Tell Us about Your Background
In my youth I was a member of Hashomer Hatzair. I studied to be a social work, an Alexander Technique instructor, a group facilitator, and more. In practice I do page layout and a bit of editing and translation. For years I was active at “Machsom Watch” and later at “Court Watch”.
How Did You Connect with Humans without Borders?
I learned about the transportation initiative many years ago, before the NGO was founded, when I met Jamila at a demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah. I immediately joined as a driver, but after a while I stopped for a few years, and by the time I returned the association had already been established on the basis of Jamila's project.
Why Humans without Borders?
The decision to volunteer stemmed first and foremost from a desire to do something real and concrete in response to a vital need. Transporting children to hospitals undoubtedly meets this definition, and along with its humanitarian aspect, we can also add a tiny element to the building of a bridge of intimacy between drivers and passengers, and from there, inshallah, also between peoples. I was not meant for political activity and grandiose actions, so this is my humble contribution to change based on a simple and direct human encounter.
What Are the Challenges Facing Volunteering?
For me, the biggest challenge that volunteering poses is dealing with the unbearable traffic situation on Israeli roads, a demand that more than once overrides my good will and leaves me at home.
How Would you Describe Humans Without Borders?
The Humans Without Borders organization places the person and his basic rights at the center of the picture, including the right to enjoy life-saving services, and from here issues our duty –as residents of the state which limits the ability of Palestinians to get to hospitals in their own vehicles –to assist. In this little piece of God’s land in which we live, every act is political, and the choice to help the Palestinians is therefore a clear political act, even if it is not engraved as such on the NGO’s flag. This political statement is consistent with my heart's desires to liberate the two peoples from the occupation and allow all residents of the region to have personal, social and national freedom.
And on a Personal Note
I remember with great love Rada, Hamza, Qassem and Abdullah, our beloved children who spent much of their childhood in hospitals and eventually passed away, and pray for the well-being and recovery of the other children who, along with their families, are doomed to an unbearable fate.