Israel Matzav

'About 40,000 people from Ramallah live in the US'

Amidst a sycophantic puff piece on the Mayor of Ramallah, this little tidbit is dropped in:

Mikhael is from an old Ramallah family, one of the original families. "We have about 40,000 people from Ramallah living in the United States, and only 2,000 people from the original families still live here."

Depending on your perspective, that could be good news or bad news. Here's a little more about Ramallah:

Ramallah currently has a population of about 60,000. The city is always growing, though, because of internal immigration.

"In 1948, refugees came here from Ramle and Lod and other places in occupied Palestine. In 1967, after the occupation, many people left, but many villagers migrated to the city. During the last intifada people came from all over Palestine to live in Ramallah."

There are, however, some advantages to all the migration.

"Ramallah is a liberal city, because it is open. Different kinds of people come here, move here," she says. Although she questions how long the internal Palestinian cease-fire will last, she says that "Ramallah will be better than other places" because of its openness.

The immigration has turned this once Christian town into a mixed city whose skyline boasts both crosses and minarets with crescents.

She says that historically the local Christians and Muslims have gotten along well. And she may be the proof of the local solidarity. When she ran for the city council, her independent list did not win a majority and she required the votes of the Hamas council members to be mayor.

She took the job because "I love my city and I want to improve it."

It sure doesn't sound very 'open' to me.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:52 AM