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