Refugees are a big issue in the Holy Land. In 1947, after the Holocaust and the end of WWII, the United Nations helped found the modern state of Israel. And Jews, long dispersed throughout the world, returned to their ancient homeland. In the process, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced. (Some Jews were displaced, too, but far more Palestinians were.) And to this day, both peoples struggle to find an equitable and peaceful way to share what they each consider to be their rightful homeland.
Among the many refugee camps in the West Bank, the biggest — with over 20,000 people — is Balata, just outside of Nablus. The original ten-foot-by-ten-foot platting — marking where tents were pitched in 1948 — survives. Only now the tents are gone, replaced by multistory cinderblock tenements.
This gate welcomes you to the biggest refugee camp in Palestine. The world is full of refugee camps, and wandering here, it’s hard to imagine life with such a dense population, being a parent with high-demand kids and no money, and the lack of privacy.As you can imagine, an American TV crew with a big camera was big news to the kids of Balata. For over 60 years, the United Nations has kept a calming and helpful presence. When the UN-run-and-funded school lets out, the streets flood with children happy to practice their English with a rare tourist venturing into their world.On my scouting visit, I saw a little boy drop by the chicken shop, chose a chicken, and watch it killed, drained, de-feathered, gutted, washed, and popped into a bag for the boy to take home for dinner. Returning with our camera, I wanted to duplicate that cute little scene. We chose a boy after a quickie audition on the street and let him re-enact the chore for our show. It was great TV, our little star enjoyed the attention, and he walked very proudly home, chicken swinging in its plastic bag, with a heck of a story to tell his mom.Balata is at the edge of the city of Nablus. Nablus is famous for its fighting spirit (and, consequently, has been hard-hit in recent flare-ups and wars). The city is encrusted with posters honoring young men killed in the struggle (men most would call “terrorists,” but many here would call “freedom fighters”). I first visited Nablus on a Friday (Muslim holy day), and the city was closed up tight as a drum. Without any people or open shops, the martyr posters decorating the empty streets seemed much more prominent. With this visit, it was a regular workday, and the city was vibrant and a treat to explore. In fact, of all the cities we visited in Palestine, Nablus is the one I was most charmed by.
I’ll continue this Holy Land series until November 21st. Then, to celebrate my homecoming, I’ll give a live, free slideshow lecture on Thursday, November 21st at 7 p.m. P.S.T. in Edmonds, Washington. You can attend in person (registration required)…or watch the live webcast from anywhere in the world (no registration required). Learn more at Rick Steves – Holy Land: Israel and Palestine Today.
Comments
5 Replies to “The Balata Refugee Camp”
Great blog, Rick. Thank you very much for taking the time do write this.
When 5yr old, I still remember going with my mother to the back of the butcher shop where she selected a live chicken. We then waited in the front. Funny I never thought about the package wrapped in brown paper with the live chicken. There are ethnic areas in Brooklyn today where you can select the live rabbit, bird, etc and have it killed and dressed.
My heart goes out to the refugees. They maintain the teachings of Abraham of being nice to strangers. They are pawns in a political game. The UN partitioned Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab states. This was not accepted by the Arabs who then went to war to exterminate the Jewish state. At the end of fighting, the State of Israel was formed. The Arab areas were incorporated into Jordan, until liberated from Jordan in 1967. The number of Jewish refugees from the Arab lands were ~880,000 and the Arabs displaced were ~650,000.
The Jewish refugees were mostly welcomed into Israel. (Some went to N. America and Europe). The Arab refugees were were not welcomed by their neighbors.
At the end of WW II in Europe there were ~34 million displaced persons (refugees) most being ethnic Germans. Many still have hard feelings about losing their homes. Yet, there is only one group, the Palestinians, who generations later are still refugees.
Most Palestinean refugees are descendents, and never lived in the land now called Israel.
Perhaps an obvious question… but why is that a “refugee camp”? It looks like an established city to me. Not like any refugee camp I’ve ever seen. And yes, I’ve seen plenty of refugee camps…
Both M. Craig & Tom are right on!!!
Rick we get it…..poor, poor, arabs!!!
A Zillion bucks has gone into the coffers of Hamas and the PLO….nothing changes…they like it that way. Arafat’s Billions are still rotting away Switzerland!!! WHEN Ariel Sharon pulled out of Gaza leaving the whole place to the arabs…a group of U.S. Jews bought a huge factory there in Gaza as a peace offering, leaving it intact and a promise to teach the palestinians how to run it….the first thing they did was destroy the place and walk off with anything not nailed down!!!!
