I remember walking though Ramallah and feeling the palpable tension which went on all day long basically. when the israelis felt like it, they'd yank the electricity, sometimes stop the water, for "security reasons". every time i went i stayed at the Movenpick and they had a separate generator and water reserve. i don't know if it's still around. people probably don't know it but the west bank living is quite better than Gaza, Gaza is absolutely a hellhole, like an outside prison.
each time i'd go to Ramallah i'd do the usual dance with the israeli army who guard the entrance towards the city, and i've never felt such hostility not even in war zones i ended up in my life like i did passing those checkpoints. i don't know how anyone who ACTUALLY went to Gaza and the West Bank can look at it and not feel the inhuman injustice of it all. i suspect the vast majority of people posting here have only seen pictures, but are very clever having an opinion.
you pass a modicum of life there and you have to forget that you're ALWAYS a target as a palestinian. above the city, the hills, about a mile away, have jewish settlements looking down on the palestinian buildings. sometimes they say, a sniper takes aim and has some fun.
and then you leave, pass the checkpoints, get on the highway north-west and in a couple of hours you're in tel aviv, which looks great, and can have a nice evening walking the seashore in Jaffa and sip lemonade while visiting art galleries. i've never gotten used to that experience. it's very close.
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