Eileil Harzion Shani, 1968-2024
Hello everyone, I hope this finds you well. It's been almost two weeks since my partner, Eileil, left us. In addition to the difficulties we all have with the current social and political situation, the hostages who have not yet returned, the Iranians, etc., in the past 3 months my time has been fully taken up with looking after Eileil. The boys and I, together with family and friends, were with her all the time at the Home Hospice, until her last breath.
One of her requests from me and the boys, before she left us, was that "we will continue to do good in the world".
How to fill this space, I don't really know, and I'm not sure if we can get used to it. But life brings us challenges and possibilities all the time. Eileil was always smiling, listening to life and people, in her home, at work, with her friends and neighbors, and in Masfer Yatta, as you will see in the collage.
Since the war, the life for the Palestinians in the West Bank has been terrible, and human and land rights seem like a distant dream. There are no options for making a living, costs are skyrocketing, the price of food for sheep has increased and, on the other hand, demand for the sheep has decreased, which has lowered their price. People live in extreme poverty. On top of this, there is the abuse by the settlers, who invade Palestinian fields with their herds and eat everything they have grown; draw water for their sheep from the Palestinian wells, set up camp a short distance from the Palestinian villages and enter the villages at all hours of the day and night, instilling fear and terror. It is as if they are trying to make people lose control and do something violent, which will act as an excuse to transfer them, or worse. The police seem incapable (or unwilling) to do anything and, in many cases, it seems like the army is not doing enough to stop the abuse, and even supports the actions of Jewish extremists.
I wanted to tell you about some beautiful initiatives, such as vegetable crops that we supported so that people could grow their own food and maybe even sell some; we wanted to set up a beehive to produce honey, and, after Eileil passed, I thought of planting olive trees in her memory in Masfer Yatta, for the residents there.
But the escalation in settler violence that has been happening since last week has changed our priorities. Right now, the most important thing is a protective presence. In some villages there have been a few volunteers since the outbreak of the war, and their presence dampens and reduces, as well as enabling documentation of, the abuses by the settlers and the army. But there are areas that are sorely neglected, and where there are no volunteers at all. In some of the valleys, only one or two families remain, and the settlers are doing everything they can to make their lives impossible, so that they will leave and the settlers can take over the land. T h a t ' s w h e r e w e n e e d y o u r h e l p! I am appealing to everyone who can, to come and be with us, so that we can protect the people and their right to live on their land. Please do not distribute in groups and on Facebook, but only personally to people you know, and get back to me privately about it.
In addition, there are the difficulties of making a living and I would be grateful for your help in this matter as well. Today I received a call from a family I know who have never asked me for anything. So far, they have managed on their own, but after more than six months with no income, and all their savings gone, they have no money to buy food for the sheep. A ton costs NIS1200 ($320) and they need about 3 tons a month to feed the sheep - I imagine that soon more families will reach their limits - so any donation is welcome.
"May everyone be happy and safe,
And may all hearts be filled with joy.
May all beings live in security and in peace
Beings who are frail or strong, tall or short,
Big or small, invisible or visible, near or faraway,
Already born, or yet to be born.
May all of them dwell in perfect tranquility.
Let no one do harm to anyone.
Let no one put the life of anyone in danger.
Let no one, out of anger or ill will,
wish anyone any harm. ״
From: The Discourse on Love
Metta Sutta, Sutta Nipata 1
Thank you for your support,
Eyal
Commentaires