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Introduction What does it mean to be a neighbor in Neighborhood in City: Nablus city? What impact do social rela- The Formation of a Social Safety tions have on coping with the Israeli cur- few that was imposed on the families liv- Network during the Siege ing in the city in 2002 and in the years that followed? During my fieldwork in 2012 and 2013 in Nablus, a city in , I had the chance to meet families and indi- viduals from differing backgrounds. It was striking to me that despite their different backgrounds they had the same reaction to the mention of the word siege, which was allah lā yʿīdha min ayyām (Hope that God will never let those days return). Their conversations made it clear that their Noura Kamal memories still have a major influence on their actions and daily behavior. In 2002, Nablus City in Palestine had to pational apparatus and to practice their At that time and in the years after, I kept face more than one siege. The first siege daily activities despite the three-month communicating with people and families affected all Palestinian cities; the Israeli siege that was imposed by the Israeli in Nablus. I used different approaches to army invaded the Palestinian territories army. This paper focuses on neighbor- be able to gather adequate data that and imposed a curfew for around a month hood relations: describing their distinc- reflects the reality from within. Participant in April. Later the same year between tive influence on peoples’ lives and observation and narrative interviews were June and October, the city of Nablus wit- reflecting on the meaning of being a my main tools to gain in-depth informa- nessed a siege that was characterized by neighbor, the obligations of neighbors tion about the daily life of the inhabitants. immobility and destruction. No one was within the same district, and how these Meeting individuals, families, men, and allowed to leave their home; to do so put relations manifested during the siege in women from different backgrounds and their lives under threat. This paper will 2002 and afterwards. places in the city allowed me to delve reflect upon the role of the neighborhood deeply into the quotidian life of the peo- in the construction of a social safety net- Keywords: Palestine, Nablus, ple. In time, I was able to develop a strong work. This network supported the inhabit- Neighborhood, Siege, Occupation. relationship with them and gain their trust, ants in their struggle to confront the occu- which I cherish deeply until today. Not

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only did they welcome me in their homes hours. It was impossible to practice simple forms of solidarity and social networks, and share their experiences during and activities, such as going to work or buying especially on the family and neighbor- after the siege, they also included me in from shops, since everything was closed. hood levels, have combined with well- their daily life by telling me stories that can What is fascinating is that the city seemed organized popular committees on the hardly be found in the literature. People’s like a ghost town, but in reality, people grassroots level to provide the minimum narratives and their stories can provide us were able to continue practicing their lives necessary degree of social cohesion” with vital knowledge about human rela- under the surface. Even though no one (Doumani, “Scenes from Daily Life” 1). tions. was allowed to move, people were still These social relations were the main factor Everyone’s story reflects his or her indi- able to sneak to their shops with each promoting survival during the siege. vidual ways of dealing with the past. On other’s help without being seen by the sol- Kinship ties were also important, but this the one hand, its consequences can still diers. Even schools continued to run in paper will shed light on neighborhood be detected easily in the present by look- each neighborhood, where all students relations, which became part of what I call ing at the continuing Israeli occupation were gathered and the teachers took on the “pillars of resilience” (Kamal 38). and the deteriorating economic situation. the responsibility to teach them. They According to Hastrup (106), resilience is On the other hand, empty spaces where were able to contact each other by calling “an emergent quality of all responsible buildings once stood or demolished at home and exchanging information social action; it is the rule and not the houses and many other damaged build- about the location of the soldiers. Knowing exception of social life, given that all soci- ings can be seen in the different areas of the exact places allowed the inhabitants to eties must demonstrate a degree of flexi- the old city which are: Al-Yasmīneh, move from home to home or to their work- bility to operate and ultimately to survive”. Al-Gharb, Al-Qaryūn, Al-‘Aqaba, shops without the soldiers seeing them. The pillars of resilience are tradition, reli- Al-Qīsariyyeh, and al-Ḥabaleh and are a The inhabitants of Nablus were able to gion, kinship, and neighborhood, the further reminder to people of the suffering continue this pattern until the long siege combination of which helped individuals they experienced. came to an end. survive in the wider context, through sup- The first siege was when the Israeli army The uniqueness of the city of Nablus is port and inner relief. Altogether, the pillars invaded all Palestinian cities in April 2002 manifested in the social relations that exist led to the formation of a wide social safety for around a month. Later, also in 2002, among its inhabitants. This paper reflects network that individuals were able to rely Nablus was invaded again for three on how the inhabitants were able to sur- on during the siege. Each one of the pillars months. During those days, no one was vive such a long curfew by relying mainly is explained in different papers I will pub- allowed to leave their home without put- on their social network. Doumani illus- lish separately.1 ting lives under threat. Daily activities were trates that it is challenging to comprehend One of these articles (Kamal, “Nablus forbidden due to the restrictions on mobil- how the inhabitants of Nablus managed Under Siege”) analyzes religiosity, kinship, ity. People were allowed to leave their to stand together during the hard times: and the creation of resilience. It provides houses only every now and then for a few “The short explanation is that historical a deep insight into the concept of resil-

