Dhoud's Letter to Liam

Liam, I was arrested on the 26th of June at an unexpected checkpoint after I had passed through Hawara. They found that my Visa was long expired. I was taken to the police station at Ariel settlement after being made to sit in the hot sun for hours. Then transferred to Ramle Prison where I stayed for exactly one week. The place was packed with foreign workers mostly from China and several African countries, but there were also a fair number from Turkey, Romania, Russia, central and eastern Europe. One from Bolivia and a small number from India. I was the only Canadian, and the good part is that I had the chance to speak about Palestine with a good many who spoke English. The foreign workers know about as much as the average Israeli--nearly nothing. I told a few to return as tourists and get to the occupied territories. Some of the Africans have been there for many months for some reason. I was told by a policeman at the airport that Israel will not take any more foreign workers from China or Africa.

After a week at Ramle, I was "released" at 7:30 pm and I thought I was going home then. Not so. I ended up in a police van with three long benches. We were 25 in all; man of the prisoners were strangers to me, from other buildings at Ramle. 25 asses on three benches, and not room for one more! One was a young white man from South Africa. And I met a very entertaining man from Nigeria. We had some good laughs on the way to the airport.

At the airport we were taken to a special room for deportees. Eventually this room packed with people including three females. And all there luggage which was huge. Giant suitcases with wheels. In a massive sweep of "illegal aliens" these people had been picked up on the street, at their workplace or had their doors smashed in. Some had only what they were wearing when apprehended. So they began to process us.

Liam, they kept me for last, maybe because I had told them the absolute truth of when I arrived at Ben Gurion, where I had lived, where I had worked, and what I experienced in Nablusm, Ramallah and anywhere else in Palestine. Everything. A little more than they really wanted to know. This processing lasted all night long; they actually fed us at 2 am.

When there was only me remaining, I was taken to the airport and taken to a locked room where where I stayed for two days. Very clean and modern and a knock on the door got me three meals a day. But it was so lonely, and nothing even to read. Out the window I could see a massive freeway. All in all they did not treat me badly at the airport. When I left they took me directly to the plane and my ticket and passport were given to the captain of the plane.

It was only then that I realized that I only had only shekels and no Canadian money. But it was too late. Nor was I told that we were going to Prague via Chech Airlines. Prague!! So I got to see Prague from the air and a bit of the airport. I had to wait a few hours there, after which a security person took me to the departure gate and gave me my ticket and passport. The trip from Prague to Toronto, Canada was endless and I did not sleep the whole time. However, they did feed us well on this plane and the flight attendents were lovely young women. In Prague somehow shekels were not convertible for reasons that I still do not understand.

At the airport in Toronto I was surprised to find a place that would buy my money and give me Canadian. I only got $27 Canadian for 120 sheks. But I badly needed the money as all other funds were at my bank in the city of Hamilton. Anyway I eventually got to my friends' house where I stayed as their guest for four nights.

I had a pleasant train ride to Montreal and slept last night in a very good hostel close to Concordia University where my friend from Nablus Fadi Draidi is doing his masters in Electrical Engineering. I still have not found him, but I know he will make me welcome until the end of July when my son will return to Montreal for a few days. He just finished his third year at McGill University. After I've seen Steve, and I have a little more money in hand, I will try to go to Jordan, the cheapest way possible. I'm told living is very inexpensive there and I would at least have freedom of movement from Jordan.

So the story goes on and I'm still hungry all the time, still catching up from lack of enough food at Ramle Prison. But I'm starting to feel better and my hands don't shake anymore. I love the city of Montreal and there's a lot to do and see. But very expensive to live here, and the air pollution is bad although not as bad as Toronto and area.

I should close now, but if you have any questions please just ask me.
All the best, David/Dhoud