'Azzun, 'Izbet alTabib, Eliyahu Crossing, Far'ata, Imatin, Nabi Ilyas
We had a larger group this time. Dalia G. joined us to film a clip which Sarale had initiated and Dafne about the women’s activities at Nebi Elias. We decided to include in the pastoral clip the sad story of Palestinian children being arrested in the villages at the dark of night and the trauma that they experienced.
New and young members also joined us before being incorporated into the shifts and to get to know the villages.
The 1.1.2014 was a day off in the Palestinian Authority. We thought that we would have to cancel the activities but the women of the three villages informed us that they wanted to meet.
Nebi Elias. We arrived at 9.45, Sarale, Dafne, Dalia and Devorka. We had a meeting with H, the advisor of some of the villages in the area, to discuss with him the clip about the arrests of the children. At our first meeting some months ago, H, encouraged us to begin our activities with the women about made it clear that the goal was not to “decorate the occupation.” And in this spirit and with his help we plan the clip.
At about 10.00 the women began to arrive. The meeting is always warm and pleasant. This time the meeting was planned as a rehearsal for the filming. Sarale Dafna and the women improvise, invent and add in Arabic and Israeli music and try to produce scenes which are meaningful and interesting. One of the women is a teacher who at the moment is unemployed, another is an expert on a special kind of knitting. Towards the end of the meeting it was decided that in future meetings the Palestinians would teach our friends Arabic and knitting in one framework.
Imatin. 10.20. 6 women waited for us at the club. One of them had brought her 8 year old daughter. While last time the child had sat quietly and without doing anything, this time I had brought her crayons and paper and she immediately began to draw, lovely and colourful drawings.
We continued practicing reading and chatting and adding to the vocabulary. The atmosphere was pleasant and easy while we drank coffee and had refreshments. The activity continued until 11.45.
(One of the women has a relation in the nearby village of Jinspot and said that there is a group of 10 women who are interested in learning Hebrew. I said I would check this out.)
Far'ata. We arrived at 10.30. Nirit, Orlie, Riki and Devorka.
Nirit. We met R. , the organisor of the women and 4 others to continue clarifying the needs and possibilities on the side of both the Palestinians and of ourselves. After a discussion we decided to have two lessons. Tamar and Orlie who volunteered lately would teach the women English for an hour and after that Orlie Wertheim and Riki Frankel would conduct the lesson with the beads. The meetings would take place every Wednesday at 14.00. R. said that about 25 women are interested in learning both. The young people of the village want to learn English after the exams which end on 15.1 we will try to include them in our activities.
It was a very good meeting, the women are very pleasant and cooperate and show much interest in the combined avtivities.
The Palestinians in Amtin and Efrate want to include yoga and exercise. We promised to check this out and will bring this up to date.
After the meeting we went, having been invited by R., to inspect the eastern declivities of the village which are about 5 kilometre from Havat Gilad. R. once again repeated the complaints of the villagers who suffer from the continuous harassment of the settlers which have been reported in the last months.
12.00 We collected our friends from Imatin and Far'ata and went back to Nebi Elias. There the festivities of the video were continued and the quest of how to do it.
12.55 We left 'Izbet Tabib and 'Azzun.
Here there is still a partial blockage which a private car can get thorugh but not a van. The road to Azzun is open.
Because of the pressure of time we did not manage to stop at Habla.
12.00. At the Eliyahu crossing there was again an unnecessary and annoying inspection and delay.