CPTnet
26 August 2005

AT-TUWANI DIARY: Yousef returns

By Joe Carr

[Note: Below is the excerpt of a diary that CPTer Joe Carr sent to his
supporters on 15 August 2005. It has been edited for length.]

Entering Tuwani was like a homecoming. Children ran out of their houses
yelling "Yousef, Yousef!" Some hollered "What's your name" and others hit
them saying "that's Yousef don't you remember!" Villagers looked up from
their work with the animals and household chores to welcome me back.

The children are out of school for summer vacation, so our primary work has
involved escorting shepherds who graze their animals on lands that
settlements wish to confiscate. Three days ago, I arrived shortly after a
settler security officer had attacked a group of young boys from the nearby
village of Jawiyya. Most of the boys escaped, but the settler caught the
smallest boy, a nine-year-old, tore his shirt and hit him with his
shepherd's staff.

The next day, I accompanied the same boys from Jawiyya to this area.
Shortly after the sheep began grazing there, a settler security vehicle
pulled off the road and headed straight for us. The boys took their sheep
and ran to the other side of the mountain. An Italian activist and I
intercepted the settler security guard. He asked why the boys ran if they
didn't think they were doing something wrong, and I explained that they
likely feared they'd be beaten, shot, or arrested. He insisted that Israelis
never attack Palestinians, although it was he who had beaten the boy the
day before, and I've seen video footage of him spitting on and attacking
other Palestinians. He left with "Have a good day."

Yesterday, I accompanied a shepherd, Mahmoud, who lost over sixty sheep when
settlers poisoned the grazing land, but he continues to graze what remains
of his flock. "If America would get out, then there would be no problem" he
tells me in simplified Arabic. "Palestinians and Israelis could play shish
bish (backgammon) together instead of fighting."

Recently, we have been monitoring a checkpoint on the road here. The
soldiers tell us they're looking for "terrorists" on the settler road.
"Settler terrorists too?" we ask, but get no answer.

Yesterday, instead of the armored jeep or hummer, the soldiers had a snazzy
new silver 4X4. They blared Tupac (an American gangster rapper) from their
sound system as they stopped cars. They made the first two CPTers who
approached sit far away, but Diane and I walked up and sat right next to
them. "You can't be there" they told us, "move up there with your friends."

"But I wanna hear TuPac" I said, and began dancing to the groove. They all
laughed and didn't know what to do, so Diane and I just sat and stayed until
they left. It was quite funny to see these young armed men trying not to
dance to the sick beat, and failing.

Everyone is worried about the upcoming business in Gaza. West Bank settlers
will likely use the "pullout" as an excuse to escalate attacks against
Palestinians. We are prepared for the worst, and I will keep you updated.

In peace and justice -joe