Co ma trasport w Lodzi wspolnego z konfliktem na Bliskim Wschodzie?

Czyli jak Prezydent Kropiwnicki doklada staran, zeby zdyskredytowac Lodz na arenie miedzynarodowej. (Informacja dotyczy biznesowych podrozy prezydenta Kropiwnickiego do Izraela)

Ten post jest nieco spozniony, gdyz bylem zajety pisaniem i wysylaniem ponizszych informacji do ogolnopolskich i lokalnych gazet. Sprawa odwolania Prezydenta Lodzi ze stanowiska jest jednak wciaz 'pending', wiec poruszona przeze mnie kwestia pozostaje aktualna. Bez wzgledu na to, fakty prezentowane ponizej powinny byc(moim zdaniem) znane opini publicznej. Szczerze powiem, ze nie znam przyczyn z jakich nie znalazly one zainteresowania mediow, z ktorymi sie kontaktowalem. Oto moj list do redakcji Gazety Wyborczej, w odpowiedzi na artukul zamieszczony na jej lamach:

Droga Redakcjo,

Pisze po przeczytaniu w portalu Gazety artykulu Wioletty Gnacikowskiej, na temat rozwiazania problemu przetargu na przewozy komunikacji publicznej w Lodzi ("Czy prezydent sprowadzi przewoźnika z Izraela?, niedziela, 25.10.2009). Oczywiscie jest to bezposrednio powiazane z tajemniczymi pozdrozami NASZEGO Prezydenta Kropiwnickiego do Ziemii Swietej. Totalnie zszokowala mnie informacja na temat biznesowych planow Pana Prezydenta, dotyczacych wspolpracy gospodarczej miedzy Lodzia i panstwem Izrael.

Po pierwsze, nasuwa sie pytanie dlaczego akurat Izrael, a nie np. jeden a naszych najblizszych sasiadow, jak Niemcy czy Czechy? Po drugie, musimy zdac sobie sprawe, ze panstwo Izrael, od ponad 40 lat bezprawnie okupuje Palestyne i lamie wszelkie mozliwe uniwersalne prawa czlowieka i miedzynarodowe konwencje; Kradnie ziemie i buduje na niej nielegalne osiedla dla obywateli Izraela (transfer ludnosci cywilnej na tereny okupowane i osiedlanie jej tam jest praktyka rasistowska, zakazana miedzynarodowymi konwencjami humanitarnymi); przetrzymuje w wiezieniach tysiace ludzi bez postawienia im jakkichkolwiek zarzutow; burzy Palestynskie domy i poszerza apartheidowski system transportu i granic na okupowanych terenach.

I wreszcie fakty bezposrednio dotyczace gospodarczego projektu zainicjowanego przez Prezydenta Kropiwnickiego. Mianowicie, zapewne zainteresuje Szanowna Redakcje jak i czytelnikow Gazety historia pewnej francuskiej firmy, Veolia, ktora byla w posiadaniu najwiekszego w Europie kontraktu na dostawe dobr i uslug, opiewajacego na kwote 3,5billiona Euro. No wlasnie - "byla", poniewaz stracila ten kontrakt, z powodu zaangazowania w budowe miejskiej linii kolejowej (podobnej do Docklands Light Railway w Londynie) laczacej Zachodnia Jerozolime (pod legalna kontrola Izraela) z nielegalnymi, wspomnianymi wyzej osiedlami izraelskimi we Wschodniej Jerozolimie (de jure, i wedlug prawa miedzynarodowego ustanowionego prze ONZ, nalezacej do utworzonej w 1948 roku Palestyny). Publiczne protesty w Szwecji, przeciwko Veoli, zmusily wladze Sztokholmu (bo wlasnie w szwedzkiej stolicy firma ta miala zapisana wylacznosc na zarzadzanie metrem przez 8 lat) do zerwania wspomnianej umowy.

Jakie konsekwencje ma to dla tej firmy, to juz jest problem jej zarzadu; ale konsekwencje swiadomego zatrudnienia izraelskiego operatora, czy nawet dopuszczenia go do przetargu (nie mowiac o dyskutowaniu oferty i zaproszeniu go do przetargu podczas miedzynarodowej wizyty, z udzialem 30 przedstawicieli miasta!), z pewnoscia bedzie mialo bolesne konsekwencje nietylko dla wladz, ale rowniez dla zwyklych obywateli Lodzi.

