Refreshments after the harvesting at Al Jabari homeEsther Kern. Christian Peacemaker Teams. 29/07/07
Gleaning on the hillside,
Gleaning 'ore the plains,
Working for the Master
Among the golden grain
The words of this familiar hymn reverberate through my mind each time I go to harvest by hand, stalks of golden grass on the hillside of a farm nestled between two settlements just outside of Hebron. The 'master' and legal owner of this coveted piece of land is a Palestinian farmer. Yet he cannot till the fertile soil, nor bring his flock of thirty goats to graze on the land, for fear of violence and harassment from nearby settlers. The unattended grape vines lie blackened and gnarled upon the ground. The fields are strewn with plastic bottles, diapers, and paper, carelessly tossed away by passers by. Weeds and thistles grow with abandon.
Not only is the Palestinian farmer prevented from working on his land, but he has been shot at, his children physically assaulted, and he has been arrested on erroneous charges and heavily fined.
The settlers have constructed a tent synagogue on the property. For easy access between the two nearby settlements, the Israeli settlers have built a brick sidewalk and steps through the middle of the property. Street lights line the walkway. So what is wrong with this picture?
The farmer has taken his legal claim to the Israeli high court, which ruled in his favor, and ordered the synagogue, sidewalks and steps to be demolished. The tent was torn down, but rebuilt within several days, and the settler activity continues as before. The farmer can only go onto his land under the protection of groups of international human rights workers and Christian Peacemaker Team members, which happens on a regular basis every Friday evening. Each time, he is challenged by the Israeli Police to provide documents to prove that he is the legal owner of the land. Each time, there is a heavy presence of Israeli police and military with an assortment of weapons and military vehicles which necessarily keep the settlers at bay. In spite of this, one settler attacked and injured two human rights workers on the evening of July 27, an act for which the Israeli police arrested him, and for which plenty of evidence was captured on film.
"Gleaning on the hillside" conjures up images of a peaceful and productive land, hardworking farmers, and one of right relationships. The reality is one of confrontation, violence, and bloodshed. What is wrong with this picture?
The settlers have constructed a tent synagogue on the property. For easy access between the two nearby settlements, the Israeli settlers have built a brick sidewalk and steps through the middle of the property. Street lights line the walkway. So what is wrong with this picture?
The farmer has taken his legal claim to the Israeli high court, which ruled in his favor, and ordered the synagogue, sidewalks and steps to be demolished. The tent was torn down, but rebuilt within several days, and the settler activity continues as before. The farmer can only go onto his land under the protection of groups of international human rights workers and Christian Peacemaker Team members, which happens on a regular basis every Friday evening. Each time, he is challenged by the Israeli Police to provide documents to prove that he is the legal owner of the land. Each time, there is a heavy presence of Israeli police and military with an assortment of weapons and military vehicles which necessarily keep the settlers at bay. In spite of this, one settler attacked and injured two human rights workers on the evening of July 27, an act for which the Israeli police arrested him, and for which plenty of evidence was captured on film.
"Gleaning on the hillside" conjures up images of a peaceful and productive land, hardworking farmers, and one of right relationships. The reality is one of confrontation, violence, and bloodshed. What is wrong with this picture?
For photos of actions on Al Jaberi land see: http://www.cpt.
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical initiative to support violence reduction efforts around the world. To learn more about CPT's peacemaking work, visit our website www.cpt.org Photos of our projects are at www.cpt.org/gallery A map of the center of Hebron is at http://www.reliefwe
Tent, used as synagogue, erected by settlers on Jaberi property
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