Kh. Humsah

Everything is burning this winter. The village of Humsa has been demolished for the third time. Everyone is busy with this. Yesterday, Wednesday, they continued to raze everything to the ground including tents, animal sheds, and everything that is needed to conduct a normal life.

Today a large delegation from various international organizations, including ambassadors and the Palestinian Prime Minister, arrived in a long convoy of cars. In two days the International Court in Hague will declare that Israelis can be tried for war crimes because of Israel’s violent policies in the Jordan Valley. Whoever reads this report in another two years will be able to testify whether or not anything has changed as a result. Today the event appears to be significant.

I very much wanted to be there, but my schedule did not permit it. I witnessed an endless convoy of cars driving in that direction.  There was hope in the air that the sympathy and the pronouncements being made by people from abroad will be able to affect the work of the bulldozers in the coming weeks. Decision are being made whether or not to demolish the next village. It is now beginning to be critical who gives the orders. For example, from which echelons did the orders to demolish Humsa come down? Did they come from the civil administration, or higher up?  Was it Benny Gantz, perhaps, or Benjamin Netanyahu?  For the residents of Humsa and their neighbors, every statement carries uncertainties as to what will happen to them tomorrow. What is the schedule for the soldiers of the Kfir Brigade, who carry out the demolitions?  Can the court in Hague list their names? 

On the way to Ein Bida there is a “tel” (ancient mound) and a flock of sheep on the right-hand slope. Tomorrow the sheep will be barred from grazing there because it is sacred to Israeli archeologists.