Czy ktorykolwiek Lodzianin zna te fakty? Czy Lodzianie zostali o tym poinformawani? Czy tez zostana postawieni przed faktem dokonanym? Odwrocenie tego bledu moze sie okazac trudniejsze od wielu innych bledow popelnionych przez aktualne wladze Lodzi, a za ktore bledy musimy placic MY.

Jakkolwiek przypuszczenia, zarowno moje jak i wielu wspolobywateli Lodzi, o bezzasadnosci podrozy prezydenta Kropiwnickiego do Izraela i Terrytoriow Okupowanych Palestyny, nie potwierdzaja sie w jednoznaczny sposob, to w swietle oficjalnych celow postawionych przez prezydenta Lodzi, ta podroz wydaje sie byc absolutnie karygodna i nie do zaakceptowania. Nie mozemy dopuscic, zeby zhanbiona zostala NASZA godnosc, godnosc obywateli Lodzi i Polski. Musimy powiedziec nie dla tego kryminalnego projektu!

Mam nadzieje, ze Gazeta Wyborcza nie pozostawi mojego apelu i tej sprawy bez echa.

Przebywam i pracuje na Terrytoriach Okupowanych Pelastyny i w Izraelu. Jestem dostepny pod telefonem i droga mailowa. Pozdrawiam i dziekuje za kontakt. Chetnie poszerze powyzsze informacje, dodajac wiele dodatkowych faktow dyskredytujacych obrazliwe pomysly Pana Prezydenta Kropiwnickiego. Do przytoczonej powyzej informacji na temat francuskiej firmy w Szwecji podaje link: http://www.diakonia.se/sa/node.asp?node=2807.

Marcin Jeziorski
Koordynator Projektow
dla humanitarnych organizacji
pozarzadowych
w Okupowanej Palestynie
00972 598569087

Hipermarkety i Intel przeciwko dewocji

Wielu Polakow sadzi, ze dyskusje typu: czy w niedziele hipermarkety moga byc otwarte, czy tez jest to obraza dnia swietego; ze dyskusje te to dowod polskiego klerykalyzmu, zacofania i dewocji. Tymczasem, chcialem wszystkich pocieszyc, nie jestesmy odosobnieni!

Miniony weekend, stal w Jerozolimie pod znakiem protestow Zydow Haredi, przeciwko pracy fabryki Intela w Jerozolimie, w soboty, czyli w Sabbath. Problem blizniaczo podobny do Naszego rodzimego. I tutaj, podobnie jak w Polsce, powoduje on ostra polaryzacje spoleczenstwa. Rowniez tutaj, dylemat w jaki sposob nalezy dzien swiety swiecic, i czy mozna narzucac swoja interpretacje boskich przykazan innym, wywoluje silne emocje, a temat ten okupuje pierwsze strony gazet. Elementem szegolnym dla Izraela jest boskosc the Holy City. Tel Aviv, czy inne „nowoczesne” miasta Izraela, nie maja podobnych problemow. Panuje w nich podobna liberalizm i tolerancja do tej panujacej w kulturze europejskiej. Przeciez Tel Aviv byl osiedlem zalozonym na obrzezach palestynskiego starozytnego miasta Jaffa (tak tak, to stad pochodza slynne pomarancze) przez zydowskich emigrantow z Europy. W przeciwienstiwe do Jerozolimy, widok ortodoksyjnego Zyda w centrum miasta jest tu zadkoscia, a wplyw spolecznosci Haredi, ktore skupione sa na obrzezach miasta, na stosunki spoleczno-ekonomiczno-religijne, nie jest porownywalny do tego jaki maja ich „bracia” w Swietym Miescie. Podobnie jest z klubami gejowskimi, ktorych nie znajdziemy w miescie trzech najwiekszych religii, a ktorych jest wiele w Tel Avivie.

