Today we had an all-English informal chat session with the Palestinian and Israeli students who are on the ship from Jordan to New York. None of us expected it to fall apart as much as the discussion with Dr. W and Fadi from Iraq because the Palestinian and Israeli students are much younger and have become our friends in the last few weeks. They also probably haven’t been through as much as Dr.W has. So we showed up to the lecture ready to be educated. We weren’t allowed inside though. Instead we were told to form a line. Then we were yelled at to form a line. Anyone who laughed or smirked at the line forming business was made to go to the end of the line. We were all asked to produce our identification. The first woman’s identification was taken and had to be “checked.” It wasn’t returned. She asked if she could go in, or when she go in, or if she could have her ID back. She wasn’t given any answers. I loaned a friend one of my spare IDs to get in, he was thrown out of line because he was using an ID that wasn’t his. When people asked why we couldn’t go in the only answer we got was “We are following orders” but we weren’t told what the orders were. Several people were thrown out of line because they didn’t have the right ID (although there was no specification on what the “right” ID was). Finally a few people were allowed in. When it was my turn I was allowed to step in the door but when they asked where I was from (America) I was promptly thrown out. All of the Americans were thrown out (collective punishment). A translator from Mexico had his ID taken and not returned, he waited for 15 minutes. So, all the Americans and a few other people, who had their IDs taken to be checked, sat outside. We were yelled at and pushed and given no explanations. Of course none of us took it seriously because our friends were doing the pushing and we were in a very safe environment on the Peaceboat in the Atlantic. But it gave us all a small understanding of what the Palestinian people in Israel experience several times a day every time they have to go through a checkpoint. Apparently there aren’t rules for the checkpoints, much of it is left up to the whim of the officers and soldiers at the various checkpoints. It was a very effective way to put all of us in the proper mood to have a discussion on how to change the world. What motivation is there to continue protests when they aren’t producing immediate results? How can people who just want to live a normal life and don’t want to fight (like a majority of the Palestinians) fight their unjust situation? How can any individual help? We came up with a lot of ideas, some better than others (there were a few that our guests just laughed at they were so ridiculous). We do have a few that we can start immediately though. One is a protest we are going to arrange in New York. We are going to build the wall that is being put up in Israel and carry it around New York. Hang it from the Peaceboat during the UN Conference Welcoming Party. Take it to a concert. Make people realize how large the wall really is and how divisive it is. So, I guess tonight has been inspirational as well as educational.