We say we don’t want to leave without him. “Can one of our Israeli friends stay here?” we ask. The soldiers refuse, and a gun is raised. It points straight at us – and we begin to back away. “Move on,” we’re told.

Soldiers walk Abuhejleh out of sight around a hill, and as we make our way back to where the road was dug up, Rabbi Dana tells us she’s worried. … We don’t want to leave Abuhejleh, and so the waiting begins. What was promised as a few minutes becomes 30 minutes. Then 45. Then 90. What appears to be the same drone comes back, flying lower, with its camera pointed at us.

Eventually, our IDF contact calls back. He assures us that Abuhejleh is safe, and he strongly advises us to leave the area “for our safety.” So, reluctantly, we do. … We sit down with Abuhejleh to make sure he’s OK and to ask what happened after he was separated from us. He tells us that after he was led away, blindfolded and handcuffed, he was driven to a military office in a nearby settlement where he was mocked and questioned for hours.

“They say it’s our land. It’s not your land. So you must forget it,” he says. Later, when we would ask the IDF why he had been detained, they would provide no comment.

Now that he’s home, he assures us he’s unharmed. And as we’re about to leave, we ask if he plans to go back to see his land, even after today’s incident.

“I will go back. Don’t worry,” he says. “They will arrest, and I will return back – until I will fix my land. It’s our land.”

  • John Richard@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    13
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    1 year ago

    Also Democrats in 2024, “It’s the progressives fault that Biden lost!” Really, you want to get people excited about elections? Then find better candidates.

    • AFaithfulNihilist@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      I just hope they still show up for all the down ticket races. So much more is elected than President and the way Republicans captured our government was by acting at the school board and town level as well as securing legislatures and governorships so they could pack the courts.

      The birchers had a cohesive strategy for a multi-frontal assault on democracy, and they didn’t do it by getting the most votes for president.

    • whereisk@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      Meh Hillary has baggage, I’ll let the quasi authoritarian nutjob win instead. Democrats 2016.

      Meh, Biden is not exciting, I’ll let the proven kleptocrats promising they’ll destroy any checks in government win instead - they should have served me a better candidate.

      Hopefully not 2024.

      • John Richard@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        If it comes down to Biden and Trump, you better believe I’m voting for Biden. However, we’ve been here before and the DNC has had 8 years now to fix their shit, but they act as clueless as ever. You don’t like the risk of having an authoritarian Repub in office? Then the DNC needs to fix their shit period. You want to win the house and senate? Then find a Presidential candidate that people actually like.