Olives are almost as important to this story as they are to Palestinians generally.

Steve's been mostly staying out of trouble the last few days:

Not a lot to report, and no photo this time. I've
been helping with organization here in Qalqilya while
members of the Qalqilya action group have been
traveling back and forth to Mas'ha. It is the
intention of the Israeli government and their
contracted construction company there to trap one
house between the Apartheid Wall and the fence
surrounding the neighboring Israeli settlement. The
Palestinian people living in the house would be
trapped in a no-man's land, and I'm told by a member
of the International Women's Peace Service that the
army is proposing to give them permission to leave
their home 3 times a day.

Israeli, Palestinian, and international activists have
been gathering there to prevent the continued
construction of the fence and resulting isolation of
the wall. I expect to join them tomorrow. Check out
www.palsolidarity.org for updates.

Yesterday we received 6 new activists in Qalqilya--one
Dane (half Palestinian and fluent in Arabic), one
Swede, one Brit, one Australian, and two Italians.
They're a fantastic group, and are off and running
with our farmers' project. I will work on the
farmers' project from Jayyous--perhaps we'll have a
march from Jayyous to Qalqilya, across the lands that
seem to be slated for Israeli expropriation.

I'm off to Jayyous now--will write next from there.

Peace,
Steve

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For background to the situation in Qalqilya and Jayyous, check this Guardian story from last November.

There's an extraordinarily sensitive and beautiful Flash photo story link on this article from the St. Petersberg Times.

For hundreds of images which help to make real what is going on in Palestine, see the ISM photos and videos page.