Toward mid-afternoon the military officer informed us that the rest of the fields would be opened. As soon as we left the farmers, the army moved in and tried to forcibly remove them. We had, it seems, been bluffed into believing the army's promise of opening the fields. We had to run back to the site and made sure that the harvesters would be able to collect their equipment and pickings without intimidation.
The next couple of days were quiet. We went to olive fields that are considered very dangerous because they abut settler land, but we saw no settlers.
The military was there, of course, making sure that we were not going to attack the settlements. They often have a tank on the hillside -- with its barrel facing the center of Yasuf. When we ask them why, they respond, "We are protecting the villagers of Yasuf."
NABLUS
On Friday, three people from my affinity group traveled to the Balata refugee camp outside of Nablus. Though only 14 kilometers away, the journey took us over 2 hours. We encountered two military check points where no Palestinian vehicle could pass. So we had to take cabs in between them and walk through them. At one check point, the soldier was suspicious that we were filming him and he approached us in a very aggressive manner, and tried to grab a camera from us. When we resisted, he said "I am the law, you shut your mouth."
The next couple of days were quiet. We went to olive fields that are considered very dangerous because they abut settler land, but we saw no settlers.
The military was there, of course, making sure that we were not going to attack the settlements. They often have a tank on the hillside -- with its barrel facing the center of Yasuf. When we ask them why, they respond, "We are protecting the villagers of Yasuf."
NABLUS
On Friday, three people from my affinity group traveled to the Balata refugee camp outside of Nablus. Though only 14 kilometers away, the journey took us over 2 hours. We encountered two military check points where no Palestinian vehicle could pass. So we had to take cabs in between them and walk through them. At one check point, the soldier was suspicious that we were filming him and he approached us in a very aggressive manner, and tried to grab a camera from us. When we resisted, he said "I am the law, you shut your mouth."