israeli soldiers protecting them. There were 30,000 Palestinians living in H2 but many have been forced to leave by the daily hardship. While we were there a 72-day constant curfew had been imposed in H2 - only for the Palestinians of course. All practical and social life for the Palestinians now takes place across the rooftops, it’s where children play and necessities are distributed.

On our way to the CPT flat in the deserted H2 area Joanna looked up one of side roads and saw a line of detainees. These were mainly workers who have been in H1 early in the morning on their way to work (where there is no curfew). It is common practice for the Israeli soldiers to roam H1 and confiscate people’s ID cards. Then they tell them to go and wait by the army post in H2, where they are usually kept for 2 - 8 hours. The CPT takes food and water to the detainees and tries to get people released.

There were 2 soldiers on guard; they were both 18 - 21 years old. Young boys feeling like big men with their big guns. One of them still haunts me now - I’ve never seen such a face, so full of hatred. I tried to imagine what he was like off duty; how someone who appeared so consumed with hate could possibly, ever, be able to love anyone. I so wanted to take his photo so I could look at it later, to see if the hate was there in the picture - but he wouldn’t let me.

Then to Bethlehem, rushing to get to the next meeting at the Applied Research Institute, which has to be at 3pm before the curfew at 4. We arrived at 3.15 and saw 115 slides in 30 mins (please see their excellent websites advertised on our site). Then it’s back to the hotel for curfew. The hotel stay was freaky to say the least. We stayed in a huge hotel for 400 guests, but we were the only guests since last October. It was a ghost town.

Bethlehem is great - well it would be if it wasn’t occupied. The next day, thankfully, the Israeli’s lifted the curfew (in place since the 21st Nov 2002 almost constantly) until 5pm, which gave us lots of time. We visited the Church of Nativity and heard about the 40-day siege and the incursion in the city. One of the men killed during the siege was 54yr old Samir who had learning disabilities. All his adult life his job was to ring the Church Bell at certain times of day, sweep up and tend the gardens for this work he would get his meals. On April 2nd 2002 he walked through the empty streets and went to the church as usual, but the door was locked. Confused, he sat down on the step by the door and waited. An Israeli sniper shot Samir in the heart, he died instantly, however his body lay on the steps of the church for two days before the Army would allow an ambulance to take him away.

We then went to Bethlehem University and to Dehishah Refugee camp.

There are approximately 5 million Palestinian refugees throughout the world. 766,124 refugees live in the West Bank and 625,855 in The Gaza Strip. (Palestine Monitor). The Palestinians were forced to leave their land, 78% of what was historic Palestine, and became refugees in 1948. The Israelis, not satisfied with that, occupied the other 22% in 1967 and have been there ever since.

When we left the camp, the streets were deserted and it was getting dark but we were determined to get to the SOS Orphanage before it was too far into curfew. After spending nearly two hours there we headed back to the hotel. Two friends had broken curfew to eat with us. They reached the hotel by coming through gardens to avoid walking on the roads. Social life in Bethlehem is carried out in this way now. As International’s we are not bound by the curfew (although when it is dark it is more risky as the soldiers often shoot first and ask questions later). Three of us walked our friend’s home and my heart missed a beat with every noise. Our friends were calm and chatty, they are used to it.

On Saturday we left at 6am for Gaza. On the way our driver tells us that the night before there was an incursion and 3 bridges and all the roads in Beit Lahiya were destroyed. After taking 45 minutes to get through the checkpoint, we met our guide and he took us to see one of the blown-up bridges. We joined the large crowd gathered on one side staring down at the 20ft drop. The explosions had created 2 very steep slopes. Everyone we met that day told us that something was going to happen, they just didn’t know what. It was very tense.

There are 1.2 million people living in the Gaza Strip. 5,000 Israeli settlers live in 18 settlements taking up 42% of Gaza with 80% of the water resources. Palestinian refugees are crammed into camps. We visited Beach refugee camp where 70,000 people live in one and a half square miles. What used to be tents are now mainly breezeblock buildings and there is no running water or sewerage.

We were soon surrounded by children. Dr Sehwail had told us how the occupation was traumatising the children of Palestine. They can all distinguish between the sounds of the calibre of bullet being fired from a gun or what type of helicopter is flying overhead. Many have seen their fathers or mothers, brothers or sisters killed in front of them. They are frightened but feel that the closest adults to them can’t protect them. Young boys will bravely throw stones at tanks by day but will bed wet and have night terrors when asleep.

Later, outside the camera shop I met three young girls aged 5,6 and 7 on their way home from school. As soon as they saw me, they ran over, their faces beaming. Although we couldn’t speak each other’s languages we chatted and laughed together for 10 minutes. I had some change in my pocket so I gave them 5 NIS each (70p) gesturing to them to buy some sweets. No sooner was the money in their hands and they vanished into thin air. Five minutes later they returned munching Falafel sandwiches so big they could hardly grasp them. These gorgeous little girls were hungry, as are the vast majority of children in Gaza.

Inside the checkpoint area on the way out of Gaza shooting started behind us. We weren’t scared because we knew it wasn’t aimed at us but it was a terrible feeling having met the 3 little girls and all the other amazing people back there. From then on I couldn’t bring myself to speak to Israeli soldiers even to answer their questions. On the news the next morning we heard that 12 Palestinians had been killed and 51 injured. Since September the 28th 2001 when the Al Aqsa intifada begun 395 Palestinian children have been killed by the Israeli army and settlers (almost 19% of total Palestinians killed).

Sitting on the third floor Balcony in the early morning sunshine Bethlehem looked so beautiful. You could almost imagine life was normal - but for the deserted streets of the curfew and the incessant hammering of the machinery busily building the newest settlement on the hilltop opposite. This beautiful land with its beautiful people must be free.

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I left Palestine with a heavy heart and a very real feeling of responsibility. Our Government remains as good as silent on the question of justice for the Palestinians. British firms still export arms that are being used to kill, on average, 4 Palestinians every day. Tony Blair supports the US Government who gives their largest share of foreign aid to Israel (from 1949 – 1998 the US has given $84.8 billion). The current road-building programme in the Occupied West Bank is entirely funded by money from the US.

All of the Palestinians that we met, without exception, said that they are determined not to be expelled from their land, however they must have international support for their struggle as just surviving is becoming increasingly impossible.

All of us have returned determined to provide both concrete and political solidarity. We are urging people to support the call for Birmingham to officially twin with Ramallah but we are also asking people to twin their own organisations, schools, workplaces, community groups and trade union branches so that real and lasting relationships can develop between out two cities. To get involved in the campaign please contact me. We are also keen to organise more delegations to visit and are raising money to bring a group of Palestinians to Birmingham for a week to speak at meetings.

Caroline Johnson
Tel 07855 645199
Email  caz_Johnson@hotmail.com

Websites to visit.
Holy land Trust www.holylandtrust.org Palestinian Centre For Human Rights www.pchrgaza.org Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre www.sakakini.org Birzeit University www.birzeit.edu Addameer www.addameer.org Christian Peacemaker Team www.cpt.org Palestine Monitor www.palestinemonitor.org B’Tselem www.btselem.org Applied Research Institute www.arij.com news and current information site www.electronicintifada.org