Some of us ISMers went to Susya yesterday. Like every other previous time, we were hosted by very friendly and compassionate people, who looked after us well and made us feel at home. We taught an English lesson, and went out with the shepherds. Later on, some Palestinians from the group YAS (Youth Against Settlements) came from Hebron, and there was a short and peaceful demonstration, following Friday prayers.
More awareness is being raised each day, I heard there were diplomats from the Canadian embassy who visited yesterday morning. The international visitors as well as Israeli activists can be seen there on an almost, if not a daily basis.
I learned today from some of the villagers the official reason provided by the Israeli Army for their planned demolition. After the last complete destruction of the village in 2001 (since then there have been partial demolitions of certain buildings but nothing as wholescale as is being planned), the people rebuilt their homes. However, they did so without permits. After destroying their homes, the Army demanded permits from the people newly made homeless. Although the permits were expensive, the people of Susya tried to buy them. They were refused, so they built their homes anyways. Evidently, this was a crime on their part.
The second reason for the destruction is even more interesting... women's rights. The Israeli Army has announced that living in tents is unhealthy, and in particular, bad for the women. Of course, the fact they used to have homes in the caves before they were displaced to make way for an archaeological centre is ignored, as well as how their rights must have been violated when their homes were destroyed. Ignored also is how their rights are being violated today in light of the electricity and water deprivations they and their families face (the people of Susya are already living on only a fraction of the land they used to have prior to 1986, which means they have been denied access to most of their wells and now have to buy their own water at high prices), as well as the constant threat of settler attacks. The level of cynicism and hypocrisy is astounding.
God willing the international pressure will pay off, and our friends will not be made homeless again.
Please keep writing, calling, emailing, praying.
Driving into Yatta, one will see a lot of car repair shops. Some of them advertise in very creative ways.
Some of the kids in Susya, playing "silent ball", after an English lesson. It's interesting how cross-cultural certain classroom games can be. My only hope is, that if any of them ever move to Canada, they won't be expecting to be playing games during every class!
Evening at Susya.
Going out with the shepherds.
A breakfast at Nasser's house (not Nasser Al Nawaja, the co-ordinator, but a shepherd). For starters: bread, passion fruit, and grapes.
Breakfast part two: tea and deep fried goat cheese
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