July 14 was our first real orientation day. We got an overview of current life in the Occupied Palestinan Territory (OPT) and tried to figure where we could be most helpful as volunteers. We learned our way around some of the main landmarks.
When I was in Bethlehem in 1999 there was excitement and hope with all the new construction and preparing for the celebration of Christmas 2000. There were cranes and building equipment at work everywhere, and there was a feeling that prosperity was coming at last --and that the world would see Bethlehem as the city of the birth of the Prince of Peace.
Now many of those new buildings stand empty, only partially completed, or abandoned because they were partially bulldozed or bombed in the early years of the Intifada. People remember vividly when the Church of the Nativity was under siege and point "here is where the altar boy was shot in the back."
The tanks are now gone from Manger Square, but so is that expectation that things will be better soon.
On this first 'regular' day here we went back to the park where last night's Fakooz Festival was held. Yesterday we went to play in the new park --today we went to defend it.
The new park is halfway up the hill on land inside Beit Sehour and that means also INSIDE the Wall supposedly built to keep Palestinians separate from Israelis. But on this night the top of the hill became the camp site for Israeli settlers, complete with their own private Israeli soldiers, who prevented us --anyone but Israelis - from going to the top of the hill.
A group of international volunteers gathered in the park, takign turn watching thru thed night. Experience told us if we did not stay there the settlers would grab it as well -- or least come in and loot the new playground and community center.
This is how it begins. Settlers come and grab a hill top -- first just to camp a night, then to bring a trailer, then to bring in materials to build a settlement. They grab the hilltops of land which belongs to Palestinans.
There was really nothing we could do to prevent it -- they had soldiers and guns --we had truth and a passion for justice. Guns took control of the top of the hill.
Au Sh'grab -- another Settler grab.
