Curfew is being lifted from 9 am until 3 pm each day, and this will apparently be the routine for our lives now for as long as it takes for Israel to build their security wall to separate Israel from the West Bank.
Curfew is being lifted from 9 am until 3 pm each day, and this will apparently be the routine for our lives now for as long as it takes for Israel to build their security wall to separate Israel from the West Bank.
We have had to alter our daily routine to fit in to these enforced hours of ‘liberty’. We go out to do our things at 9 in the morning and at 3 in the afternoon we must return to, what were once our homes, what are now our prisons. Can you imagine living the same life? Would you accept being totally controlled, being told when to go out of the house and when to be back? What is life going to be like for our children who looked forward to the summer break? Many institutions in Beit Sahour have summer programmes planned for our children, but now we do not know if it will be tomorrow or the day after when the Israeli military will the curfew. We have no control over our lives, we have no idea what is going to happen.
After the last long-term incursion, which lasted 40 days, schools were so hard hit. We thought at least when school was over our children would be able to have some freedom and some joy in their lives. Now the children have no hope to enjoy their summer break. Our children have no facilities for their ‘free time’; in fact, they have no free time as all of us are held hostage in our homes, nothing about our lives is free.
The despair we feel is growing greater and the feeling of boredom and frustration is killing us. What a waste of our life this is. We have nothing to look forward to tomorrow, or the next day or even the next year.
This afternoon, right outside my house, three tanks were patrolling the streets and saw the neighbors sitting out on their balcony. One of the tanks stopped and threw a tear gas grenade and two sound bombs at them. The children were absolutely terrified. Then, one of the soldiers shot rubber bullets at a parked car, just to scare us. It is disgusting that we can’t even sit on our balcony on these hot summer days without fearing for our safety, without fearing the arbitrary actions of bullies dressed as soldiers.
Does the world care about our anguish? Why aren’t any foreign representatives taking action to stop our suffering? Where is the pressure to facilitate peace and justice for both people? I believe all humans should live free and in dignity, but it seems as if the rest of the world does not afford such importance to Palestinians.
I want you, our friends, to understand the desperate frustration I and all Palestinians are filled with. I know many of you do worry about us and really do care. Sometimes you may get the feeling that we are giving up, but with your great support and solidarity, I as well as many others have faith in God and you. Without hope we have no future, but the way our lives have been reduced to no better than being a caged animal it is hard for us to keep strong and believe that there is a way out of this. With Israel acting in such brutal ways against us, knowing that there is no real condemnation of their actions from those who do have the power to stop them, it is hard for us to have faith.
Suzan Sahori
International Public Relations Officer
Beit Sahour Municipality
Beit Sahour
Palestine
