Five Weeks in Palestine: A Personal Journey
In March of last year, with the situation in Gaza growing more catastrophic every
day, I decided I needed to do more than make calls to Congress and send donations
to frontline organizations. Although visiting Gaza itself did not seem feasible or
prudent, visiting the West Bank did. Six months later I was in Hebron/Al-Khalil,
the only intact Palestinian city occupied by Israel (apart from East Jerusalem). I
was just a month shy of my 81 st birthday.
In this talk I want to share not only what I found – and didn’t find – in Hebron but
also how this trip has helped me redefine myself. With few exceptions, most of the
other international volunteers I met and worked with were in their late twenties.
Two or three were in their fifties. No one else was over 60. What could a man my
age contribute to the lives of people living under occupation? Did I have the
physical stamina and mental resilience not to be a burden to those around me?
If you are interested in learning what I learned about living under occupation and
how, even under such circumstances, one can still find the strength to make life
meaningful, you may find my experience interesting. It may even serve as an
incentive to help you make affirmative changes in your own life.
Edward Zlotkowski is a resident of West Tisbury.