Here are some relevant videos from Palestine…
Hónap: 2018 április
PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 8 and 9 – Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Adi’s family…)
Our stay with Sameh’s family in the village of Essla and Hebron impressed me the most. The Southern Palestinian town was special the moment we met Mo, our CouchSurfing host, a legend. But we were helped by a local as soon as we got off the bus: Basem Abu Khalf, the man from the beauty shop (he was so handsome, we named him Brad Pitt) helped us find a taxi, called our host.
But let’s see what happened after Hebron as we left Palestine…
Please put on some songs by Dire Straits and click on the first picture!
A refugee camp near Bethlehem..
There was hardly anybody at the Church of Nativity…
Remnants of the clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers near the wall in Bethlehem
How awfull it is
This man says he’s from a refugee camp trying to sell something to the tourists
Guarding
🙂
Banksy
Polish girls
View from the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem
Reception at the Walled off Hotel
The lobby of the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem
Posing
Trylingual signs in Israel
Barbed wire around a church in Haifa, Israel. We spent a few hours in the city thanks to Adi and his family
Dinner at Adi’s. Thank you for hosting us and takint us to the airport…
Geocaching in Hod HaSharon
PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 7 – Hebron with extremes and with my most impressive picture)
Hebron struck a sensible nerve: the situation is close to desperate. Palestinians here spoke about the Israeli occupation and violations more than anywhere else! The lack of water is angering and demoralizing the Palestinian population.
Even though it was the Jewish Passover or Pesach, we managed to enter the heavily defended Jewish neighborhood in Hebron with some extreme surprises.
Please click on the first photo! Take time going through them. Listen to some music…
Unlike these, children in general were not reluctant to take their photos…
We were decided to visit the Cave of the Patriarchs, also called the Cave of Machpelah and known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham or the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque. It was Passover, so only Christians were allowed in. We didn’t ask, but I strongly think this is business as usual. This particular day there was only entrance, because of security reasons. We found it with difficulty. We were told that this gate used to be open, but then they closed it. This made the merchants run out of income, because the tourists use the entrance under Israeli control… The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee writes extensively about the site here: http://www.hebronrc.ps/index.php/en/
While searching the main entrance to the Jewish compound/settlement/neighborhood, we stumbled upon the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee. I entered and met Mr. Rafi. He let us up on the roof. We finally had a glance at the mosque. According to tradition that has been associated with the Holy Books Torah, Bible and Quran, the cave and adjoining field were purchased by Abraham as a burial plot. Dating back over 2,000 years, the monumental Herodian compound is believed to be the oldest continuously used intact prayer structure in the world, and is the oldest major building in the world that still fulfills its original function
Hebron Rehabilitation Committee issued several reports about various illegalities committed by the Israeli authorities… Their site is at http://www.hebronrc.ps/index.php/en/
This is the most impressive photo I managed to take: an Israeli girl’s fruits spread on the ground inside the Jewish settlement. She was terrified and tried to put them back into her nylon bag as fast as possible. Palestinian children wanted to help… They were also intrigued about this unusual presence…
We wondered around for a long time when we reached a dead end. A surreal scene: two Israeli soldiers at the end of the street with an iron gate behind their backs. An Arab boy selling falafel. In the middle of nowhere. Curious eyes gazed at us from the buildings – mostly children. I approached the soldiers, telling them we want to enter the mos… the church, but we cannot find the main entrance, the others are all closed. I also told them that at a nearby checkpoint their colleague asked if we’re Jews, we said no, but we are Christians, so he said yes, we can enter, and indicated the general direction where to get in, but we are unable to locate it. One of them said, he can accompany us. I felt very uneasy: going back to the Arab merchants with an Israeli soldier makes us automatically Jews, but we told them we’re from Hungary and Romania. We traveled with these passports, we didn’t want to elaborate about our ethnical background and how come we’re both Hungarians from Romania, we travel with different travel documents… What if the soldier is attacked by some Arabs, and we’ll be prosecuted for “luring” him into the danger zone. At each corner he looked left, then right and advanced only then. After asking some Arabs where the entrance is, and them telling him it’s the one we’ve already been to, but it’s closed, her said he has to return to his colleague. An eerie silence followed. More Palestinians gathered around us. He left. We quickly did the same. The Palestinians looked at us with suspicion
The local Palestinian people told us, they had to put up some fences, because the Jewish settlers throw urine, stones, shit, garbage at them
This man told us that the situation is unbearable: the Jewish settlers harass them around the clock, throwing everything from tampons used by women to urine and garbage
We wondered around trying to find the main entrance to the Jewish settlement and the mosque. The area was surrounded like a fortress and looked like a military outpost with soldiers, guns, checkpoints, closed streets, machine guns. After a while we reached a walled-off street with a dead end. But what are the lonely geese doing here? We were told that the street used to be a thriving market. I had the feeing that the poor animals were left there in limbo as a reminder of what a wall and the subsequent separation can do…
They simply don’t understand what and why it happened
It used to be a busy market street, now Palestinians cannot sell anything…
No customers
Anyone here?
