Hundreds of thousands of Israeli cars owned by Palestinians from east Jerusalem and from Israeli Palestinian citizens pass checkpoints to and from the west bank , tens of thousands of Israeli Jewish citizens drive through some of these checkpoints to Israel coming from their settlements in the West Bank.
It feels that so many people live in the same geographical area. Maybe they call it different names but definitely they don’t live under the same restrictions that I and other Palestinians here and in Gaza are living under.
This year with the pandemic I lost my permit and under COVID lockdowns some of the checkpoints around Bethlehem are completely closed.
Many people this year around the world had and are experiencing lockdowns and some movement restrictions. At some point people weren’t allowed to leave their cities , neighbourhoods or homes for two weeks, but everyone knows it’s a question of time time – maybe few weeks and life will go back to normal again, and they can move freely. Maybe still with the fear and concern of Covid 19 and with still following social distancing rules.
But my situation is not clear.
When is it going to change, next year? Or 20 years from now could be worse!
No political solution, no clear borders, no equal rights and it seems like it’s the price have to pay by living here is that I have to give up on certain rights / needs.
My dream is get in my car one day and drive it from my house in Bethlehem to the beach of Tel Aviv Jaffa or even Haifa.
