Dan Spelce, local resident and high school teacher from Pajaro Valley Unified School District, reports on his training as an election observer for the Palestinian elections. Contact: danielspelce@gmail.com

January 29, 2006

Dear friends,

Good morning! Here, in Jerusalem, the hour is 11:30 pm. This small net cafe near the hotel where I'm staying is only open 20-30 more minutes. I'll offer brief comments the historic election yesterday.

Even the Hamas political party is surprised at the extent of its support in yesterday's vote. A pre-election poll by a reputable Palestinian university suggested Fatah would win 35% of the vote and Hamas 30%. At present, unofficial tallies show Hamas with 76 representatives in the 132-seat Palestinian Legislative Council, with Fatah placing 43 representatives.

In a debriefing this afternoon, staff of Grassroots International Protection for the People of Palestine told Nonviolent Peaceforce observers that Hamas does have a religious message, a vision of establishing an Islamist state in Palestine. However, they distinguished Hamas from either the Taliban in Afghanistan or even the Iranian theocracy, which has contributed funding to Hamas. The Palestinian Territories strike me as quite diverse. For example, a significant population of Christians are part of the Palestinian ethnic current. I've noticed women not wearing hijab (head scarves, long sleeves, and long dresses) are commonplace, though the majority of women do. Young women often wear blue jeans. Of course, this is mid-winter; everybody is bundled up in warm sweaters and coats. As a group of us observers were leaving Ramallah this afternoon, we came upon a huge, spirited Hamas march filling the street as we approached the PLC building. The march included many, many women, unlike the Taliban, who require women to remain indoors most of the time. I understand one female was elected to the PLC as a Hamas candidate.

GIPP commentators suggested that Hamas won because for ten years they have been providing economic and social services to Palestinians free of any requirements of allegiance to Hamas, in the midst of Palestinians suffering a severely debilitated society.
Simultaneously,the Fatah government has been plagued by failure to aid social and economic needs of most Palestinians and corruption. The vote, then, reflects hope by a wide swathe of Palestinians that Hamas will address everyday needs to alleviate the harshness of life in the Territories moreso than a desire for an Islamic state. Hamas is credited with political astuteness, and very aware of this.

The netcafe owner is bringing in his sandwich board signs off the narrow Old City street outside. Time for me to go now. I'll write more
tomorrow during my long layover in Newark. Much to pass on to you.

Glad to be thinking of all of you.

Warmest regards,
Dan
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January 24, 2006

Sa bah al heir,

Though that's Arabic for "good morning" (at my phonetically best guess), and I know the afternoon is just beginning for those of you on the Pacific Coast, the Arabic I know doesn't yet reach "good afternoon." So, I'm wishing you an extended good morning!

Another amazing day of human connecting. We (the group of seven observers I've been running around with, getting along quite famously!) just stepped off a mini-bus from Ramallah a short while ago. Discovering this net cafe still open (the hour is 10:40 pm here), I wanted to send off a quick note to you.

Tomorrow is the BIG day--elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). We'll be working in teams of three international observers and a local Palestinian observer. The team I'm a member of will be stationed at a post office serving as a polling place at the Jaffa Gate to Old Jerusalem from 6:30 am to 1:00 pm, then, we'll rotate with another team, to take up the Beit Hanina Checkpoint station on the outskirts of Jerusalem from 1:00 pm to 6:30 pm. At that time we'll return to the post office where we began to track ballot box transportation and ballot counting. We expect to work until midnight, when the CEC anticipates finishing the preliminary vote counting. Yep, a long day! But, that's why we live with energy, right? To spend it in the giving for goodness sake.

Because there's a bit more preparation to do with my team and a companion team at the nearby hotel (Knights Palace Hotel; http://www.knightspalace.com Check it out! Amazing--dating from the time of the crusades. Knights Palace is not a misnomer!), I won't write much more tonight. I need to rise by 5:00 am.

At the violence prevention/incident de-escalation training this morning, we role-played and discussed danger scenarios involving Israeli military and police, Palestinian militants, and kidnapping. From all the intelligence shared with us by the United Nations, incidents are unlikely, but we want to prepare for de-escalating and diffusing any strains that may come into play. Afterward, we volunteered for our station assignments and received our identifying vests, arm bands, and hats. We also met with Palestinians working on the elections to hone details of the election process and our roles as observers.

