Please Act to Prevent Demolition

I received this email this morning from EAPPI.  The South Hebron Hills village of Susiya, a village we visited often during our time in Palestine, is in imminent danger of demolition by the Israeli authorities.  Please read this letter and then, PLEASE ACT.

Thank you.

Somewhere, somehow….justice will prevail.

Peace, Salaam, Shalom,

Jan

 

 

 

From: EAPPI Advocacy Officer <eappi.advocacy@alqudsnet.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 5:21 AM
Subject: URGENT ACTION APPEAL: Imminent Threat of Mass Demolitions in the Palestinian Village of Susiya
To: EAPPI Advocacy Officer <eappi.advocacy@alqudsnet.com>

SUMMARY OF EVENTS:

 

Generations of Palestinians have lived the village of Susiya in the South Hebron Hills. Yet, this village, sandwiched between Israeli settlements, has been consistently denied building permits, basic infrastructure and has always faced a constant threat of demolition, as it is unrecognized by the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA).

 

On 3 August 2010, a group of Susiya’s residents, along with Rabbis for Human Rights, petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) against the actions of Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank. They asserted that soldiers and settlers consistently denied access of Susiya’s residents to their land and that soldiers failed to adequately protect Susiya’s residents from settler violence. The said petition, HCJ Case 5825/10, is currently pending before the HCJ.

 

Recently, a right-wing organization named Regavim, submitted a counter-petition to the HCJ, requesting that all “illegal outposts” in the Palestinian village of Susiya be destroyed by the ICA immediately. This petition, HCJ Case 1556/12, comes on the backdrop of various demolition orders that were unfairly issued against structures in Susiya over the years, but were never executed.  Needless to say, this petition denies the many protections afforded to Susiya residents under international law.

 

As a result of Regavim’s petition, there exists a real and immediate danger that 30 homes and 42 other structures, including Susiya’s school, health center and cultural center will be demolished momentarily. If Regavim’s petition is successful, it would displace all 320 residents of Susiya, 150 of whom are children, and set a precedent for other Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills & Area C, which is 62% of the West Bank.

 

Attached are photos of structures in Susiya that are under threat of demolition.

 

ADDITTIONAL INFORMATION:

Regavim is an Israeli NGO that presents itself as “a social movement that aims to prevent illegal takeover of national lands by certain bodies”. However, its own publicized record reveals that it recognizes the oPt, Golan Heights, and parts of Jordan as part of Israel, and its main objectives are to: 1. Lobby the Government of Israel to destroy Palestinian structures, whether in the West Bank or in Israel; 2. Identify and suggest to the government new opportunities for such demolitions, and 3. Stop demolitions and evictions of unauthorized Israeli-settler structures in the West Bank.

 

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW:

Article 23 of The Hague Convention of 1907 clearly states that, “it is especially forbidden (for the occupier) to destroy or seize the enemy’s property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.”

 

Article 53
of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 states, “Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.”

 

MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

We encourage you to:

·       Forward this email to your networks

·       Inform your representative in parliament about what is happening in Susiya

·       Contact (Preferably fax) the following officials and call on them to allow Palestinians in Area C to have their right to adequate housing and infrastructure without the threat of demolitions:

o   Your Ambassador and/or Consul General in Israel

§  http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Sherut/ForeignInIsrael/Continents

o   The Israeli Ambassador in your country

§  http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Diplomatic+missions/Web+Sites+of+Israeli+Missions+Abroad.htm

o   Israeli Minister of Defense:

§  Ehud Barak

§  Ministry of Defence

§  Fax: +972.3.691.6940 / +972.3.696.2757 / +972.3.697.7285

§  Email: minister@mod.gov.il / dover@mod.gov.il / pniot@mod.gov.il

o   Israeli Military Judge Advocate General:

§  Major General Avihai Mandelblit

§  Fax: +972.3.569.4526 / +972.3.608.0366

§  Email: avimn@idf.gov.il

o   Israeli Military Chief of Staff

§  Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz

§  Fax: +972.3.691.6940 / +972.697.6218

 

You may either use the sample letter below or draft your own:

 

Dear Ambassador / Consul General / Minister / Judge Advocate General / Lieutenant-General,

 

I urgently call upon you to rescind all demolition orders that were issued by the Israeli Civil Administration to the village of Susiya, in the South Hebron Hills, which consists of 72 structures in total. For many years, the 320 inhabitants of this village, half of whom are children have faced severe repression by Israeli soldiers and settlers, and repeated destruction of homes and infrastructure.

 

I call upon you to support the pending petition, HCJ Case 5825/10 submitted by Rabbis for Human Rights on behalf of the people of Sisiya, and to dismiss Regavim’s counter-petition, HCJ Case 1556/12, which calls for the destruction of this village. Regavim’s petition is a violation of Article 23 of The Hague Convention of 1907 and Article 53
of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and denies the many protections afforded to the people of Susiya under international law.

 

The residents of Susiya have the right to live peacefully in their homes!

 

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

–

Pain and Politics

Over the last 4 weeks there have been a number of disturbing incidences in the South Hebron Hills.

January 15:  17 year old Amal Hamamdeh appeared in military court at the prison base of Ofer, near Jerusalem, facing charges stemming from the Nov 24 demolition of a mosque and 5 other buildings (including the family home) in Umm Fagarah.  She is charged with throwing water and spitting at a soldier and swearing at the security forces.  Amal was arrested as she was about to pass a water bottle to her cousin Sausan Hamamdeh after Sausan had been either tear gassed or pepper sprayed at close range by one of the soldiers at the demolition (see previous blog posts dated Nov27, Dec 1 and Dec 23).  Later, while being transported to the Kiryat Arba police station, Amal was sexually harassed by one of the soldiers sitting with her in the army jeep.  At the police station, interrogators had her confess to throwing water at a soldier during the demolition.  Amal’s next court appearance is Feb 5 (results to follow).  To date, the family has had to borrow  over 20,000NIS (approx $6500 Cdn) to cover Sausan and Amal’s legal fees and court costs.

January 20:  Two young boys aged 11 and 13 from the village of Jinba were injured by the explosion of a military device while grazing their flocks on Palestinian owned land.  Both sustained non life threatening but serious leg injuries requiring surgery.  The village of Jinba lies close to the Green Line and close to an Israeli military training area called “Firing Area 918.”

January 25:  Israeli Defense Forces bulldozers arrived at the village of Um al Kher and demolished 2 homes.  One belonged to an elderly couple.  The owner became ill after being pushed by soldiers.  The second house belonged to a 45 year old widow named Miyaser and her 8 children.  Their house was first demolished by the Israeli authorities in October of 2008.  It was replaced with a mud and stone house built by her extended family.  Last week it too was left in ruins by the Israeli army bulldozers.  Activists from the Israeli group Taayush have built a small tin house for her and her family.  While almost all of the buildings in Um al Kher have demolition permits against them, there were no demolition permits for these 2 houses. Nonetheless, they were demolished.  As the bulldozers did their demolition work, bulldozers in the background were working to expand the neighbouring Karmel settlement. (settlements are illegal under International Humanitarian Law.)

