UP NORTH 8TH AUGUST 2006

Shalom All,

Just a quick update.

Yesterday Zev Krengel and I temporarily left the SA Solidarity mission with Israel. We decided to head up north and go and meet the South Africans affected by the conflict. We are doing a documentary on how they are affected by the conflict.

Yesterday afternoon we went to go meet Anna Ben David and her 3 children in their bunker in Haifa. When we got there, we found the kids playing under the entrance to the flat, but while we were there 3 sirens went off. It was amazing to see how the kids just knew what to do.

Luckily all 3 were false alarms.

We saw where CNN broadcasts from etc.

We then ventured further north to Kfar Vradim, a beautiful village where some ex South Africans live.
We visited Avi Hirschfield, a guy who is a professional photographer who has been dealing with all the attacks in his village, 90 minutes before we arrived a big Katyusha landed and hit a field near by.

The picture below shows Avi with the left over number plate of a car which had been destroyed 70 metres from his house.

A lot of people had left this village.

We then got into contact with Paula Slier and arranged accommodation on Kibbutz Hagorshim, past Kiryat Ha Shmona.

We were told to drive with our windows open, for two reasons

1) To hear echoes which precedes the rockets falling
2) If the rocket were to land nearby to prevent glass from shattering.

We drove past Kiryat Hashmona which was like a ghost town.

Eerily quiet, one or two shops open, we missed our turnoff to the Kibbutz and soon, all what we smelt was burnt forests and all what we saw were military vehicles and some firls on fire, all we heard was boom, boom, boom. we did a hasty about turn and finally found the Kibbutz where we met Paula (Slier used to be a journo for SABC) she now works for a Russian English Language Station. Most journalists stay here.

We spoke to her and a few other journalists. It was very interesting. In the other photo, is Zev, Paula, a soldier who had just returned from a mission, and me.

Today, we will go to Metula to meet an SA reserve soldier, meet a worker who refuses to leave his land and go visit South Africans on Kibbutz Maayan Baruch, Kfar Blum, Merana, Kfar Hannassi etc.

The people are amazed that we are here, they think we mad.

Last night when laying my head down I just heard boom, boom, boom,

Sadly it becomes part of the monotony and I fell asleep.

At this moment the journos are heading out for that big story, we will accompany Paula to Metulla to do a story.

Have I felt threatened or scared?

Yes, when we got last night, I crapped myself. However, writing from the Kibbutz, irrationally I feel immune.