26th July 08, Saturday or Sabbath
travel in the occupied Palestinian territories
Jerusalem. Departure from the Jaffa Gate 10.45. We are four, which should make the first in Yanoun Service: Collin was previously in Jayyous, Paula was in Tulkarem, Hebron, Linda and I in Bethlehem. We have reduced all our luggage and leave the big suitcase in the Auguste-Viktoria-guest house on the Mount of Olives. With the rest of our luggage we go from hotel to the Jaffa Gate and negotiate with the taxi drivers where the cost of the Jerusalem hotel or to the Green bus station. Because the Sabbath is to ask the taxi driver to stick together more than usual, because, we have bad cards. Way to start the journey, would follow a bus trip to Ramallah, a shared taxi to the Huwwara checkpoint, another taxi to Aqraba and a final taxi to Yanoun. That would be just 50 miles on a direct route, but would need a good two hours when we have no control roadblock to come in between. On the way back from our visit to the transfer of work in Yanoun we had taken 5 hours. Travel to the occupied Palestinian territories is a time-consuming and expensive.
brewing in the Middle East
So we get out behind the Qualandia checkpoint. There is Ghassan from Aqraba that drives us through to Ramallah over the whole distance. He makes us a trip to Taybeh, where an ancient Christian city stands that is interesting not only with its four churches, but with an important company for Palestine, against all the difficulties that Israel has made, imported all the boilers and equipment, and has built up: a brewery, the best in the Middle East. A Christian Palestinian, a businessman who was for his home village, which lies in the mountains of Ephraim and the Jewish settlers is a thorn in the eye. One of the churches and the brewery we visited and drove to Yanoun, a case of beer along with the other luggage. Beer, we will get to buy in the near future anywhere, it is "haraam" improper and illegal in the Muslim society.
phones
Our afternoon in the small apartment that will be in the next few weeks, our home runs, silent at first. We sort our mobile phones: We should keep our old phone, because we thus also for our existing partners in Bethlehem, Hebron, etc. are accessible. But we are also the phones of have teams of last Yanoun us if the villagers and the contact people from the surrounding villages need us. There are also two mobile phones of the Palestinian telephone company, if we fall out from the Israeli radio communications. And finally, two of our team their private cell phones, making a total of 12 Than all of them on the table and we still hectic at typing and testing are stored whether in mobile phones all the key contacts and apparent to us, and we also can mutually reach each time knocking and shaking it down at the door settlers in village! So West dressed, jumped into the sandals, the cell phones and cameras in the pockets and out.
Settlers in the village!
the village wells have two young boys, just 20 years old to swing. Here, other settlers before them bathed and contaminated the well. These have a dog with him and has his rifle at the ready. The villagers are afraid
Rashid and talk through everything again. It is our first lesson in our new mission in the village. Later, I cook a vegetable soup and set the table. We eat our first meal in our new home. Then sit and talk long, Colin from Scotland, Linda from Norway, Sweden and Paula of Gottfried of Germany. The sky seems favorably with our open window. When we do something at home, sit in the dark, speak in front of the house? This was our first day in Yanoun.
27th July 2008, Sunday
checkpoints in the Occupied Territories
It is Sunday evening. We were at the two checkpoints sensitive, Huwwara and Beit Furik. Huwwara is one of the checkpoints that the army has erected around the middle of Nablus in Palestine. He heard a total of 28 checkpoints, roadblocks and gates to a system that cordoned off the entire city of Nablus and all traffic is monitored. We have been on the way back 30 minutes in the ranks of those who leave the city again in the evening. A young man sat in the holding cell of concrete, in which soldiers can hold people for up to three hours. We have granted to him in courage, and we approached the soldiers. We have also talked to his friend: The two go through here every day and complete in the neighboring town for swimming lessons. Why now? The soldiers give us any information. But the women of Machsom Watch come and we give them the case.
The afternoon
I do not monitor all day.
We were in the service. We were in an Internet café, where we have mailed our report of yesterday at our office in Jerusalem. And Yasmeen Hotel, where we ate well. Overall, we have used seven taxes and paid a lot of money for it and were 9 hours on the way? How much easier the trip would have been if it is not the situation with the occupation of this country exist?
