The Peace Cycle London to Jerusalem Bike Ride 2004

Reports 2008

Detailed Itinerary for the Peace Cycle in Palestine

All the Peace Cycle reports are written by the cyclists themselves

Thursday August 28th 2008: Hebron

Cyclists visited the Old city in Hebron, visited the Hebron rehabiliation committees. Cyclists observed the injustices of the settelments in the old city and how the old city contains one hundred and one checkpoints.

PeaceCycle Wednesday 27 August 2008

We got up very early (4.30 am) in order to see the workers to struggle through the X checkpoint which lies between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Palestinian daily workers queue every morning at this checkpoint hoping to be admitted to go to Israel or Jerusalem and to gain some income for their families.

The metal entrance revolving gate gave us an image of cattle entering a truck. This was an amazing and humiliating scene where people were pushing each other in a metal cage for their job and survival. The Israeli soldiers let them enter (if they had a work permit) by dozens every 15 minutes. People are never sure whether they will be admitted or not. Workers told us that this week 2 people died while queuing. How is this possible in the 21^st century? We took a lot of pictures and some soldiers became angry and pointed their machine gun at us. We all left very depressed and ashamed because we could not do anything.

At 11 am we met Esperanza of MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians), a UK based NGO with offices in Gaza and Ramallah. In the UK and Belgium we all did fundraising for this organization and we wanted to see their programs in the field. We visited a primary health care centre near Bethlehem where consultations are done for several villages. Mobile clinics are also operational as checkpoints always hinder mobility. Major health problems which consist in the West bank area are malnutrition and psychological troubles.

On our way back we also discovered a part of the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv railway. After 2 minutes a military jeep arrived asking us what we were doing….

In the afternoon we met Dr Mazen Qumsiyeh in the Siraj center. He is a biotechnologist, studied in the States and wrote a book on the situation in Palestine. We all discussed together about how to organize resistance all over the world (boycott, advocacy, to visit Palestine, to involve the Palestinian Diaspora, to support the Israeli peace movement). It was an interesting exchange. He is quite optimistic about the future predicting that the Israeli system will collapse within 5 or 10 years. A hopeful message and we will all try to contribute!!!

The Peace Cycle arrived to Jerusalem yesterday. They have met with Sabeel and the Interchurch Center in Jerusalem. Toured the Old City, observed illegal settelments in the old city and visited holy sites. The Cyclists are resting in Jerusalem before they travel back home.

TPC2008 Tuesday 26^th August 2008

Today saw us travel from Ramallah to the outskirts of Jerusalem by bus through a series of intimidating and busy checkpoints. To see the Apartheid Wall from a distance snake its way around the Holy City was shocking enough but to see it up close can sometimes be totally demoralizing.

On our way we passed thousands of olive tree stumps – this symbol of peace and source of revenue for the local Palestinians destroyed by the Israelis for ‘security reasons’. This is the Israeli trump card – anything can be justified in the name of security -including the forceful annexation of land, destruction of homes and the imprisonment, maiming, torture and killing of anyone (including children) who wishes to protest these human rights abuses.

But these are dark-skinned, Muslim Arabs so it is obviously fine to do all that surely? If in our modern times we ever see anything like what the Zionists have done in any other context there would be uproar in the international press. United Nations resolutions and sanctions would be applied and enforced and regime change would follow. Alas not so for the people of Palestine who have been subjected to a systematic program of ethnic cleansing from their historic land for the past 60 years.

Yet there is always hope! At lunchtime we visited the YMCA in Beit Sahour who are coordinating the ‘Olive Tree Campaign’ which aims to replant thousands of olive tree saplings in the areas around the wall where the Israelis removed one million trees for its construction. Members of TPC purchased olive trees in honor of their loved ones and to support the Palestinians – what greater symbol of peace than the life giving olive tree that can live for a thousand years in this special land?

In the afternoon heat we cycled the remaining 10km uphill to Bethlehem sheltered by the miraculous appearance of a shade-giving cloud! As we reached the town of Jesus’ birth our excitement was dimmed by the reality of the Apartheid Wall here – cutting Palestinian communities in two, it is not about security but a simple land grab. The town is cut off and Christian pilgrims and Palestinians seeking to reach their places of work and families have to pass through an ugly checkpoint that Gordon Brown recently described as a visible sign of the need for justice for the Palestinians. Nice words, but we need action on the ground to tear this monstrosity down Mr. Brown!

A visit to a refugee camp and stretches of the wall culminated in our cycling into Manger Square, home to the Church of the Nativity, the oldest church in Christendom, having been inaugurated by Constantine’s wife Augusta in 327CE. Even this revered place hasn’t escaped the brutality of the Occupation – it was the scene of a vicious siege by the IOF in 2002 which resulted in many casualties and significant damage by Israeli tank and shell fire.

