22 August 2024

Another communication from Erella and the Villages Group. She is a Jew and has spent years visiting the Palestinian villages on the West Bank supporting families and especially young people during the conflict there. Let Erella speak for me today. The truth is horrifying but the faith of Ehud, a fellow Jew, is remarkable. The Hebrew name Ehud means ‘love’ or ‘united’.

On June 26, 2024, five houses in Umm al-Khair were demolished. This week, Wednesday August 14th, the village was demolished again. Now tents were destroyed - erected instead of the demolished houses, tents that had been erected so people would have a place to spend the night and find some shade during the searing day.

We were in the South Hebron Hills that day, planning to visit Eid and Ne’me whose home was demolished on June 26th. In the morning before we drove out, I called to finalize our visiting hours with Ne’me. She said there were bulldozers near the village and it was as yet unclear where they were headed.

An hour later it was already clear. We were still on our way and knew that we wouldn’t make it because when this ‘holy’ work is performed, the army closes all entrances and exits. See the video that was taken while the demolition work went on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9HcHog4yhQ

We arrived after everything was over. The silence of a shock known ahead of time filled the village, the demolishers were already gone, the journalists not yet there. I stood near A. under a temporary tarpaulin. After the silence of those who have already run out of words, A. said: “What a large army force they brought just to destroy some tents, how low can one go?” I nodded in agreement. Silence again. Only an understanding look.

A. asks: “Are you Jewish?” That is what my ID says, I answer. “They too are Jewish. But your God is not the same as theirs.” I told him that when Ehud drove Gazan workers from Sderot to the West Bank during the week after October 7th, one of them told him that his own God and the God of those who committed the slaughter are not the same.

‘But your God and mine are the same.’ he said, breathed deeply, and joined his pals for their noon prayer. For a long while I accompanied him through my tears which helped loosen some of that viscous darkness.’

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