Just a quick note about the incredibly sad internal Palestinian violence... and a hopeful response. I probably don't know more about the fighting than you all do, because Gaza is just as inaccessible from the West Bank as from the US, where most of you are. Perhaps I hear news with less sensationalism and more emotion, though - people here are really sad and frustrated. So yesterday, at 10 am, I got a call that there would be a demonstration and human chain in Ramallah at 11. I was already in Ramallah, so I decided to go, thinking it would be tiny.
The event was organized by the Farmers' Union and the idea was to include farmers and workers in the political process and involve people in a grassroots process to take back Palestine from those who seek power at the expense of the people. I arrived and saw hundreds of women and men of all ages, girls from school groups, etc.
We began at the parliament building (Hamas-controlled) and the idea was to make a human chain to the PA headquarters (Fatah-controlled). We didn't quite reach it, but we did reach to the center of town, after which time the crowd just started marching and chanting.
"Ya Haniye, w ya rais, dam ilshab mush rhiis" (Hey Haniyeh, and hey president [Abbas], the blood of the people isn't cheap)
"Wahde wahde wataniye, Fatah, Hamas w'shiuiye" (one one nation, Fatah, Hamas, and the communists)
We marched to the PA headquarters and went inside. The guards in their uniforms and guns shook people's hands as we walked by and let us in without protest. I said to a friend, "This is amazing that they're just letting us in."
"They have to," he replied, "We elected them, we put them there." Can you imagine that happening in the US? A group of people marching to the Whitehouse and the guards letting us in...
I felt a little strange going as an international, since I think there's enough foreign meddling in (and foreign reasons for) the internal violence. But as soon as I arrived it was clear it was Palestinian-led, I was one of only a few internationals, and several people thanked me for being there with them. In that moment, being there felt like solidarity. And like an important story to share.
There was tons of press there, but I worry that it was all Arab press. I'm curious if it got any Western press.
