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The Daily Life of Kawther Salam ..: Hell Made in Israel - March 2002 :.. June,
2004
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Go To: Monday, March 04, 2002 Tuesday, March 12, 2002 Friday, March 15, 2002 Tuesday, March 19, 2002 Wednesday, March 20, 2002 Friday, March 22 ,2002 Saturday, March 23, 2002 Sunday, March 24, 2002 Thursday 28, March 2002 Monday, March 04, 2002 On 4th March 2002, at 6:45 a.m., I arrived at Ben Gurion airport. I just spent a wonderful time in Ireland. It's so different to feel that you are a human being, enjoying your life, but then the reminder of living under the occupation. It is so discouraging. I was thinking about my life when an airline hostess asked me what I prefer to drink-"vodka or wine?” I decided to take a drink. I said to myself “Why not? This is the only way I can stop thinking about what's going to happen for me at the airport., " I told her, "Please, a glass of vodka." I asked her to sell me large bottle of wine too. I encountered the usual problems with security in Ben Gurion Airport. They took me to a special room, which was dirty and full of garbage. They ordered me to enter a small "cell" and began searching my body. When their examination hurt me, I cried out The security men and women hurried over to me. I fell on the floor, very upset by the physical intrusions. The security women started threatening me, telling me to stand up or they would call the police to arrest me. One of them helped me to stand up while the others continued to assault me with their searching. I stopped them in the middle of the search. I was confused. I asked them, "How long will you continue to live in this abnormal situation? If you are frightened of what my people may do, then stop your occupation." The security people were astonished. They stared at me. One of them threatened me and said they would call the police. I said "I don't care. Call whoever you want.” I opened my bag that had the symbol of the International Declaration of Human Rights in it. I offered it to the security officer as a gift to display in the airport. Maybe it will help them to understand that they are dealing with human beings. The officer was polite. He kept silent. Then he spoke to me. I told him that I did not object to security searches, but that I was upset with the manner in which they conducted it. I was not under arrest or detention. I had arrived at the airport in the usual manner. All nationalities must be respected in an airport. I requested that my bags be searched by security women only. The officer gave his instructions. All the men left and the women started to search my belongings. It took them four hours. Most of the time I was talking with the security officer. He listened to me, respectfully. I told him the reasons that I had been drinking alcohol on the plane. I'm not fond of alcohol and I never drank much before. The officer said there were no charges against me. He shook hands with me and respectfully apologized. Tuesday, March 12, 2002 After I spent a couple of days with my Israeli friend in Tel-Aviv, I decided to return to my home and work in Hebron. However, the Israeli soldiers would not allow me to enter my home. The city has been under curfew for a couple of weeks. For 325 days the Palestinian people have lived under curfew since the beginning of the "Intifada." I tried to reach my home by using roads in the old market. I entered my house. It was full off garbage. It was a terrible mess. Everything was damaged in my house. I left my home to live with friends until the International observer arrived to assist me in my house. Friday, March 15, 2002 It was 12:30 p.m. when an Israeli officer threw my International press card in the street and ordered me to stop filming or he would shoot at me. He said that I was not allowed to practice my job as a journalist without carrying the "GPO" Israeli press card. The Israeli government refuses to renew press cards for Palestinian journalists for political reasons, but they had not refused my press card yet. I had filled out the form to renew my card two weeks ago. They said they were going to send it after security verification. They haven't notified me yet. Maybe they need more time so that one of the Israeli soldiers could shoot me and the "IDF" spokesperson could say that he wasn’t able to identify me as a journalist?! Tuesday, March 19, 2002 Today I broke the curfew. The Israelis ordered me to stop doing my journalist duties. I opened the barbed wire in Al-Shallaleh Street. I entered the street. One of the soldiers was ready to shoot me. He shouted and ordered me to stop. I stopped and told that I was not a terrorist but a journalist. In the old market, while I was walking with my Irish friend, another one of the Israeli soldiers who was hiding in the corner, pointed his gun at us. His finger was ready to pull the trigger. He shouted and we stopped. Then after a few minutes conversation, we continued walking. We did not want an argument with that soldier. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 I have a severe headache as a result of what had happened to me during my professional tour in the area H2 under the military occupation. At 11:30 a.m., I had crossed Al-Shallalleh Al-Jadeed St. on my way to the old city. Two Israeli soldiers noticed and followed me. I stopped for a minute and the officer said to me, "You should go through the Palestinian area to reach the Old Shallaleh Street!! I said to him "I should walk 3 km, instead of 1, that's not logical"!! The Israeli military had blocked Al-Shallaleh Street behind Beit Hadasah settlement for two months. Over 100 shops had closed on the street. Palestinians are not allowed to walk on Al-Shuhada Street in front of the settlement or behind the settlement, either! The old Shallaleh St. behind Al-Shallaleh Al-Jadeed is blocked by barbed wire and soldiers. All the roads to area H2 were blocked by the military. The Palestinian’s homes became "isolated cells" under this division. They have lived under curfew for 325 days. It's very dangerous for any one to move about in the old city. It’s very dangerous to cross the military barbed wire. The soldiers are always ready to shoot. I continued my tour. It's a terrible way to live. The streets smelled bad. The stench spread to the old market. Big rats and cats crossed along the market street and my path. The children called to me from the windows with sad faces. It is an insufferable situation. Six soldiers, four men and two women were walking in the market preceeded by a vicious attack dog. I heard them yelling and ordering the children to stop looking through the windows. They said, "Close the windows; it's curfew." The soldiers heard my steps and prepared themselves to exercise their military duties. Their