In pretty much every country on earth, security forces are being attacked by members of the general public. Usually the assailant is brought under control, disarmed and arrested. In rare cases, the assailant is shot in self defence. In Palestine, it goes the other way around. In rare cases (alleged) attackers survive the encounter with […]
Out
It’s 18:30 last night and the clashes have subsided. We head out to meet others for dinner in the city. A few metres down the road our eyes are watering and the noses are burning from tear gas that is drifting over from the 500m away conflict area. We jump into the next taxi and […]
The Teach
Friday prayers have finished and a lot of Palestinian flags and Keffiyehs can be seen in the streets. It’s the traditional time for clashes between Palestinians and Israelis, which means some parts of Hebron are better avoided. The area around my accommodation is calm as always and people are hanging out in the streets. From […]
Around the City
Southeast Asia is a dangerous place. Lots of people, including visitors, get killed in traffic accidents. That’s not really on peoples’ minds though and when westerners are going to any country in the region, they are usually more afraid of Malaria. Palestine is probably a much safer place, especially for visitors. The Israeli occupation kills […]
Hebron, Take 2
The news haven’t been pretty but when I decided to go to the Middle East, I knew it wouldn’t all be roses and chocolate. Despite what is going on, I still believe that I’ll be save and hence decided to stick with my travel plans. The late night departure from Barcelona was a bit messy […]
Taking the Red Pill
In the movie Matrix, the protagonist is offered a choice of two pills. Blue will make him forget all he uncovered, while red will show him the world as it really is. That analogy was given by the hostel owner when I told him how my pre-defined image of Palestine was shaken up by reality. […]