CPTnet
6 June 2006
HEBRON UPDATE: 27 May -2 June 2006
Team members during this period were Angela Davis, Cassandra Dixon,
Christina Gibb, John Lynes, and Pieter Niemeyer.
Saturday 27 May
During early morning school patrol, six Israeli settler boys threw stones at
Palestinian children on their way to school, and one threw a stone at
Christina Gibb as she entered the Bab al Khan (Gate 5 to the Old Market.)
The military intervened promptly. More soldiers than usual were on the
streets. The team wondered whether they were there in preparation for the
Jewish holiday of Shavuot or because a party of German parliamentarians was
visiting Hebron.
Sunday 28 May
During the afternoon Cassandra Dixon and John Lynes, accompanied by a
translator, visited the Hebron Charitable Medical Association. Since the
election of Hamas, all their medical supplies from ANERA (American Near East
Refugee Aid) has ended. Doctors and nurses have not received wages for
three months. The team learned that the clinic was were short of pediatric
medicines, antibiotics for different ages, and medication for malnutrition.
Tuesday 30 May
After school patrol at Qurtuba School, Gibb and an intern took part in
end-of-year celebrations at the school. Workmen for the Hebron
Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) had nearly finished re-laying the path to the
school, cementing the pavers in place. Israeli settlers had destroyed the
path two months previously, throwing the pavers over the steep drop to
Shuhada Street below.
The twelve members of a CPT delegation arrived in Hebron around noon. Lynes
and Pieter Niemeyer led a tour along Haret Jaber (Worshippers' Way), and
then up Shuhada Street where settler children threw rocks at them. To avoid
further rock-throwing they walked through the Muslim cemetery towards Tel
Rumeida. At Rachel's Spring six Israeli soldiers intercepted them, and
ordered them to go no further. After some negotiation the delegation
continued to Tel Rumeida, accompanied by a military escort.
Wednesday 31 May
The team and delegation divided into four groups so that all could take part
in school patrol for the last day of the term. The streets were very quiet,
some schools having finished the day before. Soldiers detained several
teachers from the Ibrahimi Boys' School for ID checks, first at the Mosque
checkpoint, then at the checkpoint by the Gutnick Center. School patrol
will resume from 7-20 June for senior students sitting the Tawjihi
examinations. Success in these examinations is necessary for entering
universities and securing some types of employment.
Gibb and Lynes went with the delegation to visit the Hebron Rehabilitation
Committee (HRC) in the newly restored building HRC has just opened for
giving presentations to visiting groups. Afterwards, the delegation went on
an extensive tour of the current restoration work HRC is doing in the area
east of the Ibrahimi Mosque. HRC representatives told the delegation that
because no sovereign Palestinian State existed at that time, their
application for World Heritage status for Old Hebron had been turned down.
They hope to receive this status in the future.
Thursday 1 June
In the afternoon the CPT delegation led various activities for local
Palestinian children. First, a Japanese delegate taught origami to a small
group on the patio of the CPT apartment, attracting several in from the
street to join them. Then everyone went along to the local park, collecting
more children along the way. Delegation members spread out across the area,
and led a variety of games for an hour or so. Some played with balls,
frisbees and skipping ropes, while others played circle games, small group
games and games in pairs. About seventy children of all ages participated.
Friday 2 June
Soldiers created fewer than usual problems for Palestinians trying to reach
noon prayers at the Ibrahimi Mosque. Only about seven Palestinians were
detained for ID checks at any one time at the checkpoint near the Gutnick
Center. All were released by 2:00 p.m.
The delegation spent the day in At-Tuwani, and stayed overnight with
Palestinian families.
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