Journal, April 12, 2006 (edited April 16) —Haifa

Photos: Haifa part 1 photos

Other photos and writing

Haifa journal--Part one

Haifa and Ramallah

The contrast between Ramallah and Haifa is vast. On a physical level, Haifa is warmer, near the sea, and packed together more than Ramallah. On a social level, Jews and Arabs ( Arabs as they're often called here, and by themselves) live and work relatively close together, at least within the same general area--no checkpoints, no wall, no closures (that are visible and overt). Some 20% of the 250,000 people in Haifa are Palestinian (the same percentage of Arabs in Israel as a whole), but years ago, before the Nakba (the catastrophe for Arabs when Jews formed the state of Israel in 1948), they were the majority. And Palestinians here have more privileges than Palestinians in the territories. But not matching the Jewish citizens of Israel--second-class citizens in their own land, stories about this to follow.

Most regrettably, Haifan Palestinians--and Palestinians in Israel generally--are detached from Palestinians inside the territories. They have a different identify and orientation. They know little about each other. This came out last night in discussing with Salim and Inas, program coordinator for Baladna, the characteristics of Israeli Palestinian photography. Salim thinks that in Israel Palestinian photography is more about the hidden or less noticed aspects of Palestinian life, traditional villages, clothing, ethos generally. But in the territories, more attention is put on the Occupation itself, checkpoints, wall, etc. I'm not sure how true this is or even if I heard it correctly. But the detachment of the two groups is certain, Palestinians in the territories, and Palestinians in Israel.

Baladna

I'm in Haifa to work with and thru the Association of Arab Youth, Baladna, "our place" in Arabic-- a photo workshop for the 2 weeks I'm scheduled to be here for about 10 college age people, mostly Palestinian citizens of Israel, and a few foreigners, most beginners as far as I know, for 4 sessions of 3 hours each, concentrating on planning a project, shooting, editing, and presenting, the entire "workflow" or gamut of a photographer's mission. We begin Saturday, April 15, part of the session will be in the field. I look forward to this enthusiastically but with some trepidation. Another similarly exciting beginning ended poorly: Birzeit University last year. But another workshop, at Ramallah Friends School, seems to be going very well.

In addition, I will photograph some of Baladna's activities; youth trainings primarily, and possibly go with them to the Golan Hts, a marvelous prospect that I'd never anticipated. And other leads seem to be issuing: Maroun, whom I met yesterday at Baladna, is a filmmaker. One of his current projects is a documentary about kids in a poor Palestinian district in Haifa, Wadi Nisnas, near the waterfront. He offered to bring me with him when they next shoot. His second project is a fiction film about a man seeking his identity as an arab in israel, traveling to Paris after the Israelis accused him of fomenting resistance to the Occupation. There he makes some sad discoveries about who he is.

Baladna very generously is providing me housing and a small stipend for food and incidental expenses. They charge the workshop participants 200 shekels (about $25), and my stipend will be 1000 shekels. They explain they have no money in the budget for this unexpected project, student fees will have to cover my costs and bring something to Baladna.

And Salim, whom I met lat night in Elias' café, also photographs and will introduce me to Palestinians living in wadis overshadowed   by a major shopping center in Haifa.

My first host, E

I'm staying with E, here's what I know of his story: born and raised in Haifa, lived in the states for 27 years without a return to his homeland until 3 years ago. One daughter recently graduated from Harvard, now at the University of Chicago in linguistics, never been in Israel. E worked as a computer programmer and graphic designer, usually on the west coast, south and Bay area. Eventually co-owned a software company that had gone bankrupt and sold it to pocket enough cash to get here and open a small café. Struggled for the first year or so. Now it is a political spot, showing videos, gathering activists together. From serving food--he'd had no training or background in café operation--to being more of a bar (although he does not drink). He did not explain why he chose to move back, other than implying a general disgust with the United States.

E is in his 50s, has a white beard, smokes, is short and of medium build, speaks good English, also Hebrew and Arabic, as do most of the Israel Palestinians, at least in Haifa where they must deal with Jews regularly. He has a friend, a woman, who he referred to as his partner.

When first arriving in Haifa he regularly attended demos, and videoed them. He's amassed many hours of tape that he once intended to edit. Now it sits in storage. He confided that he once had an idea for the taping, but now has forgotten what it was. To retrieve the idea and edit the tape seems insurmountable to him. So his video equipment lies unused. The café takes so much of his time that he rarely attends public political events. Perhaps the café is now his expression of dissent.

When I mentioned Chomsky's idea of the US as a failed state, E quickly thrust into my hands a copy of the book, Dirty Truths , by Michael Parenti. I've begun reading it. It opens with a chapter called "Hidden Holocaust, USA." Which details with a dazzling array of statistics the decrepitude of the US state. Failed indeed, and in its failure perhaps destroying much of the world.

No need to dwell on this impending tragedy or even more than mention the prospect of war with Iran, on top of war on Iraq. Let's turn to a magical mystery tour of part of Haifa last night.

Night tour of Haifa

Waiting for Nadeem, the director of Baladna, I grew weary--Maroun had said in one hour Nadeem will appear, 2 hours passed, E reminded me of Arab time--so I headed out to forage for food and entertainment. Down 2 sets of steps--pity for the lame in this city built up a mountain--and into a section that at 8 pm showed some signs of life. Shop after shop offering falafel, the universal dish throughout the Middle East. Stop here, have a giant one with salata, all for 10 NIS. Find dessert in a Magnum ice cream bar for another 8 NIS, not so good for my cholesterol. Notice two sex shops, never see these in the territories. Notice the Russian language widely used. Drop in on a Russian discount grocery store thronged with late night bargain seekers. Become one by buying beer (3 NIS), fennel, onion, grain (cracked wheat?), and lentils.

And back up the steps. To receive the phone call from Nadeem: let's meet and chat. That's Haifan culture. Long into the evening. Not exactly what I'm used to, both from home where I am in bed by 10, or in Ramallah, where I usually am tightly sealed in my chilly and damp apt, watching the fog roll in.

We sat in Elikay, a favorite café of mine, on Masada St, named for the stronghold of a Jewish resistance group that decided when surrounded and trapped by the Romans to commit mass suicide, just down from the subway stop (yes, a subway in Israel, one of the few, runs up the high Carmel Mt), and near Balfour St, named for the British jerk who penned the infamous declaration that helped establish the Jewish state. A monumental tree sits near the café, a ficus, related to banyan, of the fig family but without edible fruit. Its trunk is some 3 meters in circumference and angles sharply 90 degrees to run horizontally for about 2 meters, then thrusts upright to ascend high. It sends down a tentacle from this horizontal section that roots in the earth. Of course, I must photograph this.

And so goes life--a type of life not often revealed in the commercial media--in the Promised Land. Promising what?

April 12, 2006, Wednesday

LINKS

Haifa - 1

Haifa - 2

Baladna - 1

Baladna - 2

Arabs/Palestinians in Israel - 1

Arabs/Palestinians in Israel - 2

Ahlam Shibli's photographs (as one example of Palestinian photography)