Home for the next three days is the Arab Women Union Guesthouse in Beit Sahour, just down the hill from Bethlehem. Even George our ‘flat-hill walla-walla’ guide jumped on a bike to cycle down to it to the cheers of the locals and cyclists alike! Next time try up-hill George!

Monday 25^th August 2008 – Prisoner Release in Ramallah

Today we were due to cycle to Ramallah and our visit today coincided with the release of the 198 political prisoners. We left Billin passing many cars and vans full of people who were also heading to Ramallah with their flags waving.

The arrival into Ramallah was spectacular with crowds of people in their vehicles making their way to the Ramallah compound where the prisoners were to be released. The atmosphere was electric with people shouting and cheering as we stood on the other side of the road observing the slow procession. In no time at all a police escort was arranged for us, leading us through the back roads (up and down 'flat hills' as George would describe!!) enabling us to reach the Ramallah compound at the start of the releases.

We pushed our way to the front of the crowds enabling a good view of the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as he announced each prisoner released. At the end doves were released as a sign of peace. Though this was a joyous occasion for many families, we were still aware that 10 000 people(including hundreds of children) were still imprisoned including Iyad's brother who had now been jailed for six years.

After the crowds had dispersed we walked over to Yassar Arafat's tomb laid out in a very simplistic setting with a mosque built close by and Quranic verses engraved in the stone, a peaceful and serene resting place.

We next meet Dr Ayman Rabi from the Palestinian Hydrology Group. This was a very informative presentation with regards to the supply of water within Palestine, the shortages faced and how Israel controls the supply of water. In most villages water is a scarce commodity and the people rely on tanks to deliver water to them. This is costly and so the use of water has to be maximised so that it is not wasted. It became clear that the Israeli's have not only colonised above ground but the precious water resources beneath it. The inevitable consequence of this is the ability of the Isralei's to expand their illegal settlements whilst restricting the Palestinians development of their own land.

Our final presentation of the day was with Ala who works for Addameer, Prisoners Support and Humanitarian Rights Association. He gave us an insight into wrongful arrest, torture, violation of prisoner rights and difficulties of visitation by families. The military rules work against the Palestinians in every way making it near impossible for them to be released once they are imprisoned. Ala provides free legal aid and support to the families of those imprisoned. His harrowing testimony reminded us that the Israeli's routinely use extreme forms of torture destroy the Palestinians both physically and mentally.

We enjoyed our evening in Ramallah which is a more cosmopolitan place, and appreciated the hospitality of the restaurant owner and the great food and ambience.

Sunday August 24th – Qalqilya to Belin

When I told a friend in Ramallah that we had cycled from Qalqilya to Bilin, he burst out laughing, before asking ‘you can’t be serious?!’ We ourselves could hardly believe our itinerary was serious, when we read we were cycling over 60km through the most difficult terrain so far. The route was a never ending succession of massive hills and potholed roads. These proved not only exhausting but dangerous too, as two of our cyclists (Ish and Fizza) had quite serious falls about 4 hours into the ride. Nathan, our first aider-come-bike mechanic-come all round magic man, patched them up on the roadside and we continued, passing settlement after settlement along the way. The settlements (illegal under international law) are blots upon the landscape: identical, ugly and soulless. Settlers have absolute priority over West Bank water resources, meaning that on the settlement side of the road the grass is green, whilst on the opposite side it is brown.

We limped our way up the final hill to Bilin, at the end of our physical limit. With the exception of Nathan, who pushed more than one of us up the final slope! We were welcomed into the home of Iayad Burnat and his beautiful family, and watched a documentary on the non-violent resistance in Bilin. The village of Bilin is one of the places where the wall diverges most drastically from the 1967 Green Line (i.e. Israel’s ‘official’ borders), cutting deep into Palestinian territory and surrounding Belin on three sides. The people of Belin have responded to this with an innovative campaign of non-violent resistance, with weekly demonstrations held at the wall which are often joined by internationals. The Israelis respond to these demonstrations with tear gas, bullets and stink bombs. One of Iyad’s sons showed us his collection of rubber bullets, before giving us each a real one to take home as a souvenir. We later saw the scar where he had been shot in the knee on a peaceful demonstration. This boy is 10 years old, and was shot when he was 8.

