tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211202122024-03-08T08:23:12.845+02:00Between Shilo & Turmos AyyaA Jewish "Settler" resident of the modern Jewish community of Shilo which grew up beside the site of ancient Biblical Shilo exchanges email messages with an Arab, resident of the village of Turmosayya, located in the valley beneath Shilo. Is there a place for true dialog between the two?Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-39588085226195186582008-02-01T15:20:00.001+02:002008-02-01T15:20:21.325+02:00Village of Turmos Ayya from top of Shilo Village of Turmos Ayya from top of Shilo Originally uploaded by ePublicist A beautiful photography by a resident of Shilo. In the horizon you can see the mountain "Baal Hatzor". The foreground is Shilo's upper level neighbourhood. Between the two is Emek Shilo. You can see the village of Turmos Ayya nestled in the middle of the valley. In the far upper right corner is the village of Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-69874329727615452802007-12-09T10:40:00.000+02:002007-12-09T10:48:38.089+02:00Palestinians Must Get Out of Mental ImprisonmentThe following has noting to do with the relationship between Shilo & Tumos Ayya, yet in a way it has everything to do with it. The two communities will continue to be worlds apart, although their respective municipal boundaries touch each other, as long as the "Mental Prisons" both sides create remain. I will be the first to admit, that as long as Arabs seek to kill me and my family I refuseYoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-15698363847408302042007-03-15T21:21:00.000+02:002007-03-16T01:00:23.240+02:00Palestinian Land OwnershipShalom Barbara NYC,You ask of me:I am also hoping Ghanem can give us some documentation about the claim that land was confiscated and the Shilo sits on Tumos-Ayya land. And I am hoping Yoel can give us some background on Israel's claim that the land was owner less or "state-land" whatever that means.Let me provide you with the following up-to-date links to information that might help you Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-6505773959712560202007-03-15T20:44:00.000+02:002007-03-15T21:13:02.565+02:00Future of Palestinian YouthI just read the article by Steven Erlanger in the March 12th New York Times titled "Years of Strife and Lost Hope Scar Young Palestinians " . I question how representative this is of youth in Turmos Ayya or Luban.My personal experience with residents of Turmos Ayya in particular, but also Luban to a smaller extent, is that there isn't a family that doesn't have at least one relative in the US. Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-50770557517296528982007-03-09T11:51:00.000+02:002007-03-09T11:56:23.486+02:00Response to "Miracles"Written by Ghanem on 3/9/07Theodor Hertzel, the father of modern Zionism, was secular. He wasn't really a Jew. So therefore he had fooled thousands of people to believe that Palestine was the land of the Jews.Now I understand the Hebrews and Arabs have lived on this land for thousands of years. But miraculously there weren't problems between the two until the rise of Zionism. So that leaves one Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-27169294829526606722007-02-26T19:38:00.000+02:002007-02-26T19:45:44.594+02:00You want miracles? I'll give you a miracle!“By the way do you think that any miracle can happen and you guys leave Shilo and return the land to its original owners?”In a manner of speaking, miracles have already happened. You just need to be able to open your eyes to recognize them for what they are.A people who lived on this land since the beginning of recorded history; a people who never gave up on their connection and ownership of thisYoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-67342067956161539302007-02-26T17:56:00.000+02:002007-02-26T18:03:28.019+02:00... leave the land to its original ownersWell, thanks for posting my comment! I will tell you the meaning of my comment! I meant that we are going to fight now and then nothing that neither me nor you can decide when to start or to stop! [Why?], because this is our land! I know its complicated that I want dialog but we are living side by side for many years already, you stealing more land everyday and expanding, no one knows how long itYoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1166088538113366912006-12-14T11:26:00.000+02:002007-02-26T18:04:46.874+02:00A Challenge from Tormos-AyyaI am an American citizen born in the United States brought up in Tormos-Ayya. I met one person from Shilo who happens to be the Security