February 10, 2007

I am sitting in a coffee shop in Ramallah called “Stars & Bucks.” It overlooks Minarah Square in the center of town. A small demonstration protesting the digging around the Al-Aqsa mosque is being held in the streets below. Today there are clashes in the Old City due to the tension from Israel’s excavation work in Jerusalem near the mosque. Mostly people here consider the repair work as a deliberate attempt to provoke anger from the Muslim community I can view the demonstration scene from the second floor café window. Ramallah is a lively place, a rush of people and cars. I love watching the organized chaos. To the outsider, it can appear to be a total mess, but if you really look at what is happening, you can see the flow of things.

Sometimes I think of this as a metaphor for the region in terms of politics. I do not like politics, and for a long time I chose to be ignorant about many political issues. This was until I began to look at politics in terms of the effect they have on people every day. Then I could not easily ignore what my government was deciding.

I think democracy can be a good thing, just like traffic rules. I see people here trying to figure out what sort of government will best support the needs of their people. And they have elected certain leaders they believe will help bring a change. The outsider perhaps may see this as a threat, but I hope for a change that will improve the lives of everyone. I don’t know exactly what a democracy, or a solution, or real peace would look like here, just as I don’t know where the “traffic lines” are. Even though there are no official lines on the pavement for all to see, there are definitely unwritten rules that people follow to enable the flow of cars.

But there are always people who bend or break the rules. Why is that? I suppose it’s because they are in a hurry, or because they don’t respect their fellow drivers. I’m watching one car now trying to cut off several other vehicles, causing horns to blare and the traffic cop to gesture angrily. People here seem ready for things to be more clearly defined, for their elected leaders to follow through with their promises, for there to be equality between Palestinians and Israelis. Still, I think it will take time for things to change, which is hard to accept because people have been waiting a long time for something good to happen. People are saying that this will be a defining year, that a change is inevitable. We are waiting with anticipation to see weather that change will be better or worse than the current situation. Learning to live in limbo is what people here are used to.

As I relax in this coffee shop, I find it strange to imagine the scene that took place here one month ago, when four people were killed and 22 were injured.

From the January 5, 2007, edition of the Palestine Times:

Israeli forces, supported by more than 15 military vehicles, including bulldozers, raided Manara Square in the center of Ramallah. This came after a group of Israeli special force members called for help after being trapped in the vegetable market area.

The special force unit was carrying out an ambush operation on a number of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades activists.

The incursion was followed by two-hour vigorous clashes at Manara Square and Jerusalem St. During the clashes Palestinians threw stones at the Israeli army who retaliated by opening fire at them.

The Israeli incursion destroyed the market, vehicles, and residential houses in that area. Also, facades and windows of a number of commercial buildings were destroyed. Blood stains, stones and broken glass are found everywhere in the streets.

Eyewitnesses said an Israeli bulldozer and a jeep were damaged in the operation. Israeli military vehicles pulled them away before their withdrawal. Helicopters joined the operation, shooting at targets in the city.

What a difference a month can make.

Earlier today, when I visited the crowded vegetable market, the vendors gave me most of my groceries for free. “How can I charge you for five apples?” the vendor said, giving them to me, along with a few peppers. I am always humbled by the generosity of these vendors, who often give something extra, leaving me speechless.

Even if “yellow lines” were painted on the pavement tomorrow, the traffic would not adhere to their presence right away. Things would continue their crazy flow for a while, until the change is adapted to. Even then, there would be people who would ignore the rules. And then, there may always be a chaotic element to things. Perhaps the essence of downtown Ramallah, like any city, is in the organized disorganization. I’ll keep this in mind as I weave my way through the streets and open markets back down to catch a ride to Jerusalem.

Shannon O’Donnell

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 170