Nablus in London

Well, I am back in the UK after a 36 hour trip which included the famous security checks and interrogation at the airport in Tel Aviv. I have to say that it was less rigorous than the last time I went through the airport. I left the apartment in Nablus at 10 am on Wednesday and as I walked through the city to the Service station it was with great sadness that I was leaving. I had said my goodbyes to the fantastic internationals I had been living and working with for the last month and i am sure we will see each other again at some point in the future. I have said it before but it is worth saying again, their determination, passion for justice and energy make me confident that there the next generation can make a huge difference and the left is in good hands if these wonderful people continue as they are doing, thanks comrades and keep up the fantastic work you are all doing, you are making a positive difference to the lives of Palestinians. Also the sadness at the fantastic Palestinians I had met and became friends with. Thier email addresses and contact details have been mailed back but due to the CWU strike it may take a while to get to me. But that is a small price to pay for the battle that postal workers are involved in for all of us, so keep strong posties!

The crossing at Qaliquilya took about 30 minutes which wasnt too bad, though to have to factor this into your day every time you cross into East Jerusalem can only be imagined how shit it is for Palestinians. So from the other side of the wall I made my way to the hostel where it all started 1 month earlier, dumped my rucksack and went to the post office to send back all the memory cards, contact details etc etc because if the Israelies find these at the airport it could mean big trouble for any Palestinians whose details they find and also for the ISMers. There has been anumber of ISMers labeled "enemy of the state of Israel" recently and this obviously means that they will not be allowed to enter Palestine again.

I had a few hours to kill in Al Quds, which I spent walking around the old city and taking pics to have at least something on my camera that would point to the 1 month "holiday" I had taken in Israel if questioned by the immigration police at the airport. I also had a beer! the first in a month and it didnt touch the sides so I had another one near to Damascus gate. It was alot less tense than the last time I was there to sort the visas for the Nablus firefighters. I went back to the hostel and had a good natter with an Argentinian and a Polish guy about footie, it tunred out the Argentinian was in the army during the Falklands but didnt get sent to the Malvinas so we had that in common, because I was in the British Army at the same time but was in Germany.

Eventually the time came for my Nesher to the airport and I got there around 1.15 for a 4.30 flight. 6 security checks later and I was sat on the plane with an empty seat next to me! So with a bit of room to spread out I promptly fell asleep. Got to Amsterdam on time and had 6 hours to kill, which went really bloody slowly and then the plane to Bristol was delayed but only by 20 mins. Tim met me at Bristol and took me up to his house for an hour or so to see his kids which was great. His lad, Billy wants to send his footie magazines to the refugee camp in Ramallah for the kids to use in their English lessons, good lad Billster!

I then went to Frome to see Trace and Georgia which was great, they had been so supportive whilst I had been away.

I was due to move into my new flat today but that has been postponed until tomorrow because the firefighters from Nablus are staying in London tonight so I have been invited along with John M, Big Kev and Dave C, so the flat can wait! The Nablus gang dont know I am going so it should be a big surprise for them.

I am still thinking about the whole experience of my month with ISM but there are 3 conclusions I have come to, these are:

1. The work of ISM needs to be publicised and individuals encouraged to work with this group.
2. The BDS campaign has to be effectively organised and carried out with individuals, organisations and politicians, this is what Paestinians see as the key to self determination.
3. Spreading the real stories from Palestine as a way of educating people whose main source of information is the right wing media and Israeli propoganda spouted in the press.

I will be putting more meat on the bones of these ideas in the coming days, and who knows maybe another blog will be started.

So thanks for reading this and if you do anything this weekend make sure you Boycott Israeli goods and services!

Last day in Nablus

Firstly, thanks to all those followers and random readers who have been following this blog over the last month. When I set out I had the intention of telling things as I have found them in Palestine. I have said before I am not a journalist so the reportage isnt that great but I have tried to as descriptive and accurate as possible mixed in with my own thoughts and feelings along the way. It obviously doesnt appeal to all and the views I have put on here have upset some but mostly comments have been positive so thanks again.

Today was my last day of picking in Palestine, I would upload the picture of my last olive picked but the connection is so slow that I will wait to do this until I get back. We went to the village of Burin and picked close to a settler road, that is a road that only Israelis can use. Right below us was the tunnel that Palestinians have to use to get to the other side of the road.A tunnel!!!!! Now the word "apartheid" has been used before and many Zionists dismiss this using the "security" argument, but I have to say that is a clear symbol of the apartheid being practised by the Israeli state against the Palestinian people, plain and simple. I was surprised by how this affected me, I knew of their existance, I have seen pictures of them, but to see this close up really brought it home how fucked up the Israeli state can be and the plight of the people of Palestine is in thehands of a state that allows and promotes this kind of treatment to other human beings. But what really got to me was how the rest of the world is allowing this to happen, and forget the US support for Israel, we Europeans are allowing this, Australia and the rest of the developed world is allowing this to continue. I was talking to someone I was out with in the fields a few days ago and talk got round to, as it always does a potential solution and I asked if he thought it would be different if the Palestinians had oil,did he think the attitude of the west would be different, he shrugged his shoulders, looked at his feet and said " Why would it be? Israel would have the oil anyway".

Anyway, my post trip analysis will come later. But for now a little about the current situaltion here, all the ISMers here are totally knackered after almost 3 weeks solid of up early, a days picking, back to the aprtment, eat, plan sleep and then it all starts again. The harvest is quietening down a little now. Most villages have harvested the dangerous areas and moving into more secure areas. One of the Danes who I havent been out with much over the last 10 days always seems to have problems with settlers whilst I have been relatively settler free, the consensus in the house is that I exude "Settler reppelant". Which if its true then I will bottle and give to every Palestinian, cos by fuck they deserve it! The truth is I have been lucky, for many Palestinians they are not so fortunate. We have heard tonight that at a nearby village settler have uprooted a number of trees,nice eh? Since 2002 it is estimated that 500,000 olive trees have been destroyed, by bulldozer, chainsaw, fire, poison or theft.Half a million trees? Have guees how many prosecutions have been successful? No prizes for this one I'm afraid!

