---

Updates from The Fall 2003 Delegation in the Mideast
Photos from the team here

November 14, 2003
Kay called reporting that today (Friday) they again joined the Women in Black in Jerusalem on the little park-like traffic island with cars whizzing by on both sides. This provided an opportunity to interview two Israeli Jewish women. The 94-year-old from Italy had lost much of her family at Auschwitz. Her 82-year-old friend came to Israel from Rumania, which was Transylvania when she grew up. They also met a couple from France among the women.

Today, during which they walked about six hours around Jerusalem, began with a tasty Israeli breakfast. By the time the headed back to theirhostel, the streets were filled with thousands of Moslems on their way to the Mosque of the Dome observing this special day of prayer during Ramadan. It appeared Moslems from as many villages and towns in Israel proper as well as the occupied territories among the worshipers.

Throughout the day Randy, Kay, and Rebecca met many internationals whom they knew from I.S.M., C.P.T., the International Women's' Peace Coalition and other groups. People Sweden, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Canadian, and the U.S. Bob Holmes, a familiar friend from C.P.T. , is in Jerusalem directing a retreat for the Hebron CPT, and will go on to Baghdad to direct a similar retreat for the CPT people there, including Anne Montgomery, who's been with CPT since l995.

Tomorrow evening the team expects to join with an international protest against the wall in Jerusalem. All three are well and energized by these days in Jerusalem. Sunday they will be traveling back to Jordan and expect to be in Northern Michigan late Tuesday. This will be the last report from the Traverse for Peace Team, Oct-Nov. 2003

Thank you readers, supporters. and interested public.

November 13, 2003
Kay reported from Jerusalem today that their "exciting" trip back from Qaqilia was lightened by an Israeli gentlemen, originally from Buenos Aries, who helped them along the way.

Before they left Qaqilia, Rebecca was able to accompany a farmer, documenting his obstacles in farming on the other side of their 'prison wall' as some call it. Now that he must reach his farm through the single narrow check point in the wall, he has to pay $10 to get his harvest back to the city. This reduces his harvest income by 25%, from $40 to $30 dollars. (U.S. equivalent to number of shekels.)

Also in Qaqilia the team discovered that two Palestinian members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) there were first told about ISM by Randy and Kay when they were in Qaqilia last year. During their dinner with Muraf, the Mayor of Qaqilia, he elaborated on the view that people throughout the world think this is a war between two armies: the Israeli army and the Palestinian army. When in fact Palestine has no army. He did cite a long list of countries and world leaders who have pleaded the cause of the Palestinians to Koffi Annan, U.N Secretary General.

CBS-TV "60 Minutes" was in Qaqilia filming the wall and the people.

The team plans to join the Women in Black on Friday, and interview more Israeli's and Palestinians in Jerusalem, before leaving for Amman, Jordan on Sunday and their return flight to U.S. on Monday.

November 12, 2003
Rebecca reported from Qaqilia, where they remained for another day. She rose at 5:15 a.m. to accompany a farmer to his field on the other side of the wall. However, the Israeli military had arrived at midnight and took away two sons from one family and another young man from a second family. Due to the percussion bombs and other disturbances, the farmer chose not to go to his field this morning. Therefore Rebecca and the others went to interview and film both these families. At six in the morning the families were still in shock not knowing what to do or who to contact about the loss of their sons. They were given no reasons why the military took their sons away nor were they allowed to ask questions. The team was shown some of the damage done to the homes invaded by these soldiers.

Later in the morning the team visited a school for the deaf children, a day care center for children of working mothers, and the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee that serves rural women with support for their issues.

Then they filmed an interview with Muraf, the mayor of Qaqilia. Mayor Muraf invited the team to dinner at his home with his extended family to celebrate the traditional Moslem close on another day of the Ramadan fast. Rebecca intends to try again tomorrow to accompany the farmer to his fields in order to film him at his work. The team expects to travel back to Jerusalem later in the day. All are well.

November 11, 2003
Randy reports that they arrived in Qalqilia at 11 A.M. from Zububa where they've been for the last two days. Qalqilia is where the highest, broadest section of the wall cuts a town almost in half (See report below). The team had no problem moving through the military check point into the city. They got very good film footage of the wall and it's surroundings. Walked through the city and learned that lately there have been no military intrusions. After interviewing a young boy. they were invited to have diner with Fatima and her entire family. Fatima had befriended Randy and Kay on a previous visit. At that time her home was slated for demolition by the military along with the home of her relatives. Two years later neither demolition has taken place. They will stay at ISM this evening and visit with the mayor of Qalqiliya tomorrow morning before leaving for Jerusalem in hope of finding the post office open The need to get the audio recorder shipped to Rebecca last week. All three are well and doing o.k.

November 10, 2003
Rebecca reported that they continued interviewing people in Zububa today, will remain there this evening, and plan to go to Qalqiliya tomorrow. The wall in Qalqiliya is 20 feet high solid cement, with guard towers and narrow doors for residents to go through to get to their fields. Team members are well and continue to do the work for which they came.

On Friday, November 14, some of the team members already returned may be expected at an event which is open to the public in Traverse City, details here.

