Last day in Hebron

Yesterday was my last day in Hebron. It was difficult to say goodbye to my Palestinian friends, the shopkeepers who I had gotten to know over the years, the activists who we worked with and called us when there were problems- both in official groups like Christian Peacemaker Teams and Human Rights Defenders and those not affiliated with any group but doing what they could to change things. These all are people I met over my times here and made an impact on me. Lots of handshakes and hugs, I do not know when I will see them again.
I also said goodbye to my team-mates, and we went out for drinks and shisha. It was a turbulent and at times difficult summer, and in smaller numbers than usual we lived together, worked together, sometimes fought with each other. I will miss them all, and wish them all the best, may God protect them during their time in Hebron.

I will miss this beautiful city so much. It is a place of such joy and culture and generosity. It is also a place of great injustice and violence and fear. Some of my best and worst times in Palestine happened in this city.

God willing I will one day return. God willing it will one day be free.

Drinks and shisha with my fellow ISMers. For security reasons, faces are not shown.

These are some of the most amazing people I have ever met, we are like family.

View from a Palestinian roof. The tall white building is the Beit Romano settlement. It is one of the major settlements in Hebron, home to some of the most extreme settlers in the city. The building used to be a Palestinian school until the Israeli Army closed it for "security reasons" in 1981. The settlers moved in two years later.

Badee Dwaik, head of Human Rights Defenders, and myself. He is a great guy and a great activist, working to peacefully challenge and end the occupation.

Israeli flag hangs from the home of a settler. The bars above were set up by TIPH at the request of the Palestinians who had things thrown down on them by the settlers.