So tomorrow I am off to say my goodbyes to friends I have made in the wonderful city of Nablus. I am not normally a city sort of person but I feel so at home here, the noise, the confusion, the smells and the mountains. I havent had the same feel in Ramallah or Hebron. It just feels like a place I could happily stay, although a place to buy a pint would be nice! I will probably not post now until the weekend and that will be my last, so once again thanks for following my first attempt at a blog.

One last thing before I go th bed, it would be immoral to just be given this opportunity, go home and do nothing so if any group, committee or organisation would like a presentation of this last month, formal or informal then please get in touch. The people of Palestine deserve to have their story told to a wide an audience as possible.

ta ta

Creeps in Jeeps and wanks in tanks

Ok, so there wasnt any tanks today but plenty of jeeps and IOF engagement this morning. We went to the village of Salem to the east of Nablus and as we arrived there was what looked like an exodus going out of the village. Around 200 people and vehicles blocked the single track and stood patiently waiting for the IOF to allow them access to their land on the other side of the military road that lead to the settlement. We arrived after a 20 minute walk and stood with the villagesin front of the road gate and spoke with our contact. The IOF, once they spotted the dreaded internationals, said that no Palestinian would be allowed access unless we moved to the other side of the gate. Which we did. The IOF then said that no Palestinian would be allowed unless they all moved to the other side of the gate. Which they didnt! After about 20 mins of this stand off the IOF eventually they relented and said that only peoplewould be allowed on foot and that it was a closed military zone and no internationals would be allowed in the area.

The rules then changed again and that tractors would be allowed into the CMZ. Which was bullshit but thats what happens day in day out, rules changing at the whim of teenager with an M16! After about another 20 minutes they opened the road gate and allowed all vehicles access but not until the drivers had handed over their IDs and all vehicle regs had been taken. This then left a ragged group of internationals and a few Palestinians.

Myself and another were delegated to try and negotiate with the IOF to all access for us. My negotiating skills have obviously not got any better and we were told in no uncertain terms that we wouldnot be allowed access. We asked to see the CMZ Order and surprisingly were shown it.....In Hebrew and Arabic! We had an Arabic speaker with us and it did appear genuine although with one or two possible in roads that may be aboe to be challenged but the chances of success are tiny.

I must admit I was really pissed off at the stance taken by the IOF, not surprised but the randomness of the changing orders, the arrogance of these kids with weapons and the resignation with wich the villages accepted this continuing total occupation and interferance in all aspects of their lives.

As I was trying to reason with Pvt Pike I looked to where the rest of the group were waiting and caught the eye of another Brit. A surrepticious wanker sign conveyed the current situation and did make me feel a bit better, very childish I know.

Well, tomorrow is the big day......in a small town in East Lancs the big boys visit, Burnley will score their first away goal and get their first away victory....oh yes and there is the small issue of some land being given back to the Palestinians which is bloody amaxing so there is to be a planting of 40 olive trees to mark this almost unprecedented occassion!

La Luca Continua

Ta ta

Best of the West (Bank!)

Today the intrepid ISMers went to several different villages to offer our unique brand of protection and labour the the local farmers. I along with 3 other internationals went east to the village of Beit Dajan. The morning was already hot as we set out at 7.00 and caught a taxi to the village where we met our contact. After coffee at his house we walked for about 20 mins and then climbed a bloody big hill, I must admit I was blowing a bit by the time we reached the top. A lifetimes dedication to smoking and drinking took its toll but I was only a minute or two behind the kids so not too bad.

The view from the top was staggering, imagine the Lake District without greenery or lakes or rivers and with watchtowers and settlements and you are somewhere near to where we were today.

They were expecting some shinannigans as they didnt hve permission to pick today but in the end there wasnt any problems. But was exceptional was the family. For al start they were all men and boys, not a woman or a girl in the picking party. The Grandfather and his two sons, and their kids in total about 11 of them were just so close and had so much fun, the banter the practical jokes were non stop. The two dads larked along with their kids and the sound of laughter was constant throughout the day.Along with copious amounts of food. The three youngest lads, I guess age range from 9 to about 13 were the dogsbodies, they fetched and carried all day long with not a grumble or a moan between them. When we were fed they waited until the adults had finished and ate what was left. The youngest in particular had the cheekiest face I have ever seen and reminded so much of one of my nephews. Everything he said the adults creased with laughter and I did too even though I couldnt understand a word.

At the end of the day we went back to the families house and they fed us again. The house filled with love and laughter, communication was basic but it was clear that this family were so close and in my small experience one of the best of the west!

On a sadder not we have just heard reports of a couple of internationals being injured in an RTA on the outskirts of Nablus. It isnt any of the ISMers but other groups we dont know yet.

Its another early start in the morning so i am off the sort me shit out!

Ta ta

Bobs Story

I have just come back from a couple of hours in the city, I had a few personal jobs to sort and as we had enough people out with the villages it was agreed that I could have the morning off!!!!

One of the jobs was to get my haircut as I was starting to look a bit like Worzel Gummidge with a tan. The first few barbers shops I passed were quite busy so I left them alone, I then came across an empty barbers, now I know now why it was empty but at the time I thought I was lucky. I sat down and from a room in the back entered the oldest man in Nablus! If this had been in England the shop would have been known as " Squinting Alberts" or something like that. With a mixture of English, Arabic and sign we established what I wanted and he got to work. The squinting was bad enough and the shaking I could cope with until he got out the cut throat razor. I was a little worried that I would lose an ear and that would make me unable to read as I wouldnt be able to put on my readers but after about half an hour I had a haircut, both my ears and as they say up north, there is only a week between a bad haircut and a good un!