Then we went to see the wall for ourselves. The ground around was littered with empty teargas canisters and rubber bullets, bringing the documentary we had just seen sharply into reality. The wall in this part of the West Bank is actually a double electric fence topped with razor wire, so you can see through it. Within 5 minutes of us being there an Israeli army jeep approached, and 4 soldiers got out and asked what we were doing. Having spent the past week witnessing again and again the human rights abuses and offences against international law committed by the Israeli occupation, it was impossible not to challenge the soldiers. Nick rightly told them how the Israeli occupation is akin to Nazi Germany, and all of us asked of the wall: ‘how can you do this?’ The response from one soldier was ‘the wall’s to stop terrorists’. To which there was only one response: ‘Then build it on your own land!’

We returned back angry, but glad to have confronted the soldiers, even if only to have our worst preconceptions confirmed. Then finally to a much needed sleep, after a physically and emotionally exhausting day.

Peace Cycle Saturday 23 August 2008

We left Tulkarem at 8.15 am for a 30 km ride to Qalqilya. As the weather was a bit cloudy, we managed to bear the heat and to over win the hills in the lovely landscape. We could see a part of the wall/fence during the ride. After some questions at a major checkpoint we got through after about 10 minutes. The soldiers asked us why we only had a Palestinian flag without having an Israeli one. Our answer was that we were in Palestine and not in Israel.

Around 11.30 am we finally arrived in Qalqilya. This governorate, to the East of the West Bank, is almost entirely encircled by the wall. We were waited for by photographers and by local people who handed out sweets and water (to mark the run up to Ramadan). After a lunch we were received by the deputy governor of the governorate of Qalqilya. He gave a brief presentation of the issues going on in his province. The main one was of course the negative impact of the construction of the ‘security’ wall and linked to that the stolen land and water issues which complicate and paralyse the daily life of people (access to fields, schools, roads, medical infrastructure). 25 Israeli settlements are present. The deputy governor also said that olive trees can get very old (some of them might be 1000 years) and be taken away easily by the Israeli soldiers but they have very long roots like the Palestinians and cannot be destroyed totally.

We had a long rest of 3 hours and ``visited`` the apartheid wall by bike. Lots of encouraging messages in different languages are written on the wall as well as drawings. We were all very impressed and silent while witnessing this. How is this possible in the 21^st century? It is a big shame.

Afterwards we visited the local zoo where we could see another example of Israeli aggression: a giraffe was killed after a bombing in 2002 and is still there as a witness of violence which attacks people, animals and nature.

Friday 22^nd August 2008 – Day 8 of TPC2008

After a wonderful experience in Nablus, we waved a sad goodbye to the hotel staff and set off through the hilly streets for Sebastiya, some 20 km away. The going was tough at first as we climbed the steep sides of the valley that overlook Nablus.

As we made our way up it was easy to visualize this city under siege, not unlike Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. A huge Israeli military installation overlooked the city and many times innocent Palestinians have been shot by Israeli snipers. In fact we saw evidence of this for ourselves with the hotel windows still bearing the scars of the Israeli invasion – three bullet holes remained in a beautiful stained glass window of the Dome of the Rock – such brutal vandalism and intimidation on the part of the IOF that has to be seen to be believed.

Again the welcome we received from local people as we passed by encouraged and delighted us as cries of ‘Welcome’ and “Ba-Saleem’ constantly greeted us. It’s a paradox really as their kindness and humanity only serves to depress you as to why they could be treated so inhumanely. To add insult to injury their suffering is largely ignored by the international community.

As we reached the ridge overlooking Nablus our delight at the beautiful view (and the downhill leg!) was abruptly cut short as we entered the Aseera checkpoint. We were forced to wait for 30 minutes as the teenage soldiers joked and laughed at holding us up. Again the usual three machine guns were trained on us as well as a high powered rifle from the watchtower overhead. As internationals, to our faces they tried to appear polite – while in Hebrew they were insulting us and laughing about keeping us out in the hot sun. Eventually they bored of us and let us through. As we flew down the mountain we passed two further gateways that the Israelis close at any time without reason. Everywhere we have gone we have seen how expertly the IOF have strategically occupied hilltops and set up elaborate defenses, designed to protect them from the local populace that they continue to occupy. Go figure!

Some wonderful cycling followed with several more ‘flat-hills’ leading to the most beautiful views of Palestine. I think all of us have fallen in love with this land and its people and it’s becoming clear that none of us are going to remain unmarked by our experiences here. By lunchtime we reached Sebastiya, an ancient Roman town and the setting for John the Baptist’s beheading and Salome’s infamous dance for Herod. The tragedy is that inhumanity still exists in this land – for all its inhabitants whether Jewish, Muslim or Christian.

The ruins were very atmospheric and we were the only visitors there. Set among olive groves and dusty paths you could sit in the ancient amphitheatre, look down on the hippodrome and the colonnades. This place should be a thriving tourist site but sadly the occupation has shut down this possibility. So for now the ruins are left to themselves and the Palestinians are robbed of their cultural heritage.

