Episode 4 - Eilda’s Story: Holistic Healing for a Community in Ongoing Trauma
SEND EILDA A NOTE
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RECOMMENDED ORGANIZATION
Eilda shares about Beit Ashams for Self-Development, the yoga studio and community center that she co-founded in Beit Jala, Palestine, to benefit the local Palestinian community. If you'd like to support Eilda's work, please contact Beit Ashams.
ISSUES RAISED
Check out these helpful resources for more information on the issues raised in this episode.
The Political Situation in Hebron
Eilda describes her work providing holistic retreats for activists from a grassroots organization based in the West Bank city of Hebron. The city is often referred to as a microcosm of the conflict due to the presence of Israeli settlers living in illegal Israeli settlements amidst the local Palestinian population. There is a constant presence of Israeli army and security forces, permanent checkpoints, a severe restriction of Palestinian movement, ongoing raids of Palestinian homes, and arrests, all with varying degrees of accompanying violence. B’Tselem outlines the key issues facing Palestinians in Hebron as a result of the occupation.
Child Detentions
Eilda shares about her work with Palestinian children who have been arrested by the Israeli military, imprisoned, and prosecuted in military courts. Each year, approximately 500 to 700 Palestinian girls and boys, aged 12 to 17, are arrested. Defense for Children International - Palestine provides an overview of the number of children in Israeli military detention.
The Permit System
In this episode, we discuss the permit system as it is enforced by Israel’s civil administration, and how it affects Eilda and other Palestinians. The system controls movement of Palestinian people, not just between the West Bank and Israel, but also within the West Bank, between Palestinian neighborhoods, villages, and cities. Gaining permission to cross into Israel is not guaranteed for Palestinians. An individual must apply for a permit, which may allow for movement of a month or two, a few days, or sometimes only a few hours. The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem describes this a little more in a press release entitled “Permit system to cross separation barrier is racist.”
Checkpoints and Forbidden Roads
The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem documents the checkpoints and forbidden roads for Palestinians within areas allocated for a Palestinian state.
MUSIC
The music featured in the intro and outro of the podcast comes from a live jam session of Palestinian musicians at Hosh Al Yasmine organic farm and restaurant located in Area C in Beit Jala.
The music tracks behind the interview and narration come from the following sources:
- Oud, tracks 01, 02, 05, 06, 09, 10, 11, and 12. Thank you to the New Vision Media Center for generously providing us access to these resources.
*Some names have been changed for anonymity.
Disclaimer: The WOMEN BEHIND THE WALL Team does not necessarily agree with or endorse all the opinions and perspectives linked to in the resources above.