After that I had arranged to meet one of the firefighters from the station who I shall call Bob. Bob has a second job in an electrical shop close to the city center and has been a firefighter for 14 years. He is very quietlys[oken and definately the quietest one on the watch, all the other firefighters have so much respect for Bob and he is definately one of the favourites on his watch. His quiet disposition is at odds with the loud banter that is heard around the station but this is not a barrier to the time his comrades have for him. He had offered and I had accepted an invitation to show me around the old city and as we walked many many people greeted him with a smile and a handshake. In 2002 Bob was riding the water carrier and he and the driver were returning from delivering water to the hospital as the Israelis had cut off all water to the city during the "big invasion" of that year. Bob was sat in the passenger seat when he was shot in the right shoulder by the IOF, the bullet missing his head by inches. He was treated in hospital and back at work only months after the attack with an injury that in the UK would see you pensioned off. His dedication and commitment to helping the people of Nablus is magnificent and acredit to him, his colleagues and his profession.

As we walked around the old city he pointed out various landmarks, the oldest street, the Victory Mosque, the shops that sold the best Kanofeh ( a local delicacy that is ver sweet) and his favourite shop for buying music. Amongst these fascinating drops of information he casually said " and this is the house that was destroyed by an Isralei tank driving through it killing all 7 members of the same family". No resistance fighters, no terrorists just an ordinary family killed because a tank bulldozed their house. No explanation ever give, no charges ever laid at the driver or commanders just another example of the randomness of death in Palestine. Wrong place, wrong time, moody tank driver or commander and 7 die! The house is being rebuilt in the style of the old city but its clean stone compared to the dirt of centuries on the buildings around it give it a sterile feel, but time will remedy this but the stroy of the dead family will be kept alive by the people of Nablus. This story isnt unique, almost every family I have talked to has had or knows someone who has been shot, injured or killed. This is not to mention the many thousands who have been detained in Israeli jails under "Administrative Detention". The resigned look on Bobs face as he told me this showed that this is a fact of life for Palestinians just as going to the match, a gig or parents evenings are back home. Why the world community isnt taking severe action against this state terrorism is a question we should all be asking of our politicians and leaders.

On a lighter note, I did try to find a picket line or demo but the small delagation outside the Municipality Offices could understand me, which isnt unusual, I had the same problem once on a CWU picket line in Cornwall! Ahh my northern accent even a problem in my own country so what chance did I have in Palestine?

Right then I am going to make an attempt to tidy up the appartment as the other kids are all out playing peace activists and it needs doing.

Good luck to all involved in tomorrows strike in South Yorks and solidarity from the West Bank.

ta ta

Workers fighting for their rights

Firefighters in South Yorkshire are set to take strike action tomorrow in defence of their conditions of service, after their employers issued redundancy notices to unilaterally change shift patterns. What has this got to do with a blog from the Occupied Territories? Well today across the West Bank Public Sector employees are striking to....defend their conditions of service. There is a really good news website http://www.maannews.net/eng/Default.aspx with more details. But what if people needed more evidence of the links between working people wherever they are in struggle then this is one more.

Today I have a little time to sort some personal admin out in the city so I will take the opportunity to try and find picket lines and offer solidarity and support from the FBU. Last night I was out with the guys from the station as it was my birthday and they invited me to drink coffee with them, they also surprised me by having the biggest birthday cake I have seen over here and a few of the ISMers came along too, it was a wonderful couple of hours and the firefighters from Nablus send their solidarity to South Yorkshire members in their struggle, so if any FBU official is reading this can you please pass on to Jerry or Ian, ta.

I had one more surprise last night, when I got back to the apartment the other internationals had also got me a birthday cake and stood around and sang me happy birthday which was really great, the different accents and languages made it so special.So thanks comrades. I dont think I have ever had two cakes on one birthday before!I also spoke to my brother Steve who is following my Palestinian blog and he said some kind words so thanks kid and have a great time in Barca this weekend.

Right, I am off to the city to find a picket line and to do some other admin tasks.Hopefully the villages we are covering today will be trouble free and the Palestinians can continue their harvest and the ISMers can come back and finish off a bloody great cake!

Ta ta

How do you pick an olive?

I have realised that I have used the phrase "out picking olives" more than once and whilst most people know what this means the mechanics of how, where and who may remain a mystery. It is a romantic notion that picking olives with Palestinians is good for the soul and while it may be it is also dirty and hard work.

With ISM the day actually starts the night before when various phone calls take place with Palestinians contacts, other International peace groups and farmers to decide who has the greatest need of an international presence with ISM always getting the places most likely to experience problems. Once the villages and farmers have been assigned to ISM we then discuss the location, number and make up of who will be going to where, this is normally quite quick and we then decide what time we need to get up and set off.

We usually arrange to meet the farmer or contact around 7 oclock so this can mean leaving around 5.30 from the apartment and travelling by service or taxi to the village. Then there is walk/ride on a tractor or car to the site to be picked.

Picking olives Palestinian style involves the whole family, Dads, Mums, Sons, Daughters, Brothers, Sisters and Parents can be involved to various extents. All the kit is either carried by hand or on the family donkey and includes the breakfast and lots of water.

Once at the site everything is unpacked and big feed sacking about 30 ft by 4 ft is lain on the ground around the tree, the ground can and usually is very uneven and so the sheet has to stamped down. Once this is done then the picking begins.It is all done by hand with the ripest coming off the branches quite easily and the less ripe having to be tugged off. On the good trees where the olives fall like rain onto the sheet it can take up to 10 mins for 3 or 4 people to gather in the harvest and on others 1 person can do an entire tree in second if the crop is sparce. The trees are dusty and waxy and after an hour or so you have the look of an oliverpicker, sweating as the sun climbs in the sky, covered in dust and rich brown earth as any olive that doesnt make it onto the sheet has to be picked again, this time from the ground and put on the sheet. On the taller branches the women or bigger childrn climb the tree to reach the fruit there. I have seen an 8 month pregnant woman climb 10 feet up a tree without giving it a second thought. The reason the women and kids get this job is that the branches are smaller and the heavier men wouldnt be able manage this without breaking the tree,or at least thats what the guys say!

Once on of the sheets is getting full it is gather up and the olives are tranfered into an empty feed sack and the same procedure continues again untill all the trees are picked and then the full sacks are transported to the village usually by donkey.

