February 11, 2002

Before Marthame headed back to Zababdeh, we split up to accomplish as many big city/Western/Jerusalem errands as possible. They included picking up TOEFL books in Ramallah, embroidery gifts from the Mennonite Central Committee offices, assistance paperwork from Caritas, and (finally) the Laissez Passez from the Vatican's Apostolic Nuncio office for our Melkite friend.

We noticed that our massive shopping enterprises seem to run counter to those of pre-Intifada Israelis: they used to come into Jenin to buy the cheap goods produced and sold there. We, instead, leave Jenin to shop inside Israel for the more high-tech or Westernized goods available on the other side of the Green Line. They're certainly not cheaper.

There always seem to be new ways to prevent Palestinians from moving from city to city within the West Bank.

Marthame headed back up through Jenin and into Zababdeh. When he arrived at the entrance to Jenin, he found Palestinian cars waiting on either side. The roadblock was open, but there were those nasty tire-popping spikes lying across the road. The Israeli soldiers didn't seem to worry that cars were waiting. After half an hour (who knows how long the Palestinians had been waiting - their patience is remarkable), Marthame approached one of the soldiers who moved the spikes and waved him through. At least one other truck made it through, too. No excitement on the Qabatia road this time, thankfully.

He visited with folks from the University who have returned after break. They had been denied entry to Jenin the day before, and ended up taking the long, meandering journey back to Zababdeh from who knows where and through what villages. Frustrating news, since the University has very carefully sought to sow good will with the Israeli military - asking them for work permits, travel permits, etc. When you follow the rules here for a while, you understand why there's little respect for them on either side of the border.