A feature I did on Palestine for National Catholic Reporter is available on their Web site. It's an interview with leadership/faculty at Bethlehem University on what it's like to try to run a university in a war zone. Bethlehem U is Catholic sponsored but about 90% of the students are Muslim, all Palestinian. They have the distinction of being one university that in 30 years has never completed an academic year on time, thanks to Israeli curfews, bombings, checkpoints, etc. There's also a sidebar interviewing a recent grad on what it's like to try to get an education in the West Bank. It can be accessed at NCRonline.org, issue of 10.29 Pat Morrison
--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > --------------------~--> > Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion > Toolbar. > Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! > http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/MknplB/TM > --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > > There is 1 message in this issue. > > Topics in this digest: > > 1. week 5 - farewell > From: "Joe Metz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > ________________________________________________________________________ > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 08:45:21 -0400 > From: "Joe Metz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: week 5 - farewell > > 30 October 2004 - Vermont > > I bid farewell to Palestine. I have returned home > to Vermont and have gone > from 30 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. > At least it feels like > that. > > My last few visits included a Greek Orthodox school > in Taybeh, a "quick" > good-bye in Bethlehem, and hanging out with some > Israeli anarchists. > > Taybeh. This farming village is entirely Christian > which is unusual because > most places in Palestine are mostly Muslim. The > school has been relatively > immune from the problems that other Palestinian > schools have seen. Even so, > students sometimes are prevented from going to/from > school due to > checkpoints and they feel the same economic woes > that all of Palestine > experiences. Teachers sometimes have to go for > months without pay. What I > will remember most about Taybeh, though, is one > particular eighth grade girl > who speaks English well and has a fire in her belly. > As I was leaving, she > approached me with about 20 questions written out: > "Why aren't you going to > stay in Palestine? How are you supporting the > Palestinian people and their > fight for freedom? If you are a teacher, why won't > you stay in Palestine > and work here?" Pointed questions from an eighth > grader. She's going to be > a journalist when she grows up. > > My "quick" good-bye in Bethlehem was yet another > reminder of the effects of > occupation. The day I visited just happened to be a > holiday. Jewish people > were paying their respects at Rachel's Tomb which is > in Bethlehem. The army > had the whole area sealed off so that only Israelis > could be there. But > that's not all. The army set up road blocks and > checkpoints throughout > Bethlehem and surrounding towns. Moving around in > Bethlehem, normally an > easy thing to do, became a frustrating labyrinth. > My friend that I was > going to visit was waiting in her car for over an > hour at one of these > checkpoints. She decided to get out of her car and > walk. The army detained > her for an additional 6 hours. When we talked later > that night, her > response to the whole thing was "I am a survivor." > > I hung out with some Israeli anarchists on my last > day. Anarchy brings a > certain, crazed image to mind, but these were just > normal, down-to-earth > people who are opposed to the illegal occupation and > do something about it. > They regularly join Palestinians in demonstrations, > olive harvests, and > other non-violent actions to resist the occupation. > Apparently, lots of > people in Israel are against the occupation, but > choose to just talk about > it in bars/cafes. I guess it takes an anarchist to > actually do something > about it. > > During my stay in the Holy Land, I've learned some > things about Israel. > It's a militarized society. Soldiers, police, > guards, and undercover agents > are everywhere. Bags are constantly searched. > There is tension all the > time. Talking with people was hard because of the > tension and the language > barrier. Hebrew is the universal language here, not > English. Many of the > people I did speak with were transplanted Americans. > Their fear/hatred and > ignorance of Palestinians was quite evident. > > Israeli citizens cannot legally enter the West Bank > or Gaza. Citizens of > the West Bank and Gaza cannot legally enter Israel. > This policy is > extremely detrimental to peace. The only Israelis > that many Palestinians > get to see are the army. The only Palestinians that > many Israelis get to > see are the biased images on TV. This policy > fosters ignorance which > results in fear and hatred on both sides. > > I saw Star Trek Insurrection (sub-titled in Arabic) > a couple weeks ago. > Jean Luc Picard quipped that it's too easy to turn a > blind eye to the > suffering of a people you don't know. I hope that > these reports have > enabled everyone to see a little better. > > Peace, > Joe > > _________________________________________________________________ > FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar � get > it now! > http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > ________________________________________________________________________ > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! 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