The second session of the seventh Palestine Summer Encounter program has had an exciting and energetic beginning. This session, 22 new participants have joined the program, and along with those who are remaining from Session 1, the total number of participants has reached a new high: 35. This session brings in new participants from the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, and Australia in addition to the nationalities already represented within the group, adding another dimension to the international experience of the program.

 

After a short break for the Session 1 participants, and orientation for the Session 2 group, the groups united for a joint weekend trip to the Northern West Bank. In one long and informative day, the group visited the Tulkarem District and the city of Jenin.

To begin the tour, the group visited Baq’a village with a local guide who explained the area’s struggle against the Israeli Separation Wall, which attempted to confiscate their lands and water resources. The guide exposed the arbitrary nature of international partitions of the land, taking the group to view how the Wall, which was successfully pushed back out of the West Bank to the Green Line (Armistice Line) by protesting a decision from the Israeli High Court. The partition effectively killed the commerce of the once bustling market, dividing family members from each other, and farmers from their agricultural lands.

Also in the Tulkarem District, the group observed the chemical factories deemed too hazardous for Israel that have been dropped down on the Palestinian side of the Apartheid Wall—the cause of the highest rate of cancer in the West Bank there in the surrounding area. It was shocking for participants to hear the inhumanity of the procedure for these factories to operate only 325 days out of the year during which the winds of the region blow eastward—ordered by Israeli courts to not operate for the 40 days of the year that the winds blow westward, into Israel, potentially spreading their harmful toxins toward the Israeli population instead of the Palestinians.

In Jenin, the group visited Jenin Refugee Camp, site of the controversial “Jenin Massacre” of 2002. Participants met with an NGO which provides counseling services to women and children of the camp who have been traumatized by the Israeli “Defense” Force wanton home demolitions and nightly incursions into the camp. Following that, the group next met with staff of The Freedom Theatre (http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org/) in the Camp. Zakariya Zubeidi, former leader of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, began the Theatre as a transition from violent to nonviolent cultural resistance, giving voice and empowerment to youth in the Camp. Participants had an opportunity to watch a production of a student of the Theatre and asked many questions of Zbaidi about his role and philosophy of resistance work.

The first full week hit a bit of a bump in the road as a meeting scheduled with Hanin Zoabi, Arab-Israeli Knesset member, had to be postponed; the group left Bethlehem only to be held up in the checkpoint, effectively eating up all of the time the group had to meet with Ms. Zoabi who was needed at a Knesset meeting and could not wait for the group after the long ramble through the checkpoint.

The schedule for the week quickly bounced back the next day, however, with a fantastic Debkah (Palestinian traditional folk dance) class, co-taught by Said Zarzar and Hanna Hazboun, members of the Diyar Dance Theatre in Bethlehem. Participants also resumed Arabic classes at the Bethlehem Bible College.

Wednesday, the group travelled the short distance to Dehiesheh Refugee Camp where they met with the Director of UNRWA for the camp but then heard a valuable first-hand perspective on life in the camp from a resident.

Thursday was an exciting event for the PSErs and staff as, in the spirit of the current World Cup, the participants took on members of the Holy Land Trust staff in a game of football at Oush Grab park in Beit Sahour. The participants made a valiant effort but were no match for the Palestinian footballers in the end. Thankfully, there were no hard feelings harbored, and the whole group enjoyed a dinner of traditional Palestinian zarb (roasted chicken) afterward.

Friday brought the first opportunity for participants to venture out and observe or participate in nonviolent demonstrations in the West Bank, but first, they were equipped with a nonviolent action training by veteran American-Israeli activist Bekah Wolf. Afterward, those participants who were interested attended a nonviolent demonstration against the Wall in Wadi Rahal to see first-hand what one current form of resistance in Occupied Palestine looks like.

Wrapping up their first full week of Session 2, the group travelled to neighboring Jerusalem for a series of meetings with human rights organizations. First the group took an ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) tour which was incredibly informative as it exposed them to the reality of ethnic cleansing in Occupied East Jerusalem. During the tour, the group also visited Ma’ale Adumim settlement where they witnessed the grossly disproportionate allocation of water to the settlers who enjoy watered lawns, a water supply that is never turned off, swimming pools, and even a giant fountain.

After the ICAHD tour, the group also met with Rabbis for Human Rights, and then with Joseph Dana, a representative of Ta’ayush—an Israeli activist organization that participates in many direct actions in the contentious South Hebron Hills. Along with Joseph, the group was privileged to welcome the well-known Jewish-American journalist Max Blumenthal. The two men were gracious to receive many questions from participants about politics and possibilities for future resolutions for the Conflict.

For more information on Palestine Summer Encounter, visit the website to follow participants in their own words as they encounter Palestine: http://www.palestinesummer.org/blog.