The last 2 days have moved me so much - I can hardly believe what I am
witnessing, what stories I am hearing - to ordinary people like you and me.
How can it be that the world allows the utter humiliation and slow
genocide - yes GENOCIDE of a people who just want the right to live an
ordinary life - like one man told me yesterday - 'WE JUST WANT TO SEE OUR
CHILDREN SMILE!'

After the peaceful demonstration on Monday we got a call that Internationals
were needed as observers at three emergency checkpoints that had just been
erected around the city of Nablus. Why?? The Israeli military don't have to
give a reason.

We went to one where I saw an old lady - 80 years, older maybe, have her
basket up-ended on hte ground by an 18 - 19 yr. old soldier, laughing. A
terrorist suspect? what do you think?
Some young lads were throwing stones at the jeeps that sped up and down the
street (THEIR street) and after a while the soldiers jumped out and one took
aim with his rifle - at a 9 year old boy - one brave ISM woman shouted
'DON'T SHOOT, HE'S A CHILD!'. The soldier got back in his jeep. Maybe he
wouln't have shot,but they did shoot a 7 year old last month. I have met
the family.


Yesterday we went to a large village of 1200 people which two years ago was
declared a closed military zone, (no one knows why!) and 4 roadblocks were
put around it, this means that essential services like water and ambulances
can only get so far and no further.

Our role yesterday was to support the villagers as they attempted to
dismantle them. Again it was a journey hurrying over a mountain, hoping not
to be spotted. The driver of the bulldozer was very nervous- it is an
arrestable offense - but nearly everything is here. So four of us
volunteered to ride shotgun (pardon the pun) as he drove through olive
groves to the first road block (don't think its all doom and gloom, I'm
having a lot of fun too!).


I must hurry now as I am off to Jenin for a few days - but all four
road-blocks were successfully dismantled, and the villagers gave us a
wonderful lunch. I was told such awful stories though, and the tellers and
me were all in tears.

What have these people done to deserve such cruelty? But as they say 'THIS
IS OUR LIFE!'

More soon.


d.