Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories & Photos

This is an older documentary, from the early 2000s but doing a search I see it hasn't been posted yet and that's a shame. Anna Baltzer lived in the West Bank for 8 months as a volunteer for the International Women's Peace Service. She's a Jewish American who traveled to Israel in 2000 on a birthright trip and later to Turkey teaching English before making her way to live in the West Bank. What did she experience? How life is for the Palestinians under Israeli Occupation.

Now I know many of you are already tense and anxious because even calling it an occupation puts you on guard. Debates have raged over this with lines clearly drawn and people have been banned but do any of us have any idea what's going on over there? No we don't, we only know what we hear, read, and see on TV/internet. So for the next hour drop your guard and take the time to watch this video so you can learn what life is like there.

What you will learn from Anna;

Checkpoints in the West Bank (like inside and all around) and how they affect every single Palestinian, even their economy. How long you will wait at each checkpoint which can be anywhere from 2, 4, 6, 8 hours, even all day. Imagine trying to travel to school or work and dealing with these check points.

Segregated roads and Israeli settlements. Roads only Israelis can drive on that are within the West Bank. The Palestinians have their own roads, many dilapidated or unpaved while Israeli roads are modern. Why are there Israeli highways IN the West Bank? Well because there are many illegal Israeli settlements IN the West Bank. Sometimes Palestinians can travel on Israeli roads but usually only for short distances and all Palestinian vehicles must give right of way to Israeli's at all times. Israeli and Palestinian license plates are very different so it's easy to identify a Palestinian car on an Israeli road.

It's no secret Israel is constantly creating more and more settlements on Palestinian land illegally. The Israeli gov't actually pays Israelis to move to these settlements, they even advertise it. They offer money ($20,000) and subsidized mortgages along with beautiful homes, shopping centers, schools, playgrounds, etc for those move there. Who would move there? Well, being that the cost of living in Israel is ridiculous there are many who would consider this, most definitely including immigrants who recently moved to Israel.

Not only are there the Israeli gov't funded settlements but there are also outposts. What's an outpost? They belong to Israeli's who move into the West Bank on their own accord. They believe the Palestinians don't belong there so they do everything they can to force them to move so they can take the land. Recently in the news, these rogue settlers firebombed a Palestinian home which killed a toddler. These radical Israeli's outposts usually grow and eventually become Israeli gov't backed settlements once they've driven the Palestinians away.

This is but a glimpse into the everyday life of the Palestinian struggle and much more to learn in the documentary.

Thanks for the link! I can't imagine living like this everyday and have always tried to pay attention to religious bullying no matter what book the dullards might be reading from.

Having lived in the US for the majority of my life, (west coast) I can tell you that to even question Israel on anything results in being labeled a racist, anti Semite or whatever programmed slur is on hand for the answer.

If I ask my mother ( a sweet but naive person, living a very closed off life in Montana) a question about Israel, she starts out with a defensive sneer and immediately goes on the attack to protect and defend, again, anything that might be discussed. I've asked about the occupation when I was in H.S. and was dealt with by being told I was an ignorant racist, by both my teacher then my mother and the discussion ended there with me being a racist and no explanation for my questions. I really just wanted to understand more about the topic and there wasn't any internet available in the 70's. I didn't learn but more questions only lead to more bullying and labeling.

She has no, inside info or even what's currently going on, (her head is intentionally in the clouds and happy there apparently) it just seems to be almost automatic. Always been curious and if I ask about it, I'm being racist... Its quite vexing as I actually have Jewish friends, my mother doesn't even know a Jew. True story and she's not in anyway the only one I know that reacts this way when the subject comes up. I've learned to keep quiet with anything concerning the occupation of Gaza or any of the atrocities going on there unless I'm looking for a battle.

Is this a programmed response? I think that people in the US are, for the most part, ignorant in world affairs and what's going on outside the boarders of the MM propaganda machine and the country. I'm not a racist and I detest what Israel has, is and will continue to do to the people in the west bank. Cheers

a reply to: Swills

um, i was there.
settlements. Justification for stabbing women and toddlers?
settlements that israel dismantles every few years throwing out hundreds of families into the streets?
settlements on palestinian land?
you mean "no-mans land"
muslims beleive ANY LAND EVER occupied by muslims is their land. INCLUDING everything they held BEFORE CHARLEMAGNE. (spain, france, etc)
have you SEEN "their" land?
hundreds of acres of vacant uncultivated land.
land that hasnt been settled in centuries.
notice how when these settlements are returned to the pallystinians hey burn them to the ground and the area is never actually used again.

Oh, and what about the 1.2 MILLION Israeli Arabs? who hold posts in Govt, military and business.
what about them, civilized members of society, who incidentally arent shouting death to the jews all day long.

a reply to: Swills

Well golly gee......
I wonder why israelis would want separate roads????????

a reply to: Swills

Heres some more pictures from "occupied pallystine"



Shortly after two israeli soldiers were literally torn to shreds by a pally mob, showing off his cool blod stained hands to his buddies, "hey ma! look"






ewoks

a reply to: dashen

You were where? Living in Israel or the West Bank? By your defensive posts I assume Israel. So you justify all the illegal settlements that continue today? Shocking is shocking.

a reply to: dashen

You posted some of those photos in your own thread and many were shown to be part of a hoax.


