Galilee

No one had the endurance to read through my Intifada essay and I don't blame you. I haven't gotten the grade back yet and it is worth 80% of our grade. I am a bit nervous about it.

I am in the Galilee. The lake has actually taken back its Old Testament name as the Sea of Kinneret. It claims to be a "sea", but really it is just a big lake. I love it. It reminds me of Utah Lake except much less swampy. The beaches are beautiful and covered with sea shells.

On the first day, we went on a boat. They played Baptist Praise music and everyone danced and sang along. I took a video. We read about all the things that happened on the lake itself out of the New Testament as we sat in the middle of the lake. Jesus walked on water there and so did Peter. Jesus calmed the sea a few times. Jesus also preached out of a boat to the people on shore back when people wanted to make him king. It felt amazing to look out across the beauty that Jesus grew up with.

That day we went to the Mount (or hill) of the Beatitudes, the hill where Jesus fed the 5000, the place where the pigs jumped into the sea, the shore where the resurrected Lord cooked fish for his apostles and Peter jumped out of his boat, and to Capernaum, an early center of the church. I can't possibly write about everything that happened that day. I imagined Jesus walking around and teaching on the spots that we went. The view from the hillsides would blow you away. I have heard that in the spring, "consider the lilies of the field" takes on completely new meaning. I read the sermon on the mount and reflected as we sat on the Mount of the Beatitudes. We read the account of everything that took place in each of the places we went. Capernaum has a giant church built over Peter's house. Peter's house converted into a church very early. The giant church has stilts holding it up so that you can look down into the remains of Peter's early church-house. Jesus taught in a synagogue nearby that we also visited.

It has rained almost all of the time we have spent here. I enjoy it. It reminds me of the Oregon coast a bit. Monday is supposed to clear up and have good weather. We went hiking through old Jewish towns on Thursday. It says that Jesus went to all the synagogues round about in the New Testament. We saw two synagogues, one was the oldest in the holy land and the other was the best preserved. The synagogue looks a lot like an early Christian church because they both adopted the same Basilica style. On Monday, we went to a synagogue in Nazareth that Jesus probably pronounced his messiahship to the people in his home town. We sang some hymns and the curator came and told us how much he appreciated that we didn't sing Amazing Grace. I really liked the synagogue because it looked very much like it must have back then. You could imagine Jesus reading Isaiah at the front and then sitting down and proclaiming, "this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."

In Nazareth we also saw the Church of the Annunciation and a church on the site of Joseph's workshop. The Church of the Annunciation was enormous and on the lower floor had access to a small cave where the event supposedly occurred. I loved the church. They had artwork from all nations both outside and inside the church. The one from the USA had a very artistic flair. Sometimes I feel that building a church on the site can ruin your ability to imagine what it felt like when Jesus was there. I did not feel that way at all with the site of the Annunciation. If the church is pretty enough, it is perfectly fine with me. Other sites (like the place where Jesus fed the 5000) have little tiny churches on them. In my opinion, if you are going to build a church where Jesus walked, you have to go big.

We stay in a hotel complex run by a Kibbutz. The food here absolutely blows me away every time. I love the meat, the bread, the rice. I love the ice cream and the fish. The shower always has hot water and we can see the sea from our window. I have my own room. I could stay here for months. I am going to regret leaving this place.

We have a midterm on Monday. I am glad that we can stay here, but I wish we didn't have class. I don't get nearly the same amount of knowledge out of a three hour class every other day when I am exhausted from a field trip the day before as I would from a normal schedule.

I miss you all!

Scott

Two Intifadas

Equal Rights for Palestinians

            The second intifada of the Palestinians resulted in poor gains and massive casualties; the next Palestinian resistance must not follow the same patterns and should gain insights from the differences between the first and second intifada. In the past, Israel has not lost international support despite successfully undercutting every Palestinian attempt to obtain rights. The Palestinian cause must gain, as Nelson Mandela described the support for his cause, “almost universal support… from virtually all political persuasions and parties” (Said, 2001, 411). In order to achieve this kind of international sympathy, Palestinians must frame their plight in the universally understood cause of achieving equal rights. This paper does not discuss the feasibility of such a movement, but merely argues the practical benefits of such an approach. As an aid to this movement, leaders should learn from the lessons of the differences between the two intifadas. In the struggle for human rights, Palestinians should utilize successful elements of the first intifada including the involvement of grass roots leadership, the successful methods of non-violent protest, and positive western media coverage.