Ale wracajac wlasnie do ortodoksyjego bastionu religii, jakim jest Jerozolima, i wspomnianego problemu fabryki mikroprocesorow z jej przemyslowej dzielnicy Har Hotzvim....
Wladze Jerozolimy chca za wszelka cene zatrzymac inwestora, ktory juz zagrozil przeniesieniem sie do jednego z krajow Wschodniej Azji, w miescie. Daje on nie tylko zatrudnienie wielu pracownikom, ale jest rowniez prestizowa firma, przyczyniajaca sie do rozwoju nauki i technologii. Dla najwyzej rozwinietego kraju na calym bliskim wschodzie, i jednego z najelepiej technologicznie i naukowo rozwinietych na swiecie (3 miejsce wedlug World Economic Forum), ten ostatni argument jest trudny do pobicia. Izrael jest swiatowym przodownikiem w rozwoju nowych technologii, w przemyslach takich jak: lotnictwo, komunikacja, sprzet medyczny, optyczny i przede wszystkim komputerowy.

Pierwszy na swiecie telefon komorkowy zostal wynaleziony wlasnie tu; w Izraelu jest tez najwiecej PC’tow na osobe na swiecie, a mikroprocesor Intela zostal wynaleziony wlasnie w fabryce w Jerozolimie. Mieszkancy Izraela moga sie tez poszczycic najwiekszym na swiecie odsetkiem naukowcow i inzynierow, na ogolna liczbe ludnosci.    

                     
Dlatego wladze miasta i Intel, desperacko szukaja porozumienia z ortodoksyjna spolecznoscia zydowska, w celu umozliwienia fabryce normalnej pracy i rozwoju. Intel zaoferowal zredukowanie pracy w Szabat, jedynie do nieodzownych aspektow produkcji, redukcje pracujacych w soboty z aktualnych 120 do 20 na kazda z 3 zmian oraz, ze zaden z pracujacych w Szabat nie bedzie Zydem. Ta oferta zostala uznana przez zaangazowanych politykow, spolecznosc swiecka, jak rowniez czesc ortodoksyjnej spolecznosci religijnej, za wyjatkowo chojna.

Ale kompromis z ta najbardziej konserwatywna czescia spolecznosci Haredii potrafi byc niezwykle trudny do osiagniecia. Dowodza tego chociazby wydazenia sprzed kilku miesiecy, kiedy to czesc najbardzej zacieklych religijnych Haredi wzniecila zamieszki w odpowiedzi na...dzialalnosc parkingu miejskiego, otwartego w Szabat. Przeciez nie godzi sie jezdzic samochodem w soboty...tak samo jak nie godzi sie robic zakupy w hipermarkecie w niedziele.

To kto w koncu podklada bomby?

Moj blog mial byc apolityczny. Nie chcialem pisac o konflikcie, o politykach, o terrorystach…No wlasnie, ale o terrorystach musze napisac, zeby obalic pewien mit. Mit, ze jedynymi terrorystami dokonujacymi zamachow bombowych sa muzulmanscy fundamentalisci. A moze po prostu dlatego zeby pokazac jak dobrze zbalansowany jest swiat w ktorym zyjemy i jak niezbalansowane sa informacje, ktore do nas docieraja.
 
Dzisiaj, w jednym z dwoch najwiekszych izraelskich dziennikow, przeczytalem informacje z naglowkiem:

“U.S.-born Jewish terrorist suspected of series of attacks over past 12 years”

…czyli: urodzony w Stanach zydowski terrorysta podejzany o serie atakow w ciagu ostatnich 12 lat.

Brzmi mocno. Ale nie jest niczym dziwnym przeczytac podobny artykul w miejscowej prasie. U NAS w Europie, a szczegolnie w Polsce, nie znajdziemy  jednak podobnych tresci. Dlaczego? A no pewnie dlatego, ze bylby on niepoprawny politycznie. Natychmiast odezwaly by sie glosy, ze jest antysemicki. Bo przeciez samo uzycie slowa Zyd w Polsce jest juz bardzo niebezpieczne. Nikt przeciez nie chce byc wystawiony na grad oskarzen, nosic pietno rasisty, czy byc izolowany w kregach spoleczno-kulturowych. Z dyskusja na temat Zydow po Holokauscie jest troche tak jak z podejzewaniem o doping siedmiokrotnego zwyciezcy Tour de France, Lanca Armstronga, ktory dokonal najwiekszych osiagniec bo przebytym raku. Nie wypada oskarzac czlowieka, ktory przezyl praktycznie swoja smierc, o oszustwo. Roznica miedzy Armstrongiem a Yaakovem Tytellem jest jednak zasadnicza. Temu pierwszemu nigdy nie udowodniono przestepstwa.

