PLE spells Palestine at the Olympics

Some countries go to the Olympics in search of gold medals, but for others the mere sight of their own flag flying among the flags of the world is its own reward.

Follow the link below to read of hundreds of Palestinians gathering in Ramallah to see this scene—Judo player Maher Abu Rmeileh carrying the flag.

http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/palestine-london-olympics-436194

albawaba.com has an in-depth article featuring athletes from across the Arab world. Arabs spring into action: the dash to London 2012 at http://www.albawaba.com/slideshow/arab-olympics-2012-435440

L ooking for drama?  Try the story of Ali Khousrof (also Khousref or Khosrof), the Yemeni contender in judo.  Unfortunately, he lost his first match in the last minute, but the story of what he went through to reach the Olympics is inspiring.  Read the caption to this picture (9 of 13) in albawaba: Arabs spring into action: the dash to London 2012.

Sometimes it’s all about the journey.

Palestinian Street Food

When I told my husband I was going to make this week’s blog about Palestinian street food, he looked at me for several seconds.  Just as I was going to explain what I meant by the phrase he said, “You mean like ka’ak bi simsim? And falafel? And nammura? And hamleh ya milan? And duraa mashwiyeh?”  The names came pouring out of his mouth so fast I could barely register them. 

“Yes, all of the above.”   I think his mouth started watering.  The sounds of the words triggered memories of good smells and even better tastes.  Of course, I can't cover all of them in one post, so come back later for more.

Ka’ak bi simsim is doughnut shaped bread made with milk and egg for added rich taste, and rolled in sesame seeds before baking.  Street vendors who sell the ka’ak always have little packets of za’atar, often wrapped in cones of newspaper, to sprinkle on the soft inside of the ka’ak.  The za’atar that goes with ka’ak is mixed with a lot of salt and does not have olive oil mixed with it.  The result is a gray-green powder rather than the deep green of the za’atar used for other dishes.  Some vendors also sell baked eggs to be eaten with the ka'ak.  Baked eggs look very much like boiled eggs, but according to those who know they're easier to peel.  See more about the advantages of baked eggs and how to make them:  http://www.theburlapbag.com/2012/03/make-hard-boiled-eggs-in-the-oven/

While I have never met anyone of any age who didn’t like ka’ak bi simsim, it is the snack of choice of almost all school children.  It tastes good, it’s filling, it’s cheap, and there is almost always a vendor near the school at lunch time or at the end of the day.  What more could a kid want?

No one would dream of making ka’ak bi simsim in Palestine.  It is always available.  I have found a few things that look like ka’ak bi simsim in some specialty stores here, but none measured up in taste or texture.  I did find a recipe http://www.food.com/recipe/palestinian-sesame-crusted-bread-rings-ka-ak-bil-simsim-428275 but I must admit I have not tried it.

Hamleh ya milan also called hamleh ya belileh or hummus mashwieh (roasted chickpeas) is another favorite of youngsters.  It is only available just before the chickpeas are harvested, while they’re still green.  Some people take the chickpeas out of their pods and roast them in an oven, adding salt and lemon.  They may taste good, but it takes away all the fun.  I have only eaten hamleh from young boys who sell small bunches of the chickpea plant, similar to parlsey bunches in our supermarkets.  The bunches have been roasted—leaves, stems, pods, chickpeas and all.  From the scorch marks on many of the leaves and pods, I gather think it is done over an open fire.  Sitting on the front steps and looking through your bunch to get all of the chickpeas is as much fun as eating them.  Maybe the knowledge that they are only available for a few days out of the year is what makes them taste so good.

The following video is a clip called “Palestinian Food Tour” from Planet Food with Egyptian/Chinese restaurateur Bobby Chinn.  It features some good food, some good shots of Palestine, and around the 3:45 mark there is a quick view of a ka’ak vendor riding by on a bicycle—on his way to a local school perhaps, or a construction site, or any place where hungry people may be walking by.

Zatar makes you smarter

ZATAR FOR BREAKFAST:  Zatar makes you smarter was what my husband heard every morning as he was racing out of the house to get to school on time.  It was enough to make him stop his headlong rush and grab a piece of pita bread spread with olive oil and liberally sprinkled with zatar.    

