In view of the original stolen village.. Ein Hod suffers from marginalization and lack of services

SadaNews - The feelings of the people of Ein Hod are not merely limited to nostalgia for their ancestors' land and homes that are now occupied by strangers; rather, this feeling expands to encompass multiple aspects of marginalization and discrimination in the provision of services and establishment of projects within the village.

The residents of Ein Hod, numbering about 330 people, located on one of the peaks of Mount Carmel south of Haifa, suffer from poor infrastructure, with internal and external roads posing a danger to residents due to their narrowness and numerous potholes, in addition to a lack of lighting, despite passing through dangerous mountainous areas.

Moreover, the village suffers from a severe shortage of basic projects and services, such as schools, community centers, and parks, leading to the issue of land and housing, which is one of the most prominent problems facing the village's residents.

Ein Hod falls under the jurisdiction of the "Hof HaCarmel" regional council, which includes 25 Jewish settlement towns and only one Arab town, which is Ein Hod, recognized by the Israeli government in 1994, after the residents lived for decades without any basic means of living.

The extent of marginalization and lack that Ein Hod suffers from is evident on the road leading to it; while a visitor passes by the original village of Ein Hod, which was settled by Jewish artists after the displacement of its people in 1948, and also alongside the settlement town of "Nir Atzion," the differences in the level of streets, services, and projects become clear.

Ziad Abu Al-Heijaa, a resident of Ein Hod, stated: "Since the official recognition of the village of Ein Hod in 1994, there has been no real improvement in its living and service conditions. The village still suffers from significant weaknesses in infrastructure and poor basic services, whether in terms of roads or cleanliness, or in many other aspects."

Abu Al-Heijaa added, comparing the village's condition to nearby Jewish settlement towns: "The difference between Ein Hod and the nearby Jewish towns is like the difference between fire and paradise, even though we belong to the same regional council, and the road leading to Ein Hod runs alongside these towns."

He referred to the condition of the streets in the village, saying: "The roads in Ein Hod are not satisfactory at all. For the past five years, I have been requesting the repair of the road adjacent to my home due to its danger, as it is located in a sloping mountainous area, but there has been no result or official response. Not to mention the road leading to the village, which passes through slopes and ascents in the mountains; it is a narrow road, full of potholes, without lighting, and poses a real danger, especially for students during their going to and returning from schools by bus."

Regarding educational institutions and public services, Abu Al-Heijaa clarified: "The village lacks at least an elementary school. There was a school in the past, but it was closed about 13 years ago. Today, children have to take a bus to schools in Haifa and Fureidis at six-thirty in the morning, which diminishes their desire to learn as they arrive at school exhausted. Moreover, the only kindergarten in the village is at risk of closure, on the grounds that the number of children is low."

Abu Al-Heijaa concluded his remarks by saying: "The situation in Ein Hod is miserable and extremely difficult. When I pass through the nearby Jewish towns and see the level of cleanliness, the quality of the streets, and the general attention, I feel a significant difference. We demand today that the regional council, the relevant ministries, and the Ministry of Tourism allocate budgets and improve the conditions of this wonderful village, which has a distinctive location."

For his part, the head of the local committee in Ein Hod, Imad Abu Al-Heijaa, spoke about the ongoing suffering of residents due to the building restrictions, saying: "The residents of the village have been suffering for many years from the lack of expansion of the areas permitted for construction, in addition to the warnings and demolitions that affect every home under construction."

Abu Al-Heijaa continued: "For a long time, promises have been made to find solutions, but so far nothing has changed. In the past year, Israeli authorities demolished three homes, and the court issued orders to stop the construction of seven other homes under construction, prohibiting living in them until a settlement is reached with the land authority."

He pointed to the difficult social ramifications of these policies on the youth in the village, saying: "There are young men in the village over the age of 35, some of whom are engaged and have not been able to marry yet due to the housing crisis and court rulings that prevent them from completing the construction of their homes. This decision threatens the future of the young generation and undermines the future of the entire village."

Abu Al-Heijaa addressed the stagnation in expanding the planning map of the village and the absence of any new housing projects, asserting: "There has been no official expansion plan since the village's recognition. The 'Israel Land Authority' shows no willingness to reach understandings or solutions, despite our diligent attempts."

Abu Al-Heijaa highlighted the disparity in treatment between Ein Hod and neighboring Jewish settlement towns, stating: "There is clear discrimination and racism in dealing between Ein Hod and the neighboring Jewish towns, and this is evident in the general treatment of the Arab community. We continue and aspire to improve conditions in Ein Hod."

Regarding Ein Hod and the most important stations it has gone through over the past decades, writer and journalist Samir Abu Al-Heijaa said: "Ein Hod, or as it was known in the past Ein Hod Abu Al-Heijaa, is an extension of the original Ein Hod village, which is now inhabited by Jewish artists who have come from overseas, while we, the residents of the village and the descendants of those who inhabited and built that Palestinian village that was displaced."

Abu Al-Heijaa continued that "the current Ein Hod occupies an area of nearly 40 dunams only, after it was approximately 250 dunams, these lands were cut off at that time for the benefit of the Carmel Park. The village today is home to about 75 families, approximately 330 inhabitants, and has basic institutions such as a kindergarten, a mosque, and a newly built multi-purpose building established about two years ago, used for meetings, social occasions, and mourning houses."

He added: "As for the school, it was opened in 1962 with the efforts of the founder of the village, Muhammad Mahmoud Abu Al-Heijaa (Abu Halmi), who is my grandfather. At that time, there was no road or transportation in the village, and the only announcement cut through the wilderness on foot. This teacher was the principal, the guard, and the only educator, starting the school with 18 students, and it closed its doors in 2012, since then students have been transferred to schools in Haifa and Fureidis."

Regarding the official recognition of the village, Abu Al-Heijaa said: "The official recognition came after a long struggle, prior to recognition, which took place in 1994. There were no living conditions in the village, no roads, no electricity, no water, no health services, and there were no indications of any human life. Even the mosque did not exist; it was the family diwan, and my grandfather donated to convert it into a mosque in 1985, and that was a continuous charitable donation that remains today."

About life in the village before recognition, Abu Al-Heijaa said: "The difficulties were many, and one of the harshest was what happened in the 1960s when a pregnant woman had to give birth on the road due to the lack of ambulances; the baby fell in the middle of the valley, and she couldn't ask for a stop out of shame. After decades, the woman herself died of a heart attack while being transported to the hospital in a local car before the ambulance arrived at the location."

He noted that "the recognition of Ein Hod in 1994 came as a result of a long struggle and continuous pressure from the residents, which the residents considered a historic moment after decades of deprivation. After recognition, the postal address was changed from the settlement of 'Nir Atzion' to Ein Hod, and the village became assigned a postal symbol, and it was included in the regional council that includes about 28 Jewish towns. Later, after a legal battle, its residents were officially added to the voters' registry in the council, and the village had an elected representative, yet Ein Hod remained surrounded by restrictions and lacking several key components."

Abu Al-Heijaa concluded his remarks by saying: "The feelings we carry towards the place are complicated, filled with pain and hope. Weeks ago, I was in Ein Hod, the original village inhabited by artists; there, one of them asked me 'What are you doing here?' as if I were a stranger in the land of my ancestors. It was a painful question because the house where a foreigner lives today is the same house of my father and grandfather, with its stones, roof, and decorations."

Source: Arabs 48