Musings on life in the West Bank

'I can report that in terms of its appearance and facilities, Deheishe isn’t all that different from Damascus. The very term ‘refugee camp’ is a bit of a misnomer – it conjures images of tent dwellings, a lack of basic infrastructure, no luxuries, and abject poverty. In actual fact, people live in regular apartments, there is no shortage of essential supplies such as food and clean running water, and luxuries abound. The family I stayed with had state-of-the-art mobile phones, a television in every room, satellite television, a computer, the internet, more than enough food, and wardrobes brimming with clothes.

This is not to say that the residents of Deheishe are well-off, have an easy time or lead an enviable life, but given that the Palestinians are the recipients of more aid and more charity than any other people in the world, it’s rather astonishing that they still live in relative squalour. Jerusalem is moments away, and yet the contrast between the two places is sharp. I conclude that standards of living are mainly attributable to the attitude and the mentality of the people and their leaders. I know where I’d rather live!'

You can read more of Rhiannon Stacey's report on her trip to work for a month volunteering at Karama, a children’s charity in the West Bank, in the Palestinian 'refugee camp' of Deheishe here.

I wonder if the BBC or David Cameron have read this piece, or would it be against their certainties about life for ordinary Palestinians?