This is part of a chilling strategy to destroy the Palestinian nation – many archaeological sites have been ransacked and items of historical value removed to museums in Israel. We saw for ourselves a site today where the Israelis had attempted to remove a Roman tomb only for their crane to collapse and drop the priceless tomb shattering it on two sides. How many ways can the Israelis steal from the Palestinians and get away from it – how much time do you have?

A long downhill stretch finally brought us to Tulkarem after a hard days cycling. The Deputy Governor welcomed us officially to the town which saw half of its prime agricultural land annexed behind the Apartheid Wall by the Israelis in 2002. More horrors emerged as we visited the site where over 100 young Palestinians have been killed in the past five years protesting about the building of a chemical factory on the windward side of the town. This factory, which spews out noxious fumes and gases over the town of 157,000 Palestinians 24/7 used to be located deep in Israel – until the neighboring Israelis successfully lobbied to have it removed to the West Bank. Now the factory is surrounded by the usual IOF defenses of a vast concrete wall topped with razor wire, watchtowers and electronic surveillance. In the meantime Tulkarem suffers from the highest cancer rates in the WB and many cases of unusual respiratory diseases – even when we were there the fumes were overpowering. It goes without saying what it must be like for the residents of this town who have to live their lives here.

A short ride brought us to the Irtah Womens’ Centre which kindly hosted us tonight. All of us are exhausted after a hard days riding and the injustices we have seen again today. Thank God for the wonderful camaraderie of the cyclists – the jokes and laughs have kept us all smiling through – together with the constant kindness and friendship of the Palestinian people we have met along the way.

21^st Aug 2008

After a really long night we all woke up early in the morning to pack our bags for our next bike ride towards Nablus. We had breakfast at 7:30 at Nidal’s house. We packed our bags, loaded them on to the van and then walked towards a local school. In this school they have planted a olive tree in memory of Nick Pretzlick who suddenly passed away in 2004. We were privileged to take photos in front of the olive tree.

We all filled our bottles with cold water, and started cycling, leaving the people of the camp behind us. We were warned before the ride that we were going all the way up and there would be no downhill, we covered approximately 30 kilometers which took us 2 and a half hours.

Cycling today was very challenging, it really took it out of us, we just kept going up and up with frequent breaks. Our support vehicle was of great help today because some of the group members grabbed hold of the van to take them up.

Three quarters through the ride we stopped at a restaurant high up in the hilly area, here we stopped to buy drinks and a small snack. This restaurant had a unique feature to it, it had a swimming pool and a spring waterfall, the first we have seen in Palestine, which we used to cool us down. Fizza found herself a friend, which was to be eaten later by George or by this very big yellow looking snake, a cute bunny which she carried with her for the half hour we were there. At this restaurant we were met by students from the An- Najah University, who stayed with us till we arrived at the university.

As we arrived in Nablus we didn’t think it would have such busy roads, high hilly roads which we struggled to cycle up.

We were hosted by students of the university and Professor Saeed Abu Hijali. Three of the group members were taken away with the professor for a radio interview, the rest of us were taken around the old and new campus, we were showed the library and then were taken to the Right to Education Campaign, we spoke to students of the campus and learnt of the struggles they go through to get a decent education.

We ate lunch at one of the restaurants across the road from the new campus of the university, here we ate chicken and meat shawermah and falafel. The three being interviewed met us at this restaurant, who were at this point starving. We then traveled back to the old Campus hopped on our 2 wheeler and cycled down to our hotel.

We parked up outside the Al-Yasmeen hotel (which dates back 600 years) grabbed our bags and headed towards the Turkish baths, which sits in the old city. We were taken round the Turkish bath by one a guide called Majid Shella, he showed us the exact procedure to take when taking a Turkish bath.

However, he didn’t warn us about the bone-breaking massage we were going to receive. When it was Nick’s turn he screamed throughout the whole massage, it was hilarious. The ‘massage’ man started on your back worked his way down to the legs using special massaging techniques which hurt more than the cycling. He then massaged the arms the neck and the face, absolutely amazing, something I will never forget for the rest of my life.

Bustan Qaraaqa

Bustan Qaraaqa (The Tortoise Garden) is a community permaculture farm project set in a beautiful rural area of Beit Sahour in the Bethlehem District. With the help of the local community, organisations, and volunteer workers, the aim of the project is to create a fully sustainable, integrated home and forest garden system where every aspect of work carried out on the farm addresses the very real and serious environmental degradation the Palestinian Territories are battling with, and, in addition to “sustainable development” seeks real grass-roots solutions to the problems communities may be experiencing. By acting as a community education facility we hope to spread the ideas and concepts behind permaculture to Palestinian society, and in so doing explore an alternative to the faltering western economic “development” model.

