As with any change, there is always a mixture of feelings, but for the most part there does seem to be a renewed energy and excitement to work with Abuna Aktham.
Read MoreWith our big backpacks and luggage, we took an extra taxi from Ramallah to the Qalandiya checkpoint and walk across along with the rest of the taxi's passengers.
Read MoreIt was a nice finale for our summer.
Read MoreThis morning was Abuna Louis Hazboun's last Mass as the Roman Catholic priest in Zababdeh.
Read MoreWhen we arrived at Surda, we were getting out of the taxi when a tear gas canister flew overhead.
Read MoreThis kind of stuff gets really old once the excitement wears off, and once you’re actually going somewhere and not coming to see the action.
Read MoreThe village of Al-Ghayar lies just northeast of the Golan. In 1967, the Israelis assumed it belonged to Lebanon and left it alone. Instead, it had been a Syrian village and was now cut off from the rest of Syria by the Israeli presence in the Golan. Now it is under full Israeli military control and guarded by quite the bevy of troops.
Read More
The Palestinian villagers say that they left the older people of the village gathered in one house at the edge of the village since they couldn't run fast enough to escape to the hills. They returned to find them all shot and killed. The Israeli soldiers deny this part of the narrative.
Read MoreWhile confiscation in Israel mostly stopped then, the systematic repression and control of Palestinian lands continues, mostly through zoning laws (which Arab Israelis have very little influence on).
Read MoreWe had learned about the bombing the way most Palestinians do - disconnected from it personally (the bomber apparently was from 'Aqaba, not far from Zababdeh, but very far from Birzeit) but living the consequences of the punishment.
Read MoreKahane's followers are essentially calling for the ethnic-cleansing of Israel of all Arabs. They have made bumper stickers that read, "No Arabs, No Terrorists" in Hebrew - in other words, you get rid of all the Arabs, you get rid of all the terrorists.
Read MoreOK - we've only got a little more time in Ramallah, so we're going to make the most of it.
Read MoreOne of their friends who is from Birzeit came over and recounted his story of getting grazed by a bullet in the skull at the Birzeit checkpoint a few months back. Nothing like that to sober us up from our dreaming.
Read MoreWe caught our taxi from Damascus Gate, which is always such a Eastern cultural counterpoint to the Western feel of the New City.
Read MoreTonight there was a large Peace Now demonstration in Tel Aviv, which was calling on Sharon to stop escalating the situation, asking him to move away from war and return to the negotiating table.
Read MoreLater on we connected with friends for a couple of games of cards before heading off to the Ramallah pool hall.
Read MoreNo one in the Palestinian human rights camp seems to be ignoring PA violations, as can be seen in their very thick year 2000 annual report. However, the human rights problems with the PA have clearly taken a back seat as the PICCR is fighting to keep up with the overwhelming number and scope of infractions of the current Israeli seige.
Read MoreComing home, there was an Israeli jeep between the two roadblocks, with soldiers shining bright lights on all of us who were walking across
Read MoreIn 1987, during the first Intifada, the entire camp was surrounded by a twenty foot concrete and barbed wire wall, and all of its entrances were closed off. There was one opening, a grilled revolving door gate, manned by the Israeli army. The gate remains a memorial to those years, and to the hope that they can return to their villages.
Read MoreAnother day of reasonable relaxation before gathering for lunch with friends.
Read More