Across the Brooklyn Bridge

I went to Ramallah for a few hours with my cousin but didn't see the city as thoroughly as I would have liked to nor was I able to see it by night which, I understand, gives the city an entirely different feeling. I did have ice cream at Rukabs and lunch at Nazareth Restaurant-both very well known establishments.

Palestinians take back the night in Ramallah

Posted by Alif at 6:42 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Robert, the Israeli cab driver who drove me from the airport in Tel Aviv is an interesting character. I am not sure whether to trust him or not suspecting that just maybe he might an Israeli security agent set up at the airport to get information from Arab looking passengers arriving in Israel who are looking for cabs. Having spoken to to a number of non-Jewish friends who have travelled to Israel, this level of paranoia is not uncommon. I placed my bets on him possibly being just that but I accepted his offer to drive me to a closure that separates Palestine from Israel.

Robert is quite the talker and I let him gab as much as he wants. Of course he wants to know what I'm doing in Israel. I tell him that this is my first time visiting and that I'm here to see my father. I'm also interested in doing some sight-seeing in Israel.

"Wonderful! That's great! Yes, it's important that you see your father but I will tell you. In the territories there is nothing. You will be bored there. There is nothing. There are no movie theatres, no nice restaurants, no banks, nothing to entertain you. You will be bored there. Spend a few days there and come to Israel. You are American. You will want to see all the sites. We have many beautiful things here including girls."

I listen to all this with more than just piqued interest. I'm astounded by the things he tells me.

"No, there is nothing in the territories I am sorry to tell you. Nothing. It wish it were different. Believe me, I want peace. I want peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We can not continue to live like this. This is terrible for us and for the Palestinians."

"Make sure you don't change any money there either. It's all counterfeit money. And, whatever you see happening, don't get involved. Mind your own business. The Israeli military can shoot you, they can kill you for no reason and without provocation. The only thing they will tell your State Department is 'Sorry.' Whatever you see, don't say or do anything in response. They did this to Rachel Corrie. Have you heard of her?"

He drives me to the Qalandia checkpoint...an ominous and scary crossing manned by Israeli soldiers checking everyone's identification and searching everyone's bags.
"I cannot go past here. I am not allowed and I can get in trouble," says Robert.

The checkpoint is scary indeed. I'm more terrified of the military presence there than of the Palestinians crossing through. I suppose this is the point of these checkpoints.

Robert does me the favor of calling my brother-in-law who is picking me up at the checkpoint. We're informed that the Israeli's have set up a roadblock and that my brother-in-law cannot get through. We'll have to go another way which we do.

"Robert, can I get your cell phone number for when I need a ride back to Tel Aviv?" I ask him.

"Sure, sure. Absolutely." He scribbles his number down on a sheet of paper I hand him. "But please do me a favor. Erase my number from your phone as soon as you're done calling me. I can get in trouble. Erase my number when you're done. Don't leave it in the cell phone's memory."

I get out of his cab and cross over 3 large cement blocks blocking the road which are meant to keep Palestinians out.
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In the end, I actually found him to be a very nice guy...he was one of the very few Israelis who treated me with any kind of respect while here.

Oh, and by the way, there are restaurants and banks in the West Bank. Much to my surprise, there's an HSBC branch there too.

Posted by Alif at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments   

My Experience in Israel and the West Bank has shown me that the Israeli Defense Forces ("IDF") and their police can do and say whatever they want to whoever they want (I'm referring to the Palestinians) anytime they want...with absolutely no accountability to anyone.

What follows is a compilation of testimonies by IDF soldiers who served until recently, or are still actively serving, in the West Bank city of Hebron. The testimonies were gathered by five of the soldiers, and this is what they write...

