Blessed Reprieve

The good news today was that the Settler Incursion did not take place in Hebron’s Old City. Probably because the weather was lousy - cold and rainy all day long. The Settler Incursion is a weekly Saturday parade of settlers swooping down from their guarded residences to sing, shout, and generally harass Palestinians in their shops, schools, and residences. They are accompanied by soldiers and are there to show their dominance. Kind of weird for it to be on their sabbath day. Here’s some info about the incursion: https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/135038.

We were going to go witness it today, but instead we just walked over to where the incursion usually enters the Old City narrow cobblestone roads from behind their secured gateway. Then we were guided by our CPT friends along the route they normally take. Nearly all the shops were closed up tight and no one was out on these normally busy pedestrian ways. It was like we were having our own quiet counter-parade, the seven of us. I felt the urge to start chanting “Free, free Palestine,” but I refrained.

After having spent the morning in two sessions hearing more about Israeli nastiness, it was a relief to not have to bear witness to more. As Fannie Lou Hamer famously said, “I’m sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.” 

Sick of hearing about soldiers breaking into houses, breaking things, arresting sons and daughters, torturing, stealing land. Enough of terrorizing activists and anyone who dares to publicize the Zionist crimes. 

So we came back to our CPT home base to have a nice dry warm gathering around lentil soup and tabouli. And then sat around our propane heater as if it were a campfire listening to the Call to Prayer waft through the night air.

Blessed reprieve from the brutish truth of this place.