Palestinian Woman Shot at Checkpoint

Vivian Manneh

Ms. Vivian Manneh is a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem.  She works in Ramallah and is forced to cross the Israeli-imposed Qalandia checkpoint each day in order to get to and from work.  At the Qalandia Checkpoint, Israeli soldiers often shoot teargas, shock bombs and live ammunition either to scare away boys who are throwing stones or to frighten Palestinian citizens into obeying the soldiers' orders.  The soldiers do these things despite the many citizens- men, women, children and babies- whose lives they endanger.   On October 23^rd 2001, Ms. Manneh was hit by a stray bullet while traveling in a taxi on her way home from work. 

I was going to my home after work at about 4:45 in the afternoon.  I was in a taxi on the road from Ramallah to Jerusalem and the taxi was approaching the Qalandia checkpoint.  Like on many other days, we could hear random shooting coming from the guns of the Israeli soldiers nearby.  The taxi driver kept driving towards the checkpoint, trying to get as close as possible so that we would not have to get out and walk very far.  But then there was more shooting and the window of the taxi to my right shattered.  The glass flew in at me cutting many places on my body.  The bullet grazed my left arm near my elbow before shooting through the far door of the taxi. 

I was stunned.  I got out of the taxi and just started walking across the checkpoint.  I was bleeding, and people were staring at me as I walked.  I saw some people I knew a little ways away from me and I wanted to call to them but I was so shaken I couldn't even get my mouth to work.  I walked across the checkpoint, got into another taxi and went straight home. 

Even now I cannot explain how I was feeling.  Inside I didn't know if I was feeling angry or upset or something else.  When I got home my family called a friend of ours who is a doctor and he came over to our house.  I didn't want to go to the hospital; I didn't want to go outside at all.  The doctor cleaned and bandaged where the bullet hit me and my other cuts.  The next day he convinced me to go to the hospital for an x-ray to be sure there weren't any more pieces of glass still in my arm. 

After that it was several days before I wanted to leave the house again.  I couldn't sleep very well and often the sun would already be rising before I fell asleep.  Now, I am physically recovered, but sometimes I still feel shaky and nervous.  The safety and security I used to feel is gone.  Now, every time I cross the Qalandia checkpoint or see soldiers my heart speeds up and I feel scared.  Every time I hear a loud noise or shouting I panic and start looking for a place to hide.  The other day, while I was in a car, I heard some shooting in the distance and, before even thinking, I dove down onto the floor of the car to protect myself.    I am trying to work with myself inside so that I can stop being so fearful all of the time, but it is hard for me to imagine, after what has happened, ever feeling completely safe.