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