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Diary This is Jan's diary. If you want to receive this diary by mail, write your mail on the contact form.
‹ Previous (07/02/2008) MONTH Next (2008-04-07)› ‹ Previous (2008-03-04 - Israel - Palestina) COUNTRY Next (2008-04-06 - Israel - Palestina)› Jordan Frontera amb S?ria (see on map) 10/03/2008:
Had eliminated any evidence that gave away my previous presence in Israel, had erased files of the computer and concealed folders, and had hidden well for the car a small map of Jerusalem, a bloc of notes describing my stay there and the paper with the seal of entry and exit. Even then, it still thought that it could have problems to enter in Syria (a country with a part of the territory even occupied by Israel), especially for which behind the passport and there were evident remains that there had been an adhesive (which the Israelis had stuck me). In any case, it had revised well a very good history: in a club of diving in Egypt on me they had stuck an adhesive behind the passport when renting a dress of neoprene. I crossed troublefree Jordan but on border with Syria, after observing the brand of the adhesive behind the passport they told me, without showing gravity, that they should receive a confirmation from Damascus. I waited for the two hours that asked me and to 6 communicated me the news that did that the world fell to my feet. It could not enter in Syria because they were convinced that it had entered Israel. I tried to ask for explanations, to argue with them, to talk with the head... But the answer was always it, were convinced that it had entered in Israel and that deprived me of entering its country. A young policeman accompanied me outside, but without paying him attention, I addressed a hotel of the same border to do a call to the embassy of Spain in Syria, whose consul told me that the day after he would try to find a solution. I returned to the car disconsolate but not surrendered yet. If it did not manage to enter in Syria, very probably, neither it could enter Iran, for this country lets either enter Israel to anybody that has visited. On the other hand, the only way of arriving to Turkey through the ground was across Syria, and in that moment did not consider any other option feasible. The young policeman of Syria, accompanied me in the selfcaravan up to the border of Jordan, but remained well dazzled when I informed it that it did not want to enter in Jordan and I parked at half of the 100 meters in which they separate both borders. New civil servants of Syria made me park a little nearer to Jordan. Afterwards they were the Jordanians who came there to wonder what it made put aside. But when did I announce to them that it could not enter Syria but that it did not want to enter Jordan again and did they let me be camped there without too many problems. It remembered a small revolution that had appeared few years behind, as soon as possible of doing a journey to Kenya and Tanzania, I went to a centre of vaccination that to me had assigned some weeks ago. I admit that I arrived 5 minutes late to the consultation, but because of this delay, the nurse that was vaccinating many other travellers, refused to pricking me. I knew that if I did not vaccinate that day, they would give me hour after three or four weeks again, after the exit of the aeroplane, and that if it did not have the card of vaccinations in rule I risked not being able to enter Kenya (or to fall ill). In the face of such a situation, I caught a paper of a counter, I wrote "I want myself to vaccinate!" and I sat in the stairs as a sign of protest. After two hours, even after wrestling with the security guards, another nurse vaccinated me. In any case, he knew that this fight with the authorities and the Syria law would be much more complicated and long. On the following day in the morning, the policemen of Jordan left me to go to buy in the facilities of the border a Jordanian card SIM for the mobile telephone, with which I sent a message to Alexandra and I called the embassy Spanish in Jordan and Syria, who told me some hours later that they could not do at all that it could allow me an entry to Syria and they recommended me of returning behind. It was pissed off with the authorities of Israel for sticking adhesives behind the passport when of good insurance they knew that that deprived the entry in Syria, it was also pissed off with the Jordanian authorities for which probably they had a mole on its border that it was informing about who entered Israel or who not, and of course it was pissed off with the Syrian authorities, although it understood that they were observing its law, probably with the information received by its spy in Jordan. Anyway, he did not think yet to yield me. I started to stick posters to the windscreen and in the door of the selfcaravan on the message in English "I want to cross Syria to enter Turkey". Meanwhile, Alexandra tried to create conscience through Internet to defend my cause, but probably there are much more important problems in the world and I only received a couple of calls of some Syrians of couchsurfing commenting on me of what they could not make at all to help me. Even then, he still thought that he would wait for me for many more days or weeks