Imnaizel, South Hebron Hills, Susiya
Today we visited Azzam Nawaj'a and his family and Mahmud Abu kbeita and his family who live next to the settlement of Beit Yatir. Mahmud Abu kbeita manages to keep a smile on his face and to stand firm, despite the fact that he is preserving his ancestral home in a constant struggle with the authorities and the settlers and raises ten children even though he cannot get permission to build a normal home.
Next to his home is an electric pole which sends forth electricity but only for the settlers and not for him. He makes his own solar electricity with the help of the wind without the help of the state of Israel……he is invisible.
The summer has already begun and this is how some of the children sleep
They walk for kilometers in the day, cross the checkpoint At Metudot Yehuda because their school is on the other side of the dividing fence at Imnaizl. The buses of the children of South Hebron mountains pass us carrying the children of the settlers. The 20 children of the Kbeita family have no such rights and no part in this arrangement though they are right next to the settlement.
This is how the house looks..
The cheese balls dry in the sun
He has another herd from which he can make a good living. All we want is for the authorities to let us live… that is all. Allah gives me everything but the state of Israel wants to take everything from me.
This is how Palestinia Susiya looks.
Azzam as always is wise and stalwart. He could teach many of us Hebrew and history and his wife welcomes us with great hospitality in their house…a tent. Today Sarah, their daughter is also present and the grandchild.
Now is the quiet before the storm he says. We live in the shadow of fear. In another two weeks they will decide whether to evacuate us or not. We are lucky that we have people from all over the world and you who help us. We will not move from here. Here I was born and here I stay he says. In spite of all this every bit of land is used between the stones and a tree and flowers are planted. Water pipes and electric poles are not meant for them…only for great Susiya with her new neighborhoods.