Jurish

Yesterday when Hadas visited the Dawabshe family at Sheba hospital, she made contact with the Channel 10 peopl. who were there to report on the wounded, Riham and her 4-year-old son.  When they heard that Hadas and others visit Jorish and meet Riham's students, they offered to come to Jorish to film and listen to what they have to say about their math teacher, Riham, in the high school for girls there, and about their work with MW volunteers.  Once the TV crew found out that they must go there in an armoured vehicle, they asked  if we would go there and film a meeting.  And so we did.

The meeting with the girls and the village leader was sincere and moving. Hadas played the role of interviewer, and Pitzy filmed. In excellent English, 17-year-old S., their spokewoman, and her Arabic-speaking friends, described their excellent relationship with their wounded teacher.  They expressed their great pain at what happened to baby Ali and the rest of the family, and their hopelessness in the face of what the future holds for them and for the rest of the Palestinians. Again and again they laid the responsibility at the door of “Bibi” and Israel's government, and repeatedly demanded that the murderers be caught and brought to justice.  S. explained her total sense of insecurity -- Israelis can hurt them anywhere, even whilst sleeping in their homes, as they did to the teacher.  "The Israelis come with tanks and guns, shooting, arresting, denying liberties, treating them like animals, like dogs".

We asked whether, in spite of the tragedy and disappointment, they would like to continue meeting with us, and they replied that they really liked the Israeli women, but worried it would always remind them what happened to their teacher.

At this point the village leader, father of one of the girls, expressed his own hope for continuation of the meetings since "we are on the same side", we share the horror at was has been done,we share the desire for peace. But the young guirls persisted: the trip to the beach had also been postponed for the time being, since they couldn't imagine having a good time among Israelis after what they had done to Riham's family.

The father suggested we walk to Riham's school, and speak to the headmistress.  But she, according to protocol, called the Palestinian Ministry of Education for permission, which was vehemently denied. Pleas were of no avail.