Kufr alDik, 'Abud

Kufr A-Dik and ‘Abud

We hear in the villages we visited the same stories about mistreatment by the occupation.

Land was stolen from the village of ‘Abud by the settlements of Beit Arie and Ofarim, and a fence was built to block them from their lands.  Demonstrations against the fence are held weekly.

Yesterday, the day following our visit, a village resident was killed after an attempted stabbing.

Kufr A-Dik

10:45  We visited the H. and A. families.  We wanted to hear about the day-to-day problems they face.

Adiv:  The occupation – that’s everyone’s problem, and also mine, of course.  For example:

1.      I have a large olive grove located within the boundaries of the Alei Zahav settlement which took over village lands, including my olive grove.  I need a key to access my land and permission from a soldier to open the gate and enter. 

2.      I have almost no way of making a living in the village.  A tour guide has no work here.  I live very frugally, primarily from my previous earnings in Spain.

3.      Young people have no future in Palestine.  They study in university and when they finish there are no jobs appropriate for what they’ve learned.  Thus their chances of making a living are meager.  For example, my two daughters completed university, but what can I offer them?

4.      My wife is very ill and is being treated at Tel Hashomer hospital, in Israel.  But each appointment involves a nerve-wracking process of obtaining a permit to enter Israel.  We’re constantly apprehensive that we won’t receive the permit. 

The settlements of Alei Zahav, Faduel and Leshem are building apace, closing in on the village from all sides.  On the way we see trucks transporting construction materials heading in their direction.

Kafa ‘Aabud

12:30  A checkpoint at the entrance to the village.  Five soldiers, some concealed behind boulders.

They stop us, claiming it’s Area A and we’re forbidden to enter.  We didn’t back down.  We demanded to see a military order supporting their claim.  They had none.  We explained that it’s Area B and Area C, definitely not Area A.  They had to give in, but warned us it was dangerous.

Pupils who’d just gotten out of school came toward us on the main street; they didn’t appear welcoming… they seemed suspicious.  When they came near we showed them our banner and the logo on the car’s windshield.  They read it carefully, smiled when they understood and showed us where to go.

We drove along the main road which ended in a roadblock!  The road, which until 2001 had been open to Beit Arie and Nablus, is blocked by a pile of earth and boulders.  The first row of buildings in Beit Arie is only a metaphorical arm’s length from the last house in the village – one kilometer.  Not only is the road blocked; all the lands beyond the barrier and up to Beit Arie’s fence are also out of reach.

We returned to the village center, heading to the municipal building, where we met Y.M., the head of the village.

At first he responded to us hesitantly (he didn’t know about us), and he replied politely.  Gradually he opened up and answered our questions willingly.

He’s the unpaid head of the village.  The Palestinian Authorities pays salaries only in villages with more than 4000 inhabitants.  They have 2000, half Moslem and half Christian.  A similar number (2200) have gone abroad or to Ramallah because of difficulties in all areas of life under occupation.

Relations are good between Moslems and Christians.  The neighborhood near the entrance to the village is Moslem and the neighborhood at the other end is Christian.

The settlements stole 5000 of the village’s 20,000 dunums.  15,000 remain.

They have olive groves, wheat fields, fruit trees and grazing land.

Today the village is divided between Area B and Area C.  Most is in Area C.  Only one kilometer is in Area B, where construction is permitted.

The separation fence closed off the northern and western parts of ‘Aabud.  There are breaks in the fence but the settlers don’t let people go through them to the agricultural lands.  When Palestinians come the settlers chase them away and the army doesn’t protect them.

The army doesn’t enter the village but is located at the entrance and functions like a checkpoint – inspects everyone entering and leaving.

The village has no industry, and because many lands were stolen and some are inaccessible because they’re near the settlement, young people work in Ramallah or go abroad.

The head of the village is always a Christian.  Yasser Arafat decided that because Christians are a minority, mixed villages will be led by a Christian.

Other villages with Christians: Tayibe (near Ramallah), Jifna, Bir Zeit, Ein ‘Ariq.

18:00  We run into the same soldiers when we leave the village; they direct cars entering and leaving.  We waited about fifteen minutes to leave.  It turns out there’s only one lane for both entering and leaving.  There’s a spiked barrier on the lane out of the village.

18:30  We reach Café Joe, and sit to sum up our shift.  The café is located opposite Rantis; the employees tell us that rocks are thrown at them from the village.