Palestine's secret oasis

[Violet_Crumble]

Surrounded by conflict, the West Bank city of Ramallah is undergoing a quiet renaissance

As the sun rises between the hills and disperses low-hanging mist, Ramallah wakes up to a normal, urban life. Vegetable shops roll out their shining, fleshy wares. The exhausts of the city's orange taxis shake off the chill of night. And although, unlike most other cities, Ramallah has been many decades under occupation, this, for its inhabitants, is just another day.

Despite its violent and difficult past and its uncertain present, Ramallah has an air of normality that is striking. So, too, does the stark, arid land that falls away from its hilltop perch, rising again to where its urban twin, al-Bireh, meets the university town of Birzeit. It is hard to imagine Israeli tanks growling along these vibrant streets, as they did during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002. Or pitched battles being fought near the lush municipal park, complete with faded playground equipment.

The comparative calm of recent years has allowed this city of some 30,000 people, at the heart of a much larger governorate of 280,000, to experience something of a quiet renaissance. While the World Bank this year put unemployment across the West Bank at 19 per cent, Ramallah, as the seat of the Palestinian Authority (PA), has become a centre of relative affluence.

"You can't feel the conflict here so much," said a friend who works for a local Palestinian NGO. "In Bethlehem, the wall cuts right through the town. In Hebron, there are the settlers . In Nablus, the tension is palpable."

In this less pressured environment, fortified by inflows of aid, a little private-sector investment and a large international presence, Ramallah is advancing its revival, the city steadily supplanting East Jerusalem - now cordoned off by the "security barrier" and inaccessible to most Palestinians - as the economic and cultural centre of Palestinian life in the West Bank.

On Thursday afternoons, when the working day and week come to an end, the city's commercial centre seems to resonate with a spirit of carnival. Young men - often arrived from nearby villages to seek odd jobs - swagger through the streets radiating from the vigilant stone lions of al-Manara Square. Fashionably dressed young women, many with their heads uncovered, gossip animatedly in twos and threes. Families swarm between the shops: the jewellers abounding with gold, the pharmacies, the shops peddling household electronics, mobile phones, football boots, hijabs and sunglasses, the physiotherapists, the cafes serving Ramallah's distinctive chewy ice cream, and the fishmonger Mr Fish, implausible in this dry, encircled land.


http://www.newstatesman.com/travel/2008/12/bank-city-palestinian-ramallah

[elleng]

1. Thanks for this.

.

[aquart]

2. Ditto. Got a 14-year-old friend taking Arabic at Birzeit.

[elleng]

3. Thats great to hear.

Have you heard from her/him? How doing? Said anything about the place?

[LeftishBrit]

4. Thanks for posting - nice to get a bit of good news.

May this spread elsewhere!

[TomClash]

5. There will be more good news

Soon. There are new ideas for a new Government and a new Administration in a new year. We'll see if they take.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

6. ... while their sisters and brothers in Gaza have no flour for bread.

I find it pretty sad that the bantustanization of Palestine is so utterly thorough.

Quite a contrast to 1988 when all the people were united in their opposition to Israel's colonial rule.

We have many friends in Ramallah. I suspect this picture is rather bright. While I'm glad that the standard of living in Ramallah isn't horrible, I hope that the resurgence is based on something other than more of the same PA cronyism and financial largesse for loyalists that was Arafat's trademark.

[oberliner]

7. Word choice is purposeful

Do you know what a Bantustan is? You throw that word around a lot. Bantustans were created inside of South Africa to concentrate one race in one location. I know there are some folks who are keen on this analogy, but I would urge you to reconsider. The West Bank and Gaza are what the majority of Palestinian people seek for their independent state. Let's keep our focus on the same goal. No need to speak so divisively about Fatah and the PA, pitting them against the Palestinians living in Gaza.

Ramallah should be a model of what is possible for the future, not a wedge to drive between Palestinians and other Palestinians (as well as Israelis).

[delad]

8. "Bantustans were created inside of South Africa to

concentrate one race in one location." Almost, several locations with exit and entrance rigidly controlled. please explain how the WB is not a series of bantustans (40% of it is unaccessible to palestinians). have to admit, a little drunk (:beer:) so hopefully i've read it right.
ps thanks for the good news

[ProgressiveMuslim]

12. I select the word with purpose.

And if the resurgence in Ramallah is based on an influx of foreign help to prop up Fatah, then it's a model for disaster.

[oberliner]

13. You do not believe that countries should send aid to the PA?

That seems like a strange position to take.