Environmentalism, far from being a new age abstraction should be considered the root of any healthy self-respecting society, and in its necessity should be considered as endowing the tools for survival. We believe that when individuals play an active role in bettering local society and are able to see directly the fruits of their labour, then and only then will they feel included, empowered and further able to contribute positively to the community in which they live. To these ends Bustan Qaraaqa is geared to rekindle a direct relationship between the individual and his/her immediate environment, both in terms of aesthetics and in nurturing the bonds that sustain “community”- through all aspects of personal responsibility related to reducing a so-called “ecological footprint”.

Come and see the project, stay in the antique Bustan Qaraaqa farm guesthouse (all proceeds to the “Green Intifada”) or volunteer with us for reduced rates. For further information see:

www.eag-palestine.org

www.greenintifada.blogspot.com

Wednesday 20 August 2008

At about 10am, after being hosted for breakfast by the Roumounnah Charitable Association we set off back towards Jenin to head towards Al Fara camp. Fortunately, the cycle to Jenin was fairly flat and easy but we almost had one injury along the way when two of the cyclists collided but thankfully she only has bruises to prove it.

Just after Jenin, we encountered our first mobile checkpoint. After about 5 mins a Palestinian driver passing us by on the other side told us we should go ahead and we didn’t need to wait as we were foreigners. Sofia explained to the driver that we were going to continue waiting in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Nick braved the soldiers by approaching first with his bike and a huge Palestinian flag attached to this bike and spoke on our behalf. We saw at least 2 soldiers with their guns pointed at him and noticed that they cocked their guns towards him when he went to take his passport out of his pocket. Whatever he said worked because we were all allowed to pass without any further checks.

After that it was all plain downhill sailing until the some village children decided to knock the ‘habibi’s’ off their bikes. We arrived at Al Fara camp with a massive reception of children wearing their Nakba t-shirts ready to present us with water and a Palestinian flag.

We were then ushered into the Director’s office for the Popular Committee of the Services for the Camp who welcomed us and introduced the camp. After the 45km ride we were extremely pleased to see so many ‘mumtaz’ (excellent) cookies and tea/coffee and any drink under the ‘Palestinian’ sun. An elder from the camp who had lived there for 58 years gave us his life story and talked about his wife who was martyred only a few years previously.

Our host for the evening was Nadal Sawalmeh, Director of the Rehabilitation Centre, who explained the services of the centre for disabled children within the camp and his endeavors to get children to travel to Spain for Summer camps. He had planned an amazing series of events for our stay in the camp.

Once we had been fed and showered we were rushed off to play in a basketball game of Peace Cyclists versus Al Fara Camp in their new gym . Fortunately, we were able to poach one of the guys from the pro’s and managed to leave without a thrashing, although we also think the referee was on our side. Nick managed to avoid the game but met a group of children in the camp. He was invited by a 16 year old to see a horrific gunshot wound to his ankle which he had received after an Israeli patrol entered the camp and he had thrown a stone at a tank. Besides daily incursions by the Israeli’s, the camp is unique because it hosts an ex-Israeli prison which is now being utilized as a youth club and for other activities.

We were then taken to the community centre and hosted and welcomed by the Governor of Tubas and the Mayor of the city . Our evening began with a play specially written for our visit which questioned the occupation and ‘being a prisoner in his own land’. Then, the children from our earlier reception showed us their Debkeh dancing skills and danced to the sounds of the ‘Shibaba’ a traditional flute played by someone who was giving his inaugural performance (no-one in the camp knew he was able to play this instrument).

Our evening had been hosted in the community centre which had been donated for the evening by its owner who also invited us for tea and further traditional music in his home. Then it was ‘Ya Allah, Ya,Allah’ back to Mr Samalweh’s house to eat dinner and sweets.

The hospitality shown by the family who hosted us and all the people in the camp was amazing and shows the kindness and generosity that is never presented in the media to the world.

Tuesday August 19^th – Jenin

We left Nazareth this morning to head into the West Bank. Having been informed we had been prohibited from passing through the checkpoint we had originally planned, we were concerned we might not be able to get into the West Bank at all. However, we passed through the alternative checkpoint unhindered and finally were in the West Bank. The difference – visually, and in the atmosphere – was immideate. We got on our bikes and began cycling, with Al Jazeera and Reuters following in pursuit. On our way to Jenin we had a fantastic welcome with people greeting us we cycled and children joining us in our peace cycle.

