Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign: Hind Oreibi, 20 years old from Abu Dis: "I Could Not Find One Place to Pass..."

Community Voices

Hind Oreibi, 20 years old from Abu Dis: "I Could Not Find One Place to Pass..."
Community Voice, PENGON/Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, August 18th, 2004

Above: The Wall in Abu Dis has cut off a tremendous number of people from jobs, schools and family in Jerusalem.

I worked as a nurse for some time in Jerusalem City. My work was good, but the road was too difficult, in many times the Occupation Forces would force me to go back and would not let me pass to my work. Most of the time I would arrive late to my work, and I had to walk back home because the Occupation Forces prohibit taxi drivers with Jerusalem plates to transport people from the West Bank. My boss at work tried to help me obtain a permit to enter Jerusalem, but the Occupation Administration claimed that I must be twenty-four to have a permit. My salary was good and I was good at my work. The people I worked with tried to convince me to stay, but I had no choice I had to leave and stay home. However, I cannot keep staying at home all the time, I am studying to be a secretary now and maybe I can find a job here, or in Eizarya.

The olive fields in front of us are really dear to me. I used to go walk there almost every day, I used to take my books and study there and me and my friends used to have our picnics under the olive trees -- there is no other place we go to and we can not go to Jerusalem. Even while they were still building the Wall, I used to climb the hill -- I did not care about the soldiers and the guards. However, it is harder now, yesterday it was a Saturday, they do not work on Saturdays. I tried to find a place where I can pass through to the other side of the Wall, but I could not. I walked a lot and I could not find one place where I can pass. In the end, I gave up -- I sat on the ground looking at the hill from behind the wires.