Said Yaqin, a palestinian settler

Said Yaqin, Head of Popular Struggle Comittee Beit Iksa, Palestinian Settler

Left to Right

Israel, the Wall, West Bank and Gaza (left to right)

– Shot in Ramallah this week –

The palestinian Prince of Poets

While we in Germany cast 3rd-class-models in our TV shows, Arabs cast the “Prince of Poets”. Thats an awesome thing to do. In the video you see palestinian poet Tamim al-Barghouti turning himself 2007 into the rock star of his people with just one poem, recited in one tv show. Its title: “In Jerusalem”.

21 Millimeters, 21 mm, Bab al Karama, bab-al-shams, Beit Iksa, fotografie, israel, jerusalem, palästina, Protest, sonnenuntergang, westjordanland, Zeltlager Deutsch,

Sun Ray

21 Millimeters, 21 mm, Bab al Karama, bab-al-shams, Beit Iksa, fotografie, israel, jerusalem, palästina, Protest, sonnenuntergang, westjordanland, Zeltlager	Deutsch,

The palestinia protest village of Bab Al-Karama, Beit Iksa, January 2013. Two men in the background are building the provisional mosque.

Arafat, Doppelgänger, Double, Fatah, Look-A-Like, Mohammed, PLO, Ramallah, Westjordanland-2

Meet Yassir Arafat, eh, Salem Smeirat

Arafat, Doppelgänger, Double, Fatah, Look-A-Like, Mohammed, PLO, Ramallah, Westjordanland-2

This is Salem Smeirat, he usually sells fruits and vegetables on the streets of Ramallah. But one day the Palestinian Minister of Traffic wanted to give him 10.000 Dollars. Because obviously, he has a certain talent. Continue reading “Meet Yassir Arafat, eh, Salem Smeirat”

IDF soldiers block the way for Palstinian Olive farmers near the village of Salem in the West Bank, October 2012 (1) (6)

Chicago

IDF soldiers block the way for Palstinian Olive farmers in the West Bank, October 2012 (4)

One of the soldiers we encountered at the Olive Tour, caught my attention because he looked like a big boy with a gun. He was born in Chicago and described his job in the West Bank as follows: “I protect the settlers from the Palestinians and the Palestinians from the Settlers.”

Hat Tip: While I was busy taking pictures and keeping my distance Vanessa just started talking to the soldier – and shared his story afterwards. Danke!
IDF soldiers block the way for Palstinian Olive farmers near the village of Salem in the West Bank, October 2012 (1) (1)

A half hour in the West Bank – from Olive Oil to Cryptonite

IDF soldiers block the way for Palstinian Olive farmers near the village of Salem in the West Bank, October 2012 (1) (1)

I only wanted to now how the occupation makes the olive harvest harder for the Palestinian on a tour through the West Bank in October. But I learned another message: My camera is cryptonite for soldiers. Continue reading “A half hour in the West Bank – from Olive Oil to Cryptonite”

Eliaz Cohen – Poet, Settler, Leftist

This is Eliaz Cohen, a remarkable man. A religious poet, a settler, a leftist. He was the reason I went to Kfar Etzion: I wrote a portrait of him for Zeit Online. My favorite poem of him:

SNOW
Snow on bleeding Jerusalem
as though bandaging her wounds
all rests in tranquility now
filling the cracks of yearning in the Wall
children in your streets, Jerusalem
the sons of Isaac and Ishmael
are staging white wars
(and their blows are soft)
even the pigeons are hurrying today
cooing because they have found new footprints
on the way leading up to the Gate of Mercy

beit iksa al khamana palestine israel protest west bank tent camp Bab al Karama bab Al shams

Pictures from the Palestinian protest village of Al-Karama

beit iksa al khamana palestine israel protest west bank tent camp

Three days ago a new palestinian village was founded: Al-Karama. The people of Beit Iksa wanted to protest with this tent camp against the building of the seperation wall on their land. It was the second tent camp Palestinian activists used since the start of this year. Today, Al-Karama is no more. Israeli police destroyed the village last night. Continue reading “Pictures from the Palestinian protest village of Al-Karama”

The Gardener of Kfar Etzion

gardener kfar etzion gärtner west bank westjordanland portrait porträt

How I met a settler with one wish: a spinning key chain from Mannheim. Continue reading “The Gardener of Kfar Etzion”