the diaries of palestine.

Not For A Million Dollars, Not In A Million Years

My name is Abdalraof Almohtaseb I'm 62 years old.

I live in AL Khalil city only 60 meters away from haram Al_khalil. 

I have a traditional souvenirs shop in the same area, it used to belong to my father, now it belongs to me and my siblings but I'm the one who works in it.

The settlers attacked my shop over 6 times and crashed it, people told me to report them and I did, but to no use, you go complain about it, they take the report to investigate a bit, once they find out they are Israeli settlers they turn a blind eye and ignore it completely. 

Israel had been kicking the Palestinian families out, either by evacuating them by force or by trying to seduce them with money as they did with me.

First, they offered me 6 to 7 million then 40 to 50 million then they offered up to 100 million in exchange for my house and my shop, but my answer was

" Never, not for a million-dollar not in a million years"

I'm 62, after all this suffering do you expect me to end it with treason and dirty playing!!!

No thanks, our home is here, we don't need to fill our pockets. 

I've been living here before the occupation. 

They came to Jerusalem in 1967, well I was born in 1958. 

The settlers go around Palestine enjoying their lives, while we can only set here with our hands tight.

Many families I know had been forced out of their houses, that is why all the families left should hold on to their homes.

I used to pray in the Al_ibrahimi mosque five times a day, but after the 1992 massacre when an Israeli settler killed a 29 Palestinian in the mosque and we had to bury them with our own hands I couldn't even pray three times there, the memories could still affect us emotionally even after a long time. 

I pray in other mosques now.

When I went home, my grandchildren were gathered in the backyard, when they saw me they all ran over to me, and I greeted them all and kissed them.

I sat on a chair and they sat around me, my little grandddaughter asked me

" Grandpa, why do we hate the Israeli people?"

I answered her "We don't hate people; we hate the occupation" 

I carried on after taking a sip of water" If someone took away your house this one (I pointed to the house), you like it right?

What if someone took it away and threw you out on the street. you would hate him right?

And it's the same thing "

Author not:

Mister Abdalraof Almohtaseb has a Palestinian traditional gift shop in Hebron (AL KHALIL) if you ever got the chance to visit Palestine don't hesitate to visit his shop and meet him.