I left Athabasca for East Jerusalem via Edmonton, Toronto, Frankfurt, and Tel-Aviv, then Ramallah, Nablus, Balata, Ramallah, Hebron, and back to Jerusalem. See Maps

Why would a 77 year old former university professor, grandfather, happily retired, take off for Palestine? Simply put, I am outraged at the treatment of the Palestinians by the state of Israel. I have read enough of Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky, Amira Hass, Uri Avnery, and other Jewish and non-Jewish writers to know that the state of Israel is committing grave crimes against an occupied and subjugated people. If a person is convinced that a great injustice is being committed, shouldn't he try to do something about it?

It wasn't until I discovered the International Solidarity Movement(ISM) that I figured I could make a difference by going there and joining in the non-violent protest actions. ISM is a strictly volunteer movement, not even an organization in the formal sense. The leaders are a group of Christians, Jews, Muslims, of various ethnicity and citizenship, held together by some very remarkable people. There is no CEO or board of directors, just a group of activists connected by cell phones and email.

I was worried that they might not be willing to take on a 77 year old with two artificial knees, but word came back by email, "Come on over, we'll fit you in." It was the greatest experience of my life.

Did I make a difference?

I think so. Perhaps Marissa McLaughlin and I prevented a family's house from being demolished by a D9 Caterpillar bulldozer. Perhaps I made a small contribution to the life of the Balata Refugee Camp. I showed solidarity with a group of farmers who have not been able to go onto their fields, and I attempted to help them. I observed, and I hope mitigated, the brutal house-to-house search in a Refugee Camp near Ramallah.

Mostly my impact will be on my fellow Albertans now that I have been there and seen the appalling conditions under which the Palestinians are forced to live. I can bear witness to the systematic killing of a society, sociocide. Not as abrupt as genocide, but horrendous in impact. I will lecture, show slides, travel, and do what I can to get the message out. The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza must stop. See Gush Shalom, the Israeli peace block.

There is another message I have. The Palestinians need help, and I think Albertans, and Canadians and Americans more generally, have to find ways to get aid to them. Not to any government, but to NGOs (non governmental organizations). I met a remarkable American Jewish woman, Penny Rosenwasser who has been aiding Palestinian children for years. She was in Palestine this time with ISM, but has been there many times before to work with NGOs who are helping children. I intend to support her work.

Would I go again?

Yes, and I would hope that next time my 77 year old wife will go along, if for no other reason than to see the country. We might just be there next year as 78 year olds.