Its late, I'm tired but its hot

The ISMers in Nablus now number 13 these are the following nationalities

• 4 x Brits
• 1 x Aussie
• 2 x Americans
• 2 x Danes
• 1 x Spaniard
• 1 x Mexican
• 1 x Basque
• 1 x German

We have a raft of villages to cover tomorrow, there are reports of night raids in a couple of nearby villages over the last two nights so we may have to camp out in these is they continue. Though it is difficult to try and guess where the IOF will target next.

There is some very surprising news today. In the village or Burin they have been demonstrating recently over the IOF taking more land, well today we heard that some, not all, but some would be returned to the Palestinians!!! So on Sunday we are assisting the villages in planting some 40 Olive trees as a symbolic gesture for the returning land, this can of course change and if it does then more demos will go ahead. It shows that where resistance is strong small victories can be achieved.

There is much astonishment here over POTUS winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Palestinians especially feel extremeley disappointed as they feel that any potential breakthrough over the settlement building programme has been lost and that Israel will continue its land grab without so much as a whimper from the US. I am not too sure of the current situation as you know the internet has not been working here in Nablus and this is our only source of news.

Whilst I have been here I have made some cracking new friends both Palestinian and other internationals. As I enter my final week a massive partof me wants to stay to continue the work that is being carried out but I know the dedication and indefatigability (thats for GG!) of the ISMers will continue to show support, solidarity and real benefits to Palestinian communites and individuals.

I am going to try and sleep now as I have to be up in 4 hours for the picking in Kafr Qalil again,whilst we were picking today with the family two teenage lads were talking in Arabic and clearly taking the piss out of the internationals, which is what young lads do when they can get away with it, which they could. One of them had an outrageous mullet haircut and towards the end of the afternoon I christened him mulletboy which delighted the ISMers. It was all good natured and in the end he even started answering to his new name! Mulletboy! I just hope he hasnt got an Arabic/English dictionary at home!

Right I am off to try and sleep

ta ta