The Easiest Targets
If American Knew, an organization I worked for (and compulsively mention, because they're so awesome)has done it again. The Easiest Targets is on my short list of resources to examine if you're interested in authentically understanding what is going on in Palestine.
The Easiest Targets shares the stories of women who have been the subject of stripe searches and sexualized harassment at checkpoints and boarder crossings. SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE, ASSAULT, RAPE, ETC., SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THIS VIDEO MAY BE TRIGGERING because of its subject matter.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Caterpillar Campaign FAQs: CAT Company Structure, Manufacturing and Sales Practices
Here in Portland, we've began developing a campaign to urge Caterpillar, the manufacturer of bulldozers used to demolish homes in Palestine, to end sales to the Israeli military. Through the course of our work, we've had some questions. I'd like to offer up what we've discovered so that other campaigns can access this information easily and quickly.
How does CAT sell bulldozers to Israel?
According to a legal memo published by the US Campaign to End the Occupation, "Caterpillar has been selling their bulldozers to Israel through the United States Foreign Military Sales Program. Caterpillar alleges that the US provides Israel with military aid earmarked for Caterpillar bulldozers."
How do CAT's bulldozers become "weaponized"? How does the Israeli military modify their product?
The Caterpillar D9 bulldozer is a track-type tractor ready for agricultural and construction purposes, but easily modified. Once supplied to Israel, the Israeli Military
Industries, a state-owned Israeli arms manufacturer, and Israeli Aircraft Industries’ Ramta Division adds bullet proof glass, machine gun mounts, smoke projectors, and grenade
launchers. The front blade is more than 6 feet high and 15 feet wide. On the bulldozer’s back is called the ‘ripper’ and can penetrate five feet and five inches into the ground. Once again, this information comes from a legal memo published by the US Campaign to End the Occupation.
Does CAT have dealers or suppliers in Israel?
As near as I am able to tell, no. On their website, Caterpillar writes, "Caterpillar products and components are manufactured in 50 U.S. facilities and in over 60 other locations, in 23 countries around the globe," but Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates are listed as their Middle East locations, not Israel.
Where are the D9 and D10 bulldozers manufactured?
I've still been unable to find the answer to this question. Caterpillar suppliers are located around the world, though not in Israel.
What is the relationship between the local Caterpillar dealership in our town and Caterpillar Inc.? The dealer said that it's a separate company? Is that true?
We are still investigating and evaluating the relationship between a Caterpillar dealer and Caterpillar Inc. This is what we are sure of: yes, a dealer is a separate company from Caterpillar Inc. However, they certainly do facilitate Caterpillar's work. You can read what Caterpillar Inc. says about their dealers here. To quote Caterpillar Inc.:
Here in Portland, we've began developing a campaign to urge Caterpillar, the manufacturer of bulldozers used to demolish homes in Palestine, to end sales to the Israeli military. Through the course of our work, we've had some questions. I'd like to offer up what we've discovered so that other campaigns can access this information easily and quickly.
How does CAT sell bulldozers to Israel?
According to a legal memo published by the US Campaign to End the Occupation, "Caterpillar has been selling their bulldozers to Israel through the United States Foreign Military Sales Program. Caterpillar alleges that the US provides Israel with military aid earmarked for Caterpillar bulldozers."
How do CAT's bulldozers become "weaponized"? How does the Israeli military modify their product?
The Caterpillar D9 bulldozer is a track-type tractor ready for agricultural and construction purposes, but easily modified. Once supplied to Israel, the Israeli Military
Industries, a state-owned Israeli arms manufacturer, and Israeli Aircraft Industries’ Ramta Division adds bullet proof glass, machine gun mounts, smoke projectors, and grenade
launchers. The front blade is more than 6 feet high and 15 feet wide. On the bulldozer’s back is called the ‘ripper’ and can penetrate five feet and five inches into the ground. Once again, this information comes from a legal memo published by the US Campaign to End the Occupation.
Does CAT have dealers or suppliers in Israel?
As near as I am able to tell, no. On their website, Caterpillar writes, "Caterpillar products and components are manufactured in 50 U.S. facilities and in over 60 other locations, in 23 countries around the globe," but Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates are listed as their Middle East locations, not Israel.
