Behind the Wall - Ibrahim's Pavement Café (4/4) By Rich Wiles, of Hull and Hebron

(1/4), (2/4), (3/4), (4/4).

After three weeks in hospital he was released. Ibrahim had friends in high places including Basheer Barghouti, a leader of the Palestinian Communist Party, and Jibreen Rujoob, who was a Fateh leader. They worked to have him immediately released knowing that he had always been an active revolutionary and his work was for the good of his country.

Although released, his family still suffered because of his outspoken work against Oslo, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education pulled strings against Ibrahim to ensure that his wife was demoted from her position as Headmistress to a standard teacher's position. The couple had five children by this time and the reduced salary hit them hard. Ibrahim was forced to look for paying work which he found laying water pipes for the Al-Khalil Municipality in 1998. Only three months into his new job a one tonne pipe slipped from machinery and crushed his knee, he was hospitalized again and spent the next fifty days in hospital. The doctors were unable to rebuild his knee and this marked the end of Ibrahim's manual work. He had not worked since that accident and his family had to survive on his wife's salary alone, until that is, just over two weeks ago.

"Two friends who I used to write with came to see me. One of them owned this shop unit in Beit Romano and told me their ideas about opening a Coffee Shop here. They told me it was next to the soldiers and the Settlers and that the Settlers want to take all this property." Ibrahim saw this as his chance to become active and resist once more. When the shop opened it had just one table, they now have four including one outside in Beit Romano Sqaure itself.

There is no electricity but they are working to get this changed. So now, everyday at 8am, Ibrahim opens his doors and he stays there until late afternoon. He says business was very slow at first but it is gradually starting to improve. On Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath, Beit Romano is filled with Settlers who are surrounded and protected by IOF soldiers, the area is deserted of Palestinians, except for Ibrahim that is, who refuses to close his shop or to be intimidated by any of them.

I enjoy spending time with Ibrahim, he is an incredibly strong man. As he talks his head permanently twitches, he has developed this twitch after all the beatings his head has received during his time in prison. He also suffers almost continuous headaches and is now diabetic. His sight is poor and walking distances is difficult after his work accident, and when he smiles he reveals his almost toothless gums after having his teeth smashed out all those years ago.

I know I don't need to ask the question but I do anyway, asking Ibrahim to tell me why he opened his shop here: "This is our resistance against the Settlers and Soldiers! We have very little business but we struggle to survive through our resistance. They are all angry to see me open here, but they don't scare me!" As Ibrahim talks, an IOF patrol walks past his shop. They stop just a few metres away from us, watching us with their guns raised. Ibrahim doesn't even pause for breath, in fact, if anything, his voice becomes slightly louder:

"There is a good day coming but it is not here yet. It will come one day. I want to see a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip free from all Settlers and Occupation soldiers, and all refugees return back to their lands." Ibrahim looks past me at the watching and listening soldiers, his mouth opens and his two or three remaining teeth break into a smile, then he continues: "I am happy now, I am fighting again."

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