November 9, 2003
Randy reported today from the little village of Zububa, right on the boarder of Palestine/Israel. It's the northern most village in the occupied West Bank. It took four hours today for Rebecca, Kay, and Randy to travel the 100 Kilometers (60 miles) from Jerusalem to Zububa. In Zububa they participated in another demonstration opposing the wall of separation being built by Israel. This is part of the world wide "Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign" tied into the 17th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, 11/9 <http://www.stopthewall.org/> In this little village the wall consists of a high cyclone fences with the usual 30 yards of sand on each side. About 200 Israeli, Palestinian and Internationals participated in speeches, signs, and eventually action against the wall. Members of the group were able to dismantle a section of the wall before the military arrived. There were no 'rubber bullets,' tear gas, or other violence from the military. The officer was overheard to say "Don't shoot . There are Israeli's among them." Randy observed only two other outside media: reporters from Associated Press and Aljazeera, but no other photo journalists other than our team.

The team got good footage of the demonstration, the mayor of Zububa and other speakers. Along with a dozen other internationals, they plan to stay in the village this evening in the homes of some of the villagers in the event the military returns tomorrow. This will also allow the team to interview some of the villagers about their view of the "Road Map to Peace."

Photos of the demonstrtation at the wall:
http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/8november_eng.html

November 7 & 8, 2003
Kay, Rebecca, and Randy reported today from Abu Bis, a Palestinian town East of Jerusalem. The town is populated by many Arabs removed from East Jerusalem. Today the team joined the large contingent (7 bus-loads, instead of originally planned 4 buses) of Israeli's, Palestinian's and Internationals that went to protest the wall being built through Abu Bis. This wall, like other walls going up cuts Palestinians off from their schools, farmland, cemeteries, and relatives. At the same time it secures more of the occupied territory for future Israeli settlements. The demonstration connected with this 14th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Signs "Walls do not provide security," "Demonstrators called attention to the fact that today marks the 14th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. "Walls do not provide security," and similar graffiti colored the wall at Abu Bis today. They met the entire friends from the Christian Peace Team which also came to the anti-wall demonstration from their home in downtown Hebron. Yesterday in Jerusalem, Kay and Rebecca rose early. They report getting " a number of good interviews with ordinary Israeli citizens, merchants, soldiers, children 'lollygagging' on their way to school." Among the soldiers interviewed was one on active duty in the occupied territories and another who is a "refusnik" (refused to do further military service in the occupied territories. ) The latter talked about how his friends in and out of the army understand his position. After a time in jail, he is now free to continue his career.

Later Friday, the they joined the Women in Black at one of the traffic islands in Jerusalem. A regular told them it was one of the most positive days of response from passers-by they've experienced Kay found the few hecklers less obnoxious than she experienced on the line in Traverse City. Since it was the Muslim Ramadan Holy Day, many of the Womens' signs were in Arabic so Israeli Muslims crowded into buses passing on their way to the Mosque could witness Israeli, Palestinian, and International women with signs "End the Occupation." Meanwhile Randy came upon Ali Argoub, an Arab friend from our first trip to Hebron in l995. Ali has a way of just 'appearing,' often at critical times.

The team is very, very excited about the quantity and broad variety of taped interviews they are collecting from Palestinians and Israeli's.

November 4, 2003
At about noon today their time, Kay reported from Sa'ir, a 'village' of 15,000 people northeast of Hebron. Their host, Kamel Jaban took them to the highest mount in the village. Under sunny skies with 85 degree temperature, Kay, Randy, and Marian could see Jordan, Jerusalem, and Masada amid, Kay said, "a very beautiful countryside." This morning they visited children at the elementary school in Sa'ir. Kay reflected: "These little smiling faces stared at us because, obviously, we looked so different from anyone they had ever seen."

At the same time, Rebecca, Susan, and Patty accompanied two of Kemel Jaban's children on their trip to Hebron University to film both the journey there and interview other students. It used to take one-half hour to get to the university. Now it takes one-and-a-half hour to two-hours because of the time it takes to get through the check points. It used to take the village olive pickers fifteen minutes to get to their groves around Sa'ire. Now it takes as much as four hours. These check point delays around Sa'ir are all because the military is protecting 60 people in a nearby settlement.

As reported earlier about their visit to central Hebron on Sunday, Kay said: "Tom you would have cried. The entire downtown is closed off. The CPT team is alone there among the settlers and the Israeli troops. Now a wall is being built."

"Still the family of Shaker Dana, with 20 years of harassment and intimidation from neighboring Kyrian Arba settlement maintains their presence. Similarly, the family of Abu Heikle, lives alone atop Tel Rumeida, with many years of threats from the Israeli settlement on one side, and military camp on the other side of the narrow, steep road up to their home." These are examples of Palestinian nonviolent reseliance. (With CPT, we often visited these families)

The team may go back to Jerusalem tomorrow. It's increasingly hard to get through the check point there. They hope to join the Women in Black on Friday morning.

All are well and continue to be enthusiastic about this effort to experience and record the lives of ordinary Palestinian and Israeli people.

