Sunday, June 21st
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Surrealistic
playground
equipment at the
entrance to Reihan
Checkpoint. (No
photographing here!
playground
equipment at the
entrance to Reihan
Checkpoint. (No
photographing here!
Writing to a friend in Iran
"They are trying to silence the people who
have peacefully made it to the streets to
oppose. We have just a pretence of democracy
and nothing more..."
"Things are not in our hands, the more the
regime oppresses the more hated they
become, among my realities many who were
the sheer supporters of the regime have
changed within last few weeks, this had been
unbelievable to me." - A. in Iran
Dear A.,
I have not heard from you for several days and I don’t know
whether you will receive this, if e-mails are still getting
through. I hope you and your family are safe.
Rest assured that we know much about what is happening
in Iran. Videos, photos, and “twitter” still gets out. Today a
horrifying video was published showing a young woman as
she lay dying in the street after being shot in the heart by
police, and the anguish of the frightened people around her
who were helpless to do anything was heartbreaking.
So it is difficult for me to say “Don’t stop! Don’t give up!
Keep demonstrating!” knowing that people, particularly
young people, may have to pay a terrible price to oust the
present regime. Yes I hope that Iranians will get what they
deserve, and they deserve a lot better.
I think that if nothing else comes of this tragedy, and I hope
something else does, for certain Israelis and people all over
will be a lot less callous about calls to bomb Iran. It is high
time that people recognize that in Iran, as well as in Israel,
there are real people who honor the values of liberty,
democracy, and human rights, and who are not represented
by their governments. They are not our enemies. All we
have to do to change our leaders is to vote differently.
Iranians will have to pay with their blood to do so. .
I still have the ring you sent me with W, and I wear it often
and think of you!
Bracha
Hi dear bracha,
I am sorry to be silent these days, these days I some times
couldn't see it in myself to check my mail, it is as if one had
been hit in the head. So you saw the video of Neda too :(
Let me tell you, the Iranian tv official channel broadcasted
that the video had been fabricated, while we know that she
had been buried right away so that the body wouldn't be
examined. We have that experiecnes from Zahra Kazemi,
the Iranian-Canadian journalist who was interviewing the
families of the students who were help in Evin ( the devilish
prison of the regime). That lady was dragged into the jail
and imprisoned and gradually killed ( some say raped as
well, I don't know), her body was never given to her family, it
was buried before any one could do any thing to stand for
her rights.
Bracha, I know your hearts are with us, I am happy you
wear this little gift that represents the love ladies women of
this region have for one another from Israeli and Arabn and
Iranian territories, depsite whatever is going on in our
regions, this was the silent voice of love that had been
banned to be demonstrated in any other form, but it did
manage to manifest, so is the true nature of the youth in
Iran and their wants and their true rejection of terrror and
their want for a just and democratic system that would be
friend to every one.
Things are not in our hands, the more the regime
oppresses the more hated they become, among my realities
many who were the sheer supporters of the regime have
changed within last few weeks, this had been unbelievable
to me.
Love from Iran
"They are trying to silence the people who
have peacefully made it to the streets to
oppose. We have just a pretence of democracy
and nothing more..."
"Things are not in our hands, the more the
regime oppresses the more hated they
become, among my realities many who were
the sheer supporters of the regime have
changed within last few weeks, this had been
unbelievable to me." - A. in Iran
Dear A.,
I have not heard from you for several days and I don’t know
whether you will receive this, if e-mails are still getting
through. I hope you and your family are safe.
Rest assured that we know much about what is happening
in Iran. Videos, photos, and “twitter” still gets out. Today a
horrifying video was published showing a young woman as
she lay dying in the street after being shot in the heart by
police, and the anguish of the frightened people around her
who were helpless to do anything was heartbreaking.
So it is difficult for me to say “Don’t stop! Don’t give up!
Keep demonstrating!” knowing that people, particularly
young people, may have to pay a terrible price to oust the
present regime. Yes I hope that Iranians will get what they
deserve, and they deserve a lot better.
I think that if nothing else comes of this tragedy, and I hope
something else does, for certain Israelis and people all over
will be a lot less callous about calls to bomb Iran. It is high
time that people recognize that in Iran, as well as in Israel,
there are real people who honor the values of liberty,
democracy, and human rights, and who are not represented
by their governments. They are not our enemies. All we
have to do to change our leaders is to vote differently.
Iranians will have to pay with their blood to do so. .
I still have the ring you sent me with W, and I wear it often
and think of you!