Linda, who had been left - all at the same time we must never go out of the village! - Has helped the neighbors to the left, fresh harvested almonds to peel. The cores must now dry and later be opened in order to share the precious almonds.
Back at home, has Linda, who sat outside the door, asked aloud: Did you buy bread? Oh, we forgot! Never mind, we will not have to starve. During the evening there is a knock down twice on the door, we jump up to where we live, in our hands, on the stairs in the sandals, just outside the door once the neighbor from the left and right, even the children of each with bread found that they do hold up and give us. I believe the children have frightened me, because I was so busy jumping out the door. But then she laughed, as they have seen the changes in my face and heard my probably wrong thank you pronounced.
Then we sit and write reports, transfer photos to your computer or take us a piece of something neglected
front kitchen, we want to do bit by bit clean. Linda will cook later. It is shout a peaceful evening, donkeys, sheep bleat, children call and once a car is heard.
The second day was in Yanoun.
We were in the service. We were in an Internet café, where we have mailed our report of yesterday at our office in Jerusalem. And Yasmeen Hotel, where we ate well. Overall, we have used seven taxes and paid a lot of money for it and were 9 hours on the way? How much easier the trip would have been if it is not the situation with the occupation of this country exist?
Linda, who had been left - all at the same time we must never go out of the village! - Has helped the neighbors to the left, fresh harvested almonds to peel. The cores must now dry and later be opened in order to share the precious almonds.
Back at home, has Linda, who sat outside the door, asked aloud: Did you buy bread? Oh, we forgot! Never mind, we will not have to starve. During the evening there is a knock down twice on the door, we jump up to where we live, in our hands, on the stairs in the sandals, just outside the door once the neighbor from the left and right, even the children of each with bread found that they do hold up and give us. I believe the children have frightened me, because I was so busy jumping out the door. But then she laughed, as they have seen the changes in my face and heard my probably wrong thank you pronounced.
Then we sit and write reports, transfer photos to your computer or take us a piece of something neglected
The second day was in Yanoun.
With the bike in the next City
28th July 2008, Monday
Colin and Paula remain in Yanoun. They make visits to the neighbors.
Linda and I go to Ghassan, our taxi driver, after Burin. We had not heard in Jerusalem, that the settlers had made new attacks on Burin. Since I was at the presentation last week in this village, it was now my decision as soon emerge there and talk to the family that we had recently visited.
A family in Burin
Ahmad's family lives in Souha a house outside the village, on a slope, which limits the village to the south. Above them, on the hill, there are outposts of a larger settlement, on each level are some of the container, the whole ridge is occupied by Jewish settlers and the shepherds and farmers can no longer use their fields and olive trees at higher altitudes because the Settlers claim it as their safety zone. This house, the only side of the road, which is only used by settlers, is a thorn in the settlers, they want to drive the peasants obvious. The farmer had been displaced as a young man by the Israeli army from the Negev, a Bedouin. He's here from the village land bought and settled down. Then came the settlers. And now he should be expelled a second time.
Colin and Paula remain in Yanoun. They make visits to the neighbors.
Linda and I go to Ghassan, our taxi driver, after Burin. We had not heard in Jerusalem, that the settlers had made new attacks on Burin. Since I was at the presentation last week in this village, it was now my decision as soon emerge there and talk to the family that we had recently visited.
A family in Burin
Ahmad's family lives in Souha a house outside the village, on a slope, which limits the village to the south. Above them, on the hill, there are outposts of a larger settlement, on each level are some of the container, the whole ridge is occupied by Jewish settlers and the shepherds and farmers can no longer use their fields and olive trees at higher altitudes because the Settlers claim it as their safety zone. This house, the only side of the road, which is only used by settlers, is a thorn in the settlers, they want to drive the peasants obvious. The farmer had been displaced as a young man by the Israeli army from the Negev, a Bedouin. He's here from the village land bought and settled down. Then came the settlers. And now he should be expelled a second time.
