Palestinian Jordan Valley is burning

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Observers: 
Nurit Popper, Rachel Ilan and Daphne Banai, translted by T.H
Jun-20-2018
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Afternoon
omsa: Palestinians waiting in the sun for the army to conclude its maneuvers so they could go back home
omsa: Palestinians waiting in the sun for the army to conclude its maneuvers so they could go back home
Photo: 
Nurit Poper
Hirbet Makhul: Najia Basharat and 1.5-year old Hassan
Hirbet Makhul: Najia Basharat and 1.5-year old Hassan
Photo: 
Nurit Poper
At the Dawabshes: an improvised dovecote
At the Dawabshes: an improvised dovecote
Photo: 
Nurit Poper
At the Dawabshes: Ahmad’s vegetable garden
At the Dawabshes: Ahmad’s vegetable garden
Photo: 
Dafna Banai

Yesterday was the court session in the trial of the Jewish evil-doers who murdered a father, a mother and their babyinfo-icon of the Dawabshe family, and inflicted serious burns on little Ahmad. His whole little body is scarred (including his face and bald head). Friends of the perpetrator, no less evil, called out to the brave grandfather: “Where’s Ali? Where’s Ali? Ali’s on the grill, incinerated!”  I wasn’t as ashamed of these brainwashed youngsters as I was of the law enforcers who allowed this harassment of the thrice-bereaved grandfather , as well as ashamed of the entire Jewish Israeli public and its leaders – from its rabbis and heads of religious seminars down to the government ministers and the Prime Minister – who back these evil-doers and support them, actually affect them to commit such horrendous deeds.

One didn’t have to look far in order to see who sowed these ideas in their distorted mind. But the rest of the public, secular, law-abiding, heads of state – everyone is silent.  Everyone is responsible.

In view of the above, we decided to pay the grandfather and Ahmad a visit in their Duma home, tto express our solidarity and support, as well as give them warm regards from Raia who could not join us. We arrived at the center of the village, entered the grocery store and asked. The grocer immediately phoned the grandfather who was not available, and then one of the customers who is related to the Dawabshe family volunteered to show us the way.

Every single time, the warmth and affection with which we are received by Palestinians only heighten our sense of shame of the deed and the hatred that ignited it, and of the fact that our own people do not have the inner power and nobility to rise above rage and feelings of revenge. Could you the opposite situation?  How would Palestinians be received by the families of Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorist acts? Israelis would hardly show kindness towards the other (well, there is the Bereaved Families Circle, but they are a minority).

8-year old Ahmad did not go to school today. He went with his grandfather and a journalist to the scene of the murders. The grandmother, Satira, sat at the family’s grocery store in the isolated neighborhood. For the duration of our visit, about an hour and a half, not a single customer entered the place. How do they survive?

Ahmad, dressed like a bridegroom in a 3-piece suit, half his face scarred and half his head bald, is jolly. He keeps clinging to his grandfather who hugs and kisses him more than the whole missing family would. Ahmad is fond of gardening and has made himself a little garden of peppers and tomatoes right in his grandparents’ yard. A trader from Nablus who has come to the village on business passes by the family grocery to express his sympathy, and sits with us. Everyone is very upset with the Jewish boys’ utterances outside the courthouse. They cannot understand this meanness.

12:00 We took Road 90 to En Sukut spring in the northern Palestinian Jordan Valley. The water level is lower now, at the onset of summer, than it was at the end of last summer (which had also known drought). Left of the spring is a muddy pond to which the Palestinians bring their flocks to water (and in order not to pollute the clear water of the main spring). Now the pond is empty and its bottom totally dry.

Four SUVs arrived at the spring itself , all carrying settler-colonists with their sidecurls waving in the wind. One of the vehicles bore the inscription Itamar and Gideons SUV (both names of settler-colonies). When they arrived, loud cries over the loudspeaker were heard: “Pull over! Pull over right now!” Three Palestinian youngsters who were at the spring hurried to gather their belongings and leave. The feeling was that the settler-colonists actually take over the spring. This time they demanded not to be photographed.

We drove to meet one of the shepherds who brings his cattle to this pond, but we didn’t find his home, and as we drove along a track beside a pepper field (apparently belonging to the  village of En Al Beda, north of the spring), our car got stuck in a deep puddle that must have been the result of a leak in one of the irrigation pipes. I have no idea if it’s relevant, but I know for a fact that Palestinians are not allowed to change or repair their infrastructures and this is one of the reasons for their water shortage both for farming and for domestic needs. We called for help but couldn’t really explain where we were. At the same time we tried to drain the puddle with empty bottles we found scattered. About an hour and a half later I. came riding on a donkey, followed by two 12-13 year old boys.  One of the took off  his shoes and the second got into the mud with his new shiny shoes on – they were ruined immediately – and they pushed and shoved until our car finally got unstuck.

16:00: Where is this? we visited Najia, wife of Yusef Basharat, pregnant with her eighth child. Unlike her previous pregnancy, she is now radiant and very happy. She is due in a week’s time. We never raised our eyes to the sheep pen roof before. This time we did, and for the first time we saw various utensils – buckets, cartons, jerry cans and other things – serving as an improvised dovecote for dozens of beautiful pigeons.

18:00: We went to Al Hadidiya, on the south side of Roi settler-colony, to hear about the evictions that took place in Homsa in recent weeks. Dozens of inhabitants received orders to clear their homes, at the beginning of the month. They were thrown out, children women and elderly as well as livestock unsheltered out in the desert in 45 centigrade heat. We visited the Salamin family. When I called R., head of the family, asked when we’re coming and I told him, “now”.  It took us a bit longer because the gate through they are accessed near Roi settler-colony was locked and we had to drive through the desert track. When we got there, we realized the whole family was dressed up in their very best. The men and women invited us as usual to their hospitality tent. We had tea and asked what the celebration was about. Apparently they were to go to Tul Karm to spend the evening. All of them! Not only this, but as we got up to leave, embarrassed, we realized that another family, just as fancily dressed, were crowded in a car and waiting for them to drive to Tul Karm. See how far hospitality can go… We would never be told, “Sorry, we’re just at the door, about to leave for Tul Karm, come visit us another time”. And we didn’t even let them know ahead of time we were planning to come! No. They received us kindly including the children who were aching to go, and their hospitality  was exemplary, as if they had no other plans.

Amazing!