NguLwesihlanu wokuqala weRamadan. Bangaphezu kwama-400 abantu abasele bekhulile basePalestina bashiye amakhaya abo eBhetelehem ngale ntsasa behamba umgama omfutshane ukuya kuthandaza kwi-Al-Aqsa Mosque empuma yeJerusalem. Olu hambo oluya kweyona mosque ibalulekileyo ePalestine akufuneki luthathe ixesha elingaphezulu kwemizuzu engama-20. Iiyure kamva abakafiki.

Igqwetha le-UN elizama ukuphuma eBhetelehem kwijeep ye-UN likhangeleka linxunguphele laza landixelela, ?Basebenzise umlilo ovuthayo. Eli liqela labantu abadala. Badubula indoda entloko yaza yabonwa yinkwenkwana. Ndimbone nje ehamba, ubuso bugcwele inyembezi.?

Amajoni akwaSirayeli avala indawo yokuhlola esuka eBhetelehem ukuya eYerusalem. Ziindaba ezikwiphepha elingaphambili kwiphephandaba iAl Quds ngale ntsasa ukuba iBhetelehem iphinde yavalwa ngokupheleleyo. Imikhosi yase-Israeli ayinakuze ibonelele ngezizathu zokwenyani zokuba kutheni, ngokungathi kunokubakho isizathu esaneleyo sokubamba abantu kwiidolophu nakumakhaya abo iminyaka. IOF ithetha oku kuphela, nanjengoko lonke ulwaphulo-mthetho olwenziwa kubantu basePalestine, lwenzelwa "ukhuseleko". Ukhuseleko alungombuzo ukuba umntu uhleli kwitanki elinqatyisiweyo okanye i-bulldozer, ebhabha phezu kwenkampu yeembacu kwi-helicopter ye-Apache, okanye ephethe umpu entloko yendoda endala efuna ukuthandaza ngoLwesihlanu wokuqala weRamadan, umzukulwana wakhe? s isandla sakhe.

Amajoni akwaSirayeli eBethlehem?s Northern Checkpoint axelele abantu ukuba akukho mntu unokudlula kwaye mababuyele kumakhaya abo. Kwisiqingatha seyure kamva, emva kokuba abantu bengakhange bafuduke, amajoni akwaSirayeli ayesithi ngabantu ‘abanemvume kuphela? inokupasa. Ngexesha elincinane kamva amajoni akwa-Israel athi kuphela ngabangaphezulu kweminyaka engama-45 ubudala abanokudlula. Ngalo lonke elo xesha, abazange bavumele nabani na ukuba adlule. Abanye abantu baqalisa ukuthandaza phantsi kwindawo yokuhlola. Abanye abantu abadala baqala ukuhamba phambili. Kunjengokuba elinye ibhinqa eliselula linenyembezi emehlweni alo layichazayo, “Abantu basuka bala ukuyithabatha kwakhona. Baqala ukuhamba.”

Enye intatheli eyazibonela ngawabo amehlo ichaza imizuzu eyalandelayo. ?Abantu abaninzi bagqithe nje. Abanye babaleka, abanye bahamba. Yaye amajoni aphulukana nolawulo. Baqalisa ukudubula. Kwaye badubula izintywizisi neebhombu zesandi. Babebetha abantu. Babetha ukakayi lwendoda ngempundu yompu.”

I-IOF yadubula irhasi yezinyembezi yaza yabetha kanobom abantu basePalestine kwindawo yokujonga iContainer kumantla-mpuma eBhetelehem ekuqaleni kwale veki. Iindlela eziphuma okanye eziphuma eBhetelehem, ukuba azigqunywanga ngamajoni akwaSirayeli kunye neejeep nemipu yawo, ziye zembiwa ngoogandaganda bakwaSirayeli. Bonke abahlali baseBhetelehem bavaleleke. Abaninzi abazange bayishiye idolophu iminyaka.

Indoda enye yenzakele kakhulu emva kokubethwa ekhakhayini. Abaninzi babotshelelwe ngasemva kwijeep, abanye babanjelwe ebaleni ecaleni kwendawo yokukhangela. Alukho uqikelelo oluthembekileyo lokuba bangaphi abaza kusiwa kwiintolongo zakwaSirayeli, okanye ukuba baya kukhululwa.

Ukumka kwam kucingo lwencakuba ndisike emhlabeni phambi kwendawo yokuhlola, abantu abadala abamalunga nama-35 babexhonywe ngemipu ukuze balinde ithuba labo lokuhamba ngesixhobo esitsha kule ndawo yokukhangela. IOF ifake i-metal detector ibekwe iinyawo ze-10 emoyeni apho umntu ngamnye kufuneka azimele yedwa, apho abe yinjongo efanelekileyo yomlilo we-sniper wase-Israel, apho wonke umntu unokubona ukukhangela okuhlazisayo okwenzekayo.

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UKristen Ess, intatheli ezimeleyo kunye ne-activist evela kwisiXeko saseNew York, uhlala neentsapho zasePalestine phantsi kwe-seage kwi-West Bank kunye ne-Gaza Strip. Unika ingxelo ye-Free Speech Radio News, inethiwekhi yePacifica, kwaye ivelisa umboniso weveki yeCKUT eMontreal. Ubhalela imagazini yeLeft Turn, i-Electronic Intifada, kunye nePalestine Chronicle. Ukubhala kwakhe kuguqulelwe kwisiFrentshi, isiTaliyane, isiJamani kunye nesiArabhu. Usebenza kwincwadi engobomi phantsi kokuhlala eGaza Strip.

Amanye amanqaku nguKristen Ess

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