[LeftishBrit]

24. Why? I'm confused? I can understand that it wouldn't be good for the PA to depend totally on foreign

aid forever, but if foreign aid helps get Palestine on its economic feet, why not? A Palestinian state is likely to need some foreign aid as it establishes itself.

Or is the probem that you don't like Fatah and don't want anything that could prop it up? But surely, as you yourself have said, Palestinians have already suffered too much collective punishment from Israel and from the world due to opposition to their leaders. Why support such collective punishment in this case?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

26. I think that a PA with fat coffers from international donors

without building institutions, and a political culture based on the rule of law, is a waste of time for those who genuinely desire peace.

I'm interested in new elections to see what who emerges as credible leaders. Are both Fatah and Hamas finished? Could there be a peaceful transfer of power to new independent parties?

I doubt it. I think the US and Israel learned their lessons last time around. Like a lawyer who never asks a question in court s/he doesn't know the answer to, it will be a long, long time before we see free elections in Palestine again.

The goal is to keep the illusion of a peace process moving forward, along the lines that Henry Siegman laid out in this terrific article, "The Great Middle East Peace Process Scam."

I encourage you to check it out:

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n16/sieg01_.html


LB, the goal is not the lifting of immediate suffering. The goal is an independent viable state.
Bottom line is that if Ramallah's new prosperity is money shoveled in to the prop up the PA, that is being distributed to PA cronies, that's not necessarily a good thing for Palestine in the long run. It certainly didn't do any good when Arafat followed that course.

[Lithos]

9. Question

To me the use of bantustanization implies an internal and illegal separation inside a single country based on race. As such, if the West Bank and Gaza are bantustans, then that implies they are part of the same country as Israel and the separation is artificial.

Given that, it seems to me that the use of bantustan is synonymous with a One State solution. Agree or disagree? Or are you only arguing this is true for the West Bank and with the settlements? If so, that seems more a matter of colonization (the taking) rather than the separation of already settled lands.

Note: Personally I have no issue if someone argues for/against a Single State solution provided it guaranteed a respectful and peaceful settlement in the end for all parties. I'm sure many would probably point out the numerous practical and pragmatic problems with such an event.

[Vegasaurus]

10. The reason the word "apartheid" and "bantustan"

cannot be applied to Israel, is because there is no internal or illegal separation of anyone WITHIN the country, based upon race.

There is separation of races and religions in Arab nations that won't allow Jews, but not in Israel proper.

The OT are not part of Israel, so there is no "apartheid" or "bantustanization" within Israel.

And it is far from pragmatic for people to argue in favor of a Single State solution, that is, unless they are in favor of bloodshed, the likes of which has never been seen in I/P.

[Violet_Crumble]

16. Okay, got the memo. *Apartheid* and *bantustan* must only be used aimed at Arab countries.....

Heh....

[Violet_Crumble]

15. fwiw, I do think what's been created in the West Bank is a series of bantustans...

If yr talking about the use of the word bantustan in the specific case of the political and geographic separation of the West Bank and Gaza, that's fine, but if yr talking about any use of the word to describe the West Bank, then I strongly disagree. I currently support a two-state solution, as that's what the majority of Palestinians and Israelis want, yet I use the word bantustan to describe what was done to the West Bank....

[ProgressiveMuslim]

17. There already is one state. One state with 3.7+ people living

as subhumans without basic human or political rights in the Jewish state.

I think I'd describe the separation of towns and cities with a complicated military network as a bantustan. In this piece, I've also used it to describe the utter separation of the West Bank and Gaza.

Now instead of "Palestine" we have Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalkilya, Nablus, Tulkarem, etc. Looking back on the division of Palestine in the 3 areas A, B and C, I really have to wonder what the PLO was thinking. I wonder, would the home-grown leaders the PLO replaced have ever agreed to something similar?

I don't think 2 states is feasible any longer, but not because Palestinians don't want it. The gov't of Israel could barely move those settlers out of one house. Implementing a 2-state solution will cause civil war in Israel. The Palestine body politic is broken. Why should Israel risk a civil war when the majority of Israelis seem comfortable enough with the status quo?

2-states is dead. The question is will there be one state that allows all human beings to have basic human and political rights, or one state with rights for Jews and some Arabs, with the majority of Arabs living as subhumans?

[Vegasaurus]

18. Nope, there won't be one state

Maybe two, maybe three, but never one.

The"civil war" that you think a two state solution would cause? It's a walk in the park compared to the bloodshed of a one state.

Because there is no will for peace, no political unity, so the status quo will continue for the forseeable future.

It could change, but the Palestinians would have to give up right of return, completely, and give up violence, completely.

