29th November
Bethlehem.
The wait is over. At 2am last night, the Israeli army arrested the brother of the girls I have been writing about.
After having slept in various locations over the last few weeks in order to avoid capture, he had stayed with a cousin last night. On only the second night at this new location, the army arrived complete with a large chunk of meat for the dog they had presumably been warned about, and took him. It looks like they were tipped off, what is harder to know is by whom.
I say the wait is over, but it is not. When the eldest brother was taken about three years ago, it was a year and a half before the family even heard what the Israelis had decided to charge him with, so the beginning of a new, longer, period of waiting has now begun.
At least he is safe. There were growing concerns that the longer he evaded capture, the more trigger-happy the soldiers would be if they came across him unexpectedly, but this is hardly a comforting thought. It is well known that spending time in Israeli jails is not pleasant, so the mental challenges for all concerned have now stepped up a notch. They have all been through this before, but what remains to be seen is whether this will help or hinder them in the weeks, months or possibly years ahead.
Don’t hold your breath for the good news from Bethlehem this Christmas.
