<html>
<body>
<font size=3 color="#191919">"When I'm big will I go to jail like
Daddy?" <br>
<a href="http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9437.shtml" eudora="autourl">
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9437.shtml</a><br><br>
Joy Ellison writing from al-Tuwani, occupied West Bank, <i>Live from
Palestine,</i> 3 April 2008 <br><br>
<img src="http://electronicintifada.net/artman2/uploads/2/080403-ellison-hebron.jpg" width=260 height=322 alt="[]">
<br>
</font><font size=1 color="#191919">A Palestinian boy watches as a man
argues with an Israeli soldier as he tries to travel through the <br>
Old City of Hebron, the West Bank, 21 January 2008. (Mamoun
Wazwaz/<a href="http://maanimages.com/">MaanImages</a>) <br><br>
<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#191919">"Momma, when I'm big will I go
to jail like Daddy?"<br><br>
That was little Adam's question for his mother when I came to visit their
house, just before leaving the village of al-Tuwani for a brief trip home
to the United States. Adam is three years old. His mother tells me that
he wants his father to come home from jail and bring him ice cream.
"Adam is upset," she says. Looking at her eyes, I can tell that
she is too. So am I. <br><br>
Adam's father was arrested on 28 March, just a few days ago. A group of
eight to ten Israeli settlers from Havot Ma'on, an illegal Israeli
settlement outpost, came inside the village of al-Tuwani where they found
Adam's father and his grandfather. The settlers sprayed them with an
aerosol substance, which I can only imagine was pepper spray. They hit
Adam's father in the eyes. Soon, the settlement guard arrived, a man
everyone in al-Tuwani knows all too well. He was followed by the Israeli
army and total chaos began to unfold. The settlement guard accused Adam's
father of breaking his sunglasses. While the settlers who attacked Adam's
father and grandfather stood by, Israeli police arrested Adam's father.
They didn't listen to the Palestinians who witnessed the settler attack.
They didn't question the settlers. The police forced Adam's father, still
seriously injured, into a police van and took him away. There was nothing
anyone could do. <br><br>
Sitting in Adam's house, I try to find a way to convey my feelings of
anguish in my limited Arabic. Adam's mother is unfailingly gracious.
Making terrible situations seem funny is an art practiced by many
Palestinians and perfected by Adam's family. Somehow, we laugh while we
drink our tea. Then Adam's mother tells me how the settlement guard
threatened Adam's father. "If he sees him again, he will kill
him," she says. "Then, he said, there will no more
problems." My mouth drops open upon hearing this threat on Adam's
father's life. My Arabic fails me utterly. "Really? That's
bad," I say. Adam's mother laughs. <br><br>
"Momma, when I'm big will I go to jail like Daddy?" Adam asks.
<br><br>
"No, when you are big, God willing, this will be Palestine."
she answers, smiling. <br><br>
I wrap myself in the words of this beautiful and strong woman and praise
God that she still has hope.<br><br>
<i>Joy Ellison is an American activist with Christian Peacemaker Teams,
an organization that supports Palestinian nonviolent resistance. She
lives in al-Tuwani, a small village in the South Hebron Hills which is
nonviolently resisting settlement expansion and violence. She writes
about her experiences on her blog, "I Saw it in Palestine" at
<a href="http://inpalestine.blogspot.com">
http://inpalestine.blogspot.com</a>.</i> <br><br>
<br><br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#008000">415 863-9977<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#0000FF">
<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.Freedomarchives.org</a></font><font size=3> </font></body>
</html>