Links
A wet land, a parched land
Water flows plentifully in the Jewish settlement of Eli high up on top of a hill in the heart of the West Bank.
An abundance of trees and plants–towering palm trees and magenta bougainvillea, even maples, firs and poplars–spill around the spacious, red-tiled roofed homes of the 700 families that live here.
Eli's Olympic-size swimming pool is crowded with laughing mothers and children. A peacock strolls across one of many swathes of mostly luxuriant green grass, stopping to preen its brilliant tail feathers.
Despite a summer drought that has parched the Palestinian villages dotting the valley floor below, the lush panorama is entirely fitting for a patch of land its residents believe was deeded to them by God.