4 Mar
2021
4 Mar
'21
9:56 a.m.
Hello all,
I'm sure some of you also get regular updates from the Villagers Group, but
in case you don't: The Villagers Group are a group of wonderful humans from
Israel who are building bridges, friendships and are supporting
Palestinians in their struggle for freedom of the occupation, mainly in the
South Hebron Hills - and have been doing so for years. I have had the
pleasure of meeting Erella and a lot of the others a few times.
This update from Erella really moved me this morning. So I thought I'd pass
it on - maybe as a reminder of why we have links with Palestine, or that we
should plan another trip sometime maybe...
Hopefully see you in the virtual Plough tonight!
Becs xx
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: The Villages Group <villagesgroup1(a)gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2021 at 19:04
Subject: A Report by Erella on Yesterday's Demolitions in South Hebron Hills
To: Ehud Krinis <ksehud(a)gmail.com>
2/3/2021
Dear friends all,
It’s evening. Just got back home from the South Hebron Hills, and am still
reeling from room to room, like some plaything that has been wound up, in
an attempt to calm down.
Now I stare at the computer screen trying to write something. I get up to
make myself a cup of coffee. I pace again.
Sit down at the computer again, and can only write how I cannot write about
what happened today.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened today. Several homes were demolished
in the South Hebron Hills.
I was there again today.
At 9 a.m. we came to A-Rakeez. Farsi, whose home has already been
demolished three times, whose son Harun was shot in the neck by a soldier 2
months ago, ran to us, pointing to the road.
We turned our heads and saw the familiar destroyer convoy – a bulldozer
followed by the Civil Administration car and military vehicles.
Shortly they will be busy demolishing. We just don’t know where and whose
home.
The locals say it will happen at Khalat A-Dhaba and at A-Rakeez.
Khalat A-Dhaba it was – for the fourth time, the home of Jaber and his
brother Omar. The fourth time in a year and a half.
Then they proceeded to demolish the home of Khathem at A-Rakeez. Again, we
see the bulldozer crushing a humble abode with one blow of its blade. Poof,
and an entire life collapses into the rubble. We watch from a distance -
the occupier does not like being disturbed in his work – and experience for
the Nth time the pain of those who cannot hold out a hand to prevent the
destruction.
We drove on to Jaber, to hold out a hand.
Two weeks ago, we sat with him on the porch of the home he had built after
the November 2020 demolition. I asked him what happens if they demolish
again, and he answered: “I’ll rebuild”. Now he faces the rubble and says:
“I’ll rebuild”.
Ilan of the Civil Administration harasses him personally. When he came this
time, Jaber asked him: “Have you come to shoot me as you shot Haroun?”
This is how we stood for a long while, listening to Jaber give interviews
to Palestinian media people who curried to the scene. If only this pain
could be broadcast in the occupiers’ media, I thought.
When we visited 2 weeks ago, I brought Jaber a photo of a fledgling dove on
its first flight. I told him: “Peace is not in our hands, but our freedom
cannot be taken from us, and this fledgling dove symbolizes it.”
Today I asked him where the photo was, and he said: “In the rubble…” He
fell silent, then added: “But they cannot destroy my freedom”.
Erella,
On behalf of the Villages Group