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ience and its origins (Leslie and McCabe social processes that contribute to the for- Since An-Naksa (the setback)5 and during 116; Hastrup 28; Berkes and Turner 487; mation of neighborhood ties. From this the Israeli occupation, the inhabitants of Holling 14; Alexander 2708). In addition, it perspective, this paper will delve with an the city lost their land and their basic highlights the specificity of the term in the ethnographic lens into what neighbor- rights. While I was sitting with an old man Palestinian context and how it has evolved hood means in the context of Nablus City in his 70s in his family house, he remarked: over the course of the 20th and 21st cen- during times of crisis and insecurity. “I was outside of Palestine when it fell tury. Furthermore, resilience’s inherent link under the Israeli occupation in June 1967. to the Palestinian concept of ṡumud A reflection upon Nablus City When I entered Palestine and saw the (steadfastness) must not be underesti- The city of Nablus is located between two Israeli flag I started to cry.” This man was mated (Thoburn 378; Rijke and Teeffelen mountains, Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, and not crying merely for a lost plot of land. His 86; Meari 549; Schiocchet 3). lies to the north of /al-Quds. deep sorrow was caused by the loss of the This paper focuses on the fourth pillar: Nablus is situated within area “A” following rest of Palestine in the 20 years since neighborhood in Nablus. This article the Oslo agreement.2 It played an import- An-Nakba6 (disaster, catastrophe). As reflects upon neighborhood relations in ant role in history (Al-Zarū 36-37) and wit- Taraki explains: Nablus and their role in the formation of nessed various different rulers (e.g. The consequences of the Nakba in the social safety network during the siege. Roman, Turkish, British, and Israeli occupa- 1948 and the military occupation in It does so by describing their distinctive tion). Due to its continuous active resis- 1967 have been far-reaching and must influence on peoples’ lives, the meaning tance to Israeli occupation,3 it was sepa- be brought into the analysis of family of being a neighbor, and the obligations rated from other Palestinian cities by and household dynamics. Stateless- of neighbors within the same district. This several occupation methods, mainly mili- ness, economic dependency on , aspect links to Bourdieu’s reflection on tary checkpoints.4 Historically, Nablus City water and land confiscation, the -mar social practices, which he sees as “a set of is considered a hub of resistance, as ginalization of agriculture, migration dispositions that generate practices and Beshara Doumani explains: “Nabulsis are to oil states and beyond, and arres- perceptions. The habitus is the result of a proud of their city’s epithet, the ‘Mountain ted urbanization are only some of the long process of inculcation, beginning in of Fire’, an appellation deriving from a more salient aspects of this condition early childhood, which becomes a ‘sec- local legend that Napoleon, upon (…). The lives of individuals as well as ond sense or a second nature’” (5). In approaching Nablus, met his defeat when households and the families they be- Nablus City, daily practices are embedded the inhabitants set forests and olive groves long to have been affected in myriad within the perception of how duties and ablaze, burning the French soldiers. The ways by this overpowering reality. (Li- obligations towards family and neighbors legend speaks about one of the traditions ving Palestine, xiii-xiv) should be manifested through rituals and for which the Nablus region is famous: it is occasional practices. These regular prac- a center of resistance to outside control” The ’ struggle continued over tices in Nablus can be considered distinct (“Scenes from Daily Life” 46). the years, whether by direct resistance to

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the occupation (the First Intifada7 in 1987- lives. When the Israeli siege started in April the same way as before. However, people 1993) or by official negotiations. 