OLIVE OIL AND TEARS

March 14, 2010 at 17:34 (Activism, Associate Post, Israel, Occupied West Bank, Palestine)

“If the olive tree knew the suffering of its owner, its oil
would turn into tears” Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish

By Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD

The olive young leaves and flower sprouts are denser than ever before.  It
promises a great season not only of bountiful agricultural harvest but of
bountiful harvest on the activism front. It is true that, as the Palestinian
poet stated, if the olive tree knew the suffering of its owner, its oil
would turn into tears.  The Israeli apartheid forces have been uprooting
olive trees in Beit Jala the last few days. They have also intensified their
repression and attempts at intimidation of activists (with help from
Palestinian collaborators). But it is also true that the apartheid system is
facing grassroots activists everywhere despite all these tactics. Today we
joined the demonstration in Beit Jala as we did not have a competing event
at Ush Ghrab.  The lack of an event here in Beit Sahour happened because the
popular committee decided collectively (over 15 people) to put the actions
before the local forces to decide on how (and if?) to support the popular
resistance. Yet, we did go to Ush Ghrab in the morning and an Ashkenazi
white man wearing a blue shirt entered as we were meeting and drinking
coffee, fiddled with his backpack, for a few minutes, then left.  Later, as
we were leaving, we notice the Israeli army on the hill and the same man
with the blue shirt “briefing” them.

Soldiers uprooting olive trees were confronted in Beit Jala

and later landowners with help
of other locals and internationals went back and replanted these trees and
rebuilt a bulldozed children’s playground in Beit Jala.  While the uprooting
stopped for now because of a legal maneuver, there are weekly Sunday
demonstrations. The even today was well organized locally but faced the
usual Israeli brutality.  Soldiers tossed concussion grenades and tear gas,
Internationals and Palestinians talked to soldiers telling them that what
they are doing is wrong. We told them that we are not personally against
them but against what they do, that farmers should not be denied access to
their lands, that uprooting olive trees is wrong, that the apartheid wall
and settlements are wrong etc.  The Israeli military seem to increasingly
put Druze/Arab commanders in such situations intentionally as these folks
try to prove their loyalty to the Jewish state by outdoing their Jewish
counterparts in hatred of the Palestinian natives. We also commemorated
today in this demonstration the murder of our friend Rachel Corrie, who was
run over 7 years ago by an Israeli bulldozer in Rafah.

Her parents are finally
getting their day in an Israeli court; but if history tells us something it
tells us that Israeli judges side with the Israeli occupiers because of the
nature of the apartheid tribal regime.

On Saturday, a number of demonstrations happened throughout the West Bank.
I passed by Qalandia where women demonstrators were faced with assault and
battery by the occupation forces.  In a village near Nablus, Israeli
settlers joined the soldiers in assaulting villagers.  In Ni’lin on Friday,
people commemorated Tristan Anderson, shot in the head by a high velocity
canister (see  <http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2194.shtml>
A similar demonstration in
Bilin Friday was also met with Israeli violence.
<http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2193.shtml>
Same happened in Al-Ma’sara
where two young men were severely beaten and elsewhere.

http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2195.shtml )

I think each Palestinian living under occupation for a few years and
learning from his experience deserves a higher degree.  There are of course
people who live here and learn little just as there are people who go
through four years of college and learn very little.  I think the same
applies to Israelis living in this apartheid system. The opportunities for
learning to the questioning mind are boundless but there are few takers.
This is because it is for most people easier to live in the paradigms they
are used to than bother with really challenging questions. That is fine if
these people recognize the limits on their knowledge.  But many actually
think they know a lot.  Opinions are rather easy to come by here.  Open any
subject among Israelis and Palestinians and you will hear strong
convictions.  There are few hesitations, few “I don’t know”, few questioning
of the thought process shaped many years ago in unyielding, and unchanging
brains.  Even when there are internal contradictions in the thought process,
it is accepted as a given.

But we in the activist community must take more time to explain to people
(friend and foe) what we believe and why we came to our beliefs.  We must
listen and analyze and reason.  It is possible to reach people.  Whether
they are cowards, collaborators, congenital liars, conscripted soldiers
obeying orders, or congenial friends and relatives not wanting to “get
involved.”  It is important to simply talk.  We need to look people in the
eyes, ask questions, and converse honestly.  But above all, we must get
involved since we can’t be neutral on a moving train and silence is
complicity. Action does make a difference.  Just last week Israel apartheid
week actions happened in over 50 cities around the world from Gaza to New
York.  Here are a few more actions people have taken:

Video done by Zochrot to stimulate discussion in Israel: On the day Yafa`s
refugees return

Video: Event in the Peace Palace at the Hague, the Netherlands when
apartheid apologists are confronted by a more popular “reception” outside
which also stimulated discussion of the nature of Israeli apartheid.

The Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RTP) was held in Barcelona. The RTP is a
peoples’ tribunal focusing not on Israel’s obligations under international
humanitarian law (IHL) such as the Fourth Geneva Convention, but on the
obligations of the international community of signatory states which sustain
and enable Israel’s continuous violations of international law.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11104.shtml

Deafening Silence from Corporate Media (on IDF Dinner Protest) by Alex Kane
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/12-3

Hundreds of US Academics support the boycotts, divestments, and sanctions
from apartheid Israel
http://usacbi.wordpress.com/endorsers/

Launch of New website: Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East?
<http://theonlydemocracy.org/> http://theonlydemocracy.org/

And we Palestinian Christians will try to enter Jerusalem without permits
this Easter,
http://www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=58203

Stay tuned (but better yet, act on your end