I did have a lot of pictures on my camera but some idiot deleted them all this morning whilst playing with his new camera! Step forward for a bollocking, Mr J Drake!

And that is how I have been spending my days!

Ta ta

Its late, I'm tired but its hot

The ISMers in Nablus now number 13 these are the following nationalities

• 4 x Brits
• 1 x Aussie
• 2 x Americans
• 2 x Danes
• 1 x Spaniard
• 1 x Mexican
• 1 x Basque
• 1 x German

We have a raft of villages to cover tomorrow, there are reports of night raids in a couple of nearby villages over the last two nights so we may have to camp out in these is they continue. Though it is difficult to try and guess where the IOF will target next.

There is some very surprising news today. In the village or Burin they have been demonstrating recently over the IOF taking more land, well today we heard that some, not all, but some would be returned to the Palestinians!!! So on Sunday we are assisting the villages in planting some 40 Olive trees as a symbolic gesture for the returning land, this can of course change and if it does then more demos will go ahead. It shows that where resistance is strong small victories can be achieved.

There is much astonishment here over POTUS winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Palestinians especially feel extremeley disappointed as they feel that any potential breakthrough over the settlement building programme has been lost and that Israel will continue its land grab without so much as a whimper from the US. I am not too sure of the current situation as you know the internet has not been working here in Nablus and this is our only source of news.

Whilst I have been here I have made some cracking new friends both Palestinian and other internationals. As I enter my final week a massive partof me wants to stay to continue the work that is being carried out but I know the dedication and indefatigability (thats for GG!) of the ISMers will continue to show support, solidarity and real benefits to Palestinian communites and individuals.

I am going to try and sleep now as I have to be up in 4 hours for the picking in Kafr Qalil again,whilst we were picking today with the family two teenage lads were talking in Arabic and clearly taking the piss out of the internationals, which is what young lads do when they can get away with it, which they could. One of them had an outrageous mullet haircut and towards the end of the afternoon I christened him mulletboy which delighted the ISMers. It was all good natured and in the end he even started answering to his new name! Mulletboy! I just hope he hasnt got an Arabic/English dictionary at home!

Right I am off to try and sleep

ta ta

Sisters are doing it for themselves

Back in Nablus now and at the Fire Station as the internet is still not working in the flat! Today has been spent picking olives in the village of Kafr Qilil just south of Nablus and close to the settlement of Barrack ( Not sure of spelling). It was quite but we were obscured from the view of the settlers by a bloody great hill so it was quiet except for a brief argument with the IOF which I think we won!

Just wanted to post a bit about the women in Palestine, I had and continune to have concerns about the role of women here and how they dont have the same rights and priveledges as men, a bit like to UK but a tad more extreme. However there are some extraordinary women here who not only bucking the trend but also making headways into the male dominated sectors and also in politics and NGO. But some of the most insprational are the young women working with ISM, taking on the main coordinators roles and doing the most fanstastic job. The main coordinator is B an Aussie woman of around 24 or 25 with no real political background but by god she a real terrier and negotiator when the need arises.

There is also L who runs a womens cooperative in Hebron and seels in the local market, smart, intelligent, passionate about womens rights and good comapny for a glass of tea and a natter whilst walking through the old souk!

The firefighters here are taking me out tomorrow night for a coffee and sheesha which should be good.

Hopefully the internet will be sorted tomorrwo and I can post in more detail. One week to go and I cant believe how quick this has gone.

Special love to Elz, Trace and Cheeseface for the support they have given over the last 3 weeks!

tata

Further explanation of previous post

I have just re read my post on provocation retaliation etc...and I think I need to explain a little more about the religous background for anyone unfamiliar with the significance of the religious sites in the old city in Jerusalem. Now I am a definate lay person when it comes to this but this is my understanding and I do stand to be corrected by anyone with a greater understanding.

The 3 main religions in Jerusalem, Christianity, Islam and Judaism share a very small space and there are 3 sites that are important for all 3 religions, the church of holy sepulchar for Christians, the Wailing Wall for Jews which is the other side of the wall to the Temple Mount, Al Aqsa compound for Muslims. The Dome of the Rock, the third most important site for Muslims is also a Holy site for the Jews. This is the site which the Israeli Govt is considering giving Jewish access exclusively for 50 days a year. It is this that is causing the contstenation. Its like, and this is a bad analogy,Liverpool fans being excluded from Anfield because Evertonians have the power to exclude them. I told you it was a bad analogy!

Anyway we have just got back from the sheep herding and have been told that settlers not far from here have cut down a number of olive trees belonging to Palestinians. It is too dark to go now so we shall visit the site and document tomorrow morning first thing.

I must go now as food is re.....ta ta

Remarkable things in Susiya

In one of my first posts I said that I had to keep reminding myself that not all Israelis were zionist toss pots, ok I am paraphrasing myself there. But this morning whilst out tending the sheeps we saw the good and bad of Israel. First 2 squaddies from the IOF came down and said that a temporary excusion order had been granted and that the Palestinians could not graze their sheep there. No big surprise, nothing out of the ordinary, this happens with amazing regularity, of course they could not produce any papers showing this or give me the name of the officer who had given the order, all they could say was that they were "obeying orders" which had a sinister feel to it!

After the early morning shenanigans we went to eat and drink tea with the family and whilst we were there an Israeli family visited and sat and talked to the family, these Israelis were from the other side of the Green Line and visited regularly, I asked why and they said because these are our neighbours. There was no problems the Israeli were not part of any group or organisation just neighbours passing time with other farmers, it was remarkable to me. The Palestinina family were the epitomy of hospitality and kindness and likewise the Israeli was kind in return. A marked diufference fromthe settlers and the IOF but it does show that people can live together in peace, once the extremeists are sorted.

We had a visit from another group from the US, Canada and Holland and again they made reference to the decision at the TUC and about how effective did the Palestinians think this was, to a person the Palestinians were very pleased that the British TUC had taken this decison and backed it all the way. Again a decision taken in Liverpool having an impact on a small village inthe Southern Hebron Hills.

