1 Aug, 2022: I like to take prayer walks around the village in the mornings. It helps to clear my head and get a bit of simple exercise. I listen to audio chapters from Proverbs in the headphones and pray in tongues.
So just a little about the situation here as I do my work: This little Jewish village is located in Samaria, aka “the west bank,” specifically in Area C which has a majority Israeli Jewish population (under Israeli law), alongside a minority Arab Non-Israeli population who answer to the Palestinian government, while ultimately, the entire areas A, B, and C are under the authority of the Israel Defense Force. Here, the Arabs are able to find jobs in Jewish cities and towns, as long as they have the proper work papers. However, Israelis under no circumstances are allowed to work, dwell, or even enter the non-Israeli Arab towns here.
This village is surrounded by several such Arab villages, as well as several Israeli villages. Each Israeli village is surrounded by a security fence with guards 24-7. Arab villages in this area have 100% employment rate, due to the proximity of the Israeli villages where the Arabs find work. Every day, Arab non-Israelis enter and exit this village at the designated times for work, along with their legal work permits.
The photo above shows three such Arab construction workers, employed in rebuilding and renewing the security fence around the Israeli village. The old fence is old, rusted, and looks like it’s perhaps 30-40 years old. The new fence appears to be rust-proof steel, and sturdier. The workers are using heavy machinery to dig the post holes. Tomorrow, those post holes will be filled with concrete with the new posts stuck right in there as they harden.
Obviously, there’s a risk. Jewish homes – including where I rent – are located just a few yards/meters from this fence under construction. Any of that construction machinery or tools could be used against Israeli civilians or their houses. And such incidents are known to happen from time to time. In addition to prayer and protection from Elohim, practically on the ground, there is also the Israeli Defense Force, which patrols the area, uses spy techniques to learn about evil plans ahead of time, and offer Defense. I’ve spoken many times with the foreman of this crew, a Muslim Palestinian, and he’s a friendly nice guy who speaks fluent Hebrew. I believe that he and his wife and children usually have more to gain by personally keeping peace with the Jews here.
More historical background: This is Area C of Israel, which, along with Areas A and B, were under Jordanian control until Jordan joined with Egypt in massing troops against Israel in 1967 – and then lost when Israel miraculously overcame. International Law clearly states that the defensive party can legally keep any land gained while defending itself against aggressors. The world conveniently likes to forget that when it comes to the Jews. But how did Samaria (West Bank) fall out of Turkish hands and into Jordanian hands in the first place? Well, in World War One, Britain won all the land (current Israel AND Jordan) from the Turks, and Britain held control until WWII. At that point, Britain reneged on her promise to grant the entire land to the Jews, and instead chose to partition the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for the majority of the land, while saving a sliver for the Jews. The Jews were immediately required to defend their sliver from 1948 forward.
Obviously there are different narratives and opinions – and my intention is not to get into squabbles about history, but just to address the fact that I work in a very complicated and nuanced situation. For example, did you know that there are around 2 million Israeli citizens who are Arab, and Muslim? Full citizens, with full citizenship and rights to acquire any job, home, opportunity, anywhere in Israel. And Arab Israeli sits on the Supreme Court. Said population is rather distinct from the Palestinian Arabs who do not hold Israeli citizenship. Many of them were offered Israeli citizenship and refused. Many of them hold Jordanian citizenship even while living here. Nuanced, complicated, and impossible to describe in just a few paragraphs. And yet this is where I do the work.
https://jtod.org/security-fence-continues/