Now let’s think about life...

A voice from Palestine. April 2003

by Professor Nafez Nazzal, Ramallah

ZF: How are things in Ramallah at the moment?

We are safe in town. The Israelis go in and out as they please, but they stay outside most of the time. But we are safe. We have just heard that the Palestinian Legislative Council has approved the new government headed by the first prime-minister, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). Palestinians are anxious to have a new government in the hope that the road map regarding Palestine will be released and their sufferings will ease. But I do not think that conditions will improve as quickly as people think.

ZF: No, not at all, as it is not the case in Afghanistan, as is not in Kosovo, as is not in Iraq, as is not in your country. What do you think about the new government? Will it be accepted?

The feeling among the people here is that the new government is going to be concerned most of all with the issue of providing security for Israel in order for Israel to implement the road map, and begin easing restrictions on the Palestinians and withdrawing from the territories it has occupied since September 28, 2000. The people also hope that the new government will end the widespread corruption that prevails and improve the economy and provide employment for the Palestinian workers who have been without jobs for the past three years. The Palestinian Islamic factions are against the new government because they say that the government will try to disarm them and prevent them from continuing the resistance against the Israeli occupation. They threaten that if the new Palestinian government tries to disarm them as Israel demands, they will resist. I hope that the new government will not do this by force as this will lead to a civil war among the Palestinians. The feeling among the Israelis that I talk to is that Sharon is not really interested in implementing the road map. He has already voiced his reservations concerning the road map and has suggested that there should be over fifteen changes made before it can be implemented. He will do all he can to delay the process until the fall when the U.S. presidential campaign begins. Mr. Bush will be busy campaigning for re-elections and he will not want to alienate the American’s Jews by coercing Israel to implement the road map. I don’t think we will be seeing much progress until the elections in America are over in 2004. Meanwhile, there will be some superficial gestures, such as removing a few internal road blocks. I think nothing will happen for perhaps another year, maybe a year and aw half until the presidential elections are over. Most people will be very happy if the Israelis remove the roadblocks, as this will enable them to travel within their towns and villages, and hopefully to Jerusalem to visit their holy sites. It is very difficult to go anywhere. Every time I go to teach, I walk for 20 minutes from one road block to another, in the rain and under the hot sun, in order to get in a public van, because we are not allowed to drive our own cars. Many times, we are forced to walk over the mountains to get to the other side, because Israeli soldiers often prevent people from using the paved roads. The other day my heart broke and I could hardly keep myself from crying. An elderly woman had hired a man with a makeshift cart to ferry her from one road block to another since the Israelis had divided the main road between Ramallah and Beir Zeit. The man had helped her into the cart and started to move. From out of nowhere, an Israeli jeep blocked his way. He jolted to a stop and the woman was thrown from the cart. She started to cry as people gathered around her. I later learned that she had broken her leg. Hence people will be very happy if the Israeli government removes these roadblocks. But I don’t see a break-through soon. It is going to be a long process. Most people are not thinking about resolving all outstanding issues with Israel. They are concerned with their day to day struggles. They are preoccupied with being able to buy bread and food for their families, being able to get to a hospital and being able to send their children to school. The Israelis have conditioned the Palestinians to think in this manner. My hope is that this will not become a permanent state of mind. Palestinians hope that the new government can help them improve their day to day lives. The more difficult issues such as the refugees, the settlements, Jerusalem and the end of the Israeli occupation will have to wait and be dealt with later for they seem to be unattainable. Do you understand what I mean?

ZF: Yes.

It’s a luxury, you know, these are big things. Now let’s think about...life.