Hebron and Southern Hills of HebronThursday, 10.5.07 – 08:30 – 14:00 Observers: Ofra and Didi On this shift we accompanied a crew of the Israeli TV, Channel 1, who wanted to prepare a reportage on the situation in Hebron, for the program “A Second View”. We met the crew, comprised of 4 members plus a driver, at the entrance to Hebron, at 10 o’clock. First we went to the disputed house. Ada, the director, asked us not to accompany them there, as she was trying to get an interview with one of the settlers. We acquiesced and went on the main street. At one of the houses we stopped to chat with some women who sat at the porch. We drank tea with them and they told us of the harassment of the settlers, who throw rocks and garbage towards the passers-by. As we were sitting there, two white “Soufa” vehicles stopped in front of us. 7 military personnel, among them a colonel and a lieutenant colonel stepped down. They talked among themselves for several minutes, pointed to several directions, and drove away into Hebron. The TV crew did not succeed in obtaining an interview, as the adults were not there and the younger ones refused to speak (disciplined). The young settlers work at paving the side pavements of the house. We continued towards the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. We sit in the vehicle of the crew, and get the impression that the outcome of the reportage will not be favorable towards the Palestinians. We stop at the entrance to the neighborhood and Ada, again, hides our tags and begs of us not to get into arguments with her crew, as she is set out on finding her “scoop”. We feel like being on a tourist tour. We continue towards the wholesale market, where the settlers were pulled out. But two of the entrances are open, and the lights are on. Obviously there are people inside. We meet Avichai from “Bnei Avraham” and share with him our ambivalentic feelings as to our further guidance of the crew. Yet we decide that it is important that the crew meets the Abuaisha family and listens to them, and we go on. Tel Rumeida – Construction works are carried out and the road is being repaired, after the installation of cameras in the area. We wait for Hanni, the neighbour of the Abuaisha family, who promised to come and help us with Arabic. He arrives after 15 minutes and explains that he had been detained at a CP, so that he had to make a detour. The crew is unpolite and inconsiderate. They do not wait for the owner, and directly make themselves at home. His wife is at home with her three children. Ada begins to interview her and photographs her. It seems that the waterpipe that was destroyed last week by the works that the military carried out, was finally mended. The woman did not know who fixed it. Muhamed arrives and Ada seats everyone in the livingroom and we feel very uncomfortable at the conduct of the crew. Ada keeps repeating the same questions when she does not get the required answers and we sense that all she is looking for is something sensational. She seems oblivious to what is clear to us: the pattern of occupation, and its dayly abuses. The family too does not get excited about the violent incidents that they encounter, the harassments of the settlers and the indifference of the soldiers, who are supposed to defend them. The young daughter tells of a violent incidence that occurred a week ago. Ada tries to get as much as details as possible. When Muhamed speaks of coexistence, the photographer laughs. Yet it was he who spoke of the importance of respecful behaviour in the morning. At 13:30 we leave and decide that we will not accompany them on the coming Sunday!