Does it Make Sense?

May 1, 2015

I have been reading and responding to so many e-mails lately that I have not had time to reflect on some of the events that are taking place and the absurdity of the situation.  Yesterday I was supposed to go downtown  to Jerusalem, just about 9kms away, to attend a performance at the conservatory by “Banat Al-Quds” (The daughters  of Jerusalem) an all-girls’ ensemble in which my granddaughter was playing the cello and singing as well.  Unfortunately the Jewish Ethiopian citizens of Israel  had a very big and violent demonstration in Jerusalem, that it was literally impossible for me to get beyond the first kilometer  of my trip, but luckily the taxi driver found an outlet and drove me back home.  Apparently what triggered this demonstration was  the violence of the Israeli police against these  Ethiopians citizens.  Not much different  from the brutality of the American police against the African Americans that we have been watching.  I read a nice episode about two Swedish policemen who while  in New York intervened very gently to quell some violence.  The spectators were so amazed that they wished  their American police would get some training in Sweden rather than in Israel.  But after all “Israel is the  only democracy in the Middle East.”

With the earthquake in Nepal and the thousands of people who have lost their lives or their possessions,  one of the first countries that  sent rescue teams and relief was Israel.  Yet how ironic that Israel continues to  dispossess the Palestinians of their homes and possessions on a daily basis.  Today in Silwad in the Ramallah area, a family was evicted from their home by brute force for no other reason but to make room for Israeli settlers.  Does this make any sense?  After the Israeli shelling of Gaza in July 2014, many areas looked like they have been exposed to an earthquake or an atomic bomb,  yet there were no rescue teams around, does this make any sense?

Many of you might have read the story from Mondoweiss about the two young musicians, if not please check it out Night f horror at Ben Gurion airport for two French music students I do not know why Israel goes out of its way to provoke those young people and eventually turn them into activists by no choice of their own.

On a brighter note,  today the YWCA of Palestine celebrated the Y Global breakfast which is usually celebrated around the world on April 24, or around that date.   It was a special occasion for us this  year because we had it in Bethlehem celebrating the establishment of a new association there.  It was a very lively gathering and a very nice occasion for the members of Ramallah, Jerusalem and Jericho to meet our new members in Bethlehem.  Women’s activities and advocacy keep us going,  and definitely our involvement makes sense and makes a difference.