Today he was traveling with his flocks and by Bedouin in a tent on a remote pasture. His three sons are welcome, we are sitting in the garden. After several minutes, the mother sat down with us. It has taken 5 sons and 4 daughters in size. Two of the daughters are still in the house, we do not get to see, but they only make us sweet tea, then coffee, one encounters a beautiful aromatic watermelon. One of the sons bring the trays and dishes. The hosts are very friendly and the confused us even more than the news we hear from them, are very disturbing.
A week ago they had us by the settlers, tells the murder of a donkey, 4 sheep poisoned and beat a pastor together. The settlers coming from the next outpost down to this house, may not carry firearms, they, the police probably has prohibited them specifically, but obviously sticks are allowed.
This time, tell us the sons of attacks on the village, we see below us and on the other side of the valley. A house was burned down early today and was a gang of about 30 to 40 settlers came down the hill yesterday. They attacked two shepherds and beaten with clubs. But (Israeli) police came in time and they had to withdraw. We do not know if the one yesterday and the other happened today or yesterday depending on both morning and afternoon. Later Ghassan will translate for us small interviews. The family members here are much more on the density of attack moves, as of how it all ended in detail. They want us to get a camera to the settlers when they come back to impress. We call to our office in Jerusalem, but refers us to the Israeli-Palestinian human rights group Betselem. Betselem has a program, "Shooting Back", with the threatened villagers with Cameras are equipped, for if they provide any evidence to be pursued their ads on. We take the concerns of the family, Linda phoned Jerusalem. Meanwhile, I get a call from Abdullah of Asira, the next village. He will bring us to the house in question in Burin.
The burned house
Together we go out there. The house is a little lonely at the village. Many neighbors are sitting on the terrace or in front of the house. The house had had with the police to sign the report, it said. The housewife was admitted to hospital because of the risk of premature birth after the shock, she is heavily pregnant. The whole family was not present when the fire had been laid. Intention? A young woman, the sister of Abdullah, takes us through the house. Three rooms are burned out, sleeping, living room and kitchen. We see the broken windows left open or the little window through which the fire bombs were thrown. Are clearly on the ceilings and walls finest bunch of charred sticks to see clearly the material that had been tinkered with the fire material for a bomb. On most of us touched the charred crib. If there had lain a child in it! Under the mattress of the house had 10 000 Jordanian dinars, about 9,000 € was hiding - which are now burned. He had to build a pay their own house in the village do, that's over now.
Why would someone hide such a large sum of money under the mattress? Because he finds here in the Israeli-controlled areas was not a bank. Because Israel is not willing to stand for the safety of banks now. And because the road to Nablus, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, too difficult, too long. All Palestinians in the West Bank, if they do not live in the A areas, make it that way. There is obviously nothing that is normal in this occupied country!
the walk through the house with the charred furniture and the burning smell I cancel any time. The cot and the story of a pregnant woman make me to create. We make a few exterior shots, because our Jerusalem office, with which we are constantly in touch, we will have a report and pictures.
Abdullah, the last week I had met at the handover, and Ghassan, who drives us in these villages make clear what they expect from our program: A team of volunteers will live in Burin and Asira and with his presence a protection pose, as in Yanoun. Also, we will pass on to our office in Jerusalem.
The crux of this story is: About 10 days we had read a newspaper article, which for the first time, a young settler - a student at a Torah school in the village of Burin - fired missiles themselves, assembled on Palestinian targets. As we read, we did not know that the village of Burin is, the settlements Yitzhar and Bracha, who were named in the report are above this village and we would have to do with these aggressive settlers soon.
What do the settlers?