Miyaser's mud and stone house

the same house after it was demolished Jan 25

Miyaser's new house, built by Israeli activist Ta'ayush volunteers

February 3:   On the morning of Feb 3 a group of settlers from two settlements entered the Palestinian village of At Tuwani escorted by 4 IDF (Israeli Defense Force) vehicles. Some of these settlers were armed.  They marched to an archaeological site in the centre of the village, walking on Palestinian fields and destroying an olive tree enroute.  Soldiers kept the Palestinians away.  Some of the settlers prayed at the archaeological site while others provoked the Palestinians.  None of the Palestinians responded violently.

February 7:  Nine Israeli soldiers broke into a house at 1am in the village of Al Karmil, South Hebron Hills. They stayed in the house until 11:00 am. The family of the house, two parents and their children between the ages of 1 to 4, were forced into a room while the soldiers took over the rest of the house and placed guards on the roof.The soldiers helped themselves to tea and coffee and used the family’s electric radiator.  After leaving the house at 11 o’clock, they established a checkpoint between Al Karmil and the road leading to At Tuwani at 11:40. At 12:30 they took away the roadblock and went back into Al Karmil to go through the village and out the other side where they stayed in a house under construction.

February 15:  Israeli demolition crews pulled into 2 South Hebron Hills villages, creating yet more destruction and pain.  In the first village, 1 home was demolished (occupants were not allowed to retrieve any of their belongings prior to the demolition) along with 2 cisterns and 4 animal sheds.  15 lambs died as they were not released from their pen prior to the demolition.  Details of the 2nd village’s demolition are not yet available.  The same day, demolition crews pulled into 2 villages in the Jordan Valley, leaving 33 people homeless.  This is winter now in Palestine and conditions are harsh.

Two weeks ago, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty traveled to Palestine and Israel.  During his visit Mr Baird repeatedly stated “Israel has no greater friend in the world than Canada.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/bairds-israel-visit-comes-with-a-personal-mission/article2320658/  He said that “the state of Israel embodies principles that Canada values and respects” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/article2320300.ece and that our government “believes so passionately in Israel’s right not only to exist, but to exist as a Jewish state and to live in peace and security.” He also stated “In this region [the Middle East] today there is only one liberal democracy, only one place that values and respects democracy, human rights and the rule of law. And that is our ally [Israel],” he told the Jerusalem Post.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/baird-sticks-to-party-line-israels-likud-party/article2326345/

At times, I wonder if I am home.  The Canada I love is a multicultural, officially bilingual country whose constitution upholds all citizens equally. We include, rather than exclude.  According to our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, “Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.”  Our fundamental freedoms include those of “conscience and religion.”  Under the Equality Rights section of the Charter, it states “Every individual is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination based on race, national or ethic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” ( all Charter quotes taken from http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/const/const1982.html#freedoms.)

Each one of the incidents in the South Hebron Hills – incidents that are absolute assaults on the humanity of Palestinians – are a direct result of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.  Not one of these people can possibly be conceived as a security threat to the State of Israel.  These, and a multitude of other atrocities deliberately designed to hurt and punish the Palestinian people while enabling Israel to take more and more Palestinian land, are carried out on a daily basis throughout Palestine by the Israeli authorities.  Given the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms respect for “the rule of law,” I am left to wonder why Canada supports an Israeli government that clearly contravenes International Humanitarian Law (including the Geneva Conventions),  that clearly ignores multiple UN Resolutions, and has repeatedly done so for over 40 years!  Given that our Charter of Rights and Freedoms explicitly upholds equality of all races, religions, national and ethnic origins, how can we support the concept of a fully “Jewish state” that would clearly give privilege and freedoms to some and not to others based on race, religion and national and ethnic origin?  Should our government not uphold the values of the Canadian people as entrenched in our Constitution and profess these values to the rest of the world?

Make no mistake about it.  Our government knows exactly what is happening in the West Bank and Gaza.  They are aware of the contraventions of international law perpetrated on a daily basis by the Israeli government.  Myself and my Canadian colleagues before me have repeatedly shared what we have witnessed with officials of both the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Canadian Consulate in Ramallah.  Numerous human rights and peace organizations have spoken out against the human rights abuses the Israelis routinely perpetrate against the Palestinian people.  The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs regularly circulates updated reports of demolitions, impediments to Palestinian travel, settler harassment, etc on their website http://www.ochaopt.org.  Why does our government choose to ignore these truths?

Of course the Israeli people are entitled to secure their nation and to define it as they wish.  But should Canada be overtly supportive of a government that perpetrates actions that so violently harm an illegally occupied people?  Should we support a state whose laws include some but exclude others?  Should we support a state that is in the process of building a security barrier (in places a wall three times the height of the Berlin Wall) that does not follow the international boundary but rather cuts regularly into Palestinian territory, to the extent that it is 670km long when the total length of the green line boundary is only 315km?  Even a previous Israel Prime Minister has conceded that the Wall was not built for security purposes, but rather to demarcate the physical border of the State of Israel.

And what about water?  Amnesty International revealed the extent to which Israel’s discriminatory water policies and practices are denying Palestinians their right to access to water in a 2009 report.  They stated that average Israeli water consumption per person is 300L/day, while Palestinian average consumption is 70L/day and in some places as low as 20L/day. “Some 180,000-200,000 Palestinians living in rural communities have no access to running water and the Israeli army often prevents them from even collecting rainwater. In contrast, Israeli settlers, who live in the West Bank in violation of international law, have intensive-irrigation farms, lush gardens and swimming pools.” http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/israel-rations-palestinians-trickle-water-20091027  Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills are not allowed to drill wells, while neighbouring settlers dig at will.  In the Jordan Valley, Palestinians are not allowed to drill wells deep enough to reach water, while neighbouring settlers can dig as deep as they like.  Is this not a clear separation of rights based on ethnicity?   Every time I turn on a tap, I think of my Palestinian friends, many of whom are existing on 20L/day or less.  I think of the young, 18 year old woman living in Um al Kher, a village that frequently experiences water shortages when the neighbouring settlement chooses to shut off their meager water supply (as they did in the heat of September to punish the villagers for Palestine’s application for statehood at the UN).  Settlement industrial chicken and cattle facilities continue to consume copious quantities of water while the Palestinian villagers receive none.  On one hot afternoon I offered to share my water with her.  She declined, stating that she would not drink, that she would simply think of this most recent water shortage as a fast.  Her courage moved me deeply.  For water is not optional.  Water is the very substance of life.

