Tous témoins, tous acteurs

On a big board on a site under construction, a glorious future is promised to the future inhabitants of “the city of David” on a big poster reprezenting happy children running in a idyllic frame. For the 200 settlers of this neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, close to the dome of the rock, the main street of the neighbourhood was renamed “King David street”.

Problem: for the 55’000 Arabs inhabitants of Silwan, thi street was always and remains Wadi Hilwan streer. The jewish settlers do not care. Little by little, they are squating. Not far from here, young israeli soldiers come out of the military school named “city of David”. Teenagers, with their m-16. Down of the street you recognize very easily the jewish houses: the stones are new and the buildings recent. You alson fin wire netting, and the inevitable israeli flag flying up to these houses looking like bunkers.

And, between these two houses: a modest tent in the middle of an open space in which the 20 participants of the group enter. “The Israeli find it ugly” tells us Jawad Siyam, to whom th idea of breaking the architectural aesthicism of the settlers is a kind of satisfaction. He is at home here. 2000 to 3000 kids of the neighbourhood evade staring at the big white screen in a corner where each week end they can watch a movie.

To oppress more the arab community, all means are good: the crooked go-between, presenting themselves as Arabs and that resell houses to settlers taking a nice bakchiche. Banks, which encouage Arab citizens to contract debts and to communicate the financial situation of these people to the settlers. You also got these electronic eyes: cameras filming non stop the surroundings. “The last one they install, we named it Guantanamo, tells us Jawad. They costed 65000 shekels to them. They can see the little birds flying with it”.

The guard at this time slouches reading his text messages, the gun on his chests. But the situation is not always so quiet.

“They come  atttack us in our houses. If we call the police we are always guilty. They constitute a real militia. Last time, one of them gave 50 Shekels to a child in order that he draws a swastika. He was not knowing what it was, but now, when people come to visit the neighbourhood, they tell that we did it.” Despite of better, the inhabitants of Silwan pay a lot of money to lawyers without big hope. Jawad himself has three causes in process. His children are traumatized. “They see what the jews did here, and we feel it in their drawings. The problem is that they think that all jews are like those living in the neighbourhood”.

The days of religious celebrations, Arabs inhabitants are not allowed to go out from their houses. “I do not understand, it is a people who suffers.