Main Points
When visiting the villages of Abu Falah and Turmus Ayya, residents told us the following:
Groups of Shilo and Adei Ad settlers cut olive trees; Army prevents group of villagers from helping harassed farmer.
Daily visits in Turmus Ayya, after midnight by Army and police jeeps; some afternoons soldiers on foot. They search and sometimes beat up children on the street and in homes.
Wrong timing: Police confiscate old cars only after they are re-sold, causing a double loss poor new owners can’t afford: both the car and the 2000 shekel they paid.
Since last month: Tapuach Junction, main Road 60 N to S is closed to Palestinian drivers three times a day, forcing travellers to use longer routes to Nablus and Huwwara, so settlers can feel safe.
American Palestinians ensure their children receive both American and Arabic education in the US and in their village. But travelling back to the village involves humiliating checksat B.G. Airport or at Jordanian Border.
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10.00. We divided into two groups: the first (Dalia K and Tsipi E) interviewed at A-Sawiya two Palestinian young women, a painter and a lawyer doing her internship. The kindergarten it seems, would have preferred them to plant the lawn, instead of the many pedagogical children’s games they generously brought, and which the kindergarten lacks. But later, a family received them warmly in their home. They will post their interesting experiences and interviews separately.
10.30 Hanna and Ana went on to Abu Falach and Turmus Ayya villages. In Khirbet Abu Falach, the majeles was closed, and the Restaurant/Cafe we visited last time opens only at night.
Turmus Ayya. The head of the Baladia was away. But we talked with several inhabitants, who speak English and sometimes Spanish.90-95% of the inhabitants are now American citizens many of whom return regularly (sometimes to look after aging parents), build big houses, and after some years settle down. We met two such men—one in the street, and another at the Baladia—who told us about recent local problems and about their life abroad.
Most of those who don’t emigrate, are poor.
Hanna, knowing Palestinians are often unaware of their rights, informed those we met that when working in Israel, they are entitled to have insurance.
And these are the things we have heard of the villagers:
Seetlers vs Farmers
About once a week, when farmers work in their fields, groups of of about five settlers from both Shilo and Adei Ad come and cut down their olive trees. When groups of villagers come to help the farmers, the Army doesn’t allow them to pass through.
Army Visits Induce Fear
The quietvillage, with few passersby and cars in the morning, is now regularly visited by the Army. People, says a man we met, can be arrested if they don’t carry their ID.
Daily after midnight, two jeeps, one from the Army, and one from the police, drive through the village. Sometimes in the afternoon or at sunset about five soldiers come on foot, question children on the street and enter homes. Sometimes they beat up youngsters.
Is this new strategy supposed to prevent/stop terrorist attacks: by frightening children and their families?
Police and Old Cars
The police stop drivers, checking their driving license and their cars. We heard that one young man (who was driving slowly) was arrested because he lacked a license, and was only released after his mother paid a fine of 2000 sh. The police are now after old cars. Many of the poor inhabitants buy old cars, abandoned on the road, using them to get to their farms. For a month now, police have begun to confiscate such cars. X who told us about this miserable hunt, asks: “Why do the police allow the sale of such cars? If they think their use is dangerous, they could have a….[”grar”] remove them and forbid their further use.”They would thus have spared the buyers 1,500 to 2,000 NIS, which is a considerable sum for these men. As it is, these unfortunate men lose both the money they paid and the only car they could afford.
Hanna asked them to prepare a list of such confiscated cars with dates and other relevant details, so that we could then try to solve this problem.
Palestinian Communities in the US
In Chicago, New York, and New Jersey there are Arabic schools, from kindergarten through High School. Graduates are equipped to attend College, and many do. However, for a family with some five children, such schools are too expensive. So they send their children to American schools and complement their education with Saturday and Sunday school, where they learn their language, religion and culture. (Like Jewish Sunday schools, Catholic, and Japanese ones). Other cities have only elementary Arabic schools. In addition, famlies return to Turmus Ayya for some years so that the children can attend school—-with the father coming for visits every three months or in the summer. And then the youngsters return to the US to complete High School and go on to College.
Palestinian/American Travel to Israel
Till 1996, Palestinians who remained abroad for more than 1 year lost their ID, issued by Israel). ( According to Hamoked, “between 1967 and 1994, the military revoked the residency of 140,000 West Bank Palestinians”). If they wanted to return to their village even for a visit, they had to wait several years until they were granted an American (or other) passport. This happened to a Spanish-speaking visitor whom we met at the Turmos Aya baladia, who recalled sadly that he wasn’t allowed to come even for a short visit when his Mother was sick and dying. But even an American passport does not solve all their problems when they return home to visit their families.
1. Ben Gurion Airport. Only those who don’t have eiter a Palestinian passport or an Israeli/Palestinian ID are allowed to enter Israel through Ben Gurion.
2. Those who do have these documents are first placed in a separate room for 10 hours or more, after being forced to strip off their clothes—-trousers, socks, shoes. Then, they are often sent back to the US, losing expensive tickets.
3. Amman Airport, Jordan. For those who have either (a) a Palestinian passport or (b) an Israeli/Palestinian ID. Normal treatment, but once they cross the Jordan Bridge to Israel— they undergo a procedure as humiliating as the one described above for Ben Gurion arrivals.
Za’tara (Tapuach) Junction
On our way back, we found the main Road 60 which links Northern Shechem to Southern Ramallah & Jerusalem closed. A month-old order now closes this busy road to Palestinians during the following hours, when many settlers use it:
7—8 am ; 1—2 pm; 4—8 pm.
This means that Palestinians who need to get to Nablus and Huwwara must travel on other, longer routes.This is, apparently, for the sake of settlers who might fear for their security.