28th, June 2006
The first day of Journey for Justice began with an icebreaker for everyone to meet, socialize, and get some background on the Palestinian struggle. The group engaged in various social games for an hour, followed by a lecture about the historical and political background of Palestine. The morning ended with a presentation about the work and background of the Joint Advocacy Initiative.
After lunch, the group loaded the bus to go to Jerusalem. Since local Palestinians are not allowed into Jerusalem without a special permit, none of the Palestinian youth could join. The bus dropped the group off at the terminal crossing separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem. The terminal is located along the Separation Wall, a nine meter high cement barrier.
After inspection, the group proceeded through the terminal crossing and loaded a bus that took them to the YWCA in Jerusalem. There they met with Jimmy Johnson, a member of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), who gave a presentation about the status of the occupation on the ground. Mr. Johnson showed maps, answered questions, and led the group on a tour in East Jerusalem.
The first stop of the tour was Ras Elamud, an "ideological" settlement built in a Palestinian neighborhood. After a brief discussion, the group rode to Abu Dis, a city adjacent to East Jerusalem but completely cut off from it by the Separation Wall. The last stop was Maale Adumim, one of the biggest "economic" settlements in the West Bank with a population of 40,000. Returning home, the group drove back to Jerusalem via the Anata checkpoint, and back to Bethlehem through the terminal crossing. Exhausted from the trip, the returning group enjoyed a relaxing dinner with the local Palestinian program participants who were unable to join in the Jerusalem events.
