EYEWITNESS  FROM  BETHLEHEM

ARTICLES & REFLECTIONS WRITTEN BY TOINE VAN TEEFFELEN

BETHLEHEM DIARY (23)

Toine van Teeffelen

April 2-9, 2001

With the arrival of Sharon into power, there was initially much speculation that the new Israeli government would not be able to function and survive for long. That perception has now shifted, rightly or wrongly. Many people in my surroundings prepare themselves for a long period of protracted conflict, perhaps sliding into some kind of low-intensity warfare, with no clear perspective of peace. “Goodbye Oslo, welcome Belfast,” as a foreign commentator put it. We don’t know what will be the costs for the Palestinian as well as the Israeli society. It is a matter of urgency to develop a sense of moral vision and hope for the community as a whole. The discussion about leaving does not leave either. My Arabic teacher says that her son who studies engineering in Hebron lost a seminar because he could not travel between Bethlehem and Hebron. Nor was it safe for him to stay in Hebron. Now he applies for a scholarship and will study next year in Italy. Mary’s cousin, who used to work at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bethlehem, now closed, has just left to join family in the United States, and she will try her luck there. Swedish families are leaving Bethlehem. A Dutch acquaintance of mine from Beit Jala will leave this summer together with his Palestinian family. Our neighbour and friend, who lives alone, received the advice from an ambassador in Tel Aviv to leave. She does not like the idea, not just because she has a good job, but also because she feels at home here, despite everything. She does not want to become a kind of refugee. Suzy asked one of her classes, 16-year old girls, whether they want to stay or to leave. Half of them wanted to leave, some of them even tried to convince their parents. They think about their future study and work. You can’t blame them. Karishma has a completely different problem at hand. She got notice to leave the country immediately. She wants to stay, at least for some more months, but now her legal options grow thin. On the phone we speculate about how a few local or international friends may help. As a Kenyan, she cannot leave for a neighboring country and come back, like many foreigners do. I myself went yesterday to Jordan and got my three months visa at the bridge to Jordan but only after a lengthy interrogation. Mary congratulates me with the new “victory.”

For youth who have a chance to leave the country, it is a complex dilemma whether to stay or to leave, involving moral and practical issues. How often have I heard, “You only live once. What is the purpose of my suffering here?” Will Palestinian youth maintain a sense of purpose, commitment and involvement with their community, now it looks as if it will take a long time before a viable social and political entity in Palestine will emerge? There is a real need to address the question of the meaning and purpose of staying. And it has to be addressed within a broader public discussion - beyond the somewhat desperate family conversations that are held everywhere.

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Palestinian youth have a difficult time. The uncertainty about their study or work is one thing, but the psychological environment in which they live is also not healthy. They cannot go out of their houses after sunset because the streets have become dangerous. There are few leisure opportunities anyway. Many youth see their pocket money reduced due to the economic circumstances. Apart from studying, youth watch TV, talk, visit, eat, or – for those who can afford – are busy on the computer. Pokemon is here a fashion, too. I increasingly hear about boys fighting at schools. There are few sports facilities or other options to get the energy out. A main thing, which surprises me time and again, is the absence of reading and writing habits. Such habits would help youth to establish a sense of moral orientation and inner quiet so needed nowadays. It is not just the issue of illiteracy that is at stake. Indeed, many older people above forty had never had an opportunity to learn reading and writing. Especially girls were kept home from an early age on, for household support or because marriage was thought not to require literacy skills. But nowadays almost all youth learn reading and writing. Why is it still so uncommon for youth to practice these skills voluntarily, outside the context of schoolwork?

Definitely, Arab culture is an oral culture. While many Westerners dream about the silent moments when the family members sit comfortably reading books in front of the stove, the really enjoyable moments of Arab (Mediterranean?) culture have more to do with a family picnic outside the house, in the garden or veranda, characterized by the murmur of voices and laughter in the night. For better or for worse, Palestinians and Arabs find it rather unnatural to be both a group and to be silent.

Other reasons: the presence of few libraries outside and few books inside the home. Still Bethlehem does not have a normal, well-equipped public library. Mary, who works at the new “Thurathuna” (our heritage) library center of Bethlehem University, tells that she does not see students exploring the library for the pleasure of it. Students as well as staff come to the library in order to search for a specific book. Another hurdle in learning the habit is the fact that the standard Arabic used in books deviates from the spoken Arabic. Also, schoolbooks are wanting. My Arabic teacher tells me that the elementary schoolbooks for Arabic literacy are better in Tunisia than here. She copies them.

Somewhat specific for Palestine may be the influence of political circumstances. Suzy and Ismail tell during in a discussion about the subject that many Palestinians are reluctant to write things down because their writings may be used against them. During the different periods of occupation during the 20^th century, Palestinians have always known the influence of collaborators. You have to be careful about what you say and what you write. (Suzy tells that once, during the seventies, her mother was in a taxi and the driver winked at her through the rear mirror. Shocked by this “indecent” gesture, she indignantly turned her head away from the driver. Later on, the driver said that he wanted to tell her that she should keep her mouth shut because the woman next to her was a known collaborator). Suzy has now started a diary project with her 11 graders that turns out to be a success. Last week, German TV visited the school and filmed one of the young women, Mary, reading from her diary, singing in front of the school population and at the church, and doing studies (plus aerobics) at home. Struggling with the prospect of leaving, she opts for staying. The filmer let her read from other student diaries, and was so sensitive to choose those fragments that reflect Mary’s opinion to stay. The young women like the diary of Anne Frank, and I have been asked to bring five more book copies from Jerusalem. Suzy also found out that diaries or biographies from Palestinians with a strong character, like the books of father Elias Chacour, support her students in developing inner strength.

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Jara has quite a library, too, with children’s and picture books. Lately she has shifted her attention to drawing and video watching. A few evenings ago, she asked for books. I was pleased to help her searching. She chose two very small books. OK, I thought, as long as she picks up the habit again. She took the books to the living room – sometimes more a children’s workshop – and inserted them under a pillow. She says, “cassette, cassette!” “But, you asked for books?” and I point to the books. Do I perhaps misinterpret her language - something that happened a few times lately, and which brought me to restart my Arabic lessons? Mary inquires in Arabic. Jara explains to her that the books are like video cassettes that she wants to put on for her lion to watch…

A few days ago, she for the first time drew a soldier with a large gun in his hand.

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