Where are the D9 and D10 bulldozers manufactured?
I've still been unable to find the answer to this question. Caterpillar suppliers are located around the world, though not in Israel.
What is the relationship between the local Caterpillar dealership in our town and Caterpillar Inc.? The dealer said that it's a separate company? Is that true?
We are still investigating and evaluating the relationship between a Caterpillar dealer and Caterpillar Inc. This is what we are sure of: yes, a dealer is a separate company from Caterpillar Inc. However, they certainly do facilitate Caterpillar's work. You can read what Caterpillar Inc. says about their dealers here. To quote Caterpillar Inc.:
Your local dealer knows your industry and what Caterpillar can do for you, arranges our financing and insurance, provides service and support after the sale, nearly always has any replacement part you'd need on hand. We've been developing our dealer relationships over decades, and we trust them with the most important aspects of our business. Quite frankly, we couldn't do this without them. And we're not about to try. (Emphasis mine.)
Have the D9 or D10 bulldozers been used in other wars or conflicts?
Yes, that seems to be the case. Several sources point towards in the United States using the D9 in the current occupation of Iraq. According to Israeli-Weapons.com, "The United States Army has purchased several armor kits from the IDF and used them to produce similarly equipped D9s. These have been used to clear destroyed vehicles from roads, to dig moats, erect earthen-barriers and construct field fortifications. It was also used to destroy a house which hosted snipers who shot at an American base..." The reliability of this particular source, in my mind, may or may not be questionable.
Yes, that seems to be the case. Several sources point towards in the United States using the D9 in the current occupation of Iraq. According to Israeli-Weapons.com, "The United States Army has purchased several armor kits from the IDF and used them to produce similarly equipped D9s. These have been used to clear destroyed vehicles from roads, to dig moats, erect earthen-barriers and construct field fortifications. It was also used to destroy a house which hosted snipers who shot at an American base..." The reliability of this particular source, in my mind, may or may not be questionable.
An Open Letter to Halton Co., Local Caterpillar Dealer
March 16, 2007
Dear Mark Fahey:
Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today. Today we are writing to urge you to convey to your corporate headquarters our request that Caterpillar stop permitting its D9 and D10 bulldozers to be used by the Israeli army to demolish Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Gaza strip.
We come to you as a people who are directly and indirectly impacted by the human rights violations made possible by Caterpillar products. Many of us have spend time living in the West Bank, visiting with Palestinian families whose home have been slated for demolition and standing in front of piles of rubble that represent the homes and dreams of Palestinians. All of us our tax payers who pay for the $3 billion dollars in aid that goes to Israel each year- . As such, we echo the many international and Israeli human rights organizations who believe that Caterpillar has an obligation to prevent its equipment from being used to commit violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. We call on Caterpillar to:
• Suspend sales of D9 bulldozers and parts to Israel, so long as the product is used to destroy homes and property in violation of international law.
• Take public steps to ensure that Caterpillar’s goods and services will not be used to abuse human rights, in accordance with the U.N. Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights.
We have chosen to visit you today on the 4th anniversary of the death of 23-year-old American Rachel Corrie who was deliberately run over and crushed by a D9 bulldozer as she sought to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. Rachel Corrie is only one person of many who has been killed during home demolitions performed with Caterpillar products. The D9 and D10 Caterpillar bulldozers have been used to destroy some 12,000 Palestinian homes, leaving an estimated 70,000 people without shelter They have demolished large tracts of the most fertile agricultural land, roads, water and sewer systems in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and uprooted hundreds of thousands of Palestinian olive and fruit trees. They are being used to build Israel’s annexation Wall, in violation of the ruling by the International Court of Justice and intimidate non-violent Palestinian, Israeli and international peace activists.
