Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Welcome Back

Dear Resident of Turmos Aiya Shalom,

First off let me express my own "welcome back". We were all a little apprehensive when you dropped off the net. In a time when people are rioting and even dying around the world over whether a Danish newspaper intended to mock the Prophet Mohammad, it was not a radical idea to fear that perhaps someone decided the very act of communicating openly with a Jewish "Settler" was a crime punishable by immediate death.

Thank you for your answers to my questions. I've been studying the demographics of Judea & Samaria for also twenty-five years and it is interesting to see how the trends I've read about translate into reality on-the-ground. What often overwhelms me is the tremendous history of the land you and I live on. There are remains from the very "dawn" of (recorded) human history, the early Cannanites, and every other period down to and including the Muslim conquest of the 7th Century, the Christian Crusaders of the 12th Century and the Ottoman and finally British in the last century. Discovering these remains, appreciating and piecing together the stories of the people who left them, is one of my life's greatest pleasures.

In reference to your response to my issue of "sensitivity", you have to understand. For almost a decade we have listened to the leaders of our "Partners in Peace" respond to every major terrorist attack, not with a revulsion against the crime and loss of life, but with some self-absorbed "Its not good for the Palestinian People ..." tripe. If these people would only get themselves a decent Public Relations consultant, their overall image would be very different. Hence your words 'echoed' this same grating one-sidedness. Forgive me if my remarks were not sufficiently elaborated.

So ... are you going to say something about the PA elections, or should we stay clear of areas that might jepordize you?Looking forward to your response!

Yoel Ben-Avraham
Shilo, Benyamin

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

We haven't seen a post by either of you in quite a while--are you still blogging? I'd love to hear more about every day society in Turmos-Aya; what is a typical day like? what do people do for amusement? or for work? what subjects do the children study in school? is the curriculum different for boys and girls?

Does anyone in Turmos-Aya believe that it would be okay for Jews to continue to live in a Palestinian state on the West Bank? Or are most people opposed to such an idea? I've been told that before the Second Intifada, things were better between Jews and Arabs--is that true in your opinion?

Anonymous said...

strange u ask these quastions u no better than any body else how our kids live,let me give u an idea if u dont no.first step toward going to school--did u sleep well my son ?no mother the sound of shooting from the soldiers scared me i could not sleep--dont worry son they are trying to scare us only--give me some food mother i am late--eat at school son u no u get sandweches their --but mother if the soldiers come we will be locked in till they go--ok i want u to study bring high marks to show to your father he wants to be proud of u- ok mother i do not want to go to the university there r so many road blocks on the way to ramallah ---dont worry son they wont be there when u grow up--ok mother then i want to get big tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

dear sara:let me till u my fathers point of view he worked with jews out side of palestine & in palestine he dealt with them in many bussnissess ,he even joked about one of your scouts in our area before the british handed our country to a new colonials in the name of religion &just for jews ho sufferd in euorope your mans name was shmidt he was an archiologist my father met him in jerusalem even my father or me now have no opjection living with a jew from palestine because he has every rite just like me to live in this beautiful land NOW if that means he is going to cofiscate my land desroy every thing that comes in his path the story changes sorry to till u your successef governments have nothing in thier littel minds but KILL,DISTROY,CONFISCATE,IMPRISON,MORE WIDOWS,CUT TREES SPECIALY OLIVES BECAUSE THEY R HISTORY,one day we will live in peace its as sure as u r looking at your screen now,again but not as opressors &opressed as humans dignity,future,education,respect & all other humans wish in there dreams HISTORY CANT BE IGNORED 4 EVER its about time your GENERALS REALIZED THAT,4 THE SAKE OF OUR KIDS & YOURS SALAM. BY THE WAY IF U R FROM SHILO SAY HELO TO MR MARK YOUR THE GUARD.