Stories from Abu Dis

I’m Walaa Eriqat from Abu Dis. I’m 19, a member in Abu Dis Youth Club. I work for activities for women in the club and also to increase the women’s activities in other sports activities.

I want to tell you something that happened in my club about three weeks ago.

Adam and Johar were playing in my club. After the football training, they were going together to their friend’s house. They were going to take something from their friend’s house. The Israeli soldiers stopped them and asked them “Where are you going and why?” They hit one of them and when the other one came to defend him, they hit him too. They shot one of them in the leg. They pulled his leg and broke it. The other one was also shot in the top of his leg, and the soldiers’ dogs bit them everywhere.

They took them to Jerusalem hospital and they didn’t let anybody see them for four days. Then there was a court hearing. They let them go to have treatment and now they are in Jordan continuing the treatment.

What do you think about that?

That is Israel. It isn’t a good thing, It happens in every village and it can happen to anyone. 

My cousin Mohammed was shot two years ago. He was walking in the street while there was a demonstration. He was going to Bethany. The soldiers shot him in his stomach twice. There was so much blood. For about a  month, we thought that he would die, it was very dangerous. They didn’t let anyone from the family see him. They gave him treatment but he is still in jail till now.