Rick…it’s a lost cause until the arabs wise up and blame their own leaders for their living conditions.
……NOW when are you gonna show how the Jews took that Krappie Swamp Land and turned Israel proper into a land of honey and the second greatest technological showplace in the world???
While all of he above is true, it is sad for the average joe. The individuals only know what they have been told in their schools. They “know” that the entire area from the Jordan to the sea, is stolen Muslim land.
This website is dessirpectful and disgusting.I’m a proud Jew, and what you did at the GA leaves such a disgusting taste in my mouth.You can think whatever you want, but don’t you have any respect for where you were or Netanyahu at all?Do you think he listened to you, or cared at all? He could actually care less about you screaming and going on in a very important speech. Your lack of professionalism actually makes people not want to listen or work with you. You looked like a bunch of babies screaming out there who had to have your mommy and daddy take you out. Too bad they couldn’t put you in timeout where you belong.I have no problem with you going about your cause in a PEACEFUL manner (since that’s what you preach after all). It just all seems a bit hypocritical.And, oh yea- Palestine is not a state- Please don’t call it that. It’s Israel. When Palestine is a country, you can refer to it as such.Good luck with your efforts. Thank you.
Great blog, Rick. Thank you very much for taking the time do write this.
When 5yr old, I still remember going with my mother to the back of the butcher shop where she selected a live chicken. We then waited in the front. Funny I never thought about the package wrapped in brown paper with the live chicken. There are ethnic areas in Brooklyn today where you can select the live rabbit, bird, etc and have it killed and dressed.
My heart goes out to the refugees. They maintain the teachings of Abraham of being nice to strangers. They are pawns in a political game. The UN partitioned Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab states. This was not accepted by the Arabs who then went to war to exterminate the Jewish state. At the end of fighting, the State of Israel was formed. The Arab areas were incorporated into Jordan, until liberated from Jordan in 1967. The number of Jewish refugees from the Arab lands were ~880,000 and the Arabs displaced were ~650,000.
The Jewish refugees were mostly welcomed into Israel. (Some went to N. America and Europe). The Arab refugees were were not welcomed by their neighbors.
At the end of WW II in Europe there were ~34 million displaced persons (refugees) most being ethnic Germans. Many still have hard feelings about losing their homes. Yet, there is only one group, the Palestinians, who generations later are still refugees.
Most Palestinean refugees are descendents, and never lived in the land now called Israel.
Perhaps an obvious question… but why is that a “refugee camp”? It looks like an established city to me. Not like any refugee camp I’ve ever seen. And yes, I’ve seen plenty of refugee camps…
Both M. Craig & Tom are right on!!!
Rick we get it…..poor, poor, arabs!!!
A Zillion bucks has gone into the coffers of Hamas and the PLO….nothing changes…they like it that way. Arafat’s Billions are still rotting away Switzerland!!! WHEN Ariel Sharon pulled out of Gaza leaving the whole place to the arabs…a group of U.S. Jews bought a huge factory there in Gaza as a peace offering, leaving it intact and a promise to teach the palestinians how to run it….the first thing they did was destroy the place and walk off with anything not nailed down!!!!
Rick…it’s a lost cause until the arabs wise up and blame their own leaders for their living conditions.
……NOW when are you gonna show how the Jews took that Krappie Swamp Land and turned Israel proper into a land of honey and the second greatest technological showplace in the world???
While all of he above is true, it is sad for the average joe. The individuals only know what they have been told in their schools. They “know” that the entire area from the Jordan to the sea, is stolen Muslim land.
This website is dessirpectful and disgusting.I’m a proud Jew, and what you did at the GA leaves such a disgusting taste in my mouth.You can think whatever you want, but don’t you have any respect for where you were or Netanyahu at all?Do you think he listened to you, or cared at all? He could actually care less about you screaming and going on in a very important speech. Your lack of professionalism actually makes people not want to listen or work with you. You looked like a bunch of babies screaming out there who had to have your mommy and daddy take you out. Too bad they couldn’t put you in timeout where you belong.I have no problem with you going about your cause in a PEACEFUL manner (since that’s what you preach after all). It just all seems a bit hypocritical.And, oh yea- Palestine is not a state- Please don’t call it that. It’s Israel. When Palestine is a country, you can refer to it as such.Good luck with your efforts. Thank you.