And then there’s the ongoing issues of illegal Israeli settlement expansion,  building demolitions and restriction of movement.  Statistics show that both settlement expansion and building demolitions experienced new highs in 2011.  Settlement expansions are built on Palestinian land, thereby taking land from the Palestinians – land that they have owned for generations and use for agricultural purposes (olive, fruit and nut production, crop production, livestock grazing land).  Demolitions of houses, livestock facilities, infrastructure (eg power lines into a village), schools and mosques beat down an already exhausted people.  Restriction of movement through the more than 500 checkpoints within the occupied territories separate farmers from their land and limit Palestinian access to employment,  places of worship, schools, hospitals and visits with family.

None of these realities show me that the state of Israel “values and respects democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”  Mr Baird, the evidence is to the contrary.   These are far from the “principles that Canada values and respects.”  As do all nations, the State of Israel has the right to exist and the right to secure it’s borders.  But it does not have the right to flaunt international law with impunity.  It does not have the right to occupy Palestine.  It does not have the right to build permanent settlements on occupied land.   It does not have the right to wreak havoc and suffering on the lives of innocent civilians.

Violence is deplorable at all levels.  After years of oppression at the hands of the occupation, Palestinians at times have lashed out violently.  While this may be understandable at some level, it cannot be condoned and must be condemned.  The Palestinian people desire peace.  They are exhausted by this occupation and simply want for it all to end.  They do not want more violence and instead profess nonviolent resistance to the occupation.  Just as acts of terrorism at the hands of extremists is deplorable, so too is structural violence played out by the state upon an occupied people.  We, in Canada, cannot condemn one level of violence without condemning all violence.

As a citizen of Canada, I expect my government to uphold the foundations that this country was built upon, both at home and abroad.  Playing a political game that separates winners and losers based on ethnicity and religion is abhorrent to our Canadian values.  Blatantly supporting an oppressive regime with a long history of ignoring International Humanitarian Law and numerous UN resolutions is equally abhorrent and lowers Canada’s reputation on the world stage for fairness, decency and respect for the law.  For any peace agreement to be possible, it must be based on justice, addressing the sources of the conflict.  The Canadian people, our Israeli friends, and our Palestinian friends would be far better served by a Canadian government that put aside obvious political agendas and instead acted impartially,  in accordance with international law and UN resolutions.   A true friend would hold both parties accountable for their actions and  insist upon a just peace for all in the Holy Land.

Peace, Salaam, Shalom,

Jan

More Demolition Threats in the South Hebron Hills

This past week I received an email from Operative Dove, an Italian peace group that works in the South Hebron Hills, telling us that the village of Um al Kher is now under greater threat of demolition.  The village is deemed illegal by the Israeli’s and is now at risk of being totally demolished, despite the fact that it sits on land that was purchased by the villager’s forefathers in the early 1950′s (after they were pushed off their original homeland).  We visited this village several times while in Palestine and there are a number of references to it on earlier blog posts. The villagers are kind, humble peasants seeking to live in peace, and to do so nonviolently. I learned many important life lessons from them and count them as dear friends.

Eid and his Dad Sulaiman, standing in their village of Um al Kher

Here is the email from Operation Dove:

“PRESS RELEASE
Bedouin village of Umm Al Kheer under demolition threat, South Hebron Hills

January 10th, 2012

At-Tuwani – On January 8th, the DCO delivered stop working orders to 8 infrastructures in the Palestinian village of Umm Al Kheer.

In the morning the Israeli Civil Administration, escorted by an Israeli army jeep, entered the Palestinian village of Umm Al Kheer. After examining different buildings, the officers registered the identity of the owners of eight structures and then issued stop working orders.
Among the identified structures, there is also the fencing of the football field built on December 30th by Palestinians in cooperation with an Israeli group. At that time Israeli authorities gave a verbal permission to the construction.

The deadline to appeal to Israeli High Court is fixed on January 22nd. In case of failure of any appeal, the stop working orders will be followed by demolition orders.

The inhabitants of Umm Al Kheer said that 12 more structures in the village are under demolition orders (eight of which are dwellings) for a total of 20 structures. That means that most of the village risks to be eliminated in the next future.
Two of the families received the stop working order for the houses that they are building to replace the old ones, demolished on the 8th of September 2011 (see Press release at: http://goo.gl/GekGM  ).

Umm Al Kheer is a Bedouin village in area C (under Israeli civil and military administration) built in 1948.   It’s located close to the Israeli settlement of Karmel established  during the beginning of the ’80s and expanded in the recent years. The village routinely experiences harassment from Israeli settlers and military.

The last events are part of a planned strategy to expel the Bedouin community in order to permit a further expansion of the settlement of Karmel. In October 2008 the Israeli army demolished ten house-tents. The demolitions left 60 people homeless. In July 2009 some toilets were destroyed too. On September 8th 2011 three houses and one toilet were demolished.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Pictures of the incident: http://goo.gl/fruCV

For further information:
Operation Dove, 054 99 25 773

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma'on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]“

As I read this email containing such horrible news, I thought of my friends…. of Eid and his wife and children, of his sister Iman, of their parents and sisters and their other family.  I thought of the children I played football with only weeks ago.

Myself and my teammate Matti (Finland), taking a break while the football game carries on at Um al Kher. Those barefooted kids could sure do wonders with the football! And the boy who was having fun with my camera took some great photos!

I thought of the wonderful hospitality the villager’s had shown us….and of the meal we had shared on our last visit. I thought of the oppression they live under, and the toll that this oppression is taking on their lives.  I thought of my sense of horror as I stood in the village and looked over at the industrial chicken barns in the neighbouring Karmel settlement and thought of all that they stand for, and how so often water goes to the chickens but is denied to the people of Um al Kher.

view from Um al Kher with Karmel settlement industrial chicken barns in the background..

a donkey stands in the village of Um al Kher, only metres from the yellow homes of the Israeli Karmel settlement

The locked gate to the Karmel settlement. It is illegal for Palestinians to enter an Israeli settlement unless they have a work permit.

And I thought of the villagers strong and firm resolve to seek peace and to live nonviolently, even in the face of strong Israeli aggression and violence towards them.

Our world is a very broken place…..

The injustice of this is beyond comprehension…..

The cruelty of this is beyond comprehension…..

The village of Um al Kher is denied access to basic services such as electricity (available to the Karmel settlement only metres from the village) and consistent water (the water pipe passes through the Karmel settlement and the supply is frequently cut off by the settlers).  Think about this for a moment.  The village is located IN PALESTINE!!! (NOT IN ISRAEL!!!) Israeli’s are granted these services at reduced rates to those charged in Israel.  But Palestinians cannot even access them, IN PALESTINE!!!.  Land has been taken from them for the settlement, leaving less and less grazing land for the villagers sheep – quite a significant blow, given that sheep herding is their primary source of income.  Villagers endure harassment from both the settlers and the army.  Weeks ago, youth from the settlement destroyed some of the villager’s olive and nut trees planted in the valley and attempted to gain access to the village water cistern.  They were driven away by villagers (cistern poisoning (eg dropping a dead chicken into the cistern) has happened to themselves and other villages in the past).  When villagers called the police to report the vandalism, the police hung up because they recognized it was Palestinians who were calling.  This happened for three consecutive calls.  And of course, there have been other demolitions….the most recent being two houses and a community toilet that the army destroyed this past September.

