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Palestine children document plight of Bedouin villages near Israeli settlements

An exhibition featuring the works of Abu Al-Anwar village's children and other Bedouin gatherings
An exhibition featuring the works of Abu Al-Anwar village's children and other Bedouin gatherings

By Nujoud Qassem

RAMALLAH, Aug 21 (KUNA) -- Palestinian children, residing in the Bedouin village of Abu Al-Anwar and other towns, documented the plight of their people via producing unfiltered photos and works of art displaying the vast contrast in living conditions between wealthy Jewish settlers and Palestinian nomads.
In an exhibition featuring the works of Abu Al-Anwar village's children and other Bedouin gatherings, 25 youngsters had the courage to show the world that settlers -- who enjoy full access to facilities and services -- could live only meters away from Palestinians who barely make ends meet.
Speaking to KUNA, Majed Al-Jahleen -- one of the children partaking in the exhibition organized by the Abdulmohsen Al-Qattan independent foundation in Ramallah -- said that he spent nine years making the long journey to school by foot until recently when buses became available.
He contrasted that with how children in Jewish settlements were provided with the finest of services, while he and his brethren had to suffer.
Similarly, Yosra Al-Jahleen and Ali Mousa relayed how settlers made the life so miserable for Bedouin villages nestled between various illegal settlements, restricting their movements and choking them out in a figurative and sometimes literal sense.
All of the children had taken numerous photos depicting their lives, which lacked necessities such as electricity, water, and food.
To make matters worse, settlers would barged in to destroy whatever makeshift dwellings the Bedouins made, but what irked the children was that settlers would repeatedly demolish their schools, which they had to rebuild from scratch every single time.
It is important to note that the Israeli government would backup settlers' actions against Bedouin gatherings. In 2016, the Israeli government allowed the demolition of the six-room school in Abu Al-Anwar village, which served some 56 students.
Providing her input in regards to the children's suffering, chief executive officer of Abdulmohsen Al-Qattan foundation, Fada Tuma revealed that a chance was given to children from over 20 Bedouin villages to display their living conditions -- whether in photo or art form -- in contrast to settler lifestyles.
The main purpose of the event is to document what is occurring on the ground to provide an unaltered image of what is happening, he said.
Meanwhile, exhibition coordinator and artist Raouf Hajj-Yahya revealed that similar exhibitions and programs were being held since 2017 to encourage Palestinian children to express themselves and champion their righteous stance.
Hajj-Yahya also revealed that alongside the exhibition, numerous workshops were held to develop Palestinian children photographic and artistic skills to better convey their messages.
Riffing on the same issue, Naeel Mazadah -- a coordinator for programs developing children photographic and artistic abilities -- affirmed that the young ones managed to convey their message to the local community and the world, saying that what is occurring in the occupied lands was not right by any measure or standard.
The movie and photos displayed in the exhibition organized by the foundation had clearly shown that the children were reflecting in all honesty how the situation is with one people living in luxury -- the Jewish settlers -- and others -- Palestinian Bedouins -- living in misery.
Israeli authority is making life unbearable to some 30,000 Bedouins living in around 22 villages between Jericho and Jerusalem. (end) nq.gta