Visits to villages: Kafr A-Dik 26.01.2011 morning

Translator:  Charles K.

We reached the village in the morning and began at their olive groves near the settlement of Alei Zahav (those that remained after the construction of the settlement robbed a portion of them).  We drove along the fence but didn’t see dogs this time.  But we saw the beginning of construction nearby, which means that once again the security fence of the settlement will be moved and more olive trees will be uprooted.
When we arrived at the village we went to the municipality where we met people we know who were happy to see us.  We talked to the head of the village and learned there had been no improvement in the water situation or regarding the flow of sewage.
While we were talking we were served coffee and very tasty fresh baked goods.  We learned that on the floor below a Women’s Empowerment Center had been established with Japanese and French funding.
We asked to see it and the head of the village took us there.  We met about ten women who were very excited to see us and told us about the center’s various activities, including computer classes, lectures about mental health and children’s education, as well as gastronomic activities, including baking lessons.  They hope to market their products in France; they’re being assisted by French government representatives.  When we left they invited us to visit again.  We promised to do so.

The head of the village took us to see what’s happening in Area C in the village.  It turns out that Areas B and C are intertwined; nobody understands what sense it makes (apparently it makes no sense).  The result is that people build houses and only then discover they’ve built in Area C and receive a demolition order.  The regulations aren’t set, and change from time to time.  For example, we saw a house half of which is in Area C and the other half in Area B.  It turns out that most of the village land available for building is in Area C.  As a result, many of the residents have no room to enlarge their homes and they have to build without permits.  Here are a few examples we saw.

The foundation and supporting columns of a house located in an olive grove:  it belongs to a divorced woman who received the land from her ex-husband to build on, worked very hard to finance the construction, is now living with her children in her parents’ home.  A demolition order has been issued against what she’s built so far.

A house built by a father for his son who married and had children, behind the father’s home, almost touching it, but who received a demolition order because it’s in Area C.

The municipal building.  Muhammad says goodbye to us.

It was an extremely depressing tour.  What we felt most strongly was how much evil necessarily results from the occupation.
At the end we were invited to the home of the head of the village and met his wonderful extended family.  We wondered how, in the midst of all the injustices to which they’re subjected, they still manage to remain human.