Bracha
Hi dear bracha,
I am sorry to be silent these days, these days I some times
couldn't see it in myself to check my mail, it is as if one had
been hit in the head. So you saw the video of Neda too :(
Let me tell you, the Iranian tv official channel broadcasted
that the video had been fabricated, while we know that she
had been buried right away so that the body wouldn't be
examined. We have that experiecnes from Zahra Kazemi,
the Iranian-Canadian journalist who was interviewing the
families of the students who were help in Evin ( the devilish
prison of the regime). That lady was dragged into the jail
and imprisoned and gradually killed ( some say raped as
well, I don't know), her body was never given to her family, it
was buried before any one could do any thing to stand for
her rights.
Bracha, I know your hearts are with us, I am happy you
wear this little gift that represents the love ladies women of
this region have for one another from Israeli and Arabn and
Iranian territories, depsite whatever is going on in our
regions, this was the silent voice of love that had been
banned to be demonstrated in any other form, but it did
manage to manifest, so is the true nature of the youth in
Iran and their wants and their true rejection of terrror and
their want for a just and democratic system that would be
friend to every one.
Things are not in our hands, the more the regime
oppresses the more hated they become, among my realities
many who were the sheer supporters of the regime have
changed within last few weeks, this had been unbelievable
to me.
Love from Iran
Here is Jay shares my cornflakes. If I
don't feed him he becomes very
indignant. I find him perched on the
breakfast table or on the clothesline
while I hand laundry. Often he swoops
down above my head, giving me the
impression that he has a bird's sense
of humor.
don't feed him he becomes very
indignant. I find him perched on the
breakfast table or on the clothesline
while I hand laundry. Often he swoops
down above my head, giving me the
impression that he has a bird's sense
of humor.
I was not looking forward to this Machsom Watch shift, simply
because of the heat. Suneil greets me warmly in front of
Rambam as I open the door for her and she climbs in holding
Aya. A bag of "bamba" snack food kept Aya delighted and
happy for most of the ride, until she fell asleep on the final
stretch of the road. The temperature climbed steadily as we
drove inland. .
Shaked-Tura, 14:45
The checkpoint is deserted and the West Bank, together with
Machsom watchers, shrivels in the heat! A few cars pass
through in the direction of the seamline zone and a man on
his donkey and a few cars pass through in the direction of
the West Bank. We left at 15:05.
Reihan Barta’a, 15:15
The lower parking lot is full of cars and the bored drivers are
sitting under the shed attempting to keep out of the hot sun.
The temperature outside today is close to 100 degrees and
the steel rail next to the exit from the terminal is too hot to
touch. The seamstresses begin to come out of the terminal,
dressed in their long dresses and headscarves and board
the waiting taxis. I wonder how they manage to wear these
cumbersome clothes all day.
At the upper entrance to the terminal at the end of the sleeve
workers begin to arrive one by one and enter. A man is
sitting on the bench inside waiting for his permit to be
processed so he can go through. The place is empty, but
this does not prevent one of the staff members from coming
up to us and ordering us to move away from the carousel,
since we are disturbing their work. We move back, but only
after we notice that on the inside wall of the terminal there is
a sign with an arrow pointing to the parking lot that reads:
“Have a pleasant and safe stay.” [in the terminal].
Is being in the terminal supposed to be pleasant for anyone?
Is the checkpoint designed to be a safe place for
Palestinians? Go figure.
We left at 16:45.
because of the heat. Suneil greets me warmly in front of
Rambam as I open the door for her and she climbs in holding
Aya. A bag of "bamba" snack food kept Aya delighted and
happy for most of the ride, until she fell asleep on the final
stretch of the road. The temperature climbed steadily as we
drove inland. .
Shaked-Tura, 14:45
The checkpoint is deserted and the West Bank, together with
Machsom watchers, shrivels in the heat! A few cars pass
through in the direction of the seamline zone and a man on
his donkey and a few cars pass through in the direction of
the West Bank. We left at 15:05.
Reihan Barta’a, 15:15
The lower parking lot is full of cars and the bored drivers are
sitting under the shed attempting to keep out of the hot sun.
The temperature outside today is close to 100 degrees and
the steel rail next to the exit from the terminal is too hot to
touch. The seamstresses begin to come out of the terminal,
dressed in their long dresses and headscarves and board
the waiting taxis. I wonder how they manage to wear these
cumbersome clothes all day.
At the upper entrance to the terminal at the end of the sleeve
workers begin to arrive one by one and enter. A man is
sitting on the bench inside waiting for his permit to be
processed so he can go through. The place is empty, but
this does not prevent one of the staff members from coming
up to us and ordering us to move away from the carousel,
since we are disturbing their work. We move back, but only
after we notice that on the inside wall of the terminal there is
a sign with an arrow pointing to the parking lot that reads:
“Have a pleasant and safe stay.” [in the terminal].
Is being in the terminal supposed to be pleasant for anyone?
Is the checkpoint designed to be a safe place for
Palestinians? Go figure.
We left at 16:45.