Solidarity: Unity arising from common responsibilities ....

Representing the Palestinian Flag

      Like clockwork every Friday a diverse group of people young and old gather in East Jerusalem to stand up against civil inequality.  The foundation of this is due to the Israel government conducting forced evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem.  The demonstrations in the small neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah have come to represent a greater political movement of the Israeli left and continues to draw people in due to its peaceful yet strong representation.

  A bit more background: During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Palestinians fled their homes in West Jerusalem and settled in East Jerusalem (which was ruled by Jordan at the time).  Many families waived their UN refugee cards in exchange for the right to build houses on the vacant lots in Sheikh Jarrah.  Then, in 1967 Israel gained occupation over East Jerusalem and the neighborhoods began to fill with Jewish settlers.  Currently different Jewish organizations have begun to claim ownership over the Palestinian land through Ottoman deeds that date back to the 19th century.  The Palestinian families have similar Ottoman deeds to homes in West Jerusalem but are not allowed to regain ownership.  There is an "Absentee Properties Law" that officially allows Jews to reclaim possession of prewar assets, but does not grant the Palestinians that equal right.

    We were on our way to the market on Friday when a large crowd on the corner drew our attention.  We found someone who spoke English and began to get pieces of a very involved and disputed story.  The woman was a middle-aged teacher from Haifa and turned out to be a great resource.  She was very passionate about the movement and standing up for equality but also admitted to becoming very disheartened over the years.  She had spent many years trying to make a difference through peaceful demonstrations but had only seen a continuation of injustice.  She reminded me of so many people back home who have fought hard for what they believed in, but then they got to a point where they also had to live a normal life.  It takes so much emotional and physical energy out of someone to go against the grain.  She said that when she begins to get down about the situation surrounding her she travels several hours to the Sheikh Jarrah demonstration to feel refreshed and revive the hope and passion towards a brighter future.  A major reason this movement continues is due to the energetic youth that are not giving up.  It stands as another reminder to me that although it may be easier to live your life in ignorance of heavy issues, it is important to stand for what you believe in.  The key as always is to find a balance within this so you keep a positive energy and don't burn out completely.

    As an observer I walked with the group of demonstrators through the disputed neighborhood, pausing in front of each of the houses where forced evictions occurred.  At some of the houses the Jewish Settlers came out to stand on their porches and rooftops, waving their Israeli flags and standing proud. At one house the Jewish Settlers even had speakers set up on their roof playing loud music to drown out the demonstrator's chanting.

    Because this demonstration is every Friday it is a very interesting dynamic - people get to know eachothers faces on both sides.  Many of the loudest voices on the demonstration side are the kids and adults that were evicted.  They yell with passion and in solidarity towards the houses that are now home to new families - which believe just as passionately about their right to be there.

The same guy has been arriving with the pirate flag for over a year - he has a strong grip on the pole as the Israeli flags aim to knock it..... I guess he feels that it is the most suitable flag to represent what is happening