Amnesty International has denounced Israel's razing of Palestinian dwellings as “a grave breach of international humanitarian law.” Human Rights Watch on October 29, 2004 demanded that Caterpillar “immediately suspend” the sale of D9 bulldozers to the Israeli military since it is the “primary weapon to raze Palestinian homes, destroy agriculture and shred roads in violation of the laws of war.” On May 28, 2004, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, wrote to the Caterpillar CEO Jim Owens that Caterpillar bulldozers have been used “to destroy agricultural farms, greenhouses, ancient olive groves and agricultural fields planted with crops, as well as numerous Palestinian homes and sometimes human lives.” Ziegler warned Caterpillar that the delivery of the bulldozers to the Israeli government “might involve complicity or acceptance on the part of your company to actual and potential violations of human rights, including the right to food.”
In its Code of Worldwide Business Conduct Caterpillar makes a commitment to, “accept the responsibilities of global citizenship” and “take into account social priorities.” In light of these high standards, we sincerely believe that Caterpillar will see its way clear to refusing to be complicit in human right violations. We ask you to please convey our heartfelt requests to Caterpillar Corporate Headquarters. We plan to continue to raise this issue and we hope that you will be willing to continue to dialogue with us until Caterpillar’s complicity in these human rights violations is ended.
Sincerely,
Representatives of Dorothy Day Portland Catholic Worker House, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Friends of Sabeel and other Portland, Oregon organizations
March 16, 2007
Dear Mark Fahey:
Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today. Today we are writing to urge you to convey to your corporate headquarters our request that Caterpillar stop permitting its D9 and D10 bulldozers to be used by the Israeli army to demolish Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Gaza strip.
We come to you as a people who are directly and indirectly impacted by the human rights violations made possible by Caterpillar products. Many of us have spend time living in the West Bank, visiting with Palestinian families whose home have been slated for demolition and standing in front of piles of rubble that represent the homes and dreams of Palestinians. All of us our tax payers who pay for the $3 billion dollars in aid that goes to Israel each year- . As such, we echo the many international and Israeli human rights organizations who believe that Caterpillar has an obligation to prevent its equipment from being used to commit violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. We call on Caterpillar to:
• Suspend sales of D9 bulldozers and parts to Israel, so long as the product is used to destroy homes and property in violation of international law.
• Take public steps to ensure that Caterpillar’s goods and services will not be used to abuse human rights, in accordance with the U.N. Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights.
We have chosen to visit you today on the 4th anniversary of the death of 23-year-old American Rachel Corrie who was deliberately run over and crushed by a D9 bulldozer as she sought to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. Rachel Corrie is only one person of many who has been killed during home demolitions performed with Caterpillar products. The D9 and D10 Caterpillar bulldozers have been used to destroy some 12,000 Palestinian homes, leaving an estimated 70,000 people without shelter They have demolished large tracts of the most fertile agricultural land, roads, water and sewer systems in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and uprooted hundreds of thousands of Palestinian olive and fruit trees. They are being used to build Israel’s annexation Wall, in violation of the ruling by the International Court of Justice and intimidate non-violent Palestinian, Israeli and international peace activists.
Amnesty International has denounced Israel's razing of Palestinian dwellings as “a grave breach of international humanitarian law.” Human Rights Watch on October 29, 2004 demanded that Caterpillar “immediately suspend” the sale of D9 bulldozers to the Israeli military since it is the “primary weapon to raze Palestinian homes, destroy agriculture and shred roads in violation of the laws of war.” On May 28, 2004, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, wrote to the Caterpillar CEO Jim Owens that Caterpillar bulldozers have been used “to destroy agricultural farms, greenhouses, ancient olive groves and agricultural fields planted with crops, as well as numerous Palestinian homes and sometimes human lives.” Ziegler warned Caterpillar that the delivery of the bulldozers to the Israeli government “might involve complicity or acceptance on the part of your company to actual and potential violations of human rights, including the right to food.”
In its Code of Worldwide Business Conduct Caterpillar makes a commitment to, “accept the responsibilities of global citizenship” and “take into account social priorities.” In light of these high standards, we sincerely believe that Caterpillar will see its way clear to refusing to be complicit in human right violations. We ask you to please convey our heartfelt requests to Caterpillar Corporate Headquarters. We plan to continue to raise this issue and we hope that you will be willing to continue to dialogue with us until Caterpillar’s complicity in these human rights violations is ended.
