Visit to Jabal Al Baba Bedouin Camp in the E1 area, near Azarya and Abu Dis

Friday 12^th Feb 2016

Some will have heard of the E1 area, where at one point the Bab Al Shams protest took place. This visit also happened in an area threatened by the E1 settlement project.

We arrived at the camp to an introduction to the recent history of the Bedouin here, who are now defiantly defending their small makeshift homes and their flocks of goats. They were driven here from their traditional nomadic areas, Ber Al Sabah, which is inside the 1948 border, and are now being pushed deeper into West Bank.

The hill on which they are now living breaks up the “security wall” and is a permanent thorn for the Israeli Occupation of this part of Azarya / Abu Dis. The Vatican owns a small portion of the hill and gives the Bedouin some security. However, this does not prevent the Israeli army coming into the camp, with no warning, at 3 or 4am and demolishing a number of homes, which they claim are illegal. We were shown a recently demolished home, built from materials provided by the European Union. We were told this had been substantial house for a family of ten people, who are now having to live dispersed among the rest of the community’s more makeshift homes. As bull-dozers had approached in the night, they had had no time to round up possessions, even the precious water container, which would normally be the first item to be saved, was lying, destroyed, in the ruins.

At this point the group split, the women being invited into a Bedouin home, where we met with great hospitality and evidence of a hugely house-proud and resourceful culture. The house and yard were immaculate, the walls covered in attractive fabrics, the decorations were cheerfully coloured embroidery items. These items are also being made to sell, to try to bring in extra revenue for the community. 

The men had an opportunity to engage with a young Bedouin boy, and to find out his perspective on the Israeli Occupation, his feelings of being intimidated, incredibly nervous at night, feeling like he was always different.

The villagers attempts to set up a democratic decision making committee have been thwarted by the fact that the building they intended to house it in has been pulled down 25 times. And, it was shocking to hear that they had decided not to build a school, because they know it will be similarly a target for destruction.

Overall, we were shocked and appalled by the conditions that these brave people are forced to live under. The children’s playground was mud, among the ruins of their own homes. Their lives are defined in every way by the Occupation they face. They are determined to protect their culture, and for the whole of humanity, we must hope that they can continue to be so brave.

As we travelled out of the camp, we remembered that these Bedouin had explained that they felt lucky in some respects, because they at least have access to electricity and water; we passed many other Bedouin camps along the road to Jericho, which do not.

Visits to Beit Leed and As Sawya

Our visits to the villages of Beit Leed and As Sawya

After our visits to the Palestinian villages of Beit Leed, (twinned with Pendle), and AS Sawya , (twinned with Llanidloes, Wales), what came to mind was the many stories told to us of peoples’  everyday  lives living under occupation.

In Beit Leed we heard how many of the villagers had refugee status and had fled from the sister village of Beit Leed in the 48 war, then of course, many had to flee again in the 67 war. They had their land seized, many arriving with nothing. More here

In As Sawya the village is now nearly surrounded by large expanding  Settlements high up on the hilltops. The settlers control the fields and olive groves below the settlements and so restrict access to certain areas of local farmers own land. As well as feeling surrounded, there is the constant fear of attack, and daily harassment. Those who are harassed so regularly? Kids going to school and coming home again. This has included  a number of school children being accused of throwing stones at settlers, arrested by the army and imprisoned for a month or more. The army invades the school playground, sometimes accompanied by settlers (a horrific twist on the term ‘playground bully’).

Our welcome was exceptionally warm, we were immediately taken to watch and taste fresh bread baked in a traditional taboon oven. It was served with home grown olives, olive oil and zaatar.  But there was a sense of anxiety about what might happen in the next moment. The future seems bleaker even, we spoke to one guy. A father of six girls, two at University, he explained that he could not see the possibility of a Palestinian state as the settlements around him expand and he anticipates that he may well have to leave his home and land.

Wailing at the Wall

A depiction of oppression. Visible and apparent. Stretching as far as the eye can see. Cutting right through Abu Dis, the Separation Wall clearly shows the restriction of movement for Palestinians; one of the many violations of their basic human rights.

The separation wall from Abu Dis. The small hole you can see in the wall has taken 2 years to make which has become a kind of ritual for Palestinian activists in Abu Dis.

Many internationals and Palestinian activists have painted the wall with graffiti to symbolise that the struggle will not end and the fight for freedom continues. Even though many of us found the sight of the wall highly overwhelming, we found optimism in the ongoing creative resistance. Of course for most people in Abu Dis, this sight is completely normal and something that they’re used to.

Detail of the hole in the wall in Abu Dis

Our day started off with meeting the group of Palestinian students at CADFA Friendship Centre who we travelled to Al-Fara’a with, where we would be staying for the residential. We would spend the next 5 days befriending, working alongside and sharing experiences together in order to establish solid links and bridges.