The Jewish settlement ruined their livelihood…
We accidentally met some Palestinian officials who told us where the main entrance is. Some ladies accompanied us close to Checkpoint Q, but said goodbye. If they see you with us, they might prevent you from entering the site, they told us. They also live inside the Jewish settlement, but have special permits. We went up on the road they indicated. They took a detour. We could hear people shouting and stones landing on roofs: there was an ongoing protest very close by. A car with two Palestinian men was stationed close to the crossroads. It was tense. We didn’t know what to do. An elderly Palestinian man approached the Israeli soldiers and started to argue with them. He was leaning against an abandoned, burned-down car. He shouted something. I turned back fearing they will hit him with the back of the gun or shoot him. The intensity of the protest nearby increased even though the Palestinians there could not see what is going on. Stones were flying. Eventually he was let through. We asked permission to approach. Slowly, the soldier gesticulated. Several more showed up, a black lady among them. Where do you want to go? To the Al-Ibrahimi mos… church, please. Are you Jewish? No, but Christian. OK, go, a soldier replied. Sure? – I asked. Yes, don’t worry, I’m not going to shoot you! – he replied with a grimace. The best reassurance I’ve ever received, what can I tell you… Photo: Megan Hanna (I didn’t dare taking one)
We carried on. Now we could see the protest: Israeli military vehicles parked and barring the protesters to get close to the checkpoint. I just had a glance. We saw a Palestinian man crouching next to a wall, an Israeli soldier next to him. He had handcuffs on his hands. Another Palestinian gave him a cigarette and a lighter. We were told to carry on. Bianka emptied her pockets carefully, I forgot my mobile phone on one of them, so the siren of security gate went off immediately. Time stood still. So did I. I raised my hands. The soldier behind the bullet proof glass sneered. Stupid tourist – said his eyes. We were through the gate… Photo by: Ludovica Iaccino (I didn’t dare taking one)
Entering the Jewish settlement was exactly as in the computer game Call of Duty.: a stark reminder of what is going on here.
Soldiers everywhere
The story…
The story…
The story…
The story…
Arab cemetery closed off
The story…
Jewish settlers having fun
Arab residents of the buildings looking on with frustration
Arab residents of the buildings looking on with frustration
Inside the Al-Ibrahimi mosque…
Inside the Al-Ibrahimi mosque…
Inside the Al-Ibrahimi mosque…
Inside the Al-Ibrahimi mosque…
Baby soldiers
Israeli soldiers guarding a newly occupied house…
We went in the newly occupied house which was featured in the Haaretz daily newspaper. They say they have all the papers… This man carried a pistol
Happiness
The second most impressive moment in Palestine. We went up the roof of the newly occupied house. It was Passover. On the top of the opposite structure we saw a Palestinian man and some children. I waved at them. They instinctively waved back. Children with pure heart. OMG! The Jews, thinking I was their own, looked on in anger: why is a Jew waving at the Palestinian children? The Arab man, probably their father, shouted something at them. Some of them went away, a few remained, but looked at us only from behind the water tanks. What a world!
