Shu’afat: at the Abu Khdeir home
Here, by the fence of the house in which he was born and raised, several meters from the geranium flowers surrounding the stone perpetuating his name, here he sat on the steps and waited for dawn in order to go to the mosque and participate in dawn prayers.
From here, this familiar place that promised protection, the boy Mohammad Abu Kheir, not yet sixteen years old, was kidnapped by three members of the same family, brought by car to the Jerusalem forest and killed with indescribable cruelty.
Several days ago, the architect and executor of that murder – which he and his two nephews carried out – died. Three years ago, he and his partners in crime requested amnesty of the authorities and the victim’s family.
The murderers’ lawyers told Mohammad Abu Khdeir’s parents that the perpetrators regret and are sorry for what they did.
The amnesty was not granted then, and is – for the time being – not given to any of them, who are asking for it repeatedly every several months.
When I read about the death of the monster, I called up the victim’s father, Hussein Abu Khdeir. He said: “It is God’s will” and asked me to come over.
We sat together in that sitting room when the son had died, a son whose years he had not had the chance to experience and was looking at us from the pictures on the walls.
“There is no joy in it”. Hussein said. “Even if he is dead, there is no joy for us. But it’s good that God took him. I had seen that many people had written this was a blessing. Why? I am sick and tired of fighting; I don’t believe that the president of this country would grant amnesty to the two who are still alive”.
Outside the yard by the memorial, close to the steps on which Mohammad had sat on the night of his abduction, his father erected a drinking water fountain. “I did this for charity”. Hussein said. “Every day I fill it with water, the children on their way home from school stop here and drink. This will go on after I die, too.”
Living children drink living water in memory of a dead child.
Water cannot put out the fire that killed the child, but it can maintain the life of his memory.
The physical wounds have healed but the mind has not stopped its bleeding. No memorial days are needed, every day is one. One’s stomach turns every day but such days, revealing the face of evil so openly, are like peeling fresh scabs.
Location Description
Checkpoint Shu'afat camp / Anata-Shu'afat (Jerusalem)
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The Shu’afat checkpoint is located in the northern part of East Jerusalem at the exit from the village of Anata and the Shu’afat refugee camp, which are located in the area annexed to Jerusalem in 1967. The refugee camp borders the Shu’afat neighborhood to the west, Pisgat Ze’ev to the north, the French Hill neighborhood to the south and the planned expansion of Ma’aleh Adumim to E-1 in the east. It was established in 1966 for 1948 refugees from the West Bank and was populated after the Six Day War by persons who had been expelled from the Jewish Quarter. Today its population comprises some 25,000 people holding blue ID cards and some 15,000 people with Palestinian ID cards. The camp lacks adequate infrastructure and services, and suffers from poverty, neglect and overcrowding. All its buildings are connected to the public electricity and water infrastructure, but not all are connected to the sewer system. The camp’s services are provided by UNRWA, except for those such as health clinics and transportation of pupils to schools in Jerusalem. In 2005, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a suit by the residents requesting that the route of the separation fence be drawn such that the camp would remain on the Israeli side, but conditioned its approval of the route on the establishment of a convenient and rapid crossing facility for the inhabitants of the neighborhood, most of whom are residents of Jerusalem.
A temporary checkpoint operated there until December, 2011. It was extremely congested during rush hours, and dangerous for pedestrians (especially children) because of inadequate safety provisions. The new checkpoint was inaugurated south of the old one, for public and private transportation and for pedestrians, intended solely for the residents of the camp – holders of blue ID cards, and those with Palestinian ID cards who possess appropriate permits. There are five vehicle inspection stations at the checkpoint, and two for pedestrians (one of which is currently closed) where scanners have been installed but are not yet operating. According to the army, representatives of government agencies will also be present to provide services to residents of the neighbourhood. The pedestrian lanes are very long, located far from the small parking lots, and accessible through only a single revolving gate.
Anat TuegJan-25-2026Anata: A new outpost has been built south of the junction
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