By the way, our Nonviolence Peaceforce observer delegation surged to more than 30 observers today as additional people arrived from abroad.

Election posters are glued and fixed in all directions.

BREAKING NEWS...My Bolivian observer colleague on the PC behind just showed me a news story reporting that acting Israeli prime minister Olmert has declared that Israel will need to relinquish lands it controls in the West Bank. Check the stories on some of the web sites I gave you in the first bulletin I sent you last Friday, with the web sites.

After a wonderful dinner at a restaurant in Ramallah with all our NP observer delegation, full of laughter and enjoyment of one another's company, we broke into smaller groups of seven or so to ride mini-buses to Qalandia Checkpoint, walk through the checkpoint, then, board another mini-bus to complete the return to Jerusalem. We began asking the bus driver if he would vote tomorrow. No or maybe, he wasn't sure. He began to talk at length. "All of Hamas are wealthy. All of Fatah are wealthy. They're going to do nothing for the Palestinian people." He apologized. We said, no, say more. So, he went on. "They run Palestine like a company. Look all the money poured into these election campaigns. That could help build the country, make it better." All this he's saying in somewhat broken, Arabic-intoned English. Then, he became profoundly heartfelt: "We need to get rid of this [Separation] Wall (we were parked next to it, about to disembark for our walk through Qalandia, the large, despised checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem). We need to make peace. I used to have Israeli friends come here and visit me. We need to go to work in Israel. They need to come here. We need our countries to live together in peace. They hate us. They think we're all bombers. And some of us hate them. But we need to live in peace together." All of us observers listened, moved deeply, urging him to continue each time he apologized for some feeling of inappropriateness about what he thought and felt. We sat there, beside the towering Wall outside, listening.

After expressing our warm appreciation for his courageous, caring honesty in the midst of such hardship, and such pressing circumstances, we said "Mah sa-lem" (goodbye), clasping hands firmly, smiling. As we walked away, we remembered this beautiful young Palestinian's anguished longing while remembering the similarly pained wishes of the beautiful young Israeli soldier yesterday. On the other side of the checkpoint we inadvertently were flagged by a young aide to Palestinian Authority president Abbu Mazen looking for riders to fill a mini-bus to Jerusalem with him. He had worked late and was heading home. During the ride, he discussed his work as an junior economic advisor working on economic development projects for Palestine, primarily in Gaza: tourism, farming, chief among priorities. More energy envisioning a sane present and future. Tomorrow night, after the election, we'll meet for socializing. He's a really nice fellow; very gracious. He has studied in Vienna, as well as the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

I need to leave now. Hey, those of you at Pajaro Valley High, you can let our beloved young spirits know we're writing notes furiously in these orientations and trainings: I wrote 20 pages of notes yesterday. Five more today, because most of today was role-play, discussion, logistics, and familiarization with materials we've already been given. And the pages here are longer than the pages we use at PVHS. These three days have involved much study: reading, writing, discussion, questions, thinking.

Already, I've snapped over 140 photographs to share with you in the weeks ahead. I really pleased with many, many of them. I think you'll find them fascinating!

Wishing you a wonderful afternoon. May some surprises come your way to gladden you.

Ma se el-heir (good evening).
Dan
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January 23, 2006 1:23:53 PM PST

A salemu a wa lekum,

My attempt at a customary Palestinian greeting. Granted, the spelling is botched.

I'm writing at almost 8:45 pm Monday night, from a net cafe in the Armenian Quarter of Old Jerusalem. On the West Coast, you're coming up on 10:45 am.

Startling, remarkable, anguishing, joyous and many other currents of feeling and thinking swirl and tumble moment by moment in what already seems to be many days or even weeks of being here.

Only yesterday morning (Sunday night for you in California), I arrived. A taxi met myself and three other observers who'd arrived earlier, waiting at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The Palestinian driver quickly began telling us about permits and checkpoints and the isolated difficult conditions under which residents of Palestinian villages must live. Driving eastward on a freeway, he explained to us the permit process which allowed him to drive us through Israel. Because Israel and Palestine are really such small places providing home to close to 12 million people--about four million Palestinians and sven to eight million Israelis, the trip across Israel and entry into the Palestinian West Bank territories passed quickly, needing much less than the 45 minutes the driver informed us of when he set out from the airport.

