Planting trees, singing and dancing in At-Tuwani
By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor
AT-TUWANI, Palestine — Today we planted olive trees, and tomorrow we’ll begin running across Palestine. Through both acts, we hope to enlighten our countrymen in the United States, and the world, about the humanity and the struggles faced by the West Bank’s embattled olive farmers.
We arrived in At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills this afternoon — about half a mile from an Israeli settlement and an hour’s drive from Jerusalem. The contrast between the old bazaars and tourist hotels of the Holy City, where we awoke this morning, and At-Tuwani is incredible. Here the hilly landscape resembles a rocky moonscape, and here some residents still live in caves. Others live in homes that the Israeli army has threatened to demolish.
Our entourage this afternoon included a truck carrying 500 olive donated saplings. The townsfolk immediately led us to an open field where we — Americans and Palestinians alike — dug two-foot holes and planted the olive trees. They’ll reach maturity in 15 years, and will feed and provide an export crop for generations of Palestinians, as long as a person, or an army, doesn’t uproot them.
Afterwards, we walked up the hill to the village and gathered in the schoolhouse courtyard — a simple concrete slab — for a celebration of speeches, music, dancing by local youth, theater skits about life under the occupation, and an impromptu performance by the Run Across Palestine’s “musician-in-residence” Josh Davis, of Steppin’ In It fame.
“We started here because it’s here that you’ve shown the perseverance to stay on your land,” said Chris Treter, a brainchild behind both the Run Across Palestine and last year’s Run Across Ethiopia. “Thank you for receiving us and thank you for being here,” he told the crowd of approximately 300 locals, including men and women in traditional garb, teenagers in hip modern clothing, and playful children.
We were treated to a simple but delicious meal of rice, lentils, soup and pita bread — the sort of meal that tastes nearly as good as a $50 per plate splurge, because the meal was created out of gratitude.
It’s those kinds of interactions that we hope will define our run the next five days. Stay tuned for more.