between both borders until it found a solution. It had quite a lot food in the home, besides, of insurance that the truck drivers could offer me eaten further on, because even if they did not talk English, these seemed to have friendliness for my situation, and some of them had already offered me water to load the selfcaravan. In spite of everything, as they passed the hours and the few days, I also realised, without the victory having insured, that really should be weeks, months or years between both borders. On the other hand, even if it considered completely unfair not to be able to go through a territory, this neither was my fight, and thought that further on it would find other more important wars to which to dedicate my time and energy, and that now it was due me to keep traveling to know world and probably to discover which will be the future battles in which really I will want to fight. Anyway, to yield me I filled up of pessimism. The options to embark the car towards Turkey were Israel where they would hardly let me enter the car; Egypt, where it would probably have the same problems to enter it as the first time; crossing Iraq, almost completely discarded; or to forget Turkey and to try to cross Saudi Arabia, Arab Emirates and to take boat towards Iran, where neither they would not let me enter Israel if they discovered that it had been. In any case, before abandoning, I decided to pass one another night between both borders, during which I sent a SMS to the Spanish consul of Syria asking him whether the option that a driver drove my car for Syrian lands up to the border with Turkey, while I took the aeroplane, was valid. The day after in the morning it returned me the optimism another time when I received a SMS of the consul telling me that it would try to find me, a driver. Animated, I also got in touch to a Mr. Siriano that two days ago had stopped next to the selfcaravan to offer me help. After little the Syrian phoned me to report that it had found a driver for 300 me $. But an hour later it was the consul that called commenting that it had found a company that would charge me only me 100 $. In the face of this new perspective, I pulled the posters of the car out to soften any tension that there could be with the Syrian customs officers. And even more, I decided to leave the no-man's land, the space between the two borders to enter the facilities of the Jordanian border again. But this return, which he thought would be positive for the Jordanian and Syrian customs officers, originated another problem. The Jordanian policemen informed me that he could leave the car parked there, but I could not pass the night in the border facilities. But I did not want to go to Amman, nor not to take the car of the border either, for the rates of entry in Jordan were increased. On the other hand, they did not let me either turn the last ones over between the two borders where he had been camping three nights. Then I suggested them, that it would leave the car in the facilities, but I would catch the shop and would camp exactly to outside the borderrontier]>, and in the face of this proposal that is so ridiculous, finally the head of immigration left me to live in the car exceptionally. And now I was not capable of repressing the tears even of crying in silence. The head of immigration it asked me what passed me, but I was not capable of explaining myself. These days the had lived with too much tension, but separately, the tears seemed the only way of the immense feeling of gratitude expressing that it felt for all those people (Alexandra, the consul, the head of immigration, friends in Catalonia, and others) that were worrying about me, being implied beyond its responsibilities to find a solution. Now my friend Marc, manager of the company Servicios of Internet Javajan and owner of the selfcaravan, signing a document granting the power of conduction to the chofer found by the embassy was only missing. But when calling to Marc, this commented me that they were celebrating in another population the holiday of farewell of solero of another good friend that was married, and that the holiday would follow the day after, therefore (without desires of spoiling this dear wildness) it should wait for me two more nights, until Monday. Today Monday in the morning, Marc has confirmed to me that it had sent the fax with the powers to the embassy of Spain in Syria. Then I have called the director of the company of the chofer, informing her that this could pass to look for the fax in the embassy and come afterwards to look for the car on the border. But when the border]> has been introduced to the driver at noon, this had forgotten the fax, but on the other hand, when it has gone up to the selfcaravan and I have started to show him all the things that the selfcaravan had its cheerful face has gone off immediately. And immediately I have realised a problem that it had not had. To me they did not leave me to enter in the Syria customs, therefore the driver should show all the contents, but it could not explain all the things that the selfcaravan took (for example medicines), and maybe the authorities would retain the car until somebody - which could not enter - could declare the contents. The driver has turned over towards Damascus with the promise that the day after he would turn over with the fax. Anyway, the idea about the chofer any longer did not seem so good to me. When talking with the consul, this suggested once other to me to return to Jordan. And finally, as it can not talk with the director of the company of the chofer, and 6 days after being retained on the border, without Internet, without interacting with almost nobody, confronting daily problems, boring, tired, desperate... I have decided to abandon, without not even so alone to wait to morning, and at dusk I have paid again the cups of entry for Jordan for the car and have gone towards Amman. Amman (see on map) 16/03/2008:
