November 28, 2001

Shooting Continues

This evening I was tutoring English on the West side of Bethlehem. I was near the Shepherd's Hotel, high in an apartment building. We finished working at 8:00 and I was enjoying a hot cup of mint tea when the shooting broke out. This time the Palestinians started first. I had an excellent vantage point as about a dozen red tracer bullets were fired into the Israeli Gilo settlement from Beit Jala. There was additional slow steady firing from the Palestinian side for a few minutes. I watched as several flares floated over the area. Then the Israelis retaliated. Faster, stronger bursts of firing and eventually a few tank shells. It continued for about fifteen minutes and then it stopped. For this area, it was very minor activity, routine even, but it still bothered me. (And I don't like saying that it's "routine" or "normal".)

Isn't there supposed to be some sort of cease fire in effect? No? I guess that was just hoping on my part. What about Ramadan? Isn't the firing supposed to stop then? Well, it didn't stop in Afghanistan, and I guess it's not stopping in Palestine either. What about the US envoys who are here to facilitate the peace process? The newspapers reported that they witnessed some activity while flying in a helicopter over the area yesterday. I wonder what it's going to take to make this a peaceful place? Will it ever be? Do 100% of the people have to be in favor of peace before it happens? There's no way that's going to happen. Would 50% be enough? I'm pretty sure that at least 50% of the Israelis and 50% of the Palestinians must be in favor of peace.

When the firing stopped, I grabbed my things and headed out the door. I hugged the walls of the alleys until I was comfortable. Then I stopped at one of my favorite restaurants, El Mariachi, and had a fajita dinner.