The Stolen Childhood of Palestinian Kids

Following Galia's previous visit with Michal and Semadar in the southern Hebron Mountains, Galia wanted to interview children who grew up in the shadow of the occupation and  whose experiences almost every day are unique to them. Galia wanted to interview the Tuba children who come to the school in A-Tuwani every morning, accompanied by the army, but the army also does not deter the settlers from Maon, the "Heroes",  from harassing the children on their way or back from school.

At the Meitar checkpoint, the parking lot was very crowded, which indicates a return to a certain routine.

We first drove to A-Tuwani on Route 317 to pick up Ali Awad who  served as our interpreter. Sujud, whom Galia interviewed, is his cousin.

On the way we saw iron constructions built about two weeks earlier by many industrious settlers. It turns out that they are going to plant a vineyard there. It is worthwhile to find out whose lands  these are and what the status is.

A-Tuba is a village located in Fire Area 918, near Maon and Hawat Maon. Seven families live in the village in caves, buildings and tents. The shortest route from Tuba to A-Tawani  passes near Havat Maon. This road is closed to the people of Tuba and instead of two kilometers, the bypass road is 15 km long and since there is no running water to Tuba, each trip to fetch water in containers is longer. When walking around villages in the southern Hebron Mountains it sometimes seems like their whole life revolves around the water. The truth is that there is no life without water which only for Israelis is not a problem.

The children of Tuba studying in A-Tuwani need an army escort on the way to school. They are terrified of  the settlers because of their experiences. It is possible to read about this through the eyes of Sujud whom Galia Oz described in an article that appeared in Haaretz on June 2. 2021. 

https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-the-stolen-childhood-of-palesti...

I will try to describe Sujud's living environment. An arid place with almost no shade, a wind turbine at the entrance to the village and solar panels are the ones that supply the electricity to the village. The water transport system includes a tractor, tanks and probably sometimes a donkey, and  are the only vehicles available and accessible to residents. Then the water is transferred to other containers from which pipes come out for home use. Even this  sophisticated system is so dangerous that the  military and civilian administration destroys it from time to time. One lone tree gives shade and of course there is a water tank next to the house. And the dog and the chickens also found a small, shady corner to huddle in.

It seems to be an "enlightened occupation."