Secret hobby vintagers - Palestinian wine producers live dangerous lives

In contrast to the West Bank, where alcohol is sold openly in most places, alcohol was never really sold much in the conservative Gaza Strip. However, until the Hamas' election victory in January 2006, people were allowed to bring beer and wine to Gaza from Israel or Egypt, some restaurants and bars even sold some alcohol. The new government immediately stopped this "unislamic" habit as they call it. "Alcohol prohibited", says a sign at the border at Eres. Even the shrewd merchants, who smuggle everything from diapers to cars through the tunnels, will not bring alcohol to the Palestinian areas.

Thus, people like Abu Mohammed do not have a choice but to making wine themselves. "First I wash the grapes, then I pick them off the branches and then I press them with my hands", he says, while he is working on the grapes. "The seeds stay on the ground. Then I filter the juice and add a little yeast to it to make fermentation faster, which usually takes 40 days." "The result  is not as good as real wine", admits Abu Mohammed, but the best he can get under the given circumstances.

And the civil servant is definitely taking a big risk just to enjoy this mediocre beverage. "I am terribly scared that the Hamas police finds out about this", he says. "That is why I do everything by myself and all hidden and of course I never sell the wine."

Hussein also knows this fear: The 56-year-old ferments his own wine in wooden kegs as well. He is not only scared that the merciless police find out, he also fears he will lose his reputation among the conservative society. It is hard to estimate how many Palestinians illegally produce wine in the Gaza Strip, but according to many people, it is either not many at all or they are just all really good at keeping it a secret.

According to the Hamas-spokesman Thaer el Nunu the punishment for violations of the ban on alcohol "depends on the case" and "is decided by Palestinian law". "It is my social responsibility" to seize all alcohol, says the director of the department of drug control of the Hamas police, Daschmal Dahschne. However, he says he has not seen a case of a hobby-vintager yet. "Even if we find out that someone is illegally making wine himself, we do not have the right to take him to jail", says the police officer. "Since the Palestinian law only considers the purchase of alcohol a violation, however not consuming it."

Nevertheless, hobby vintagers in Gaza try their best to keep it a secret. They only drink their wine with their family or really close friends and this also only happens at night in their own house. Abu Mohammed never drinks more than four glasses of wine, which make him a little tipsy, but not drunk.

Hussein, however, also gets drunk ever now and then - but only in his own house, since his neighbors wondered about his weird behavior already. Despite the high risk, none of the two wine lovers considers giving up their hobby. "I know that I live in a traditional community, but drinking alcohol is a question of personal freedom if you ask me", says Abu Mohammed. (aw.yoopress)