Posted by Alif at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Posted by Alif at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments   

I haven't seen my father in over 10 years and I have no idea what to expect as the car makes its way through the winding dusty road and up the hill that leads to my dad's village in a place I never could have imagined myself visiting especially now: Palestine. In the distance I see an old man slowly walking in our direction with the assistance of a cane. He is accompanied by two women. "Could that be him?" I stare at the three solitary figures from a distance. Maybe it is him but who are they? I wonder as I zero in on the man in the middle.

"That's your father there!" says the driver as he points out the object of my attention. Tears begin to flood my eyes. A short distance ahead, the driver stops the car and I get out. It's him. The old man I haven't seen and barely spoken to for such a long time and for numerous reasons all of which have gradually over time become irrelevant to me. With big smiles across our faces, we embrace each other and both cry and laugh at the same time.

Posted by Alif at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Thanks for the note. I just got back last week. The trip was very bittersweet. I discovered a family i never knew I had in Palestine...a loving, generous, kind and gentle people who in spite of circumstances are just incredibly beautiful inside and out. I had a wonderful time connecting with this part of myself and getting more information about this aspect of my culture. I have always felt I was on the outside looking in when it came to my Arab heritage having not known much about it. This trip has made me feel more complete and has given me so much to think about. I look forward to going back again very soon.

Farid

Posted by Alif at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Village of Beit Liqya, (pop.: 2,000) in Palestine: home and birthplace of my father.

Posted by Alif at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

My father's new wife, Hajha, my sisters Monah and Raikah.

Daily average temperatures range around 44 degres celcius which translates to approximately 111 degrees farenheit. As hot as it is, I can't understand how women can tolerate being completely covered from head to toe in their traditional garb especially in black which seems to be the color of choice. Knowing how unbearable I find hot weather, I can't help but feel uncomfortable for them although I understand is this is a part of their culture. Women are supposed to be covered up in their society.

We all seek out the sorry relief offered anywhere there is shade and a fan blowing. "Aren't you hot in this?," I ask them.

"No, we're used to this," is the response as they sit there fanning themselves with their hands trying to stay cool. It seems to me that the Palestinian people have developed a high tolerance for suffering on many levels.

Posted by Alif at 7:31 AM | Permalink | Comments   

5 hour bus trip with the end an assault rifle resting against my back. It was a crowded bus so, I mean, where else was he going to put it? It's just another day in Israel.

Posted by Alif at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments   

"This is your sister, Monah."

I had known of Monah but this was the first time in my 39 years that I was meeting her. I was worried that the difference in language, culture, space and time would prevent us from getting close and and knowing each other.

I was wrong. Odd how in 10 days we both came to really have strong feelings for each other -- as if this was always was and meant to be. It's exciting to finally have a sister. Having met her gives new meaning to the word "sister" other than the one I've associated it with.

Posted by Alif at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments   

There's something to be said about Israel when, after crossing the Israeli/Egyptian border into the Sinai and witnessing the Egyptian flag and hearing an Arab voice greet you ("Marhaba!"), you think "Oh, my God. I'm free. I can breathe again. Thank God I'm out of Israel!"

As repressive as one hears Egypt is, the police state of Israel is one that is very unwelcoming to anyone who has an Arab name, is a non-Jew, or just looks middle eastern. My experience in Israel made me wonder if this was what it felt to be black in America in the 1950's and 1960's. It's very difficult to feel welcome when almost everywhere I went I was looked at with suspicion, stopped, detained, questioned, checked and even woken up in the middle of the night in my hotel room by Israeli police wanting to know who I was and why I was there.

Posted by Alif at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments   

This time tomorrow I will be on a flight to Israel. I can't recall the last time I have been this excited about a trip I have taken. I am excited. I am nervous. I have no idea what to expect but I am open to the experience. Never would I have imagined myself making such a trip in my lifetime. I've been asked by many people, "What prompted you to go?" Good question, I suppose. What did prompt me to go? I say it was a decision slowly in the making. I had been toying around with the idea of going after having received a book on fathers and sons by this fellow blogger. It planted a seed in my head which slowly began to take root.