Heavily defended
The Palestinian man looked in with frustration
Bianka hurt her toenail. We went to a stationary ambulance. The military doctor treated her and said: go home and carefully wash it with a lot of water. Little he knew that we were hosted by a Palestinian who barely had any. Above the toilet there was an inscription: if it’s yellow, let it mellow, it it’s brown, flush it down. We couldn’t have a shower, so we used wet wipes
A Palestinian looks on as Jewish people celebrating Pessah pass on in the settlement. An IDF soldier prevented us to visit the Arab cemetery
After visiting the Jewish cemetery in the settlement, we came upon this scene. A Jewish and a Palestinian man talking/arguing about something. Two IDF soldiers assisted. We went into the shop very close by. The soldiers looked amazed: why would to Jews buy from the Arabs. The Palestinians were also very surprised, but they served us without any problem…
The Jewish cemetery inside the Jewish settlement in Hebron
We went up to the observatory…
From left to right: Mo, our wonderful host in Hebron, Aimee, the British, Natalia, the Argentinian and Marianne, the Hungarian lady from… our city. We met her there…!
PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 6 – Kalandia checkpoint and refugee camp, Jerusalem and Bethlehem)
It was a difficult day: we traveled from Ramallah to the world famous Kalandia refugee camp and Israeli checkpoint… and beyond. Beyond belief. It’s like seeing Yann Tiersen playing on piano, right next to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Here, more precisely, humanity has long been abandoned. Hope had the same faith. Palestinians are just fed up and bowed to faith. I saw deep sadness of their eyes as we drove from the bus station in Ramallah, the capital city of Palestine to the checkpoint and wall just some kilometers away.
Click on the first picture for more…
We left Ramallah again. This time for good, heading for Hebron. This old man was the good-bye messenger…
Travelling by minibus makes one dig deep into the local society. There were all kind of people on the vehicle: old and young, women and men. An amalgam of the Palestinian society. And a Palestinian-American lady who said in spite of having an American passport she’s been discriminated against every time she passes at the Ben Gurion International Airport
We passed near the Kalandia refugee camp. In fact, it’s not a refugee camp in the classical sense of the word. In the last decades Palestinians built houses, opened shops and managed to have a… difficult life. We approached Kalandia. I’m a journalist for the last 23 years (I started when I was 19), I was in difficult stations, but this time I ad butterflies in my stomach. What is going to happen?
The Palestinian bus suddenly stopped. Palestinians with permits got off and went through the gates. Foreigners stayed. An armed soldier got on. Looked around in silence. His colleague, David, followed shortly after. Both looked in silence. Intimidation. Psychology at it’s best. Then he asked for the passports. A handicapped person was escorted down. Nobody dared to ask anything. The bus went on, collected the Palestinians who went through the security check, suddenly turned right and stopped. Everybody got off, so did we. The passengers were herded towards a much larger vehicle: a bus with Israeli number plates. I managed to snap this picture before boarding it. Soldiers, guns, barbed wire everywhere. Sadness also…
A truly sad place. They say, it’s necessary. How much longer separation will last? I’d say until we colonize the Moon. I hope it’s going to be a Swedish or a Norwegian. If it’s going to be a Palestinian or a Jew, the earthly satiation will continue there… 🙂
What we experienced is that nothing is really under the control of the Palestinian Authority…
Bus station close to Jerusalem
Bianka hasn’t been to the Western/Wailing/ Al-Buraq Wall. The Western Wall is considered holy due to its connection to the Temple Mount. Because of the Temple Mount entry restrictions, the Wall is the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray, though the holiest site in the Jewish faith lies behind it…
… meaning this…
According to the Bible, the Jewish Temples stood on the Temple Mount. According to Jewish tradition and scripture, the First Temple was built by King Solomon the son of King David in 957 BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The second was constructed under the auspices of Zerubbabel in 516 BCE and destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 CE. Jewish tradition maintains it is here that a third and final Temple will also be built. The location is the holiest site in Judaism and is the place Jews turn towards during prayer. Due to its extreme sanctity, many Jews will not walk on the Mount itself, to avoid unintentionally entering the area where the Holy of Holies stood, since according to Rabbinical law, some aspect of the divine presence is still present at the site. Among Sunni Muslims, the Mount is widely considered the third holiest site in Islam.