I have spent a week, half depressed, without desires of doing anything, discouraged in spite of trying to solve all the uncertainties. With the help of Alexandra and passing many hours connected to Internet, the unknowns about how to arrive to Turkey have kept being solved. This new horizon has diluted the pessimism of my soul, although the optimism has not appeared either. From now I was a marked person, i was not a European any longer with the possibility to travel all over the world, a step had now gone down, and some countries would have my entry forbidden, as Syria, Iran or other Arab countries. In any case, a step had only gone down, and i still had the right and the opportunity of following my journey, taking the pulse to the world. On the other hand, my history could not be compared, even a lot less, with the problems that millions of people suffer because of the visas. As the story that Akram explained to me after he gained sufficient confidence in me(a Jordanian Palestinian that I got in touch with through couchsurfing). A year ago, Akram met a girl from the United States, whom he fell in love with. Making use of some working holidays and having obtained a visa of 5 years, he flew to United States, where after few weeks and of quitting his work in Jordan has married the girl. After three months they did a trip through the North of the United States and two days to Canada. But when returning from Canada, the police of the American border denied him the entry and invalidated the visa, without any explanation, simply because he was Muslim. The way how he explained the drama that he lived really touched me. It was about three months in Canada living badly, occasionally meeting his wife who visited him when she could. And finally he returned to Jordan, where he does not have possibility to return to the previous work and he has to wait a year and a half that the American authorities validate his marriage and they grant him the option of turning back with his wife. But few desires remain, at present he would prefer going to live to Egypt, an Islamic country where life is cheap. Another day that I met with Akram I started to talk about Israel, but immediately he cut me, indicating that for him there is not such country, only occupied Palestine. Akram is of Palestinian origin, as many of his friends, born of parents that took refuge in Jordan after the war of 1948. When asking him about the solution of the conflict,he answered me that the Jews should abandon the occupied land completely (again solutions difficult to accept for the opposing party). Then he explained his vision of the history, in which, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Arabs were hospitable with the Jews who arrived to Palestine, until these took them the land. To the point of celebrating 30 years of life, Akram complained that he never visited his land. Then I asked him: - But do you think that there will be a day again when Palestine will be for the Arabs, free from Jews? - For sure. Before the day of the final judgment. - But where will the Israelis have to go? - The Jews who occupy Palestine have their land of origin, and they will have to return there. Then the conversation entered in a phase difficult to be forgotten. After explaining to me that he detested the Islamic terrorist attacks, that a Muslim would never kill innocents, and that he really cried during the attacks to the two twin towers of New York, I asked him: - Then you are you against the terrorist attacks against the Jews of Israel? - That is not terrorism – he answered very seriously. - We, the Palestinians, have our land to fight for and to kill all those that occupy it by force. In the face of my speechless expression, he asked me: - Do you think that I am a terrorist? - Not, but you could be. In the presence of Akram, i met Hamin, a Christian. his religion surprised me in Jordan. Then he explained me, that 7% of the Jordanians are Christian, but that before nothing, they feel Arab and that for example, when the United States attack an Arab country, they are annoyed as the rest of the people. Maybe that's why, the communal life with the Muslims is very pacific, although they also have to abide by some of the rules. For example, a Muslim boy can marry a Christian girl, but a Christian boy cannot marry a Muslim girl, because the Islamic law forbids it, the same as he also forbids a Muslim being able to forsake his religion. And another surprising fact, when asking Hamin whether his God was also called Allah,he answered me: - Of course, we, the Jordanian Christians, speak Arab. I had not been so many days in