            In the struggle for human rights, the Palestinians must adopt the pattern of the successful grass roots movement of the first intifada as opposed to the Palestinian Authority leadership of the second. The first intifada relied heavily upon, “an extensive network of local committees” (Smith, 2001, 369). This network of local leadership eventually formed, “the unified command,” referred to as the UNL (Smith, 2001, 369). Prior to the first intifada, the PLO attempted to repress local leadership to maintain their status as the sole representatives of Palestinians, but the difficulty of organizing resistance on the ground forced the PLO to cooperate with local leadership (Smith, 2001, 369). The first intifada successfully boycotted Israeli goods and businesses in the territories (Smith, 2001, 370). Women organized to support the intifada and often took jobs outside the home in order to support their families (Smith, 2001, 370). The NIHC of the second intifada attempted to play a similar on-the-ground organizational role to the UNL, but failed because the groups that made up the NIHC had “long since lost their mass support” (Hammami, 2001, 403-404). The Palestinian Authority similarly failed to “provide basic organizational and logistical support to the civilian population” (Hammami, 2001, 404). The effective methods implemented by the local leadership of the first intifada appear curiously absent from the second intifada under Arafat’s strategy of “standing back and allowing [the protests] to escalate” (Hammami, 2001, 402). Hammami argues that Arafat’s actions reflect his true aim of “maintaining the PLO as representative of all Palestinians everywhere” and that Arafat has done so by diluting the democratic process (Hammami, 2001, 403). The local leadership of the first intifada rallied the population in effective and widespread protests, which the Palestinian Authority completely failed to accomplish during the second intifada. Future successful protests must utilize local leadership in a similar manner to the first intifada in order to have success. The United States, European countries, and Palestinians have lost faith in the credibility of the Palestinian Authority because of their connection to terrorism in the past. A popular Palestinian movement seeking equal rights organized by local leadership would receive much more sympathy. In addition, the recently liberated Arab countries would identify strongly with such a movement. The Palestinians have an opportunity to utilize their experience from the first intifada of organizing under local leadership to achieve civil and human rights.

            In light of the achievements and influence gained from the non-violent protests of the first intifada, as well as the backlash of the use of violence and terrorism in both intifadas, Palestinians should unilaterally eliminate violence and separate themselves from violent protestors. The excessive response by the Israeli military to the non-violent protests of the first intifada “[stirred] public criticism within Israel” and “[caused] accusations of lying to be hurled at the military leadership and Rabin” (Smith, 2001, 370). The protests also led to international discussions including “[recognition] by many Arab and Muslim States and by the Soviet Union” (Smith, 2001, 371). Furthermore, American Jews met with Arafat and PLO officials (Smith, 2001, 371). These developments eventually led to an American recognition that the Palestinians had met the United States’ demands to enter the peace process followed by the Palestinian case coming before the UN (Smith, 2001, 372). Although these developments did not lead to the formation of a Palestinian state, they did signal the only progress made towards that goal at that time (Smith, 2001, 373). In contrast, the violent and terrorist acts leading up to the first intifada undermined the Palestinian cause in the eyes of the international community. For instance, in 1985, a Palestinian assassination squad, claiming to belong to an elite PLO group, killed three Israelis in Cyprus (Smith, 2001, 364). Just a few months later, PLO members commandeered a cruise ship and murdered a disabled American Jew (Smith, 2001, 364). These events, along with Israeli bombings of the PLO headquarters in Tunisia, led to the cancellation of peace talks with Great Britain as the arbitrator (Smith, 2001, 365). Violence during the second intifada led to increased difficulties for everyday Palestinians (Allen, 2008, 1). In response to Palestinian violence, Allen describes the establishment of checkpoints in the occupied territories moved at random,  initiation of the construction of the separation barrier built through Jerusalem, destruction of Palestinian property, and disabling of communication infrastructure (Allen, 2008, 1). According to Farsakh, since the second intifada, Israeli settlement has expanded by over 4% per year (Farsakh, 2011, 418). Notably, non-violent protests did occur during the second intifada (Hammami, 2001, 399). These events failed to bring about results, perhaps due to the majority of news coverage focusing on the violence (Hammami, 2001, 399). Non-violent protests clearly must overwhelm violent attacks in order to progress the Palestinian cause. Said asserts that the intermingling of violence with non-violent protests has prevented Palestinians from claiming the “moral high ground” and has obscured the validity of the Palestinian cause in the West (Said, 2001, 412). Hammami argues that violence and especially the involvement of Palestinian security forces “allows for greater justification for the use of Israeli military force” (Hammami, 2001, 396). In order to end Israeli occupation and achieve equality, Palestinians should return to the effective non-violent protest methods used during the first intifada. Violence has only weakened the Palestinian state infrastructure, leadership, and credibility in the international community. The Palestinians must eliminate violent outbreaks to present a united front to the world. As seen in the second intifada, intermixed violence and non-violent protests do not have nearly the same impact on achieving Palestinian objectives as the early non-violent protests of the first intifada. A popular Palestinian movement must unite under a common banner of peaceful protest in order to appeal to the hearts and minds of people around the world and gain concessions from the Israeli government.