First they want to make the links between farmers and herders free. Then they want to leave the valley. Then they want to have all this land, which they still call Samaria and never Jewish. They want the country - but without the Arabs, whom they despise and want to sell it, just as Abraham's servant Hagar in prehistoric times with his and has driven her son Ishmael. About
Burin lies Mount Gerizim, as it says in our Bible. On the other hand, in Mount Gerizim, lies the ancient Shechem, in Roman Neapolis, now called Nablus. There is one of the two small Samaritan communities, the residue of a folk that was not before 2 ½ thousand years ago led to the exile in Mesopotamia and still lives in Palestine as the rest Be
barely visible: the settlement on the hilltop
The evening
We drive home, I sit down and write the report to our office, Linda chooses some photos, and append them to the report. Tomorrow morning we have to run after Aqraba and send the whole thing from the Internet Cafe at our office in Jerusalem. I take the laundry off the line and put them together. Colin cooks, Paula sits among the neighbors, where they shelled this morning, almond kernels from the fruit has. The sun sinks. The sheep were down on the valley floor on the harvested fields and come back. The donkey calling across the valley, the ass from the other side responds. The evenings here are special
rs beautiful. The indirect light everything appears in bold colors. We would like the two hundred meter run at the levels and take the views of the Jordan and the Jordanian mountains. But such a walk could be fatal and is kept strictly prohibited. We think that is the beautiful view and we make do with the peaceful evening scene here in this valley. I hope it stays peaceful. This was our third day in Yanoun.
We drive home, I sit down and write the report to our office, Linda chooses some photos, and append them to the report. Tomorrow morning we have to run after Aqraba and send the whole thing from the Internet Cafe at our office in Jerusalem. I take the laundry off the line and put them together. Colin cooks, Paula sits among the neighbors, where they shelled this morning, almond kernels from the fruit has. The sun sinks. The sheep were down on the valley floor on the harvested fields and come back. The donkey calling across the valley, the ass from the other side responds. The evenings here are special
29th July 08, Tuesday
Today we had a quiet day! We had time for breakfast. Two guests were surprisingly stopped by a taxi driver in front of our house, because that was the mayor, with whom she had a date, not at home. Afternoon came another guest who had come with the team of Medicines sans Frontieres: the new psychology and the driver. The doctor was busy so long to neighbors. Obviously, the International House, as our stay here is known and the point of contact for residents.
In addition, we have not visited a total of 5 families, visited an orchard and let us show how the goat cheese is made here. Evening We were invited for dinner.
Linda and I went to Akraba. There is the next opportunity to use the Internet and we should send our report yet of the events in Burin at the Jerusalem office. It was a beautiful trip, the Internet cafe has a warm welcome to us ("You're the new team?"). And we also have opened the letters, read and responded to that were in our mailboxes, and the private.
It was cloudy, not too hot, the evening was a breath of fresh air. Sometimes we could see over there on the street patrols as an army vehicle, which are of course very reassured.
would in a logbook you write: No special events.
30, July 08, Wednesday
Today, no special events.
6:30 I was woken up my phone. One of the women of Machsom Watch wanted to know how it looks on our side. She called the Gilo checkpoint, and I had to explain to her that I am no longer in Bethlehem. Oh, that's bad, she found. Otherwise it
was a quiet day.
Nabi Now
We have made a trip to Nabi Noun, a little hill overlooking the Jordan Valley
. There are the ruins of a house and a mosque. But it has graffiti with David Stern and political Slogans in Hebrew, and this points to Jewish interests: It is the grave of Nun, the father of Joshua. In both traditions, in the Hebrew Bible and the Koran, is now called for Muslims, a man of God, a prophet for the Jews, the father of Joshua, who conquered the country. Unfortunately, the age of Jewish interest declared in such local legends as a rule with the occupation of the village by the Israelis and the expulsion of the surrounding Palestinian farmers. So justify all the outposts of the Israeli settlement of Itamar that surround our village Yanoun: A pious Jew from the Bratslav Hasidic community had dreamed, Gideon, one of the judges from the pre-monarchic period, lie buried in these hills. Buy a grave has been identified and registered in the cards and occupied the three hills ...
We at Nabi now enjoyed from the view: a mountain landscape with olive groves, the farmhouses of Yanoun, in the east, far below us in the haze of the midday sun, the Jordan Valley
and over to guess to see more than the mountains of Jordan, in the mountains tolerated the illegal even under Israeli law, but by the army, which has the last word, - to the South more Palestinian villages and towns and on the hills settlements and outposts. The beautiful scenery and the ugly signs of the Israeli land grab.
