October 25, 2000

Classes have continued uninterrupted for a while, now, and life is somewhat "normal" - which leaves the question: what is "normal"? We hear word of fuller West Bank closures, as the Israeli military has surrounded major population centers. These closures can prevent people and goods from moving from one town to another. We and people here are all aware that Zababdeh relies on transportation with other West Bank towns and Israel for all of its water, electricity (that is, petrol for the village generator), and much food.

The Israeli military camp at the edge of town.

There's an Israeli military training camp at the edge of town (it's about the size of Zababdeh), and ever since we arrived, sometimes we have seen soldiers run and hear their guns go off as they train in the hills. Some days we hear sonic booms of Israeli planes flying overhead. It shakes the walls and the windows and makes you think the earth is collapsing--definitely disrupting during class. Several of the kids who live in Jenin were friends with the teen who was recently killed in clashes there.

Our school.

A little soccer.

Needless to say, it can be difficult for the kids to focus on schoolwork. We've also been seeing what's happening in Beit Jala, where the Israeli military unleashed firepower into this Christian village, extensively damaging residents' homes. Unfortunately, this kind of existence, marked by violence and loss, has been "normal" for so many people here for so long.