Continued. Beginning
Gold Sand Gaza
We return to Ramallah to visit the Tarazi family. Ten years ago they moved here from Gaza.
– We just recently finished building the house,” Marina Tarazi says as she walks us out onto the spacious terrace overlooking the mountains. – Before that, together with her husband Nabil Tarazi, they lived in Gaza for 25 years. Raised five children.
Marina was born and raised in Ismail, Ukraine. Nabil is a Christian and a native of Gaza. They met and married during Soviet times in Odessa, where they studied together at the construction university.
– I didn’t want to leave Gaza until the very last moment,” Nabil admits. – My ancestors have lived there for centuries. But there was no other way out.
His wife echoes him:
– We had a huge apartment near the sea in Gaza,” said Marina. – My own construction and architectural firm, where we both worked. Before Hamas, the city had all the infrastructure necessary for life: stores, restaurants, sports clubs, cinemas. For example, the kids and I used to go to the Christian Club to play tennis in the evenings. I wasn’t even dragged out of Gaza on vacation. Why, when you can’t find such golden sand anywhere else on the sea anyway?
In 2007, Marina and Nabil experienced a military coup in Gaza that brought Hamas to power.
– Our apartment was in a five-story building in the center of Gaza, between the ministries of the Palestinian National Authority and the Islamic University,” Marina continued. – When there was a clash between Fatah and Hamas, we went down to our neighbors on the first floor. There they sat while Hamas fired from the Islamic University and Fatah from the ministries. It was scary, of course. In fact, the firefight was going on over our heads. Our four daughters were very young at the time and we had to treat them for a long time from the stress they had gone through.
The Tarazis say they had no idea how their lives would change with the arrival of Hamas.
– After what happened, Gaza found itself in a blockade,” Marina continued. – No electricity, no gasoline, everything is closed. The filth everywhere is terrible. A very strict curfew. The noise of the engines and the shooting never stop. But most importantly, we were cut off from the children. When they grew up, we sent the girls to study at a university in Ramallah and our son to St. Petersburg. And none of the children could come to us. So we decided to move. In order to build a house in Ramallah, they sold a business and a car in Gaza. They also took a loan from the bank. But we are safe here.
Last year the Tarazi couple took permission from the Israeli army to travel to Gaza because Nabil’s mother had died.
– Several nights we slept in our apartment,” Marina sighed. – What can I tell you? After that trip I told my husband that I wouldn’t go back there. Most of the people who have remained in Gaza do not support Hamas. But what can they do against a huge, armed group? Hamas militants are scary people. I’m very afraid of them…
– What do you think of Trump’s plan? – I ask Nabil.
– It seems to me that right now the approach to solving the problem is wrong on all sides,” he sighs. – In my opinion, Israel and Palestine have very little territory. There is simply not enough land and resources for two nations. That is why Palestinians and Israelis must live in one state. And as a transitional phase, two states can be created with open borders – without complete isolation. You know, for me the most important thing is human life. That’s what you have to base your decisions on.
Equal rights
– Is Fatah considering creating one state for Jews and Palestinians? – I ask Jagub Basem when, after saying goodbye to our hosts, we get back in the car.
– We don’t mind that option,” he replies. – But in order to do so, Palestinians must have the same rights as Israelis.
As you know, the residents of Palestine currently do not have an Israeli civil passport. The maximum they can count on is a document for travel abroad. But they have a lot of problems with that as well.
– In order to enter Israel and get to the airport, we have to get a special permit from the Israeli army – says Jagub Basem. – It’s a long procedure and we have to wait in line for hours. But only a few get a permit. Most Palestinians are turned away by the army, citing security concerns.
Because of the difficulties associated with obtaining a permit before the coronovirus epidemic, most Palestinians traveled through Amman Airport in Jordan. But this road was not as easy as it may seem at first glance.
– If I had driven from Ramallah to Amman in my car, it would have taken me two and a half hours,” says Jagub Basem. – But Israel forbids us to leave Palestine in private cars. We can only go by special buses (one Jordanian, one Palestinian), which are controlled by the Israeli army. The bus takes about an hour to the border, where all the passengers and their luggage are carefully checked for 3-4 hours by the Israeli military (sometimes they even make them undress) and then another hour and a half to the Jordanian capital. As a result, this trip takes all day. And in the summer, when there are a lot of people, even more.
