Unhappy holidays: Jewish celebrations spark fear for many Palestinians

Jewish and Israeli holidays have become flashpoints for resentment and violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, writes SAM STEIN.

With Purim behind us and Pesach approaching, it’s a busy and stressful time for Jews everywhere but it is also a time for joy, tradition, family and community.

But, for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, Jewish holidays are times of fear and, sometimes, violence. The recent attack on Palestinians by settlers in Huwara on Purim - a continuation of the pogrom that occurred a week earlier - is only the most recent example.

Last year, Jerusalem Day was a focus of violence, with more than 150 Palestinians hurt in clashes with Israeli police around the Old City. The year before there was a violent rampage on Simchat Torah in the Palestinian village of Mufagara.

Awdah Hathleen, a Palestinian from the South Hebron Hills, also known as Masafer Yatta, said Jewish holidays put Palestinians on alert. “We know exactly when all of the holidays are … we don’t know what they’re about, but we know what happens on them.”

Hathleen said it was common for charts to circulate in Palestinian communities detailing the exact dates of upcoming Jewish holidays, with an implication to stay out of the way. Palestinian newspapers also publish articles detailing expected closures and disruptions to daily life.