Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills, Susiya

Sansana-Meitar crossing

We stopped at Fadel’s house to leave clothes and continued to a village north of the Jewish settlement of Susya. The route is strewn with rocks and boulders. The village has 35 families, scattered around the area. Their habitations are made of plastic sheeting, a donation from Germany. They’re forbidden to build.

The place is clean and organized, surrounded by cultivated plots – oats, humus, lentils. It seems “quiet and pastoral.” Electricity is generated by solar panels.

Unfortunately Nasser, who knows Hebrew, wasn’t there. We talked with Sazer, his father. He complains the occupation is becoming increasingly harsh. The IDF is pressuring the residents to leave, move to Yatta. A few families have already done so. It’s government policy.

We then drove to the school, spoke with Muhammad the principal. We asked why the school had no female teachers. He said the building had been constructed by the male teachers, which is why he’d needed them, and that now there will also be female teachers. We observed an English class; we were impressed with their desire to learn and progress.

The principal asked us to obtain used computers for them.

We then drove toward Yatta, past an army base where we saw four armed soldiers chasing two shepherds and a large flock off their own land.

Yatta

The town is large and clean, well organized and bustling. Our trip home was quick and uneventful.