Ale pozostawiajac ta kwestie do przemyslenia wroce do tematu mojej wypowiedzi i postaram sie odpowiedziec na pytanie: To kto w koncu podklada bomby?

Niektorzy mogliby powiedziec, ze przypadek Yaakova Tytella to zapewne przypadek niezrownowazonego czlowieka i na pewno nie reprezentuje szerszego zjawiska. Ci byliby zaskoczeni, bo indywidualny i grupowy terroryzm (terroryzm panstwowy to inna historia) to w Izraelu i okupowanej Palestynie chleb powszedni. Codzienie w tutejszej prasie mozna przeczytac o atakach osiedlajacych sie bezprawnie w Judei i Samarii (tereny Zachodniego Brzegu) extremistycznych ortodoksyjnych “settlers”. Nietylko atakuja oni polozone w dolinach palestynskie wioski, ale robia to uzbrojeni i z przyzwoleniem a nawet ochrona armii izraelskiej. Nie potrzebuja pozwolenia na bron, nie ma tez praktycznie ograniczen zwiazanych z jej uzyciem, poniewaz izraelskie sady w wiekszosci wypadkow interpretuja jej uzycie jako ochrone osobista; wiec widok cywila z karabinem maszynowym na ramieniu jest powszechny.

Jesli chodzi o terroryzm ten najbardziej medialny, czyli ataki samobojcze, to sa one domena bojownikow arabskich. Skad sie jednak wzial pomysl atakowania miejsc i ludnosci cywilnej, o tym juz media nie informuja. Pierwszego ataku samobojczego Palestynczyk dokonal w 16 kwietnia 1993 roku, czyli 26 lat od poczatku okupacji Palestyny. Podczas pierwszej Intifady, czyli powstania palestynskiego, nie dokonano zadnego ataku samobojczego, a glownym srodkiem oporu byly kamienie…I to chyba jesli dobrze pamietam media pokazywaly.

Owszem, w 1990 roku mialy miejsce zamachy na ludnosc cywilna z uzyciem noza, ale czestsze ataki samobojcze nastapily dopiero podczas drugiej Intifady, wywolanej prowokacyjna wizyta premiera Ariela Sharona w meczecie Al-Aqsa…

Dla kontrastu, terrorystyczne bojowki zydowskie jak Hagganah, Irgun czy Stern Gang istnialy na terrytorium Palestyny juz przed II Wojna Swiatowa. Ta ostatnia byla odlamem matczynej Irgun i skupiala 200-300 najzacieklejszych fanatykow.

Terrorysci z tych organiacji stosowali metody zaskakujaco podobne do dzisiejszych aktow terrorystycznych: wrzucali bomby do arabskich autobusow miejskich, barrow i restauracji oraz hoteli (np. King George Hotel w Jerozolimie, 200 zabitych) oraz przeprowadzali zamachy bombowe na placowki rzadowe i ich oficjeli (np. na brytyjskiego Ministra w Kairze, w listopadzie 1944 r.).

Malo kto wie, ze Izrael (i tu juz mamy do czynienia z terroryzmem panstwowym, choc nalezy o nim wspomniec, gdyz dal przyklad podobnym dzisiejszym aktom grup terrorystycznych) byl prekursorem porywania, wysadzania i zestrzeliwania cywilnych samolotow. W grudniu 1954 roku, zmuszono syryjski samolot pasazerski do londowania w Tel Avivie, a pasazerow i zaloge przetrzymywano przez wiele dni, pomimo miedzynarodowego sprzeciwu. W 1968, izraelscy komandosi wysadzili 13 cywilnych samolotow na lotnisku w stolicy Libanu, Bejrucie. A w lutym 1973, nad Synajem, izraelskie samoloty zestrzelily libijskiego cywilny samolot ze 107 pasazerami i francuska zaloga na pokladzie. Uczyniono to na bezposredni rozkaz uwczesnej Premier Izraela Goldy Meir i byl to rowniez pierwszy taki przypadek w historii.

