Nabi Ilyas
Nabi Ilyas
In spite of the rain, Marcey and Brinda made their way to Nebi Ilyas to resume their Friday morning English classes with the youth of the village. The Israeli teachers hadn't been there for two weeks because of exams in the Occupied West Bank and were looking forward to seeing their students again. On the way there they had received a phone call from Wesell, the Palestinian coordinator who said that some of the students still had exams and it might not be worthwhile to go, but the Israeli teachers decided to chance it, because they were bringing with them a new teacher, Roee. He was to teach the boys who in spite of many years of education in English, still hadn't mastered the A-B-Cs. He had devised a curriculum based upon his years of teaching students with learning problems. What a success! The students were so happy ─ someone would finally help them overcome their ignorance. At the end of the session Roee handed out "psychedelic" glasses as an appreciation to all his students who had engaged with him, and that was a great hit. That's Roee wearing the Free Palestine t-shirt with Ileith who, already eighteen still hasn't given up on education.
Brinda together with Samach, her Palestinian assistant taught her usual complement of eager female students with reading books she had purchased especially for them with Machsom Watch funds. Downstairs in the wedding hall Marcey had only one student, Gared, age 13 who brought her one year-old brother whom she was minding. Between the two of them holding and jiggling the baby, a lesson took place. I never cease to marvel at how determined to upgrade their education these Palestinian youth are! Looking forward to next week when exams will be over and all the students will return.
Upon returning the soldier manning the checkpoint peered into the car and noticing our Free Palestine t-shirts demanded to see our identity cards. He asked what we had in the trunk of the vehicle and we told him – LOVE.
A-Nabi Elias
See all reports for this place-
A-Nabi Elias this is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, east of Qalqilia on Road 55, north-east of Alfei Menashe colony and west of Karnei Shomron colony and the Palestinian city of Nablus. As of 2016, the village was populated by 1,458 inhabitants.
Near the village is a maqam (holy site memorializing a sanctified person) - the prophet Elisha. Until 2021 Road 55 crossed the village. Then a bypass road was paved through olive groves that were sequestered from the villagers. Consequently, the farmers were left with small olive groves that they could not access nor cultivate. Inhabitants protested against the road for weeks, supported by peace activists, but nothing helped and the road is now a given fact.
The village's main street had been a shopping center for all residents, including colonists. We even saw a Kashrut (kosher food) inspector in a butcher shop close to the falafel stand… The bypass road, according to tradesmen, has impacted their businesses and clients, while others claim that there are customers now for parking has become easier.
Alfei Menashe and Tzofim colonies nibble at the village lands from the north and south and get closer to it all the time. Colonists of Alfei Menashe have outdone themselves, sending their surplus sewage from the oxygenation pools toward a-Nabi Elias land, even reaching the houses.
The villagers are known as seekers of peace. For years there was no hostility towards Israelis. On the contrary, we were always welcomed warmly and stopped there to enjoy their delicious, inexpensive falafel.
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