Tomorrow is the Nakba, the day Palestinians mourn the creation of the Israeli state and the mass deportation of Palestinians and the destruction of their villages. The university will be closed which is unfortunate because it was closed all last week after a man was killed nearby setting off more local conflict. As my friends from work and I drove home today we could already see the beginning of activity. A dumpster on it's side flanked by burning tires blocked off one of the roads. As we passed Qalandia we noticed about 20 Israeli soldiers surrounding the refugee camp. Further down the street young men began to hurl rocks at the standing soldiers, the nearby shops were all closed, my friend drove faster. A mass of young men stood on the sidewalk waiting, casual yet ready for anything. "It's starting," my friend said.
Yesterday my friend's boyfriend got stuck for over three hours at Qalandia waiting to go to Jerusalem. Soldiers were throwing tear gas and traffic was at a stand still. Demonstrations have begun all over the West Bank. Men under 45 without a blue (Jerusalem) ID were not allowed into the Old City to go pray at the Mosque. Already there are reports of teenage boys being shot. This year, with all that is going on in the Arab world the Nakba has the potential to get out of hand. Hopefully the cost will not be too high.
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