                    
Metoda, niestosowana przez arabskich bojownikow bylo napadanie i palenie wiosek, ktora jest stosowana przed izraelskich osadnikow na Zachodnim Brzegu do dzisiaj. Na najszersza skale zostala wykorzystana w 1948 roku kiedy to ponad 400 palestynskich wiosek zostalo spalonych a 750 tysiecy ludzi wypedzonych (to wydazenie Palestynczycy nazywaja Nakba, czyli Katastrofa). Temu przedsiwzieciu przewodzila wspomniana Hagganah.
Ta sama Hagganah stala sie fundamentem dzisiejszej Israeli Defence Force, czyli trzonu Armii Izraela. Nikt jednak nie zamyka jej czlonkow w bazie Guantanamo. Wiecej, kazdy 18-letni obywatel Izraela zydowskiego pochodzenia musi w niej odbyc obowiazkowa 3-letnia sluzbe.

Upraszczajac, mozna zatem powiedziec, ze Zydzi sa legalnie rekrutowani do militarnej organizacji terrorystycznej, a ci odeslani do cywila, nadal pala wioski na Zachodnim Brzegu. Skad wiec wzial sie mit palestynskiego terrorysty samobojcy i dlaczego tylko portret czlowieka w turbanie a nie z pejsami jest tak powszechny w globalnych mediach? Wydaje sie oczywiste, ze naszkicowaly go i wykreowaly “demokratyczne sily”, walczace o pokoj na swiecie.

Nie ma zgody na arenie miedzynarodowej, czy palestynskie ataki sa aktami terrorystycznymi, czy walka o niepodleglosc. Wedlug prawa miedzynarodowego, kazdy narod ma prawo to przeciwstawiania sie okupantowi (walka o niepodleglosc jest legalnie usankcjonowana konwencjami miedzynarodowymi). Jednak nawet jesli przyjmiemy, ze ta walka to czysty terroryzm, jest jeszcze jedna roznica miedzy terroryzem zydowskim i palestynskim. Palestynski jest nielegalny wszedzie i w kazdej formie. Zydowski natomiast, jest nielegalny jedynie w Izraelu wlasciwym. Na okupowanym Zachodnim Brzegu jest bezkarny.

Sultan decided to write in Polish

I decided to write on this blog in polish for a number of reasons.

Primarily, I see an overwhelming need of raising awareness about the Israeli-Arab conflict in Poland, where people have a long history of co-existence with Jewish people. Jews have lived on Polish land for centuries, but many native inhabitanbts of Lodz e.g., where their population was particularily large (before the II World War it amounted to 30%) don't know much about the descendants of that community. They were the Eastern European Ashkenazi emigrants to the Promissed Land, who laid fundaments of todays Zionist state of Israel in Palestine. In result of some let’s call it imbalanced perspective, we have an Annual Festival of Four Cultures in Lodz, but absolutely no information about the Palestinian Nakba (a.k.a. Catastrophy). Basically, there is a constant flow of information about the Holocaust and suffering of Jewish people, but a complete lack of sufficient and unbiased news about the reality in the Occupied Palestine. I wonder how many of my brothers and sisters in Lodz would be able to answer what was the Nakba...The tragedy directly related to the Holocaust. The tragedy which was a direct result of the Holocaust of the Jewish people in Europe...

I will try to write the same stories in English, whenever the time allows me to double the work. I hope it will have a desired effect. I hope everyone to look at the presented here issues wityh a critical eye. I will leave the critics of the Arab Muslims for the large public media and concentrate on the other side of the coin. 

Palestinian Prisoners' Day

Many of us often express frustration over too comfortable conditions of prisoners who serve their sentences in jails (I am talking about well-developed countries, with a high level of respect for a human). Cells equipped with satellite TV sets, playrooms, libraries and other facilities; full nourishment meals, frequent passes to the outside world etc. We object to the fact that criminals enjoy relatively good quality/standard of leaving, what on top of it is being financed from taxpayers’ money.

