The first way, which is actually statistically quite rare here, is through violence. Unfortunately, the despair of the situation leads some to lash out in a physical way. Security forces often expect violence to come from young men in particular, who are often stopped and interrogated on their way to and from school. Violence is the reason the military targets a primary school gate by patrolling with an armored tank and a dozen fully armed soldiers. You never know when a 15 year old might pick up a rock and throw it.
A second way to respond is to ignore the occupation as much as possible. To do this, one must accept the realities of life in East Jerusalem: demolitions, road closures and checkpoints, detention and arrest and other inconveniences. Perhaps it can just be patiently waited out while the international community attempts to negotiate and solve the issues that seem to be getting worse all the time.
A third way is to become a refugee and leave Israel and the Palestinian Territories altogether. Refugees often find themselves living in places with much better opportunities, and many people thrive when not living under the yoke of occupation. Worldwide, there are 72 million Palestinian refugees (that's 1 in 3). I believe this is actually the hope of the current Israeli administration, if they could get all these Palestinians to leave they could fulfill the requirements of the "Master Plan", Israel's policy to bring the population to 70% Israeli and 30% Palestinian by the year 2020.
A fourth way is through peaceful resistance... it's
- Reproducing and adding to your family in the face of the Master Plan
- Rebuilding, after your home has been demolished by the municipal authority
- Getting an education, especially a law degree, to better represent yourself and others in the military court system
- Using your mobile phone to record soldiers stealing Palestinian flags from Christians marching in the Palm Sunday processional and posting the video to social media
- Hanging your leftover bread on a dumpster, because there is always someone hungrier than you
- Praying at the checkpoint, because the line makes you late for work and there is not enough time to pray at the mosque
- Offering hospitality to those internationals willing to stand by you, despite their countries current political actions
- Teaching your children to be proud of their Palestinian heritage
- Letting old people, women and children, cut you in line at Qalandia because the guards would not open the humanitarian gate
- Falling in love with someone from the West Bank when you are a Jerusalemite, knowing that the authorities will not grant permits for you to live with your beloved