Firstly we visited the Service Committee of Jinin Refugee camp, where we heard more stories of destruction and of the difficulties faced by the Palestinians. Pictures definitely speak a thousand words as we viewed photos and watched some of the film ‘Jenin Jenin’. This film documents the atrocities created by the Israeli army, specifically when they bulldozed their way through the Jenin camp in 2002, killing and injuring many, destroying homes and damaging all structures of civil society. We heard of the psychological trauma many members of the camp suffer as a result of such events.

We then went to General Union of Palestinian Women who had prepared a fantastic meal, maklouba. Vegetables were layed at the bottom of the saucepan and then covered with rice and chicken, the whole thing then being turned upside down. We heard of the particular impact the Israeli occupation has on Palestinian women, and the work the Union does to empower women politically and socially.

Next was the Freedom Theatre, which organizes film and drama workshops for the young people of Jenin. This Theatre had been inspired by a previous theatre group operating in Jenin on which the film ‘Arna’s Children’ was based (the original theatre was destroyed in the 2002 invasion). It was clear the theatre provided some kind of release from life in the camp and was a forum for the youth to express their experiences and direct their energy into something positive. We watched some impressive short films produced by the young people themselves, including one of a particularly energetic hip hop performance!

Everywhere in the camp there was a sense of community spirit and despite their hardship and suffering, people’s determination to fight for their freedom was inspiring.

Then a beautiful 15km cycle through the most fertile part of Palestine, with olive groves and date palms lining the road, to Rummanah where we were to spend the night. Rummanah is within sight of the Wall, and we heard of the terrible impact of its construction. Around 70% of the village’s population has worked in Israel, so the Wall blocks them from employment. Many of the people in Rummanah have family in a village around 1km away, but the two villages are separated by the Wall and it thus takes a long journey via Jerusalem to reach it. Astonishingly, Rummanah was only connected to 24 hour electricity 4 months ago. We were hosted by the Rummanah Charitable Society, which works to provide education and welfare services for the population, and stayed in the homes of local families. The wonderfully warm and hospitable welcome we received, and the beauty of the village itself, contrasted sharply with the Wall visible less than a kilometer away and the posters of martyrs visible on every wall. However much we have all heard about the Occupation, witnessing its effects first hand is an entirely different experience and we will all have a lot to think about as we prepare for bed at midnight, to the sound of Israeli F16s from the nearby military base overhead.

Monday August 18^th – Nazareth and Surrounding. Internally Displaced and the Right of Return

Today we vistited the Arab Association for Human Rights. There we were greeted by the general director Mohammad Zeidan. He talked at length of about different types of discrimination faced by the Palestinian people; in the legal system, politically and culturally. One example of ‘hidden’ discrimination relates to military service. On the surface the law appears to be clear and equal, however, once the law is examined it is evident that laws have been cleverly constructed to discriminate the Palestinian people. For example, many privileges in all areas of Israeli society, from housing to education to job prospects, are granted from having served in the military. Whilst military service is compulsory for all 18 year olds in Israel, Palestinians are exempt, thus excluding them from the privileges afforded to all Jewish Israelis who do serve in the army.

After the Arab Assocation for Human Rights, we visited a destroyed Palestinian village El Ghabsiya. Daoud Bader explained about Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the right of return. An IDP is defined as a refugee who has not crossed an international border. When the state of Israel was established in 1948 many Palestinians fled to neighboring countries, whilst others left their homes and thus became IDPs. These IDPs are not allowed to return to their land, many living within sight of their former homes yet not allowed to enter them. The Palestinians that left the country are also not allowed to return, in violation of countless UN resolutions affirming their right to do so.

Daoud led us to a cemetery of the village, now destroyed and where settlers had built their home. Walking through the overgrown grass it became apparent that there were graves. The relatives of the deceased were not allowed to return to the graves to tend to them. If they were spotted by the settlers they would summon the police. This is the reality of the Palestinians, treated like trespassers on their own land.

Sunday August 17th 2008 Haifa

Our first stop today was the Baladna Youth Centre in Haifa, where we learnt about the discrimination faced by Palestinians with Israeli citizenship living within the 1948 Israeli borders. Whilst these Palestinians have nominally the same rights as any Israeli, the reality is one of de facto segregation where they are treated as second class citizens. There are certain areas where they are not allowed to live; their houses are sometimes demolished; they go to different schools, which receive less funding and deliver a much lower standard of education; are unable to study certain school courses; and access for Arab students to Israeli universities is extremely limited. Given the focus of media coverage of the Palestinian issue is almost always on the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza, it was eye-opening to hear about the difficulties facing Palestinians living within Israel itself.

