CPTnet
12 September 2012
PALESTINE: Freedom not just for birds
by
a member of CPT Palestine
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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?
