MICROSKIRTS
Rapid weight loss Program Review
Now Easy Get Rid of Wrinkles
Rapid weight loss Program Review
Rapid weight loss Program Review
Rapid weight loss Program Review
414
viewsSafety for Americans Abroad (Koran burnings notwithstanding)
By Gringette in Beirut, Friday, September 10, 2010, 2 commentsDear Congressman _______ and Foreign Affairs Staff-
I am writing in regards to an issue that falls under the category of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict but perhaps receives less attention than other parts of the debate: the denial of entry to American citizens who want to visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories. There are two categories if individuals who suffer from this policy: Americans of Palestinian decent and Americans who have no ethnic or family ties to the region but nonetheless want to travel there. I have recently heard of an egregious example of the first whereas I myself am an example of the latter. Please consider my below explanation not as a diatribe against any political perspective but rather as an inquiry into an asymmetrical relationship (America/Israel) that causes far more harm than it does good.
An acquaintance of mine, who was born and raised in Chicago and is of Palestinian decent, recently informed me that her mother was detained and denied entry at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Her mother—who was also born in America but whose parents returned to Palestine several decades ago—was traveling to the West Bank with her two daughters (the sisters of my friend) because one of them is due to marry a Palestinian who still lives in the West Bank. During the interrogation and denial process at the airport, my friend’s mother was “accidentally” knocked to the ground and all three women were placed in a prison cell for several hours. These are, let me reiterate, American citizens. The reason (forty-eight hours later) has still not been disclosed to the family or the US Consulate in Jerusalem. Perhaps the worst part of the entire situation is the reaction of the Consulate office. They have informed the family that “unfortunately, you are a Palestinian-American; this means that in this situation you are Palestinian first and American second.” Those words send goosebumps down my back. Has America become so weak in its relationship with Israel? Or do we really believe that these women are a threat to anyone’s security?
I myself have experienced the devastation of being informed (again without being given a reason) that I cannot enter Israel. Sixteen months ago, while I was living in Lebanon and working for an American Education NGO, I attempted to cross into Israel via the Jordanian border. My intentions were to visit friends both in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—Palestinian and Israeli alike. I was traveling with a Norwegian friend of half-Arab descent. We were detained for 6 hours and ultimately denied entry. The experience was personally significant because my career revolves around political issues within the Middle East—particularly the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I have absolutely no affiliation with any of the organizations that Israel might take issue with, nor am I a threat in any way to any nation. I am an educated young American girl who hasn’t “sided” with one camp or another, and this was enough reason to deny me access to Israel or Palestine for a period of five years (which is information that was only disclosed to Senator Graham after several months of inquiries).
The moment when a 19 year-old Israeli soldier informs you that you have been denied entry is infuriating, to say the least. Much as it doesn’t help, your first instinct is to vehemently point out that everything —from their security in the region to the bullet proof vests and tiles at the border facility—is directly connected to American taxpayer money and political capital. Strong as Israel is, it would unequivocally not survive in this world without support of the United States. To stand there calmly and inform me that I am not welcome because I fit the profile of a non-supporter is a very frustrating form of arrogance. It may sound like an episode of “American entitlement” syndrome, but the ironic truth is too blatant to be ignored.
My point here is not to berate Israel but rather to inquire into the motives of such policies. Every sovereign country has the right to pick and choose who enters its territories. But can’t we all acknowledge the damage this is doing? This random bullying engenders radicalism: I am so much more likely to condemn Israeli actions across the board now than I ever was before. Bear in mind that I have been to Israel and Palestine. I have seen both sides, I have fallen in love with citizens of both nations. I have developed attachments and appreciation for both perspectives. But the depth and nuanced nature of my understanding of this conflict was only possible because of my experiences there. Without physically seeing the places and touching the ground and meeting the people I would be a blind follower of someone else’s positions.
And so my friends’ mother and I join the ranks of Noam Chomsky and hundreds of other Americans—Arab, Jewish, and neither—who have been deemed too radical or too dangerous or simply too neutral to wander the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel does itself a disservice by isolating us and, perhaps most importantly, it renders American citizens at home and abroad significantly less safe by its actions. Vice President Biden himself has signaled this truth; why then does Congress and the US Administration continue to ignore that very real danger?
This letter is, again, not a request to reverse American position with regard to the Israeli treatment of the Palestinian Territories. It is simply meant to inform and inquire: these incidents are taking place on a daily basis, and they are protecting neither Israel nor America. Rather, they are being used to bully and control anyone who does not clearly “side” with the Israeli government’s actions. Please be attuned to the hypocrisy and dangers of these policies, and continue to question the deeply entrenched standard relationship that America and Israel both take for granted.
Sincerely,
___
Bookmark/Search this post with:
2 Comments
Gringette, Thank you for
Gringette, Thank you for alerting us to the fact that these events are happening on a regular basis. How troubling...Then, the words of the consulate over the detainees. Now THAT is terrifying. I hope their families are able to get some answers, or maybe that WAS the only answer. Is there anybody else "up" the chain of command that they can take this to, or is this just the way it is??? Take CARE of yourself, young lady.
I never even tried to visit
I never even tried to visit Israel when I was living in Cairo because I was afraid of the possibility that it would be difficult. That's partly me being stopped by barriers of my own creation, but also partly a response to real situations like those you outlined in your letter. I hope that you hear back from your congressman. Once I received a forwarded letter from the TSA when my congressman inquired into the policy about the new full-body scanners on my behalf--obviously it hasn't prevented the TSA from using them, but enough nudges and a difference will eventually be made. And of course American foreign policy towards Israel is a much, much more complex issue; I don't mean to compare in terms of scale, I just wanted to give an anecdote about a time that I did feel the government responded to an issue I raised. I really hope they respond to you.
Participate More