 
And however there is a ground to dispute this situation, the image of penitentiary system in Western democracies is radically more favourable for the inmates in comparison to the plight of some 11000 Palestinian prisoners who are stack in Israeli jails. Palestinian civilians are being regularly arrested in their own land by the occupying forces and put to the military controlled prisons; subjected to torture and deprived of health care; deprived of their right to contact a lawyer and their families; and kept in administrative detention without charge. This is an element of a wide range of instruments, which have been serving the cruel and racist occupation for over 40 years.

Nonetheless, we see Palestinian prisoners as the same sort of criminals as in the Western world. For us a criminal is a criminal. Even worse, we believe that all of these Palestinian “criminals” held in Israeli jails are terrorists. Perhaps if we were less vulnerable to the propaganda and keen to perceive and judge the reality based on facts, we would be more sympathetic.

 
One would have to come and see the demonstration in one of the West Bank cities on the 17 April to feel what it means to have 2 sons lost to the Israeli administrative detention or to feel what means to know a father only from a photograph.

17 April marks the anniversary of the release of Palestinian prisoners in the first prisoner swap deal of 17 April 1974. This year I could witness for myself how emotional and, above all, how important day it is for all Palestinian people. By the way, have you ever thought of an idea of a Prisoner’s Day in your country? Sounds absurd, doesn’t it…? Palestinian people also have the Ministry of the Prisoners Affairs…No other government in the World has got a separate department of this nature.

Anyhow, as every other society, also Palestinians are divided because of many unresolved political issues. But the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day is the day of unity, when even the most conflicted factions speak with one voice. Everyone who gets a chance to speak to the crowds at a demonstration or to give TV or radio interview on this day, will call for unity. Because if yesterday their local rival was arrested, tomorrow it may be himself. The Palestinian National Authority (an acting government in the occupied West Bank) is the only government in the world with a separate Ministry dealing with Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. This shows a magnitude of the problem for the society collectively, and every local community and family individually. Since the beginning of the occupation, in 1967, more than 650 thousands Palestinians have been arrested and detained. This figure constitutes 25% of the entire population. It must be understood that arrests and detention are not security measures, as Israeli government claims, but a cold-blooded and calculated policy to Palestinian civilians' obedience and to prevent all forms of resistance. Everyone who has spent some time in the occupied West Bank knows very well, that the sophisticated system of registration and invigilation of all Palestinian nationals used by Israel, almost excludes the possibility of possessing weapons. Additionally, meticulous checks conducted at the military checkpoints, which are the only points of entry for the permitted Palestinian citizens to Israel, make any insurgency intrusion to Israeli land almost impossible (however it is quite hypocritical to build a 6 meters tall Wall separating Occupied Territories from Israel and only randomly check the cars passing through). Thus tens of arrests carried out during the night raids on Palestinian controlled towns and villages are simply unjustified and serve only to break the spirit of the nation. Testimonies and affidavits show that most of the arrested have never had any connections with the resistant fighters groups.
Conditions and treatment of the detainees in Israeli jails is an extension of the racist policy aiming in ethnically cleansing of the Holy Land. Current violations committed by Israeli Occupation Forces against Palestinian prisoners and their rights include:
• Torture and other forms inhuman and degrading treatment
• Poor detention conditions
• Denying rights to visits and contact with lawyer
• Medical negligence and denial of healthcare
• Administrative detention

The last routine means holding Palestinian detainees for long periods without bringing them to trial or informing them of the reasons for their detention. These periods of administrative detention may be renewed indefinitely. This is a blatant violation of detainees’ rights according to all international treaties ratified by the State of Israel as well as its own domestic law!
The difference in the approach towards life and human rights is best portrayed by the case of an Israeli soldier Gilat Shalit, who was taken captive by Hamas forces in Gaza 3 years ago and has been held at unknown location. His case became a diplomatic issue and a bargaining card for Palestinians. Only one life of an Israeli citizen has got a dimension of a national importance for Israeli people. 11 000 lives of the Palestinians kept often illegally in Israeli jails don’t deserve a fraction of this concern.