The cruelty of this is beyond comprehension…..

The injustice of this is beyond comprehension…..

And now…..after having endured so much…..now there is the very real threat of further demolitions…..demolitions that will wipe out the entire village.  These are wonderful, beautiful people who only want to live their lives in peace.

Our world is indeed a very broken place…..

I commit to working towards an end to this Occupation, and I invite each reader to do their part.  Tell the story of Um al Kher.  Get the word out there.  The world must eventually stand up and demand an end to the horrible injustices the state of Israel is perpetrating against innocent civilians  – against vulnerable and oppressed people who only seek peace.  Political leaders the world over eventually respond to public pressure.  Let’s give it to them!

Peace, Salaam, Shalom,

Jan

Moving Forward

My 3 month EAPPI term has drawn to a close and I have returned to Canada. Our team left our Yatta house Dec 4. We travelled to Jerusalem for our closing days, joining our EA colleagues from other placements to debrief and to prepare for our travels home.

I offer my deepest and heartfelt thanks to the wonderful people of the South Hebron Hills who so warmly and generously welcomed us to their lives and taught us so much, to my teammates Chris, Bosse and Matti with whom I lived and worked and shared this journey together as friends,  to our driver Abed who continues to inspire me, and to our EAPPI colleagues who are now this amazing group of friends, scattered around the world.  I also thank the World Council of Churches who organize and operate the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, and the United Church of Canada who entrusted me with the privilege of serving with EAPPI. I am also very grateful to my family who have been immensely supportive and encouraging, as well as to my friends who have supported me with thoughts and prayers these last months.

Our EAPPI handover ceremony was held December 5, 2011 at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City of Jerusalem. Outgoing teams from each of the 7 placements handed over our work to incoming teams. Our South Hebron Hills Team 41, comprised of Bosse Johansson (Sweden), Chris Cowan (USA), Matti Marjamaki (Finland) and myself handed over our work in the South Hebron Hills to the capable hands of the incoming team of Rosamond Robertson (Scotland), Kristoffer Eriksson (Sweden), Eva Marie Morf (Switzerland) and Terje Stenholt (Norway). I have every confidence that they are, and will continue to do,  a superb job of continuing the work of EAPPI in the South Hebron Hills.  As they carry on in this work, I offer them my prayers and support.

EAPPI South Hebron Hills Team 41 (L to R) Matti Marjamaki (Finland), Chris Cowan (USA), Bosse Johansson (Sweden), Jan McIntyre (Canada). Friends forever!!

EAPPI SHH Team 41 at the Handover Ceremony Dec 5, 2011 (L to R) Bosse, Chris, Jan, Matti

Team 41 (R) handing over to Team 42 (L) Team 42 members (L toR) Kristoffer, Eva Marie, Terje, Rosamond.

I returned to Canada Dec 8, a few days earlier than originally scheduled. My mother was diagnosed in November with acute leukemia and it was important for me to get home as soon as I could. Since arriving home, we have been able to arrange palliative care for Mum and to spend precious time together. It is a gift to be here with her.  Our entire family from Manitoba were able to come to Ontario for Christmas.  It was so good to be able to finally see them all, and to share Christmas together with Mum and our other family here.  I hope to be able to return to Manitoba in the near future.

It is interesting how our hearts can be in more than one place at a time. While I am back in Canada and fully present with family, much of my heart is also in Palestine. One cannot spend 3 intense months there and not be changed by the experience. There are still so many stories to tell, and still so much information to share. While we were in Palestine, there simply was not enough time in the day to write as much as I would have liked. I also know that as time goes on there are, and will be updates to stories I have written that need to be told. I look forward to continuing to share these stories with you over the next months through this blog.

For now, however, my primary focus switches to family and to my mother, to whom I owe so very much and love so dearly. Along with other family members, I will accompany her on this part of life’s journey.

Jesus lived his life reaching out in love to others, advocating and acting for justice and peace. As followers of Jesus, we too are called to that same way of living.

Please, please, please use the information you have learned in this blog to further educate others about what is really happening in this long and painful conflict.  Unfortunately, our news media either choose not to report this story, or to report it inaccurately, with gross and very hurtful exaggerations, deceptions and distortions.    Please, please, please advocate as strongly as you possibly can for an end to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. It is an Occupation that has gone on far too long. It is an Occupation that is crushing the lives of the Palestinian people, while also hurting the souls of the Israeli’s. Both peoples deserve far more.

Canadian Thom Davies is currently serving on behalf of the United Church of Canada with EAPPI Team 42 and is placed in Yanoun. Within the last week, his team has attended a Palestinian community that has suffered two attacks from nearby settlers. What does that mean? It means that their village was attacked on two separate nights by a mob of between 40 and 200 armed and masked people dressed in black. Their homes were stoned, windows were broken, vehicles were destroyed. Their people were terrified and they are suffering from obvious emotional trauma. Two pregnant women were hospitalized and one was delivered by caesarean before the next morning. Rather than coming to the aid of the villagers, the IDF (Israeli army) protected the settlers. Thom reports the testimony of one of the villager’s, a 48 year old father of 7 children aged 4-21, whose home was damaged in the attack. Part of it reads: “the night of the attack, the people near our house had guns, the others broke up into two groups, one with rocks and one with stones, and some had dogs. There were flying checkpoints in our village that night to keep our friends away. There were 50 soldiers who protected the settlers with light bombs, sound bombs and tear gas. When the settlers ran away the soldiers came from both sides. The problem is not the window, I can buy a new window. The problem is I live here, this my home, my family, my children.” This man and his family have lived in this place for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Some of his land has already been stolen from him by these illegal settlers. They obviously want more. He and his fellow villagers are hated for their mere existence and for their persistence in remaining on their ancestoral land.

Thom writes: “For years now the settlers fromYitzhak settlement have attacked the village of Asira Al Qibliya with hatred and impunity. For years now the Israeli Defense forces protect the settlers, rather than the occupied villages for whom, according to international law, the military have a legal responsibility to provide protection. For years now the village of Asira Al Qibliya has been the victims of violence and intimidation. For years now the world continues to believe that the Palestinians whose land has been stolen and whose homes are being invaded are the terrorists.” (to read the full story of this attack please read Thom’s blog posting dated January 4, 2012 at: http://thominpalestine.wordpress.com/)

These, and the stories you have read in “A Mosaic for Peace” are not fiction. They are absolutely true.

