Zeta, Wed 8.2.12, Morning

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Observers: 
Tova Halperin, Hagar Zemer, Noemi Benzur, Dvorka O. (reporting)
Feb-8-2012
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Morning
Seriously? Does this make us safer?

Translator: Hanna K.

 

10:40 We arrived at the village. Over 20 women were waiting for us, and despite the stormy weather they were very anxious to start the activity. They were divided into 3 groups – Hebrew learning, Yoga and threading. The conditions were not the best, and the three groups had to make do with two rooms but the enormous motivation of the women made everything easier.

At the Hebrew lesson one of the women explained that although she works at the new supermarket which her family opened at the village she came to learn Hebrew so as to be able to talk to the soldiers who pester the villagers. Other women joined in the conversation which extended beyond the end of the lesson, due to Nadim's translation they testified that the harassments are carried out in other villages in the vicinity.

The special case owing to which the woman decided to learn Hebrew too placeat the same week. The family opened a tiny minimarket in the village. According to her, four days ago, soldiers headed by an officer called Haver arrived at the minimarket to wish them well for its opening, but actually in order to throw their weight about and to scare them. They closed the ways which approached part of the road on which the minimarket stands, forbade people to get there and ordered the woman to stay where she was, and they frightened the small children by pointing their arms at them. When the children began crying they enabled the woman to return to the shop, but before they forced her to give them her telephone number. The woman showed us this scene as photographed on her phone, including the cries of the children and the shouts of the officer.

The women told us that lately the soldiers who come to the village have made a habit of confiscating the telephones they hold for the duration of the time they stay in the village, to prevent them from photographing.

We left the village after promising to return on the coming Wednesday. At the coming meetings we shall try to organize it so that part of the time we shall learn and practice our Arabic.