2002, the inhabitants of Nablus faced bru- managed to maintain their social rela- Since the Oslo agreement in 1993, the tal, new, previously unaccustomed tech- tions, mainly their neighborhood ties, economic and political situation has not niques. Amal8, who lives in the old city, because they know that without their improved people’s living conditions, as told me about her experiences while we neighbors and relatives they will lose their Dag Lonning explains based on his field- were walking through its alleys: “I did not social safety net. At the back of their work in Palestine from 1994 to 1995 and expect the invasion to be like that. I minds, people believe that the Palestinian further prolonged fieldwork in 1996: remember during the that, Authority is weak and unable to protect its although Israeli soldiers were everywhere, own people. The reality I faced was a people trying we confronted them and lived our lives Despite the obstacles they faced and face, to survive in the midst of economic de- and went to work, but this time was so the support they found from each other privation, closures and humiliation, as scary and death was everywhere.” gave the people a somewhat positive out- well as desperation and political frus- Despite the continuous social, economic, look on life. Lisa Taraki explains that fami- tration, all in the name of something and political resistance to the Israeli occu- lies in Palestine are characterized by being their political negotiating partner, to pation, the invasion in 2002 was the peak able to cope with the apparently unbear- some extent even their own leaders, as of the violence. There were no longer nor- able situations imposed on them by the well as large parts of the international mal means to vent the frustration the peo- practices of the Israeli army (“Enclave community called peace. (162-163) ple felt as a result of the three-month-long Micropolis” 6). The city’s customs and siege. The social situation in the old city social relations were and still are a power- Authors such as Dag Lonning (162-163) was heavily influenced by Israeli violence. ful tool in constructing its uniqueness. and (13) confirm that the Over the years since the First Intifada, People care about their families and their Palestinian Authority (PA) has not been many families left and moved to new informal social networks, which have able to fulfill its people’s needs over the houses outside of the old city. Many of become a main way of overcoming the past two decades. Additionally, many peo- those who stayed in the old city are poor. difficulties they are facing. Even the Jewish ple confirmed this during my fieldwork, The social system in the city stimulated Samaritan community (Schreiber 1)9 that emphasizing that the economic situation the rise of a social space under the siege Nablus is famous for lives in harmony with before the establishment of the PA was by recreating strong ties among the com- the Christians and Muslims, reflecting the better. munity. The harsh living conditions due to unity among the city’s residents regardless The creation of the Palestinian Authority the absence of a stable economic situa- of their affiliation. The norms and tradi- misled observers into thinking that the tion as a result of a continuous blockade tions were and still are stronger than the occupation had come to an end, but in of the city’s border by the Israeli army for negative influence of the political situa- fact, occupational practices became even many years after the siege meant that it tion. Such harmony reflects the particular- more severe and destructive for Palestinian was difficult to maintain close relations in ity of Nablus City, in contrast to other Arab

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countries where sectarian disputes have God to provide them with livelihood, Douglas White (5), cohesion creates con- become a destructive force (for example and I said to myself, “Amen.” Such a nectedness. From this perspective, cohe- Iraq, Syria, and ). beautiful feeling. Seeing them put their sion in Nablus is reflected in neighbor- Experiencing the city may be described products in front of their shops and hood relations, religious beliefs, and, most best in the words of one inhabitant: “We each of them cleaning his shop, others importantly, local kinship relations, which love to walk inside the old city, especially bringing water to clean the space near are manifested over many years through in the morning when everyone is starting their work, each of them having a good different kinds of social, economic, and to open their shops and lay out their start and saying some prayers to com- religious practices, such as A‘shaʿbūnīye,10 products to attract buyers.” These are the fort the soul. (Ayshe) Al-ʿīdīye,11 and Al-nuʾūṭ.12 These practices words of one of the residents who lives are not temporary; on the contrary, they outside the old city, but I heard the same The dialogue between the two colleagues lead to the establishment of strong, well- opinion from others I met during my field- speaking with passion about their city and founded relations. This links to Appadurai’s work. After spending time with them, it their feelings while watching the morning explanation of neighborhood as a multi- became clear that, despite what they had rituals of the people reveals the people’s plex interpretive site. His view is that gone through, they were still attached to rootedness in their city. Not only this con- “neighbourhood is a context, or a set of their city. As one of the residents put it: versation, however, showed this deep- contexts, within which meaningful social “We love to live and we will live even rootedness. I hardly met anyone who did action can be both generated and inter- if the situation is bad. This is our way not express the warmth they felt toward preted” (184). Neighborhood relations can of struggling and fighting the occup- each other - the inhabitants - during their be strengthened through daily relations ation: by living our life, going to work daily interaction, whether formal or not. among the inhabitants and the rituals they and school, and having fun.” The absence of a welfare system in exercise during the year. This point of view Siham, who once lived inside the old city Palestine can be considered an influential brings us to Bourdieu and his explanation and moved out to live in the surrounding variable for the strong informal relations of the harmonization of experiences area, commented: among the inhabitants. As Safadi and among individuals and the support they “I came to the library today through the Easton explain in their study of the