            In a Palestinian movement for human rights, Palestinians must make use of the unprecedented news coverage from the second intifada, but with the tone of the media coverage in the first intifada. During the first intifada, the West Bank and Gaza became a topic of interest in the western media (Bishara, 2008, 8) The first intifada changed the western view of Palestinians from refugees and terrorists to “children of stones” who fought one of the most sophisticated militaries in the world with rocks (Bishara, 2008, 8). United States public opinion moved in the direction of favoring the Palestinian cause (Bishara, 2008, 8). In contrast, the second uprising largely failed to portray the Palestinian side of the conflict (Hammami, 2001, 399). As Hammami points out, the western media did have incidences of publicizing the Palestinian non-violent resistance in the second intifada, but the media often overshadowed these episodes by subsequent Palestinian acts of violence (Hammami, 2001, 399). Hammami also asserts that the Palestinian Authority did not have a strategy for influencing the western media (Hammami, 2001, 399). Said suggests that the lack of attention to the western media differentiated the Palestinian cause from the successful South African cause of ending Apartheid (Said, 2001, 412). In their appeal for human rights, the Palestinians must combine the tactics that led to western support during the first intifada with the massive media coverage of the second intifada. If executed properly, the coverage of non-violent protests requesting equal rights could lead to economic restrictions for the state of Israel until they comply with Palestinian demands. The success of this strategy relies heavily on having popular non-violent demonstrations covered by the international media. Violence against Israelis will distract the media and lose the support of the Western public. Palestinians must present a non-violent united front demanding equality to the rest of the world in order to achieve their aims.

            In conclusion, Palestinians can gain much from the sacrifices they have by renewing the grass roots leadership, the non-violent protests, and the positive media coverage of the first intifada. These elements will aid them in their bid for receiving the rights given to the rest of the citizens of Israel. A widely publicized, non-violent movement under local leadership would resonate with American and European powers as well as with the Arab world. Palestinians would exhibit their own unique brand of heroism as the poor conditions and injustices perpetrated by the Israeli government came to the attention of the public in the international community. Through leveraging the successful elements of the intifadas, Palestinians can stand up and successfully demand their human and civil rights.

Works Cited

Allen, Lori. “Getting by the Occupation: How Violence Became Normal during the Second Palestinian Intifada.” Cultural Anthropology, 23: 453–487. Jul. 2008. Web. 13 October 2011.

Bishara, Amahl. "New Media and Political Change: The Case of the Two Palestinian Intifadas." Cadmus.eui.eu. Cadmus EUI Research Repository, 4 June 2009. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://hdl.handle.net/1814/11487>.

Leila Farsakh. "The One-State Solution and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Palestinian Challenges and Prospects." The Middle East Journal 65.1 (2011): 55-71. Project MUSE. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.

Hammami, Rema, and Salim Tamari. "The Second Uprising: End or New Beginning?" Journal of Palestine Studies 30.2 (2001): 5-25. Print.

Said, Edward. "The Only Alternative." Al-Ahram Weekly Online No. 523 (2001). Print.

Smith, Charles D. Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. Print.

A few more pictures...

In a Bedouin tent. They gave us delicious herbal tea and showed us how they make the blankets you see on the ceiling.

This is a picture of me looking at my elbow. We are at an unrecognized Bedouin village in the middle of nowhere. We had a few Israeli plane fly bys because the Israeli's keep their nuclear weapons nearby.

Pictures!

I am going to steal some pictures that other people have taken of our group. I will probably upload some of my own someday.

Eilat

The Herodian. Herod is buried here.

Can you find me? This is at the church in Bethlehem University.

Church of the Nativity. Oldest practicing christian church. You can see caves that Jesus may have been born in. If it wasn't there, it was in similar caves nearby. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin here. Jerome's Vulgate Bible is the basis for the KJV.

