A Dutch Park in Saddiqine

The Dutch embassy in Lebanon donated a park to the children of Saddiqine. I drove past the sign last week, that’s how I found out. This was done in 2005, according to a sign.

Saddiqine is a small village in the South of Lebanon, some 10 kilometers from the border with Israel. I am trying to figure out why the inhabitants of Saddiqine would be in need of a park in their village, as the entire village is basically in the country side. It’s not like Beirut where it is all high-rise and kids don’t have a place to play. This is the country side. Anyway, they donated a park. Maybe they had some money left . I can think of one hundred and one humanitarian projects you can spend your money wisely on, but a park in Saddiqine would not be one of them. Maybe it was a really good deal. Since the Ukranians seem to have actually built it, it probably cost us next to nothing. Well, we are Dutch, you know. . . .

I cannot tell you what was in the park, whether there was a little fountain, some benches for the old folks to sit on, or a couple of trees, because the park has been obliterated, together with some 487 houses or so. Pulverized by Israeli bombs it has been this summer (and Yoda I am not).

I think we should protest with the Israeli government. This was, after all, a little piece of Dutch heritage.

The sign is till there though. (Seen from the back here.) It's got just the tiniest little hole in it.