evolu- obtain through their participation in indi- old city alleys; the roads are the soul – tion of the social welfare system in vidual and collective activities: the smell of food was everywhere, the Palestine: “The inherited welfare programs bread, the sweets, hummus, and falafel. focused on providing basic services for One of the fundamental effects of the All the smells are amazing.” specific groups rather than enhancing the orchestration of habitus is the produc- Her colleague replied: citizens’ welfare” (58). In Nablus, cohesion tion of a common sense world endo- I love the feeling when I walk in the and social ties played the important role wed with the objectivity secured by morning in the alleys of the old city. I of keeping people together during the consensus on the meaning (sens) of hear the owners of the shops pray for siege. According to James Moody and practices and the world, in the other

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words the harmonization of agents’ importance of inquiring about future clientship, and common bonds devel- experiences and the continuous rein- neighbors before buying a house) oped through neighborliness” (Eickelman forcement that each of them receives 146). This connection to closeness high- from the expression, individual or coll- During a visit to an employee of the lights the duties that rest upon people ective (in festivals, for example), impro- Palestinian Medical Relief Committee within the same ḥāra. Neighbors are vised or programmed (commonplaces, (PMRS), Lana, a doctor in the PMRS in her obliged to share joyful moments and to be sayings), of similar or identical experi- fifties, recalled the days of the siege by supportive of each other in hard times. For ences. The homogeneity of habitus is focusing on social relations. When she was example, at weddings, the families of the what within the limits of the group of informed about the scope of this research, bride and groom are expected to invite agents possessing the schemes (of she explained with a smile that people not only relatives and friends, but also production and interpretation) implied could not enjoy eating any meal knowing their neighbors. The number of invitees is in their production - causes practices that one of their neighbors needed some- large, so the wedding costs a lot of money. and works to be immediately ineligible thing. She said: The invited guests are expected to give and foreseeable. (80) money to the bride and the groom as a It was the time when the siege gathe- present, in addition to being an indirect Such an important reflection on both red us in a good way (…) We used to support to cover some of the couple’s neighborhood and cohesion provides us cook together; there was a lot of food expenses. In this sense, kinship and neigh- with an understanding that connected- we used to store in our refrigerator that borhood relations to some extent inter- ness, the harmonization of agents’ experi- started to rot due to the lack of electri- sect, which connects with what Linda ences, and meaningful social action all city. Days were without electricity and Stone says: “that it is part of human ideol- contribute to the formation of strong we had to manage our life. So, in order ogy relationship” (6). Kinship and neigh- neighborhood ties. The following section not to throw food away we gathered all borhood cannot really be separated from will reflect upon this point by providing an the neighbors, so that nothing would each other. This is in line with the theoreti- ethnographic example from the field. be thrown away. (Lana) cal position developed by Eickelman (140), who insists that in Middle Eastern Relations within the neighborhood (ḥāra societies the analytical separation of kin- Neighborhood: the compassionate com- or ḥayy) are considered a duty for better ship from other social spheres does not munity or worse. The notion of neighborhood is make sense. Rather, kin ties are culturally “Your nearby neighbor rather than your connected to the concept of “closeness”, linked with other forms of social proximity far brother.” (Palestinian proverb) which “carries contextual meanings that in the notion of qaraba (closeness). range imperceptibly from asserted and Even if social relations can be costly, it “The neighbor before the house.” recognized ties of kinship to participation makes sense for the inhabitants to make (Palestinian proverb emphasizing the in factional alliances, ties of patronage and an effort for others and show care, as this

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keeps the tradition alive within their daily social ties in the same pattern among fam- Another example: when the Israeli army interactions. This aspect can be under- ily members and their offspring to some invaded the city, the soldiers destroyed stood through Pierre Bourdieu’s illustra- extent. Peoples’ pasts tell us that showing the shop doors, leaving them open to rob- tion of reproduction theory. Cultural capi- care and support for neighbors reflects bery. Neighbors looked after the shops tal refers to the cultural codes and the manners they uphold, and these and protected them - as Salim, a Nabulsi practices that parents transmit, which behaviors are passed on from generation citizen, did when he took hundreds of dol- become like a long-term investment. to generation and reproduce themselves lars from a moneychanger’s shop and kept These practices are usually transmitted to throughout the years. Such behaviors are them until he met the owner after the first children through the process of family always challenged by political and eco- siege was over. The owner lived in a village socialization, or in Bourdieu’s term, habi- nomic circumstances. A woman reported near Nablus and had not been able to take tus (qtd. in Tzanakis 77). that, before the First Intifada in 1987, any the money with him. new neighbor used to be invited for din- Why should Salim have been concerned The structure which has produced ner as a welcome to the neighborhood about his neighbor’s shop during an it governs practice, not by the pro- and to get to know each other. “They are unpredictable situation when it was hard cesses of a mechanical determinism, neighbors and we should know our neigh- to move around? He could have taken the but through the mediation of the ori- bors,” she said. money for himself or even have left it and entations and limits it assigns to the Taking a short tour of the old city helps us focused on his own business. Is it an ethi- habitus’s operations in invention. As an understand what neighborhood means to cal commitment to look out for others acquired system of generative sche- people and how their relationship con- whenever they need assistance? Or is it a mes objectively adjusted to the particu- tinuously recreates the same space over beneficial relation of giving and taking? lar conditions in which it is constituted, the years. On one field trip I took around Or is it the power of religious beliefs that the habitus engenders all the thoughts, the old city with Ibtisam,13 she knocked on remind people that they are “one body”, all the perceptions, and all the actions a door and called out the name of the as the Prophet Muhammad said consistent with those conditions, and woman who lived behind it. The woman (Al-Bukhārī 1279). no others. (Bourdieu 95) did not reply, so Ibtisam simply opened Whether it is an ethical commitment or a the door and called the name of the religious influence, it definitely reshapes Bourdieu’s main focus is on the relations woman again until she came and wel- peoples’ behavior as part of the extended between education, family, and social comed us, although we had come without group in their daily lives that arises from class and how education plays a vital role an appointment. This incident reflects the obligation towards each other. If in the reproduction of social inequality. His how people in the neighborhood are someone is in need of medicine or food perspective can also help explain how aware of each other’s daily habits and can from his or her neighbor’s pharmacy or rituals and daily practices among the act upon them. shop, the neighbor is ethically obliged to Nabulsis were essential in reproducing give it to him for free, until he is able to pay

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it back. This also links to Ḥaqq al-šafʿa It would thus be possible to move on families in Nablus City formed a wide (preemption), an obligation (under Sharia the ground where talk of rules seems social network to take care of each neigh- law) towards the neighbors that dictates least misplaced, that of custom or “pre- borhood in Nablus. Each neighborhood that nobody can sell their house or land to law”, and show that the “customary ru- came under the responsibility of a well- a stranger without first asking their neigh- les” preserved by the group memory known and respected person to keep in bors if they want to buy it. Such an obliga- are themselves the product of a small contact with all the families in case they tion outlines neighbors’ ties towards one batch of schemes enabling agents to needed any supplies. In addition to that, another and is still a practice today. generate an infinity of practices adap- the popular committees14 also embodied In terms of religion, since their childhood ted to endlessly changing situations, the social spirit, which could be seen in the at school, the inhabitants of Nablus have without those schemes ever being con- initiatives of individuals to contribute to learned certain verses of the Quran and stituted as explicit principles. (16) the wider network. For example, Siham, a the Prophet Muhammad’s sayings (Hadīth) woman in her forties who lives outside the by heart, which they mostly follow and cir- Bourdieu’s analysis exemplifies that daily old city, reported that even though her culate among their families and neigh- habits have the ability to construct a coher- family did not have close relations with bors. They often tell each other that the ent relationship through the interactions their neighbors, they still offered them Prophet commanded them to take care of among families, individuals, and neigh- their assistance. Siham’s parents’ house their neighbors, and they repeat what is bors. For example, if a neighbor cooks a was one of the few houses in Nablus mentioned in the Quran (Abdel Haleem meal that is not easy to prepare, the where the electricity was not cut off during 54) when asked why they should be con- woman sends a dish of it to her nearby the siege. They linked a power cable to cerned about their neighbors: neighbor. Or if someone has lost a mem- their neighbors’ houses, despite the ber of their family, neighbors become increased charges they would have to pay. Worship God; join nothing with Him. their main support during the period of Additionally, some of her family members Be good to your parents, to relatives, to mourning. They are expected to cook for from a nearby village sneaked in during orphans, to the needy, to neighbours them, take good care of them and to wel- the opening hours of the siege and pro- near and far, to travellers in need, and come people who come to show their vided the family with vegetables, bread, to your slaves. God does not like arro- respect and condolences to the family and other essentials, which they shared gant, boastful people. (An-Nisā’ 36) during the days of morning. On the whole, with their neighbors. neighbors are expected to stay in contact Of course, there are certain variables that These verses were translated by the fami- all the time. have an influence on the neighbors’ rela- lies into traditional practices that defined These kinds of strong ties manifested tionship. Personal interests and achieving their way of reshaping their space, which themselves during the siege through the social and political status are also motives brings us back to Bourdieu’s comment establishment of popular committees behind the concern for social relations. regarding practices and their discourse: (Kamal 50). During the siege in 2002, the The better someone’s reputation and