Sincerely,
Representatives of Dorothy Day Portland Catholic Worker House, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Friends of Sabeel and other Portland, Oregon organizations
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Israelis are entitled to enter the closed zone between the Wall and the Green Line without permits while Palestinians require permits to enter the closed zone; house demolitions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are carried out in a manner that discriminates against Palestinians; throughout the West Bank, and particularly in Hebron, settlers are given preferential treatment over Palestinians in respect of movement (major roads are reserved exclusively for settlers), building rights and army protection; and the laws governing family
reunification unashamedly discriminate against Palestinians. It is less certain that the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid is violated. The IDF inflicts serious bodily and mental harm on Palestinians, both in Gaza and the West Bank; over 700 Palestinians are held without trial; prisoners are subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment; and Palestinians throughout the OPT are denied freedom of movement.
Can it seriously be denied that the purpose of such action is to establish
and maintain domination by one racial group (Jews) over another racial group (Palestinians) and systematically oppressing them? Israel denies that this is its intention or purpose. But such an intention or purpose may be inferred from the actions described in this report.
From the United Nations "Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, John Dugard" You'll want to read it.
reunification unashamedly discriminate against Palestinians. It is less certain that the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid is violated. The IDF inflicts serious bodily and mental harm on Palestinians, both in Gaza and the West Bank; over 700 Palestinians are held without trial; prisoners are subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment; and Palestinians throughout the OPT are denied freedom of movement.
Can it seriously be denied that the purpose of such action is to establish
and maintain domination by one racial group (Jews) over another racial group (Palestinians) and systematically oppressing them? Israel denies that this is its intention or purpose. But such an intention or purpose may be inferred from the actions described in this report.
From the United Nations "Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, John Dugard" You'll want to read it.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Occupation Arabic 101
A Visual Poem
The first words I learned in Arabic were:
Marhaba
Hello
HelloYalla!
Let's go!Habbibi
Dear oneHalas!
Enough!
Then I learned:
Then I learned:
Ween jesh?
Where's the army?
Where's the army?Il Jedar
The Wall
Gaaz
Ana mein Amerika
I am from America
I am from AmericaIt was a long time before I learned to say:
Keef halek?
How are you?
Biddi shay, iza mumkin
I'd like tea, pleaseAradak Jamel 
Your land is beautiful
Asefa
I am sorryMonday, February 26, 2007
UN Report Compares Israel's Actions to Apartheid South Africa
A new United Nations report has compared Israel's actions in the West Bank and Gaza to apartheid South Africa. A South African attorney named john Dugard wrote the report for the UN Human Rights Council. The 24-page report criticizes Israel for demolishing the homes of Palestinians; for restricting the movement of Palestinians; and for giving preferential treatment to Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Dugard said "Israel's laws and practices in the Occupied Palestinian territories certainly resemble aspects of apartheid." The Guardian newspaper reports Dugard's comments represents some of the most forceful criticism from the UN of Israel's 40-year occupation.
A new United Nations report has compared Israel's actions in the West Bank and Gaza to apartheid South Africa. A South African attorney named john Dugard wrote the report for the UN Human Rights Council. The 24-page report criticizes Israel for demolishing the homes of Palestinians; for restricting the movement of Palestinians; and for giving preferential treatment to Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Dugard said "Israel's laws and practices in the Occupied Palestinian territories certainly resemble aspects of apartheid." The Guardian newspaper reports Dugard's comments represents some of the most forceful criticism from the UN of Israel's 40-year occupation.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Baladkum Jameel: Your Country is Beautiful
A Visual Introduction to Palestine
(with added pictures!)
Farmers
(with added pictures!)
Like all travelers, my friends and family are forever asking me, "So, how was your trip?" I think they expect me to say that traveling in Palestine is difficult, frustrating, or sad. Certainly, the occupation is depressing, but mainly because it is destroying a beautiful country. So, without fail, I always answer, "I love Palestine. It's beautiful." I've wanted to compile photo-essay of all of the wonderful, miraculous sights that have made me fall in love with Palestine.
