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Olives and Occupation
- by Lesley Mannering, Australia -
I don’t normally even go to the shops alone, so my friends and were
shocked when I told them I was off to Palestine, by myself. Going was
THE best thing I ever did! Palestine changed my life. I can’t wait to
return with my family! I am in love with her mind; her scent, her soul.
“But you’re a woman – going… there!” a colleague panicked. I was able
to tell her on my return that I felt safer walking around in the West
Bank than I do back home in my own Australian city. Palestinian people
are resilient and inspiring.
Despite the challenges and struggles of living under an oppressive
Israeli occupation, I found Palestine’s people to be some of the most
respectful, gracious, kind, authentic, and joyous humans I’ve ever met.
The culture and arts of Palestine are thriving whether it be visual
arts, music, dance, theatre or the culinary / craft arts. Palestinians
take pride in EVERYTHING they do. That’s why everything feels and is
special! The street art scene is massive! Some of the best and most
powerful street art in the world is in The West Bank! It’s a fiercely
artistic and non-violent resistance! Staying at Banksy’s “Walled Off”
Hotel in Bethlehem is an entire experience in itself and it’s all so
affordable too!
I’m not an overly emotional person, but I cried tears of awe at the
Israel Museum; over whelmed at seeing some of the earliest artefacts and
monuments of human civilisation.
The Dead Sea was stunning, the vast unearthly luminous body of blue
water seems to pulsate against the sandy, undulating mounts… The kind of
sight that would inspire poetry in the least poetic. The water was so
pleasantly warm and after the initial surprise and delight of actually
floating, our group thoroughly celebrated this wonder! We remain
friends to this day!
Green Olive took us to the holiest and most ancient, sacred places.
Jericho and The Mount of Temptation - incredible, but if Jesus was
anywhere to be found on my trip, he was at the Balata Refugee Camp with
the living angels who give their lives to help the 30,000+ people there.
In Nablus, we got to see the hand-made production of olive oil soap.
For generations, these soaps have been crafted so beautifully with such
painstaking, traditional methods.
I loved that Green Olive tour guides are from both Palestine and Israel.
It encouraged a variety of perspectives on the issues impacting daily
life for people in Jerusalem, Palestine and Israel. Sadly on our Hebron
trip, we observed several Bedouin communities and Palestinian families
being unjustly evicted from their homes where they’d lived for
generations by new settlers. I was travelling on this day with a group
of Jewish Americans. The party had left their birthright trip to seek a
more balanced perspective on the conflict/apartheid. We visited the
tomb of Abraham on that occasion. The checkpoints, 8M high separation
walls, watch-towers and road blocks are constant reminders of the
serious lack of equity. We all felt devastated to see in Hebron how
Palestinians, young and old are persecuted by the Israeli apartheid
system and those who support it.
Green Olive gave me the opportunity to connect with lovely Israeli and
Palestinian families - people going about their regular lives. I stayed
with a lovely Christian Palestinian family in Beit Sahour. They
invited myself and their other visitors to their own daughter’s bridal
shower! I’m not normally into weddings but I’d never experienced
anything like this! I got very into the uplifting and magical
celebrations.
I’m usually a bit shy, but the lovely matriarchs at my table were having
none of it! They got me up to dance, even when I told them I had two
left feet. That’s no excuse in Palestine... I saw a very elderly lady,
joyously dancing to the music whilst raising her hands in the air -
completely letting go. I saw the youth in her sparkling eyes! She held
my hands and showed me how to twist them. She smiled, patiently helped
move me to the rhythm. I resisted at first and then something about her
nodding and smiling at me shifted my whole being. I melted into the
music and felt totally free. I danced and found my feet in Palestine.
Palestine woke me up; made me feel loved, alive, whole, more myself than I was before I left.
I love you Palestine
and Green Olive.
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