Home again

Dear Friends,

I wanted to send a short note to let you know that I arrived home safely late Wednesday afternoon and am now mostly readjusted to Toronto time! I headed to the airport in the early hours of the night, needing to be there no later than 2:30 a.m. for my 5:30 a.m. flight. I had left Hebron at 11:00 a.m. that morning to meet a friend for a parting lunch in Jerusalem and then went on to Tel Aviv for the evening with a friend from DC I ran into on this past Sunday.

I got to the airport, which was quite busy as there are multiple 5:30 a.m. flights out and security was intense, which is usual. I spent about an hour with security, being questioned - not about my activities, but about who I'd met and stayed with and why I wasn't willing to give their names. My response to the officers (about 5 or 6 who took turns questioning me) was simple, I did not wish to share information about anyone other than myself without their express permission, which I did not have. As I was leaving the country I did not see how this information was relevant and as they kept saying they were worried about someone passing me something dangerous without my knowing, I invited them to search my bags. When this ended I was escorted to have my bags searched by officer Roy (not one of the one's who'd questioned me), then I was taken by a female security officer for a more thorough wand search and full body pat down. Officer Roy then escorted me to the KLM counter for check in and then turned me over to officer Seth, who escorted myself and another passenger to passport control, after which I was free to go. All of the officers were kind and professional and I am grateful for that.

On Monday, my last full day in Hebron, I accompanied (together with a few other CPTers) a tour of Israeli-occupied Hebron, together with a group of visitors who were part of a work group with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, led by Yehuda, a founder of Breaking the Silence, former Israeli Defence Forces soldiers who give tours from their perspective after having served in Hebron during the second Intifada. Having walked on these streets and learning a lot of the history, it was a very different experience to hear his story. A the end of our tour CPT led the group to celebrate a 16th birthday party. This birthday party was significant in that CPT had celebrated the girls 6th birthday 10 years ago and had planned this party in part to try to keep the road to the family home open. Other activists, including Palestinians and Israelis and members of the International Solidarity Network joined us for the procession up to the home's gate. For the ISM report on this action, visit
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/25/birthday-circus/.

Basically, the family home is now flanked by an illegal Israeli settlement on one side and multiple soldier posts and a military base on the other and on the road up to the houses entrance gate. It has been like this for 10 years and the street which ends at the home's gate has been declared a closed military zone and only settlers and the father of the household are allowed to use this road. The rest of the family must go out through the back of the house, through the olive orchard and through other backyards, then through the cemetery before coming out on the same road further down the hill. Celebrating the party was an act of resistence which eventually all were allowed in to celebrate, but not without soldiers attempting to block access.

I want to thank all of you for your support during my weeks in Hebron and my travels throughout the West Bank. It was greatly appreciated and I would not be able to do this type of work without your support.

I look forward to seeing you all soon!