The plan is to travel a little bit throughout Israel, take in some sites and then head my way towards seeing my father who I have not seen in a number of years and with whom I've only recently started communicating with.

Many people's first reaction is that I am crazy. I've already admitted to being a bit crazy but aren't we all just a tad bit crazy also. In speaking to Jews and non-Jews, Americans and Arabs, and other's who have visited the area, I received the encouragement to go see for myself. To go and experience for myself.

Tomorrow at this time. I will be on a plane to Israel. I am very very excited.

Posted by Alif at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

So, I'm walking along 57th Street near Lexington and I spot one of those huge blow-up rats in front of the Habitat Hotel with about 60 or so blue collar workers with 'STRIKE" signs around their necks. They're all blowing whistles and air horns in unison in front of the hotel creating this huge wall of deafening sound that either compels you to stop and watch or repels you because of its volume.

I, of course, had to stop and watch, regretting that I didnt' have my camera on me.

Some of the younger guests going in and out of the hotel found it entertaing judging by the grins on their faces. The older, most polished and sophisticated guests kept their annoyance at the whole scenario barely hidden beneath their stoic faces as they rushed in or out of the hotel.

A marching band consisting of about 7 black kids parading up the street, beating drums and horns raising awareness and collecting money for "Save the Children" were invited by the strikers to march past them and stop in front of the hotel too which they did. The strikers were hooting and hollering, blowing their whistles, blasting their air horns and shoving dollars into the hands of the marchers for having stopped.

You should have seen the look on these kid's faces. I think this was the last thing they expected when they strapped on those instruments and prepared to take on the day "saving the children." It was a cool New York moment.

Posted by Alif at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments   

I was thinking to myself as I got off the 6 train at 53rd and Lexington Avenue, "For my own safety, should I be getting out at a different train station other than this one that runs directly underneath the Citigroup Center building?"

When I got out onto the street, aside from all the television news vans outside, the scene appeared to be calmer and a bit more organized although still surreal as the employees of the building were lined up in nice orderly fashion waiting to get inside.

There was a sign on one of the closed entrances stating that the Atrium which houses a number of businesses including a Kinko's and several restaurants was closed. This must really be hurting those business owners.

Posted by Alif at 5:12 AM | Permalink | Comments   

I work a block away from the Citigroup Center building. Every morning on my way to work, I get out of the subway through the Lexington Avenue/53rd Street stop, cut through the Citigroup Center building, go up the escalators and across the lobby which leads to a Barnes & Noble which serves as a shortcut for me to get to the 3rd Avenue side where I work only 1 block away. That's my normal routine every morning but imagine my surprise when I exited the subway to find the various entrances to the Citigroup building closed off.

There was a long line of building occupants snaked along Lexington Avenue around 53rd and 54th Streets waiting patiently to get in through the one entrance where they were being permitted in. Surrounding the building were numerous policemen sporting assault and automatic rifles, in addition to there being a wall of police cars alongside the Lexington Avenue entrance.

So this is today's new reality and all because detailed sketches of the building's layout, architecture, escape routes, traffic patterns and vulnerable points were discovered on a computer somewhere in Pakistan identifying the building as a potential terror target.

At lunchtime, I ventured over and noticed that the revolving door alongside 3rd Avenue was now open but they had positioned a security guard just inside to check ID's and bags before allowing anyone to either go downstairs to Houston's Restaurant or upstairs to Barnes & Noble which had been closed off from the rest of the building. It struck me as ridiculous that here was this security guard, an small, older African American man looking inside women's purses and asking everyone for anything with a picture on it before allowing them inside. I normally see this guy in the lobby of the building just making sure that no one goes through the turnstile without swiping their ID and now here he was - in front of a makeshift security stand making sure no terrorists enter the building. Poor guy. He seemed overwhelmed.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. I just wonder if the discovery of all this planning, if in fact it's even true, means it's going to be like this for a while.

Posted by Alif at 8:10 PM | Permalink | Comments