I had a touch of the "backyard galloppers" this morning and thought I had finally been beaten by the infamous "bug of susiya" but things have settled down and I am hoping that it was just a blip/ Hygiene here is basic by Palestinian standards and most ISMers who come to Susiya end up with dicky guts for a few days.

Got the England result last night and also the Danes in ISM are celebrating going to South Africa after an immense 1-0 victory over Sweden!

Anyway off to listen to Tony Benn before the afternoon grazing, he is not here but he is on me iPod....ta ta

The rules of driving in Palestine

There arent any!

Yesterday 3 of us from Nablus went to the demonstration against the wall in Bilin, this Friday ritual has been going on for 5 years and despite the night raids inthe village to arrest

young lads the demos continue. There were around 200 people there internationals, Palestinians and in the village before marching to the aparthied fence there was a real party atmosphere. Balloons, Palestinian flags, olive branches., you get the picture. When we got to the fence the IOF were waiting with riot kit on and gas grenades ready, the organiser said that because the Palestinians could not harvest their olives we would harvest the gas grenades and missiles used by the IOF in previous demos, the picture on the right shows the harvest after about 2 minutes which was all the time the IOF gave us before launching grenades and gas missiles. I can tell you IOF Tear Gas is pretty potent kit, the pic of me is after taking in a couple of bloody great lung fulls! My eyes were still smarting a bit last night, Kev Brown said " If Carlsberg made tear gas etc etc" after a similar experience last year, and I agree with him. Anyway no lasting harm done and the resistance by the Palestinians is remarkable.

Thanks for all the messgaes and comments, I will respond to them all but I have to go back down to Susiya now and my ISM buddy is waiting inpatiently, but she is swedish and they are a mellow lot so after a wee and coffee we shall set off on the 1 1/2 hour journey to Hebron and then the 30 minute journey to Susiya.

Hopefully I should be back on Monday on nablus when the internet will be ok and I can spend a little more time on the blog!

Thanks again for spreading the word and see you all in just under a couple of weeks when I am back!

ta ta

Provocation, retaliation and retribution

Sorry for not posting for a couple of days the internet has been down in the Nablus apartment which has been a little frustrating due to the increasein tension in Jerusalem. News has been hard to come by although from what I can gather, and this comes with a big health warning that I may be wrong or just got confused, the Israelis are proposing that the Al Aqsa compound can only be used by Jews for 50 days a year.

Now I am not a religous sort of a guy or if I am it is the religion of claret and blue that play at Turf Moor, but I can respect peoples religion if they are not extremeists of any hue. But this action by the Israeli government appears to me to try and provoke a response from the Palestinians which will give them a reason to say to the world "See, these crazy people, we have to crack down on them, the wall doesnt stop them, they are not interested in any peace procees" It gives them the excuse they have been looking for since the election earlier this year.

On the ISM front we sent a couple of people to the Old City yesterday to assess the situation and to see if ISM could help in any small way, I havent heard back yet what the score is. But I was in Jersualme on Wednesday and the situation there was much more tense than when I arrived. So we will wait and see how the situation develops

Day 6 in the ISM House

Just a quick post to try and describe the routine in the ISM house. We tend to get back from the various villages between 4 and 6 pm, and after a communal meal and general chit chat about the events of the day, hot spots and dust ups with settlers and IOF the phone calls begin.

There are various groups working in the Nablus region and lots of villages with groves in danger areas, and between us we need to cover these areas, however, there are local differences and difficulties and trying to gain an overview of who need assistance, when and with which groups is like herding cats. The International Coordinator here in Nablus is Arin a young Aussie who shows fantastic patience and organising skills to make sure we are all in the right place at the right time as well as coordinating the ISM activity in Hebron, Bilin, Nilin, Ramallah as well as Nablus and not forgetting Susiya. So its all go in here from about 8 till whenever and I better go now because the phones are going!

Never a dull moment.....

Freedom of movement or why does it take 3 hours to travel 50km?

First before I go into today there has been a comment about my writing style and the fact that people dont want to know what I have eaten etc etc and some other comments which I have responded to. But the fact is I am not a journo, I am trying to be informative on the situations I am involved in along with personal things which some will find interesting and others not. On my return to UK I will be writing a full report which will not include anything about my team (Burnley) my eating habits or the cleanleness or otherwise of my pants. This is my personal account of my time with ISM and I make no apologies for it. Rant over.

This morning I got up at 5.30 with the intention of going to Jerusalem to the British Consulate. The reason for this is that the FBU have organised for 8 firefighters from Nablus to come to the UK on the 23rd October for a month to carry out training that will be cascaded on their return to Nablus which will increase the skill levels of all Firefighters in Nablus, thus enabling them to assist their communities far more effectively. However the visas were applied for in early September and still have not been approved, hence my visit to Jerusalem. The Service bus left Nablus around 7 and made its way through the hills and valleys towards the main checkpoint on the outskirts of Jerusalem crossing several checkpoints en route. At each there is a delay as vehicles are passed through one at a time, as you can imagine it does get busy at all checkpoints so the time taken to travel the 50 km was about 2 and 1/2 hours the remainder being held up at the main checkpoint whose name I have bloody forgotten. The journey though was an eye opener as to the number of settlements that scar the land like Zionist pustules on the face of Palestine. These settlements are illegal, built upon Palestinian land and remain a hotly contested issue, they are way inside the Green Line of 1948 and yet they are continuing to be planned, developed and built.

I got to Jerusalem and the activity outside the Old City was intense as the Israelis have banned any Arab males under the age of 50 from entering the Old City. Army and Police were outside Damascus gate in their hundreds and the situation felt far more critical than it did when I arrived.

I grabbed a taxi and headed to the Consulate and after the usual security checks went through and explained the situation, I am now awaiting a call from there to confirm that the visas have been approved which we can then book flights and its all systems go. As I write this the sirens in Nablus have been whoop whooping and a huge plume of smoke is hanging over the Old City area so I guess the watches are busy but I will pop in later once I have had the call from the Consulate.

