I'm pretty behind on this thing. It's not that I don't have time or internet access, I'm just reluctant to summarize everything that's happened without taking the time to express them meaningfully. But a compromise must be reached. This is getting lame.


Bethlehem was lovely, and discouraging. Tris and I attended a Lutheran Christmas service in Arabic, English and German, and I got to be part of the Palestinian Christian community, something I knew very little about. Toss aside the American thing, I've always felt that being Christian carried a privilege, so the struggle of Bethlehem's Christians really hit home for me. It doesn't matter if you're Christian, if you're an Arab in Palestine, you're in the process of being ethnically cleansed and ghetto-ized. Many of them are beating Israel to the punch and leaving for greener pastures, if they have the means. So in spite of all the Christmas cheer, it's not a city of joy or peace.

I've spent the last 24 hours with a French delegation that's protesting all around the West Bank. After having lunch with Mazin (yes, he is free!), I decided to proceed northward with them. There have been two demonstrations and I had my first run-in with tear gas. And no, I didn't do anything that warranted it.

I'll go more in depth later, I just got into Nablus again to pick up the passport I left at the hotel. Classic. Time to have some Kanafe and meet up with the French. It's really cool to hear the language of resistance in yet another language. They call the settlements colonies. And I like the way they say fascist. faSHEEST.

One more night in the West Bank then Westward toward Tel Aviv. I think I'll save the detailed stuff for New Orleans but I'll check in one more time. Stoked to see the lemon tree in Ramla.