Farmers
Activists
Olives
Hummus
Donkeys
The Dome of the Rock
Coffee
Tea
Kids
Schools
TomatoesWednesday, February 14, 2007
AT-TUWANI: Israeli military demolishes seven Palestinian homes in south
Hebron district
CPTnet
Israeli soldiers demolished homes in three Palestinian villages near bypass road 317 on 14 February 2007. Starting in Imneizil at around 9:00 a.m., about forty Israeli soldiers with two bulldozers demolished one home, an animal pen and a stone bake-oven. At noon, the soldiers moved to Qawawis
where they demolished the homes of five families and one bake-oven, then on to Um Al-Kher where they demolished one home and damaged a wall of another home.
At Imneizil, several young children were in their home eating when the Israeli military arrived. The soldiers gave the family time to get out, but did not give them time to remove their personal belongings. The animal pen was demolished with a few animals inside; two lambs were injured. The Palestinian family began immediately to build a makeshift pen for the animals as the majority of the sheep were just returning from grazing in the fields.
In the village of Qawawis one of the demolished homes was over sixty-five years old, and sheltered two families. Photos of the families amid the rubble are in the CPT photo gallery
The Israeli military, in concert with Israeli settlers, has been trying to force the Palestinian residents of the south Hebron hills to leave their homes for years. Due to harassment from the nearby Israeli outposts several of the young families of Qawawis moved to a nearby town. When the Israeli army then forcibly evacuated the remaining families, a court ordered that the families could return to their homes. According to a lawyer representing the families, the Israeli army now claims that this court
ruling allows only the last inhabitants of Qawawis to return, not their children who earlier fled the assaults of the Israeli settlers.
"Our children need homes," said one villager. "What do they want us to do?"
The Israeli army reported, "Twenty illegal structures were destroyed after demolition orders were issued, and offers were made to the owners to pursue the available options before the planning organizations. The supervisory unit of the civil administration will continue to operate against illegal
building activity in the area, and to implement the steps mandated by law against this illegal activity." The Israeli military made no provisions for shelter for the families whose homes they demolished. The families asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide them with tents.
The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions commented, "A building permit is unavailable there [in the south Hebron hills.]"
The preceding day three Israeli peace activists and two internationals, including CPTer Sally Hunsberger, joined approximately fifty Palestinians in working on their land near Imneizil. The Palestinian men, women and children planted 600 olive trees in fields that they had been afraid to walk
on for the past four years due to threats of settler violence. During the action, soldiers and settlers watched from a distance, but did not interfere with the tree planting.
Hebron district
CPTnet
Israeli soldiers demolished homes in three Palestinian villages near bypass road 317 on 14 February 2007. Starting in Imneizil at around 9:00 a.m., about forty Israeli soldiers with two bulldozers demolished one home, an animal pen and a stone bake-oven. At noon, the soldiers moved to Qawawis
where they demolished the homes of five families and one bake-oven, then on to Um Al-Kher where they demolished one home and damaged a wall of another home.
At Imneizil, several young children were in their home eating when the Israeli military arrived. The soldiers gave the family time to get out, but did not give them time to remove their personal belongings. The animal pen was demolished with a few animals inside; two lambs were injured. The Palestinian family began immediately to build a makeshift pen for the animals as the majority of the sheep were just returning from grazing in the fields.
In the village of Qawawis one of the demolished homes was over sixty-five years old, and sheltered two families. Photos of the families amid the rubble are in the CPT photo gallery
The Israeli military, in concert with Israeli settlers, has been trying to force the Palestinian residents of the south Hebron hills to leave their homes for years. Due to harassment from the nearby Israeli outposts several of the young families of Qawawis moved to a nearby town. When the Israeli army then forcibly evacuated the remaining families, a court ordered that the families could return to their homes. According to a lawyer representing the families, the Israeli army now claims that this court
ruling allows only the last inhabitants of Qawawis to return, not their children who earlier fled the assaults of the Israeli settlers.
"Our children need homes," said one villager. "What do they want us to do?"
The Israeli army reported, "Twenty illegal structures were destroyed after demolition orders were issued, and offers were made to the owners to pursue the available options before the planning organizations. The supervisory unit of the civil administration will continue to operate against illegal
building activity in the area, and to implement the steps mandated by law against this illegal activity." The Israeli military made no provisions for shelter for the families whose homes they demolished. The families asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide them with tents.
