Day 16: Haifa and Akka
We started Thursday on a sad note. Several of our campers and counselors did not receive permits from the Israelis to go on today’s trip, and opted instead to go to Snowbar’s pool. This was a simple reminder to all of us how the occupation can weigh down on almost every single detail of our lives as Palestinians. Our first stop was to the ethnically cleansed village of Malul in the Galilee. Malul was a village of about 800 Palestinians, both Christians and Muslims. Campers were able to see what remained of the destroyed village: the Muslim cemetery, the mosque, Greek Orthodox Church and Greek Catholic Church. Everything else in the village has been destroyed. Our guide, Umar Al Ghubari, from the organization Zochrot / זוכרות / ذاكرات narrated to the campers how the village was emptied and destroyed on the 15th of July, 1948. Following this moving tour, we hopped on the bus to Haifa. Our campers were able to meet with Nidal Rafa, the aunt of one of our campers, Narmen. We met at the Haifa Cultural Club (shoutout to Mr. Fuad Nakkara for hosting) where Nidal shared with the kids what it is like to be a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and the amount of racism and discrimination Palestinians living in 48’ lands endure. The kids were very captivated with what Nidal had to say, and many got up to read excerpts from legal documents she shared with them. Our last stop in Haifa was a brief visit to the Baha’i Gardens.
On our way out of Haifa, we spoke a bit about Akka’s history, especially during the different revolts under the British Mandate. We also spoke about Ghassan Kanafani, and listened to the song about the execution of Atta Al Zir, Mohammad Jamjoum, and Fouad Hijazi. Upon arrival in Akka, we did a quick walk on the ramparts, and discussed Akka’s wall’s role in protecting the city both from Napolean’s army and the Israelis during the Nakbeh. Finally, we reached the port, went on a nice cruise and enjoyed Akka’s beach at sunset. We concluded with a seafood dinner at a restaurant called Mubarshem before we returned to Ramallah.