The photo of the girls, for example, was taken at a Muslim wedding and it is tradition for the little girls to dress-up as well. The last photo was of a Hamas parade.

a reply to: Swills

i was in the west bank, golan heights, outskirts of ramallah, efrat.
almost murdered by random palestinians several times, missed being fragged by suicide attacks several times, by half an hour or less.
Have you ever had to ride a bullet-proof bus just to get home?

a reply to: introvert

Oh! what a lovely HAMAS parade!

from the Hamas Charter,

The time(16) will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews (and
kill them); until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry:
0 Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him! This will
not apply to the Gharqad(17), which is a Jewish tree (cited by Bukhari and Muslim)(18).
The Slogan of the Hamas
Article Eight
Allah is its goal, the Prophet its model, the Quzan its
Constitution, Jihad its path and death for the case of Allah its most
sublime belief.

a reply to: dashen

So you support the on going illegal settlements? Was your home in an illegal settlement?

a reply to: Swills

I believe its unnecessary to make new settlements in contested areas . theres pleny of land yet for both sides to expand without stabbing babies

a reply to: dashen

settlements. Justification for stabbing women and toddlers?

That happens when you take part in a occupation force. The only innocent ones are the children because they have no choice in the matter.

settlements that israel dismantles every few years throwing out hundreds of families into the streets?

Israel flat out refuses to dismantle settlements in the West Bank, Golan Heights and Jerusalem. So just how many have they dismantled?

settlements on palestinian land? you mean "no-mans land"

No the land was given to Palestine when their land was divided to make Israel.

muslims beleive ANY LAND EVER occupied by muslims is their land. INCLUDING everything they held BEFORE CHARLEMAGNE. (spain, france, etc)

How is that any different from a bunch of people who claim this land belonged to us a couple of thousand years ago so it still belongs to us. At least the Muslims can prove their families actually lived there something the European Zionist cannot do.

hundreds of acres of vacant uncultivated land. land that hasnt been settled in centuries.

It looks that was now thanks to Israel wiping out over 500 villages.

notice how when these settlements are returned to the pallystinians hey burn them to the ground and the area is never actually used again.

Proof please.

Oh, and what about the 1.2 MILLION Israeli Arabs? who hold posts in Govt, military and business. what about them, civilized members of society, who incidentally arent shouting death to the jews all day long.

Was these the same Arabs Benny was crying about that they may vote him out of office? Nothing like being treated like a second class citizen. Here's an old saying for you by submission you conquer.

a reply to: introvert

So the picture of the little kid wearing a bomb belt and getting a pat on the head is fine with you then?

a reply to: dashen

Well there are many illegal settlements INSIDE the West Bank that do not belong there. They all should be dismantled.

Did you watch the video?

a reply to: buster2010

That happens when you take part in a occupation force. The only innocent ones are the children because they have no choice in the matter.

the children several aged 13 are actually DOING the stabbing

Israel flat out refuses to dismantle settlements in the West Bank, Golan Heights and Jerusalem. So just how many have they dismantled?

you are wrong again

No the land was given to Palestine when their land was divided to make Israel.

Nyet comerade, thats a lie, it was seized during the six day war from the Jordanians. anyone living there is jordanian, not "palestinian"

How is that any different from a bunch of people who claim this land belonged to us a couple of thousand years ago so it still belongs to us. At least the Muslims can prove their families actually lived there something the European Zionist cannot do.

The Jews bought up thousands of acres in israel in the 1800s from the ottoman empire

It looks that was now thanks to Israel wiping out over 500 villages.

proof please

notice how when these settlements are returned to the pallystinians hey burn them to the ground and the area is never actually used again.

Proof please. Gush Katif

Oh, and what about the 1.2 MILLION Israeli Arabs? who hold posts in Govt, military and business. what about them, civilized members of society, who incidentally arent shouting death to the jews all day long.

Was these the same Arabs Benny was crying about that they may vote him out of office? Nothing like being treated like a second class citizens Here's an old saying for you by submission you conquer.

originally posted by: dashen
a reply to: introvert

So the picture of the little kid wearing a bomb belt and getting a pat on the head is fine with you then?

No, it's not ok with me. Please don't try to use the emotional, knee-jerk tactic with me. I don't fall for it and recognize the logical fallacy in doing so.

I don't know exactly where the photo came from, but I do know that it is a stock photo used many times over by websites and the media. It is used to illicit the very response you have shown here.

a reply to: introvert

and what pray tell is the proper reaction to this lil gem?

a reply to: dashen

Proper reaction? Each individual will have their own reaction and it would be illogical for me to say what is "proper".

My personal reaction to this is that of surprise. I'm surprised that you tried to use the emotional aspect, again, after I just said it's a logical fallacy and I don't fall for it.

What I'd like to know is what is your point? What is your goal in posting such things? It seems to me that, considering the thread you posted yesterday, you are trying to push an anti-Palestinian narrative.

Why?

a reply to: introvert

Because this post is supposed to be about life in "occupied palestine"
I feel what i am posting is a more accurate description of their day to day life, and shows why israel has separate roads(stonings)
stabbings(radicalizing wee children)
why unarmed palestinians get shot with tear gas and rubber bullets(palestinian children used as human shields or tossing 10kilo rocks at children in minivans)
if its shocking, it should be. because that is the pervading culture there.

a reply to: dashen

Ok, I can respect that you are trying to bring attention to this, but why have you, on at least two occasions, included photos that are taken out of context to show some sort of "atrocity" when that is not the case?

The photos of the little girls were from a Muslim wedding, but were used in a hoax saying these girls were married-off themselves.

That's not true.