Happy Valentine's Day

One of my neighbor's from the village in the
West Bank, a young student at Bier Zeit
University, sent me an email today asking
how I am.

My answer to him below:

Dear Mahmoud,
So nice to hear from you?

How is your family? How are you all doing in school?
How is Heba? Did the gift I sent her last year fit?

I'm fine except for a bad cold. I'm walking with a
cane all the time and hoping to have my knee surgery
before summer so that I can throw it away.

How are the other people in the village doing? Did the
muktar's son come home? I think about him often and
have written about him in my BLOG.

How are your aunt and uncle? How is my little house?
I feel sad that Mona has joined her parents and
brothers in the cemetery. I wish I was there to buy
flowers for her grave. But as you all say,
"this is life".

I solicited my congressman to intervene for me with
the state department to obtain a VISA. That was over
three months ago and the congressman's assistant told
me they've heard nothing. I will keep trying.

Best wishes,
-Bronwin



>

I sent the following email to the author of an article that follows it published this weekend in Counterpunch.
-Bronwin

Dear Eliza,
I read your article, emailed to me by my son, and wondered how many times my heart can break, over and over and over. I too left the West Bank, in May of 2006, leaving behind a small house I had inherited from my husband who died in February of 2006. I had thought I would return in a few months. Now I'm wary of even trying as I will spend the money to travel from the US to Tel Aviv and then be denied a VISA. I've sought the help of a US Congressman who promisedto try to obtain a VISA for me from the StateDepartment. My latest contact with his office was not reassuring. After months they've had no reply from the State Department. So the Israeli tail continues to wag the American dog.

I've posted stories of my Palestinian experience on a BLOG: www.lettersfrompalestine.blogspot.com . Were you connected with the Friend's Schools in Ramallah?

Peace and best wishes to you,
Bronwin Peel