Palestinians?
These are dangerous days. Ramallah 19-04
Yesterday to DWRC for unterview with activist. asked how situation? Outside politics is dominating, unemployment, bombing, delay of salaries. People are trying to live. There is cloSULC between the cities. People don't blame Hamas, because Israel treated Arafat in the same way
For 3 months there were no suicide bombs, yet the killing
Palestinians continued. "This does not mean we want suicide bombs. They want a new land here - not in paradise."
"But people don't have hope in the near future. More and more people are becoming extreme. Even if Hamas hadn't won the killing would have continued. The question is not who governs, but the occupation."
"We can't ask for a raise while employer can't sell anything. Even so we are trying to rebuild the unions.
"And we are preparing for the first of May to express the workers voice, to bring labour laws on to the agenda. We haven't yet negotiated with the new regime". I am told
150,000 Palestinians used to work in Israel and 150,000 for the Palestinian Authority. None of them are being paid. Add to these the Taxi drivers elc. wno service tnem, and you will see the effect.
The problem is not Hamas, but the governments who wanl lo put pressure. There is not a military solution, but the policy of Israel makes it impossible to have two states. All NGOs affected, they don't want to accept the conditions of the Americans and the European Union.
They won't succeed in getting rid of the Hamas government. They didn't talk to the PLO either. "They insist we recognise somebody who has just arrived from Russia, but we have lived here thousands of years, and they won't recognise us".
Then I go off to Al Amari Camp to see adults and kids
Oxford last WIlO calclo summer. The Israeli army had been through the camp last night. Watched TV, UOe brigades were demanding Abu Mazen apologise for his statement about suicide bomb in Tel Aviv, in which he didn't even menDon the killed in Gaza, in the last weeks, by the Israelis, which was Gouble The number. There have been clashes in the camo between Hamas and Fateh Brigades, and they have had to bring outsiders to resolve.
Meanwhile the kids have just had mid term tests. They tell me that Hamas are doing extracurricular maths and bngılsn ın lne mosque although they themselves aren't doing the classes. 19-04 Ramallah 2
Atter camp. went to see new Palestinian film called "Rachel An American Conscience". It is good.
Next off DWRC to interview members of the health union committee. First interview I have ever conducted in Arabic, so luckily I filmed it because I didn't understand a word.
Learnt from that the Israeli tanks had come in last night, and there had been stone throwing, and live fire, and the Israelis say they arrested four
Went then see Mohammad Aruri deputy Scretary of Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) in Ramallah, and one of onlv 8 people on National Executive. His name had headed a petition calling for democracy in the union. Now the leader of the union, Shaheer Saaed, has stopped him being paid.
He is also responsible for the union's legal dept. and got the TGWU to give a large sum of money for this work, but one of Saaed's croneys set up a new office, and used that MONeV
He has only just learnt about the London TU support conference, and he has never heard of the woman who spoke in the PGFTUs name, neither had the woman secretary of the women's dept.
The lack of democracy in the PGFTU has led some sections to want to link up with the new democratic unions, àc ố à céenon democratic unions. He is also worried about the danger of r el Ministrv (Touri the Islamic unions
He gave me an example of how difficult for Palestine. I asked about the water in Ramallah, because workers from all over
June West Bank are moving there instead of going through checkpoints, so there are new buildings everywhere.
He said the Israelis sell the water to the city, but it is water that they have taken from Palestine, in to Israel, and then sell it back, how can such a country survive. Ramallah 20-04
Israeli shooting out by Bir Zeit last night, felt strange as I sat 1n cinema watching Pride and Prejudice. Jericho is sealed off, as is Nablus, which also has a curfew. The situation here is tense, with the nightly incursions by Israeli troops
I went out to Bir Zeit University this morning. I couldn't go on Tuesday or Wednesday, as they don't allow outsiders during student elections.
Hamas WUl. Hamas L3. Fateh 18, Left coalition 5, Jihad 2, Independents DFLP 1, Mustafa Barghouti's organisation didn't get any. There are people wearing the green of Hamas all over, particularly women students.
And this is the liberal end of society. Israel, and the West are strengthening Hamas.
I met Nassif, Irom ne Palestinian Medical Relief Society. This is the largest of the NGOs, and does Health,