So what happened today? Went to school in the morning for the meeting mainly. Which ended up being much more productive than the first one. We're certainly getting somewhere. The previous Future Visions document was produced by the High Follow-Up Committee and the National Committee of the Heads of the Arab Local Authorities in Israel, and it mainly focuses on "affiliation, identity and citizenship of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel." Topics like "legal status, land and housing, economic and social development, educational vision for Arab education, Arab Palestinian culture and the political and national work of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel" are covered. It comes up with important points that need to be agreed upon by the Israeli Arabs and Jews. In terms of defining issues, it is an important document for it has never been done before by the Arab leaders in the country. However, to me, it lacks the inclusion of the Israeli Jews, or rather their reflections on the document. Although in terms of Arabs talking about these things among each other is also a significant step. Now, with our proposal, these issues and some more will be discussed and a final document will be proposed at the end of a 2-year period of intense meetings, discussion groups, lectures, independent and academic evals by the Arabs and Jews. So it will be a joint agreement at an optimum level. Halim thinks if they can meet in the middle in 7 out of 10 issues, that should be considered a great success. Then they can begin to promote the document in their own communities or even higher places, wherever their social and political statuses can take them. Now I don't know if it will work or become a legit, reliable academic resource that people cite. I hope so. But it's worth the effort.
Anyways, after the meeting, Halim asked me if I wanted to join him for a ride and a meeting at Nablus. Nablus is an Arab city in the West Bank. I was sort of worried, I must admit, but more so excited. Fun ride we had, talked about several things. Well, basically Halim answered my never ending questions. On the way we passed by a lot of settlements. I never though they would be this frequent. They were on the way and in the West Bank. I don't think I get the idea here. Why give permission to settlements in a land where you said is an Arab land and you're supposed to recognize as part of another country that may be founded as part of a peace negotiation that you are supposedly so willing to start. Extending the land you already have doesn't feel like you really do want peace. It is my disappointment about Israel, a country I believe should exist. OK, moving on.
We passed 3 check points, two of which in the West Bank, right before you enter Nablus. The security was not strict, they let us pass probably because we had an Israeli car. These soldiers probably know which car to stop, most of the times at least. I tried to film the surrounding area and the car ride but can't say they're all good. I was shy, didn't want to disturb the people, camera may look pretty annoying sometimes. But if I want to have good footage, I better learn how to be a hard boiled camera person. But according to my observation, I can say that it was a typical Middle Eastern town. It reminded me of some cities I visited in Iraq. A very superficial comment on my part though, I'm aware of that. Most buildings looked unfinished, in concrete grey. So many store signs, all in Arabic, sometimes with an English version underneath. I would say in the downtown area, we met Halim's friend Ahmad. He doesn't speak English and since it was a business trip, they were engulfed in their Arabic NGO business talk, I got the time to observe and write on my journal. I saw girls wearing hijap but there was a significant number of them not wearing it. Halim says there was less conservatism, as in covering the hair, 10 years ago. Fundamentalism, religiousness is a growing trend for so long. But the situation in the West Bank cannot be compared to what goes on in Gazza.
So we went to this bank called the Bank of Palestine. A fancy building, close to the Ministry of Tourism. The life looks up and running despite the apparent underdevelopment, the necessity of further infrastructure. I looked at the city with my ignorant eyes, not knowing what I'm looking for. After the bank, we went to a restaurant to have lunch. It looked like a second class Istanbul restaurant and I hope I don't sound condescending, it's just an observation, a simple comparison. The food though, was incomparable. Several kinds of humus, babaganush, pita bread, fresh cucumbers and tomato and pickles, lovely mint tea. Oh and falafel, of course. There were so many young people, having lunch, smoking hookah... Ahmad, Halim's friend, strikes me as a fella with ants in his pants, hyper active, if you will. He is so excited about his projects and apparently can't wait to show Halim his reports at the office. As soon as I finished my tea, we drove to his office.
I could see how attentive he is, of his office, of every detail, clearly proud of the pictures on the walls of this small apartment, showing kids in his workshops. I suppose they have been conducting encounter workshops as well. And also he's involved in some serious empowering the women activities. According to what Halim told me later on, he did some pretty good jobs and he is frustratingly hard working and smart person. Inside the elevator on our way up to his offices, I saw his key chain with a picture on it. I thought it was him and asked if it was so. Halim said it was his brother. At that moment, I felt something odd. I can't explain it but I almost knew what happened to the brother. Found out later from Halim that Ahmad's brother was killed during the second intifada. Not that he was a militant or anything, but Halim said everybody was fighting, involved in it somehow, on the street. So Ahmad's brother was shot. I don't know the details. But Halim says, this is one of the reasons he feels it's so important to support this guy's work here in Nablus. He truly believes in what he's doing, he believes that he can change some things, for kids, for women, for whoever he works for. He needs to do something. According to Halim, people like Ahmad, with the energy, the motivation, the passion they inherently have, it might be so easy to slip to the bad side, the bad side and style of resistance. If I'm being clear enough. I appreciate Halim's sensitivity. It is indeed important to show people like Ahmad that these amazing things they've been trying to achieve under such uncomfortable circumstances, do actually mean a lot, that it is possible to change things, in the long run. I can see that.
Well, these are only some of the things I had in mind for the blog, but I most certainly intend to write about my intense but very informative talk with Halim. Not now, but maybe tomorrow.
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