Lunch With the Kawwa Family & Old Nablus

 
When we arrived at Workcamp Lilian's apartment, her dad, Samer, was hanging out the window to greet us!  Most families have extended family living with them.  No land is available, so the buildings grow taller with the next generation building above.
I knew Lilian was quite a spitfire and was told she took after her father. (Lilian is in pink....her dad standing in front of the door)  Her parents met when they were in university together.  He has been politically active all his life.  He and Sami have been friends for almost a lifetime.  Several stories were rolling around the lunch table.

In the 70s Sami and Samer were arrested together after the six days war.  They along with 46 others were held in a room the size of my kitchen for 17 days.  They were fed the scraps from the plates of the Israeli soldiers.  They slept like sardines on the floor with no gaps between them.  Each morning the soldiers would count them to make sure no one had escaped.  They did this by marching on the chests of the men lying on the floor and counting with each marching step.  When new men would arrive, they had them strip so they could spray them with a de-licing spray....and after the soldiers finished a cigarette, they would put out the hot end on the skin of the prisoners. 
During this meal they told us of the "BINGO" list.  This is a list that the Israeli officials have of local activists.  During any holiday, parade, or celebration, Israeli soldiers would enter homes during the dark of night and take away fathers, sons, uncles, grandfathers....anyone they thought might speak out during the public gatherings.  Lilian's dad was ALWAYS picked up.  If the "BINGO" list was leaked in any way, they formed a calling tree to let people know they were on the list and needed to hide out until the soldiers stopped searching. 
One time the Israelis picked up Father Ibrahim as a young man.  After some exchanges of words, the guard handed Father Ibrahim back his papers.  Little did he know, but he had also handed him the top secret "BINGO" list.  Needless to say, they started calling everyone on the list to let individuals know that the soldiers were coming for them! He still has that list tucked away today...
The meal was delicious....like a giant Philly sandwich with grilled onions and peppers.  Everyone ate this dish with their hands, dipping it into fresh yogurt.  Our conversations at this table were deep and difficult.  Mr. Kawwa has been through so very much.  He reminded me very much of my father, a Vietnam vet that had a soft heart, but life had required him to be tough and hard. 



The oldest barber in Nablus...

Samer and Lilian led us through the streets of Old Nablus.  It was like stepping back in time....Cobblestone streets, venders selling their wares.  He took us to an antique store and showed us all of the old things that he loved.  We bought some of the famous olive oil soaps .  As it grew dark venders still recognized this man and greeted him as we walked along city streets.  I recalled the big
red warning sign we had seen our first night telling us not to enter this area because of danger.  All that we experienced here were warm smiles and tight hugs...