Kufr alDik, Wed 10.4.13, Morning

                                                        Tanslation: Shelly K. 

Meeting at Women’s Center

About two months ago we promised Hanan, the organizer of the Women’s Center in Ad Dik, to resume our activities with the women. Today we arrived at the Center. There were 15 women already waiting. Since we came without Nadim this time, and also without Fathiya who assists in translating to and from Arabic, Hanan invited a woman from the village who worked for many years in Israel and thus spoke Hebrew. She translated what was said and made it possible for us to have a pleasant and fruitful meeting. The topic was various handcrafts using textiles, designed for daily needs such as tablecloths, quilting, beginning handbags and items for Henna celebrations. We used “throwaway” materials to make area rugs, napkins and other things. Everyone was enthusiastic and in excellent spirits.  The women asked that we come twice a week to guide them in different projects but we couldn’t promise this. We promised to return the next week.

Visit to Baladia/Municipality

It’s been about two months since we were in Baladia and we decided it was time to renew our connection. We searched for Hassan, the person responsible for water. Dalia had invested great efforts to convince him to substantially increase the amount of water made available to the village. He wasn’t there. But we did meet with the head of the municipality, Jamal. Jamal lived and worked outside of Palestine for 30 years. A few months ago he returned from Saudi Arabia and took it upon himself to manage the village. We conversed in English since he doesn’t know Hebrew at all (never having worked in Israel). He was unaware of the connection and ongoing work we have performed at two Women’s Centers in the village, but he had heard and was aware of the water problem.

The head of the Baladia municipality was very friendly and outgoing but with that, serious and very pessimistic in relation to the settlement construction near the village on two hilltops. The one of Alei Zahav and the one of Peduel.  He pointed out how the construction on both sides is closing in on the valley where the villages and Palestinian lands are located, up to Dir Balut.  He was distressed about all the building and the fact that there is almost no chance that the Palestinians will ever have their own country. During the meeting “the first” Jamal joined us, the former head of the municipality (from the same family). We were happy to meet again, and after the usual greetings he told us of a troubling development in his affairs: in order to get to his olive grove, located next to the fence of Alei Zahav, (part of the grove was already confiscated years ago to build a security road), he now must have special authorization! In the past he used to lead us to the grove so we could see it (and view the IDF guard dogs used to frighten and distance anyone who wasn’t from Alei Zahav). Of late, when he has brought workers to work the land, he has been told that he cannot enter his fields without special authorization.

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