Zatar (or za’atar) is a variety of thyme that grows wild in Palestine.  It is also the name of a mixture of dried herbs that are combined to make the famous zatar that is said to make schoolchildren smarter.  The dried, ground thyme is the main ingredient, but other ingredients are always added.  Dried sumac and salt are included in every recipe and sesame seeds are almost always mixed in as well.  Every cook in Palestine seems to have his or her own additions.  Some people add oregano, marjoram, flour, caraway seeds, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and one person I know even adds coffee to the mix. 

The preferred way to eat zatar for breakfast, if not racing out the door to school or work, is to dip a small piece of bread into a dish of olive oil and then into a dish of zatar.  The oil makes the dry powdered herb stick to the bread.  Common courtesy says the bread must be popped into the mouth (no double dipping).  Every Palestinian house I know has a dish of zatar and a dish of olive oil readily available for dipping.  It is part of every breakfast table.

ZATAR FOR LUNCH OR DINNER:  To be truthful, the line between breakfast, lunch , and dinner blurs with the idea of zatar bread.  Sometimes called zatar pizza or zatar manakeesh (or manaeesh), this dish has the same basic ingredients—zatar and olive oil.  The difference is that the zatar and oil are put on the bread dough before baking.  I have even used refrigerator biscuits for this (but don’t tell anyone).  There are so many mouth-watering pictures of manaeesh on the internet that I was hard pressed to choose one.

Using the leaves of the plant before drying and making into a powder gives yet another variety of enjoyment.  The leaves can be layered onto bread dough, or even kneaded into the dough for a different pizza-type food.  They can also be added on top of a traditional pizza, combined with cheese (mozzarella or feta are my favorites) for a “white pizza.”  I have added zatar to other dishes for flavoring.  Either the green leaves or the ground dried herb are good additions to stews, soups, potato salad, and lots of other dishes.

You can get zatar from any grocery that sells Middle Eastern foods.  I order both my zatar and my olive oil from Canaan Fair Trade—the products come from Palestine and benefit the farmers.  You can also get the same products through US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation.

This video gives a quick and easy demonstration of making zatar manaeesh and cheese manaeesh.  As she says on the video—it’s suitable for breakfast, lunch, or supper.

By the way, sorry I’ve been away so long.  We had dreadful weather that knocked out our power, and once the power was restored, we had no internet for another few days. 

Blogging for the same purpose with a new look

While searching for inspiration for this week’s blog, I ran across this painting by an unknown artist available as a free download for wallpaper http://mobile.brothersoft.com/36023.html.  Yes, of course the picture made me think of Ali in Born a Refugee, but it made me think of my own reasons for starting this blog—my belief that the pen (or the keyboard) is mightier than the sword (or stones).  Not everyone chooses to fight with stones, not everyone can fight with stones, and Mahmoud, Ali’s brother, will tell you that not everyone should fight with stones.  Maybe he’d even say no one should fight with stones.

After thinking about this, I gave the blog has a new look and a new name, one that is more descriptive of the content.  Originally, I thought the blog would draw from two different groups of readers.  One group were readers who had enjoyed my novels and would like to learn more about Palestine; the other group I hoped to attract were people already interested in Palestine who might want to read the novels.  In short, the blog was to focus on my two passions:  books and Palestine.

Along the way, the message of Palestine broadened.  Whenever possible, I combined the two, as when I blogged about Naji al-Ali’s Handala in A Child in Palestine, or the wonderful poetry of Lisa Suhair Majaj in Geographies of Light.  I again blended the two topics when I heard about possible censorship of legally sold ebooks.  Censorship of books is something that raises the ire of most writers, just as censorship of the art of Palestinian children raised the ire of art lovers and Palestinians alike.  http://www.pckprclothing.com/blog/banned-palestinian-childrens-art-mocha-oakland-ca-let-children-play-and-heal

The discovery of an Amazon widget meant I could concentrate the blog on different aspects of Palestine and let the widget take care of the books—and I’m going to broaden the horizons of the blog.

Next week I’m going to stand things front to back and start with "Z" -- and tell you about zatar—real thyme that tastes wonderful and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

I am also inviting others to participate as guest bloggers.  Anyone who has something to say concerning Palestine is welcome to contact me.

Some things never change—but they should

Many Palestinians have lived in refugee camps their entire lives.  In 1948 many families fled their homes to escape the violence that preceded and followed the establishment of the state of Israel expecting to be back home in a few weeks.

