No One Should Be Surprised

I was watching Al-Jazeera on January 30th; the afternoon that a suicide bomber struck in Eilat. Eilat is a very mellow resort community on the southernmost point of Israel. I have some very happy memories from that place. Eleven years ago, this small resort community was my haven after I had escaped from Kibbutz Grofit; a throw back hippy swinging commune in which I was forced to sift through truckloads of onions eight hours a day. While on Grofit, I became incredibly ill and the shrew of a nurse in the kibbutz clinic refused to excuse me from my onion sorting duties. So, being free labor with free will, I told them how they should sort their onions and left. The interesting thing about onions is that the offensive stink that emanates from someone who has just chomped down this malodorous bulb can be achieved much quicker, and with longer lingering effects, if you just inhale the juices that come splattering out of the onions as they tumble out of the dump truck and bounce through an industrial sorting contraption. On the bus to Eilat, people actually moved away from me because I was giving off such a funky scent. The point is that that experience stunk.

I don’t know how the news was received elsewhere in the world, but when the bomber hit Eilat, everyone here was baffled. It seemed like Eilat was exempt from this sort of violence and there were a lot of theories as to what had actually happened. The scraps of information that were tossed out immediately after the attack did not fit neatly into the modus operandi of any of the groups. The attacker was at one point reportedly from Jordan. Then it was reported that he was actually from Gaza but had crossed over from either Jordan or Egypt. Everyone was hypothesizing with whom this character was affiliated. All the groups initially claimed responsibility, but some had a hunch that this attacker originated from an off-shoot group trying to make the scene. Maybe Eilat was their Deb Ball. The attacker’s target also didn’t make much sense. There was no bombast. Most of us wondered what the point was. One Palestinian man said that some people think that the Israelis themselves were behind the attack. It was that much of a deviation from the strategic norm. Now it is much clearer that the target was selected out of desperation. The actual destination was thought to have been Haifa. Getting there was complicated by the fact that Mohammed Saksak apparently had a crap poker face. The Israeli who gave him a lift sensed that something was seriously wrong and Saksak soon realized that the jig was up. He must have thought any target was better than none. When all was said and done, everyone was left scratching their heads.

The events of the past week are far more unsettling. I was warned to avoid the Old City a few days ago and up until now I have not been in any rush to head down there. The warnings are for good reason, I think. Tensions have been running high with the new construction near the Western Wall and I don’t really get much love even when the Israelis aren’t actively antagonizing the Palestinian population. The other day I was in Arabic class and one of my classmates received a phone call warning her of possible riots. Later another classmate arrived, and when I gave her the warning, she confided that she had already been down to Damascus Gate. She said that as she approached the Old City, there were swarms of Israeli military and groups of tense Palestinians. She was not permitted to enter the Old City, and she could see through the gate that the cobbled streets were empty. So, she asked one of the soldiers to explain what was going on. He confirmed that there were rumors of potential violence. Well, duh. The presence of armed Israelis blocking access to the Old City and the Al-Aqsa Mosque doesn’t really engender tickle fights and Care Bear hugs.

Unfortunately, NO ONE knows what the actual situation is. I had dinner with a group of Israelis two nights ago who doubt both the Israeli and the Palestinian official positions. I have been talking with Palestinians who echoed the same sentiment and everyone is expressing frustration. It doesn’t help that every news report cites a different argument. Is Israel doing clandestine digging in an attempt to unearth more artifacts from the first Temple in order to increase the “Jewishness” of the area? Maybe. Is Israel really trying to reinforce the bridge leading up to the Temple Mount/ Haram el-Sharif? Probably. Are they deliberately trying to provoke a third intifada in order to engender global condemnation of the new Palestinian unity government? Uh...that seems like a LOT of work and a bit of a gamble. I don’t know if I buy that. The most ludicrous of the accusations is that the construction is an attempt to dig a tunnel under the Al-Asqa Mosque so that the compound will collapse. If that were the case, the Israelis would have already called up all of the reservists and would be at battle ready for the inevitable arrival of the Four Horsemen. Such an action would be national suicide. Maybe someday, if the moderate majority of Israel decides that perhaps the Diaspora is preferable to illogical communal politics, and all the crazy ass settlers have assumed cabinet positions, perhaps then Israel will be motivated to destroy Al-Aqsa. Until that day, I think that theory should be tabled.

I had suggested from the beginning that to avert any potential violence, the Israeli authorities should have invited the Waqf to send an observer. All parties were allegedly notified weeks ago that construction would begin, but I haven’t heard of any real attempts to find a compromise or to establish a proactive approach to a highly contentious issue on either side. I just read this morning that someone proposed that cameras be installed and then the work can be broadcast live over the internet. Olmert has allegedly approved that plan so I’ll try to find a link. Anything that adds transparency would be the right step toward diffusing the tension. When the construction began, the archaeological representative announced on the news that they have nothing to hide and anyone can come see for themselves. I suppose that statement would have a little more validity if anyone were actually allowed to enter the area. As I was walking back from West Jerusalem, I saw soldiers and police checking IDs and turning Arabs away from entering the Old City. I wonder if any of them were interested in observing the excavation. I’m going to bet that the answer to that question is yes.

So, now violence is here. As I was walking up to the entrance of the compound, I saw a large fire in the middle of the road just a few yards beyond our neighborhood shops. The police had blocked off the road and by the time I had run back to my room to get my camera, the fire was out. I’ve attached a picture of what is normally a beautiful sunset over the Old City.

It’s just a tad hazy from all the burning tires and tear gas canisters that have been lobbed continuously throughout the latter part of the afternoon. One of my housemates and I were discussing how our mouths and eyes were burning a little and I was feeling a little nauseous. It didn’t occur to us at first that maybe it was the tear gas that was getting to us. Duh. Every once in a while there is a rattle of gunfire, but I can’t see any actual fighting. Then again, I’m not going out looking for it. All of the roads seem to have temporary roadblocks, and when I went out to take some pictures I saw another one had been set up down the street. (The picture that I’ve attached shows a bus trying to turn around after it encountered another obstacle in our neighborhood.)

Although, I would love to go out and have a beer at the OHCHR Happy Hour tonight, I don’t want to have to don a flak jacket to do it. It will clash with my shoes and handbag. I think this will be a quiet Friday night for me.