On August 19, 1999, friends and family sat in a tent on Atta
and Rodeina Jabber's land and ate maqluube -- a traditional
Palestinian meal of chicken and rice -- to commemorate the
one year anniversary of their first home demolition. We
gathered as a community of hope, peace and support for the
Jaber family. A banner reading, "God will bless the Jaber
family" fluttered in the breeze, and a black flag of mourning
waved on the roof.

A year ago, as I approached the same site, the scene was
one of chaos. I felt numb. The Israeli military had just
destroyed the family's home, leaving a pile of rubble in its
place. There were many relatives mourning the demolition.
Rodeina, her brother, and her mother-in-law had been beaten
by soldiers and were at the hospital. There was an
overwhelming feeling of despair. Children searched through
the rubble of what had been a house just an hour before,
looking for powdered milk to feed Rajah, Atta and Rodeina's
infant son. The only retrievable treasures were a shoe and
other household items.

The difficulties of surviving the winter in a tent with three
young children forced the Jaber family to move into a rented
apartment in the old city of Hebron. They no longer live in
the Beqa'a Valley which they love and where their families
are. In a culture where family togetherness is very important,
their apartment in the city feels very far away from the heart
of the family in the Beqa'a. "We are in mourning for the
demolition of Atta's house and that his family cannot live
here," said Yassar, Atta's brother. For Yassar, the black flag
was a symbol of mourning.

Yet the mood of the one year commemoration of the
demolition was not predominately disheartening. The quiet
strength of Atta, Rodeina and their children pervaded the
entire gathering. Just beneath the flag the banner fluttered,
its proclamation a promise: "God will bless the Jaber family."
On the banner are depicted the faces of Atta and Rodeina
and their children, Amooni (6), Dahlia (4) and Rajah (1).
CPTer Dianne Roe started the banner immediately after the
demolition last year and completed it in time to present it to
Atta and Rodeina for this occasion.

As we sat and ate maqluube, Jeff Halper of the Israeli
Committee Against House Demolitions proclaimed, "Next
year I want to eat this meal in Atta and Rodeina's new home
here on their land." As I see Atta and Rodeina and the love
they have for the Beqa'a Valley and their family, as well as
the strength that they have displayed throughout the
difficulties of this past year, I have no doubt that love and
hope will prevail.

God has indeed blessed the Jaber family.