Everything alright?

Raid on Hizma grocery shop, April 16, 2019

Tuesday morning, I got up with quite bad pain in my joints and I could hardly stand on my legs. A few days before, a client told me about the sudden paralysis of her son, and I wondered if I will be paralyzed too, or simply die. I checked with Dr. Google and found out that there were other options regarding my health state. (My family doctor was not available.)

Where is Ma'ale Eizariya?

Ma’ale Adumim is a city with a population of over 40.000 inhabitants. It is a commuter town for Jerusalem and the third-largest Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

Last week, the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee discussed annexing Ma’ale Adumim to the State of Israel (see also: Bennett vows to pursue Ma’ale Adumim annexation this month). Annexation of Ma’ale Adumim would strengthen the occupation of Palestinian lands. Moreover, plans to connect Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem create a barrier between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank, and complicate traveling and transport by Palestinians even more.

Balloons over Palestine

It's my birthday and I had planned to go out and have dinner with my friends, Yasser, Ali & Ahmad, in "our" restaurant in Hizma.



Planning meant that in the early afternoon Ahmad and I had checked with the restaurant that we'll have food and cake this same night. In the present political climate, the only Jewish friend I had dared telling my plan, made me promise to send her a message after returning home safely.

Still Tense?

A friend and colleague asked why I used the phrase "still tense" when referring to the situation in Jerusalem, mentioning that she doesn't see an indication of improvement. Another friend told me that "tense" is an understatement, adding that the situation is "crazy".

They are both right. Although I have a couple of other posts ready to be published, I felt I cannot simply pass by the present political state without addressing it directly. This crazy state, though not called "war", certainly feels like war. Moreover, there is no real sign of improvement.

The occupation continues to take its heavy toll. I cannot put it strong enough: Though on the Palestinian side, aggression is essentially the consequence of oppression; on the Israeli/Jewish side, aggression is fueled by fear (and not by reason)!

Ramadan Kareem!

Coming out of my meeting with a client, I see three unanswered calls from my Palestinian Bedouin friend Ahmad, so I return his calls. He says "I'm opening the restaurant today, and I need some money to buy food for the guests"