The Fear of Violence

Today I waited for a taxi to Ramalla where the Burin Road meets the main road. There was a man in his 30s who also wanted a taxi to Ramalla. But he was standing way back up the side road. I could not figure out what he was doing. I asked my hosts, who said he was afraid.

The road to Ramalla is to the left. The man down by the telephone pole on the road to the right is waiting for the taxi to Ramalla

He was afraid of being run over by a settler's car. Once again, just last week a 15 year old boy was run over, only 50 meters from where I was waiting for the taxi.

Looking the other way the boy was run over near the telephone pole.

Unrelated to this incident in the first photo you can see the red sign. This is one version of the signs which are on every road that enters an Area A.

These signs are part of spreading fear. Maybe it is not deliberate, but if you drove by one of these signs a dozen times each day it is bound to effect your thinking. These also help keep the Israelis from meeting Palestinians.

Written by Scott Abrams