Today we had a quiet day! We had time for breakfast. Two guests were surprisingly stopped by a taxi driver in front of our house, because that was the mayor, with whom she had a date, not at home. Afternoon came another guest who had come with the team of Medicines sans Frontieres: the new psychology and the driver. The doctor was busy so long to neighbors. Obviously, the International House, as our stay here is known and the point of contact for residents.
In addition, we have not visited a total of 5 families, visited an orchard and let us show how the goat cheese is made here. Evening We were invited for dinner.
Linda and I went to Akraba. There is the next opportunity to use the Internet and we should send our report yet of the events in Burin at the Jerusalem office. It was a beautiful trip, the Internet cafe has a warm welcome to us ("You're the new team?"). And we also have opened the letters, read and responded to that were in our mailboxes, and the private.
It was cloudy, not too hot, the evening was a breath of fresh air. Sometimes we could see over there on the street patrols as an army vehicle, which are of course very reassured.
would in a logbook you write: No special events.
30, July 08, Wednesday
Today, no special events.
6:30 I was woken up my phone. One of the women of Machsom Watch wanted to know how it looks on our side. She called the Gilo checkpoint, and I had to explain to her that I am no longer in Bethlehem. Oh, that's bad, she found. Otherwise it
was a quiet day.
Nabi Now
We have made a trip to Nabi Noun, a little hill overlooking the Jordan Valley
We at Nabi now enjoyed from the view: a mountain landscape with olive groves, the farmhouses of Yanoun, in the east, far below us in the haze of the midday sun, the Jordan Valley
visits to families
more families we have visited. We are overwhelmed by the friendliness, the openness with which we meet the people here, from the simplicity of life and the consistency of the ancient Palestinian culture. We see children playing, families that sit in the late afternoon with the almond harvest the day before the house and separate the pulp from the nuclei, while the sheep graze in the valley below. We hear about the 6 generations, which may be mentioned the house had effortlessly, by the grandfather of the grandfather of the grandfather, who here has the second House was built. We sit in the third, modern house and drink sweet tea with mint. But in each house we hear the stories of the break in the lives of families, from the collapse of this nightmare of the settlers who settled on them, which have taken away their land and their terrorist may exercise against the villagers. The
our days here in Yanoun.
What we see
more families we have visited. We are overwhelmed by the friendliness, the openness with which we meet the people here, from the simplicity of life and the consistency of the ancient Palestinian culture. We see children playing, families that sit in the late afternoon with the almond harvest the day before the house and separate the pulp from the nuclei, while the sheep graze in the valley below. We hear about the 6 generations, which may be mentioned the house had effortlessly, by the grandfather of the grandfather of the grandfather, who here has the second House was built. We sit in the third, modern house and drink sweet tea with mint. But in each house we hear the stories of the break in the lives of families, from the collapse of this nightmare of the settlers who settled on them, which have taken away their land and their terrorist may exercise against the villagers. The
our days here in Yanoun.
What we see
And so it is morning and evening and the week is not over yet.
The events and visits are repeated. We can look at the daily routines of work and rest, as they are repeated for generations. We experience the new land acquisition and the underlying war of the settlers against the farmers. They make life unbearable for the villagers. And yet it goes on, this life, with the toil of work, the simple pleasures of terror, against which they are not really protected, and the hope that is not to see how the heat of the ovens, which during the day on the ash rests hidden and every morning is rekindled and bakes the bread for the day.
Colin and Paula to pack her things. Tomorrow they're leaving. They will do service in Jerusalem and have days off before they come back and us, Linda and me to replace. Tomorrow will also Christian and Audrey, who live the next time with us on guard be. With them we will sit in the evening, go through the day and say: We see with their own eyes what's going on, we listen, we understand, but we can not believe it.
Colin and Paula to pack her things. Tomorrow they're leaving. They will do service in Jerusalem and have days off before they come back and us, Linda and me to replace. Tomorrow will also Christian and Audrey, who live the next time with us on guard be. With them we will sit in the evening, go through the day and say: We see with their own eyes what's going on, we listen, we understand, but we can not believe it.
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