Letters from Overseas
Lenora Yarkiewrites from Palestine and Israel
April 16, 2011
I am an Ecumenical Accompanier livingin the city of Hebron, West Bank, Palestine. I am with the EAPPI, Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in PalestineandIsrael. Following an encounter with a young male Israeli settler, I decided to write this letter.
I was visiting the family of my friend Nasser in Susiya in the South Hebron Hills when Israeli settlers brought their sheep down to graze on the barley crop of a Palestinian family. It was 9 a.m. on aSaturday morning,aday off for Palestinians and Shabbat for Israelis.
The settlers are from the neighbouring settlement just up the hill named Suseya. While the settlements are illegal according to the Geneva Convention, the Israeli government does not dismantle them or freeze theirexpansion.
But who just moves their sheep onto someone else’s land and crop? Who parks their car on your front lawn?
My colleagues and I ran with Nasser to get close to the sheep and the settlers. Nasserworks for B’Tselem[1], an Israeli human rightsorganization. He donned the blue vest of the organization, took his video recorder, and approached the settlers and sheep. I stood with my own camera, photographing the sheep eating the barley, when a young man, maybe 25 years old, put his camera in my face: six inchesaway. I moved my camera up to his. He toldme to f…ing go home, leave his land, and swiftly knocked my camera out of my hand.
It landed several metres away. I picked it up and started filming again. (unknown to me the batteries had been jarred enough that I got no footage afterward, but I wasn't aware of it at the time due to the bright sun).
The Israeli army isthere to protect the settlers: that is their job. I wondered if they would protect me if a settler hit me. One young soldier came toward me asking me to move back, trying to separate the settlers fromall others. I obeyed.
The Israeli army kept the Palestinians and settlers apart, while the sheep grazed on the Palestinians’ crop. And grazed and grazed. The entire village of 75 people were there. Old men and women, children, everyone. After a short time the settler shepherd moved the sheep over into another area, where the same thing started all over again. More of their crops eaten, more outrage by Palestinians, more settlers running around shouting, and my colleagues and I kept on filming.
As Ecumenical Accompaniers, we follow the lead and advice of our Palestinian and Israeli hosts. With Nasser as the spokesperson, we watched as he tried to deal with the Israeli army to stop the grazing occurring on his community’s land and crop. The army just triedto keep the parties apart. No one stoppedthe settler from grazinghis sheep.
We were joined by 15 members of Ta'ayush[2], a joint Israeli-Palestinian peace partnershipthat opposes the occupation. They were all later arrested as they refused to leave when requested to do so by the Israeli army and Israeli police. They stayed to photograph, record, and accompany.
That day was Shabbat, the holy day for Jews. The settlers were given special dispensation by a rabbi to take photos of internationals and Palestinians, as taking photos on Shabbat is not usually allowed. This experience did not feel holy for me.
In the end, the sheep were fed; the settlers went home; the Israeli activists were released; the internationals returned to their homes; the Palestinians stay until the next time, which will be soon, probably next Shabbat, next Saturday. (And as I write this today, there has been another incident)
I came here thinking there were two sides to thisconflict. I hear the Canadian government talking about security from terrorists, that Israelis are unfairly targeted by human rights organizations. I hear those messages from the Israeli politicians. What I see on the ground, living daily in the West Bank, is far from that story.
The Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israelis here to assist in ending the illegal occupation of Palestine. Today I saw, heard, and felt what it means to have no laws protecting you, and to have your land used and taken over by others who believe it is their right to do so. The settlers I metare the radical religious; unfortunately there is no will to stop them. They are lawless, with an army of soldiers to protect them.
And as Israeli peace activist, Nomika Zion[3] reflected, “What kind of society are we developing where lawlessness and disregard for the rights and property of others is the norm?”
Today, the first time I have been in physical contact with a young male settler, I ask myself the same question.
To learn more, visit Lenora’s blog at Accompany Me in Palestine, or view photos of EAPPI work taken by UnitedChurch accompaniers.
Lenora works for The United Church of Canada as an Ecumenical Accompanier serving on the World Council of Churches/Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The views contained herein are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer (The United Church of Canada) or the WCC. If you would like to publish the information contained here or disseminate it further, please first contact the EAPPI Communications and Advocacy Officer () for permission.
The United Church of Canada, 3250 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4
1-800-268-3781 or 416-231-7680 ext. 4017;
[1]B’Tselem: the name from the Hebrew means ”in the image of” as “in the image of God” from Genesis 1:27.
[2]Ta’ayush(the name in Arabic means “co-existence”) is a partnership of Israelis and Palestinians striving together to end the Israeli occupation and to achieve full civil equality through daily non-violent directaction.
[3]Nomika Zionis the founder of the group “Other Voice” and author of War Diary from Sderot.