RAMALLAH

Ramallah is the largest Palestinian city and an eye opener into the conflict at hand. The day I arrived was the first day that the Israel government launched “Palestinian Only” buses on the Jerusalem to Ramallah line, which made the tensions elevated. When the bus finally found a place to park in the unorganized bus depot, we got off and began to wander. The busy streets were packed with people and Palestinian flags proudly waved in the city squares.

It was only a matter of time until we were able to experience Palestinian hospitality when a man asked us if we needed help and we admittedly did. Although he was waiting for his wife he took us to get some fresh pomegranate juice. Then he toured us around the small neighborhood where he lived, even taking us into his deceased fathers home to show us what life in Palestine is like. He apologized for his bad English that and that he had forgotten it by his 3 years locked up as a political prisoner.

Not only did he lose his language skills but lost the experience to see the birth of his son and so much more over the years. I was astonished that he had no resentment or hatred towards the Israeli's for doing this however professed that he “hoped it would not ever happen to anyone” and that he hoped that “all people everywhere in the world can have freedom.”

It was an amazing experience cut short by his angry wife, as he had blown her off to show us hospitality. As we roamed the streets on our own the poverty induced by the conflict was very evident but the people work hard to maintain their pride and a civilized society where restaurants stay busy and shop windows flaunt luxury items. Within the walls constructed by Israel is a struggling nation in the making. The future in the Middle East is never certain but a free state of Palestine seems to be a not so distant reality.