Masafer Yatta, South Hebron Hills

We went out to visit Abu Safi at his request.

We started on the new road to the settlement Negohot. At the checkpoint we underwent an interrogation but very quickly the gate was open and we passed through. All the gates between Khursa and Negohot are open, we have not seen a military presence but the difference between Negohot which is enclosed and fenced, and Khursa, where life is conducted under the occupation, cries to heaven.

Road 60 is manned by army positions all along the road in the Dura-al Fawwar area. There is no military presence on the road.

We went down to Wadi Radim towards Abu Safi's house. The wheat is green but sparse and low but there will not be much of a crop this year.

It is difficult to understand how basic the life of the inhabitants at the edge of the desert Masafer Yatta, is. Abu Safi's estate is like an oasis, and his and his wife's hospitality remains charming. Abu Safi explained that the he has a kind of an agreement with Israel Kaplan, the settler, concerning the grazing areas, but now Kaplan is on reserve duty and his shepherds are not considerate and allow the herd to trample the meager crop to the very roots.

And how can we help? The clothes we brought, colors for Rania and little girls games are zero edge of help. But this optimistic man claims that our visits are a kind of reinforcement that allows him to stand on his own. I wish!