Jordan, but it seemed that all the options to arrive to Turkey, passed through Egypt, but i could not enter with the carnet de Passages of the car expired. That's why, the first day after arriving to Amman I sent the old carnet de Passages to Spain in order to receive the new one, if everything goes well from here, next Sunday,in a week. During these days, I have also renewed my visa of stay to Jordan, I have visited different times the embassy of Spain where the consul is a very nice and collaborative person, I have renewed other papers for the car... Even so, after doing all these formalities, I still had a week before leaving. Perhaps, tomorrow, I will visit some days the lands of Palestine and Israel again. In spite of everything, I feel that I do not want to visit anything else. I feel like reaching as soon as possible Istambul to meet Alexandra. I feel like being with her, relaxed again, and leaving that all the problems pass next to us. This separation, of a month, is proving to me that it is difficult to live without her. And she says that she feels the same. So, we have already reported that the proposal of marriage that we did, continues standing and that maybe soon, in some exotic country, we will take it to the practice. ---- In Aman I interviewed Aiman, a friend of Akram, which opined that the main problem of the world is the oil, which causes a lot of instability in the middle east. The problem cannot be solved, but besides will be increased due to the industry and to the emergent countries, and it does not seem that anybody can do anything to stop. Aiman, of Palestinian origin, opined that the main problem of his country was the nonexistence of peace or solution, at least an acceptable solution for the politicians or leaders of both parties. The solution needs new leaders thinking for the future, they think that there is sufficient land for everybody. Maybe at present the Arabs are more prepared than the Israelis for the peace. The solution has to be found between the people of both sides. Aiman is considered happy although he would be happier with peace in the middle east that allowed him to settle and to live. The secret of happiness is the peace in the heart and in the mind. 18/03/2008:
Yesterday I went again towards the border of Jordan with Palestine. I felt like visiting these troubled lands again with some Palestinians, but i was shitted scary, for i feared that (as the previous time) the Israeli authorities would return to stick an adhesive in my passport or even to seal it, complicating the future entry in Iran. For this reason, when the Jordanian authorities told me that my visa only allowed me to visit Israel one more time, I cheered up and I relaxed. Next, taking advantage of being retained in Jordan waiting for the Carnet de Passages of the car, which if everything goes well has to arrive next Sunday, I decided to try to cross another border, this time that of Syria. I chose another border, but the authorities immediately saw that i had been refused once, and after verifying in the computers they informed me very nicely about my name being on the black list, and that even if i tried to bribe them (how I did with 300 $) they could do nothing to change it. And like this it would follow even to the end of times, or even if Syria changed the legislation. And today I have decided to visit the Roman ruins of Jerash, the second touristic attraction of Jordan, which i had not visited yet because i had not lost in a complete way the expectations to enter in Syria, where for as i have seen, there is a former still more interesting Roman city, that of Palmira. In any case, Jerash has surprised me and i would have considered myself a sinner if i had let the passivity of the last days influence me not to visit it. Jerash surprises for the hundreds of columns that still keep standing, of stylised forms and capitals with floral engravings. It also surprises, apart from its temples, avenues, arcs and hippodrome, for the conservation of two big theatres, that confirm the interest that the Romans expressed for these shows, but, the big number of inhabitants especially confirm that they had to populate the former city. 22/03/2008: I have spent some days more waiting for the carnet de passage of the car (which finally has arrived today Saturday) and passing the hours bored and discouraged. Anyway, the few times that i made use of my spare time, i tried to clarify which was my next destination, that each moment got complicated, because when i was going to confirm the offer of the boat of Egypt to Turkey, I took measures of the autocaravan and I realised that in the container would not enter, when being 10 centimetres higher than the door of the container. I sent the Egyptian company a mail to see whether there was any other solution, but they did not answer me. So, the only solution that remains seems that of Israel, from where I have an offer (quite expensive) to arrive with boat to Athens, Greece. Tomorrow I will start to go again towards Israel, unless i receive some other offer from Egypt. On the other hand, I have also met some more days Akram and some of his friends and other couchsurfers, although in general I have followed the meetings without too much interest. In all these days, only one conversation