February 26, 2004

In Virginia

[Bergton, Virginia] I'm back home in Virginia, and to be honest, it's difficult to be here. There has been a lot of Israeli military activity in Bethlehem this week, and I feel sort of helpless being 10,000 miles away from friends under siege. It's a terrible feeling knowing what my neighbors are going through -- and I'm relaxing comfortably in my parent's warm home watching music videos and sports on TV. But I'm serious, it's really difficult to be separated.

Since I'm not helping by being some sort of a presence in Bethlehem, I'll try to do what I can here. I've written to a few newspapers and politicians. And I've talked to a few people. In the upcoming weeks, I'll get to share with a few more. I'll be speaking in some Virginia churches. If you live in Virginia and want to get together, give me a call and we can hang out a while -- when my dad doesn't have me busy cleaning the barn.

I read in Haaretz this morning that a US State Department human rights report said that Israeli forces often used excessive force when confronting Palestinian demonstrations or pursuing suspects. (Two Palestinians were killed yesterday in a protest against the Israeli separation wall.) The report also said that Israeli troops impeded medical assistance to Palestinian civilians at roadblocks, and carried out policies of demolitions, strict curfews, and closures that directly punished innocent civilians. In addition, Israel's human rights record in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2003 "remained poor and worsened in the treatment of foreign human rights activists."

I'd like to get Ahmad and my nephew Casey together.
They are the same age, and they both like a bit of good-natured roughhousing!