Report from the South Hebron Hills Fact Finding Mission: April 2006

Although it was only a couple of days before Pesach, with plenty of chores still remaining to prepare for the holiday, I had the good fortune to join the study tour of the South Hebron Hills. Together with colleagues and other concerned friends guided by the very capable lawyer Netta Amar I went with mixed feelings. I very much wanted to learn first-hand about the difficulties faced by the local Palestinian population, and the challenges for us, rabbis concerned with human rights. On the other hand, I have made a conscious choice not to enter the Occupied Territories. I have deviated from this decision three times since the first Intifada: to pick olives at Rajub near Nablus; to visit an Orthodox colleague in his sukka; and to visit my soldier son when he was guarding Maon in the South Hebron Hills. Overriding all is my belief that every human being is created in the image of the Divine, and. as God’s partners in creating a better world, we have an obligation to be active in our pursuit of justice.

As we left Jerusalem, driving south through Gush Etzion, I was struck by the raw beauty of the countryside, but also jarred by the seemingly random modern Jewish settlements that were positioned in close proximity to existing Arab villages and towns.

Our first stop, north of Hebron near Sair, was to a family living in a tent just out of sight from a newly paved road, not far from Asfar (Mezad), a Jewish settlement. The family left the town to be close to their lands, to cultivate and tend their goats. It is shocking to see people living without electricity, running water or sanitary facilities, especially when over the hill is a well-tended settlement, with all the amenities possible. Disturbing however were the stories of being hassled and bullied by masked men. Recently the teen-aged son was beaten and hit with a large stone and needed to be hospitalized. He was taken by donkey to the closest hospital, because only Jews are allowed on the paved road which runs by their encampment. Also disturbing was the wire fence running alongside the road, which effectively keeps Arabs from their land, which has essentially been given away to the near-by settlements. Although it was very discouraging, we were witness to the concrete efforts by the lawyer Netta to write down eyewitness accounts in order to bring this case to the proper authorities for redress.

From there we went to a school at Zif, which was built with permits not far from the intersection. We saw the ruined bathroom facilities, which were destroyed by Jewish settlers, and the partially built bathrooms, whose construction was halted because of the lack of a building permit. The current facility is in danger of collapse.

Our next stop was the village of A-Tuani, next to Maon and Maon Farm. Here we learned of the difficulties of the villagers to walk by the Maon Farm, and the need to take time-consuming detours. It is here that the Arab children have needed Israeli army presence to accompany the kids to school because settlers have tried to harm them.

Lastly, we visited Jinba, home to cave-dwelling Arabs (not Beduin) within an Israeli army zone, located near Bet Yattir. This community has received the attention of anthropologists who are pushing for recognition of this area as a world heritage preservation site. We walked from the road, carrying all the spare water we had, because we learned that these people have to buy water (their well was destroyed about 10 years ago by the army) and fuel, and that they are quite poor. They have lived in this spot for 120 years, since the Turks were in Palestine. They are not recognized nor assisted by the Palestinian authority. We were hosted in one of caves, and treated to freshly baked pita, homemade butter, fresh vegetables and fruit. Wanting to offer monetary assistance, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to buy cheese from them.

It was an emotionally draining day. When I spoke to my son, he told me that he had visited Jinba and was very curious about them. He also told me that he had accompanied children to school when he stationed at Maon. My dream is to go back with him, as a civilian, to visit, to assist, and to be friends with the villagers of Jinba, in a time of peace, when we can all, literally or figuratively, sit under the vine and fig tree, and not be afraid.

Recent Articles by Rabbi Miri Gold

• Rabbi Miri Gold - May 15th, 2006
• Sit under the vine and fig tree, and not be afraid: South Hebron Hills Tour - April 9th, 2006

Categories: Perspectives
Tags: Bo, fen, fence, human rights, order, palestinians, peace, settlers