One of the problems about travel, though, is that two of the kids have US passports and the other two have dual ones. And because the Tel Aviv airport is now off limits to Palestinians, the kids would have to be split up and the younger ones would have to travel to Jordon by land in order to get out. And that's a very long trip through checkpoints and borders that can cause innumerable problems. As regardless of the fact the Eileen is an American woman, she's married to a Palestinian man, which is not thought well of by the Israelis.

I hate to say things in such general ways. People here talk about the Israelis and the Palestinians as if they are one kind of people. I have met no one here, either Palestinian or Israeli who categorizes doesn't say that it's not the people that are the problem, it's the governments. Of course, these governments are elected by the people and there are some people who are less in touch with humanity than others, and of course there are the radical fundamentalists and fanatics (we haven't met with any of them, yet, but are going to be listening to them also) but most people really have huge hearts. At least all the Palestinians I've met do. They see people as people, caught in political systems, doing their jobs. Some bad, some good. Some kind, some mean. They see both sides of the issues and that both sides have to come together if there will be peace.

Well, I should end here. Zoughbi's brother's wife has cooked us a beautiful breakfast and it's time I get out of bed.

But that won't last for long. The Israeli army makes sure of that. Just when you begin to think that maybe it's alright, the tanks come again. Sometimes accompanied by the sounds of shooting or concussion bombs or cars being run over or trash cans or water mains or electricity poles. The soldiers have a hard time manipulating the big tanks around narrow corners. They can't get the big gun barrels figured out around the turns. Sometimes, it takes them hours. Poor souls.

But the oppressed won't be obliterated; as the tanks subside the crows and birds continue. They, like the people here, are part of the land and won't be obliterated. All the life forms on this piece of the planet just seem to get used to the way things are and go on. Eileen says that what is happening is that the intention is for the people to adjust to the presence of the Israelis. That they're normalizing the situation so that the Palestinians here just get used to them.

To be continued . . .

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