And of Course, One Donkey

My Day
by Nova Luna

Today I went with my teammate at the International Women's Peace Service to a nearby village in the Salfit distriction in the northern West Bank. This area is where the separation wall reaches the deepest inside the West Bank, 22 km east of the 1967 internationally recognized border. We sat down with the mayor of this town and began to gather information about house demolitions and land confiscations in the village. When the separation wall is finished being built, 40 percent of their land will be lost to Israeli military control. They also have 17 current house demolition orders from the Israeli government, most likely on the basis of not having building permits. This is, by the way, land supposed to be within jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.

We left the mayor's office to go meet with a 56 year old woman who recently returned from the hospital after being shot by the Israeli military by a rubber coated lead bullet in the face. She was walking home one day when the Israeli army had instigated and responded to children throwing stones in the village. she walked up a hill, approaching a corner. Two soldiers were crouched down behind a wall aiming to shoot. One soldier fired a bullet at her face that hit her nose and detatched a section of her right nostril. She had 20 stitches and the doctor has to remove skin from another place on her body to resculpt her nose. With a slightly sharper angle of the wrist, this woman would be dead. Her family was very sweet and gave us fruit.

Then we went and visited another family. Their 20 year old son had been taking us around the village and was very excited to give us samples from his perfume business. He not only gave us small bottles to take home, but doused us as we sat on the couch with old lady poperi. Then his sister in law took us out back and her mother took us into the small room where they make bread in smokey fire pit and keep the farm animals--2 rabbits, 1 duck, several chickens laying eggs, and of course, 1 donkey. Outside there was the most beautiful 2 year old girl and her mom, let's just say she is most definitely part of our team, as they say.

Then we visited a close friend to the organization and her fabulous family. They hold
women's strength at the forefront and are not afraid to shine and take risks. Her oldest daughters sang and all her children danced for us when we traveled on the Birthright Unplugged trip last month. We ate good food and as we were leaving the village in a car, we almost hit a horse running straight at us.

Of course, the day cannot end without me eating 4 or 5 chocolate cookies and refilling the hot water bottle that i carry around with me in absense of heating and good slippers.