They are not occasional incidents. They just happen to be the stories that we have been present to. The sad, but true reality is that these kinds of atrocities happen frequently throughout Palestine to innocent Palestinians. This is part of the pain of the Israeli Occupation.

Please have the courage to let your heart be touched by the suffering that this Occupation brings. Talk to your friends. Discuss this issue over morning coffee. Read reports. Get more informed. A few of the many helpful and informative websites of groups working to alleviate humanitarian suffering and bring an end the Occupation are:

Machsom Watch http://www.machsomwatch.org/en

Breaking the Silence  http://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/

Peace Now http://peacenow.org.il/eng/

Kairos Palestine http://www.kairospalestine.ps/

Comet Me http://www.comet-me.org/

UNICEF  http://www.unicef.org/oPt/

Who Profits?   http://www.whoprofits.org/

UNRWA    http://www.unrwa.org

Write letters to the editor of our newspapers. Participate in focus groups and groups working towards justice. Contact your elected representatives, asking them to hold Israel accountable for the hurts they are intentionally imposing upon the Palestinian people. Israel’s documented refusal, both through words and through actions, to adhere to the Geneva Conventions, to the rulings of the International Court of Justice,to multiple UN resolutions and the Oslo Accords cannot continue to be ignored by the world. Like other nations, they too must be held accountable for illegal acts. Our Palestinian brothers and sisters are counting on us to raise world awareness to the injustices, pain and atrocities that are being regularly inflicted upon them by this Occupation, to tell the world of the humanitarian suffering they are enduring that is directly related to this Occupation. There are many Israeli’s who feel the wrongness of this Occupation and desperately want it to end. It is up to us, those of us who know what is happening, to speak loudly and to speak clearly on behalf of justice, on behalf of peace and on behalf of those who are oppressed and cannot speak for themselves. The power of knowledge is the power to act.

People often say, and perhaps believe, that they have no power. That their voice doesn’t count. They wonder what point there is to getting involved? My response is to first remember that we are fortunate enough to live in a democracy and that each person does count, and then to think about the cumulative action of people working together. If each person reading this blog could summons up the courage to take just one action towards helping to resolve this conflict, think of the change that could happen. Then think of the exponential effect that would happen if each person could engage just one other person in the issue, and so on. Real change happens first at the grassroots level. I invite you to become part of the solution.

I also invite you to pray. Prayer is a natural part of our living, vital relationship with God. Regardless of our circumstances, regardless of our resources, it is something that we all can do. Perhaps you would like to become part of the Sabeel Wave of Prayer, a weekly prayer chain that encircles the globe. You can become part of it by filling in the form at http://www.sabeel.org/waveofprayer.php  and each week you will receive a message in your inbox updating you with the current week’s prayer. Perhaps you can encourage your congregation to become engaged in the issue and to pray regularly for an end to this painful conflict. Perhaps you would prefer to pray in private. The choice is yours. But as people of faith, prayer is an indispensable part of our lives. Please pray for those affected by this conflict, and please pray for peace for all in this troubled land.

Thank you for your interest in my Palestinian and Israeli experience. Thank you for being part of this mosaic for peace. I am astounded by how this mosaic has grown and how it has touched and been touched by so many lives, all of whom contribute in their unique way to the ongoing action of peace building and peace seeking. Only now do I begin to realize how this mosaic is but a small, though important part of the much greater mosaic, in which the Divine is ever present.

The journey is ongoing. I will continue to use this blog to update stories and information as it becomes available. As we all move forward, learning, taking steps to enhance awareness, to empower others, praying and taking action towards achieving a just and lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people, the mosaic of peace grows. As our Palestinian friends taught us to say in Arabic, Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God.

Peace, Salaam, Shalom,

Jan

Um Fagarah girls’ court update

The two young girls from Um Fagarah who were arrested at the time of the demolitions in their village and held for several days before being released on bail,  have had their day in court.  Ultimately, charges against Amal were dropped and Sausan, with a plea bargain,  was given a sentence equal to her time spent in jail, a 1 month suspended sentence and a 3000NIS (approx $1000 Cdn) fine.

We interviewed both girls approximately 3 weeks ago after their release on bail.  They spoke of difficult conditions in the Israeli jails….both were handcuffed and double blindfolded for an entire day and a half and were not offered bathroom facilities during this time, they were both moved several times from one penal institution to another, the food was inedible, one of the rooms they were held in for several days was unbearably cold, and one girl was kicked in the stomach by a soldier during a transfer.

Below are excerpts from a letter written by Ehud Krinis of the Villages Group:

“My colleague Dani Alexandrovitch and I came to Ofer  army camp in Monday 19.12.11 to attend the court proceeding regarding Sausan Hamamdah from Mufaqara (Umm Faqara). As could have been expected, it resulted in a   plea bargain. Under the present circumstances (whereby police investigators   managed to have Sausan confess assaulting a soldier, on her first arrest day   at Kiryat Arba), this conclusion achieved by attorney Neri Haramati is considered a good one for the defendant.

Following Sausan’s contestation, the plea bargain – agreed upon by the defense and prosecution and adopted by the judge – does not include the claim that she was warned in Arabic by the soldiers during the event itself. Prior to the court proceeding, at the initiative of attorney   Haramati, another allegation was removed from the plea bargain – the claim that Sausan tried to pick up a second ‘stone-rock’ against the soldiers before   they arrested her.  The two allegations were made by the prosecution and   accepted by the military judge at her remand on 29.11.11.

Finally the judge’s verdict includes the three   following items:

1. a jail sentence of 8 days, concurrent with the time Sausan was held in custody at the end of last month.

2. suspended jail sentence of one month for the next two years

3. a 3,000 NIS fine.

As for Amal Hamamdah, arrested along with Sausan on 24.11.11, attorney Haramati informed no charges would be pressed against her so she would not have to attend to the court today 21.12.11 as previously required.

Response to our appeal in our last update, when we called for donations for Sausan and Amal’s legal expenses, has been good. About twenty donors have helped us significantly to cover the costs of the court proceedings against the two detainees. Our efforts are not over: At the initiative of women activists of “Beit Ha’am” on Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Blvd. who visited Sausan and Amal at Mufaqara last week, a benefit and solidarity evening is planned for next week.”

An extended report on this story, written by Assaf Oron of the Villages Group,  is available at:

http://villagesgroup.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/update-about-sausan-and-amal-2-palestinian-girls-arrested-for-trying-to-prevent-their-homes-demolition/

If you are interested in learning more, the above report is well worth reading.