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relations with their neighbors, the more ceptable behavior among the people of from time to time among neighbors, the they can achieve in public life. For exam- Nablus. A woman told a story about a fam- existence of relations became an impor- ple, people who belong to a political ily who was forced to stay at their neigh- tant means of overcoming emotional and party or want to be elected to the munic- bor‘s house after Israeli soldiers took their material difficulties. It is impressive how ipality communicate with their neighbors home and turned it into a military check- they moved around during the siege and regularly, making positive gestures and point. The neighbors did not show proper maintained social ties despite the threat. showing good intentions to others. I was hospitality and lacked Arab hospitality The same behavior was practiced by peo- introduced to one local member of a manners (Ḥusn al-Ḍiyāfa), as the woman ple during the siege: cooking together, political party who is very active on the reported. This family became stigmatized visiting each other without the soldiers social level: he constantly follows up on for this. Although a long time has passed seeing them, staying together for hours, the living conditions of his neighbors and since the siege, this story and other stories and calling their friends and neighbors contacts donors who are willing to cover about those who did not show a good atti- regularly. People tried to keep socializing the needs of the poor, especially during tude during the hard times became well despite the mobility restrictions and mov- Ramadan. Many people who live outside known among the residents and have had ing whenever the chance allowed them. the old city contact him because of his an enduring effect on reputations. This When I asked families how they could not reputation for trustworthiness, which he means that social, commercial, and mar- only survive physically, but also to take has established over the past thirty years. riage relations will be affected in negative good care of their mental and emotional Staying in touch with his neighbors and ways. People who do not follow the cus- well-being during and after the siege, they people from other areas in the old city, tomary law of hospitality and do not told me that their relations with neighbors especially by informing outsiders about behave in a communal way will be consid- became even closer. They became closer who is in need, gives him social status ered untrustworthy. Their neighbors will to one another by sharing their fears and and helps make him an influential mem- not keep close social and commercial con- sorrows and talking about them whenever ber of his party. Being part of the com- nections with them. they met. munity means creating powerful relations Of course, not everyone is a good neigh- that can be used during elections. bor. Disputes can be found everywhere, Neighborhood as a distinctive space Nablus is a place where nothing can be but living in such a community means In comparison with other cases in Palestine, hidden, and because of this, people are behaving in a certain way, because neigh- Asia, and much of the rest of the world, in aware of how they behave and interact bors share one place that belongs to all of Nablus the neighborhood can be consid- with others. They care very much about them. In addition, during the siege, the ered a significant feature. For example, their reputations, so even if there are fam- inhabitants activated their social life and Patricia Lawrence visited a house in a vil- ilies who are reluctant to help their neigh- kinship relations in positive ways, which lage in Sri Lanka and reported a house- bors, most likely they will. Not offering marginalized their usual disputes. wife’s words: assistance to people around them is unac- Regardless of the disputes that may arise The lines between who is friend and

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who is enemy have become impossib- and baby-sitters” (“Teach Me How to Be a ground and all the personal details of le to draw. She had lived long enough Man” 103). This study describes the fragile those who live in the neighborhood. to remember the period before the relations within the community and how In spite of disputes in the city (which war with deep nostalgia. She lamented, they affected the younger generations. mainly encompass inheritance issues that “Now the people have a stone heart.” Of course, there are different reasons I will not deal with in this article), during When there is crying and shouting next behind the suffering in these two cases. Sri hard times families overcome their dis- door in the night, people in this villa- Lanka went through a long civil war, which putes and unite against the external vio- ge can’t go over and ask, “Why are you was not the case in Nablus. The violence lence imposed on them. In this regard, I crying?” because we don‘t know if the against children in South Africa highlights often recall the words of one of the resi- LTTE or the army is there. (176) how neighbors can hardly be trusted, dents: “Having one destiny leads to unity.” Several studies of Sri Lanka that deal with which