So a day off from picking and I am waiting to hear the news of the teams that are out there, today the Palestinians dont have permission to pick olives on their own land so trouble was expected from either the IOF or the settlers, I will keep you posted.

And for the person who wasnt interested in my eating habits: Today I are mostly been drinking.......................................pop!

Biological Warfare Israeli style

Well there was an unexpected event in the night, it pissed it down, the roof sleepers in the flat were scurrying for cover as the heavens opened but I remained tucked up oblivious to it all. Up at 5.30 to travel again to Sarrah for another day of picking. The weather was cloudy and cool for a change as we made our way through the village down the track to the trees which is about 1 mile away, I have done some bloody walking the last couple of weeks!

Anyway we waited for the farmers to show up and as there had been the late changes last night things were a tad confused! Eventually a family from the nearby village of Tell arrived and asked if we would join them in an area next to the road just opposite from the settlement. The family consited of Dad, Mum, Son and Sister in Law and we happily agreed to go with them.

Just as we were setting up a kerfuffle stirred through the Palestinians as a wild boar charged through what remained of the undergrowth, not towards us but about 20 ft away. I can tell you they are fearsome buggers with a head like toilet cistern with tusks! I didnt really have time to react because it was so quick but the Palestinians tols us later that a guy had been killed by one last year and that they had been introduced by the Israelis to try to put off Palestinians from working their land, I dont know if this is true but if it is it is another example of the total occupation of the Palestinian lands. The picking was quite today and when we finished we went back to the families house and as all Palestinians have been there were so warm, friendly and generous. We had coffee and the fruit off the cactus growing in their garden, and amazing experience and no hassle from settlers or army which is also amazing! long may it continue but experience of the long term ISMers is that this will change as the DCO dates get changed.

Tomorrow I have to go the British Embassy in Jerusalem to try and sort the visas of the 8 Nablus firefighters who are coming to the UK on the 23rd, time is getting on and their visas still havent been processed so off I am popping to see whoever and try and get them asap!

I am really knackered tonight, a combination of early starts, manual labour, although D1 and me have tried to get a clipboard and cap to make us look like overseers, and plenty of exercise, no booze and healthy food, I have even started eating bloody sunflower seeds!

I think an early night is on the cards and on this note I will sign off for now.....tata

Devils on horseback

Sarrah (pronounced Sar- rah) is a village to the west of Nablus that houses around 3,000 people. It is perched on the ridge of a hill overlooking 2 valleys. The one to the east has rolling land with hundreds maybe thousands of olive trees owned by and farmed by the locals, this area is relatively stable. To the west is an entirely different story, there is a track from Sarrah leading to the olive trees is strewn with tear gas canisters and bears the signs of fire as settlers have tried sometimes successfully and sometimes not to destroy the trees of the Palestinians. The olive fields here is divided by a road leading to nearby settlements. Picking on the Sarrah is dangerous for Palestinians as there is a nearby settler outpost, built illegally but there nonetheless. Picking on the opposite side of the road is almost impossible as the settlers continuously harrass the farmers whose land this legally is. Today me and D1 had to go to monitor, de escalate (where possible) and to give some protection to the local Palestinians. The IOF had given permission by the DCO for picking on both sides of the road. As we arrived there was a heavy IOF prescence by the crossing point to contain the 15 or so settlers who were hurling abuse and trying unsuccessfully to get to the Palestinians. D1 and me watched from a close distance and they werent happy at all at this, its a good job my delicate ears could not understand Hebrew as I am sure it wasnt complimentary.

As we were watching two settlers on horseback came down the track from the outpost, we couldnt tell from the distance we were at is they were armed or not but is was likely that they were but this could not be confirmed. The IOF had, army, border police and police in attendance and they did offer some protection to the farmers but this is only because they had permission from the DCO. This permission can be granted or refused at the will of the Fat Controller. As I write this about 10 villages have just had their DCO changed and the number of villages now picking tomorrow has risen from2 to about 12. The impact on these communities is huge, any plans they may have had for tomorrow will now have to be changed to allow them to pick THEIR olives off THEIR lands at hte whim of the IOF Fat Controller. Of course they can pick olives on non DCO days but they will not have any protection and be at the mercy of the Devils on Horseback. The IOF are also wary of internationals here, they have designated Closed Military Zones which means that Internationals are not allowed to enter or film, again increasing the risk to Palestinians.

We had previously agreed to split our group here in Nablus to allow 2 people to attend a demo in support of 3 Palestinians in jail who have been refused treatment for cancer! This will now be changes as it is all hands to the fields so to speak as we are to get to as many villages as we can along with other inernational groups.

I know this isnt the cheeriest post on here, but things are a tad tense round here as we try to cover all these villages with a handful of ISMers.

I am sure we will manage it but tomorrow looks like being a mad day all round. So I am off to pack my day sack and try and work out where the hell we are all going tomorrow.

Have fun and thanks for spreading the blog around!

PS. I am now looking for donkey and a pea shooter! Any ideas?

Nablus Fire Station revisited

Time has a different meaning in Palestine than back home. An example of which happened this morning, we were supposed to meet our Nablus contact at 9..45 to tour round the villages to assess the situation and need for ISMers to attend with harvesting which meant that although we were there our contact didnt pitch up until 11, inshalla! This meant that as I wanted to go to the Fire Station and has arranged to meet Shams there before he went off duty, I couldnt be sure we would be back from the villages so we consensually agreed that I would go off to the station and the other 3 would do the villages.

Off I trotted through the increasing heat and found the station about 500M from our apartment, result! I met Shams and the other firefighters who I last saw 5 years ao and some new recruits there. It was great and I was made to feel extremeley welcome as always, questions were asked about John McGhee, Kev Brown, Dave Chapell and Ken Ross as they have all visited in the last two years and about the training to carried out in the UK at then end of the month for 8 firefighters for 4 weeks. This has been organised by the 4 people mentioned previously and a massive thanks for this. The nablus firefighters are very excited though my description of Scotland and the north of England weather wise in November had them mentally changing their packing details, more hats, more gloves and more jumpers!