Obviously, both girls are now free.  But both underwent humiliation, discomfort and considerable anxiety as a result of these trumped up charges against them.  In the end, several buildings in their village were intentionally demolished (including Sausan’s family home) by the Israeli military machine.  Sausan’s mother’s leg is still healing.  Neither girl committed any crime but Sausan now has a criminal record.  The whole incident has cost this family plenty, in terms of human heartache and in the costs associated with lawyers, fines, travel to and from Jerusalem, etc.  Justice has not been served, but the anguish of ongoing jail time has been averted.  Let us pray that healing can occur and that these girls can move on with their lives.

The Villages Group is an Israeli human rights group who regularly visit Palestinians in their homes and offer what help they can to them.  When I asked one of them why they do what they do, she told me that they have to do what is right.  She also said “they (the Israeli government) can tell me lots of things, but they cannot tell me who I can be friends with.”  More information about the Villages Group can be found at http://villagesgroup.wordpress.com/about

Peace, Salaam, Shalom,

Jan

Dkaika TV news report

You may remember that one of my previous posts talked about the village of Dkaika. It is a community in the extreme southern portion of the West Bank that has demolition orders on virtually the entire village.  Totally appalled by the potential for such intentional and devastating harm to innocent people, we promised to advocate on behalf of the village.  This past Monday, EAPPI organized a press tour to Dkaika.  One of the press reports from this tour can be found  at http://www.presstv.ir/detail/216713.html   Included in the report is a television news report. It is well worth the time to download the video and see the village and the people of Dkaika.

Many thanks to all who contributed towards organizing this press tour.  Advocacy on behalf of the people of Dkaika WILL continue!

Peace, Salaam, Shalom,

Jan

An Unexpected Gift

I have learned a multitude of lessons from my Palestinian friends – many of which I am probably not yet conscious of. But there is one lesson that was distinctly personal….one that caused me to step back and look at myself, and to see myself with new eyes.

It has to do with being a Hajji.

When we first arrived in Yatta, it didn’t take long to notice that just about every “old” woman was referred to as a Hajji. I thought it was just a nice term to refer to old women (who, of course, were much older than me….or at least looked it).

Until one day Abed, our young, 25 year old driver (and friend), referred to me as a Hajji. Now that was a different story!!

My western culture that idolizes youth at all costs clicked into high gear. Aghast at the very thought of such a thing, I steamed silently to myself. What do you mean….me a Hajji?? Of course not. I am not old. I am fit….I can go up and down the mountain to Jinba. I can powerwalk up and down the hills of Yatta. I cross country ski at home. I canoe and swim in the summertime. I have some grey hair….but just a bit…..Some wrinkles….but not THAT many….. a grandson, yes. But he’s just a baby. How could Abed say such a thing? What was he thinking??? Does he not realize how offensive this is??

But then, I watched, and I listened, and I learned….

On one occasion, we visited a young mother to discuss educational goals and aspirations for her small, remote village. The young mother and myself shared a significant level of trust and we had a deep, open and honest discussion that day. As we were leaving, I bent down to say goodbye to her precious three year old daughter, a child I was very fond of. The beautiful child kissed me on both cheeks and took my hand and kissed it. Her mother explained that this was a sign of appreciation, affection and respect especially reserved for an older woman, a Hajji.

Another time, I had the privilege of attending an Eid celebration of sacrifice, a religious ritual of great significance to Muslims. Present and overseeing the whole event was the family matriarch, the Hajji. The family brought her over to where we were standing to introduce her to us, the international guests. She then took a place of honour, sitting on a chair overlooking the sacrificial ritual that was taking place. You could not help but notice that as each guest arrived to join the Eid celebration they first greeted the Hajji, kissing her on both cheeks and bowing to kiss her hand. It was only after greeting her, that they spoke to and visited with other family and guests.

the family matriarch, the Hajji, overseeing the ritual of the Eid sacrifice, joined by myself and a young child

Over months, I watched our neighbour’s family, observing the high place of honour they hold for their mother. At 65, she is mother to 9 living children, ranging in age from 25 to late 40′s. She is an integral part of her children’s lives and their family’s lives. Their love is evident. They spend time together. They laugh together. They enjoy her company. They respect her immensely.

our neighbour....a precious Hajji friend

I learned that in Palestinian circles, age is something that is talked about. It is not considered rude to ask a person how old they are. It is simply a fact of life, a point of interest. They wonder why we westerners are reticent to discuss age.

I learned that the hardships of the Occupation lead people to age quickly. On average, the Palestinian people look older for their age than westerners do and their life expectancy is correspondingly lower. Years of suffering, less than adequate nutrition, the struggle for water, lack of access to medical care….they all take a toll.

I noticed that products such as hair dye, age defying anti wrinkle creams, and the like are available in Palestine, but are much less evident than in North America. Poverty no doubt plays a role in making these products inaccessible to the majority of women, but it seemed that if that were not the case, these products would still be deemed unnecessary.

I learned that the word Hajji comes from the phrase “the Haj” …the Muslim journey to Mecca that every Muslim is to make once in their lifetime. Strictly speaking, a Hajji is a woman who has made the journey to Mecca, who carries the deep spirituality that is gained from a lifetime of living and the experience of the journey to Mecca. But in every day circles, the word Hajji is a fond term of respect, appreciation and endearment for an older woman – an acknowledgement of the wisdom that life well lived brings.

From my Palestinian friends, I learned to look at myself from a new perspective. I learned how insidiously our culture affects our thoughts, our expectations and our attitudes towards both ourselves and others – even when we think it doesn’t. I learned to look more closely at our western culture’s adulation of youth and it’s costly impacts upon the self image of middle aged and older women, and to more fully discard that shallow and empty view of life. I learned to recognize and appreciate myself and others in a new way. To accept what is and to celebrate the fulness of what is with joy.

I learned to love hearing the workers at the checkpoint greet me with a warm and enthusiastic “Good morning, Hajji!!”

And I loved hearing Abed greet me as Hajji and refer to me as Hajji. What an absolute gift he has taught me.

Thank you Abed. Thank you Palestine.

Peace,Salaam, Shalom,

Jan

A Letter to Tony Blair from a community with pending demolitions

The following post was written by my friend and colleague, Marthie Momberg.  Marthie was a member of the EAPPI Yanoun Team 41.  Living in Yanoun from early September to early December, they served the surrounding area and the Jordan Valley.  Canadian Thom Davies is a member of EAPPI Yanoun team 42 and will be there until February.  Marthie’s post serves to further illustrate the grave injustices imposed upon the Palestinian people and the pain of intentional demolitions at the hands of the Israelis.  Please access Marthie’s blog directly at http://marthiemombergblog.wordpress.com/ for updates on this story and to learn more about the situation in the Jordan Valley.

On Thursday November 10 2011, the Israeli authorities handed over demolition orders that target 17 structures and will affect 72 people, including women and children, in Al Hadidiya, in the Jordan Valley.

