The Abu Kbeta family - cut off from the district town and the school because of the Metsadot Yehuda checkpoint

Michal (reporting) and Muhammad (photographing); Translator: Natanya

We dedicated the shift to visiting the compound of the Abu Kbeta families who, as I have mentioned, live next to the Beit Yatir settlement, next to the Metsadot Yehuda checkpoint. They are on the Israeli side of the fence but must buy everything at Yatta and their children go to school in Amneinzil across the barrier every morning and must have the appropriate kushan (birth certificate). We brought them various items of food that will be divided between at least 5 families. Thanks to the donations we were able to fill the trunk of the car. Vegetable donations from the owner of a vegetable shop in Hura who generously gave us quite a lot of vegetables and fruits.

We were happy to meet there Anton from "Rabbi's Voice for Human Rights" and two young volunteers (glad to see that we have some successors).

Anton says that he had some fruit left over from the distribution in Hebron and brought it there. Mustafa, one of the brothers, says that their legal battle against the settlement is in progress. Only this morning there was supposed to be a meeting at the court and it was postponed.

To remind you: a few years ago, they won their case in the High Court and a fence the settlers had tried to install around their plots was removed by order of the High Court and the settlers were forced to withdraw from their plan to confiscate these lands. During the last months of the war, the settlers went on a rampage and succeeded in falsely arresting three family members under false pretences. Othman still needed medical treatment for his crushed hand from the arrest. The one and only Erela continues to provide him with the medicine he needs.

At this time, the settlers took advantage of the opportunity and once again fenced off the lands in order to avenge the actions of Hamas in Gaza and return these (according to them) state lands. Mustafa praises Kamar, their lawyer, who fights and does not give up. There will probably be another discussion in the High Court. At the moment, they are prevented from going out to graze and cultivate the land and they only go out with the herd to the plot closest to their residences.

 Of course, everyone is out of work now and there is no money to buy food. The children go to school sometimes only because there, too, the teachers are on strike and when they don't get paid. 25 kids hang around there doing nothing most of the time.

When we arrived, the children were happy to meet us and brought us a bouquet of bulbs that they had just picked in the field. Little Maria went to wear her holiday dress with the typical Palestinian embroidery.

Mustafa says that in recent weeks it has been quiet on the part of the settlers and the army and not as it was the past few months, when they were harassed and threatened all the time.