Hebden Bridge Web Forum 2008: Message from a Palestinian Village

Message from a Palestinian Village

From Ron Taylor
Friday, 14 March 2008

At the Trades Club, on Jan 20th, I organised a film-show to raise money for the Palestinian village of At-Tuwani, which I first visited in October 2007.That night raised just short of 500 pounds and a further donation of 160 pounds (sorry there is no pound sign on my keyboard) came from the 1 in 12 club in Bradford.

I am now back in the West Bank of Palestine and recently visited At-Tuwani again, partly to hand over the money but also to take part in a demonstration against the erection of a roadblock by the Israeli army. This roadblock meant that the only road in and out of the village was impassable, causing major difficulties for the people living there; which ,of course, it was meant to do.Thankfully the demonstration,which succeeded in removing the earth and rock barrier, passed off quietly, and for once, perhaps because there were about 20 international peacemakers in attemdance, the army did not attack the demonstration.

However, since my last visit,there have been numerous incidents involving the army and armed Israeli settlers.These have included the poisoning of a spring used by Palestinian farmers and live rounds of ammunition fired at shepherds and international activists.

But the village lives on and the head of the local campaign of non-violent resistance asked me to send his thanks to all those who contributed to the money raised.The cash will be used to buy water when it is needed as the Israelis refuse to allow them access to mains supply, readily available to the neighbouring Israeli settlements which are attempting to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians from their own land.