Three Young Women cycle into Palestine’s history

All over Israel lie the remains of what were once Palestinian villages, neglected ruins by the wayside, deliberately removed from the landscape. Across the wall the descendants of their former inhabitants live huddled in refugee camps, but they haven’t forgotten their homes. In the words of the Cycle ’48 project, these places “are ingrained in the memory of Palestinian families, who continue to struggle for their right of return”.

Cycle ’48 was set up by Bella, Sara and Ruth, three young British women (and one of them Jewish), who cycled across Europe and met each other in Palestine. They wanted to do something together “to challenge the raging injustice here. It is hard to know how to respond to the realities of occupation and apartheid, particularly as UK citizens. How to resist the eradication of a people from their land, which has the support of powerful governments around the world, including our own?” So they got on their bicycles, and set about putting these forgotten places back on the map. They cycled across what is now Israel and what is still Palestine – “a land where stories are layered upon stories”, and met and interviewed people from both sides of the divide. “Remap – Remember – Return” is the slogan they came up with for Cycle ’48. Remembering erased histories and witnessing the present-day reality.

And guess what? They’re coming to Frome! “Join us to hear about our journey, explore the roots of this complicated conflict and delve into what these histories mean for the future of the land.” This promises to be one of our most fascinating events yet, so make sure you make a note of the date and drag all your friends along too.

St Catharine’s Hall, Park Road BA11 1EU, Friday June 3 at 7:30. Admission free but all donations will go to Cycle 48. Read their blog: it’s well written, well illustrated and incredibly evocative. https://cycle48.wordpress.com/