Everything was packed up within a couple of minutes and the Palestinian
harvesters quickly climbed out of the valley toward their village. We
internationals stayed back to make sure they made it home safely, and all
seemed calm. Suddenly I heard shouting beside me and saw that several young
armed settlers were attacking three or four of our peace activists with rifle butts. I saw one smash his rifle down on the head of Robbie Kelly, an Irish ISM volunteer, and also witnessed them attacking Omer, who is an Israeli member of Tayuush. I continued to climb the path as quickly as I could, hoping to reach the village and perhaps call for help.
Then I noticed I was alone, except for James Delaplain, a 74 year old
grandfather from Wisconsin, who was hurrying along a lower level toward the
village. Suddenly he was surrounded by armed and angry settlers, and I saw
them set upon him with fists and weapons, pushing him out of my sight behind
an olive tree. I was very fearful for him and continued my climb in hopes of saving myself.
Seconds later I too was surrounded by four or five of these same or other angry young men who began screaming at me in Hebrew. Two more began to throw rocks at me from the top of the ridge above me, and they too joined the others. One grabbed the stick I had been using to help me climb along the rocky path and he struck me hard on my left arm with it. I was really shocked because I never imagined they would attack someone clearly old enough to be their grandmother. The others began to kick me and one knocked me down.
harvesters quickly climbed out of the valley toward their village. We
internationals stayed back to make sure they made it home safely, and all
seemed calm. Suddenly I heard shouting beside me and saw that several young
armed settlers were attacking three or four of our peace activists with rifle butts. I saw one smash his rifle down on the head of Robbie Kelly, an Irish ISM volunteer, and also witnessed them attacking Omer, who is an Israeli member of Tayuush. I continued to climb the path as quickly as I could, hoping to reach the village and perhaps call for help.
Then I noticed I was alone, except for James Delaplain, a 74 year old
grandfather from Wisconsin, who was hurrying along a lower level toward the
village. Suddenly he was surrounded by armed and angry settlers, and I saw
them set upon him with fists and weapons, pushing him out of my sight behind
an olive tree. I was very fearful for him and continued my climb in hopes of saving myself.
Seconds later I too was surrounded by four or five of these same or other angry young men who began screaming at me in Hebrew. Two more began to throw rocks at me from the top of the ridge above me, and they too joined the others. One grabbed the stick I had been using to help me climb along the rocky path and he struck me hard on my left arm with it. I was really shocked because I never imagined they would attack someone clearly old enough to be their grandmother. The others began to kick me and one knocked me down.