sumud=steadfastness
I'm angry. And impatient.
The internet here is really slow. Really, really slow. Haj Sami will give me a task to complete, like respond to an e-mail, while I'm researching something for an English class, or trying to upload a photo. For the next hour I have to choose one task to complete, or the internet will freeze. That's dial-up. Haj Sami keeps clicking and clicking, like that's going to make it go faster...
The sewing co-op two floors up is allowed to have wireless during working hours. It's very weak and it fritzes out all the time. I'm on it now. I tried to upload a video of a visiting workshop so our Global Giving account can post it before their big fundraising event, but I can't. I want to link the video on my e-mails so we can get more workshops and visiting teachers, but I can't. I want to post a picture of the kids on Facebook, but I can't.
The sewing co-op, as a business is allowed to have wireless, like the Israeli settlers and the military camps, but the office and the rest of the village can't have wireless because they say this is "Area C." Read: They can't have wireless because they're Palestinians in Area C. They can't build houses because they're Palestinians in Area C. They don't have the right to exist on their own land because their land is a closed military zone. They should have thought of Israel's security first. Netanyahu said whatever land Israel wanted to keep could easily be declared a security zone and no one would question it.
"Why do the people in Bil'in keep demonstrating even after the army moved the fence?"
Because the wall and the settlements still sit on a third of their land, and they'll never accept it. The settlers are going to see a demonstration every Friday and someday they'll have to understand why.
In Palestine it's called sumud. They'll keep clicking until they get through.
We have two American girls visiting from Israel today. Sammy and Rachel. They helped harvest olives today :) I'll post pictures when I can...
