From: "Israel Shamir" <adam@israelshamir.net> Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007
00:53:10 +0100
[Sam Bahour is one of the biggest Palestinians I’ve ever met.
American-raised, almost two metre tall, built to last, the owner and
manager of the first ever mall in Ramallah, and a very pleasant man.
Here he writes about yesterday’s Israeli raid in Ramallah as seen
through the eyes of his 6 years old daughter – not a tear-squeezer but a
human interest charming piece of battlefield reporting. Shamir]
Nadine eats Pizza in Ramallah,
By Sam Bahour
I wanted to write this last night but was exhausted from playing umpteen
hands of the card game UNO with my 6 year old daughter, Nadine (pic
attached).Why this card frenzy, especially given I hate playing cards?
Well, we were in the center of Ramallah yesterday afternoon, at 3:40pm
when the almighty Israeli military decided, again, that it was time to
wreak havoc on our city. I should not really complain since what
happened in Ramallah yesterday happens across the West Bank and Gaza
regularly. Nevertheless, I will make an issue about it and urge every
Palestinian, in every city, to make an issue about every Israeli
infraction on our lives.
Yesterday I was extremely busy all day and had a dinner appointment with
a serious venture capitalist in Jerusalem in the evening, so I agreed
with my wife and girls that since I would not be home all day and night,
that I'd pick them up at 3:30 sharp and we would go for a late lunch. We
haven't been out much given all of the infighting lately so my girls
were thrilled. I rushed home at 3:30 to pick them up and found my
daughters dressed to kill. To them, this was a serious outing after a
long holiday break which was spent mostly at home. The restaurant they
had as first choice was closed due to the holidays, so they reverted to
their favorite popular place, Angelo's Pizzeria, for those that know it.
Angelo's Pizzeria is on the main street in Ramallah, a few hundred
meters from Lion's Circle, the smack middle of town where you saw on the
news Israeli bulldozers destroying cars last night. I parked on the
Friends Girls School road which is behind the restaurant. As soon as I
exited the car I felt something was wrong. As we walked into the
restaurant I looked up and could see an Israeli gunship helicopter
hovering overhead firing at some unknown target. We thought it would be
safer to enter the restaurant rather than return home.
The restaurant was full with most tables nervous at the sound of gunfire
from overhead. The waiters, who have been through this dozens of times,
visited the tables and played and joked with the kids. They knew that
things were not right and went out of their way to make life normal, at
least while we were their customers. The restaurant manager, a friend,
came to our table and asked me for my car keys. He wanted to move my car
because word came that the Israeli jeeps and armored vehicles that were
operating in town were crushing cars parked on the side of the road. He
found my car already in a safe spot and reassured us that this will pass
soon. He knows, he has lived this reality every day for 40 years now!
We ordered a pizza and salad and Nadine insisted that Angelo's Pizzeria
has the best hamburgers in town and wanted one as well so she ordered
one herself. As we sat, things outside were clearly deteriorating. I got
a call on my cellular hone from my dad back in Youngstown, Ohio. He
asked where we are because no one answered at home. He briefed me on the
live reports he was watching about what was happening outside the
restaurant door. After talking with my father, I made frequent visits to
the restaurant door to view people rushing away from the city center.
While I was standing at the door, a friend of mine had finished eating
with his wife and 4 kids and stood at the door contemplating to leave to
cross the street to his car. I kept a lookout and gave him the all clear
as he rushed his family across the street to his car and he was off. At
this stage, I knew it was not only military activity overhead but
something very close by.
The salad showed up in no time and we enjoyed it. Then the famous
hamburger followed and then our pizza. All the time my wife was trying
to make phone contact with her sister who we invited to join us but
never showed up. She wanted to make sure she was ok given all the
shooting and commotion outside. My older daughter, Areen, was a bit
nervous, wondering how we were going to get back home. We reassured her
that all would be fine. In reality, we had no idea.
Forty minutes later, my wife, Abeer, Areen and I had finished eating and
were ready to go. Nadine, was happily, and very slowly, enjoying her
world-class hamburger and fries while every so often reassuring us. "
They come, shoot, arrest, and leave...so what's the problem? When they
leave, we will go home, right dad?"
"So what's the problem?"! The problem is how can a 6 year old calmly sit
through a mini-war happening outside the restaurant while
enthusiastically devouring a hamburger without the slightest hint of
being disturbed?
Nadine finally finished and we headed home. Luckily we were parked in
the opposite direction of the shooting, so we drove the wrong way down a
one way street and headed home. On the way, taxis were rushing about,
driving worse than usual, shuttling people away from the center of
Ramallah. When we got near our home we had to cross the
Jerusalem-Ramallah road. Looking left about 200 meters away my girls
yelled out that the IDF was blocking the street. I glanced and it was a
mess. Jeeps all over, rocks filled the street, behind the jeeps I could
see the open market was full of soldiers.
