Friends International Center in Ramallah
September 2007 Newsletter
(Vol. I No. 7)

From the Program Coordinator:

I have returned to Ramallah after a three-month medical leave in the US.  There have been some changes in the political situation and yet many things have remained the same.  While I was away, Hamas and Fatah battled it out in the Gaza Strip.  Hamas is now ruling Gaza and Fatah is ruling the West Bank, a logical conclusion to an internal political situation fuelled by both internal politics and the international community’s handling of the Palestinian elections in the spring of 2006.  Nothing that happens here is in isolation and nothing is by chance.           

A few days ago Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, was asked by an interviewer on Al-Jazeera whether Tony Blair, as the new Middle East Envoy, would have more influence brokering a peace between Palestinians and Israelis than some Middle East envoys in the past.  Hope in what Tony Blair may be able to accomplish is very low.  For example, during his visit to the region a few weeks ago, Tony Blair requested that the Israeli authorities give permission for Raji Sourani to come to Jerusalem from Gaza City.  Raji Sourani is a long-time human rights activist, founder and director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza, and recipient of the Robert Kennedy Human Rights award in Washington.  Even at Tony Blair’s request, the Israeli authorities did not grant permission for Raji to leave Gaza.  This incident says a lot about Tony Blair’s power and how he is perceived by the Israeli authorities.  In fact, this says a lot about how the Quartet is perceived, and what it may accomplish. 

Currently, a flurry of events is taking place to prepare for the Summit between Palestinians and Israelis and the Quartet, with possible additional invitees from the Arab League.  Most people here are skeptical as to what can happen.  Everything that Israel has done during the past 40 years of militarily occupying Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (occupied Palestinian territory- oPt), shows that Israel is not interested in a just and lasting peace with the Palestinians – continuing land confiscations,  building of new settlements and expanding existing ones, building of the Wall, building of an infrastructure in the West Bank for Israelis only, arresting and imprisoning Palestinians, killing Palestinians on a daily basis, refusing to grant family reunification to thousands of Palestinians, and continuing to make life so difficult in so many ways that Palestinians have no choice but to leave the oPt.  Palestinians and many Israelis are coming to see that, as a result of the last 40 years of Israel’s activities in the oPt, Israel has rendered a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel impossible.      

The upcoming Summit will once again pose the question for everyone:  Is a viable Palestinian state still possible?  As Jeff Halper, the director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), says:  “Well, the devil is in the details.”  Jeff argues:  “If, for example, Jerusalem is not fully integrated into the Palestinian state…and I would bet that the core of East Jerusalem falls outside the 95% of the West Bank that Israel might give up, then there is no viable Palestinian state.”  Jeff concludes: “The difference between a truly sovereign and viable Palestinian state and a Bantustan, is a few percentage points of strategic territory.”              

The big questions looms:  What will happen if and when everyone realizes that a viable Palestinian state is no longer an option?   What do people then advocate for?  What do we then work towards? 

(Click here to see the map of Palestine if the state of Palestine alongside Israel were to be negotiated today. http://www.icahd.org/eng/)

From the Friends International Center in Ramallah:

Many new and exciting activities are happening at the Friends Center. 

Since the beginning of September, attenders of the Ramallah Friends Meeting and friends are getting together on Wednesdays for a potluck supper and an evening of fellowship. 

Wednesday evening potluck supper group

 
On Tuesday, October 2 members of the potluck supper group organized an Iftar for friends who are fasting.  Each member of the potluck supper group contributed to the meal.  In addition to the supper group, we had more than 30 friends join us for the Iftar.  The Iftar (breakfast) is the breaking of the fast at sundown during the Holy Month of Ramadan.  The fast is broken by eating dates and then a bowl of soup before the main meal it taken, including traditional Arabic sweets for dessert.  Observant Muslims do not drink or eat anything from sunrise to sundown.  Praying five times a day is also observed more faithfully by many during Ramadan.

AFSC staff in Ramallah speaking to the AFSC/Peacebuilders delegation at FICR.  The delegation was lead by Tony Bing and Ilise Cohen

Sam Bahour speaking to the AFSC/Peacebuilders delegaion about visa and entry/re-entry issues

From the Ramallah Friends Meeting:

This year there are a number of Quakers who are teaching at the Friends Schools.  All of them are committed to attending Meeting for Worship, so we have an active group every Sunday.  In addition we have other friends attending Meeting on Sundays - participants of the EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel), a program of the World Council of Churches and CPTers (Christian Peacemaker Teams) come to   Meeting whenever they can.   

Aziza Mikhail, or Imm Hanna as she is known by many in Ramallah, the mother of Jean Zaru, died in Amman, Jordan on Friday, September 21 at the age of 93.  She lived all her life in Ramallah.  She was taken to Amman a few years ago when she needed medical attention that she was not able to receive in Ramallah.  She left Ramallah with the intention of returning, however, due to her medical condition, she was not able to come back to her beloved Ramallah and her home.  She was a pillar of the Ramallah Friends Meeting.  Her spirit of openness, kindness, and hospitality will be remembered by all who knew her.  She was a woman ahead of her time when it came to social issues; she was always understanding and open.  She is survived by four daughters – Jean, Janan, Joyce, Mai, daughter-in-law, Jehan, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was pre-deceased by her husband and her son.  Her son, Hanna Mikhail, a martyr, was among the 12 disappeared Palestinian leaders in July, 1976.  His death has never been confirmed.  The death and the lack of closure of his death, has been very difficult for her, as well as for the rest of the family.  She requested that her funeral be an occasion for the family to say good-bye to her and to her son at the same time.     
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire family of Aziza.   
Rest in Peace, Aziza.      

I attended the funeral of Aziza, which was held in Amman, Jordan on Tuesday, September 25, on behalf of myself and the Steering Committee for the Friends International Center in Ramallah. 

From the Occupation: Monthly Action Focus:

There are so many injustices happening, however, we will continue to focus on one, and that is the denial of visas to Palestinians with dual nationalities and Internationals who work or want to work in the oPt (occupied Palestinian Territory).  In addition to those who are not able to get tourist visas to enter, there are more than 120,000 Palestinian families who have not been granted family reunification by the Israeli authorities and who are living apart or living together “illegally” in Palestine.  It is an issue we are continuing to pursue in order to change Israeli policy on this matter. 
We ask for your help in the following ways: 
1. If you know of someone (Palestinian or International) who has been refused entry/re-entry into the oPt via one of the entry points Israel controls, please contact Anita Abdullah at anita_abdullah@hotmail.com
2. If you would like to work on this issue outside of Palestine, especially in the US, please contact John Salzberg at john.salzberg@verizon.net.  John is working on this issue in the US and is able to put you in touch with others in the US who are also working on this issue from a US policy point of view. 

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, then Minister of Information, speaking at a press conference on "Entry/re-entry Rights for Palestinians and others".

For more information on “Right to Enter/Re-enter” go to www.righttoenter.ps

Kathy Bergen
Program Coordinator          
www.ramallahquakers.org