Will it Never Stop..... Will it Never End

I think it’s possible that in the past week I have completely lost my faith in humanity. This is why I don’t read the news, but here is where the news is. There is no escape. Last week I was sick to my stomach at the atrocities that Israel was perpetrating in Gaza, and last night I felt similarly when I heard about the shooting at the Yeshiva in Jerusalem. The worst part is that in both of these situations the people being killed are bearing repercussions of someone else’s actions. A child playing soccer in a field in Gaza has nothing to do with the Hamas militant shooting rockets in to Ashkelon. In the case of the shooting yesterday we still don’t know the shooters motives or affiliation, but Hamas has already applauded the shooting and deemed it a “normal response”

“While not claiming responsibility for the attack, Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, said ‘this heroic attack in Jerusalem is a normal response to the crimes of the occupier and its murder of civilians’.

Taher al-Nunu, another spokesman, blamed the attack on Olmert and Ehud Barak, the defence minister.

‘We have warned before about the responsibility of the escalation in Gaza and warned of Palestinian anger,’ he said.” (Al Jazeera)

Why is it that the people who perpetrate these violent crimes are almost never the ones who are punished for them? Both Hamas and the Israeli government are allowing the people they claim to be fighting for bear most of the repercussions of the violence against each other. Hamas knows that for every rocket they shoot over the border Israel will respond with ten more, and the Israeli government should realize by now that their actions do not go unpunished. It just makes me sick and so angry. If these leaders were really so righteous then they would be putting their own lives on the line and doing all they could to protect their people from violence, especially their children.

My other reason for losing my faith in humanity is the responses to last night. I found out about it when I went to the DVD store with Tasha to get some movies. The guy who owns the store was so happy about the shooting he gave Tasha 3 free DVDs. I had to leave the store I felt like I was going to punch someone. Then this morning I read that other students from the Yeshiva were heard shouting for revenge and things like “death to Arabs.” When will people realize that taking lives for other lives doesn’t fix anything? Usually it just makes it worse. A life is a life I don’t care who is belongs to, but even with all this we some how manage to live fairly normal lives here I still have an exam tomorrow regardless of what happens in Israel.

Speaking of normal life mine was just turned upside down a bit but ill get to that later

Tuesday (3/4) our Palestine Question class was cancelled because our professor couldn’t come to class. Hanadi sent out an email to everyone in the morning. When I got up in the morning I got the email and then remembered that half of us do not have access to internet, so I sent out ten text messages letting people know. Then Vanessa called to see if I wanted to go to the library with her for a bit, so we walked to campus met up with Josh and Miriam, and then after the library I convinced them to come to Ramallah with me to get a web camera from Garry the guy I met through my other friend Miriam. So I met Garry he gave me the camera, it kind of felt like a drug deal, except there was no money or drugs involved aaaanyways. We then wondered Ramallah for awhile. Josh wanted to show us the park in Ramallah, which isn’t really a park and once we got there Josh realized nothing was open because it is still technically winter. Then Josh said he knew where there was a big grocery store so we went looking for it, but that turned out to be a failure as well. By then we were getting hungry so we gave Josh one more chance, because he said he wanted to go to this realy great restaurant, and low and be hold he was redeemed. I have been living off of salad, foul stew, beans and rice, and the occasional falafel for the past month, but at this restaurant they had fettuccini alfredo with mushrooms (my personal favorite food!) we all got very delicious dinners. Then they gave us icecream for free. It was a pretty intense meal, but quite delicious. We got back to Birzeit at around 9:30 and then I proceeded to try to make the web camera work on my computer for 2 hours, but to no avail. I am assuming its because I have stupid windows Vista. But by 12 I had to go to bed so I could get up for my 8am Arabic class the next day.

Wednesday is when life got a little turned around. Right before my second class Daniela (my roommate) decides to tell me that her family found her a place to live in Ramallah so she’s moving out now. I didn’t even know she was thinking of moving. Apparently she told other people a couple days ago also. So I was a little annoyed about that. Its turning out okay though because Katy and Sandra have a third bedroom in their apt that they have been trying to rent to someone for a while, and since I don’t want to live by myself Im going to move in with them. This move has a lot of pros and cons. Their apt is a much much better location. I get my own bathroom, and my own balcony, and the rent is cheaper but they have none of the amenities I have gotten used to having at this apt (i.e. Internet, microwave, toaster oven, washing machine) also my room there has no furniture so I have to get some. Which isn’t the end of the world, but I am all settled here I have decorations and pictures on the walls and all my stuff put away. I hate having to pack and move again, but I guess it will be worth it. And Hussein said he would come with his car and move me so I don’t have to worry about lugging my stuff to the new place.

So yeah after class I went home and Vanessa and Tasha came with we all did laundry since it was our last opportunity to use the machine here then Josh and Elizabeth came over a few hours later to use the internet. Then I went over to katys for a bit to really look at the apt and my room and see what it was like. Nick and Santi were there too and all three of them came back to my apt with me afterwards. We hung out for a bit I tried to do more packing and then we all went to Zana’s for Dinner, and then went to Nick and Santi’s to watch Snatch. And then around 12 Hussein drove us all home, because he is a hero with a car.

Yesterday was the second day of gloriously beautiful weather. So I had a picnic with Vanessa, Tasha and Elizabeth in their back yard. It was quite nice, but it made us late for class. The class was about Arab nationalism and why it failed. Which I already knew, but that’s what I get for taking a class on something I’ve been studying for the last however many years. After class I went home and Tasha came with me. We did more laundry and then at 6 went to Aliya’s to see a documentary on Hamas. It was not the best documentary, but it was interesting. After the movie we hung out and had a few drinks. I ended up getting into an intense conversation with Omar’s brother and one of his friends about my feelings on Israel and the fact that I am a Jew. It was a good conversation. Now that I have decided not to hide my Jewness from everyone I have taken on a different outlook. Don’t worry mom I’m not going to run around telling everyone in the west bank Im a Jew, but I think it is important for me to show that not all Jews esp American Jews support Israel and the occupation, and the only way to do this is to have conversations like the one I had last night.

Okay today all I have done it pack write and eat falafel with Tasha and Elizabeth. I really need to finish packing and move and then start studying for my Fusah exam tomorrow! Also you may have noticed I added a little counter thing at the bottom of the page. I did this after an old friend told me on facebook that she was “blogstalking” me, which made me wonder how many people are actually reading this silliness. So now I will have a number, but if you feel like telling me I am also interested to know who is reading about my adventures.