is also the opposite in Nablus. Maintaining their social relations with fam- suffering and violence have not gone on However, the comparison illustrates how ilies and neighbors was a strong element to take a deeper look into neighborhood relations of trust among families in the city in facing the siege, which is related to what relations, which might be interesting to can in turn create strong social cohesion. Appadurai says about production: “It study in various political contexts (Spencer, This brings me to Doumani (Rediscovering involves the assertion of socially (often “On not Becoming a ‘Terrorist’” 120; Palestine 66), with his emphasis on the ritually) organized power over places and Perera, “Spirit Possessions and Avenging importance of cultural capital as the ele- settings that are viewed as potentially cha- Ghosts” 157). However, the example shows ment that maintains relations of trust otic or rebellious” (183-184). One of the that the complicated relations in Sri Lankan among people. One of the reasons for the residents told me that he and his brother society can hardly be considered a social existence of these relations and their dis- had not had any contact due to a family safety net as they are in Nablus city. tinctive influence on peoples’ lives is that dispute. But during the siege, forced to Another case studied by Mamphela most of the people are either closely or stay in his home like a prisoner for an Ramphele in South Africa deals with the distantly related. During fieldwork, many extended time, he became worried about development of young people’s identity people confirmed to me that inhabitants his brother. He had heard about another as gendered individuals and their belong- are relatives, which is called Nasāyeb - family, the Al-Sho’bi15 family, that was bur- ing to their families and communities. She marrying not only within the same family ied alive. The first thing he did when the mentions: “Violence against children is a (cousins’ marriage), which is a big trend in citizens were allowed to leave their homes serious problem in South Africa. (…) Palestine (Taraki, “Living Palestine” xxv). In to get food was to look for his brother to during 1993-94 officially reported child addition, the sons of the family usually live be sure he was still alive. rape cases increased by 63 percent from near or in the same neighborhood as their In Nablus City, neighborhood also has its 1993 (…) an estimated 85 percent of the natal families. The inhabitants know each particularity as a major socio-economic survivors of child rape know their attackers other by name; they know the family back- network. To an extent, traditional practices well - family members, friends, neighbors

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are a strong influence on such relations. rituals and traditional customs that are social safety networks, the article analyzes According to Beshara Doumani: practiced over the years, as mentioned its origins and the meaning of the concept earlier. The neighborhood can be consid- for the inhabitants. The internal dynamics of these net- ered a public space, which according to The kinship and neighborhood relations works changed over time. But, in form Jürgen Habermas is where public have reproduced themselves over gen- if not in substance, their continuity thoughts, values, ideas, and opinions can erations; they have an immense influence provided Nabulsis with a shared sen- be formulated and integrated with each on social relations as a whole and still play se of social norms. Although changing other (Habermas et al. 50). a major role in individuals’ behavior and and not always followed, these norms To conclude, the peculiarity of neighbor- practices. They became a source for creat- served as a set of common reference hood in Nablus is manifested through the ing survival strategies during and after the points that helped define what it meant shaping of the inhabitants’ relations in siege. Traditional practices were used to to be a Nabulsi. It is precisely the con- which individuals, families, and their mem- keep people together, and this enabled stant reproduction of these networks ories are all integrated. Regularly taking people to interact on a daily basis until the over time and space that imparted to part in rituals and practices leads to the siege was over. They meanwhile sup- Nablus its unique character as a con- establishment of a social public space ported one another through shared activ- servative interior trade and manufac- within each neighborhood. ities. Their mutual obligations predeter- turing town in which family dynamics Conclusion mined the way they protected and helped have long dominated social and poli- Neighborhood relations in Nablus City each other, regardless of whether they tical relations and in which merchants had a vital influence on the way people were in a dispute or not. These practices played, and continue to play, a leading survived the siege in 2002. Through eth- and beliefs based on what they had role in economic and cultural life. Inde- nographic analysis and social and political learned and experienced from their own ed, it can be argued that the remarkab- contextualization, this article outlined the culture became the main toolkit of sur- le continuity in habits and forms of so- importance and role of neighborhood vival. cial organization in Nablus was rooted relations in the construction of a social The way people cope with the suffering in the daily rituals and practices which safety network. Several ethnographic imposed on them shows how they situate knit the participants of each network examples and how they link to the wider themselves in different roles among their into a tightly woven and resilient social social and political framework are pre- family, neighbors, and friends. People’s fabric. (Rediscovering Palestine 56) sented. These ethnographic examples not behavior and activity as individuals was an only deal with the situations that people important variable in society. This had an The concept of neighborhood in Nablus had to confront, but also echo an everyday impact on the social network, in terms of is characterized by the pattern of social life pattern of neighborhood relations. To being part of both the private and public relations that transcend generations. understand the distinctive concept of the spheres. This highlights the fact that “the These relations are preserved through neighborhood in the construction of notion of agency thus implies that the

