Article74 Magazine

Sumoud Camp has stood as a constant reminder of the hardships suffered by Palestinian Jerusalemites from the Israeli policies of ethnic cleansing and as a symbol of Palestinian resistance and steadfastness. Whether it be ID card confiscation, home demolition, land confiscation, or Israel's refusal to grant Palestinians building permits, the future of many Palestinian Jerusalemite families, including those at Sumoud, remains in jeopardy.

Sumoud has existed now for 15 months but as of yet, and despite sustained efforts by some Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), effective methods of advocacy have never fully developed within the camp leadership, in part, due to the deep sense of frustration, anxiety and lack of physical security within the camp that results from Israel's policies of ethnic cleansing in the city.  The process of community activation can only begin when the families living in Sumoud believe that they enjoy some degree of security and that their participation will result in real benefits.  NGOs have attempted to facilitate this process by assisting in small development projects.

In preparation for winter, for example, the residents of Sumoud were provided with industrial strength plastic to cover the many windows in the building.  Now with the windows sealed, there is an increased atmosphere of security in the building and the families have begun to organize themselves into more suitable living arrangments.  On 26 November, the children of the camp painted the walls of their new community center, which will contain a kindergarten, library, and office space.  The community center or Learning Center will provide a place where the children and adults can study, participate in extra-curricular activities, and organize themselves to respond to their many challenges.   Imaginative figures, Arabic letters, and a view of the walls of Jerusalem now animate the space and the children have begun to work on their school lessons there.

Some small successes have resulted from this process of addressing the immediate needs of camp residents.  The Camp Council is now in the process of making a sign to be placed in front of the building, recounting the history of the camp and the reason for its establishment.  The families also sent an open letter to President Clinton during his visit to the region to remind him not to overlook the many Palestinian Jerusalemite families deprived of their rights to their hometown.

Nevertheless, the activation of a strong, grassroots leadership faces many difficulties.  Despite efforts to create a secure environment in which camp residents will feel empowered to advocate for their rights, camp members still hold on to the perception that their rights in the city can only be secured by others and not themselves - i.e. the Palestinian leadership and NGOs.  This perception only engenders a clientalist relationship (often based on material rewards) instead of a cooperative effort between the residents of Sumoud, NGOs and the leadership to protect Palestinian rights in Jerusalem.  While communities like Sumoud must be provided with the necessary basic provisions and tools for change, receiving these resources cannot be an end in itself.

The apparent lack of a coherent strategy from the Palestinian leadership to protect Palestinian rights in the city contributes to the inability of Sumoud Camp to develop into an effective means of Palestinian resistance against Israeli measures to reduce the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem.  In its 15 month history, Sumoud Camp has often been the recipient of mixed-signals, regarding not only the future of the camp but also in terms of what resources Palestinian institutions can offer the residents within the constraints and limitations imposed by the Israeli occupation of the city, i.e. prohibiting Palestinian institutions from operating in Jerusalem.  In order to secure the rights of all Palestinian Jerusalemites, including those living in Sumoud, a clearer Palestinian strategy for community resistance is desperately needed.