December 4, 2004 - Subpoenaed

I’m writing from Al Khalil (Hebron). I’ve finally been able to reconnect with our larger team here after being away in Jerusalem and Tuwani for the last couple weeks. I was feeling quite overwhelmed and distant, and now I’m able to deal with some things.

To add to my already stressed state, I got a call today from the military court currently trying the soldier accused of shooting British peace activist Tom Hurndall. In case any of you didn’t know, I was present when an Israeli sniper shot Tom on April 11^th, 2003 in Rafah while he tried to protect Palestinian children from Israeli gunfire (get more info at www.tomhurndall.co.uk). Due to pressure from Tom’s family and the British government, the Israeli military is now trying the soldier for man slaughter and charges involving lies to his commanding officers. I thought I might be asked testify for the prosecution, and was willing to do so. I was not prepared to cooperate with the defense.

Apparently, the prosecution has decided not to use our witness statements and is relying solely on a confession the soldier signed. Due to the Israeli military’s shoddy investigation work originally designed to get the solider off, apparently the soldier confessed to shooting an international in a different area of Rafah than the actual location. The defense thinks they can use this technicality to get him off, and plants to use my testimony to prove the discrepancy in location.

The defense attorney somehow got my cell phone and called me awhile ago. I was advised by other lawyers not talk to him so I told him to bug off. Now he’s gone and gotten a judge to subpoena me. In addition to the subpoena, the court tells me my testimony is so “vital to finding the truth”, that the judge also issued a detention order, banning me from leaving the country until I testify. Thankfully, the court date is set for December 20^th, three days before my plane leaves out of Jordan. I just hope the trial doesn’t get delayed or I’m screwed.

There are some bright sides to this mess. One thing is that now it’s impossible for Israel to deport me, so I just got more arrestable. Other bright sides involve the power I will have as a witness for the defense. I will only tell you a little about this due to the sensitivity of the case. There is important information that has been left out of the trial so far, and my lawyer friends think I can get it in. The defense is trying to argue that there is no line-of-sight between the guard tower and where Tom was shot. Israel has demolished the entire area so there is no way to prove it now; however, we have plenty of photographic and video evidence that clearly demonstrates the line-of-sight. I should be able to help bring that evidence in, and I will also be able to bring in the fact that the asshole was shooting at children, which is the whole reason we were in the area in the first place. His child-targeting not only shows the soldier’s character, but also proves the line-of-sight. The media will like it as well because the moral decline of the Israeli military is hot news right now. A soldier is currently being tried for emptying his magazine into a 7-year-old girl in Rafah, and there are prominent stories of soldiers forcing a Palestinian to play the violin for them like Nazis did to Jews during the Holocaust.

So I have a variety of strategies in mind. Everything from dressing sloppy and trying to make myself seem un-credible, to mentioning that the soldier shot and killed Tom in my answer to every question. I can make the best of this situation like I do all situations, and it will help that I am an actor. Anything for a story, right? Wish me luck though, I bloody hate court.

December 5, 2004

Tonight we went to dinner at the house of the PR director for Jamah Al Khalil (Hebron University). The university’s history of nonviolent resistance to the occupation has brought this man close to CPT, but it has also lead to constant closure and harassment of the university students. The Israeli military has kept the school closed for nearly half the time since it opened in 1974, and has even welded the doors shut. The students and teachers always manage to reopen it however, sneaking in from other entrances, or holding classes in other buildings. It just reopened again this last September having been closed for four months.

Over homemade pizza, cheesy bread, fruit salad, cake, and tea we discussed the problems the university faces, as well as lighter topics like music and similarities between Islam and Christianity. I particularly liked one element of Islam he described to us. He said that Muslims believe that the three main things one does in their life are left behind after they die, so we must be very careful of how we live, as it will continue on for eternity.

I wonder what I will leave behind. I like to think that it will be a struggle for peace and against oppression, but I intend to do a lot more things before I die.

December 6, 2004 - Another Celebrity

I am on to cook dinner tonight so I went out to get groceries. While wondering around the market I noticed a crowd of Palestinian men and media surrounding some figure. A political candidate I figured, Palestinian elections are rapidly approaching. “Meen huwa?” (who’s he?) I asked. “Mustafa Barghouti” the vegetable man said. Mustafa Barghouti is the distant cousin of Palestinian figurehead Marwan Barghouti who’s currently held captive in an Israeli jail. Marwan has toyed with the idea of running from prison, after all, every Palestinian is in prison in one way or another, and Arafat was imprisoned in his compound in Ramallah. But for one reason or another, it seems Marwan has dropped out and is supporting American puppet Abu Mazen (Mahumud Abbas), leaving no other formidable opposition.

Mustafa Barghouti is the founder of the Palestine National Initiative (www.almubadara.org), a sort of alternative Palestinian political party dedicated to ending corruption, providing social services, and nonviolently resisting the Israeli occupation. He recently declared his candidacy for president. I had met him before when we were both presenters at a conference in San Jose, California (he was the keynote speaker and I did a small workshop).

I told some Palestinians that I knew him so they pushed me through the crowd. He shook my hand and said he remembered me, though I suspect he didn’t, and continued moving on into the old city. From my own observation, Mustafa seems kind of like a third party candidate in Palestinian politics. He will run a serious campaign and have a following, but he’ll never really challenge the front-running candidate. It was nice to run into an old face and add another celebrity meeting to my belt. Who will I run into next?

December 10, 2004

I’m now in Al Quds (East Jerusalem) hanging out at the Faisal. I love these young radical ISMers, they taught me how to play “Israelis and Palestinians”, an ISM version of “Maffia” or “Murder in the Dark”, games played when the power is out. I’ll teach you all how to play when I get home.

You’ve never seen ISM life at the Faisal until there is a call about a last-minute demonstration. On this day, Israel arrested a Palestinian politician running in the upcoming elections. He’s with the People’s Party (Communists) which supports nonviolent resistance to the occupation. This is likely why they targeted him. They accused him of trying to enter Jerusalem illegally, which is ridiculous considering the only “legal” way to enter the city is through the Israeli checkpoint, and it was at this checkpoint that they arrested him. Israel has been trying to keep Jerusalem Palestinians from participating in the elections by banning voting registration and preventing West Bank candidates from campaigning there. ISM is organizing to try and challenge these illegal election restrictions, and CPT may join in as well.

Israeli activists organized a demonstration to take place outside the courthouse during this politician’s arraignment. ISMers heard about it around an hour before, and they scrambled to make signs, call reinforcements, and do some media work. I decided to go with them since the only way to really relate with ISMers is to demonstrate with them.

It was small, around 10 Internationals, 7 Israelis, and a couple of Palestinians, but there was a lot of media. We held signs about democracy and Israeli injustice and chanted anti-occupation slogans. All-in-all a good time, and good to show that there is at least a little resistance. It was kind of strange for me as an anarchist to demonstrate for a politician, but the arrest was a symbol of Israel’s efforts to impede Palestinian self-determination, and I am here to support Palestinian and Israeli resistance to that injustice.