The Israelis would have to stop building settlements.

Will it happen?

I am doubtful.

[Violet_Crumble]

19. So the Israelis don't have to give up violence? n/t

[ProgressiveMuslim]

20. They don't *have* to do anything. They have no motivation to change.

The US bankrolling continues, the people in Israel don't make much noise about it, life in Israel goes on happily.

I don't believe Israel's policies vis-a-vis the occupation will change one iota in the absence of international BDS. Do you?

[Violet_Crumble]

27. Yeah, I'd agree with that...

I was asking Veggie coz I noticed she demanded that the Palestinians have to renounce violence, but didn't utter a word about wanting the Israelis to renounce violence. So it's safe to assume that in her scenario the Palestinians don't commit any violence while the Israelis are free to commit violence on the Palestinians. I can't see that sort of mindset as that of anyone who sincerely wants a peaceful resolution to the conflict...

[ProgressiveMuslim]

29. didn't mean to but in.

I have that one on ignore, LOL!

[Mosby]

30. You make a good point PM

about motivation to change the status quo. The problem is that there is not enough in any final settlement arrangement that benefits both the Israelis and Palestinians. We can forget about relocating 100,000 plus settlers out of the West Bank into Israel, because it would financially bankrupt Israel and there is not sufficient housing to hold that many settlers anyway.

I like the ideas in this 'regional solution" by the Washington Institute:

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/pubPDFs/PolicyFocus88.pdf (See pages 33-35)

By bringing in Jordan and Egypt, land can be added to the Palestinian state (Gaza would triple in size) while Israel keeps the large settlement blocks. Egypt would benefit by gaining a direct land route to the gulf and Jordan would gain a land route to the Med.

[Vegasaurus]

21. The Israelis aren't terrorists

They don't target innocent people and celebrate every murder with candy and celebration.

Please do try to keep up.

[azurnoir]

22. Who celebrates every murder with candy and flowers?

Are they "the terrorists" do they give each other candy and flowers? Celebrating every murder by giving each other candy and flowers. That is interesting, but please for us slower folk you really should post links to such things how can we be ever expected to keep up with you?

[oberliner]

31. Gazans hear of attack, hand out sweets

VIDEO - As word of the suicide bombing in Dimona spread Monday, Gaza residents were treated to celebratory wreaths of flowers as well as sweets that were handed to drivers and passers-by.

Gaza motorists receiving the treats and sweets also honked their horns in triumph and celebration.

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3502572,00.html

[shaayecanaan]

23. Israel prefers to celebrate its terrorists with postage stamps

[Vegasaurus]

28. A stamp from decades ago speaks of nothing from today

People within Israel proper do not dance around and celebrate when Palestinians are killed.

There is absolutely no celebration of death or Palestinians within Israel.

Most Israelis want nothing at all to do with the settlers and their violence.

However, murder and death is cause for great celebration in the territories, whenever a suicide bomber actually successfully kills an Israeli or ten.

They are national heros and their families get a reward (there's an oxymoron--a reward for murdering people--very sick)

[shaayecanaan]

32. What if similar postage stamps were being produced today?

Would you concede the point or would you come up with another excuse for why Israeli celebration of terrorism bears no comparison to Palestinian celebration of terrorism?

[Violet_Crumble]

25. Oh, so those Hebron extremists aren't terrorists?

They most certainly do target innocent people and who gives a flying fuck if they have candy and a celebration after their terrorism. I don't understand yr weird obsession with candy. After all, there was no candy after the london or the bali bombings. So, like, I guess that means those who carried them out aren't terrorists, coz apparently to be a terrorist you have to be armed with celebratory candy...

Try to make a bit of sense for a change...

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Violet_Crumble]

14. Why I posted this article...

It was for the simple reason that I'm sick to the backteeth of one poster who has continually posted that there's no Palestinian society or culture. There is and it thrives, and I'd hope that for some folk here reading an article like this may possibly put a human face on Palestinians....

I posted it because to me at least reading the article was a bright spot after reading of the suffering of Palestinians in places like Hebron and Gaza. Does that mean I think that suffering should be ignored because of this bright spot? No. Of course not. Nor do I think the residents of Ramallah should feel guilty because the city has an atmosphere of normalcy. Nor do I think that normalcy speaks in any way of the residents of Ramallah not being opposed to the Israeli occupation. As one man interviewed said, the occupation's something that's never far from people's minds...

As to suspecting the picture of Ramallah is rather bright. This was a travelogue with no political motivation, so I'm thinking I'm safe in guessing the writer called it as it was...