Arafat is expected to be freed after six wanted Palestinians have been moved from his headquarters to a British and American-monitored confinement in a Jericho prison. That’s expected to take place in a day or two, leaving the more than 300 people holed up inside the compound looking forward to leaving. Most of the people inside are Palestinian-Arafat’s aides, office workers and security officers. About 40, however, are international peace activists who slipped into the compound at various stages in the past month. One of them, Rebecca Murray, 31, lives in New York and works in film production. She left her home on April 19 after following news from the Middle East with concern for weeks. Two days later, she was dodging Israeli bullets outside Arafat’s office. Murray spoke by phone from the compound to NEWSWEEK’s Dan Ephron.
NEWSWEEK: How did you manage to get in during the siege?
Rebecca Murray: There were 24 of us, we split into two groups. One group protested and sang peace songs on one side of the compound. I and others walked the other way and when we could see the door to the office we started to walk very fast with our hands in the air. We jumped over one barbed wire fence and the Israelis started firing at us with live ammunition and teargas. At that point we jumped over another fence and started running very fast. Six of us made it in and the other six didn’t. Since then, the Israelis have put up more barbed wire and barricades to make sure people don’t approach.
What has your daily routine been like?
We all sleep in different shifts. Some people make food, some talk to the media. We talk to the Palestinians in here, basically trying to boost morale. We always want to be alert in case something happens, alert to the danger around us. The soldiers have been demolishing buildings in the compound since I got here and they crushed about 200 cars outside here.
I understand food was scarce for a while.
In the first two weeks here there was no running water and no food and the electricity was cut constantly. The day [Secretary of State] Colin Powell arrived, the Israelis allowed food to be delivered and restored running water, but that’s been cut again. Since I got here we had another delivery of food, but only about 25 percent of what we asked for was allowed in and only about 10 percent of the medicines we requested. There are a few injured people inside, so it’s a difficult situation.
Describe the meals you’ve been eating for the past nine days.
We ration the food. At first we were getting a piece of cheese a day and half a cup of soup at night. Since the food delivery, we’re also allowed a piece of bread and some rice, so it feels more like a meal than before. But I’ve lost about seven pounds in the nine days I’m here.
What motivated you to come?
I was upset with the events unfolding here and the pro-Israeli slant of the U.S. media and everyone’s apathy to the situation here. I came because George Bush had called on Sharon to withdraw immediately from the West Bank and nothing happened. Sharon basically said no. I came to help in my own way to deter any force from being used against Palestinians and to collect stories I can relate to Americans when I get back, because the picture we get is pretty one-sided.
I understand a group of you had a chance to talk to Arafat last night. What did he say?
Arafat’s main point was that even if the situation here gets resolved, it’s dire in Bethlehem and elsewhere. The Israelis killed nine people in Hebron today; we’re all very concerned about that.
How does Arafat appear?
He’s very calm. He speaks in a very diplomatic manner and he seems very well. He’s looking at the future, how there’s a big job ahead when we get out. Ramallah’s been demolished, other cities have been damaged. He’s determined to get out and repair what the Israelis have destroyed.
Does he talk about diplomacy?
We see people coming and going. The American consul was here yesterday, so was the British consul. Arafat is constantly engaging in diplomacy and talking to people on the phone.
The mood inside must have improved in the last 24 hours since the deal was struck.
We’re feeling optimistic that this may be coming to a close, but we’re not too sure when the end is going to be. Everyone is saying different things. The troops are still out in full force, they threw sound bombs at us when we stepped out the door this morning to get some fresh air. The thing people feel is that we cannot trust in anything until we see it happen.
How did your friends and family react to your coming here?
Most of my friends are Jewish and I have Israeli friends as well. Most of them are extremely enlightened about this. People have been nothing but supportive and that goes for my parents as well.
Where will you go from here?
I want to stay and make sure everyone is allowed a safe route home without getting arrested. I’ll eventually end up back in the States. Our goal is to urge George Bush that when he says Prime Minister Sharon needs to withdraw from the West Bank immediately, he must demand that it actually happen.
