CPTnet
September 15, 2003
HEBRON: Israel demolishes nine buildings in Hebron Area

by Kathy Kamphoefner

The Israeli military demolished three structures on September 14, 2003 in
the Beqa'a Valley--just east of the city of Hebron--and six more in the
Hoora area south of town. Christian Peacemaker Team members Benno Barg,
Chris Brown, and Kathy Kamphoefner took reports from owners of the
demolished structures in the Beqa'a.

The Israeli army first demolished a building housing three families, headed
by three brothers: Najeeb Arief el Rajaby, 39, Mohamed Isma'een Areif
el-Rajaby, 34, and Omar Areif Dawarish el-Rajaby, 33. In addition to the
three brothers and their wives, thirty-one children lived in the building.

According to Mohamed el-Rajaby, the army came at 8:30 am, looked over the
property, returned shortly after and began demolishing the house with a
bagger and a bulldozer. "Everything is still inside," Mohamed said. "We
didn't have time to take anything out, not even the refrigerator and the
washing machine." Another family member, Musa el-Rajaby, said, "If there had
been children inside, they would have demolished it on their head."

The Israeli army first gave the family a home demolition order in 1987. The
family reportedly received another demolition order yesterday. Their
attorney was appearing in court at 9:00 am this morning to contest the
demolition.

When asked where they will now live, two women in the family said, "In tents
from the Red Cross."

In the course of the demolition work, the bulldozer also demolished a
retaining wall above the family's three acres of vineyards, breaking the
irrigation pipe.

Musa al Rajaby said, "Bush wants to win over Saddam, and Sharon wants to win
over Arafat. And who pays the price for all this? The poor."

The family also reported repeated problems from Israeli settlers in the
area. They said the settlers have previously entered the houses, broken
things inside, cut off the electricity and broken out car windows in the
area.

Also demolished on the same road was an animal shed and cistern belonging to
Emad Mohamed el-Rajaby. He had built the structures eight years ago.

On the other side of the valley, the Israeli army spent the afternoon
demolishing two shops and a cistern belonging to Nader Abdel Azziz Jaber.
Jaber reported the army gave him a demolition order one week ago. He said
the shops cost 150,000 shekels to build. This Jaber family is a Campaign for
Secure Dwellings family partnered with Haywood County Peace Fellowship.

According to Abdel Hadi Hantash, the cartographer for the Hebron Municipal
Government, the Israeli army also demolished the following structures on
September 14 2003:

* a 100 square meter house and animal pen belonging to Jamal Ahmed Tawiil

* a 50 square meter house belonging to Mwafa' Ahmed Tawiil

* an 80 square meter house and a cistern belonging to Zeed Hanjouri

* an animal pen and greenhouse belonging to Ismael Jamal Al-Rajaby

* a cistern belonging to an Abu Sneineh family.