This afternoon we concluded the United Nations orientation for the elections on Wednesday. There are four large delegations of observers: the European Union (EU) has sent 186 observers, comprised of observers from all but two member nations of the EU. Members of the EU Parliament are among this group. The Carter Institute has also provided a large corps of observers; former President Jimmy Carter is among this group. The National Democratic Institute, which I don't know much about and haven't found time to research yet, is one of the four large international observer delegations.

Canada, with its modest population of only 35 million people has drawn the admiration of many here for sending a very well prepared delegation of 46 observers. These four large groups have not only been accredited by the Palestinian Central Elections Committee. They work directly with the Israeli Foreign Ministry for their authorization to move about Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Then there are the smaller nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The smaller NGO groups include the Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), which is the delegation of observers I'm a member of. The United Nations Liaison and Support Unit (UNLSU) has facilitated authorization from the Israeli government for all the smaller NGO observer delegations.

Alltogether, more than 800 international election observers have arrived to witness the election process underway in the Palestinian Territories. Observers have volunteered from South Africa, Japan, Ireland, Spain, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Canada, and many other places.

Today's UN orientation sobered and moved the assembly of smaller NGO observers at the Grand Park Hotel in Ramallah, about 20 miles north of Jerusalem. The UN Field Security Coordination Officer shared a detailed account of what is known and unknown about security threats and risks, concluding that the likelihood of disruption of the elections and harm to us is low. Nevertheless he advised us about how to conduct ourselves, which areas pose greatest dangers, and where security forces are most vulnerable to inadequacy.

Tomorrow, we learn about our observation sites. All observers, working in pairs, are expected to observe 10-12 sites during the day. Polling places are post offices, opening to voters at 7:00 am and closing at 7:00 pm. Observers will witness polling places during voting, checkpoints, and counting and reporting results. We've been instructed only to observe and report, not interfere or become a party to any incidents or actions.

In the Palestinian Territories, Wednesday is a bank holiday, meaning workers are expected to have the day off to make voting easy, or less difficult. Palesitinians living in Israeli areas will be allowed to go to designated polling places to vote.

The voter turnout is expect to be about 40%. The low expectation reflects the hurdles many Palestinians encounter daily. Passing through checkpoints coming and going involves as much as two to three hours each way. Israeli measures to control movement of Palestinians has so severely fragmetized the Territories that a functioning society is impossible. Palestinians and Israelis use separate roadways, and the roadways permitted to Palestinians are circuitous and roundabout, consuming so much time that for many needs they are useless: ambulances for emergencies, visits to health clinics or hospitals, bus for school children, delivery of produce to market, materials for construction, inventory for stores, suppies for manufacturing all are greatly impaired when practicable at all.

Many Palestinians fear future Israeli reprisals for voting. They fear Israeli authorities will note their movement on election day, looking to determine who's voting. If the Israeli government doesn't approve of the outcome, permits or services may be denied in the future. Tonight, walking to dinner, a small group of us stopped to speak with a couple of Palestinians sitting on a bench alongside one of the winding, narrow streets of Old Jerusalem. He said he and many Palestinians in Jerusalem wouldn't vote because he and they feared Israel would withdraw health services currently provided.

Yesterday today, we have passed through the major Qalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah four times. Because of our international observer status, we pass through more quickly than Palestinians--on foot. Huge traffic bottlenecks congest around checkpoints, requiring hours for vehicles to pass through. We travel by mini-bus in Ramallah, walk through the checkpoint on foot, then board another bus on the Jerusalem side of the checkpoint to avoid the massive traffic congestion wanting to move through the checkpoints.

The powerful role history and memory play in our lives appears so starkly evident here. Jewish slavery in Egypt 3,000 years ago, alleviated by settling in Palestine. Then, flight from the Romans 1500+ years ago. The Crusades. Centuries and generations of viscious anti-semitism in Europe, culminating in the early 20th Century Holocaust that generated desperate aspirations for safety and well-being sneding streams of Jewish immigrants to impose themselves on a lightly populated Arab Palestine. Loss of land and mutual terrorisms--Zionists upon Palestinians, Islamists upon Jews--have wrought tremendous suffering, despair, and cynicism. On the flight from Newark to Tel Aviv I shared the row with a nice man on his way to the wedding of the daughter of former Israeli Prime Minister "Bebe" Netanyahu. Expressing a strong animosity, he found himself referring to Muslims as "animals" incapable of civilized ways. Later in the conversation, after some historical reminders I provided, he narrowed his appication of the term"animals" to only certain Muslims, acknowledging goodness in some Muslims.