Bethlehem as seen from a Shepherd's field. We saw sheep!

Roman theater in Amman. We sang lots of songs here.

Bethlehem

Lots happened in Bethlehem. The Herodian, one of Herod's palaces sits on a hilltop where you can see the dead sea, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. The Bar Kokhba Revolt of 135 AD headquartered in the Herodian. You could see the tunnels they used to hide in and attack from. They also recently found Herod's grave there. We took lots of pictures.

We spent a few hours in Bethlehem University with the students there. They showed us a video about a girl who lived in Gaza, but could not go to school. They took her case to the Israel Supreme Court, but they told her that she could not come to school. The other people in Gaza also can't go to school. It takes an hour to get from Jerusalem to Bethlehem University (7 miles away). It is a christian university with about 70% Muslims. They loved talking to us because we are from America.

The church of the Nativity is the oldest active church in the world. It has been running since Justinian built it in the 6th Century. Jerome translated the Vulgate Bible into Latin from the original documents inside the caves below the church. The caves are near Bethlehem and Jesus was probably born in the cave, or in one nearby like it. We sang Christmas songs and looked down into the cave. It is hard to feel the spirit with tons of tourists taking pictures, but I tried to remember lots of smelly animals and a small baby.

After leaving Bethlehem, we went to a Shepherd's field nearby and looked out over the city. As we sang Christmas hymns, sheep walked right behind us. It felt amazing to consider the shepherds sitting down, looking up into the same stars and seeing angels of God declare the good news. We had some time to think there. I love living in this special place.

Jordan (continued)

After the treasury at Petra (where the grail is in Indiana Jones), we walked down the canyon and saw everything else. There is a whole cliff side full of the same type of architecture as the treasury. I will have to find some pictures. I can't describe it. Later, we went to the top of a giant mountain and saw another building cut out of the sandstone even bigger than the treasury. The Byzantines used it as a monastery, but it was originally built as a memorial of the Nabataeans defeat of the Greeks. We went to a few overlooks after that where you could see the desert for miles.

In Amman, the capital of Jordan, we went to a mixed salad place where they make ice cream mixed with fruit. We met up with a student studying abroad in Jordan from BYU. She knew a bit more Arabic than we did. We went to Hashem's, an Arabic McDonald's that served Falafel and french fries and hummus. Our BYU student guide said they eat practically nothing else and have a 60% rate of diabetes. We also had some delicious sugary cheese stuff. We ate a lot that night. I felt a bit sick the next day.

We went to Jerash the next day and saw the "best preserved Roman city in the world". I have actually seen quite a few Roman cities now, and I believe them. We saw a live gladiator show with a chariot race and roman legionnaires. We learned a lot from that show about the ancient Roman warfare. I saw a very well preserved theater there. I could imagine Romans sitting in a packed theater listening to Greek plays. The whole city still stood because no one ever built anything on top of it. When the Roman empire moved their capitol to Constantinople, the trade routes changed and Jerash became pretty much useless. Most of the buildings still remain in fairly good condition.

One of the most interesting things about Jordan is their close involvement to the Palestinian conflict. Over 50% of Jordan's population is made up of Palestinian refugees. The queen of Jordan is Palestinian. Jordan held the West Bank until Israel took it in 1973 (ish). A King of Jordan was assassinated in Jerusalem because of the conflict. The Kings of Jordan have attempted to negotiate a settlement for the Palestinians for over 30 years. It was interesting to hear our tour guide, our BYU guide, and locals talk about it. They all love Jerusalem, but they don't even say the word Israel.

Jordanians, Romans, and Nabataeans

We went to Jordan last week and had a grand time there. The people there loved us. They had a cheery attitude for the most part. I hope they come to a better agreement with Israel. The people hate Israel. We met some BYU students studying in Jordan. They said that the people say, "the Muslims have the truth. The Christians have most of the truth, they have just a few things wrong. And the Jews, they are evil." I can't really say I blame the Jordanians, considering their history with Israel. Maybe I will write all about that someday.

Petra exceeded all expectations. The Nabataeans built Petra between 300 BC and 100 AD. They controlled the trade routes between Rome and India and Egypt. They accumulated a lot of wealth from this trade. They had no slaves and had incredible systems for gathering water. You could see the open water channels and clay pipes that they used to gather water. We walked through a natural opening in the canyon and the treasury opened up before us. Indiana Jones found the holy grail there.

To be continued...