guard, his name is Mark. He isn't a bad guy, whoever he is, he is still an occupier. If I run into a Shilo resident in the States we'd probably meet for lunch or something, but I highly doubt that could happen in Palestine.I'd like to know what the Shilo Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1165837043120081242006-12-11T13:31:00.000+02:002006-12-21T14:56:22.146+02:00New Flickr.com Group for this DialogThe hope that the blog and associated Flickr.com group will act as venues where people who are not capable of meeting face-to-face due to the hostilities between them today, can share thoughts, insights to lifestyles and ultimately what connects them to this place, the Shilo Valley and the communities in and around it.Please keep in mind that these information resources, the blog and the Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1163703865805795692006-11-16T21:04:00.000+02:002006-12-10T01:33:52.253+02:00Former TY Resident Writes from LA, USAhey, how r u ?well i just found about your blog yesterday the one between turmosayya and shilo. i even put up a post , not showing up so far.. well im not writing this email to bash the jews and say this land is my land, b.c this thing will never get us any step closer to peace. i noticed u guys asked the turmosayya resident about his reaction to the bombing in Tel earlier this year, can i Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1163152240560279682006-11-10T11:45:00.000+02:002006-11-24T12:11:52.076+02:00Clash of Cultures : Dialog IIJihad, Turmos Ayya resident too said ... Well Palestine is for Palestinians, and its promised to U guys by Great Britain. They promised that because they wanted an apology from U guys for what happened to Jews in the Nazi Death Camps.One day as we will all will fight to fight for our land back, we will retain it sooner or later, Inshallah (Allah Willing) it will be Arab owned again.One Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1163149532382641892006-11-10T11:03:00.000+02:002006-11-10T11:43:39.626+02:00Clash of Cultures : Dialog IAs a Turmos Ayya resident living in the US I would like to say that it is always good to listen to the others opinions, especially to people from Shilo. I was amazed by the level of dialog between Turmos Ayya resident and Avraham. I wounder why Turmos Ayya resident is not writing any more. please keep talking, please to all.Posted Friday, September 22, 2006SA I of course cannot answer for Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1158104872961010542006-09-13T02:13:00.000+03:002006-12-14T04:51:57.460+02:00Clash of CulturesAs a resident of Shilo who sees Turmos Ayya spread out in the valley beneath my home, or drives by the western border of the village when I drive to or from Jerusalem, there is a great deal of curiosity about who lives there, what they believe etc. One of the "rumors" that I've heard is that a sizeable number of the families who live there have strong "connections" with the United States. The Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1157694141600316762006-09-08T08:29:00.000+03:002006-09-08T08:42:21.613+03:00CourageIt takes real courage to be willing to go public and exchange opinions and beliefs with "the enemy". It is especially so when weekly we read about "suspected collaborators" being brutally murdered by Arab thugs belonging to one militia or another. It comes as no surprise when this blog discovered that my "partner in dialog" disappeared.It is extremely surprising when others offer to step up to Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1146445369209679812006-05-01T03:32:00.000+03:002006-05-26T12:32:43.450+03:00Response to Sara,[Posted by anonymous on Friday, April 28, 2006 ]Dear Sara,Let me tell you my father's point of view. He worked with Jews outside of Palestine & in Palestine he dealt with them in many businesses. 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 who suffered in your Europe. [The] man's name was Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1146443556979879402006-05-01T03:27:00.000+03:002006-09-08T07:28:19.600+03:00Strange You Should AskPosted by anonymous on Friday, April 28, 2006Strange you ask these questions you no better than any body else how our kids live. Let me give you an idea if you don't know.First step toward going to school--did you sleep well my son ? No mother the sound of shooting from the soldiers scared me I could not sleep--don't worry son they are only trying to scare us -- give me some food mother I am Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1146443252286838692006-05-01T03:24:00.000+03:002006-05-09T19:55:34.920+03:00What's Happening in Turmos Aiya?