The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions commented, "A building permit is unavailable there [in the south Hebron hills.]"
The preceding day three Israeli peace activists and two internationals, including CPTer Sally Hunsberger, joined approximately fifty Palestinians in working on their land near Imneizil. The Palestinian men, women and children planted 600 olive trees in fields that they had been afraid to walk
on for the past four years due to threats of settler violence. During the action, soldiers and settlers watched from a distance, but did not interfere with the tree planting.
HEBRON DISTRICT URGENT ACTION: Five families facing loss of homes. Contact embassies in Tel Aviv
The Israeli military has issued stop building orders to five Palestinian families living in the Khirbtkasah area of Hebron district. In the past, such orders have often been followed by demolition orders. Five extended families live in seventeen dwellings in Khirbtkasah, near the village of Idhna. The families, consisting of 235 people, already face severe hardship because their homes and land lie in a 'closed area' between Israel's Separation Wall and the Green Line.
Since Israel began construction of the Wall in 2002, observers have feared that the Israeli government would eventually forcibly remove thousands of Palestinians living near the wall from their homes. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that the wall adversely affects 250,000 Palestinians. Of those, 17,000 live in 'closed areas.' They cannot legally travel to Israel, or access any services there. The Israeli army also controls their access to markets, schools and hospitals in the occupied Palestinian West Bank through a gate in the wall. They are thus enclosed by a physical wall on one side and by an administrative one on the other.
The families in Khirbtkasah, who have legal documentation of ownership of the land dating from the time of the Ottoman rule, will appeal the stop building orders in an Israeli military court on 22 February 2007.
ACTION:
Please, e-mail or write to your embassy in Tel Aviv. Copy your Members of Parliament or Representatives and Senators. Urge them to send a clear message to the Israeli government that driving Palestinians from their land is a violation of international law and must stop.
SAMPLE TEXT FOR MESSAGE
"Please protest Israeli Military harassment Palestinians trapped between the Separation Wall and the Green Line.
Five families living in the Khirbtkasah area of Hebron district, near Idhna, will present an appeal petition in the Military Court on 22 February 2007. The families of Ahmad Shehdeh Hamed Natah, Isat Muhama Abu Sa'adum, Saley Ahmad Natah, Yosef Abdelkader Natah and Aref Muhamad Ahmad Abu-Sa'adin have legal documentation proving ownership of this land. Threats to displace these families are a violation of international law.
At present, the families farm their land, raising goats and sheep and growing wheat. The Israeli army controls the families' access to markets and other services because the area is between the Green Line and the Israeli Separation Wall. These restrictions of movement have already threatened their livelihoods.
I urge you to investigate these cases and send a clear message to the Israeli government that driving Palestinians from their homes is wrong and must stop.
Sincerely
[Your name and full address]
ADDRESSES
USA: Embassy in Tel Aviv -- US Embassy, 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903,
Israel. Email: Mary Glantz, Human Rights, glantzme@state.gov
Or Michelle Schohn, schohnjm@state.gov
President George W Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC20500
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520
To contact your Senator go to
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
To contact your Representative go to http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
For more information on land issues
in the Hebron district contact Abdul Hadi Hantash of the Palestinian Land
Defense Committee, phone 972 599 838 180; or Christian Peacemaker Teams in
Hebron, phone 97-22-222-8485
The Israeli military has issued stop building orders to five Palestinian families living in the Khirbtkasah area of Hebron district. In the past, such orders have often been followed by demolition orders. Five extended families live in seventeen dwellings in Khirbtkasah, near the village of Idhna. The families, consisting of 235 people, already face severe hardship because their homes and land lie in a 'closed area' between Israel's Separation Wall and the Green Line.
Since Israel began construction of the Wall in 2002, observers have feared that the Israeli government would eventually forcibly remove thousands of Palestinians living near the wall from their homes. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that the wall adversely affects 250,000 Palestinians. Of those, 17,000 live in 'closed areas.' They cannot legally travel to Israel, or access any services there. The Israeli army also controls their access to markets, schools and hospitals in the occupied Palestinian West Bank through a gate in the wall. They are thus enclosed by a physical wall on one side and by an administrative one on the other.