These orders were not handed over personally, but simply left in a shelter on Abu Saker’s farm.  None of the orders contain ID numbers. The community is assisted by a lawyer.  They have papers from the Ottoman period (thus before the Jordanian and the British reigns) to show that they live on their own land.

Al Hadidiya comprises 112 permanent inhabitants plus some 130 further inhabitants who left the area during the winter season as Israeli forces have destroyed their homes already.

Many of the families have already suffered several home and property demolition in clear violation of international law and human rights, all the while settlements in the same area are state subsidized and their mainly agricultural produce – a result of a war crime – is still allowed into European markets.

While the international community discusses Palestinian statehood, on the ground Israel is continuing the ethnic cleansing and colonization of Palestine with a further displacement push in the Jordan Valley.

A double message: a warning of a firing zone (i.e. Palestinians who enter may be shot) and on the side, a trail marker (if you’re an Israeli, go ahead and enjoy nature). There are many of these in the Jordan Valley.

Al Hadidiya is a Bedouin community of some 112 permanent inhabitants and some 130 further inhabitants that during the two cold winter months return back to villages near Tubas as Israeli forces have destroyed their homes already and they have not found the necessary means to build shelters that can protect them from the winter cold.

On Thursday November 10, the Israeli authorities served the community nine new demolition orders that target 17 structures and will affect 72 people , including women and children.

The new Yanoun team (Group 42) discussing the demolition orders with Abu Saker on his farm.

Since 1998, the Israeli occupation authorities have implemented a systematic and continuous drive to permanently expel the Palestinians residents of the Jordan Valley from their lands. Most of the people in Al Hadidiya have had already their homes destroyed more than five times. Animal shelters and other property is regularly destroyed.

As the Palestinian residents are not allowed access the water from the pipes the Israeli water company Mekorot manages for the use of the settlements, and the digging of wells is prohibited, water has to be brought from a natural spring in the area. Especially in the summer months, Israeli authorities confiscate the water tanks in which the water is transported and stored.

Long, high earth banks created by Israelis prohibit Palestinians to reach their own land in the Jordan Valley.

The people in Al Hadidiya are entirely dependent on rearing animals as they do not have sufficient water for agriculture. In the nearby Jewish-only settlements of Ro’i and Beqa’ot, agricultural produce is farmed using hi-tech methods and with an abundance of water. Much of this agricultural produce is exported to European supermarkets by Israeli agricultural export companies including Bickel, Mehadrin and Arava.

The Occupation authorities justify their demolition and expulsion order with the fact that the area has been designated a military zone since the 1970s. The 600 people of the communities of Mak’oul, Samra, Hadidiye and Humsa that have been living and grazing their cattle in the 300 000 dunums of the northern Jordan Valley for generations state that the area is not even used as a military zone.

The entrance to Abu Saker’s farm has been blocked by inhabitants from the illegal settlement Roi, and he now has to use a 15 minute detour through the veldt to reach his home.

Abu Saker (60) on his farm in Al Hadidiya

We will not leave (again)

(Afrikaans hieronder)

Rialb-Abu Saker (60) greeted us energetically, his wiry figure in black against the pastel shades of the untilled land like a pen on a pale page.  It was around noon and blisteringly hot in Al Hadidya in the Jordan Valley, Palestine.

Rialb-Abu Saker’s demolished house

Rialb-Abu Saker’s current house

Abu Saker farms with sheep and plants oats and wheat in the winter when it rains. We climbed the rocky hill behind the house. On the other side of the hill, beyond the dry dust beneath our feet, lay a lush green strip of land with permanent structures – Roi, an Israeli settlement.

Water is precious and scarce in the Jordan Valley. Illegal Israeli settlers are allocated by far the greater portion of the water (45 million cubic metres per annum for 64,000 people at subsided rates, compared to the unsubsidised 31 million cubic metres allocated to the 56,000 Palestinians in the valley in 2008).

We silently looked at the green stretch.  As we made our way back down to the home built of canvas and reeds and other portable materials, the Israeli military base on the opposite hill caught my eye. Abu Saker’s previous home was demolished by the Israeli Defence Force while he had taken his wife to hospital for the birth of their youngest child.

Abu Saker’s farm in the foreground, with the illegal Israeli settlement Roi in the background.

We asked about the green strip on the other side of the hill:

“They are stealing our water.  They plant flowers in the settlement and we don’t have water to drink.  The Israeli politics is to move us – should I then live in the air?

Our message to the world is to look at us as human beings.  I am not a political person or a negotiator, but I need to feed my family. My message is for them to look at us as people who want our children to be educated.  I now need to drive a 35-40 km detour each day when I take my children to school because they closed my gate.  This means that our children are in the village while we are here and we cannot take care of our children and their school work.

My message to Great Britain is to stop helping the Israelis.  They have helped them since 1916 until now and this is why the Israelis continue to break the law.  My second message is for the United States of America.  The tax payers in the USA should know that they support the Israelis to fight us. My message for the Israelis is you cannot take our land. We will not leave our homes like those who left their properties in 1948. Not all Israelis are the same and our aims are supported by many organisations and individuals in Israel and in other parts of the world.

We hope that this awareness of our humanity will grow. We want to live in peace with the Jews and Christians. Peace and love is the essence of all three our religious traditions. The current Israeli politics cannot last forever. We hope the situation will change because people all over the world appreciate us.  We want a peaceful solution.  If things are not changed in a peaceful way, then I have no solution for our children.

But we need a true state and freedom.  It should be democratic and by election.  Then we should have a school building here and not just a tent which is too cold in winter and too hot in summer. Then a letter to Tony Blair will not be necessary. But if we are a state and we still have no water, and if the soldiers continue to demolish water wells without permits as in An Nassariya, it will mean nothing.  We need to have a proper infrastructure.

Abu Sakr wrote a letter to Tony Blair to ask for a proper school building and us, the Yanoun EAPPI team 41, will deliver this letter to the Office of the Quartet in Jerusalem, as well as a copy to the British Consulate in Jerusalem.

Tuesday 29 November 2011: Abu Saker signs his letter for Tony Blair.

Marthie receiving the signed letter.

The letter was delivered by Team 41 in early December.

(For more, see Marthie’s post on water issues in the  Jordan Valley)

2nd Update on Terrorism: Israel in Action

Our team visited the village of Um Fagarah 2 weeks ago. We met with the families who had suffered the demolition of their homes, with the mother who is recovering from a broken leg sustained during the demolitions, and with both girls who had been arrested.   Both girls had recently been released from prison and are awaiting court appearances.  Both are charged with “attacking a soldier.” Amel, the 17 year old, will appear in court Dec 21 to face charges related to throwing water on a soldier, and Sausan will appear in court Dec 19  to face charges of holding a stone with the intent of throwing it at a soldier. Representatives from Machsom Watch were present in the court room for the bail hearings for these girls.

Following the girls’ court appearances I will post further  information.