We finally got home. Turned on CNN, nothing! Switched to Jazeerah and
they had live pictures of what was happening and the extent of it -
another Israeli invasion into Ramallah. An undercover Israeli hit team
tried to arrest someone and were exposed and came under Palestinian
fire. They called in re-enforcements and all the lone rangers came
running (and shooting and plowing).
I was contemplating with my wife if I should risk heading to Jerusalem
later in the evening. We agreed to wait and see how it develops given
the news reports started to say the IDF was completing their operations
and leaving the city center (only to move back to their permanent
position of surrounding our city).
I went to check my email and cancel a radio interview appointment with
CBC that I missed because of this mess. This is when Nadine came and
asked if I could accompany her to the bathroom. She never asks to be
accompanied. The bathroom in our small flat is literally 1 meter from my
computer and 3 meters from the living room where Abeer was watching the
news and Areen was letting Grandma Sarah in Youngstown know we were all
home and ok.
I immediately understood and gladly accompanied Nadine and even made it
a fun trip. Then I cancelled all my appointments that evening and spent
the rest of the night doing exactly what Nadine asked for - to play UNO.
We played alone, with Areen, as a family, and then alone again, multiple
times. When bedtime came she kissed me good night and headed to her room
along with her sister as usual - no escort. I felt that UNO therapy had
worked. I may even claim for a new deck of UNO on my health insurance
policy.
My friends, I write this not to bore you with one family's experience
during 2 hours of occupation, but rather to scream to the world that we
need your help!
4 Palestinian civilians were killed last night in this attack, 20 were
injured, 5 of them seriously. I have no statistics on the number of
children, like Nadine, whose skin become thicker during this latest
Israeli adventure.
Israel has lost her way and the US is Palestinian-blind. Israel is
creating yet another generation of Palestinians that are more numb to
their military occupation than any other. Likewise, it is creating a
generation of Israeli occupiers that see my city as the wild, wild,
west. It is stripping children, Palestinian and Israeli, of their
childhood. It must stop and NOW. We need your active support:
Organize locally, at your church, community center, union, etc. Support
Jimmy Carter's stance against Israeli Apartheid. Read his book. Write
letters. Visit and engage your representatives. Demand public
statements. Sponsor a Palestinian student. Invest in Palestine. Request
Angelo's Pizzeria start exporting hamburgers by express mail. and most
importantly, play UNO with your kids.
Braced for the 4 funerals that will start in 3 hours,
Sam
mailto:sbahour(at)palnet.com
[The funniest thing about yesterday’s raid was the response of Mahmoud
Abbas who said that Israeli government proved it is not interested in
peace. Thank you for these tidings, Mr Abbas!]
00:53:10 +0100
[Sam Bahour is one of the biggest Palestinians I’ve ever met.
American-raised, almost two metre tall, built to last, the owner and
manager of the first ever mall in Ramallah, and a very pleasant man.
Here he writes about yesterday’s Israeli raid in Ramallah as seen
through the eyes of his 6 years old daughter – not a tear-squeezer but a
human interest charming piece of battlefield reporting. Shamir]
Nadine eats Pizza in Ramallah,
By Sam Bahour
I wanted to write this last night but was exhausted from playing umpteen
hands of the card game UNO with my 6 year old daughter, Nadine (pic
attached).Why this card frenzy, especially given I hate playing cards?
Well, we were in the center of Ramallah yesterday afternoon, at 3:40pm
when the almighty Israeli military decided, again, that it was time to
wreak havoc on our city. I should not really complain since what
happened in Ramallah yesterday happens across the West Bank and Gaza
regularly. Nevertheless, I will make an issue about it and urge every
Palestinian, in every city, to make an issue about every Israeli
infraction on our lives.
Yesterday I was extremely busy all day and had a dinner appointment with
a serious venture capitalist in Jerusalem in the evening, so I agreed
with my wife and girls that since I would not be home all day and night,
that I'd pick them up at 3:30 sharp and we would go for a late lunch. We
haven't been out much given all of the infighting lately so my girls
were thrilled. I rushed home at 3:30 to pick them up and found my
daughters dressed to kill. To them, this was a serious outing after a
long holiday break which was spent mostly at home. The restaurant they
had as first choice was closed due to the holidays, so they reverted to
their favorite popular place, Angelo's Pizzeria, for those that know it.
Angelo's Pizzeria is on the main street in Ramallah, a few hundred
meters from Lion's Circle, the smack middle of town where you saw on the
news Israeli bulldozers destroying cars last night. I parked on the
Friends Girls School road which is behind the restaurant. As soon as I
exited the car I felt something was wrong. As we walked into the
restaurant I looked up and could see an Israeli gunship helicopter
hovering overhead firing at some unknown target. We thought it would be
safer to enter the restaurant rather than return home.
The restaurant was full with most tables nervous at the sound of gunfire
from overhead. The waiters, who have been through this dozens of times,
visited the tables and played and joked with the kids. They knew that
things were not right and went out of their way to make life normal, at
least while we were their customers. The restaurant manager, a friend,
came to our table and asked me for my car keys. He wanted to move my car
because word came that the Israeli jeeps and armored vehicles that were
operating in town were crushing cars parked on the side of the road. He
found my car already in a safe spot and reassured us that this will pass
soon. He knows, he has lived this reality every day for 40 years now!
