Return to Hebron (Al Khalil)
I am planning to return to Hebron for a further 3 months. I was not planning to go back until the summer but the local Palestinians from ISM contacted me and asked me to come back soon as they need someone with some experience to be responsible for all the new international volunteers spending time in Tel Rumeida.
I shall leave Sheffield on Valentine's Day, spend a few days with my family and fly from Heathrow at 20.25 on Saturday 17th Feb. There is a 7 hour wait in Muskat (where ever is that ? we all ask. Turns out to be in Oman on the far corner of the Arabian peninsular.) I arrive in Amman too late for the bus to Hebron so I will need to stay the night and head off in the morning. It is not far from Amman to Hebron but it can take a long time to cross the border at the Allenby Bridge. I will change buses in Jerusalem.
I went to John the barber and got myself a respectable haircut today. I'll put my collar on and try to look like a vicar visiting Holy Sites. I am very nervous about meeting the border guards. If they ask too many questions and check their records they will not let me in. The Border Police took my details twice in Tel Rumeida so they know what I was doing there. Pray for me on Monday if you are able to.
Once over the border I am excited at seeing my old friends in Tel Rumeida again and especially the Abu Haikal family and the men in Jab al Rachme mosque.
I had a very pleasant sabbath dinner last week with some Jews from both the synagogues in Sheffield. A friend of mine from the Green Party set it up. All very informal. We did not come up with a plan for Middle East peace but it was wonderfull to meet friendly Jews to balance the awful experiences I had with Jewish settlers in Tel Rumeida. I shall try to make the effort to meet more Israeli Jews this time.
