Today we started off with meeting a Jewish settler in his community in the heart of Palestine.
Where do I start…
My blood was boiling almost as soon as he opened his mouth.. Actually my blood was boiling as soon as we drove into the community.. The grass was lush green, where the Palestinians barely have enough water to drink!
Firstly he stared with how he came from east coast America, how he has an Australian wife and was practically boasting about how nice his life was growing up. His grandparents were some of the people that went through the concentration camps and moved to Israel after the war. This is how he has come to living here. He wanted to bring his family to the home land. He was describing Palestine as Judea! Not Palestine, and how it was perfectly well off as a country before they came. He was practically saying because of history they can move onto this land and the people of Judea either join them being Jews or move out. He was so anti Palestinians. He thinks they should all stay in their refugee camps and just settle there! There was so much more he said. I was utterly shocked. I couldn’t quite comprehend how he was so against the poor Palestinian people. They are the ones that have been pushed out into Refugee camps and are struggling to have enough water to drink. I was so close to getting up and walking out. It was very upsetting. He kept saying this is all Israel pointing to the map of Old Palestine. Saying he doesn’t want there to be a two state solution, and to only call it Israel!
As soon as he had finished talking, Mrs G told me she wants to leave right NOW! She was also extremely upset and disappointed.. I took her to the bus and we both sat fuming, we were appalled by the things this nasty man had said. He was totally unfair and couldn’t see the other side. The man couldn’t see that this land had people on it before the government kicked them out.
Now there are many Palestinians living in hundreds of refugee camps because of these “settlers” . The Palestinians are hoping one day they will return to the homes. Not knowing whats actually going on.. How their homes are now occupied by settlers.
It made me want to go and study human rights. I feel I need to do something. My voice is so small and I’m no millionaire that can support by giving money. Maybe I can voice awareness? How hopeless I feel for these families. But how much I want to help in some way.
As many children that can be educated about what’s actually going on can hopefully grow up and speak up. It’s the people of the country that need to solve this crisis. I believe the government here is completely unfair and corrupt.
Mrs G wanted to see what it would be like to be in Palestinian’s shoes. Every day our guide and who ever else wants to come into Israel has to go through these heavily guarded check points. Most Palestinians don’t have the paperwork or are just not allowed to come through.
I secretly videoed the process. The army taking our passports. Our guide having to put his finger prints down and explain he was just showing us through the check points. They asked many questions and why we had been in Palestine. Usually when we are with the group on the bus it’s not a problem, we don’t get hassled so much..
After we had done the check points we got into the taxi and went to the hotel. It was silent majority of the way back. Just trying to comprehend everything from the big day we have just had.
We had been invited by our Palestinian bus driver to join him and his family for dinner. What a beautiful evening. They were so welcoming. Thanking us for coming. I can’t put into words how this evening felt to me. I was very overwhelmed. Such kind and generous people.
Here we have the checkpoints. Mrs G managed to convince our Palestinian guide to show us what he has to go through every day. Sometimes he cannot even get to work because the queues are so long.
What a wonderful way to end the Evening!
My world in a diary 