My name is Claire Liddy. I am from a small town in the West of Ireland and this was my first visit to Palestine. I have always had a deep interest in Palestine and the treatment of the Palestinians by the Israeli occupation and the fact that the rest of the world appears to be looking on while another apartheid takes place.
I used to work in aviation but when I was made redundant from my job in March I decided to use some of my free time to do some volunteer work with Go Palestine.
I have had a great time so far. The people in Hebron are so friendly and welcoming. My host family and people at the center have been very helpful and I have seen a lot of Palestine during my 10 days. I really admire the strength of the Palestinian people who have to deal with the occupation and all of the issues that it causes every day.
I have had the opportunity to visit Aroub and Al Fariah refugee camps. I was amazed by the people and their strength in trying to carve out some kind of normal life for their family amidst all the violence from the Israeli occupation and the challenges they face as refugees in their own country. They are also very self-sufficient and I hope that more charities and downers will help these people who have been displaced from their homes at an alarming rate.
When we arrived at Aroub camp the soldiers had just shot in tear gas which was very distressing. The children in the camp had thrown some stones from at least 100 yards away at the soldiers who I found to be very threatening and violent during my trip. The answer to the children throwing stones at heavily armed soldiers was to tear gas the refugee camp. Not only are the Israeli soldiers knocking on their homes, killing their farm animals, burning their crops, arresting and shooting their children/family members, restricting their movement but they are also harassing them in the refugee camps. This cannot continue, the world allowed this to happen in World War II and are allowing it to happen again.
The closeness of the Palestinian people and their love of family is incredible. They lead by example, the rest of the world could learn a lot from them. We were invited into their homes and shared Iftar with them in the evenings which was a great celebration to be part of and we were made to feel like one of the family.
I felt so safe in Hebron. I walked most places and never had an issue. I was respectful and wore the scarf as is required as part of the Muslim faith. I did not have many words of Arabic but I got by and was able to navigate my way around the city and the shops.
I would definitely recommend people travel to the West Bank and see for themselves the result of the occupation and the impact it is having on the people. The Go Palestine program is a great chance to do this and also immerse yourself in the Palestinian culture.
Thanks to everyone at the center, my host family, and the Palestinian people in general for making my trip such a memorable one.