On Friday, 1 May, Palestinian Nael Barghouthi became the world’s record-holder as the longest-held political prisoner.

Barghouthi has completed more than 31 years in Israeli custody and broke the Guinness World Record, which was held by Sa'id Al-Ataba…ironically another Palestinian who was also in Israeli custody. Barghouthi was born in 1957 in Ramallah in the central West Bank. He was detained on 4 April 1978 at the age of 21, and an Israeli military court later sentenced him to life imprisonment. He has already been in prison ten years longer than he was free. This is only one story out of many, affecting lives of entire families. Those families live in hope, that one day their relatives will come back thanks to a prisoner swap; like the one from 17 April 1974.

Already in the second week of my stay in Ramallah, I was lucky to witness such a release. The swap covered 198 Palestinians, who came in an escorted convoy from notorious Ofra prison (in the occupied West Bank), straight to presidential residence in Muqata, in the center of de facto Palestinian capital city of Ramallah. National flags waved from the buses carrying the released prisoners, from the following cars and from the buildings along the route of the procession. The overwhelming atmosphere of joy, national unity and happiness affected me so strongly that on my arrival back to the office where I worked at that time (Palestinian NGO dedicated to building civil society for the Palestinians) I shouted: Palestinian freedom fighters are free!! My colleagues, one of whom himself spent many years in Israeli jails (and a few more on exile in Lebanon), for his journalistic work, looked at me with mercy. The other guy just laughed. I thought: what’s wrong? Not only they didn’t join me to celebrate the “happy” day, but they seamed indifferent to the whole story. The answer was very short and prosaic:

What benefit do we draw from the fact of a release of 200 men, whose by the way most serious offense was stones throwing, if twice this number of new ones is being arrested every month?

Five Big Cities of the West Bank

I met A'stein in one of many Old City's hostels in Jerusalem. Typically stereotypic - big Norwegian guy. He joined me when I was chilling out after a long hot day, in front of TV, watching Beijing Olympics (no, I didn't boycott it, as I love sport too much). We started chatting. His first question was so standard – "Where are you from?" - that I was already with one leg in my bad. But as I don't judge people so fast, I thought I would give him a chance see what he wants to say. At the end of the day he was friendly and although seemed very usual, what happened next has proved again, that appearances are deceptive…

I didn't really want to stay in Jerusalem as it is full of tourists, but I had my apartment in Ramallah booked in two days time, so I had to kill those two days. The first night wasn't very exciting and my mind was on the other side of The Wall, while my body was still in Jerusalem.

So I was sitting with Astein, watching light athletics and talking. It didn't take long to switch from sport to politics. But who doesn’t talk about politics here? Astein had told me what made him come to Israel and the oPt. One day - he said - he bought 20 black bin bags and a pair of working gloves and took the first available flight to Tel Aviv. In the Arab Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, he filled them all up with rubbish. He cleaned up an entire school yard and a couple of contiguous streets and went for a beer… When I heard this story I went for a beer with him...I knew in that moment, that I would have a good laugh with him…it wasn't a usual tourist as I thought about him. He was far from being 'normal' according to any standards.

It was Friday, Shabbat, but in Jaffa Street nobody seemed to care about this fact. On our way in, we met one old Orthodox Jew. I spotted him a few hours earlier in the Arabic Quarter. He stood in one place for at least three hours –although he looked like he was there for 5 years - taking all kind of insults from the Arabs on his chin. His clothes and hat were dusty, like he just got back from Paris-Dakar rally, his bird long and gray, his eyes barely seen from behind thick round glasses. He was skinny and looked miserable…and lost. Only one thing came to my mind when I noticed him– apart from the fact that I craved to take a portrait of his exceptional figure – Who are you and what the hell are you doing in the Arab Quarter on Shabbat?!...I asked…he turned out to be a very friendly man. His voice was muted. Every articulated word required a lot of effort. It didn't surprise me. It matched the rest of his characteristics. So why was he standing there, for so many hours, in the heat? The answer couldn't be more simple: 'it was a very good spot for people watching'…Hah, the same for me-I thought-and I shook his hand…It was so worm! It must have had at least 39°C!

