I joined two other Americans, one Canadian, and one Italian for the first day of training with the International Solidarity Movement in Ramallah. The movement is Palestinian-led, non-violent, and decides on action by consensus. The five of us, who will serve for varying time periods, are charged with being good ambassadors, to tell the truth about what we witness. There is no guarantee that we won't be hurt, but I took some comfort from the trainer's assurance that "the soldiers will think a million times before shooting you." If internationals are detained by authorities, they must not be detained for more than 24 hours (36 hours on a weekend), and the worst that is likely to happen is a judge's order not to come back to the town for two weeks. By contrast, Palestinians can be held for eight days before they see a judge, and can be sentenced to years in prison.(One of our trainers was incarcerated for six years!)
Less sobering elements of today's training were the exercises on making decisions by consensus and the cultural orientation. I already knew not to shake hands with Muslim women unless they initiate it, but today I learned why: they would then have to purify themselves before prayers. I learned never to cross my legs showing the soles of my feet, because that is a sign of disrespect. In addition, I learned the useful phrase "Ana nabati," "I am a vegetarian."
We were briefed on the ISM's current activities and options for service throughout the West Bank.
For security reasons, I'm not including any pictures of the training.
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