So much to say, so little time!

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Jemima:

First, apologies, this is going to be a real rush job.
Second, just to reassure, we are FINE! We're keeping a close eye on the news, obviously, and we are aware that we may have to do a runner at some point, but right now the west bnk is remarkably calm - a few demos against what Israel is doing in Lebanon and Gaza, but otherwise everyone is just getting on with things.

Right now we're in Qalqilya, although we're staying with a family in the small village of Jayyus. The past few days have been a little crazy - we've decided that for the moment we're going to split with ISM and do our own thing, hopefully helping out with kids in summer camps either here or in tulkarm, Elliot's old Palestinian stomping ground.

So we've hooked up with a slightly bonkers Greek-American called Selma, who was carting two hundred dollars worth of toys to jayyus to give out to kids here, and needed some help carrying them. We feel a little bit like we're crashing the party, as now we're staying with her contacts, but hopefully tonight we'll meet some people from the summer camps who can let us know if we can be any help or not.

The family themselves are so amazingly hospitable - it is so nice to be out of hostels and the grotty ISM flats and actually staying in a home. They have been so welcoming to us, and we all sat around for hours last night talking about the situation and playing with the kids - they have three sons, including a little baby who is almost able to walk, and who has completely fallen for Elliot and follows him around everywhere.

Today we paid a visit to the university in Qalqilya (really Al Quds or Jerusalem university but it has a branch here) and had a tour of the town and the rural area next to it. It seems so peaceful - and then you see the big electric fence keeping everyone in, and the place where Israel pumps its sewage into the town....

Anyway, I think I'm going to let Elliot take over. With love to all
Jemima

Elliot:

Hey peeps.

Yes we are in the caged city of Qalqiya- 45,000 people completey surrounded by "the wall." It's slightly unnerving to know you're hemmed in in this way- bt i guess nothing compared to the local people. We're with a great guy called Osama from the town, who has been showing us around. We're hoping to hep him with his "English club" at the uni, sort of a summer course.

Jemima's already rhapsodised about the family we're with, but they are SO nice. It's really nice to have a chance to be in a real community. It's quite surreal for me, because I was on the March Against the Wall in 2004, so i keep finding myself in villages that are familliar in a"I think I once almost collapse from exhaustion here" kind of way. The village is very beautiful as well- they are are mainly olive farmers. Because of the sanctions against Palestine they have no electricity between 1AM and 9.30AM, because the Authority can't afford the generator fuel.

Last night in Jayyus a local guy was abducted by the army- i suspect just because he's of that age (21) when the Israeli Defence Force (the army are euphemism happy- the Lebanon operation is called "Just Reward") figure he needs to be their guest for a bit. It happened at 1.30 AM- just after the electricity was gone. It happened maybe 80 metres from the house we're in - I'm ahsamed to say I slep through the operation. We were able to make contact with Hamoked- an Israeli group working in "Defence of the Individual," so they can pursue it from the legal side, slow as that process is.

This is not really not uncommon. Our host has been in prison 3 times- many men from the village are right now. Israel holds between 1000 and 1500 people in infinitely renewable"administrative detention" at any one time. They're held without charge on the basis of "secret evidence."

Anyway that was a bit crummy- the phrase in Arabic for this is "ya haraam." It gets used a lot, and when i was told that "ya salaam" meant "that's great," I was advised it is frequently ironic....

Okay, we're going back to our idyllic village now.

Ciao

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Photos

Selma
In a toy shop in Ramallah, hundreds of dolls and toy cars are packed for the children of Jayyus. This was a MISSION

Osama against the wall
On his Grandma's plot of land on the edge of Qalqilya, Osama faces "al jidar" (the wall).

Jemima at Osama's farm
Osama keeps a lot of random fowl and livestock in a very small space.

Jayyus
The olive tree covered hills around the village, as seen from the house. The soldiers took our neighbour from a house just out of shot.

Comments

[Junior]

Hello smelliot
Congratulations! You are both absolute legends, thank you so much for being there right now. I'm not suyre what to say other than i'm reading your blog, (i couldn't subscribe due to some javascript nonsense) and please keep us informed. I hope the split with ISM was not in any way acrimonious and just technical, good luck with whatever you do now. Jemima you are in good hands for your first visit to the OPT; Smelliot was one of the biggest hearted people, able to make friends with anyone, that i met in Palestine - and in general. But you probably already knew that. With all the deepest respect and warm wishes in the world, Keep your heads up, Junior

[TOAB]

CooEee
Glad you're being so well looked after - was pretty petrified to hear about these little holidays people get for their 21sts, not good. Keep up the good work and look after youselves, love ya!

[Mary]

Don't know what to say really. It is all a bit scarey watching the news here and we are all thinking of you. PLease look after yourselves, your companions, hosts and fellow ISMers. With love and respect. Mary