June 24, 2010
Adeeb and Raja
The info below is about Adeeb Abu Rameh the father and husband of a Bil’in family who befriended me in Palestine and with whom I have become very close. Adeeb is due to be sentenced soon for his non-violent activities. With Adeeb in prison, the family (his wife Fatima, 7daughters and 2 sons) has lost its primary source of income.The oldest daughter, Raja, is studying at Bir Zeit to become a doctor – she is a bright, tough, and courageous young woman and is pursuing her M.D. both because it is important to her and because her father, who she loves dearly has encouraged her for years to become a dr. She is $1500 short for next semester’s fees. Please, if you can help, I urge you to do so – even if its $5 – it all adds up. I know its impossible to help everyone, but I have a personal connection with this family and they mean so very much to me. If you can donate something toward her education Raja and her family would be so very grateful. Think of it as an investment in the future of a peaceful world; an investment in a promising young woman.
Below my name and before the informative articles are pictures of Adeeb and his daughter Raja.
Thanks so much,
~Keren
Adeeb Abu Rahma
June 13, 2010
Faces of Palestine
Below are a myriad of faces from Palestine – you won’t have to look closely to deduce that these are human beings, just like us, despite what the media and Israeli hasbara [Hebrew for propaganda] would have you believe. They are not terrorists, any more than you and I are – though its good to remember that each of us, all of us, carry the capacity for good and for evil – the choices we make determine our actions – and choices are not always as black and white as we would want them to be. I hope you enjoy these beautiful faces (tho a couple portraythe terror of mothers having to travel through an Israeli checkpoint to get their very ill children to treatment) as much as I have enjoyed taking these pictures and reviewing them again and again with a huge smile on my face as I recall how these people have touched my life in such a dramatic way.
May 16, 2010
Hebron/Tel Rumeida and Balata Refugee Camp
It has taken me far too long to report on my two days in Hebron and the visiting of prisoner families in Balata Refugee Camp. However, going back to work the day after I returned, dealing with jet lag (the first time in my life that I’ve experienced it) and dealing with my knee problems (had surgery on Friday) I’ve just not had the time I needed to get this report out. Today, I rectify that. Read the rest of this entry »
May 5, 2010
Reflections and Updates
Yes, I am back in the States – its good to be home, but leaving Nablus was a very tearful experience – bittersweet, to say the least. This was my third time working with ISM, each time stationed in Nablus, and this time I felt like I really put down roots and put out branches. I left behind my wonderful Aussie buddy, Rocky, from whom I learned so much, and the beautiful and extremely bright Aussie, Bridget, who is being monitored by the Shin Bet. I left behind many friends (Palestinian and fellow ISMers) and I left behind a strong, proud, hardy people who are striving to end the injustice of the Israeli occupation. Read the rest of this entry »
April 29, 2010
Qalandia and Al Quds (Jerusalem)
Last Sunday I set off for Al Quds – had been wanting to visit the office of PCATI (Public Committee Against Torture in Israel), as well as to go to the OCHA office to pick up current maps of the West Bank, spend some time with my good friend Roni, purchase Arabic language books (Jerusalem dialect), and post some things home. As some of you know, taking anything that connects one to Palestine through the airport in Tel Aviv is basically asking for problems.
The Israelis are notorious for pulling people over for grilling and strip searching at the airport (as happened with my good friend Hedy Epstein, who is Jewish and a Holocaust survivor. She was 80 when she had her first experience with the Israeli airport security. She was attempting to return to the US – they pulled her from the line, said she was a terrorist and not only strip searched her, but cavity searched her as well). Read the rest of this entry »
April 26, 2010
Iraq Burin – Blinded by Teargas
Saturday morning several ISMers left Nablus for Iraq Burin’s weekly demonstration. Iraq Burin, a village of approximately 1,000, is probably the loveliest of all villages in Palestine – it sits solitary at the top of a mountain, like a fortress – imposing from the distance but extremely beautiful within. As I noted in my blog about injuring my knee, Iraq Burin has very steep roads and paths, and the climb through the olive orchards is also very rocky. Iraq Burin is also the home of the two young shebab who were murdered by the Israeli army in March
Iraq Burin
Bil’in Conference and Weekly Demonstration
Bi’lin – Wednesday – Friday, April 21-23, 2010
On Wednesday and Thursday, I attended the 5th annual Bi’lin International Conference on Palestinian Popular Resistance. There were probably 300-400 in attendance with representatives from the various Popular Committees (local grassroots groups that are not affiliated with any faction or political party), local Palestinians, internationals from the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy (these are the countries I am sure were represented; there probably were others), Israeli activists, and representatives of the various Palestinian political parties. The Popular Committees are local grassroots groups that are not affiliated with any faction or political party. Palestinian notables included Salam Fayyad (Palestinian Prime Minister), MK Mohammed Barakeh, Omar Barghouti, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Khaleda Jarrar, and Mohammed Khatib. International notables included Irish Peace Prize Laureate, Mairead Maguire, Luisa Morgantini, Max Ajl, Adie Mormech, Jonathan Cook, and Jonathan Pollak.
Salam Fayyad, Palestinian Prime Minister
Luisa Morgantini - former member of European Parliment
April 20, 2010
Generosity Beyond Comprehension
I first learned about Palestinian generosity from my American Palestinian friend, Nabila Taha – she taught me by example, without even knowing that she was teaching me, that one should give, to the best of one’s ability, generously and unconditionally. Since then, I have spoken often of the generosity of Palestinians, especially here in Nablus. I have been the recipient of countless gifts of fresh produce, coffee, tea, lemonade, Tamar Hindi (a wonderfully delicious drink made from tamarind and served cold [I can easily drink 3-4 large glasses of this each day]) and Kanafe – from complete strangers, shop keepers, and neighbors. I have also been invited home for dinner (exquisite dinners) by complete strangers. And this is from people who are not wealthy in the least, to the contrary, most of them have very little. The highest rate of poverty and unemployment in the West Bank is in Nablus.
I have regularly spoken about Palestinian generosity as a characteristic that is unmatched anywhere. Today I learned about a generosity that is beyond comprehension. Read the rest of this entry »
April 18, 2010
Bi’lin weekly demonstration and commemoration of Bassem Abu Rameh
On Friday I was in Bi’lin for its weekly demonstration against the apartheid wall. This demonstration has been going on for five years as the villagers protest the confiscation of their land. This particular Friday was the anniversary of the death of Bassem Abu Rameh, one of Bi’lin’s stalwart non-violent leaders. Read the rest of this entry »
April 17, 2010
Settler Attacks in Huwarra and Burin
On Thursday, April 15, Areen (fellow ISMer) and I visited Huwwara a village of 6,500 inhabitants, to express solidarity with the village after the mosque had been defaced by settlers early Wednesday morning. We spoke with the mayor, Samer Odeh, who told us that five to six settlers descended on the village in the early morning hours and spray-painted graffiti on the eight-year-old mosque. They also set fire to three cars belonging to inhabitants of the village. The Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) arrived and immediately closed off the entire area surrounding the mosque. They took pictures and then set to work painting over the graffiti – ostensibly to clean it up, but much more likely to cover up the act. The paint that was used was the wrong color and villagers came to clean the mosque as soon as the Army departed. Some of the graffiti remains and we were able to photograph it. Read the rest of this entry »
Red Rebel's Blog - A Hooligan for Palestine 