Joharah Baker

It is not always about overt political displays when it comes to what defines our conflict with the Israelis. It is easy to become wrapped up in the grandiose issues such as borders, settlements, the separation wall, refugees, Jerusalem, water and so on and so forth. After all, these are the disputes that must ultimately be resolved in order for this conflict to end justly and permanently. But let us put such matters aside for the purpose of this article. There is an underlying, extremely insidious and equally effective rationale that Israel uses in regards to the Palestinians of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem that is a sort of preparation, a way of setting the stage for the imposition of their own terms regarding the abovementioned issues.

As much as this conflict is about the political dimensions everyone knows all too well, it is also about the forced transformation of the Palestinians from a revolutionary, resisting people to a nation that must submit to Israel's dictates in order to survive. Basically, because the Palestinians live under Israeli military rule, it is Israel that ultimately calls the shots, not only on the bigger issues but on aspects of everyday life.

Take for example, applying for a permit to enter Jerusalem or Israel proper. The overwhelming majority of Palestinians who apply for day permits are workers who cannot find jobs in the Palestinian territories or opt for construction or other skilled work with an Israeli employer because of better pay. Many others also need permits, mostly because their places of work require crossing into east Jerusalem. Obtaining a permit is a long, arduous and frankly humiliating process. The first step is applying for a magnetic card, which then enables you to apply for any of the multitude of permits (work, airport, medical, business, family reunification, etc.).

This magnetic card is basically a police report, complete with mug shots and fingerprints. Anyone can get a magnetic card as long as you have a Palestinian ID card and the proper application. The catch is in applying for a permit. If this police record shows any "black mark", that is a stint in Israeli prisons for political activity, political affiliation or even a relative who has taken on a life of "struggle," your application will be duly denied. This is not to mention that once you are "in the system" your record can be pulled up at any given time with a simple electronic hand check or swipe of the almighty magnetic card.

What's worse, Israel has newly enforced a "law" that obligates all those with permits (and magnetic cards) to punch in at the electronic stalls at checkpoints while reentering the West Bank. Most permits are from 5:00 in the morning until 7:00 in the evening, which are about the hours needed for a laborer to travel inside Israel, work his shift and cross the line again into Palestinian territory. If the permit-bearer does not punch in his/her magnetic card, their permit will be revoked for an unlimited amount of time the next time they try to cross into Israel. The rule, Israel claims, was set so as to avoid any Palestinians "illegally" overstaying their permit hours.

As a result, between five and seven in the evening (the lines can be long), one can witness a heart-wrenching scene at Qalandia or any other checkpoint between Israel and the Palestinian territories – dozens of weary, dust-covered workers scurrying to make the cutoff time for swiping their cards lest they reach a minute late and have their permits revoked. For them, a minute after seven represents the fine line between putting a meal on the table for their families and plunging into a life of abject poverty.

The same Israeli policy applies for Palestinians living in Jerusalem, who have been lucky enough to obtain a residency permit (but not a Jerusalem ID card). Each year, their residency application is scrutinized and reviewed before it is renewed for another 12 months. If, for any reason, the person in question decides to engage in any kind of political activity, has a spouse or relative involved in "anti-Israel" activities or fails to meet the zillion requirements demanded, their residency permit is simply cancelled and they are ousted from the city.

What Israel is so cleverly doing is neutralizing an entire people, reeducating them to believe that the only way to survive is to submit to its dictates, to follow their directions so they can have jobs, feed their children and live in their own homes. Israel by some twisted logic, is trying to convince the Palestinians that they are their best option for freedom.

In a meeting with Palestinian and Israeli journalists in Geneva last winter, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Aharon Leshno-Yaar, in all earnest, told the group that "Israel was the Palestinians' best chance for reaching their goals." As outrageous as this may sound, this is what Israel wants the Palestinians to believe, so they give them limited permits to travel in and out of Israel or the even scarcer residency permits to live in Jerusalem and then hold it over their heads forever.

There are two dangerous pitfalls to this rationale. One is that these are basic rights that should not need a permit or a magnetic card to exercise. Second is the notion that we as Palestinians must depend on Israel to live our lives and forfeit any ideas of resistance in order to do so.

We may not see it but this is a battle Israel has been waging for years. Palestinians at checkpoints hush those who dare raise their voices in protest of the long queues or of a soldier who decides to take a lunch break while dozens of tired Palestinians wait behind iron bars for their turn to cross. Laborers will gladly refrain from political activity or resistance against the occupation if it means they are granted a three-month day permit to enter Israel and therefore support their families.

Some may say the Palestinians must play by the rules of Israel's game in order to survive. While this may be true to an extent, we must not allow ourselves to fall into the trap of believing this is our only lifeline. Instead, the Palestinians should see this stage as a transition, a means of reaching our real goal of independence and sovereignty where we are not bound to Israel like a lost puppy but are free to make our own choices and create our own destiny. In order to do this, we must not, cannot, lend an ear to people like Leshno-Yaar who say Israel is our best choice. Most importantly, even while we stand for our mug shots and fingerprinting, even as we swipe our cards at checkpoints, we must always keep in mind that Israel may be able to neutralize our actions but never our minds.

Joharah Baker is a Writer for the Media and Information Program at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mip@miftah.org.

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Source: http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=20005&CategoryId=3