In December 1949, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency was established to aid Palestinian refugees, and it began operations in May 1950.  http://www.unrwa.org

      The U N, like the refugees, envisioned the Agency as a temporary organization—over 60 years ago. 

One of the first problems that surfaced was that of adequate water and sanitation facilities.  The victims of their lack of success were mainly the very young.  It becomes increasingly difficult to control diseases such as gastro-enteritis under these conditions, with disastrous consequences.  (I wove these conditions into the story in my novel, Born a Refugee, to explain the age difference between the oldest brother and his younger brothers.)

In 1967 Israel took control of yet more Palestinian land, creating another wave of refugees and putting many of the existing camps under military occupation.  The new refugees, many of them fleeing for a second time, were faced with many of the same hardships.  Again, the very young are the most likely victims.

This photo, taken in the summer of 1971 in a Norwegian clinic in Baqa’a Camp in East Jordan, was distributed to news sources along with the story behind it.  The story emphasized that the woman was a good mother, “yet despite her good care her daughter, Maysoun, suffered from dehydration resulting from gastro-enteritis.”  A note added, “see photo HJ/BAQA’A/54A showing Maysoun one year after she received her treatment in the rehydration/nutrition centre.”  Although I was unable to find the referenced photo, I felt reassured that this child had survived.

But 1948 was a long time ago, and even 1971 was a long time ago, but success continues to elude them. 

In 2011 URNWA launched an Emergency Appeal called WASH (Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene).  Environmental health conditions in West Bank refugee camps - challenged by inadequate quantity and inappropriate quality of water and sanitation services, place a great threat on the health status of camp dwellers, leading to improper personal and community hygiene practices and placing the population under severe risk of waterborne diseases or epidemics outbreaks. Watery diarrhea as well as acute bloody diarrhea and viral hepatitis remain the major causes of morbidity among reportable infectious diseases in the refugee population of the West Bank.  Out of a total of 19 refugee camps in the West Bank, conditions are particularly problematic in the 9 camps affected by frequent military operations damaging or ruining water infrastructures.  http://www.unrwa.org/userfiles/2011051512133.pdf

The conditions in Gaza are even more desperate than on the West Bank.  The video below is in Arabic, but the pictures speak as clearly as the words.  The children, filmed in school, tell of dirty, salty water running sporadically from their taps. 
The Middle East Children's Alliance relates that the effects of the numerous attacks on Gaza has devastated Gaza's water infrastructure, destroying an estimated 800 of Gaza's 2,000 wells, and causing extensive damage to Gaza's water and wastewater treatment facilities.

Since January 2009, the Gaza health ministry and the World Health Organization have issued drinking, seafood and swimming advisories.  The long siege of Gaza has meant an increasingly long waiting list of spare parts, pipes, and building materials. This directly affects Gaza’s ability to maintain its sanitation and water treatment facilities. Meanwhile limited fuel and electricity often shut the systems down altogether.

As a result of all these assaults, the water in Gaza is polluted with untreated sewage, agricultural chemicals, and it is brackish from seawater. Gaza’s water contains high levels of nitrates, chloride and fluoride, and other pollutants that cause significant health problems.  http://www.mecaforpeace.org/projects/maia-project

YOU CAN HELP:  Click to donate to UNRWA or Click to donate to MECA

Gaza: after 45 years of occupation

Imagine living your entire life in an area of 146 square miles—a place that would barely accommodate a marathon run from one end to the other, and an average person could walk across in an hour.  Now imagine sharing that space with 1.5 million people whose average income is a little over a dollar a day.  By comparison, the city of Los Angeles city limits cover over 469 square miles. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_square_miles_does_Los_Angeles_cover

Now that you are in your imaginary over-crowded poverty-stricken ghetto, add the constant violence.  The Israeli assault, Operation Cast Lead (Dec 2008-Jan 2009) showed a spectacle of exploding bombs dropped from F-15s and Apache helicopters, catching the attention of the international media for a brief time.  Smaller attacks continue, unremarked by media attention.
Death by military violence is not the only danger in Gaza.  Infrastructure supplying electricity, water, sewer services never recovered from the destruction of the attack, partly due to the continued blockade that restricts fuel and electricity and combines an embargo on agricultural exports and imports of building materials, medicines, medical devices and equipment. http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/98B5A22F069CF2958525772600740AB5

The World Health Orga­ni­za­tion reports that there is a health and envi­ron­men­tal disaster in the Gaza Strip due to the destruc­tion of infra­struc­ture and sewage systems: the pathogen content of drinking-water samples is 16% (the universal water safety norm rec­om­mended by inter­na­tional standards is 1%). … It has been estimated that the health status of nearly 40% of those suffering from chronic diseases has dete­ri­o­rated as a result of the reduction in health-care services.