The families in Khirbtkasah, who have legal documentation of ownership of the land dating from the time of the Ottoman rule, will appeal the stop building orders in an Israeli military court on 22 February 2007.
ACTION:
Please, e-mail or write to your embassy in Tel Aviv. Copy your Members of Parliament or Representatives and Senators. Urge them to send a clear message to the Israeli government that driving Palestinians from their land is a violation of international law and must stop.
SAMPLE TEXT FOR MESSAGE
"Please protest Israeli Military harassment Palestinians trapped between the Separation Wall and the Green Line.
Five families living in the Khirbtkasah area of Hebron district, near Idhna, will present an appeal petition in the Military Court on 22 February 2007. The families of Ahmad Shehdeh Hamed Natah, Isat Muhama Abu Sa'adum, Saley Ahmad Natah, Yosef Abdelkader Natah and Aref Muhamad Ahmad Abu-Sa'adin have legal documentation proving ownership of this land. Threats to displace these families are a violation of international law.
At present, the families farm their land, raising goats and sheep and growing wheat. The Israeli army controls the families' access to markets and other services because the area is between the Green Line and the Israeli Separation Wall. These restrictions of movement have already threatened their livelihoods.
I urge you to investigate these cases and send a clear message to the Israeli government that driving Palestinians from their homes is wrong and must stop.
Sincerely
[Your name and full address]
ADDRESSES
USA: Embassy in Tel Aviv -- US Embassy, 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903,
Israel. Email: Mary Glantz, Human Rights, glantzme@state.gov
Or Michelle Schohn, schohnjm@state.gov
President George W Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC20500
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520
To contact your Senator go to
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
To contact your Representative go to http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
For more information on land issues
in the Hebron district contact Abdul Hadi Hantash of the Palestinian Land
Defense Committee, phone 972 599 838 180; or Christian Peacemaker Teams in
Hebron, phone 97-22-222-8485
Bulldozing Peace
"Bulldozing Peace" Video from Alternative Focus
Portland Catholic Worker Dorothy Day House is beginning a dialog with our local CAT distribution point about CAT's involvement in demolishing Palestinian homes. This video is a look at the campaign we will be a part of. Check it out!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Announcing the publication of 100 Chemis Pour La Paix en Palestine, 100 Doves for Peace in Palestine by Samih Abu Zakieh!Congratulations, Samih!
Today I learned that that the words and art work of my friend Samih Abu Zakieh has finally made it to the world stage. 100 Doves for Peace in Palestine has been published in Canada! Those of you paying careful, and undue, attention to this blog may remember that I was involved in editing this lovely book while I was in Bethlehem this summer. I'm so excited that the world now has access to this wonderful story of determination, cooperation, hope, and peace.
100 Doves for Peace in Palestine includes all 100 of Samih's intricate drawings as well as the remarkable story behind. Samih Abu Zakieh is an artist living in Hebron who drew these doves while living under curfew. In this book, Samih shares his own hopes for a world in which children smile and the peace of Jerusalem is restored. Although Samih's doves were drawn under terrible circumstances - Samih and his fellow Hebronites spent most of the year trapped in their own houses under Israeli military curfew - Samih's book rings with hope.
I'm not sure if this addition is trilingual - Arabic, French, and English - or published just in French, but Samhi's drawings transcend language. Pick up a copy for yourself or request that your local library purchases one!
Image above copyright of Samhi Abu Zakieh. Kindly respect his ownership.
Friday, December 01, 2006
How Still We See Thee Lie:
Bethlehem, 2006
Oh, little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
If Mary were bedding down in Bethlehem today, I think that she would complain that the city isn’t what the song said it would be. I doubt she would find Bethlehem itself particularly little or describe its nights as still. In fact, Mary might find it difficult to get a “deep and dreamless sleep” since life in Bethlehem continues well after nightfall. Perhaps she and Joseph would try to fall asleep amidst the sounds of wedding celebrations, fireworks, World Cup victory parties, and family dinners. But my guess is that Joseph’s family would never leave Mary alone. Mary and Joseph would probably be kept up late by relatives insisting on stuffing them with mountains of food and tiny cups of Arabic coffee.
