Many of you joined me and met Abu Safi and his family. I got to know the family amazingly through a settler, a man who knows many of his neighbors and until two years ago also maintained a good neighborly relationship with them. He was a living example that it is possible to live together here and gave me a lot of inspiration. From the beginning of my relationship with Abu Safi, his door was always open to everyone - to Palestinians, Israelis, internationals and his settler neighbors.
When I asked him for the first time how he describes his life, he answered: "The air is clean, the land is good, we only lack water." "And the settlers?" I asked, "You don't have any problems with them?" "No, everything is good to me, Alhamdulillah." He is one of the people who taught me that no matter what happens, they always say AlhemDollah - Praise the God.
Many visited Abu Safi and were surprised by his openness to everyone. When Rabbi Jacob Negan came with me once and Abu Safi asked to leave for prayer, Rabbi Negan did not miss the opportunity and joined him.
International guests have always been impressed by his generosity and willingness to live together on this land despite everything.
During the Corona period between the closures we held - "Breakfast Makes Peace" - two settler families spent Shabbat together with Abu Safi's family and on Saturday I arrived with about 15 other Israelis who couldn't believe their eyes - a settler boy and a Palestinian boy, riding together on a donkey, and all Cooking together - men and women! And we even practiced yoga together. It was a rare sight, almost unimaginable.
We met at his place with the head of the council of South Mount Hebron to examine the possibility of establishing a joint meeting place for Jews and Arabs that is agreed upon by all - unfortunately this has not been able to happen, yet.
On the holiday of Shavuot, I was contacted by the Sde Susia school and wanted to write an article in "Ynet" about ancient crafts, collecting hair and forgetting, and came to Abu Safi to show the ancient Jewish "resurrected".
We had several joint family meals of Iftar and Memorial Day and Nakba and many other very warm human moments.
About two years ago a settler settled next to Eshel with his sheep, giant dogs and a group of hill boys. Gradually he entered more and more into Abu Safi's life. Whether by entering the Abu Safi lands with his sheep, whether by sending his dogs over his daughters, when they went to the road, on their way to school. About a year ago another settler joined the matter, also with fearsome dogs and the pressure they exerted in the area together with the hill boys, and since the war - under the auspices of the army and the police became unbearable.
On the night of October 15, settlers came by surprise to Amer, Abu Safi's neighbor, and threatened him to leave. His 116-year-old father was bitten by the dogs. The next day Amer left with his family and sheep and about two hours later settlers came with a bulldozer and destroyed the house and its contents.
After that, the pressure on Abu Safi continued. On Thursday 19.10 he received threats and then they beat him in the face and chest. That night the girls and his wife left and he stayed there with four of his sons. The pressure and threat on them continues. They were not allowed to leave and enter, two boys were arrested for no reason, and Abu Safi was forced to do the thing he never imagined he would do and abandoned his home on Monday 10/22/23.
Today I was informed that there is already a settler living in his house.
While I am writing these words, things are happening that we did not imagine and did not see in the west bank- the settlers are now the army. And actually Ben Gvir's vision is already here! They do what they want; They threaten, destroy houses, abuse and beat, shoot at ordinary citizens for no reason inside the Palestinian villages.
Today we visited some people that had to be evacuate from surrounding Gaza. Eileil was with the children and I practiced movement and breathing with the mothers. During this visit, I realized that the difficulties that are waiting for us as a society and a nation are enormous, and that we will all have many more days of pain and sadness. In this situation, it's hard for me to see and hear about these machinations and I really don't see how it will be able to clear the intense pain from our hearts. vice versa. It only increases the pain and sadness all around.
The story of Abu Safi is the story of one man, but in a short time an entire group, apparently experiencing a difficult survival situation, labeled everyone who is not Jewish as belonging to Hamas, and began "ethnic cleansing" and the concentration of all Arabs together in the big cities. These extremists today operate in the field while wearing IDF uniforms, but we will all pay the price, and it will be unbearably heavy.
My friends and I try to visit "under their radar" and bring medicine and food to the Palestinians. Your contribution is always important and now even more so. But beyond a financial donation, I appeal with an S.O.S. to everyone who has room in their hearts and understands that those who sow hatred will receive hatred.
request:
For everyone who has contact with someone senior in the government, in the foreign and Israeli media, foreign relations and diplomacy anywhere in the world - this voice must be heard now before it gets really bad for everyone. Please don't wait for tomorrow - contact them now demanding an end to the madness. By the way, also in other places in the West Bank, inhumane acts are being committed and everyone who tries to carry the peace stands helpless in the face of Ben Gabir's mercenaries.
its time to wake up !
