My wife Khawla decided to go last Thursday to her parents home in Issaweya in Jerusalem. My father drove them, and I was looking for a quiet weekend to catch up with my work and maybe sleep a bit, since my son Fares and my daughter Malak always give us an early start every morning.
On Friday I started calling every two hours because I missed them already, but in the afternoon, I couldn't get of the hook because Khawla's brother Khaled was injured in the Al-Haram Al-Sharif events. Issaweya was closed by Israeli police forces and I couldn't go to bring them back. Things went tense by the moment as I heard Fares's descriptions of what went on. He wanted me to buy him a gun (remember, he is only five years old) to go and defend Al-Aqsa, and to prevent any harm to his grandmother. He went on and on describing his uncle's bloody clothes, and how Khaled was shot while carrying one of the Palestinian Martyrs. Malak who is only 4, described how she joined in collecting stones in plastic bags and gave them to the Shabab who defied the well-armed soldiers. The interesting thing is that they were not afraid.
My parents and friends in the Nazareth area were we live, demanded that I change the plan and rush to bring them back from the war zone. Together with my wife we decided to let them experience the reality of their family in Jerusalem, as harsh as it could be. After all we are part of the same Palestinian nation, and they should learn the full meaning of it.
Today I went to Jerusalem to bring them back, but before doing so, I took Fares with me to Al-Maqased hospital to donate blood, and met with Dr. Khaled Qrei, the Director of the hospital who told me how happy he was when more than 2000 Palestinians from all over Palestine donated blood following the first call from the hospital. He complained, though, of the lack of space and equipment and stressed the need to raise funds to be able to answer the needs of the local Palestinian community.
After consulting with some friends we decided to initiate a Friends of Al-Maqased Hospital in the Galilee, to raise funds and equipment to help this establishment which has treated, over the last 3 days, more than 500 Palestinians wounded in the clashes with the Israeli forces.
I call on every friend who gets this message to take a part in this effort. Let us turn our anger into constructive action. Anyone interested in joining me in this effort please contact me.
Now we are back in our home in Iksal, Nazareth, waiting for what tomorrow is carrying for us. It looks as if, after having martyrs from Umm El Fahem and many injured youths from many of the Palestinian villages inside Israel, that the Palestinian cause is once again uniting with the mixing of Palestinian blood.
Israeli brutality against our people must end.
Mohammad Darawshe
Director, Nazareth Arab Institute