CPTnet
12 September 2012
PALESTINE: Freedom not just for birds

by a member of CPT Palestine

A sparrow perched on the razor wire, free to fly at will wherever she chooses! No checkpoints, passbook or metal detector for her or the hundreds of other birds I see taking to the sky early in the morning when I go to our rooftop to pray before beginning my day as a member of the CPT team here in Hebron.  Why do Palestinians not have that freedom of movement? It is the “Occupation.” Or if you are an Israeli you call it “Security.”

To mark the end of Ramadan the Israeli authorities granted free access to the entire Il Ibrahimi mosque. At other times Palestinian Muslims can only enter one section while the upper section is reserved for the Jewish people. In Jerusalem those same Israeli authorities relaxed their security concerns and allowed Palestinian women of any age and men over the age of fifty to visit the Al Aqsa mosque without the passes required at other times.

Was Israeli security at risk? Were there any violent incidents? No. Could this provide some space for considering greater freedom of movement? Like the sparrow who leaves the razor wire behind, is this a possibility for a new relationship between Palestinians and Israelis?