Eventually, he even told me of occasions when he enjoyed positive interactions with Muslims on occasion. On the other hand, today, at our UN orientation, after one presentation showing the impact of the successful Israeli program to isolate and fragmetize the Palestinian Territories and the suffering following from these measures, one of my observer colleagues turned to me, remarking "Israel is malevolent." When I cautioned him about convicting an entire country of shere pleasure at imposing meanness and hardship on another people, he rejoined that "Your more accepting of [injustice] than I." When I replied I wasn't tolerant of the wrongdoing, but neither did I want to demonize an entire people nor make a complex historical dynamic simplistic, he turned his back on me to break the conversation. I want to keep in mind that one of the lessons I see in Israel-Palestine is that when humans severely mistreat one another, the mistreatment becomes internalized and passed on to others in other times and places. For example, in the wake of the Holocaust and indifference in the Europe and the United States leading up to and through the early years of the Nazi era, Jews felt a desperate and understandable desire for a safe haven. Unfortunately, that haven was wrought at the expense of imposing on existing residents of the newly chosen homeland.

The existing residents also understandably resented the imposition. I am also mindful that many, many Jews are aware of the oppressive nature of what is taking place and are working with resolve to end the oppression. In fact, earlier today, at the Western Wall, a Jewish holy place, several observer friends and I spoke at length with one Israeli soldier. He unequivocally expressed understanding and sympathy for Palestinians, volunteering that many of the young conscripts stationed at the checkpoints deeply detest the jobs they are pressed into. "They don't like seeing a mother with a sick child in her arms and telling her "no" [she can't pass through the checkpoint because she doesn't have the necessary permit]." This same 22-year old soldier challenged an elder Israeli compatriot who had joined our conversation when the gentleman suggested that "We [Israelis] celebrate life while the other side [Muslims] celebrate death and want to enslave us." To which the young soldier cited Jewish scripture (reiterating the specific lines in Hebrew no less!) envisioning that all people will become slaves of Israel when the Messiah comes. The soldier expressed a profoundly heartfelt desire to "just everybody stop this madness. Stop the separation. Stop the destruction." He related that a close Palestinian friend wanted to invite him (the young soldier) to his home in Ramallah, but that he wouldn't because he was afraid some fanatic would "put a bullet in my back."

So, I feel anguish and joy at the same moment, continuously. I so enjoyed chatting with the Jewish aunt and her two nieces going to Israel for holiday at check in in Newark. Suddenly, I found water filling the corner of my eyes as I realized they could be hurt in some attack; I marshalled prayerful energy that they travel safe from any harm that might flow near them. How I enjoyed the Palestinian man at his corner falafel stand (mamzud!!) repeating warmly "You are welcome here! Anytime!" The gracious man praying humbly on his knees, facing Mecca, on the roadside as we walked through the checkpoint moved me. Yes, all has moved me here, from every direction at every moment. Humans finding ourselves in desperate straits, figuring out how to relate with one another, connect with one another, brimming with anguish and joy along the way.

For outstanding data on the plight of Palestinians check this UN agency website: http://www.ochaopt.org Amazing! Maps, reports, and much more. They gave an awesome presentation at our orientation today, documenting the Separation Wall and other measures to separate Palestinians and Israelis, and fragmentize the Territories.

Also, yesterday I met a form New York tenth grade world history teacher, now living in Ramallah. She is leading art projects around identity and self-expression among fifteen year olds. They want to publish and exchange their art with young people in other countries. She was elated to learn about Pajaro Valley High School. We're looking forward to collaborating and exploring work whenI return to PVHS next week.

Another election-related website you may wish to check, also provided by the Central Elections Committee-Palestine, charged with conducting the elections: http://www.elections.ps

Be well, all you wonderful friends and fellow travelers. I'm sleeping well. Eating well, too--not a lot, but superbly nonetheless. Beautifully,if humbly, presented. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts and wishing me safety.

Warmest regards and hugs all around,

Dan
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