November 5, 2003
We are safely in Jeusalem.
It was interesting to learn that Kamel Jabran had a tailor shop in Babazouwea up until 1996. When he saw Rebecca's video of the old city he pointed to were his shop had been. He had moved his shop from Jerusalem because of the conflict only to be caught in more conflict in Hebron.

He is now retied, but not retiring. He is full of energy and devotion to his family, his people and to life. It was delightful to sit waiting with him for transportation and to see him play with a little four year old boy. The boy had an orange cap with a doggy face and ears. Kamel would play keep away with the cap and then let the little boy think he had won when he snatched up the cap. The little boy would tease outside the shop with his cap on and then return to put it on the desk so Kamel would continue the game. Kamel is a man of influence in Sa'ed. Everyone we encountered greeted him and he moved with grace and confidence in his community. His position of influence did not stop him from playing with a four year old child.

We saw the richness of the Hebron District. The vinyards produce a wide variety of grapes. The water arising here was the source that the Romans tapped with an aquaduct to provide water to Jerusalem. Olives, figs, apricots and all variety of vegetables grow in the valley and up the terraces. Marble is cut fom the mountains and polished. We visited a furnitue factory. It is five stories high. In good times twenty-five
people are employed, now, only five. Furniture fills the wharehouse. They said if the roads opened in two days the wharehouse would be empty because of the outstanding orders from Bethlehem and Ramallah.

Time to return to the Hostel and break fast.
Peace & love, Kay

November 3, 2003
Marian reported the team is enjoying Palestinian hospitality at the home of Kamel Jaban in the little village of Sa'ir northeast of Hebron. Kamel is the uncle of Amer Jaban, who spoke at St. Michael's, Suttons Bay, last year about the political geography of the whole Middle East. Earlier Monday, the team traveled to Hebron and met with the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in the heart of the old city. CPT has lived
in an apartment there since l995, when Randy, Kay and four others from Michigan Peace Team joined them. Randy's been back a couple of times, but both were shocked at the changes. Settlements now totally surround the building in which where CPT lives. All the Palestinian shops on Suhadda Street, the main street in downtown Hebron, have been bolted shut by the Israeli military.

As Marian was talking on the phone, she watched young boys outside playing games, part of their sundown celebration of Ramadan. Kamel said the Israeli military come through the little village weekly. Tomorrow, the team expects to tour the area and return to Jerusalem. NOTE: Readers in Northwestern Michigan can pick up this week's copy of the Northern Express (11/6-12) and see a picture and article (p.10) of Traverse Area Peace Activists getting a live report from our team from Ramallah.

November 2, 2003
Marian called with a brief report. They are in Jerusalem tonight. Everyone is well and safe. They had a long wait to get through the checkpoint outside Jerusalem They left the Balata refugee community this
morning. Bernhard and Patty went to Bethlehem today. Bernhard is expected to arrive in Traverse City, late Monday evening heading home to Copemish after a long absence. He had gone to Germany some weeks before the team arrived in Israel, then joined them there. Marian said they will send a longer report tomorrow.

November 1, 2003
Patty called about 11:00 A.M, our time, 6:00 P.M. their time. All are well and safe. They've had a full day. Five team members returned to pick olives with the farmer in the little village near Nablus where they had worked earlier this week. It was sunny 95 degrees, so they were exhausted by evening (photo here).

Today, Rebecca and Patty stayed around Nablus interviewing people. They had just finished interviewing some of the women embroiderers referred to in yesterday's report. As they were leaving, they met some Associate Press reporters who told them about a young man on a motorcycle who had just been gunned down by some Israeli soldiers. Offered a ride in the AP truck, they went to the hospital. The victim's friend who witnessed the shooting had brought the man into the hospital thinking he was still alive. Patty reported the victim's friend literally had to drag the man's body through the legs of the Israeli police standing around in order to bring him to the hospital. At the hospital a Palestinian security guard took Patty and Rebecca to the morgue to view and film the corpse. The victim was 24 years old.

This evening, five members will stay with their friend in Oskar. This seven member family sleeps in one room because the children fear the violence in the city. The team sleeps in one room upstairs. Earlier in the week that meant 14 people with no water, because they are only allowed to get water every three days. Younger Palestinians have expressed to team members their understanding and resentment of the U.S. role in supplying weapons, money, and military equipment to their Israeli oppressors.

October 31, 2003
Rebecca reports a number of interviews took place today: Linda Oostermyer from Bay Shore, near Petoskey, who does missionary work in Nablus for the Sweden based "Operation Mercy, together with two people living at her home; Carlo, a Palestinian Christian from Beit Sahour who is director of a Bible society; some students working with children who have disabilities; a mother of ten children, one of whom became a 'suicide bomber'.

They also talked with Nadia, a social worker in the Balata refugee community who will introduce them to some of the women there doing embroidery. They visited some homes demolished by the Israeli military. Tomorrow, they plan to return to the olive harvest after staying overnight with their previous host and his five children. Clarification of yesterday's interview. They interviewed the son of a woman who was assassinated by a drive-by military jeep last year. 14 bullets counted within one square meter. She had been a peace activist. No other shots or targets were fired at but her.

Rebecca reports all team members are o.k.

Earlier update here