Bruqin, Deir Ballut, Kufr alDik, Tue 23.4.13, Morning
09:45 Leaving Rosh Ha'Ayin.
10:15 Arrival at Dir Balut. We went there in order to meet a group of women. Today's meeting was coordinated with the organizer, Nivin two weeks ago, in a preliminary meeting which Dvorka initiated in order to promote in the village the opening of new groups for language learning and handicraft.
Very slowly as was to be expected, seven women gathered in the council building. All of them expressed their wish for "both this and that": learning Hebrew and handicraft. Their interest grew when Yehudit present to them some handicraft specimens .
We agreed to begin next week already, in the hope that till then the number of participants would grow.
Nadim performed an excellent job of translating and communication between us and the women.
In the village itself we saw a few phenomena the likes of which we didn't see in other villages. Marketing entrepreneurship: A loudspeaker on a tender driving slowly in the street of the village and announcing the sale of "friki" – germinated wheat. Women sitting at the entrance of their houses and offering to the passersby their merchandise – houmus and garlic plants. A Maternity center, the local parallel of "Tipat Halav" (Drop of Milk – the Israeli maternity care). Vine arbours on the roofs, paint the landscape green and give it pastoral feeling.
And at the exit from the village, on both sides of the road, meticulously cultivated vegetable gardens on a large piece of land. This too is a non conventional view in the west bank villages, which are mainly surrounded by olive trees.
And then, while we drive on, the threatening reality comes to view: on the ridge to our right the villas of Peduel. On the left – those of Aley Zahav. On the edges of the two settlements one can see new house at different levels of accomplishment. How long will the relative calmness of Dir Balut last, before the greedy neighbours on the left and on the right will continue expanding and will rob the land of the village?...
In the villages of A Diq and Barukin it is quiet. There is no sign of military presence.
12:15 Back to Rosh Ha-Ayin.