Jerusalem – Sona Al-Deek
The Arab Al-Jahalin tribe lacks basic amenities in their settlements
Jerusalem – Sona Al-Deek
A Bedouin girl, less than 17, makes her way for three hours in the morning and three hours back in the afternoon on the back of a weak donkey amid the absence of security beneath the Israeli
settlements. She passes desert territory then the settlements and reach the starting point of her daily journey from Al Sawahra, Abu Dees whispering to herself \"no achievement of demands without hardship, it is not mere wishes that will realise dreams.\"
As soon as she arrives at her school on the borders of Bait Lahm, she ties her donkey close to the Quentis Block and starts cleaning her clothes and shoes, telling herself that this is what she always wanted and sought \"knowledge\".
She reaches the school to be taken to her classroom. It is the midday, and she is late for school on her first day. She receives looks from the girls of her class who whisper to each other: \"Look at the strange Bedouin girl who comes to school on the back of a donkey.\" She doesn\'t understand anything that English teacher says.
Teachers come and go in the classroom one by one and she still doesn’t understand anything.
The bell rings announcing the end of the school day, and she leaves, walking for about 15 minutes. She sees her donkey close by and gives him a hug with her eyes, untying it for the ride home. A number of settlers appear nearby the settlements she has to cross to reach home. She senses the same looks and whispers that her classmates give her, and then a strong knock on her head- a stone has been thrown at her, followed by many others by the settlers, though the rest miss her. She feels better when she sees the tents and houses of her tribe. Trying to take a short nap, she finds herself haunted by the whispers of her classmates and the looks of the settlers. Someone calls out her: \"Mayser.\" It is her father calling her to feed the sheep, and she readily complies. After she finishes, she goes to bed, thinking of that day\'s adventure, and sleeps.
She awakes at dawn to prepare for her next adventure.
The case of Mayser is applicable to all people of the Arab Al Jahalin tribe that consists of 150 households living in the territory extending from Abu Hendy Valley to Mintar Mount. The tribes are without electricity and clean water systems. The area is surrounded by the Kedar settlement and is served by one school that is usually closed because of the absence of its teachers who are prevented from attending due to the extreme weather conditions.
Oslo tore us up:
While the Palestinian territories were divided by the Oslo Treaty into A, B and C territories, the Bedouin tribes were ignoredm according to leader Abu Essa. He said to ‘Arabstoday’ that they were classified as West Bank Israeli-controlled territories, and the Palestinian Authority was prevented from working in such places. “The occupation authorities urged us to move to other areas but there are no infrastructure projects. They try everything possible to make us leave our land and make it available for the Israeli occupation to make more expansions in the settlement,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority ignores us and gives the tribes no assistance at all with the pretext that the territories are under the control of Israel. We asked for a mobile ambulance unit and an electricity generator, but to no avail.”
Abu Essa also demanded that the tribe be treated as a part of the Palestinian people. Or Mayser will continue her everyday adventure on the back of the donkey.