Holidaying Brits put a visit to Givat Haviva on the 'Things to Do' list

 

Adrian Holt and David Fligg shaking hands with Rada Younis Jabarin in East Barta'a

 

"You said come and visit when you are in Israel, and so we're here," British holidaymaker David Fligg told International Department staff member Lydia Aisenberg when he and friend Adrian Holt recently came to spend some hours at Givat Haviva.

David, a musicologist who teaches at Leeds University, attended a talk given by Lydia in Leeds last winter where she described the various coexistence projects organized by Givat Haviva, and also a detailed description of the region where Givat Haviva is situated.

David decided to take up Lydia's suggestion of visiting when on holiday in Israel and brought along pal Adrian Holt, a pathologist who - like David - had been to Israel many times before, and both  interested in educational projects bringing Arabs and Jews together in an effort to further understanding and tolerance through dialogue projects.

 

 

Adrian Holt & David Fligg out and about in the Amir mountains and right – in the barber shop of Rateb Kabha, a Palestinian living and working in East Barta'a.  From left to right: Ronit Bental, secretary to the executive director of Givat Haviva and volunteer driver for the day – Adrian Holt, Rada Younis Jabarin from the nearby Israeli Arab Muslim city of Umm al-Fahm, and Rateb Kabha.

 

After a visit to the Arts Center and Jewish-Arab Center for Peace, our British guests were more than happy to take up an offer of a tour around our region.  With Ronit Bental volunteering to drive Adrian, David and Lydia (a non-driver), the first stop was the Katzir observation point overlooking the Dotan Valley and village of Barta'a down below as well as a large swath of the West Bank.

Second stop was on the central hill of Katzir, a vantage point where possible to see clearly the divide between East and West Barta'a down below, across the State of Israel and out to sea.

"This is truly amazing.  I have been to Israel many times but never visited this area and there is so much to see," commented David Fligg looking down over the Green Line and way yonder.

The next port of call was the Shaked settlement bloc and then down to the Reichan-Barta'a checkpoint along a relatively new road through this section of the northern West Bank, an Area C since the Oslo Peace Accords.

Entering East Barta'a, an Area B and under the Palestinian Authority, a break was called for and so Lydia took the gentlemen and Ronit to visit a friend, Palestinian barber Rateb Kabha in his barber shop on the main road.

In the village for a quick haircut was Rateb's friend from the nearby Israeli Arab city, Umm al-Fahm.  Immediately a conversation sprung up between the visitors, Rateb and Rada Younis Jabarin, who explained he was a retired building contractor who worked for decades with Israeli Jews in the construction business and had close relationships still today with many of them and how well he is received when he visits their families, and vice versa of course.

The visit ended with a tasty lunch at Givat Haviva before David and Adrian headed off for the Binyamina train station and back to the hotel in Netanya.  They were leaving for England the following morning.

Upon arrival back in Britain, both David and Adrian emailed to say what an interesting and positive experience their visit to Givat Haviva and region had been.

David even wrote that a friend of his, when told that David had visited a Palestinian village in the West Bank, said that person commented that it was a marvel he had not been murdered! He was looking for ways to explain how easy it had been to sit down with Palestinian locals and just chat.

"The tour and the visit to Barta'a made a strong impression on us both and certainly broadened our horizons," emailed Adrian upon return to the UK.

 

Ronit Bental, Rateb Kabha and Lydia Aisenberg in the Barta'a barber's salon

 

"It was good to meet the people of the area and in particular enjoy the hospitality of Rateb.  Seeing and meeting with the people who are directly affected by the political situation in Israel and the West Bank made me realize how little I really understand about what they are living through on a  day to day basis," wrote Adrian Holt.

"It is all too easy to be glib and just think "why don't they …." Or "if it was me, I would …" without understanding the complexities of the situation.  Although some of my questions were answered by our meeting, more have arisen as a result of it – that's not a bad thing though, it means that I just need to read more and try to understand further.  I know that when in the future I talk to people about Israel and the West Bank, it will be with our meeting, the people I met, and the extremely valuable work that you and Givat Haviva do, in mind."