The station has been extended since my last visit with new offices adjacent to the main building but the generosity of the people here hasnt. This is the first time in Europe for these guys and all down to the FBU who have organised what looks like a superb programme of professional development and political and social events which really is the FBU at its best.

I am going back there later for a meal and to spend time with comrades and friends as I may be heading back down to Hebron later in the week as we have no ISMers there at the moment due to having no accomodation, but once that is sorted ISM will be back in Hebron just as the Golani (IOF equivalent of the Paras or Bootnecks) start a tour down south which will make for interesting times!

I now need to get some washing done (by hand!!!!!) as my pants....well you dont need to know really!

Have fun in windswept UK.....tata

Reflections after one week

I have been in the West bank just over one week now and I think I can reflect on my first week with a little more confidence in what I write. My aim before i came was not to look at the overall picture of any potential peace for Palestine and how that may be achieved but more to get a better understanding of the day to day lives of ordinary Palestinians trying to go about their lives whilst under a brutal and oppressive occupation. So far I have walked with shepherds in the Southern Hebron hills,picked olives in the northern Nablus region, drunk tea with stall holders in Hebron and had a few encounters with IOF all over the West Bank. I have viewed to continuing construction of the apartheid wall and watched it snake over hill and through valley as I have traveled on the local bus services all from Ramallah to Hebron from Hebron to Nablus. It is omni present and serves not only to contain or ghetto ise the West Bank but to constantly remind Palestinians that they are not free in their own land.

The Palestinians I have had the great pleasure on meeting and eating and drinking with are very proud of their land, their heritage and bear their suffering with a stoicism that beggars belief. After 60 years of occupation reistance is still there, it is localised, it is stronger on some places than others and it is rife with local politics, for example, a demonstration was organised yesterday in a nearbly village in response to settlers chainsawing over 150 olive trees a few days before. The village contains about 1000 people and they were all angry at the destruction from the settlers,at the demo there was only around 40 people because the guy that organised belonged to Fatah and the rest of the villages are of the leftist PFLP. This is not a criticism of the people there but an illustration of the facts as I have seen it. The people are warm, friendly and always want to sit and talk to internationals about their local issues and the bigger picture. They are not the terrorists portrayed by media in most media.

ISM is sometimes chaotic, sometimes ineffective and sometimes cliquey, but it is always passionate about supporting Palestinians, the people with ISM are a weired bunch, students, hippies, pensioners and academics and then theres me! Age wise the youngest I have metis 19 the oldest 75 but all share a burning desire to try and make a difference no matter how small.Long may this continue, one thing about the youngsters with ISM, it does fill me with hope that there are youngsters with a passion to change the world,back in UK it can seen like they are only interested in fame,fashion and fannying about but the future is bright if there are more kids like these here.

The Israelis and I will only talk about the IOF because that has been my experience so far with the exception of one Israeli guy in Susiya who was a great activist for Palestinians. The IOF have an arrogance that only comes with being heavily armed when all around you are not. The control every aspect of Palestian life, travel, work, socialising and play. The settlers have almost total impunity when it comes to attacks on Palestinians and their property. They punish the resistance of demonstrations by invading villages in the dead of night to arrest 16 and 17 year old boys who are coming to the end of their education before going onto Uni, why do this? It stops education dead if you are banged up in Admistrative Detention for 6 months or more.W are expecting more trouble from both the IOF and the settles, especially the settlers as the olive harvest really gets going, many olive fields are close to settlements of the wall and that in itself is cause for the Israelis to go fucking nuts! You have to hand it to the Zionists they are clever, they are playing the long game here, the encirclement of Palestinian towns and villages, the development of settlements and the expansion of existing settlements are designed to squeeze the life out of Palestinians, out of Palestine itself but resistance is there.

I want to touch on the decision of the TUC on the BDS (Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions) taken a couple of weeks ago. This has been huge news over here, Palestinians have been talking of it, Internationals have been talking of the impact of it and of this movement growing. As a Trade Unionist and as a member of the Fire Brigades Union I am proud of my Unions role in this and the people who fought to make this possible,you know who you are and you have played a crucial role in bringing hope to Palestinians, we must follow this up now with clear information on Isralei products, companies and companies who continue to deal with israel. Well done comrades!

And of course the many people back home, your support has been fantastic its difficult at times to remember the extra work people are doing to allow me this fantastic experience, the support of the special people is immense so thanks again.

I am trying to keep these posts interesting and relatively light hearted, my writing style may not be perfect as my 15 year old daughter Elz said " Dad, I am constantly checking them for spelling and grammar".Thanks Elz xx

Its 7.00 am now and today I will be travelling to villages to meet Popular Committee members and community leaders to try and build a picture of who needs help and when over the olive harvesting season and later I will be going to the Fire Station to renew old friendships and hopefully make new ones.I have tried uploading a vid of the kids singing yesterday but with no joy. I will try and do it at the media centre in Ramallah tomorrow or Tuesday.

La Luce Continua

Picking Olives from a tree - To the tune of "Picking mussels from a shell"

And if the headline doesnt mean anything to you try looking up "Squeeze" on YouTube! My first full day in Nablus and it wasnt spent in Nablus. Before I go into the days events I want to expand a bit on what ISM does and how we operate on the West Bank, I think its only fair that any followers know the basics. ISM is a non violent group that shows solidarity to and support for Palestinians that match the non violent aspirations of ISM. We are Palestinian lead and only work with organisations that operate within communities such as Popular Committees. We work in regional groups,as I am now in Nablus we cover the Nablus region. We work as an affinity group with consensual decisons made without a leader! This can be a tad difficult when a quick decision needs to made, but I know that feeling well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway on to today, we had two actions to perform, one working with farmers harvesting their Olive crop in the village of Qusim on the outskirts of Nablus and a demo in Burin. There are 5 of us in Nablus and so we consensually agreed to split with 3 of us going farming and 2 going to the demo.

I got the plum role of picking olives in the backing sun for 8 hours, though I didnt pick that many as the Palestinians consisted of 3 women and about 10 kids, I hope to put a vid on of the kids singing when I learn how to do this later tonight! I got the job of childrens entertainer and tried in vain to teach them a couple of Burnley songs, but I am going to be here for a while so the will learn the words to "No Nay Never"!