fingers were fixed and they were read to shoot! An officer called out to me. "You were in London, why did you return?" One of the women shouted "MAKHASHEFAH!", what means "Witch." All of them laughed loudly. I said, "Yes honey, how are you? I really missed you!!" The soldiers continued with their small talk, and I went on my way. At the market entrance, near the Beit Romano Yeshiva school, 10 soldiers were breaking into a tunnel chasing an eight year-old child. As I took some photos the soldiers asked me," Who are you?" I said, "I'm a journalist". They asked, "What are you doing here?" I replied "I'm taking some documentary pictures of "peaceful' soldiers." I was talking with soldiers when a loud voice interrupted us. I turned to face the officer who had threatened to shoot me back on Friday, March 15. He said, "What are you doing here?" I replied, " I'm filming your 'nice' soldiers." He said, "Show me your ID." I opened my bag to take out my ID but the soldier in front of me stopped and said, “You are beautiful. " I answered, "What did you say?" He repeated to me, "You are beautiful." I said, "You are too. Thank you. Here is my ID." The officer then said, "You are dressed well." He got several steps closer to me. I asked him if what he said to me is part of his security work or not. I stepped away from him. He asked me, "Why are you running away from me?" He stopped right in front of my face and said, "I love talking with you. Please stay with me and talk for five minutes." I was angry. I told him, "You threatened to kill me last Friday!" The soldier said, "No, I was just kidding. I love talking with you. I want peace like you do. I want to live with my family in peace." This officer looked like he was about 22 years old. He began asking me personal questions. I reminded him that we were not in a pub having a drink. We were in Hebron and that I should leave. I reminded him that his commander would punish him if he heard about his speaking to me. Friday, March 22 ,2002 I am still living with friends in Hebron in area "H2" as a result of the IDF occupying the roof top of my home and the restriction it imposes on my free movement. One soldier asked me "Show me your press card!" He said "International Press Card, it’s disgusting!" Then he asked me, "How many bad reporters do we have in Israel?" I replied "No one, I don’t believe that you are not allowed to ask me silly questions." The soldier said " You are evil, “fuck the world" and he cut my Press Card in two pieces and threw them on the street. Another soldier nearby shouted, "No" at the one who cut my card . He picked the press card off the street. The two soldiers start arguing with each other. I heard them saying strong curses like "koss immak shelkha" which means "motherfucker." I watched them for a while and tried to call the police. The other soldier walked over to me and said, "I'm sorry I didn’t mean it" and then asked me not to file a complaint against him. I asked him, "Why did you cut up my press card?" He said, "I don't know you, but I saw your picture hanging in our camp. My officer said you had returned from London to write lies about our soldiers." It was very clear that the soldiers were harassing me as a result of instructions from their commander. A Palestinian construction laborer working in Beit Romano settlement had told me that he saw my picture hanging in Al-Shuhada military camp in the commanders' office with writing underneath my picture that said "hostile journalist." Saturday, March 23, 2002
Sunday, March 24, 2002 The Israeli Parliament member "Abou Vilan" investigated the issue of renewing my press card. He said that he received an official response. They informed him that they will not renew my press card. They claimed that while I was visiting Ireland, I was involved in the campaign against Israel. While in Ireland, I did help organize the conference "The Defenders of Human Rights" which was held in Dublin Castle Jan. 17- 19, 2002. The Prime Minister of Dublin introduced the conference. Over 80 countries participated in it. In Dublin, I spoke on the "ERT" radio station at Trinty College about the violations of human rights occurring in our daily life with the "IDF" soldiers in Hebron. I was honest in what I reported. I was not involved in “a campaign against Israel.” The Israeli Press Office Director Mr. Daniel Seaman who was the official in charge of my press card problem told me on the phone that, "The Jewish community in Hebron prefers not to recognize me!!" To them, I don’t deserve to be a journalist!! What Mr. Seaman meant by “The Jewish community in Hebron” are settlers like Barouch Marzel, Noam Federman, Moshe Levinger, and other extreme settlers do not want to recognize me. Mr. Seaman did not give me his final response about renewing my press card. However, he did mention that he will take into consideration the "settlers point of view toward me as a journalist !!!” Thursday 28, March 2002 I drove to Haifa with an Israeli friend. It took me one hour to hold a meeting with Mr. Ahmed S'ad, the editor of Al-Ittihad newspaper. The main subject during our meeting was the issue of renewing my Israeli Government Press Card. I returned home quickly because of the Israeli celebration of "Besah" The Israeli family that I have been living before I went to Ireland told me, "You should share us the ‘Besah’ preparation and the celebration today." The whole family paid me special attention through the "Besah." They gave me a welcome statement, and then they translated the Torah. They have not forgotten how to laugh. They made me laugh when they said, "What do you think the settlers would do if they knew about you and us? “They will kill all of us!" Then they laughed loudly!! The family was trying to make me happy. They wanted to help me forget that Israeli soldiers had driven me out of house my house into the street in Hebron. They wanted to help me forget that I am a refugee in Israel. The next day the family went to Senay, but I preferred to stay home with Zahave. I had many things to do. I'm writing daily reports to Al-Ittihad newspaper in Haifa, and the "Sunday Tribune" in Ireland. I promised to join the family on another trip. Today, March 28, I received an e-mail from the "Front Line Defenders of the Human Rights" where I had worked in Ireland for a short time. Ms. Mary Lawlor, the head of this organization informed me that she contacted the Irish Foreign Affairs office to investigate the issue of renewing my press card. She contacted Mr. Ronan Brady, a member of the International Union of Journalists (IFJ). The IFJ sent me another e-mail. Sarah de Jong said that the IFJ received my message about the Israeli soldier who had cut my international Press Card, saying "Fuck the World." She said, "That is absolutely outrageous !” -> Back to Overview -> Home |