Well Mrs G and I were a little naughty Today. We actually organised to go off on our own, without National Geographic! About two nights ago we spoke to our Palestinian leader of our group about what we wished to do for this day. He was very hesitant at first. Really didn’t know why we would even want to go to such a place. Maybe from the outside we are well dressed, speak nicely and maybe he thought we would feel uncomfortable in the area?

We started off with a Palestinian driver collecting us from our hotel in Tel Aviv at 9.30, that Husam our guide had organised for us. Through many checkpoints we went venturing into the heart of Palestine towards Hebron. Section A. It says on a massive sign before you enter that this road leads towards area A and the Israeli government prohibit’s any Israeli citizens to enter.

Luckily we’re not citizens!

After the driver got lost and many times stopping to ask other Palestinians where this place was,  we were greeted from this very thin man that spoke great English.. He was expressing himself like he was in such desperation for help. He was what some might say a guide for this area, however nobody comes to this place because of the talk people tend to speak before coming. It seriously was a ghost town.

Unfortunately the Israeli government have been putting settlers right on top of Palestinian territory. 400 Israeli settlers are living on top of the old town market where Palestinians have their shops. Many of them are closed and have had to move out because of the violent Jewish settlers throwing rocks and human faeces down on to the shop keepers and Palestinian customers. It was like a zoo going to this place called Hebron. There’s now cages to try keep out what the Jews are throwing down but it still comes through. I saw horrible sites walking down this road. The remaining shop keepers begging for us to buy their things.

There are 400 settlers and two thousand Israeli military to protect these settlers. It should be the other way around. The military  should be trying to protect the Palestinians. They were there first and are getting bullied beyond any words can describe. The settlers get away with anything, they do what they like and yell at the Arabs because they know nothing will happen to them as the military will be on their side. It’s seriously heart breaking. When I got back to my room I started looking into Hebron and what I found was cruel, heartbreaking and just unfair. I wanted to copy and paste the links I watched onto this however I think it’s just too brutal, It leaves a very sad imprint of this once beautiful place that’s now turned into a zoo. I have added one short documentary at the end of the page about the reality of this place.

I filmed as much as I could while we were walking down the ghost town and took a few pictures which you will see attached. While we were walking I looked up , through the cage there was an Israeli solider pointing his gun down towards us. These soldiers are as young as my little brother. 16 is the age they start with the military. There brains aren’t nearly matured enough. And if one kid says something the other follows. I can remember being their age and so easily influenced. If all these boys and girls are getting told that the Palestinians are bad and that they, the military, are there to protect the Jewish settlers, of course they are going to have these egos wanting to fight, having one sided, narrow minds.

I can’t express enough how sorry I felt for these Palestinian people. Mrs G and I were silent walking through. We saw things that were heartbreaking. Walking down the cobbled ally way we reached the lady we wanted to see. This lady was one of the last Palestinian embroidery shops left. She and her sister started this tiny shop up about 6 years ago. First thing once we got there, was her offering us tea and biscuits. Our driver, mrs G, and the thin man that tagged along with us all sat down. She spoke to us about how hard her life has been, how her parents organised a marriage for her. How her husband would beat her and not let her study any English. She spoke about her home, when the wall got put up she was no longer allowed to go to the other side where her work in a factory was. She lost her income and was confined to home. All she wanted to do was educate herself.

Her sister started embroidering at home and she went to help her, there they eventually made enough products to find a small shop in the ally ways of Hebron to sell these items. Although she could not speak English and at the time there were many tourists visiting Hebron…  Her sister started leaving her on her own an hour a day so she could learn English herself.

After years of learning on her own she today speaks brilliant English. I voice recorded her story on my phone to listen to again when I get home.

We bought many things from this lady.

It was sad saying goodbye to her. She told us if we ever go back she would love to have us stay with her at her home, lots of food she says.

I’m writing this right now with tears down my face thinking about this little boy thats just popped back into my head, no older than Ruby’s age (4) following us through the ally ways. I kept turning around and he would get closer and closer, then when I went up to him, to I don’t know, cuddle him or just say hello to him he ran off. Then again he came back but was a bit distant hiding behind polls whilst we walked up the hill. I tried to tell G whilst we were walking but it was a bit of a commotion going up the hill with the cobbled stones , luckily we had the driver and the thin man helping us. When I turned to see the little boy again he was gone.

My heart really goes out to this mystery boy. Where was his parents? All I wanted to do was hug him and help him somehow.

It makes me so so sad and helpless because I can just feel Hebron getting so much worse. The energy and vibe around that part was very negative and depressing. In the back of my mind I see war between Jews and Arabs, I mean war much worse than it currently is. I don’t see Hebron being there with the Palestinians when or if I ever come back. It just makes me think, what’s going to happen to these helpless children. I’ll never get that image of the little boy following us out of my head.

It makes me so angry how superficial and fake the western world is. Unless you don’t see these places I’ve been to, it’s not cared about. People just sit around the tv watching the news and only comment on how sad it is but because it’s not in there world nothing happens. It’s just a shrug of the shoulders and forgotten about.

I would have to be heartless not to try to help in some way.

Thankfully after our dinner we have had tonight, Alicia, who is one of our guides partners of National Geographic has given me a dozen names and places to visit when I’m back in london. London is apparently the head quarters for human rights for Palestinians. Mrs G is wanting to help in some way too.

We have one more day here before going back home. It’s going to be a “nothing day” just reflecting back over this mind blowing trip. We have said goodbye to National Geographic and are going to give our heads a rest before the journey home.

For me, all I want to see is peace. Unfortunately I think somehow it’s going to get worse before getting better. This place really needs to be heard. In the media all that gets put on air is pro Israeli because America is Israel’s “best friend” and they control Main Stream media. They are actually the ones who are supplying this country with weapons. We got told , before any other country can buy weapons from America they need to be “tested” firstly. This is what America is doing, giving Israel weapons to test out. Who better than doing it with neighbouring Palestine before it’s safe to sell back in America. Some might call it washing the laundry. It’s a bypass for America.

Thankfully the brothers of Palestine -Jordan, Lebanon, jihadist of Syria, and even Iran is stepping in to help the Palestinians, but with there own wars and conflicts going on, who knows whats going to happen. I feel things behind closed doors are stirring and shits about to hit the fan. It’s a big conflict with Iran because America has actually become good friends with them too where as Iran and Israel hate each other. Israel keeps trying to take the neighbours land, already it has taken the bottom of Syria and Lebanon and hasn’t stopped trying to take over Palestinian territory.

It’s all very difficult to explain how much conflict is actually going on here. I think I would need to sit and write for many more hours about it.

I hope things start to change. I hope the governments can come to some sort of an agreement between them selfs. I hope they can meet and solve it. Israel keeps pulling out at the last minute when the Palestinian government tries to meet. Oh boy, I think I’ve written enough for now.

Peace ❤️ please xxx

 

Here is just one of the many disgraceful videos I found online.