Next time we’ll certainly buy one
From above
In the evening we reached Hebron, via Bethlehem. In Hebron, where Basem Abu Khalf helped us find our wonderful CouchSurfing host, Mo…!
PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 5 – Daytrip to Jericho)
Jericho was on my list from the beginning of the trip: we spent a day there…
Please click on the first picture!
We traveled by bus from Ramallah to Jericho: it was only 17 shekels (4 euros) per person. From the center of Jericho we paid 15 shekels (3,50 euros) for the shared taxi until the base of the mountain. Of course, we climbed it…
After being baptized by John the Baptist Jesus retreated to the wilderness to meditate and fast, the mountain on which Jesus is believed to have spent the 40 days and 40 nights of spiritual contemplation is called the Mount of Temptation
Bibi and Jericho…
Near the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Temptation
Near the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Temptation
On the way down from the Mount of Temptation we met some pacifists…
Looking for Jesus…
Irresistable
Some petting. But not that kind
Locomotion
Extremely disappointing visit to the Hisham’s Palace. We didn’t see the wonderful The “Tree of Life” mosaic in the audience room of the bath house – it was being restored. Also, a wonderful, 7 million pieces mosaic…:( Bibi is pictured with an ornament from the former palace. Close to thos location we saw the Tell es-Sultan, a defensive or flood protection wall suggested to date to approximately 8000 before Christ. The Wall of Jericho is the oldest city wall discovered by archaeologists anywhere in the world
Back in Ramallah
Short visit to the Catholic church in Ramallah
Why can’t they clean the streets in Ramallah?!
PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 3 and 4 – Ramallah and Yasser Arafat)
Why bullets, stones and water drops?
Bullets because, unfortunately, a lot of them are flying in Palestine and the Gaza Strip. They symbolize aggression, occupation, death, injuries, mourning. Stones because it is a form of resistance, retaliation and civic unrest. Why water drops? Wait until we reach Hebron…
Until then, please click on the first picture for the story to be unfolded.
On Thursday, March 29 we left the safety and comfort of the Muhammad family and traveled by taxi (cheap) to Qalqilia and then a minivan (shared bus) to Ramallah
The bus station in Qalqilia
Selling everything and anything near the bus station if Qalqilia
Arrival to Ramallah: things to see
Many young people are unemployed and they are just hanging out on the streets of Ramallah
Street in Ramallah, Palestine
We arrived to our host, Omar, and went out a bit in the evening…
On Friday, March 30, Land Day (an annual day of commemoration for Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians of the events of that date in 1976 in Israel) we went to the Yasser Arafat museum in Ramallah. Seeing what they went through: what a tragic faith for the Palestinians!
A Western lady in the Yasser Arafat Museum
The room in the Mukataa (is an Arabic word for headquarters or administrative center) where meetings were held during the several months siege…
They feel good in the streets of Ramallah
Also, during the day
Not enough place for the field, no problem, there’s some in front of the greek catholic church
Opinions
In the evening we went to the separation wall near Ramallah
It was very close to a refugee camp and our hosts told us that being close to Kalandia didn’t made them feel secure…
PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 2 – Military fence across one’s farmland)
Construction, fence, military, checkpoint, refugee camp, settlement, occupation, IDF – I think these are the words that were spoken the most during our stay in Palestine (March 27-April 5, 2018).
Click on the first picture to find out why!
