The earth he inherited

On our return from one of our many walks through Yanoun, we are invited to sit down for a while. The last hill is a trial, so we gratefully accept. Soon we have a glass of shay meramiye, the wonderful tea with sugar and sage, in our hands from our hostess. Below is the beautiful view of Yanouni wheat fields and olive groves. 

Fawzi, the headmaster of the village school in Yanoun sits outside the house. He tells us about the trees in Yanoun. And about his dream of Yanoun, a dream that seems so far away to come true because of the settlements above on the hills.

Fawzi lives in Nablus but spend a lot of time in the village where he was born, Yanoun. When Fawzi was 12 years old, he planted many trees in Yanoun. His eyes glitter and he smiles happily when he talks about the trees. His mood suddenly changes when he talks about the land, the soil.

-          If we only could have water, he says.

-          If the Palestinian Authority could help us with this. And if we could get rid of all the stones in the fields, we could increase the harvest, he continues.

-          If only the settlers weren't here.

His face expresses longing combined with despair. Fawzi's heart belongs to this land, the earth he inherited.

There was tree planting in Yanoun last Saturday. A former Ecumenical Accompanier, with organisation FONSA, Friends Of Nablus' Surrounding Areas, brought some 40 trees, which were planted around the houses in Yanoun.

Fawzi was there.