At around 5:00 P.M., a few young Arab men came in, bearing candles for light �and atmosphere,� and we regrouped for an informal discussion. They introduced themselves. I do not recall all of their names, though half of them seemed to be called George. From them we learned more of the intifadah. Apparently, it was sparked on 9 December 1987 when an Israeli tank hit three people in a refugee camp in Gaza. This led to demonstrations, which spread rapidly and spontaneously as a result of decades of oppression. The main methods employed by participants in the intifadah were throwing stones and molatov cocktails. Bombs and guns were also used, but were not as prevalent. In Bet Sahour, they for the most part chose non-violent civil disobedience. It is impossible, we are told, to go to any home in Palestine without finding that the family there has had at least one relative killed, injured or imprisoned. The intifadah stopped when the Gulf War started. Afterwards, many Palestinians refused to pay the fee to have their confiscated I.D. cards returned. When these people did not get their I.D.�s back, others threw theirs out in protest. As a result, a curfew was imposed in July 1988. One year later, the people refused to pay taxes, and the Israeli government confiscated furniture and business goods over and above what had been owed in taxes. Bet Sahour was under siege for forty days, and no one could enter or leave, though some clergy sneaked in to bring food and supplies. All in all, about $5 million was taken�over ten times the required amount. About eighty people were imprisoned in the process, mostly doctors, engineers and merchants. The government tried to break their resolve by telling them they only had to pay one shekel, but they refused, saying, �no taxation without representation.�
The young man talking to us now is about twenty-five years old. He wears blue work pants tucked into combat boots, a black shirt and black and white Arab scarf around his shoulders. He is of medium build with very short hair and a slight beard and moustache. He says that at curfew, your house becomes your prison; you can�t even go out on your balcony. The Israeli government also practices administrative detention, which means you could go to jail for four years without knowing why. Palestinians suffer on a daily basis from deportations, closed schools, confiscated medicine. Another man with a dark blue shirt, light blue vest and deep black eyes says, �We are the intifadah generation. My memories are of soldiers breaking the bones of my friends. But in spite of that, we come here, and we sit with the Israelis and talk. In all of this, to me, though, I never felt equal.� |