We ordered a pizza and salad and Nadine insisted that Angelo's Pizzeria
has the best hamburgers in town and wanted one as well so she ordered
one herself. As we sat, things outside were clearly deteriorating. I got
a call on my cellular hone from my dad back in Youngstown, Ohio. He
asked where we are because no one answered at home. He briefed me on the
live reports he was watching about what was happening outside the
restaurant door. After talking with my father, I made frequent visits to
the restaurant door to view people rushing away from the city center.
While I was standing at the door, a friend of mine had finished eating
with his wife and 4 kids and stood at the door contemplating to leave to
cross the street to his car. I kept a lookout and gave him the all clear
as he rushed his family across the street to his car and he was off. At
this stage, I knew it was not only military activity overhead but
something very close by.
The salad showed up in no time and we enjoyed it. Then the famous
hamburger followed and then our pizza. All the time my wife was trying
to make phone contact with her sister who we invited to join us but
never showed up. She wanted to make sure she was ok given all the
shooting and commotion outside. My older daughter, Areen, was a bit
nervous, wondering how we were going to get back home. We reassured her
that all would be fine. In reality, we had no idea.
Forty minutes later, my wife, Abeer, Areen and I had finished eating and
were ready to go. Nadine, was happily, and very slowly, enjoying her
world-class hamburger and fries while every so often reassuring us. "
They come, shoot, arrest, and leave...so what's the problem? When they
leave, we will go home, right dad?"
"So what's the problem?"! The problem is how can a 6 year old calmly sit
through a mini-war happening outside the restaurant while
enthusiastically devouring a hamburger without the slightest hint of
being disturbed?
Nadine finally finished and we headed home. Luckily we were parked in
the opposite direction of the shooting, so we drove the wrong way down a
one way street and headed home. On the way, taxis were rushing about,
driving worse than usual, shuttling people away from the center of
Ramallah. When we got near our home we had to cross the
Jerusalem-Ramallah road. Looking left about 200 meters away my girls
yelled out that the IDF was blocking the street. I glanced and it was a
mess. Jeeps all over, rocks filled the street, behind the jeeps I could
see the open market was full of soldiers.
We finally got home. Turned on CNN, nothing! Switched to Jazeerah and
they had live pictures of what was happening and the extent of it -
another Israeli invasion into Ramallah. An undercover Israeli hit team
tried to arrest someone and were exposed and came under Palestinian
fire. They called in re-enforcements and all the lone rangers came
running (and shooting and plowing).
I was contemplating with my wife if I should risk heading to Jerusalem
later in the evening. We agreed to wait and see how it develops given
the news reports started to say the IDF was completing their operations
and leaving the city center (only to move back to their permanent
position of surrounding our city).
I went to check my email and cancel a radio interview appointment with
CBC that I missed because of this mess. This is when Nadine came and
asked if I could accompany her to the bathroom. She never asks to be
accompanied. The bathroom in our small flat is literally 1 meter from my
computer and 3 meters from the living room where Abeer was watching the
news and Areen was letting Grandma Sarah in Youngstown know we were all
home and ok.
I immediately understood and gladly accompanied Nadine and even made it
a fun trip. Then I cancelled all my appointments that evening and spent
the rest of the night doing exactly what Nadine asked for - to play UNO.
We played alone, with Areen, as a family, and then alone again, multiple
times. When bedtime came she kissed me good night and headed to her room
along with her sister as usual - no escort. I felt that UNO therapy had
worked. I may even claim for a new deck of UNO on my health insurance
policy.
My friends, I write this not to bore you with one family's experience
during 2 hours of occupation, but rather to scream to the world that we
need your help!
4 Palestinian civilians were killed last night in this attack, 20 were
injured, 5 of them seriously. I have no statistics on the number of
children, like Nadine, whose skin become thicker during this latest
Israeli adventure.
Israel has lost her way and the US is Palestinian-blind. Israel is
creating yet another generation of Palestinians that are more numb to
their military occupation than any other. Likewise, it is creating a
generation of Israeli occupiers that see my city as the wild, wild,
west. It is stripping children, Palestinian and Israeli, of their
childhood. It must stop and NOW. We need your active support:
Organize locally, at your church, community center, union, etc. Support
Jimmy Carter's stance against Israeli Apartheid. Read his book. Write
letters. Visit and engage your representatives. Demand public
statements. Sponsor a Palestinian student. Invest in Palestine. Request
Angelo's Pizzeria start exporting hamburgers by express mail. and most
importantly, play UNO with your kids.
Braced for the 4 funerals that will start in 3 hours,
Sam
mailto:sbahour(at)palnet.com
[The funniest thing about yesterday’s raid was the response of Mahmoud
Abbas who said that Israeli government proved it is not interested in
peace. Thank you for these tidings, Mr Abbas!]
