The Jerusalem Post published an account of life on both sides of a forest shared by Palestinians and Israelis:

LydiaAisenberg – A large forest of closely knit oak trees spreads leafyshade over a group of small hills atop a range of mountains” part ofwhich is in the State of Israel and the other part in the northernmostcorner of the West Bank. The security fence and pre-1967 armistice line(or Green Line) diverge in this area” creating a narrow zone of theWest Bank on the Israeli side of the fence.

Tranquility reigns.The only sounds come from a flock of goats slowly picking their wayover rocks and through undergrowth on the outskirts of the forest. Fromtime to time a young shepherd boy knocks a large stick on a rock togather in a few strays” the sound echoing across the narrow valleytogether with an occasional bleat from the long-haired” nimble-footedgoats.

On one side of the forest” atop a small rock-strewn hill”sits a small Palestinian village” Umm Reichan. On the other side of theforest's solid” majestic oaks is the Jewish settlement Reichan. Theyshare the name of the forest that physically separates them.

However”there is more than a dense forest creating a deep divide between theresidents of Umm Reichan and those of Reichan. Though beyond thepre-1967 border” both villages are situated on the Israeli side of thesecurity fence running through this part of the land – that the Jewishresidents refer to as “Samaria” and the local Arabs simply call”Palestine.”

Read the complete article here.