One international effort to supply precious cargo of penicillin and baby formula fail after repeated efforts to get the supplies into Gaza were thwarted.  http://www.newsletter.co.uk/community/letters/gaza-siege-is-heartbreaking-and-corrupt-1-3929843

The blockade is a major factor in the pervasive poverty.  Without the ability to leave Gaza, men who once supported their families by working in other areas can no longer find jobs.  Small factories can no longer bring in raw materials.  Badly needed construction cannot be done because the building materials cannot be brought into the area.  Even school books and materials are severely restricted. 

"Every third child in Gaza stunted by hunger": interview with renowned doctor Mads Gilbert an article in The Electronic Intifada dated 7 June 2012 describes just one of the results of living under the conditions that exist in Gaza.http://electronicintifada.net/content/every-third-child-gaza-stunted-hunger-interview-renowned-doctor-mads-gilbert/11363

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Gaza Mental Health Foundation based in Boston, MA sends all donations to the Gaza Community Mental Health Project.  http://www.gazamentalhealth.org/

American Friends of UNRWA based in Washington, DC http://www.friendsunrwa.org/ sponsors programs, such as a summer camps for the children of Gaza, and breast cancer screening in the refugee camps of Lebanon.  They have a lovely greeting card for sale—all proceeds go to UNRWA. 

UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has many resources for more information, photos, historical information, and statistics.  You can also donate directly to UNRWA http://www.unrwa.org/

 THIS WEEK WE USE MUSIC TO REMEMBER GAZA UNDER SEIGE

My favorite YouTube video about Gaza is "We Will Not Go Down" by Michael Heart.  Some of the images are quite graphic and the video has been age restricted, but you can find it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlfhoU66s4Y&feature=colike

Liberty and Injustice

June 8 marks the 45^th anniversary of the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty resulting in the death of 34 American servicemen and the wounding of an additional 174—a 70% casualty rate.  

The attack was shocking, but even more shocking—U.S. military rescue aircraft were recalled through direct intervention by the Johnson administration.

Admiral Thomas Moorer, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and once commander of the 7^th Fleet, wrote in Stars and Stripes on January 16, 2004, that he was “compelled to speak out about one of U.S. history’s most shocking cover-ups.  The full text can be found at  http://www.ifamericansknew.org/download/moorer.pdf. A summary of the article and links to more resources about the details and cover up of the shameful incident may be found at http://www.ifamericansknew.org/us_ints/ul-moorer.html.

The survivors of the attack continue to seek justice for their fallen comrades, and to expose this heinous act.  They have united to form the USS Liberty Veterans Association.  On their website, http://www.usslibertyveterans.org, they quote radio operators who heard the conversations between the pilots and their commanding officers in which they distinctly mentioned that the ship they had been ordered to attack was a U.S. ship more than once, and were ordered to proceed. 

As the survivors began to lower life rafts with the most seriously injured, Israeli torpedo boats arrived and began a surface attack.  Again, U.S. military rescue planes that responded to their distress calls were ordered to return to base.

The report USS Liberty Veterans Association submitted in 2005 to the Department of Defense can be read at http://www.usslibertyveterans.org/files/War%20Crimes%20Report.pdf .

There are multiple YouTube videos about the attack, but the most complete and objective account is an hour long documentary from the BBC, called Dead in the Water (see below).  The video includes interviews of survivors as well as actual clips from the USS Liberty. 

Forty-five years later, and there has still been no proper investigation, and no justice for the victims and their families.

These men neeed and deserve your support. 

You can sign a petition calling for an investigation at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ussliberty/ Although the site takes you immediately to a page requesting a donation (for the site, not the USS Liberty Veterans) your signature will be recorded without making a donation. They are seeking a modest 100 signatures, and have already collected 44 when I posted this. Surely we can reach that small goal before the anniversary date of June 8. Please join me to reach this very attainable goal.