with Akram caught me the attention enough as to note it in my note block. Akram was confirming to me that they believe firmly in the Islam, the men as well as the women, with the virginity and with the prohibition of the sex out of the marriage. Next he complained that in the Occidental countries many men (and women) have sex out of the marriage (and during the marriage) with ten, twenty or even more people different to the opposed sex. And according to him, it was a hypocrisy that these that fornicate with so many women how they want (even with prostitutes) criticise them, the Muslims, because they can get married even with four women, if the husband can maintain them and they accept the situation. I thought that it was quite a convincing reasoning to explain because in the Islam the men have this possibility, although I did not deepen either questioning why the women could not marry more than one husband. 23/03/2008: When trying to start the car after buying vegetables, I have discovered that the estárter did not work, even so, I have started off the car and I have just arrived to the border of Jordan with Israel. I have passed all the Jordanian formalities without stopping the car and paying the 20 euros of rates of exit for the third time. As I feared, to the first control before entering in the offices of the border of Israel they have made me stop the car, anyway, after inspecting superficially the vehicle, some boys that waited and an Israeli helped me push the car until it started off. Despite warning them about the problems of the starter they have asked me to stop the engine in the following control. Then the typical questions have started and discovering that i had been in Sudan, the things had gone again serious. Anyway, it seemed that there would not be too many problems apart from the typical waiting and after an hour, they decided to inspect the car. I wanted to be present, but they have closed the car in a garage and I have had to wait in a room in front of a scanner of X-rays, across which they have kept passing different objects of my autocaravan: the spare wheel, all the butane gas cylinders and even the chemical toilet (that yes, making face of disgust and laughing). During the process a man has presented himself loading a big plastic bag with all the vegetables that i had bought in Jordan inside: Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bananas, oranges, cauliflowers... He has informed me that i could not enter with fresh vegetables in Israel (international norms) and, after asking to eat three bananas, he has taken the sealed bag. I feared that they would break something of the car, during the hour that have been turning it upside down, but, no when I have been able to enter again, all the things were well messed up but in their place. Then I have listened with joy that i could enter in Israel after making the insurance of the car. I went to the corresponding office with all the papers, but when studying them, the girl of the insurance company has informed me: - You have the international driving licence expired - expired for only 15 days!! - I cannot do the insurance for you. And evidently, the Israeli authorities have immediately informed me that i could not enter the country and that i had to return to Jordan. The world fell another time for me. It was the third time in twenty days that a country denied me the entry and returned me to Jordan. Seemed a nightmare and my bad humour was naturally directed in silence towards the Israelis. My only consolation that I have had, is that these have had to sweat a little to push the car and to start it off. On the other hand, I have also recovered all the vegetables that they had stolen previously from me. Turning to Amman I have called to my father with the expectation that he had not sent the new renewed driving licence to an address of Turkey that i had given him, but unfortunately he has informed me of having sent it last Thursday and by error having also sent my Spanish driving licence, done that it could complicate the request of a new international driving licence. Besides, in arriving to Amman I have realised that an exterior protection of the fridge had fallen and had gotten lost due to the bad placing of the customs authorities. In any case, I have not wanted to despair. So many slips it seems that they are giving me quite a lot of patience. The next days I will dedicate them to fix the car (it will be more economic in Jordan than in Israel), to visit the Spanish embassy (perhaps to ask them for work in Jordan) and to negotiate a price of the boat that has to take me up to Greece. 