Snippets

Terror Money Tracks

Last Wednesday was pay day here at the journal. I accompanied Najat to deposit both her check and Mira's. We went to Leumi Bank, the branch on Salah-ah-Din. Marwan was there too. He's the Office Manager of the journal who comes in after one p.m. from his other job at Al-Quds newspaper.

The three of us got in line to cash the checks but once at the front we were redirected to another desk. Another bank clerk had to look at the check, record it and sign off on it before cash could be received from the other desk. According to Marwan, this is anti-terrorism law in action. If he goes to the bank with a deposit of 50 NIS (Shekel) or more, the money has to be recorded on his file. Everyone has this now. The authorities can look through all of your records and financial transactions on a whim.

Chag Sameach Purim

This weekend was Purim. Israel knows how to celebrate this joyous holiday with carnivals and costumes, gift basket giving, and delicious treats, the last hurrah before the breadless Pesach. Children set off fireworks in the streets and into the sky. There is no school and communities pour into the streets for parades, drinking and sharing together in the holiday.

For the Palestinians the streets are closed. This weekend the checkpoints were sealed. The roads going to and from the West Bank into Jerusalem were therefore shut to all through traffic. Sabah, a friend of Najat's who volunteers here at the journal came in to the office today. She mentioned to Najat that she couldn't get to Ramallah, the checkpoint was closed.

I asked Sabah what it is like at the checkpoint. What do they do while waiting for hours? Are they told why they have to wait or how long it will be?

Sabah says that all you can do is wait at the checkpoint. If you laugh and enjoy the company of those around you, the soldiers yell and say they see you are enjoying waiting and so you can wait longer. If you are getting frustrated because you are in a hurry, they laugh at you.

Sabah says the soldiers talk on the phone and eat their food while she waits for them to change their mind and let people go through.

Ex-pats get drawn in

Kiyoko gives me insight to the ex-pat/foreign worker scene here in Jerusalem. As a journalist's wife, she doesn't quite fit into the diplomat's crowd but inevitably she comes into contact with them. Many of Kiyoko's lifestyle choices are politicized by those observing her. That she and her husband live in West Jerusalem, that she is learning Hebrew, that she shops in Talpiyot foster the assumptions that she is pro-unilateralism, supports a policy of building settlements and occupation.

These accusations, which is what they are, couldn't be further from the truth. Kiyoko is a dedicated volunteer at the Journal and much of her time is spent learning about the conflict and trying to understand different points of view. Most of the criticisms against her come from the European ex-pat communities here. The American diplomats don't talk about such issues.

This information makes me wonder about the role of the outsider in the Middle East. I see the European scene Kiyoko describes as a great obstacle to peace, feeding Israeli insecurities from the inside. I think the more noble, useful role of the international observer and interactor ought to be more bridgelike, promoting coexistence, utilizing the unique role of being on the outside to the advantage of all peoples here. Not feeding into the lazy and antagonistic black and white approach to conflict zones.

What happens to our identity when we give over to ideologies? How soon do those ideologies take over our better, common sense?