When we met him with Astein, he stood in a different spot and the temperature of his hands was regular. I introduced both guys to each other. Everyone, not excluding myself, when hearing the name of the Norwegian giant asked as they wanted to correct him – like he couldn't pronounce his own name – "Einstein, you mean? Astein would then explain that neither Einstein nor Frankenstein...There was no one to compare him with, even with the greatest indeed.

At that moment, while standing with these two fellows, I felt that I was the most ordinary person in the world. It is quite amazing how fate can randomly bring people together. Or maybe it is this holly place with its unique atmosphere that make things happen. Go to Amsterdam and you may experience something slightly similar.

Anyway, all of this was just a prelude to what was waiting for me later on that night…

We went to a place, which Astein claimed was "the Jerusalem's capital of rock and roll". We had one beer, then another one...Aistein started turning into a beast. A real viking fighting in the name of all oppressed and tyrannized Palestinians. He was a hero of all those who can't see their families because of road closures, impassable checkpoints, forbidden roads... A defender of all kids who cannot attend schools, all youth who cannot study at Universities, all mothers who are forced to give birth in the heat in front of merciless IDF soldiers... He was an idol of all Palestinian people who's houses have been demolished without notice, of all those who live in fear of being arrested... An idol of all farmers whose land have been stolen and who's olive trees uprooted...He was an advocate of everyone attacked by an extremist settler on the way to school or work and an advocate of every civilian shoot by Israeli bullets.

This story, although analogical to the one from the plane, had a very different dynamics. Here, even though alienated in our advocacy of the Palestinian cause, they were the rest of the actors (about 200 people) who must have felt awkward. Astein, who I had asked 30, or not…60(!) times to give everyone a break persevered to express his views. The views so unpopular in the Jewish society. After the 4th beer I had given up. I let him be and talk...I even enjoyed his performance. But I don't think that all Israelis who had to listen - dozens of times – about "FIVE BIG CITIES OF THE WEST BANK" were particularly entertained. I was…And for me he was a star of the night. His speech, repeated over and over again, was a classic of good campaigning – short, catchy and LOUD. It remained deeply in my – and I am sure in others - memory... probably forever. And I think that Astein has got a very big potential. Maybe his next project will be realized in a school class instead of a school yard. I wish, for the benefit of both – Jews and Arabs.

So remember you too: "FIVE BIG CITIES OF THE WEST BANK: Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Jericho and Betlehem must remain Palestinian and Western Jerusalem should become a capital of Israel".

Let's celebrate it

It starts tomorrow...Ramadan.

I have declared to several people, that I will try, but it was a week ago! Those declarations were easy to make, believe me. From tomorrow morning, before the Sun raises, they will have to become a reality. From 3:30 until 17:30 I will not eat or drink. Does it sound tough?

Smokers are not allowed to smoke. Put yourself in their shoes…!

I have read somewhere, that among Muslims who undertake a radical form of fasting during Ramadan, women are forbidden to have period. Overall, I must consider myself quite lucky. I am not addicted to nicotine and I am a man.

But don't get mislead. Ramadan doesn't have negative connotations for Muslim Arabs. On the contrary, everyone here is waiting for this as for the biggest fest. During the day restaurants will be closed, but with the dusk, the city will turn into a colourful gathering of happy people. Streets will be buzzing and gastronomic business will be in its zenith. Shops will full of sweets prepared only for this special occasion, which happens once in a year. And everyone will be eating…and eating a lot, because when the next day comes, after dawn, the whole story will start again. And this scheme will continue for one month.

People here say that it is healthy. I always thought, that it is unhealthy to devour before going to sleep and then not eat or drink for the entire day, when your body and mind need it most, to function effectively. Maybe I was wrong…

You won't know how something "tastes" unless you try it. One famous Polish anthropologist, Bronislaw Malinowski was getting to know cultures in more pleasant version of empiric way. Based on his experience he wrote The Sexual Life of Savages in North-Western Melanesia…

Anyway, if so many people can fast in Ramadan, why couldn't I do it for once in my life? Can you imagine my CV, under Personal Achievements:

Fasted for a month in Ramadan