Ramallah is NOT Israel

by Ida Audeh in Ramallah

May 6, 2002

As you know, Marilyn and I arrived in Ramallah Sunday morning, without much incident. What should be an hour-long trip from the bridge took longer, because we went to Jerusalem first, then the Kalandiya checkpoint, walked about 100 meters, and then caught another taxi to Ramallah.

Today the Kalandiya checkpoint is closed, so Jerusalem is off limits to us. And Tulkarem has been reoccupied.

Walking in Ramallah, you see some of the damage; windows shot out in one building, a crumbled stone wall. My mother's neighbor's house has a beaten up door (the Israelis forced it open, refusing to let my mother get them the key); when the Israelis searched my mother's home, they took everything out of her bedroom closet and cut up one of her housedresses (one soldier had the bright idea that he could make blindfolds out of them; another soldier told him that was unnecessary.

Unclear what they were looking for, unless maybe money; her neighbors were robbed). Across the street from my mother, in the famous compound, most of the destroyed cars have been moved (they had been piled up there). You see piles of rubble here and there.

I haven't been here long enough to have much to say, but one thing that has been immediately noticeable is the cooperation among people. Standing in line at the Kalandiya checkpoint, people were in reasonably good spirits; one young man appeared out of nowhere and insisted on helping me with my suitcase (he overheard my exchange with an Israeli soldier):

Soldier: "You are coming to Ramallah?  Welcome to Israel."

Me:  "Ramallah is NOT Israel."

Soldier: "Yes, Ramallah is Israel."

Internet cafes are all over the place, so you'll be hearing from me when I have more to say. We have yet to make contact with Larry's laywer.   This is as good a time as any to say that I was touched by your send-off. Thank you for being there for us. I expect to borrow a cell phone (you can't rent one here), and I will forward the number when I do.

* Ida Audeh is one of four members of the Colorado Campaign for Middle East Peace who have joined international activists in solidarity with Palestinians nonviolently trying to end Israel's illegal military occupation of Palestine.  More on their trip at: www.ccmep.org/palestine.html