You might be wondering who these children are and why this spectacle is part of their daily life? These children live in a small Palestinian village in the south of the West Bank. Their village has been swallowed up by an illegal Israeli settlement – a housing development constructed on land forcibly seized from its Palestinian owners. Along with the settlement comes a large security infrastructure, which separates the children and their families from the remainder of the West Bank. As a result, to get anywhere these Palestinian families must pass through a military checkpoint. And to return to their homes they must pass through the checkpoint and undergo security and ID checks.
Unfortunately, this is a normal experience for Palestinians living in the West Bank. Daily life is shaped by the policies and structures of the Israeli occupation, which has been in place since 1967. After spending 3 months living in the West Bank in 2010, I am familiar with how the occupation plays out on the ground. It has been the greatest challenge and also greatest privilege of my life to experience life in Israel and Palestine. My deep concern for the peoples of this land has drawn me back once more to do what I can to learn more and be of assistance to those most in need.
One of the observations that has struck me most about my time here, is how the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is harmful not only to the Palestinians that live under occupation, but is also harmful to Israel who maintains the occupation. So many Israeli soldiers are mentally scarred for life by their experiences working to uphold the occupation, and the State of Israel is in an increasingly precarious financial situation as it continues to devote its resources to a military occupation. As a result, many basic social services in Israel are in jeopardy, and the cost of living has soared. Israel saw some of its largest protests in history over the summer as thousands of people camped in Tel Aviv streets to demand attention from their Government. I have come to learn that ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories is not just an issue of freedom for Palestine. Ending the occupation is the first step on a pathway to liberating the people of Palestine and Israel.
We as international citizens must call on the State of Israel to end the abuses of human rights, respect international law, and end the occupation of Palestine. We as international citizens must take whatever actions we can to support the movements for peace in Palestine and Israel. This might mean writing a letter to a local MP, Senator, or Minister, requesting that our nation do whatever it can to ensure the respect of human rights for all people. It might mean making a donation to one of the many organizations working on the ground to offer relief and promote peace. It might also mean making choices in day to day life about what goods we purchase, to ensure that we don't finance injustice.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." As you consider what actions you might be able to take to help move the elephant's foot in our world, I would encourage you to follow the advice of Hagai El-Ad, Director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. I asked Hagai last week what he would like we in the international community to do to help the local movements for peace in Israel and Palestine, and his response was "Do what you believe is best with your conscience and with your full hearts."
Bek is a young Aussie with a passion for nonviolence, justice, and peacebuilding. Based in Adelaide, she has travelled widely including spending three months in the West Bank in 2010 as a human rights observer, working alongside Palestinians and Israelis working for peace. Bek is back in the West Bank now, and is committed to working for a just peace in the region.
