From thousands of miles away, Loui Ridi has watched in horror as extremist Israeli settlers have laid siege to the home he has been building in the Palestinian West Bank village of Qusra.

Cameras he had installed beam images to him of the settlers surrounding the home and that of a neighbor, obstructing their entrances with large stones and brazenly defying the Israeli soldiers who have done little to intervene.

Inside the home are Ridi’s brother, Qusai Abu Ridi, and Qusai’s 18-year-old son, both of whom are trapped. Nearby, Youssef Hassan, his wife and daughters are also prevented from leaving their own home by the same mob of extremists.

Ridi, 46, was born and raised in Qusra and now lives in Toledo, Ohio, where he owns and runs a successful chain of gas stations and car washes. He spoke with The Times of Israel early Wednesday morning, shortly after 6 a.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Israel time). He hadn’t slept; instead, he spent the night glued to the security cameras he installed at the Qusra home.

“I told Qusai, ‘Listen, your life is more important than anything. If you feel threatened and afraid, I’ll make sure someone comes and evacuates you somewhere safe,'” Ridi told The Times of Israel.

He added, “But he doesn’t want to leave. ‘Brother,’ he tells me, ‘all I need is food. I’m not leaving our home.'”

While Ridi lives in the US, he remains deeply connected to his hometown. Along with his brother and nephew, Ridi has family and friends in Qusra, and sweet memories of home. He left the village 23 years ago and settled in Ohio. He has two daughters, aged 10 and 20.

He makes a point of visiting his family at least once annually, traveling there even more often in recent years. His 83-year-old mother suffered a stroke, and he wants to be beside her as much as possible.

He bought the land in Qusra several years ago and began building the house. So far, he said he has already invested $1 million in the still-unfinished residence.

“I bought it so my daughters would be part of my family story,” he said. “It’s the most basic impulse, to connect my girls to my identity.”

“When........

© The Times of Israel