Can you help my parents, 5 siblings, nieces, nephews in Palestine survive, access food, and pay their medical bills?
I grew up in a peaceful beautiful bubble that’s also in the middle of a permanent war zone. Wadi Fukin, the tiny farming village where I was born and raised, lies on the 1948 Israeli occupation borders also known as the Green Line. It’s the only known village that was forcibly displaced during 1967 war, and via the sheer resistance of farmers refusing to leave their lands, our families were able to permanently return.
Why are we focused on raising additional funds for our family now, after six months of devastating genocide in Gaza? My family is in constant crisis trying to make ends meet and afford their medical needs. Ever since October 7th, 2023, we’ve been lucky that my dad’s small farm has been the main source of food for my family for months when every road out of the village was blocked by the army. Recently it’s been getting more and more difficult to make it day to day with the drastic escalation in settler violence.
Throughout April 2024, extremist settlers fully protected by the Israeli military have been rampaging and conducting vicious pogroms across the West Bank, setting fire to homes and cars and terrorizing families. People are afraid to leave their homes and their villages. All residents of Wadi Fukin have been blocked from freedom of movement and have been unable to work, not even able to routinely get to Bethlehem or neighboring villages like Husan to go to their jobs, the market, hospital or doctor’s office. Any given day, the army can shut down the roads and set up checkpoints so it’s dangerous and impossible to go.
Meanwhile, my older brother has been dealing with massive medical bills from a recent hospitalization for liver disease and my dad also has severe medical issues including a recent heart attack and hasn’t been able to access medical care consistently. Finally, my dear cousin Hussein was assassinated in cold blood by the IOF in Dheisha Camp. He was unarmed and merely drinking coffee on his rooftop. As you can imagine, this has left our family reeling.
If you weren’t able to donate last time or are able to donate again, your support is deeply appreciated more than you know!
Background and more about my family
Wadi Fukin lies in the shadow of a massive valley, hemmed in by massive Israeli settlements and towns on all sides. 1,400 people struggle to survive while being surrounded by illegal settlers and the Israeli military at all times. Against all the odds, we live our lives, yet the thought of leaving never crossed our minds.
In order for me to get from the village to Bethlehem- the nearest city - I would have to drive on the Israeli roads connecting the settlements in the West Bank to the rest of Israel. That’s also how the West Bank is divided. Most villages and cities have Israeli roads in between them so the Israeli military has ultimate control over who moves on these roads. It’s very important for the people living in small villages like Wadi Fukin to go to the cities. That’s where people get their groceries, shop and seek medication as the village has only 2 small convenience stores and no urgent care facilities.
Growing up in Palestine, the majority of the people go to college. The literacy percentage in Palestine is very high, but there is a catch! Most of us don’t get to use our education because of the restrictions of the Israeli occupation along with the lack of jobs offered by the Palestinian Authorities. I guess you can see where I am going with this! Most men end up working in constructions in Israeli settlements and most women stay home or work in local schools. I worked in construction for 3 years before moving to the US and almost everyone I know in Palestine does the same thing. I worked with doctors who graduated from top universities and they are still working in construction because of the lack of the jobs plus the high pay in constructions!
One of the best blessings in my life is growing up in the farming village of Wadi Fukin. My family, like most families in the village, owns farming lands. We have always grown our own vegetables and fruits. We even raised some small animals like chicken and quails and it kept going great until the massive settlement of Betar Illit started draining their sewage on the farming lands of Wadi Fukin.
Read more about the sewage issue HERE
We still don’t know when they will be able to move freely or start earning income again. They're still struggling, and we are limited in what we can financially provide. The vast majority of people have not been able to work since the start of the genocide, as their source of income was day labor at illegal settlements and this has not been permitted since the genocide started, with the vast majority of checkpoints closed. We would appreciate any support you can spare for my loved ones.