Yesterday, the same Israeli paper ran TWO articles on Niilin, the village where Khaled and I have been shooting for the past several months (and where some of its citizens decided to open their own holocaust museum, see posts below…) On the one hand, two Palestinians were injured there yesterday in the demonstrations.

And on the other hand, the Israeli army states that in Niilin and Biilin (a neighboring village, where we have also shot, and where a villager was killed soldiers a month ago), “Gaza was easier.” The saga, and the bloodshed goes on. Of course, the “Gaza was easier” article didn’t mention once WHY the villagers in both places demonstrate weekly (because the Separation Fence cuts them off from a large percent of their olive trees and thus their income).

So how to sum up this mess? That the villagers AND the soldiers (not to mention all the citizens in Palestine and Israel) are victims of government policies that avoid peacemaking?

Khaled and Hassan (Nilin resident) at the museum in Nilin

After an initial exhibit in the West Bank Palestinian village of Niilin in January, the official inauguration of the museum is next Tuesday, April 21 – Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel).
Come see for yourself how the Khaled’s work is inspiring debate and yes, starting controversy (I invited one Israeli journalist to this event, and he said “No, thanks,” saying it was undoubtedly a case of “holocaust abuse.”)
Read an article here about Niilin’s exhibit.

If you live in Israel, drive or take the bus to Modiin, getting out on Highway 443 just before entering Modiin. Then turn onto the road towards Modiin Ilit, and wait 30 meters down that road at the bus stop (and get there by 9:15 a.m.). We will drive the 10 minutes into the West Bank to Nilin. Israeli citizens, don’t worry – coming back to Israel afterwards there is a checkpoint, but IDs are never checked there. Cars are also leaving from Jerusalem. For information, please call or email Harvey: 052-801-6017,  jerusalemnewyork@gmail.com