From Sheikh Jarrah to Aida Refugee Camp: Lessons in Oppression and Resistance
Author: Kamran
“This probably should be recorded as one of the worst intimidations in the world history of ethnic cleansing.”
Yesterday morning we went to Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem and visited the Salem family. A right-wing Zionist parliament member has set up a tent office in their front yard and is trying to claim their home. The Israeli police is present in front of the house 24/7.
This probably should be recorded as one of the worst intimidations in the world history of ethnic cleansing. You can clearly see the extreme anxiety, stress, and hopelessness in the face of the son as he was explaining the situation. He explained that the family’s been living in the house for a long time and after the death of his father, he’s now living there with his elderly sick mom and they have nowhere else to go if the house is lost. As he explained this, we noticed a young settler mom with a newborn baby in the carriage, walking by.
We continued the day by meeting with Khaled, a representative of Grassroots Al Quds, who explained the settlers’ systematic activities to steal the land and the neighborhood responses.
This morning we drove to Aida Refugee Camp on the edge of Bethlehem. I’m not sure how to describe the situation there, but it’s nothing short of a concentration camp. The camp is surrounded by the separation wall. Several tall military watchtowers are watching the residents constantly and every second. Every movement is tightly controlled.
IDF tanks and armored attack the camp on a regular basis with tear gas, rubber bullets, live bullets and skunk water, all made in the US. We saw the remains of a burned watchtower that was done by the frustrated young protesters. As a result, the military attacked the camp and a young boy was shot dead and many more injured.
Later in the day, we attended a very informative talk by a representative of BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights. The talk covered the rights and lack of rights of different Palestinians such as residents of East Jerusalem, West Bank, and those in refugee camps. It also covered the problem of right of return.
