Dangerous
mission
MU team risks safety to help Palestinians.
By WAYNE ANDERSON Special to the Tribune
Published Sunday, December 22, 2002
We had been warned that security in Israel was tight because of the very real
threat of suicide bombers and other terrorist attacks. It is one of those things
you must experience before you can appreciate it. Our five-person team from
the University of Missouri-Columbia’s International Center for Psychosocial
Trauma did just that while traveling in Israel to conduct training programs
for mental-health workers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The first sign that moving about Israel would be tense occurred at passport
control, when a staff member wanted to make sure we knew that we were putting
ourselves in harm’s way. "It’s dangerous here in Israel," she
said. "Are you sure you want to enter?" When we assured her we did,
she asked us to have a seat and passed our forms and passports to a security
agent.
Our leader, MU child psychiatrist Arshad Husain, and I were then subjected
to interrogations in which we were asked to explain our program and why it
was necessary for us to enter the Palestinian zone. Husain had a briefcase
full of supporting paperwork from a variety of sources, including the International
Committee of the Red Cross, to establish our legitimacy. Our "Hope for
the Children" brochure seemed to carry some weight, too, because it had
photographs of our team members working with children around the world.
After 90 minutes and calls to higher-ranking bureaucrats, the passport staff
decided that we would be allowed to go to the West Bank to conduct our training
program. The team consisted of MU education Professor Venetta Whitaker, public
relations specialist Jeffrey Hoelscher, psychologist Barbara Bauer and me.
The Red Crescent Society of Qatar, a sister organization of the Red Cross,
provided financial support for the training program. Mohamad El-Tawil, a Canadian
surgeon, served as our host and introduced us at the different locations.
Getting
around
The highways in Israel were excellent. In Palestinian areas, they are in poor
condition, in some places torn up by tank treads and in others just the victim
of neglect. You could tell Israel was a developed country; the cars were new
models with a fair number of BMWs and Mercedes. I saw only one older car that
looked as if it had been damaged. In Palestinian areas, however, there were
many older cars and body damage seemed to be a natural condition.
In Israel, motorists are fined for not using seat belts, talking on cell phones
and speeding. Palestinian authorities are much looser. You don’t have
to use seat belts, can talk on the cell phone and speed.
Edgy young soldiers in protective vests manned the Israeli checkpoints. Given
the real possibility that they could be attacked at any time, it seemed reasonable
that they would be edgy. They carefully examine all credentials and have the
power to keep you waiting for as long as it takes to determine you are not
a security threat. We were informed that our American citizenship afforded
us special consideration.
Later, when we took a tour of Jerusalem, it was apparent that the tourist business
has all but disappeared. Our guide said his work was once a great job, but
now he has a hard time making ends meet.
