After Sam's van is thoroughly examined for b-o-m-b-s, I receive my passport back marked with a red sticker upon it. No soldier ever asked me any questions but t he sticker brands me as having traveled through occupied territory and the third degree for me is someone else's territory.
Back in Sam's van his wife expertly removes the sticker and all the glue from my passport.
Sam smiles wryly as he tells me, "This is what the Nazi's did to the Jews before the Holocaust when they made them wear the Star of David. They marked them as the enemy . Now anyone who knows Palestinians or visits occupied territory gets a sticker to label them as friends of the enemy."
We listen to Marley and the Wailers;
"Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Don't give up the fight."
My luggage was filled with Arabic nonviolent literature and Sam cautions me to leave it all with him and avoid the extra hassle.
I left everything I can get on the Internet but kept books, a CD and a DVD.
Sam warns me on what I shouldn't say and what I should when I undergo my interrogation from the inquisitive employees at Ben Gurion Airport.
While in Bethlehem I shared with many my experience of having my computer confiscated by EL AL in JFK at check in. Every Palestinian told me 'don't worry about it', but every American freaked out and thought they had downloaded my files, read my email and put a Trojan in my soft ware. I thought these Americans were perhaps too fearful and most definitely paranoid. But now I wondered if they really knew what they were talking about and I had been deluded.
Marley and the Wailers won out:
"Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Don't give up the fight."
I was determined I would just answer honestly every question and keep smiling.
Every employee I encountered smiled back at me and nobody asked me any 'explosive' questions.
But then while three different young women examined and swabbed every thing and every surface in all my luggage I experienced frisson: the chill in the thrill of the rush you experience in a moment of delight, excitement or fear.
The young lady examining my bag came upon Holy Land Trust's booklet: "Celebrating Nonviolent Resistance." http://www.holylandtrust.org
She never looked my way, but she read the cover and scanned all the pages most thoroughly.
I wonder if perhaps a few seeds of thought are germinating in Tel Aviv and what new things may be born with the end of Sharon and the rapidly spreading and globally supported nonviolent resistance movement in Palestine.
In the village of Budrus, Palestinian women, children, farmers, Israelis and Internationals stood up to The Wall, the IDF, tear gas and rubber bullets.
They said NO to The Wall that was stealing their land and chanted in English: "We can do it."
The Wall in Budrus is now on the Green Line and Billin and women, children and farmers in other villages are pursuing nonviolent resistance.
eileen fleming
http://www.wearewideawake.org
Back in Sam's van his wife expertly removes the sticker and all the glue from my passport.
Sam smiles wryly as he tells me, "This is what the Nazi's did to the Jews before the Holocaust when they made them wear the Star of David. They marked them as the enemy . Now anyone who knows Palestinians or visits occupied territory gets a sticker to label them as friends of the enemy."
We listen to Marley and the Wailers;
"Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Don't give up the fight."
My luggage was filled with Arabic nonviolent literature and Sam cautions me to leave it all with him and avoid the extra hassle.
I left everything I can get on the Internet but kept books, a CD and a DVD.
Sam warns me on what I shouldn't say and what I should when I undergo my interrogation from the inquisitive employees at Ben Gurion Airport.
While in Bethlehem I shared with many my experience of having my computer confiscated by EL AL in JFK at check in. Every Palestinian told me 'don't worry about it', but every American freaked out and thought they had downloaded my files, read my email and put a Trojan in my soft ware. I thought these Americans were perhaps too fearful and most definitely paranoid. But now I wondered if they really knew what they were talking about and I had been deluded.
Marley and the Wailers won out:
"Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Don't give up the fight."
I was determined I would just answer honestly every question and keep smiling.
Every employee I encountered smiled back at me and nobody asked me any 'explosive' questions.
But then while three different young women examined and swabbed every thing and every surface in all my luggage I experienced frisson: the chill in the thrill of the rush you experience in a moment of delight, excitement or fear.
The young lady examining my bag came upon Holy Land Trust's booklet: "Celebrating Nonviolent Resistance." http://www.holylandtrust.org
She never looked my way, but she read the cover and scanned all the pages most thoroughly.
I wonder if perhaps a few seeds of thought are germinating in Tel Aviv and what new things may be born with the end of Sharon and the rapidly spreading and globally supported nonviolent resistance movement in Palestine.
In the village of Budrus, Palestinian women, children, farmers, Israelis and Internationals stood up to The Wall, the IDF, tear gas and rubber bullets.
They said NO to The Wall that was stealing their land and chanted in English: "We can do it."
The Wall in Budrus is now on the Green Line and Billin and women, children and farmers in other villages are pursuing nonviolent resistance.
eileen fleming
http://www.wearewideawake.org
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