30/03/2008: I passed another week in Amman, another parenthesis in the journey of which basically would stand out the joy that I felt yesterday when I received the international driving licence from Turkey. Previously, i had taken the car to fix, but after looking for the spare part of the starter in all Amman, I finally convinced myself of its nonexistence and a mechanic had to do the same manoeuvre that the boy of Edfu, in Egypt, had done. The operation was good to keep starting off the engine more or less well during all the week, and also today in the morning, when I have crossed the border of Jordan again and I have passed the first formalities again on the border of Israel. Today I have asked to be present in the inspection of the car, but they have again denied me this possibility and a boy has gone up to the car to drive it in a closed garage. But the engine has not started and the boy has called me so that I tried it. The starter did not seem to work again, but suddenly the boy has warned me that a strong smell of burning was coming out (I do not feel smells). I have gone outside, I have opened the capon and horrified i have realised that the engine was on fire, not all the engine, but there were some cables burning. Running I have gone up to the autocaravan, have pulled the fire extinguisher and have jumped in front of the car shooting against the flames. The flames have gone off immediately, without having provoked at first sight any severe damage, but my spirits were through the ground again. Anyway, the officers have continued with the process and they have pushed the autocaravan inward of the garage and after little while they have taken it out informing me that they have already inspected it. I have carried out the insurance of the car, this time trouble free, and the nice officers have helped me push the autocaravan another time and it has turned on with no problem and later I have arrived without any other incident to Haifa. * Another negative note of the customs of Israel was the exterior protection of the fridge, which the customs had placed badly for me the previous time and has been lost. The second time they commented me that the insurance of the customs of Israel would pay it to me and an officer called Igal Malca confirmed me that it would be like this, but once arrived to Greece they denied contact. Israel - Palestina Haifa (see on map) 06/04/2008:
The first hours in Haifa, despite meeting with interesting people of couchsurfing, I felt totally bored, without joy and worried about the autocaravan, which i could only park in pending to be able to turn it off trouble free. Exactly entering in Haifa i had located a service of Fiat where in theory they could fix the starter, but the following day in the morning I could not start off the autocaravan because a car had parked in front preventing me to leave it fall. I was waiting some hours to see whether the car left, but I finally accepted the suggestion of Sara, a girl of couchsurfing, and visited by train a place called Acre (or Akko in Hebraico). The first historical mentions of Acre go back to 1500 BC that, occupying a strategic position, is well defended by the sea and some imposing walls. Throughout its history it has suffered different sieges and assaults, some of which unsuccessful, as the one of Napoleón that lost a battle. When going through the alleys inside the walls, the Arab atmosphere that was breathed, also with some churches and mosques that at specific hours toned the sound of the muetzinos up, surprised me. I started to discover that Israel is a much more complex country of what i thought, that was not only inhabited by Jews. Sara, the Israeli girl from Haifa, explained to me that Acre had been suggested under the domination of the Arab Palestine according to the partition by the ONU in 1947, but during the Arab-Israelian war of 1948 was occupied by Israel. Then, 75% of the population left the city, although in the interior of the walls the Arabs continue being majority. When returning from Acre, Sara explained me a little more on the multiculturalism of Israel, introducing me the Druze, which have a religion split of the Islam with more than one million believers all around the world, a majority of which is living in Syria and Libya, but with about 100.000 living in Israel. One of the peculiarities of this religion is the choice, when entering the adult age, of belonging to the group of the called "ignorants" (80%) or to the group of the “believers", who are put in charge of studying the teachings and of following a life according to the faith. Traditionally, the Druze have always been very nationalistic defending the country that receives them. It is for this motif, that the Druze in Israel are implicated with the State completely, complying the 3 years of military service during which carry out numerous tasks of spy as they speak Arab as mother tongue. Anyway, despite complying with the homeland, the Druze hardly see its laws similar with the rest of Jews, and are treated with discrimination in public sites, jobs... Israel is also the centre of another religion, the faith Bahá'í, with a magnificent tomb and gardens that send in the lap of the mountain of Haifa. I also showed interest in this modern religion (its main prophet died in Acre in 1892) that counts about 6 million followers in all the world and I was surprised for the beliefs based on the unit of God, of the religions (all are different stages or revelations closer to God) and of the human kind (they do not believe in nationalism, races, social classes or any other prejudice that classifies the human beings). The Bahá'ís look for the peace in the world, advocate the elimination of the ends of wealth or poverty, defend the independent scientific research... On the other hand, they do not have church, and do not believe in the monastic life, rather with the spiritual growth through the daily life. One of the few