Needless to say, how annoying is it for Palestinians to be restricted from moving even within their territory?
– Here, look! – exclaims Jagub Basem. – You won’t see that anywhere else. This is a direct road to the neighboring village, but the Israelis put up a fence here. Now you have to drive an hour to get to this settlement! It’s a 25-minute drive from Ramallah to Bethlehem, but we have to take a detour, so it’s an hour and a half. And if there is traffic, you can spend three or four hours on the road.
In addition, Palestinians cannot invite visitors from abroad without Israel’s permission. As a result, they do not see their relatives and friends for years, complains Jagub Basem.
Business issues
This situation is also detrimental to the local economy. Though according to Bassam Velvil, head of the local Industrial Union, whom we meet for a cup of coffee, it’s doing quite well even under these conditions.
– Now most of our entrepreneurs are engaged in trade,” he says. – But we also have small industries supplying goods for export: furniture, plastic, aluminum, gold, chemicals, textiles, construction materials (iron, paint, etc.). We also export Palestinian stone. And recently they began to produce solar panels. We also have well-developed communications and Internet companies. A significant contribution to our economy comes from tourism, the hotel and restaurant business. As well as the production in small woodworking workshops of traditional souvenirs. But we could do a lot more if we had the freedom to act.
According to Bassam Velvil, Israel now prohibits Palestine from attracting investment from abroad. Restricts the production of certain goods in unrecognized territory for security reasons. It also sells water and electricity to Palestinian businesses at a much higher price than to Israeli businesses.
– 70% of the land in the West Bank is under full Israeli control,” my interlocutor heatedly said. – Therefore, we cannot use it to build houses or businesses. As a result, land prices are rising. For example,
One thousand square meters in Ramallah now costs $1 million. THE PRICE OF A SQUARE METER IN RAMALLAH IS NOW $1 MILLION.
Palestinian businessmen also encounter problems at Israeli ports. My interlocutor claims: for unknown reasons, the Israelis send their goods to warehouses for 3-4 days. And entrepreneurs have to pay for every day that cargo stays in storage. As a result, the product becomes more expensive and loses its competitiveness.
– Unfortunately, in Israel, Palestine is mentioned only in the context of Hamas,” sighs Jagub Basem. – Perhaps if Israeli society knew more about our economy, about the lives of ordinary people, we would conclude peace agreements sooner?
Dove of Peace
Finally, I go to Bethlehem. Here, not far from the separation fence between Israel and Palestine, the British graffiti artist Banksy painted his “dove of peace in an armored vest. He also built a hotel and decorated its walls with his artwork.
Artist Larissa and the dove of peace. Bethlehem- Now, Banksy followers from around the world come to us en masse to use the separation fence as a canvas,” says local artist Larissa Al Khatib (she married a Palestinian more than 20 years ago and moved to Bethlehem from Ukraine). – Of course, creating graffiti on this fence is dangerous. Therefore, artists try to work very quietly and only at night. They are taking a risk because they believe it is their duty to push Palestine and Israel towards peace.
Banksy recently sold three of his paintings here at the hotel for a total of $3 million. The artist decided to donate the money to Bethlehem to build a hospital.
– Upon learning of this, our young people held a “Thank you, Benxi!” action in the city center,” Larisa smiles. – Young Palestinian artists tried to copy Banksy’s work and showed it to the people of Bethlehem.
It is no secret that artists are able to perceive reality more subtly and deeply than most people. Acutely feeling the pain of others, they try to convey their feelings to the world through the images embodied in the paintings. Listening to Larissa, I am reminded of the words of Nabil Tarazi from Gaza.
– The separation fence does not protect Israel, but further divides two very close peoples in terms of history and culture. It doesn’t help solve the problem, it only makes it worse. Today, Palestinian and Israeli children learn from a young age that they are each other’s enemies. And until that changes, the war will go on. Agreements at the political level are not enough for peace to come between our peoples. It is necessary to change the approach to raising children. The rising generation of Israelis and Palestinians must learn to speak the same language. This is the only way to overcome the hatred accumulated over decades…