Biddo

Following Mahmoud's instructions, we took a shared van to Biddo, where his family lives. To get there the van passed through a long series of tunnels; crossing under one of many guarded fences that keeps Palestinians from being freely mobile. Clever planning has created borders of strategic fences and walls around Palestinian villages (or village clusters) so that at any time if the Israelis decide to quaranteen them all they have to do is shut down one check point.


Hey let's a build a fence for world peace!


Breakfast with Om and Abu Hussein

Mahmoud's father was born east of here, and at 6 years old his family fled to this region. Their village is one of a few built around the beautifully terraced jabels, slowly shrinking as the Israeli walls come closer to make room for settlements. The architecture is strikingly different: Palestinian homes are organically built by hand out of cement while the Israelis live in carefully planned cookie-cutter homes in neat rows.


Israeli settlements on Palestinian hills (security road shown below)

One day Mahmoud took us on a tour of the villages, pointing out the fence and settlements, views toward Tel Aviv and the coast, Jerusalem, and the wadi where he was once shot at by Israeli soldiers. Everyone has a lot to say about how dehumanizing and unjust the Israeli occupation is, and really can you blame them?


Walking around, looking at settlements

Mahmoud's mother and father go every Friday to Al Axa (Dome of the Rock) to pray, a journey which used to take 10 min by car. Now they are required to take a taxi into Ramallah to wait in line and apply for a day pass to enter Jerusalem; the whole trip now takes over 7 hours.


With the family in Biddo

While in Biddo we also watched a news report about a group of Israeli soldiers busting into a Palestinian home, shooting an older man in his bed, then realizing Oops! We got the wrong guy! Turns out his nephew downstairs was the one the wanted. No apologies to his wife and family.

I kind of understand how extreme propaganda and brainwashing has shielded Israelis born and raised here from fully understanding their actions against the Palestinians. However, for those who continue to immigrate from secular countries around Europe and America (actually I don't think USA is secular but let's be honest we're pretty Jew friendly), I just can't fathom how they justify their actions.


Tom, Jerry, and the hookah smoking monkey.

It was really hard to get here but I'm glad we came. Even just a few days and it's easier to see (though still hard to understand) the fight for power and control, and the will to go on.