Running from the Troops

I hadn't done any "field" peace activities lately, other than the Jerusalem stuff I do and the call for a solidarity visit to Palestinian families in Hebron sounded quite desperate. I told Hubby.

"If you really loved me, you wouldn't be doing all this shit."

"I need my adrenaline going. Fox News just doesn't do it for me, honey. Not even with their heightened 'terror alert-elevated' signs flashing constantly across the screen. I'm so sorry."

And off I went. The crowd was a good mix of people - about 40 strong. Off we went in 4 Ford Transits. We were warned that the army may not let us through to talk to these families - perhaps because they expected a very large crowd and didn't want a strong or any confrontation between the settlers and the Israel Palestinian-sympathizers with the army having to get into the middle of all of this. Each van was equipped with a "walkie talkie" informing us of what lied ahead. We were notified that our Israeli van wouldn't be allowed into Palestinian controlled areas so we got out to continue our travels in the large yellow Palestinian taxis. While driving into Hebron some asshole swiped the side of our car while making a turn and not wanting to wait while our car passed. Miraculously, even though our van veered onto oncoming traffic - no one got hurt, not even a whiplash. I was shaken for about 60 seconds and then we all didn't want to attract too much attention to ourselves - lest our visit be sabotaged - and got into a passing taxi. The driver was really curious.

"You're Israeli?"

I'm sure it was many years ago that he last transported Israelis around Hebron. We all spoke quite animatedly in a mixture of English, Arabic and Hebrew. We told him we wanted to go to Tel Rumeida.

"To visit Jewish families??" he asked

Now he sounded worried. His smile returned when we told him we were visiting Palestinian families.

We stopped all together in a marketplace and after 10 minutes saw a troop of Israeli soldiers coming our way.

"Follow me" shouted someone in the Christian Peacemaker's Team that organized this.

I did as I was told. I followed her and didn't look back because the soldiers were in full battle gear and looked scary. Even that they were my own. The soldiers ran past me to grab someone else from our group. I walked passed them, as if I always encounter these kinds of things and followed this young woman into this Palestinian family's courtyard. Some more of us eventually got to where I was. We were a group of 10. I was nervous for the families thinking the soldiers might follow us and that the last thing these families need are Israeli soldiers traipsing through their property. But the families weren't fazed by any of this and were more curious as to what we were doing here. I told them

"we're Jewish Israelis from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, hiding from Israeli soldiers."

That sounded real weird and I said it again to everyone within earshot. We got a call from someone who was with the rest of the group. Apparently, they were all arrested and detained at a police station nearby. It's illegal for Israelis to be in Palestinian-controlled area A. And that's where we were. Even if we take responsibility for our own safety. There was so much urgency in the soldier's voices, I really believe that they believe that every Arab in Hebron is a terrorist. And if anything happened to our group, it would cause a major incident. A political backfire, a whatever. But we were here on a mission. And that mission needed to be carried out no matter what.

Someone led us through a back path up the mountain until we got to this doctor's home. Very much like James Bond – we walked in silence, looking to see if the coast was clear of soldiers – and went into the living room. He told us his story – about his home being vandalized, about his being beaten into a coma and his kids wondering why he didn't use the big knife they had in the kitchen. After 1/2 hour we were ushered into another home, more dangerous, right beneath a settler compound in Tel Rumeida.

Tel Rumeida is historically where King David is said to have had his palace. I don't think any excavation was carried out anywhere on this Tel, but I thought of him while I walked on those paths. And I knew why the Jews chose to live there.

Sitting beneath a grape vine, this family was also constantly harassed by settlers – the teenage kids smashed their little boys face into the ground and crushed his teeth. The kid showed the photo around to the crowd. It seemed barbaric and so sad. They are virtually prisoners and are afraid for their kids to walk around, so no one ventures out too often. The main roads are blocked for them, so that they must use the dirt steps and path to go uphill – with groceries, etc. I walked it and it ain't an easy walk.

Despite all this, I didn't hear hate in their voices towards the settlers. Only pain. I didn't hear that the settlers should move away from them, etc. (although I did hear the Israelis say it – more than once). I told them what I do - organizing interfaith dialogue groups that discuss commonalities in our religions in order to respect each other's beliefs and faith. They were so excited about it and said they have no problem with this and wouldn't mind having a dialogue with any of the settlers. Meanwhile, I invited them to an upcoming dialogue in June in the Bethlehem area, which would be easier for them to get to, not having to obtain an Israeli permit. And I was touched when I quoted my friend Eliyahu's quote "The land doesn't belong to you or to me. It's God's land" , and they all shook their heads in agreement, that claimed ownership of land is what is causing all this strife and grief. I was touched when the Palestinian hostess told us that she invited us because she wanted her children to see another kind of Israeli. A good Israeli. That not all of them are made of hate. And this took a lot of courage. On both sides.