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Noura Kamal people know that they act, even if they do not necessarily know the consequences of holds a PhD in Social and Cultural their act” (Eriksen 52). It is important to Anthropology, University of Vienna. remember that the notion of agency is a Her thesis is about the scopes of result of internal and external influences agency in Nablus, Palestine under on people’s lives. immediate siege and under regular In the end, the article gives an overview of Israeli occupation. She graduated from the city of Nablus and its historical back- Birzeit University in Palestine with a ground in order to highlight the reasons Master’s degree in Sociology. Currently, that led to the creation of strong social ties she is a researcher at the Austrian in general and neighborhood relations in Academy of Sciences, Institute for Social particular. In addition, the paper illustrates Anthropology. how such patterns of relations were email: [email protected] reflected in daily practices among the inhabitants of the city and during the siege in 2002. The meanings and the distinctive influence of neighborhood relations on peoples’ lives are important in order to understand resilience in political and social upheavals. The obligations and duties among neighbors reflect that soci- ety can play the role of official institutions as a survival strategy, especially when the Palestinian Authority is not able function properly under the continuous occupa- tion.

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Acknowledgment Notes 4 Nablus had experienced 7 According to Lori Allen, 9 The Samaritan community closure for nine years (2000- “The first intifada (, lives on Mount Gerizim or I wish to convey my special 1 Anthropos, in print: “Nablus 2009), when no one could ‘shaking off’) against the Jirzīm. “This is one of the thanks to Dr. Maria Six- Under Siege: in print normally enter or leave the occupation began in 1987. smallest minorities in the Hohenbalken for her rich Religiosity and the creation city. This meant walking Israel’s occupation of the world. Most of them live insights as well as Rosalind of resilience.” Article under through the rough hills and and in the City of Nablus in Willi for her valuable review: Journal of Middle mountains to enter or leave had begun in 1967, and for Palestine. As a small minority comments. My thanks also go East Women’s Studies: “A the city; the main route was Palestinians it meant military with a main interest to to the anonymous reviewers Palestinian City under Siege: across Mount Gerizim in rule and a lack of civil, survive, and to reserve its who both provided important Women‘s involvement in Nablus. political, and human rights. identity and heritage, the remarks. reconciliation with the past Home demolitions, detention Samaritans do their best experience.” 5 The term designates the Six- of political prisoners to keep their neutrality Day War in 1967, when the without trial, torture, and and good relations with all 2 On September 13, 1993, West Bank of Palestine fell extensive land confiscations powers and factions in the the Palestinian Authority (PA) under Israeli occupation. all characterized Israel’s region. (…) The Samaritans and the Israeli state signed occupation. Israel built in Nablus are in harmony the Oslo Agreement, which 6 An-Nakba is a Palestinian hundreds of settlements with the Palestinian society…” was supposed to end the term meaning catastrophe throughout the Occupied (Yousef, Barghouti 34). Israeli occupation, but in and referring to the 1948 Territories, erected on land fact divided the West Bank expulsion of Palestinians, confiscated from Palestinians” 10 A’shaʿbūnīye is an invitation into various “areas”, A B, and when 750,000-800,000 were (Allen 454). among family members in C. The PA has full control in forced out of their homes. Sha’ban (a month in Islamic area A, whereas area B is 8 Amal is not her real name. calendar) before Ramadan. jointly controlled, and area All the interviewees’ names It is a way to show closeness C in the West Bank is 70% in this project were changed and to celebrate the coming under Israeli control. For for reasons of ethnographic of Ramadan together. This more information, please see anonymity and safety. The tradition is linked to the the map of the Oslo Accord method of communication people in Nablus. division of West Bank and was personal meetings. I met Gaza (Chomsky 281). each one of my interviewees 11 Al-ʿīdīye is a sum of money on regular bases and had that uncles and aunts give 3 All Palestinian territories long conversions in addition to their nieces and nephews were under occupation since to observing them during and that brothers give to 1967. their daily lives. All the their sisters on the first day of interviews were conducted the Eid (Muslim festival). in the period of June to December 2012 and July to 12 Al-nuʾūṭ is a sum of money September 2013. that relatives, neighbors, and friends give to a newly married couple.

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