RAMALLAH DIARY

Index of Diary Days: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

From: Anthony Richardson

To: Andy

Subject: Day 2

Date: 03 June 2003 14:10

Andy

Edit as you require, but not so long today, for obvious reasons.If anything happens later I will send you supplemental report

I was woken several times during the night, with the sound of gunfire. At 8.30 I left my hotel, the streets were almost deserted. I walked to Al Manara Square, which is the centre of Ramallah. Here I learnt that the Israelis had declared total shutdown for the day. I brought a croissant off a man with a barrow, and joined the only other people who were about, at a tea stall. The mint tea at these stalls is sweet, and unbeatable.

Al Manara Square

There were also 2 taxis in the square. It is always possible to tell if the military are about by seeing if the taxis leave without customers. Sure enough the taxis go, the man with the barrow dissappears, and the tea stall owner turns his music off, and we all hide. The armoured vehicles appear, I am sure they see us, but they have made their point, by simply circling around.

I go to the office, to find that my first meeting, and possibly the rest of the days schedule has had to be cancelled. It isn't just the problem of closures, but its not knowing when they are to take place, nothing can be planned. Those workers who were told that they could start working in Israel again would have missed their second day at work. What employer would accept this? And how could they plan their finances?

In looking around the streets the only vehicles about are ambulances, always busy here, but more so during closures, because people need to be dealt with
in their homes, fire engines, and taxis. I should mention that I rarely use taxis in Oxford, because the bus service to Blackbird Leys is good, but here the shared taxis are cheap, and the only real form of transport. The problem is that with the destruction of the Palestinian Authorities structures anybody can now run a taxi, without registration or licensing, so safety is an issue.

	Ambulance in empty street.
Fire Engine in Al Manera Square.

Kids are playing in the street, they can't go to school so they are bored, they just broke one of the windows of the office I am working in. I think I will try walking around, which I can probably get away with, not being Palestinian. Although I am not too sure as I have just learnt that Richard Gere is stuck at Qualandia checkpoint, on his way to meal with some of Ramallahs civic leaders.

Tony Richardson

PS did the other pictures get through? I have some of deserted streets, the main square, of ambulance, of fire engine

Tony

Day 2.5

From: Anthony Richardson
To: Andy

Subject: Day 2.5
Date: 03 June 2003 17:19

Andy

I did manage to get out , at 6pm so did this:

Richard Gere did manage to get through, after half an hour at the checkpoint.

I also managed to go out at about 6pm and met well known artist Vera Tamari, who had met Gere and said he had been sympathetic, not surprising considering he had been driven through the deserted streets of central Ramallah.

Vera used to live in Oxford, and worked with the Ashmolean Museum. She now lectures at Bir Zeit, and is working on a project there, creating a museum of the history of Islamic Art. She was very interested in the twinning project, because as she explained many of her students have never been out of the country, not even been to see the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. They also have other problems, such as a desperate shortage of artbooks. I know students in Oxford who would be interested in her museum project, so it is clear to both of us that the relationship could be fruitful.

Tony Richardson