In the meantime, please hold these girls and their families in your prayers.

Peace, Salaam, Shalom,

Jan

The Embodiment of Hope

Anne Lamott, in “Bird by Bird: Some instructions on writing and life” writes:  ‘Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don’t give up.”

We have seen a lot of darkness during our time here in Palestine. The Occupation is a darkness that deliberately attempts to drain and squeeze the very life out of the Palestinian people. But they are a resilient people. The way they live their lives models resilience and models non violent resistance to the oppression they face. They know that when all around you is darkness, it is important to find that ray of light in the night sky that will lead us to the morning.  They know the way of living in hope.

Let me introduce you to some of the many people I have met here in Palestine -people who have taught me important lessons about hope.  Some of them are Palestinians, some are Israeli, some are from other lands. They are all people who live their lives making a difference. They are people who do not give up. They are people who live in hope, who live the message of hope.

working on the new Imneizil School bathrooms

The people who are working on the new bathrooms at the Imneizil School.  There is a stop work order on this project, but construction continues.  Why? They need the bathrooms.

Hanna Barag, Machsom Watch

Hanna Barag is a 76 year old grandmother living in Jerusalem.  She has, for the past 11 years, volunteered her time working long hours day and night with Machsom Watch (http://www.machsomwatch.org/en).  This group was established in 2001 by Israeli women peace activists.  They oppose the Occupation and denial of the Palestinians’ right to free movement in their land.  They conduct daily observations at IDF checkpoints throughout the West Bank and publish them on the Machsom Watch web site.  They also send their observations to public officials to influence Israeli and international public opinion to end the Occupation – an occupation that they believe is destructive to both the Israeli and the Palestinian societies.  As well, they work diligently to assist individual Palestinians at checkpoints.

Mousa Najada (L), Headmaster of Dkaika school and his brother Sulaiman Najada (R), English teacher at Dkaika school

Both Mousa and Sulaiman teach at the Dkaika school, a grade 1-6 school of 45 students in the desert community of Dkaika.  There are demolition orders on over 70 structures in the community, including 2/3 of the school.  Both men aspire towards the goal of excellence in education and despite the stress that the demolition orders have brought to the community, they continue to focus on student learning.  Students in this school do not have running water or electricity, but they do have teachers and leaders who care.  It was an absolute joy to have the privilege of sitting in Sulaiman’s classroom in this remote village and hear his students speak English with remarkable comprehension and pronounciation!

Diana Anani, Humanitarian Affairs Analyst, UN OCHA

Hamed Qawasmeh, Human Rights Officer, UN OCHR

Diana and Hamed work from the UN offices in Hebron.  Both work long hours and are here for the long haul, 365 days of the year. Their commitment and their dedication to helping those who are suffering is exemplary.  When we come across a problem that we need help with, they’re the one’s we call.  The last time I saw her, I asked Diana what we, as EA’s returning to our home countries, can do to help.  Her answer was clear.  “The occupation must end.  You can spread the word of what is happening here to everyone you see, to people you are in contact with.  This cannot go on.”  I promised her that I will do my best.

YY's home in a remote village in the South Hebron Hills

YY is a young woman who has asked that neither her name nor her picture be used. She lives in a tent in a remote village in the South Hebron Hills, living a simple but hard working rural lifestyle that involves herding sheep, making  cheese and bread, growing what food they can, and caring for family. Well educated, she is a leader in her community, a woman of courage and vision who is sure of her values and somehow finds a way to blend traditional ways with modern life.

Alica, EA (South Africa)

Marthie, EA (South Africa), at work in the Jordan Valley

Alicia and Marthie are very good friends.  They reside in distant parts of South African.  Both are old enough to remember living through the time of Apartheid in South Africa. Watching them walk arm in arm down a street in Haifa, Israel, simply enjoying their time together and the gift of friendship that they share, left me with a real sense of hope for the people of Palestine. If South Africa can overcome Apartheid, Palestine and Israel will one day overcome this Occupation.

Asaf, a volunteer with Israeli human rights group Ta'ayush

Ta’ayush (http://www.taayush.org/?page_id=49) is a ” grassroots movement of Arabs and Jews working to  break down the walls of racism and segregation by constructing a true  Arab-Jewish partnership. “  Every weekend throughout the year, groups of Ta’ayush volunteers drive out from Jerusalem to provide a “human shield” to the people of the South Hebron Hills.  They provide protective presence and assist with a variety of projects in the villages.  It takes immense courage to live with conscience, especially when living with conscience calls you, as an Israeli, to actively support the rights of your Palestinian neighbours.

Eid Sulaiman, Um al Kher

Eid and his family live in the Bedouin village of Um al Kher.  On our first visit to their village in September, Eid spoke to us passionately about the need for peace between Israel and Palestine and of his hope, his desire and his belief that it should happen nonviolently.  Over our time here, he has continued to stand clearly for those values, despite difficult circumstances and Israeli provocation.  He and his family stand as strong advocates for the Palestinian people, the villager’s way of life and the principles of nonviolence.

new mosque under construction in Um Fagarah

The people of Um Fagarah.  Thursday, November 24, the Israeli army demolition crew arrived in their village and demolished a number of buildings, including the community mosque.  The next day was Friday, the Muslim holy day, and on that day people from neigbouring villages came to pray with them. Construction on a new mosque began later that day, only one day after the demolition.  The Israeli’s arrived the next week with a stop work order on the mosque.  Construction continues.

Abed Nuwaj'ah

Abed is our EAPPI South Hebron Hills team driver and translator.  He is a young man with a huge heart, a love for rural life and farming, and a deep belief in the rights of the Palestinian people and their need for the Occupation to end.  He knows the wisdom of finding joy in the simple things of life and brings happiness and laughter to those around him. Every day’s a good day when it starts with Abed saying “W’Allah, W’Allah, double good morning Hajji!

There are, of course, many others to add to this list of people who bring hope to this troubled land.  The list goes on and on and on.  But the most important ones are the everyday Palestinians….the people who have lived with the hardships this Occupation has brought upon them for the last 44 years.  That’s a long time to get up in the morning with hope in your heart and a smile on your face.  But they do it, day after day after day.

One of the tea sets found in every Palestinian home

They find a way to smile and carry on.  They find a way to welcome the visitor with amazing hospitality.  They find a way to share a simple glass of tea and to enjoy good conversation with friends and family.  They live life in spite of the Occupation.  And they live in hope that one day the Occupation will end.

One day, the sun will shine on a new Palestine and a new Israel and it will be a place of justice, a place of  peace and a place of equality for all its citizens.

“Hope is a star that shines in the night,
leading us on till the morning is bright.

[Refrain:]
When God is a child
there’s joy in our song.
The last shall be first
and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.”

Hymn #7, Voices United: The Hymn and Worship Book of the United Church of Canada

Peace, Salaam, Shalom,

Jan