We also learnt about the work of the Baladna Centre, http://momken.org/baladna which aims to help young Palestinians living in Israel develop their own sense of historical and cultural identity, and counter the ‘Judaisation’ of their culture. Whilst it was inspiring to hear about the different programmes Baladna is involved in, the picture painted by those working at the centre was in many ways bleak: they commented that many young Palestinians see little in the way of a future for themselves as educational and employment opportunities are so limited, and in many cases dream of getting out of the country rather than making a life for themselves within it.

From above the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa it was almost possible to see Lebanon through the sea haze. The beautiful scene was hard to reconcile with the images our guide Michel painted for us, as he described watching the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon in 2006 – ‘like hell’ was the phrase he used.

Then a 7km cycle up an outrageously steep hill to Ein Hod, a previously unrecognized village. The 37C heat was not helped by the insulating effect of our luminous yellow reflective Peace Cycle vests! When a village is unrecognized by the Israeli authorities it means it is not entitled to any state services, including water, electricity and schools. Palestinians have lived in Ein Hod for the past 150 years, but for Israeli convenience it was officially ‘off the map’ until 1994, when Ein Hod was finally recognized. Before then the villagers had no electricity or water and were forced to educate their children in a disguised schoolroom to avoid detection. Even once the village was recognized, the villagers were forced to pay for and connect the water supply themselves. There are hundreds of other villages which are still unrecognized in Gallilee, and as such remain denied of access to all basic services.

A wonderful (and very fast!) cycle back down the hill as heat of the sun started to fade was a perfect end to another interesting day.

George S. Rishmawi
Coordinator,

Second Day of Peace Cycle - Cyclists cross from Jordan at Allenby Bridge

Report from Ishrat Amin, 2008 Peace Cyclist:

WE are all through the Allenby Bridge!!!
During all our preparation and training, we could never be sure that the group of cyclists would be permitted through from Jordan by the Israeli authorities - we have heard so many reports of people being turned away at the border for such ridiculous reasons as having Arabic cigarettes in their possession! If we had not been allowed through the whole trip would have been put on hold and we would have faced incredible disappointment - but it would have been nothing compared to the disappointment of the people waiting to meet us in Israel and Palestine.
But today, it took us about six hours of waiting, and four of us were held whilst the Israeli authorities did their 'security checks', but we have made it through.
Our experience at the border certainly was an eye opener - and as a first timer I found it upsetting. However, we all got through together and we are now in Nazareth enjoying fantastic Arab hospitality, and eager to continue this amazing trip.

I will mail more once I have more time :-)

Ish
Peace Cyclist 2008

Saturday 16th August 2008 - Day Two of The Peace Cycle 2008

After a four hour wait while some of the group were questioned at length by the Israeli authorities, all the Peace Cyclists crossed the border from Jordan at the Allenby Bridge today. The group is now safely in Nazareth and eager to continue their trip.

Friday 15^th August 2008 – Day One of The Peace Cycle 2008

It’s 10.30pm and we have just arrived back in Amman after our first full day of cycling. It’s difficult to express all that we have seen and done so far on TPC2008 and we have only been here a day.

If today is any indication of what the next two weeks will bring we are in for an incredible life-changing experience. It is clear we will have our eyes opened about the situation in the Occupied Territories and how the displaced Palestinians manage to display such great courage and resilience in the face of daily injustice. We are also going to learn about ourselves and how we will cope with the physical and emotional challenges that lie ahead.

The day started with Nathan, our resident mechanic, reassembling all eight bikes after the flight from Europe. We were really pleased to be joined by Sahar, who was a member of TPC2004. She gave us such insight to the situation on the ground in the West Bank and the original Peace Cycle from London to Jerusalem. Once we had all got organized we set off for the first stop on our itinerary – a Palestinian refugee camp in Madaba, some 40km from Amman. The journey wasn’t without incident – two punctures and a broken chain had to be tackled along the way but the police (and later ambulance!) escort certainly added to the occasion.

We were warned about the hills and the heat but the breeze seemed to help – most of the time. Three hours of cycling brought us to the Youth Centre in Madaba which has served as a education, social and sporting resource for the refugee community since 1982. We were treated to mansaf, a delicious Jordanian dish with chicken and rice, consumed in the traditional way from one large dish and using20our hands. The community leaders told us about the work they do to help alleviate the poverty and suffering of the poorest refugees. It was encouraging to learn that the centre had received some funding from the EU and Canada – despite this though medical and educational support was still very limited.

A further 10km brought us to Mount Nebo, the site in the Bible where Moses saw the ‘Promised Land’. The view was indeed spectacular but the question of land was never far from our thoughts looking down on the Dead Sea and towards the West Bank. A fitting end to our first day where we cycled 60km in total – good training for the days ahead.