doctrines that would not allow me to be Bahá'í is the belief in God and the life after death. The visit to Acre, the religious discoveries and the conversations maintained with Sara and other boys of couchsurfing filled me again with energy, with desires of keeping knowing world, including Israel. But the fact that i had the autocaravan fixed, with a second-hand stárter for which I paid a little more of the account, also collaborated. The following day I visited big avenues and many sites with Sara and a couple of Germans, the modern Tel Aviv capital, with high buildings. In one of these sites, the German couple explained that were anarchist and of left and that, on the contrary to the rest of ideological compatriots of Europe, were pro-Israel. When asking them if the pro isrealian feeling was owed to the anti-Nazi fight or to the extreme right in Germany, they answered me that very probably was like this. Deepening in the complexity of Israel, Sara and other Jews with whom I talked, explained me that the Jews of Israel are not usually too religious, except for those living in Jerusalem, even so, they all share the same culture, celebrating the same traditions, talking the same language (modernised at the beginning of the 20th century from the old sacred texts), eating koshar foods, and especially maintaining a strong nationalistic or Zionist feeling, which justifies the constitution of a Jewish State. Numerous times I asked to Jews which was the justification to constitute a new Jewish State in an earth occupied mostly by Arab or Palestinians. Without putting forward religious motifs, the answers remembered me that 2000 years ago the Jews occupied those lands, which throughout the centuries the prayers have always finished with the sentence: "the next year in Jerusalem" and that finally they had right to an own country after suffering so many centuries of persecution for their religion and culture in Europe and Middle East. When I gave an opinion to Sara that the arguments could be very little solid for the Palestinians, the conversation became a little tense; but when I gave an opinion more ahead than the cultural stereotypes, even though negatives, sometimes have one real backgrounds (the Jews are sometimes accused of not being easy on letting money or of controlling the world), Sara accused me very sourly of being anti-Zionist. I tried to defend myself explaining that the Catalans in Spain are also seen with a strong hand on their money and the Andalusians as dreamers and, even if in most of the individual cases it is not like this, yes that they reflect something of the reality. A Palestinian friend present in the discussion also opined that the stereotypes did not reflect any reality, even though later, when asking him whether his fathers were Muslim or Christian, he answered to me using a stereotype: - They are Muslim, but not Muslim bum-bum (terrorists)- making the gesture of explosion with the body. We all laughed. Sara also had other Palestinian friends living in some town in the north of Israel called Béna, which we visited the day before yesterday. Zaid and Alex were the two boys with who I conversed more. First they explained the history of the town, lived by Palestinians always up to the war of 48, during which, the Israeli soldiers killed 4 boys cold-blooded to oblige the rest of population to leaving towards Lebanon. Anyway, after little time, some few returned to the town from the fields of refugees and, as did not have more problems with the authorities, they stayed. But there were many Palestinians who could not return, treating the ones that returned as traitors, because in general they passed from fighting the occupation to fight for the equality of laws with those of the Jews. For example, Zaid and Alex explained me that they would be happy living in Israel if this were not a Jewish State, with Jewish flag, Jewish hymn, with Hebrew language and with Jewish laws, as the obligatory rule of Yom Kipur, a holiday in which all Israel is paralyzed so that the Jews ask forgiveness to God for their sins and - according to the boys - so that the rest of the year they can keep tearing the Palestinians remorseless. Perhaps, in any case, this situation will not last forever, because even if the Palestinians in Israel are only 20%, these have a growth much higher than the Jews and perhaps in the future they will be able to choose leaders who return the government to the Palestinians. In spite of the daily fight for their rights, Zaid and Alex were also worried about the situation of the occupied Palestine, or Palestine behind the green line drawn in 1967 by different UN resolutions. The occupied Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip) started to enjoy a certain autonomy, Israelí drowned economically and with the army always entering it when they considered appropriate. On the other hand, the wall that the Israelis have built to separate Israel from Palestine, does not follow faithfully the green line, leaving the wells of water out of the scope of the Palestinians or giving exit to numerous Jewish settlements in Palestinian lands. As the night was advancing, Sara kept acquiring a defensive attitude owed to the pro-Palestinian conversations finishing by becoming enemy with everybody, even