[As our correspondent from Turmos Aiya has apparently decided not to participate in a public discussion, I thought I'd publish some interesting comments posted by residents of Shilo and anonymous writers who appear to be 'Palestinian' Arabs.]Sara of Shilo wrote on Wednesday, March 08, 2006We haven't seen a post by either of you in quite a while--are you still blogging? I'd love to hear more aboutYoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1145244398989205612006-04-17T06:21:00.000+03:002006-04-29T16:51:43.796+03:00Shamed to Deathhttp://www.terrorism-info.org.il/A must read. Although it doesn't use the language, the report actually does a very good job of explaining how the "Shame-Honor" dychotomy of Arab culture/psychology is exploited in the recruitment and manipulation of suicide bombers.Another described how he approached individuals who were suspected for collaborating with Israel, suggesting that a suicide mission Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1139432399643437622006-02-08T22:58:00.000+02:002006-04-28T02:32:52.106+03:00Welcome BackDear 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 Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1138924450865363642006-02-03T01:53:00.000+02:002006-02-06T20:58:22.933+02:00Keyboard Anyone?Dear Readers,In light of your many comments of concern ...It turns out that my correspondent from across the way has been "tongue tied" these past few days, not because of PA elections nor Israel's brewing civil war .... but because his keyboard broke!Anyone have a keyboard to donate?Yoel Ben-AvrahamShilo, Benyamin <!-- Tag links generated by Zoundry Blog Writer. Do not manually edit. http://Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1137937486281762542006-01-22T15:42:00.000+02:002006-01-30T21:53:39.140+02:00On Bombs, Checkpoints and Ancient HousesDear Resident of Turmos Ayya;As like most of you, I was shocked Thursday evening upon hearing what had occurred in Tel-aviv, another suicide bombing. Days away from our elections, something this bad was waiting to happen, only to make it harder for voting and proceeding with the campaigns.Please reread this passage from your last message.Although I'd like to believe otherwise, the simple reading Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1137715705792584962006-01-20T02:05:00.000+02:002006-01-21T03:39:09.580+02:00Between Shilo & Turmos AyyaWho Can Go Where:As a Palestinian, I dare not cross the valley that both belongs to and is forbidden to be entered by us, for which the Shilo city "controls." I know this as a fact, since many have suffered by going there. I also know many who own lands there and cannot harvest crops in it......What a loss.Dear 'Resident of Turmos Ayya',I hear the issue of the road blocks. If only they had been Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1137574203337610542006-01-18T10:47:00.000+02:002006-01-18T14:32:07.436+02:00Life in the West Bank?Dear Pen-Pal from Turmos Ayya;Between Shilo & Turmos Ayya:I'd like to know a little more about Jewish life in the West Bank, do you find it difficult? For us it is an ongoing struggle. We have the Israeli army vehicles coming into the city everyday, and were not given our primary rights. Its just an ongoing struggle.Its difficult to answer this: What is Jewish life in the West Bank like? It'sYoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1137542931175204472006-01-18T02:05:00.000+02:002006-12-09T02:12:16.923+02:00Hello from Turmos Ayya Hello Yoel,I am writing now from Turmos Ayya, since I'm now renting a house here for the time. Thank you for replying, and that's a great picture you've sent.I'd like to know a little more about Jewish life in the West Bank, do you find it difficult? For us it is an ongoing struggle. We have the Israeli army vehicles coming into the city everyday, and were not given our primary rights. Its Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21120212.post-1137539501569364342006-01-18T01:11:00.000+02:002006-01-20T19:57:32.850+02:00So Near But Yet So FarI've been "living on" the Internet since the early 80's. Definitely you can find my "fingerprint" on websites and discussion forums throughout "cyberspace", and despite dire warnings to be careful, my personal policy has always been to use my own identity. It certainly was not surprising to find 'fan' mail in my inbox from anti-Semites and self-hating Leftist Jews, and the occasional righteous Yoel.Ben-Avrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03833004397515977724noreply@blogger.com1