Speaking with the women of Umm al-Khair

while in Umm al-Khair, we were greeted by Um Salem, who welcomed us and took us to sit down with other women of the community. Um Salem told us that a year ago her leg was broken by a settler. she spent 55 days in a cast and her leg has still not completely healed. Um Salem explained that years before, her community was allowed to build and had the money to do it. today, bulldozers accompanied by Israeli forces are a common sight in Umm al-Khair and basic structures for living are repeatedly demolished. when they came to demolish Um Salem's home five years ago they did it in the early hours of the morning - 5AM. the occupation tends to evict families and demolish homes at times of intensified vulnerability for Palestinian community, like in the middle of the night or during bad weather for example. at the end of January, the Salihiya family of Sheikh Jarrah was forced from their home in the early morning during one of Jerusalem's coldest days - with rain and impending snow.

the Israeli settlement of Carmel is situated next to Umm Al-Khair - Um Salem explained the lands upon which the settlement now lays used to be those of the Hathaleen tribe. she also mentioned Regavim, which is a racist pro-settler Israeli organization that utilizes the Israeli court system to undermine Palestinian communities by citing their lack of Israeli permits for construction - those of which are seldom given to Palestinians who do apply for such. Um Salem said that settlers used to try to prevent visitors from accessing the village, by stopping them at the entrance and questioning them. today, the settlers are afraid to some degree of the presence of international volunteers in Umm al-Khair. yet in spite of this support, Um Salem expressed a dire need for people to accompany shepherds across the lands because of the brutality with which they are faced by extremist Israeli settlers. she asks for volunteers to come and help document this unjust violence.

this is the harsh reality that the people of Umm al-Khair, and many other across this land, experience daily. and even so, Um Salem was able to make little jokes, and laugh. the other women laughed and smiled too and so, so did we - myself, manar, jenan and josie. it's in these moments, that I see again and again among the Palestinian people an unmistakable and profound resilience.