Taste the Revolution What Am I?
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Subject Page The Outsiders 2 Not all the Jewish settlers in the West Bank want to stay The State of the Art 4 A Palestinian painter is tempted by the wall Graffiti – a Form of Resistance 7 Palestinian symbols on walls undergo change Broadcasting for Peace 9 Journalists are running a joint radio station Passing with Problems 10 Traveling through the West Bank is difficult for Palestinians New Guards at the Checkpoints 13 Private security personnel are replacing Israeli soldiers Southern Strangle in the North 15 Former members of the South Lebanese Army live in Israel Short Stories 17 The Poor Life of Abu Faiz Business as Usual? Between Truth and Death 18 Journalists in the Middle East put their lives in danger The Enemy Next Door 20 Contents Jews and Muslims are arguing about the Old City Short Stories 22 Rent-a-Cross Contents The Black Phenomenon The Top-Sellers “History is Enslaved” 23 Interview with lecturer Arie Kizel about Israeli books At Their Roots 24 “Jeckes” have a strong relationship towards Germany Stuck in the Middle 26 Two German women have “married” the conflict Taste the Who Cares About Rubbish? 28 The mayor of Taybeh fights for a sanitary landfill Revolution What am I? 30 P 38 A quiz on religion and nationality How I Became a Palestinian 31 An Israeli suddenly could not re-enter his own country What am I? Football Behind the Fence 32 The Palestinians have revived their own league P 30 Hummus-thology 36 Hummus has become the most popular food in Israel Taste the Revolution 38 When Palestinians drink beer and Israelis eat pork HOPE Ltd The outsiders if you want to have peace, you is not a settlement. It is a normal know ignored it as well.” But have to pay a price.” city in Israel, like every other.” not everybody talks as openly Polls, the Bait Ehat has con- Most of the inhabitants moved as Yonah. Dani Dayan, chair- ducted with 1000 settlers living here in the late 70s and early man of the organization of THE OUTSIDERS east and west of the Green Line, 80s, because the Israeli govern- municipal councils in the West Not all the Jewish settlers in the West Bank are there underline the willingness of ment supported them in buying Bank, known as Yesha Council, to stay: Some would trade their home for a house in many to leave voluntarily. “40 a house. “In Jerusalem, I could refused to speak to the media Israel sooner rather than later. percent of the 80,000 settlers only afford a small apartment, about this issue. living east of the security fence, but here I have a large house”, Something will have to hap- would prefer to live in the state says the 40-year-old Neta, who pen with the settlements, that is of Israel”, explains Knesset- owns a toy store. She would be for sure. “They violate the in- member Vilan, “we are trying willing to leave, if a law to that ternational laws of occupation. to help these settlers by reim- effect was passed in the Knes- The occupying party is not al- bursing them for their houses.” set, but sees prerequisites: “I lowed to transfer people into the There have been talks in the have a large house and a busi- occupied territory”, says Sarit Knesset about this law, but it ness, so I would need to get an Michaeli, speaker of the Israeli has not been passed yet. “For equal compensation for that.” Human Rights Organization political reasons, Ehud Olmert Some people are not as open as B’Tselem. “Therefore Israel is and Tzipi Livni did not want Neta. “I would never leave to discuss this in the cabinet Ma’ale Adumim”, says the meetings, so we could not get 22-year-old Adva, who a majority for the law”, Vilan works in a clothing store, hen Benni Raz goes to is now Palestinian territory. In the Knesset, which would reim- believes. Now that the way has “I would not agree with the supermarket in his 2002 a suicide bombing killed burse settlers, that want to trade been cleared for new elections, that law.” The 48-year-old Whometown of Qarne Shom- three teenagers, who were sit- their homes for a house in Israel the law is on hold, but Vilan re- Avi, who owns an electric ron, people refuse to talk to ting in an Italian restaurant in voluntarily. The movement is mains optimistic. “I view this shop in the mall, considers him. When he walks down the the center of the town. “I am funded by donations only and law as a good sign from the Is- it irrelevant to even discuss streets, they look the other way. tired of this war and I don’t Raz is the single fulltime em- raeli point of view to show that a compensation-law. “Take “Sometimes they even call me want to wait until there is any ployee. He sends out letters to we are ready to move step by a look around this huge on my phone and tell me that kind of agreement between the settlers living in the West Bank step out of the West Bank. That city: You can never evacu- they hate me”, says the 55-year- Israelis and the Palestinians”, and visits the different settle- is why I don’t see an alternative ate Ma’ale Adumim.” Wants to leave his settlement and take old. All of this, because Benni says Raz. Deep furrows cut ments to inform the people to it.” Others go beyond the practi- others with him: Benni Raz Raz is willing to leave the set- through his forehead. “I want to about the movement. In scuffed About 20 kilometers east of cal argumentation. “This is our tlement of Qarne Shomron. move to Israel as long as I am folders all around his tiny of- the Knesset in Jerusalem, in homeland”, says Tamar Yonah, responsible for evacuating the When he moved to the town in still strong enough to carry my fice in a commercial area in Tel Ma’ale Adumim, the crooks a radio show host of the na- settlements, regardless of any the north of the West Bank 15 suitcase, find another house and Aviv, Raz keeps hundreds of to the plan become quite obvi- tional-religious channel Arutz political process.” years ago, it seemed like the another job and build a future lists with names and telephone ous. More than 30,000 people 7, who lives in a different set- A lot of work is still ahead of perfect place to raise his four for my children.” numbers. live in this settlement, which is tlement in the West Bank. “The Benni Raz, who nervertheless kids. “The Israeli government But Raz doesn’t have enough They are marked all over with located east of the Green Line, Arabs have 22 countries they stays optimistic. “I know that helped me with the money, so money to move, especially af- yellow text marker and red lines surrounded by walls, fences and can go to and we have only one. things will change. They always that I could afford a large house. ter he lost his job as a driver. and dots. “A lot of the people barb wire. Some of them are or- I get along very well with the have – look at the Berlin Wall Qarne Shomron is a beautiful He decided to take action and want to leave, but are scared to thodox Jews, but most of them Arabs and I would welcome it, for example. If we want peace, place and the people were very founded the movement Bait talk about it openly. They fear are secular. “I don’t understand, if they wanted to live in peace this is the time.” nice.” 15 years later, Raz would Ehad (One Home) together with their neighbours for example, or that people call us settlers”, says with us, but if they don’t want like to leave sooner rather than two members of the Knesset; that they are going to lose their the 63-year-old Adina, who is to, they can leave.” Yonah has Christina Horsten (25) realized, that in this later. The town, with about Colette Avital from the Labor- job. Also many people think drinking coffee in the central received two letters from Bait mall, “that offends me. We are Ehad, asking her to support the region there is no need 6000 inhabitants, is located east Party and Avshalom Vilan from that they are not strong, when for telephone books. of the “Green Line” – according the left wing Meretz Party. Bait they leave, but that’s not true. normal citizens.” Her friend movement. “To me, that is just “Just go to Ramallah. to international agreements, this Ehad strives for legislation in Reality is stronger than us and Batya agrees. “Ma’ale Adumim laughable and all the people I Everyone knows him.” 2 3 HOPE Ltd The State Of the Art During his time in prison, Israel built the separation wall through Mohaned Azza’s hometown Bethlehem. Now the The State artist is trapped in his predicament: Be- ing tempted by the largest canvas in the world – without tainting its uglyness. It is the question, that bothers him most. It is not about of the working at nighttime, not about hiding from the sol- diers, but it is about the constant queries by the citi- zens living along the wall. They can’t understand why a young man’s hand clings to brushes instead of stones.