IN STEREO

I don’t know if you know why it was called Al-Walaja in the first place. First of all, there are two explanations, according to historians. We’re talking about the old Walaja, not about the new Walaja. The first explanation [is] because the old Walaja is an entry [wolouj] between two mountains, [where] there are seven water springs. Among those springs, one is salt water, a bit salty. May Allah be praised! Now, the other explanation is that when Saladin entered Jerusalem [to expel the Crusaders], he came through this area. This is from the historians. I mean, it has history. It was known that Al-Walaja was one of the biggest cities in Jerusalem governorate. I want to tell you something: like the rest of the land of Palestine, maybe its owners abandoned it for a long time. They were busy with daily work, I mean. Recently, they started to rehabilitate it.

As I told you, everyone started to run to eat bread; there was no way to take care of the land. What made people return to it again [was] the Israelis. They want the land. That’s why people returned. They want to create new life. After ‘67, we followed Bethlehem governorate, but originally, we followed Jerusalem governorate, because we’re closer to Jerusalem. Now there’s talk that they want to annex all of Al-Walaja back to Jerusalem. [Um Fadi: ‘Land without people’.] But this is people’s talk. I mean, they closed on us. They stop us from being comfortable. I used to go and take my children and my wife to go to sit a bit, to have fun at the springs in the old area. Now they stopped us. They don’t want to let you work; they don’t let you build. They don’t let you do anything. They constrict you. I mean, even the breath. – Abu Fadi