Seige of Palestine fuels the cycle of hate

From our comfortable homes and air-conditioned cars, we ask ourselves, “How can people be so immersed in hatred that they strap explosives on their own children?” Palestinian rage seems so unfathomable--as if it were spawned from an alien world. And perhaps that is an apt analogy, for today’s Palestinians in the occupied territories live in circumstances we can scarcely imagine.

I don’t mean to offer excuses for terrorism. I do mean to provide context for understanding an accelerating cycle of hatred between Israelis and Palestinians--a cycle throwing off toxic byproducts in all directions as it spins.

Since September of 2000, Israel has established an extensive network of checkpoints, road blocks, and other obstacles within the West Bank. Israel’s government, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), and most Israelis see this as a justifiable reaction to terrorism and suicide bombers.

But Palestinians, human rights organizations, and increasing numbers of concerned Israelis see the security network as a “state of siege” against the Palestinian people. The interlocking system of manned checkpoints, intrusive searches, restricted roads and physical barriers disrupts every aspect of Palestinian daily life. To many Palestinians, it feels as if they are living in an ever-shrinking prison.

The conduct of at least some of the IDF soldiers manning the checkpoints only exacerbates the situation. Many abuses at IDF checkpoints have been reported--not only by hysterical Arab press outlets, but by reputable human rights monitors. A single such incident--documented by a Jewish human rights organization called B’Tselem--is highly illustrative.

On December 27, 2003, a 43-year old Palestinian named Nazmi a-Sheikh was on his way to visit his wife in the hospital where she had just given birth. He had to walk through the IDF checkpoint at Sarra, near Nablus. A soldier there initially gave him permission to pass, but then shouted and cursed at him. Nazmi claims that this is what followed:

“The soldier shouted at me, and fired a shot at me. The bullet hit the ground between my feet. That really shook me up. I thought they were going to kill me. They walked toward me. When we stood there facing each other, the soldier hit me in the chest with his rifle, [and they] knocked me down to the ground. The two kicked me all over my body, saying, ‘You must die, you must die.’ I tried to cover myself with my hands for protection. . . He put his foot on my neck and pushed down. I felt as if I was suffocating and thought I was going to die. Then he put the barrel of his rifle barrel to my head. . . [Then] the soldier said to me, "Now, get up and get out of here fast. If you don't run, I'll shoot you."

This is just one abbreviated example of many firsthand testimonies to B’Tselem alleging violations of basic human rights by IDF soldiers. Yes, this particular witness could be exaggerating or lying--but the quantity of such accounts is damning. And yes, the tension of guard duty at an Israeli checkpoint--where anyone might be a suicide bomber--must be excruciating. But if such accounts are even close to accurate, consider the implications.

Nazmi a-Sheikh was trying to visit his wife in the hospital, where she had just given birth to a daughter. He ended up in the hospital himself with broken ribs. What do you think the legacy of that day will be with that one Palestinian family, as they tell and retell of their father’s beating and humiliation at the hands of young Israeli soldiers? What kind of rage must be building in the heart of his nine sons?

T.T.

©2004, WestRim Digital Arts