" It’s
dangerous work. Three ambulance drivers have been killed, and 70 percent
have been injured," she explained. "The TV here is not edited,
so children of these drivers see the bodies of the casualties and the blood.
This frightens them for the safety of their fathers. Their families want
them to stop, but they are very dedicated."
Unemployment in the West Bank is 80 percent and the drivers are reluctant to
give up their jobs, Jordan said. With little assistance, the alternative is a
life of poverty and, often, crime.
" People are out of money, and some of the women are starting to steal because
they can’t pay for food. As many as 22 percent of the people suffer from
malnutrition, and dental problems are rife. The U.N. has been effectively stopped
from helping, as has the Red Cross.
" Most suicide bombers come from refugee camps. These people have no money,
no jobs, no food, and everything seems hopeless. They will commit suicide one
way or another, and it carries more honor to do it as a suicide bomber.
" Neither side understands the cultural nature of the other. There are better
ways to handle this, but what the soldiers are doing is pleasing to the Israeli
public."
Jordan’s observations are hardly rare.
Another mental health professional working in the West Bank said life there is
a daily struggle to survive. The worker asked not to be identified because of
the danger of retaliation.
Just getting to the conference in Cairo was difficult, the worker said, explaining
that it was a three-hour walk through the mountains with a donkey.
" It is illegal to go out when there is a curfew. At night, they will shoot
you on sight," the worker said.
" During the day, they hold you up. You must take off your shirt" so
soldiers can check for explosives. "They take your identity card and check
on the radio. Then they may let you go home or they may take you to a location
to be held.
" This week is different than last week; it depends on how angry they are,
what their orders are from the top. You just can’t guess, and things change
by the minute."
It has changed the very fabric of life for Palestinians who need medical attention
and others.
" People who need treatment - heart, pregnancy, kidney - cannot get it," the
worker added. "Some women have died in childbirth because they could not
get to the hospital."
The Israelis are trying to force their will on the Palestinians. Since June 20,
the Palestinians have been subjected to a curfew almost daily. They’ve
become dependent upon charitable groups for survival, but even the Red Cross
has been hampered by Israeli soldiers.
" They want to injure or hurt people to create fear," the worker added. "June,
July and August, the occupation has become much more dangerous. The psychological
effect is double over previous occupations.
" What we have rebuilt after the last occupation has been destroyed. At
the checkpoints bulldozers have destroyed streets. Telephone lines are cut and
transportation shut down. It is almost impossible to get enough food and to take
care of basic needs."
