November 15, 2000

The road to Jenin is blocked, even though we’re in the West Bank.

Happy July 4th - Palestinian Independence Day. School was closed, celebrating the 12th anniversary of the State that is independent with no land or capital. Israel has instituted a full closure not only of the West Bank and Gaza, but between "major population" areas - or so they say.

We had to take several different roads before we could even get from Zababdeh to Jenin. Fortunately, one roadblock was liberated (i.e. the huge concrete block was pulled aside) apparently by a Palestinians farmers' bulldozer. The closures have devastated the economy as well as the soul - workers can't get to their jobs in Israel or even in other cities on the West Bank; supplies and replacement parts for machinery can't get in. Supposedly medicine and food are being allowed to enter, but we have heard that even these are sometimes refused or severely delayed. We were able to do some much-needed shopping in Jenin with our good friend/neighbor/translator/negotiator/master chef.

“Rubber” bullets, collected from a demonstration in Nazareth, Israel.

Word has come that the Israeli camp near Zababdeh is scheduled to be vacated - which would calm many nerves around here. The sound of training gunfire can only contribute to the general sense of anxiety here. We took a look at some of the things that can emerge from the gunfire. The "rubber" bullet has a metal core, and the exterior is hard rubber. It's like a hockey puck shot with a force of one ton. So many Israeli planes are flying over these days it feels like the runway at O'Hare.