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| For Palestinians who have been allowed to
remain in their villages, "normal life" often depends whether or
not Israel closes borders preventing travel between Palestinian controlled
and Israeli controlled areas. Because villages in the West Bank are
often surrounded by settlements and/or roads under Israeli control,
movement from one to another or to cities like Jerusalem where many
Palestinians work, is not always possible. In 1996, the welder
pictured in the lower right had been unemployed for 9 months because he
could not leave his village (upper left) to travel to his workplace in
Jerusalem. He made some money by working in his welding shop, which
was adjacent to his house (lower left). Predominantly Christian,
people in the village were most concerned about the diminishing Christian
population in the West Bank as their children often emigrate to live in
the United States or Europe where education and job opportunities are more
stable. |
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Many Palestinians were forced out of their homes and
villages by Israelis during the struggles that led to the formation of the
State of Israel. The majority of them are in Gaza, the most densely
populated strip of land on earth. The two top pictures reveal some
of the poor living conditions these people face. Christians
and Muslims (symbolized by the church and mosque in the picture to the
left) work together to provide education and economic opportunities to the
extent possible. In the picture above, Palestinian women work in a
sewing shop established by the Middle East Council of Churches. |
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Standing in sharp contrast to living
conditions of Palestinians, particularly in refugee camps, but also in
villages, are the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This one,
Ephrat, overlooks the town of Bethlehem and pipes its water in from
underneath that Palestinian town. Often the settlers have water when
the Palestinians do not.
The pictures below illustrate the way in which
settlements are built on hilltops overlooking Palestinian areas. In
the bottom right picture, Bethlehem lies in the distance. The
Israeli government provides a number of economic incentives to attract
settlers. |
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