with me. In spite of everything, i had gained a new friendship with Zaid and Alex, which remained sealed with the promise of visiting together West Bank in two days, today. Yesterday in the night, I met a new girl of couchsurfing and her colleague with whom I maintained an interesting conversation. When telling them that today i would visit West Bank, the boy commented to me indifferent: - I have been many times, as soldier. Afterwards they explained to me that the Israeli army is one of the most prepared and humanitarian ones of the world, in spite of the defamation of its enemies. And finally they explained me that in the schools of Israel, the Palestinians also have a subject of peace apart from showing subjects as mathematics or literature, however, basically they teach hate. And today, finally,me, Alex, Zaid and one of his Jewish friend have directed ourselves towards West Bank passing through Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We have arrived very late, therefore we have only decided to visit Ramala, one of the most important Palestinian cities, close to Jerusalem. We have crossed the controls of entry without too many problems and been in the wall that isolates Ramala of Israel. Inside, the atmosphere was completely Arab or Palestinian, although tension was breathed and the people did not seem as hospitable as in the previous countries; however they looked suspicious at the registration plates of the car and asked us in an apprehensive way where we were from. We have parked near the centre and have started to walk, without fixed direction and to wonder where the amusement was found, but this has arrived alone by itself, very soon. In a sudden way we have seen ourselves surrounded by armed youngsters who have started to ask us about our origins, about the girl, for they had heard her talking Hebrew with Zaid. Finally they have informed us that they were of the Palestine police and that it was very dangerous for the Jewish girl to walk in Ramala, for if the population discovered it they could kidnap her or kill her in public; and that was not desirable, because the Israeli army would have a new reason to enter. They have driven us very nicely but well escorted to the main police station, and after having us amused during an hour, have recommended us to go out of Ramala the soonest possible. While we waited in the queue to cross again the wall and to enter Israel, a man has asked me again with apprehensive look: - from where are you? - from Spain. After a while: - Madrid? - No, of Barcelona. And finally he has commented me with complicity. - I like ETA a lot - The terrorist and independentist group of the Basque Country. After a week listening to opinions of Jews and Palestinians, I cannot deprive myself of describing the conflict with an example that I have kept fabricating and having kept perfecting. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Palestinians lived in a big home that was owned by the British. The home had 10 rooms, with a room occupied by a Jew and the rest occupied by Palestinians. There were Jews in other homes or countries that remembered the first that their grandfather had lived in, and due to the rough handling that the owners of the other homes gave them, some came back to the first home, buying the Palestinians two rooms. The Palestinians were not too happy with the new neighbours, but they were more worried about the abuses of the Britanic owner, who finally decided to divide up the house and gave the estate to the Palestinians and Jews. But the Palestinians did not agree and with the help of neighbours of other houses they started to attack the Jews. But the Jews counter-attacked with force and occupied 3 new rooms and emptied them substantially of Palestinians, who had to take refuge in other rooms or other houses. The expelled Palestinians conspired to recover the lost rooms but in each of the two subsequent brawls, the Palestinians lost a room, only two rooms remaining for them. And at present, as even there are Palestinians ready to fight for the freedom, the Jews have covered the doors of both rooms up with bricks, occasionally depriving them of water and electricity. The atmosphere is rarefied, and the Jews who want the peace do not want to return to the 3 rooms that they had at first. And even if most of the Palestinians accept an intermediate solution, also there are many that do not want to stop fighting until they expels the Jews of all the rooms. And thinking about this example, I wonder which could be the satisfactory solution to this complicated conflict, and sincerely, I do not find it. If somebody of you has it, the United Nations should be contacted. ---- In Béna I interviewed Alex, who was a little diffuse, even then gave an opinion that the main problem of the world was the borders. The main problem in his country is the religious and nationalistic fanaticism, which actions as the occupation of Palestine. The solution would be to understand and to try not to have manipulated opinions. Alex feels happy although he does not know the secret of happiness. ‹ Previous (07/02/2008) MONTH Next (2008-04-07)› ‹ Previous (2008-03-04 - Israel - Palestina) COUNTRY Next (2008-04-06 - Israel - Palestina)› |
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