Following my last post, I thought I should update you. Despite international attention and efforts by local supporters, the persecution of the villagers of Umm Al-Khair continues. The demolition I told you about destroyed eight buildings and left over thirty people, including women and children and babies, without a roof. Observers such as those of the Villages Group https://www.facebook.com/villagesgroup document the house demolitions, arrests, building of new illegal settlements and the continued oppression. Local authorities fail in their duty to protect. Settlers act with impunity. And remarkably the villagers of Umm al-Khair continue to resist peacefully, using social media, photography, art and physically putting their bodies in harm’s way to protect what is a very simple and very poor way of life.
This week two weddings were planned. Well in advance, permission was applied for to put up a wedding tent for the women.
One of the locals messaged:
Earlier this evening the army came to Umm al-Khair to take down a tent that was set up ahead of a wedding this weekend. The community had had approval from the civil administration ahead of time so following a phone call, the army left. However, that evening settler soldiers came back and began demolishing the tent by hand.
One of the members of the Villages group wrote to the Regional Commander:
I turn to you again about the wedding at Umm al-Khair since this is a crucial matter. The desperate villagers have given up their festive tent (which had been approved explicitly before the Carmel settlers intervened.) They have not brought a band or music, and plana modest wedding after having lost a considerable part of the village homes in a recent demolition.
All they are asking is to be allowed to hold the wedding quietly without military intervention, military presence, without settler attacks….They feel responsible for the hundreds of guests invited and do not wish this to become a complicated affair.
In reporting this, Erella concludes:
One does not need bloodshed to get depressed. I -not the direct victim, am only present with the direct victim – still need great vital powers in order not to lose faith in the human spirit, not to sink into deep depression. And they (the villagers of Um al-Kheir) where do they enlist such inner powers? How do they manage to stay balanced to the point that they do not get caught in the fangs of revenge and hatred? I do not know how, but they do. Great teachers.
Thanks to everyone who made a donation in response to my last post about Umm al-Kair. At the moment, the best way to get funds to the village for essential supplies is through HIRN (Hebron International Resource Network). Amos Trust are able to get funds to them.
As far as we know, the two planned weddings have gone ahead. We pray for peace and prosperity for these newly married couples.