Friends and family have asked us – Is it safe what you are doing? But one answer is – is it safe not to? This region needs peace and justice and the lovely people we met today deserve what we all take for granted – our homes, families and the potential to live fully and in peace. Today has seen us make new friends, share amazing experiences and meet incredibly inspiring people who are working for a better life for the Palestinians. Tomorrow we cross the Allenby Bridge into the West Bank town of Nazareth.

Saturday 16th August – Crossing the border

After our warm welcome yesterday and 60k bike ride, everybody was surprisingly refreshed and spirits were high. Our first disappointment was delivered when we were told that we were unable to cycle across the Allenby Bridge, despite having this agreed before hand, it was decided that it was too busy for us.

We boarded coaches to carry us across the border and arrived at the crossing to a scene of ‘chaos’. This only got worse the closer we thought we were to getting through. We joined all the people to get our luggage checked and then proceeded to have our passports checked. We were made to go through a security cubical which sprayed air and gas to check for TNT and the like. The thought of having these gasses sprayed at you each time you cros s the border was worrying – not knowing what these gasses were. Three of us were made to wait whilst our passports were checked. At this point the thought of one of us not getting through began to surface. Shortly after a man returned and gave back our passports giving a false sense of security that we were=2 0through.

It was obvious to us that the mindset of Israel is indoctrinating the young generations to perpetuate the situation that is ongoing. The majority of the officials we encountered were young, yet displayed a total awareness of the power they hold over anyone wishing to enter. Their attitude was one of superiority and disrespect for the people they dealt with.

However, we soon realized that we had to go through yet another passport check. An official rudely pushed waiting Palestinians back to allow us to have our passports checked. Depending on which official checked the passport, four of us were cleared and four of us were held whilst further security checks were made. This resulted in a four hour delay getting through. The group was split in two – unable to communicate yet able to see each other with a ‘no man’s land’ dividing us. Questions were asked about who we were going to see, where we had been and what our intentions in Israel were. The main concern was with one of the TCP members who had traveled to Syria for 2 weeks, which for the officials was apparently a long time to experience a country!

Whilst waiting for our passports we watched a young Palestinian family also waiting to be allowed to come into Israel. The young woman held a 6 month old baby who lay asleep in her arms whilst they20waited to be told if they were cleared or not. An official took the father away to be questioned and then returned to tell the family (after hours of waiting) that they had been denied access. Though the man pleaded with the official pointing at the baby they were still turned away. It was unclear why this happened, but they seemed to know that no amount of pleading would get them through.

Finally, the two groups were reunited.

On the other side of the security checks, the other members of the group witnessed the complete disregard of people’s property. Luggage was unceremoniously thrown off the conveyer belts onto luggage already on the floor, until it simply piled up making it impossible to easily identify. Trolleys were situated outside the airport which created even more tension and frustration whilst people poured into the last section of the security checkpoint. It was obvious that this chaos was intentionally aimed at discouraging any future travel.

Whilst in the coach we happened across an Israeli family whose car had broken down on the roadside. In need of water, our driver stopped to assist. The Israeli man simply took water from the coach showing no appreciation and giving no thanks for the help they received. It was almost as if the Israeli felt entitled to this help freely gi ven by our driver who didn’t think twice of his nationality, religion or of the ongoing conflict.

Though this is only our second day we have had our eyes opened to the some of the realities of the “security” measures that exist in everyday life and the human disregard that many Israelis display.

Salaam and best regards,
The 2008 Peace Cyclists

Friday 15^th August 2008 – Day One of The Peace Cycle 2008

The day started with Nathan, our resident mechanic, reassembling all eight bikes afte r the flight from Europe. We were really pleased to be joined by Sahar, who was a member of TPC2004. She gave us such insight to the situation on the ground in the West Bank and the original Peace Cycle from London to Jerusalem. Once we had all got organized we set off for the first stop on our itinerary – a Palestinian refugee camp in Madaba, some 40km from Amman. The journey wasn’t without incident – two punctures and a broken chain had to be tackled along the way but the police (and later ambulance!) escort certainly added to the occasion.

We were warned about the hills and the heat but the breeze seemed to help – most of the time. Three hours of cycling brought us to the Youth Centre in Madaba which has served as a education, social and sporting resource for the refugee community since 1982. We were treated to mansaf, a delicious Jordanian dish with chicken and rice, consumed in the traditional way from one large dish and using our hands. The community leaders told us about the work they do to help alleviate the poverty and suffering of the poorest refugees. It was encouraging to learn that the centre had received some funding from the EU and Canada – despite this though medical and educational support was still very limited.

The Peace Cycle 2008 Cyclists

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