In the village of Essla, near Qalqilia we were hosted by the Muhammad family. Hospitality at it’s best. Staying with local people helps me understand how they live, what set of values do they have, what do they think about various issues. Some of the family members have basic English knowledge, but some of the times their facial expression, gestures and eyes tell a whole story. And there’s always the handy tool: offline and online Arabic-English-Arabic translation… We were taken to a fence located right outside the village. They told us: local farmers’ lands are over the fence which is opened only two times a day, at 6 AM and 3 PM… We didn’t dare getting closer: bullets could fly…
Almost none of the Muslims drank alcohol, except our hosts in Ramallah. Imagine us, drunk Europeans managing our way down the stairs of the Muhammad family’s house… 🙂
We had dzadr (djadr) in the evening and omelet with potatoes and other homemade tasty products
We had a stroll in the streets of the village
We even went into a school (madrasa) renovated and extended with money from the US government, and the EU…
Downtown Qalqilia…
Downtown Qalqilia…
Bianka just couldn’t resist the temptation and bought a nice dress…
Women love shopping no matter where they live and what their religion is…
They sell everything
Market street in Qalqilya
Qalqilya: punctures bike tire repaired… 🙂
Checked it
Await and see what they had inside…
… well, this… 🙂
Perspectives
Why on Earth is he taking a picture of a barber shop?!
We were curious of them, they were very interested in us
What is is holding in his hand?
Resist to exist!
We called it Times Square (Qalqilya)
Sweets
Thanks to Sameh, we were invited by Mrs. Eltisan to have lunch at her family’s… mansion. It was delicious!
Yummy
There are wealthy Palestinians, too…
We traveled in a luxurious Range Rover equipped with back seat entertainment
John the Baptist was buried here…
… but where exactly?
Our guides took us to a viewpoint above Nablus. Several lights are coming from the various Jewish settlements located around the Palestinian town. So we wondered: who’s lights are what we see?
PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 1 – Why Palestine? Getting to the West Bank)
If I recall well, it’s the first time I have to censor myself. I cannot write everything I think and feel about our 10-day visit to Palestine. I have to be cautious. The situation in the Middle East and especially in Israel, Palestine and the Gaza Strip is so tense, that whatever one writes, from least one side, accusations, acid remarks will start flying. Therefore I’ll be extremely cautious. Please understand. I’ll try to tell more during private discussions.
I wanted to visit Palestine for a very long time: I was extremely curious of how people live, what they think, how much they earn, get a glimpse into their daily lives, experience the crossing of the various checkpoints, see the refugee camps, talk with the Jewish settlers and maybe the soldiers. During my visit to Palestine (March 27-April 5, 2018) I the success rate was around 90%…
How did it all start?
I simply needed a breakthrough. It came during my unauthorized access to a Turkish military area in Famagusta/Varosha (ghost town), Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (a de facto no man’s land only recognized by Turkey). During the most difficult period of my life (tried by a civilian and then a military court, convicted and expelled) I was helped by… two Palestinians. Thanks to my girlfriend, Bianka, who found him on the platform, Sameh Muhammad hosted me for over a week me through CouchSurfing between the military court hearing. He and his flat mates/friends from countries that are regarded by the international community as failing, failed or terrorist states kept my profession secret from the authorities, even though they could have decided to turn me in and be rewarded in various ways.
Sameh was my breakthrough. He was organizing our trip to Palestine from… South Africa.
We bought the Wizz Air ticket as early as December 2017: we paid 303 lei (65 euros) for it.
The flight was in the early hours of March 27, 2018 – we only slept 3 hours prior to departure. We tried to sleep during captain Del Bufalo Manfredi and his team maneuvered the aircraft through the clouds and rising sunshine. Bibi wore red tanga for luck. Both our socks had holes in them. For luck, of course. The tactic paid off: no delay, smooth landing and entry to Israel – we were prepared to encounter difficulties, rough and tough, down and dirty, because we were headed to Palestine, our destination. What if they would have found out that we want to visit Qalqilya, Nablus, Jenin and the refugee camp next to it, Ramallah, Jericho, Bethlehem, Hebron and East Jerusalem? Would they allow us in? We put up the stupid tourist face, and I strongly think that because of this only two simple questions were asked: purpose of visit and length of stay.
Halleluiah, we were in!
Let the rest be told by these pictures. Click on the first one, please!
