Notes on Nablus

06/06/09 1:34 pm Nablus, Palestine

Lets step back for a second and talk about Nablus. We arrived in this amazing city on Wednesday afternoon, after traveling from Tel Aviv through Jerusalem. The first impression was very different from what I had expected. As soon as we got out of the cab, there was so much activity and excitement. I was amazed at how vibrant this city is. From what we read and hear in western news and media, they would give you the impression that this place is a wasteland, a war zone; however, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Whatever tragedies and terrible events have happened here in the past, this city has recovered so well from these events. Still, though, the Israelis continue to hold the city in a noose (albeit, a loose one, for the moment) and are able to shut it off at any moment, on any whim that they might have. Despite this, it seems like the Palestinian people really able to make the most of the situation and live their lives as best they can. There are so many here, of all ages that are eager to help and talk to us foreign volunteers. They are so excited to invite us into their community and offer us all that they have.

The city of Nablus is an amazing place. Our first day here, after checking-in and filling out paper work with Project Hope, we were given a tour of the old city of Nablus by Anas, a local Palestinian volunteer. Anas walked us through the Old City, which was a central point of conflict for Muslim resistance during the second Intifada in 2002. The Old City is so different from anything that I have seen in America or Europe, I am still trying to figure out where to place it, because it is so absolutely foreign. A maze of small streets and side passageways forms the core of the city. Market stalls line the streets, where you can find everything from cheap Chinese toys, to the most exotic spices that you can find. The smells and sounds are intoxicating and constant.

The main industry, and the most well known export of Nablus, is olive oil soap which is well known throughout the Muslim world. Where there used to be about 30 soap factories in the city, there are now only 2 still operating. Anas walked us by a square of rubble in the old city. He explained that this used to be one of the most important soap factories in Nablus, but during the Israeli counterattack, they bombed the foundations, effectively structurally crippling the building. After the Intifada, the local leadership finished the demolition for safety reasons.

After this sobering image, we stopped at a street stall to sample the local delicacy: Kanafeh. Kanafeh is a local sweet that is make from sweetened white cheese covered with a pastry noodle (??,that’s what Wikipedia says) with the top dyed red. It is a very interesting taste, with the flavor of sugary syrup, I guess, and very, very heavy. One piece is plenty.

Everywhere we go we face looks, mainly of curiosity, and rarely of aggression. We did get some bottle caps thrown at us the other day by some young boys. But I think this behavior, which is very rare, is reflective of curiosity and ignorance rather than aggression, at least they were laughing at it. The vast majority of interactions are very positive and enlightening exchanges

**On a side note, as I am typing this, the Israeli air force just decided to make sure we’re all awake and flew an F-16 sortie over the city. You know, coming from Omaha, I’m quite used to hearing military aircraft flying over the city, but it is a very strange feeling when you think that they are coming from the “other side.”