The area where the olive trees are is close to the settlement and the army and settlers constantly harrass and stop the Palestinians from harvesting their crop, though today was quiet on that score. The area comes under the DCO or District Commanding Officer, think of the Fat Controller with fuck off big guns! He can and does put some pretty amazing restrictions on when and where the farmers can harvest. For example, he can say that they can only harvest on a Friday and that only the oldest and youngest members of that family can go into the groves. This does happen regularly and unsurprisingly has a massive impact on the economic well being of the families concerned.

A word about the kids, my Arabic is non existant and their English not much better but communicated by me putting olives in my eyes and genrally messing about, they started to call me Meester John, which gave me an idea for the Regional Committee....but maybe not! My comrades today were F a Canadian 75 year old and F A German Muslim woman.

We got fed around 11, a meal prepared in the fields consisting of bread, eggs,a tomotoe stew thing, cauliflower and sliced fried potatoes! My eyes lit up...........Chip Butties! Northern heaven! They did taste amazing even without salt.

So blog followers, random browsers and Zionist commentators. I am going to leave it there and try to work out how to put vid and pics on the previous posts. Thanks for following this journey so far and for the comments, they are all welcome, well some are!

One final thing: Burnley maintained their 100% home record and a place in the Europa League beckons for 2010! UTC!

Settlers to left of me IOF to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with ewe!

And a special credit to Trace for that little gem! My second day in Hebron and I was asked to go to a small camp called Susiya south of Hebron where farmers had left the nearby town of Yatta in 1987 to camp out on their land as they were afraid that if they didnt the Israelies would take it, they have been there since. The camp itself consists of about 10 families scattered around a couple of vallies about 4km from the 1948 border or the Green Line.I tavelled with a Spanish activist who spoke Arabic which was a real bonus as I am from Colne and have yet to master English as my daughter Elz (her spelling!) told me earlier! So what did we do in Susiya? The main task is to walk with the shepards as the feed their flock twice a day, once at 6am....thats right 6 in the AM! and again mid afternoon. The reason for this is that on more days than not there will be either violence from the nearby settlements or hassle from the IOF. We arrived quite late in the afternoon and missed the afternoon sheep wandering but had an amazing dinner cooked by on of the familes, their accomodation is basic but the warmth and hospitality was immense. Why is it the people with the least give the most?

My first mornings sheep wanderings went off without incident, however as we arrived back at the family camp we were staying a neighbouring farmer shouted that he was being attacked by settlers, we ran to the guy and saw two settlers disappearing to the nearby Police outpost, our local contact called the police and the army arrived within minutes, followed shortly after by the rozzers! As we were talking to the army the settlers shot past in a car, we photgraphed it and waited for the fuzz. When they turned up the farmer explained what had happened and that we had a picture of their car, "Ah" said Inspector Morse, " a picture isnt evidence, but come with us to the local police station and we will take a statement". Our farmer friend did just that, only to be arrested on suspicion of attacking the settlers, as they had said that an unarmed shepard had attacked them! Its a weird sort of law out here, more of which later.

The nearby village of Atwani (my spelling may be wrong) was visited a couple of weeks ago by the Prince of Peace, Tony Blair so it shouldnt be too long before the situation is sorted and we can all go home!

The picture above was taken yesterday afternoon whilst on sheep patrol,Yousefs son brought out the tea pot some glasses and we sat and made tea whilst the sheep ate and shat all around us. I will use another post to update what happened this morning and where I am now, trying my best to keep up to date. see ya in a bit

The School Run

Well after 4 days in the South Hebron hills in the camp of Susiya I am now back in Ramallah before heading up to Nablus, I have showered for the first time in 4 days and had a decent Arabic coffee and am waiting until D1 returns from visiting his mate here in the city so as I have alot to catch up I thought I would make a start.

Anyone who knows me knows that me and kids are not all that compatable, we get along in small doses but they really are too noisy and cant make cofee all that well but I cannot stand by and watch them abused in anyway, I guess we are all like that, well most of us! Every school day in Hebron the first job of the day for ISMers and other groups such as the Christian Peace Team (I know I know!) monitor the various checkpoints that the kids have to cross to ensure that they are not uneccessarily detained, these are infant and junios school aged kids not the surly teenage ones, little under 10 kids. So on my first morning D1, D2 and me made our way down to the Abramini mosque area to meet up with the CPT and split for checkpoint monitoring. Not a lot happend the kids who are used even at that ages of heavily armed soldiers blocking their way to school, got through ok with little or no hassle from the IOF. After things had quietned we were stood talking to the CPT a woman from the US and a guy with dual Palestinian and US citizenship. One of the IOF decided that the guy from the CPT looked alittle too Arabic for his liking and called him over and demanded that he leave the area, the CPT guy showed the squaddie his American passport but this did not deter our military muppet and he tried to isolate the CPT guy from the rest of us which we werent having, anyway to cut a long story short things got a little fractious and D2 got detained the CPT guy got released and after 10mins or so of me and D1 arguing with the copper that had turned up D2 was also released after being told that if they saw him there agiain they would lock him up "for the rest of your life". Any way we wandered off and decided we wanted to go meet some people in the old market which meant that we had to pass the scene of the shenanigans. Which we did and guess what? D2 didnt get locked up even for a minute let alone the rest of his life!

I guess that this for me was something different, something I could get involved in and try to make a difference howver small, but for Palestinians who go through this day after day with no hope of it ending anytime soon the despair and degredation must be immense. In 3 weeks I will come home in 3 years they will still be going throught his day after day week after week.

When I got to Ramallah and cehcked me emails someone had commented anonymously on my first post and it wasnt complementary, I pondered allowing it on the blog or not and in the end decided for balance I should, but I will respond to Mr or Mrs Anon now. I will hopefully get another chance to catch up later today because a lot went on in the small village of Susiya in the 4 days I was there, so until then.............. tata