During our long journey to the residential, our Palestinian friends highlighted various problems that they encounter regularly and are an obstacle to their lives. Along the way, we drove past Ma’ale Adumim, the second largest settlement in the West Bank. These settlements are a blatant breach of international law and considered to be an obstacle for a realistic two-state solution. Many settlers are intentionally hostile and violent towards Palestinians and roads are even segregated which show  where they can and cannot travel.

Photo of Jamal, a CADFA volunteer being reminded
of his experiences of being tortured in Israeli Prisons 

Another poignant moment was when we passed Al-Bidhan Valley en route to Al-Fara'a. We were told that this was the place where British soldiers killed Palestinian freedom fighters during the British mandate by tying them to their horses and throwing them off a cliff. The feeling of being a British citizen and learning about this left us feeling both ashamed and disgusted. Our journey was both educational and informative, learning more and more about the land of Palestine and the troubles that exist.

If you look carefully you can see the chains that were
used to restrain Palestinians whilst water would be dripped
on their foreheads for days on end

We eventually arrived at Al-Fara'a, welcomed by warm, friendly Palestinian faces. It turned out that the residential that we were staying at used to be an Israeli prison - built by the British and used by the Israelis to torture and interrogate Palestinian freedom fighters. We were given an insight into a few of the many methods of torture that were carried out including: sleep deprivation, water torture and administrative detention. We also came to realise that some of the Palestinian people who were accompanying us had endured some of this torture themselves! This made our admiration for them strengthen and we appreciated that they were able to share this with us and still continue their ongoing resistance. By this point, many of us were quite traumatised and distressed by listening to accounts of what took place here.

It turned out to be a bitter-sweet day fuelled with conflicting emotions and we knew that from this day forward, we would never see Palestine in the same way again...

Nablus "Kenafe" is different

Although the weather was beautiful at the beginning of the day, as we arrived in Nablus it started to get worse, even worse than the UK! Why did we go in winter? Perhaps we could complement the rain with the atmosphere of the Turkish baths and shisha smoke? We browsed the bargain price household goods - from toy guns to giant radishes and musical instruments, but the rain got progressively heavier. At least one of us was thinking about buying dry socks at any price! 

We squeezed through kilometers of tiny alleys, twisting and turning, and only narrowly survived the great shopping trolley crash. Waiting at a corner, we spoke to a charming young man and his kid brothers, interrupting their work in the bakery. The smell of bread could have kept us there. Can a smell keep you warm? 

Kenafe. Some of the Brits had heard about it before. The one in Nablus was supposed to be particularly special and we were going to eat Kenafe at the right time (a well-kept Palestinian secret). We didn't follow the example of some, leaning against the wall. Instead we ate inside at tables; with the cheese making strings and the honeyed syrup sliding from the spoon to our lips.

The two mountains either side of Nablus brought the rain down upon us. But, perhaps, it was actually holy water and we were being blessed for our trip. How else can it be that we had fun walking in the rain, with drops splashing from our noses?

Visit to the Askar Refugee Camp

Today we visited the Askar Refugee Camp on the out skirt of Nablus. The camp was set up in 1948 by the UN for Palestinian refugees who were displaced after the creation of the State of Israel. The visit took place in appalling weather, it was cold with heavy rain with water flooding the roads. There were large puddles and mud everywhere, which mingled with the huge amount of litter and dumped rubbish because the camp lacks basic services. The whole place had an aura of desolation and hopelessness.   

The over crowded Camp is one square kilometer housing 8, 000 refugees with only one doctor for the entire population. We came across an UNWRA school which was built with funds raised by the refugees themselves but now funded by UNWRA (United Nations Works and Relief Agency). At the end of the road we found a closed down medical center which had been funded by one of the Gulf countries and now laying idle.

Either side of the road we found boarded and corrugated iron shacks which housed animals. There were small workshops with men and children working on recycled materials and others making small wooden objects.From the road there were a number of narrow lanes with tightly packed homes, these were constructed with concrete. Some are finished others had scaffolding awaiting further floors. The building were basic and had a feeling of neglect 

  اليوم الثاني لزيارة العاملين في مؤسسات التوأمة ضمن مشروع توأمة فعالة لفلسطين منذ وصول المجموعة قضوا ليلتهم الاولى أو ما تبقى منها بعد أن تم حجزهم على مطار بن غريون لمدة 6 ساعات في أبوديس ثم توجهنا معاً الى مركز الشهيد صلاح خلف في الفارعة حيث قضينا ليلتنا الأولى. يوم السبت وبعد تدريب على استخدام الميديا وملخص عن عمل جمعية صداقة كامن أبوديس تجهنا الى البلدة الديمة في نابلس وزرنا مخيم عسكر للاجئين 

الان يعمل الجميع من خلال ورشة عمل على تفعيل المدونة الإلكترونية وإضافة معلومات عن عملهم بالمشروع حتى اللحظة

Twinning in Action leaders' exchange to Palestine begins

Our plane landed at 5.15 and this is the time we got through. We learned about bullying, threats, being made to wait and wait and wait. Well it was nice after that to finally reach Abu Dis about 1.30 in the morning....