But if Mary and Joseph weren’t staying with family, I am certain that they would find plenty of room in whatever inn they might choose. The holy family could have its choice of many lodgings: they could check into the Bethlehem Hotel, a spacious, western-style establishment. Or perhaps the Intercontinental, a five-star palace that would put the most spacious stable to shame. Mary could lay down on a soft bed and drift off to a strange sound: silence. Joseph would find that the flood of pilgrims and tourists who once came to Bethlehem has all but disappeared. If Bethlehem lies still today, it’s because its economy is slowly dying.
If Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem today, they wouldn’t find it to be the thriving, historic, multi-faith community it once was. Bethlehem lies only five miles south of Jerusalem, but at the end of those five miles stands a 25ft high cement wall marking the beginning the West Bank and the Israeli military occupation of Palestine. This wall and occupation form the nightmare that is destroying Bethlehem’s economy and disturbing this little town’s deep sleep.
Bethlehem suffers quietly under unjust structures imposed by the Israeli military occupation. Bethlehemites face land confiscation, the destruction of their olive groves, home demolitions and movement restrictions which make normal economic development impossible. The wall surrounding Bethlehem prevents goods from entering and leaving, cuts farmers off from their land and even surrounds important religious monuments. It also deters pilgrims from visiting one of the world’s oldest Christian communities.
Today pilgrims on their way to the many religious sites in Bethlehem, including Rachel’s Tomb, Ruth and Naomi’s Field, Shepard’s Field, and of course the Church of the Nativity, must become intimately familiar with the wall. Visitors have to pass through an Israeli military checkpoint. They must wait in line, show their passports, and consent to any searches the Israeli army requires. This ordeal would turn many tourists away, but most give up before getting this close. Potential visitors are deluged with rumors of violence and high prices in Bethlehem. Most organized tours wiz tourists into Bethlehem on buses for a quick stop at the Church of the Nativity and than back to Israel, all in the course of about an hour. Many tours leave Bethlehem out of their itinerary all together. As a result, thousands of Christians visit the Holy Land each year without seeing the site of Jesus’ birth.
Bethlehem’s survival would still be in jeopardy if its tourist sector were still thriving. But without the visitors who used to drive Bethlehem’s economy, residents have very little hope. The Christian community in Bethlehem is rapidly emigrating, not because of religious discrimination but because of the economic conditions imposed by the Israeli occupation. Not long ago, Christians formed a majority in Bethlehem. If emigration rates remain constant, some say in 20 years Bethlehem will have no Christians left.
The truth before the world is stark: the location venerated as Christ’s birth place is being destroyed. One of the oldest Christian communities is slowly being driven out by a brutal military occupation that strikes at all Palestinians, regardless of faith. Nothing is safe under occupation, even Jesus’ birthplace. In the year 2002, the Israeli army invaded Bethlehem and lay siege to the Church of the Nativity. The church remains riddled with bullet holes today. Even for a person like myself, a Quaker who places no special emphasis on “holy places”, these bullet holes are like holes in my heart. I hope that they are holes in a veil through which God’s presence can come more readily
into our beautiful, mundane world. I want to believe that’s what they are, but I worry that they are just another hole in the fabric of Palestinian society.
into our beautiful, mundane world. I want to believe that’s what they are, but I worry that they are just another hole in the fabric of Palestinian society. Bullet holes in the Church of the Nativity
My only hope is that the broken hearts of Christians and other good people who learn of Bethlehem’s plight will be the holes through which God’s love can work in our lives. The Christmas story can’t end in Bethlehem; it needs to find new life in the hearts of people all over the world who are ready to take action to stop the Israeli military occupation of Palestine.
The prince of peace, a child who grew up to disrupt the status quo with his message of love and justice, was born in Bethlehem. May he be born in our hearts again today.
For more information on the ongoing situation in Bethlehem and ways to help, visit Open Bethlehem at www.openbethlehem.org
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