I joined Tamar yesterday in a visit to Susya, in the southern Hebron Hills. The Palestinian Farmers around Susya are dealing with two major problems: lack of water and lack of electricity. Water, since the region is dry, and the little amount of water it has goes to the neighboring settlements: the Jewish Susya, Avigail, Yair, Karmel, Adora, Kiryat Arba. Nomadic shepherds in the Jordan Rift Valley suffer of the same problem.
The settlements are connected to electricity, of course. Not so the Palestinian farmers. Noam and Elad, two peace activists with a broad background in physics, helped the Palestinians build wind turbines. Now they have a fridge and an electric machine making butter. They produce more butter this way, sell more, and are able to buy more water.
I was filled with envy speaking with Noam and Elad. Jealous for the spark in their eyes, the initiative and the splendid fruits this beautiful project bore.
Here is one of the children deprived of his fair share of water, by the State of Israel:
The children enjoyed being photographed very much. They made faces, smiled, hugged, posed. They also enjoyed taking photographs. We all had great photos.
The bus stops in the South Hebron Hills are filled with these signs. Here is one by Karmel:
I took these photos yesterday, June 13, 2009, in the southern Hebron Hills.