Early hours of March 27, 2018, at the Cluj International Airport: Wild and rough…
We only slept 3 hours prior to departure, so we made up for it during the 3 hours flight
Orthodox Jews keep a special hat in it
The Israeli passport stamp used to be a question many visitors asked. Today, that question might still be asked but the answer is simple – the Israeli passport stamp is no more, border officials give you an entry visa automatically on a piece of paper. No more stamps in passports (although if you really want one, they might let you!) I asked for one and got it during our tour of Israel in 2013… Whilst many Arab countries who do not recognize Israel will not allow entry to anybody who has an Israeli passport stamp, the Israeli authorities are sympathetic to the fact that many people do wish to travel around the world and since early 2013, most visitors to Israel don’t have their passports stamped… by default!
We’re in!
Bibi wanted to touch the Mediterranean Sea, so took a train from the Ben Gurion International Airport till the center of Tel Aviv
The first gates…
According to The Times of Israel around 6 thousand construction workers help Israel to build, build, build
Conscription exists in Israel for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18. Arab citizens of Israel are not conscripted. We saw many soldiers, everywhere… Of some we thought they are definitely not 18, but, most probably, they were…
How much and for how long?
Saving the planet
We walked a bit, took a bus from the central railway station in Tel Aviv, and there is was: the beach
Enjoy the sun
Fat and fit?
Let me touch the Mediterranean Sea…
🙂
Bograshov Beach
Kippah ready to be deployed
High temperature…
We arrived to Kfar Saba by train. We were to meet David Marian (Adi), a Romanian construction worker at a mall that only Jews and foreigners have access to. Street art in the streets of Kfar Saba, Israel
Adi took us to meet Sameh’s father, Muhammed. We drove a bit and then separated: he had to go through an Israeli checkpoint for Arabs. We didn’t. We drove by one designated for those cars which have Israeli number plates
We were hosted by the Muhammad family in the village of Essla in Palestine (West Bank). Warm welcome, great hospitality. It really felt like home. It is not a journalistic exaggeration!
In the evening we went on a stroll. There was a beam of light next to the house. Children were playing with a ball. Ours are playing computer games between four walls…
Our room
Ready for school? 🙂
Raneem, the smallest girl of the Muhammad family
FOTÓK – Palesztina – visszavárlak…!
Itthon minden még annyira, de annyira hangos, éles, intenzív és intenzív. Hasít az itthoni levegő, szag, illat, bűz. Vág. Visszamennék. Pedig alig néhány órája szálltunk le a repülőgépről. S néhány órával azelőtt Izraelben, s valamivel korábban hosszú napokig Palesztinában voltunk. Csakhogy nem lehetett sem előtte, sem közben kiírni. Aki volt, tudja, miért.
Elfogadtam a baráti felkéréseket, szívből jövő üzeneteket írtam mindenkinek. Adonisz baráti felkérését nem fogadtam el. Mintha mást akarna.
Van Palesztin családom. Van együttérzésem, rálátásom, tapasztalatom, élményem. Hatások értek, olyanok, amelyekről nem gondoltam volna, hogy meghatnak. Van könnyem is, amely a Palesztinában érzett vendégszeretet, barátság következtében buggyant ki. Van lelkiismeret furdalásom is, álmom, tervem, elégtételem.
Köszönöm, Palesztina, s elnézést, hogy az út előtt és a kaland közben nem vállalhattalak!
*****
A legizgalmasabb fotók. Kattints az elsőre!
🙂
Karikatúrák
Ő
Kalandia ellenőrzőpont
Nekik nem lehet, nekünk igen
Öt évvel ezelőtt nem sikerült ide eljutni: Sziklamecset és Al-Aksza mecset…
Öt évvel ezelőtt nem sikerült ide eljutni: Sziklamecset és Al-Aksza mecset…
Öt évvel ezelőtt nem sikerült ide eljutni: Sziklamecset és Al-Aksza mecset…
Hebronban izraeli katona kísért. Miért? Részletek személyesen…
Ők ártatlanok
Arab temető szögesdrót mögött Hebronban
Ajaj…
Hebron. Zsidó temető
Kilátás. Hebron
Szurkoló
Ki a magasabb?
Megfontolandó
Lengyelek
Tudnak valamit… 🙂
Kilátás a Walled Off Hotelből
Bejárat: Walled off Hotel
Szexy… 🙂
Kiss Olivér blogja 