CPTnet

21 February 2005

HEBRON Update 27 January - 4 February 2005

Thursday, 27 January

CPT members John Lynes, Dianne Roe, and Kathie Uhler,
with Zleekha translating, paid a Campaign for Secure
Dwellings (CSD) visit to Adnan Ameen Abu Turki, Umm
Omar and their family in Abu Sneineh. The family is
living in Umm Omar's relatives' rent-free apartment
while they wait for the rebuilding of their home in
Al-Sendas to be completed. Their newly-built home in
Al-Sendas was demolished by the Israeli Defense Force
in November, 2002 as they did not have a permit for it.

While Lynes, Roe, Uhler and Zleekha were descending
from Abu Sneineh, Israeli soldiers stopped them,
preventing them from crossing Shuhada street. Zleekha
was not prepared to forfeit her right to walk the few
meters across the street. Zleekha and Lynes stayed to
challenge the soldiers while Roe and Uhler returned to
the apartment. When Uhler and Roe returned to the
apartment, they discovered damaged locks on two outer doors.

Friday, 28 January

Roe gave a talk on CPT and a rooftop tour of Hebron to
fourteen Lutheran seminarians.

Lynes and a member from EAPPI (Ecumenical
Accompaniment Project in Palestine
and Israel) took part in a sit-down against land
confiscation on the summit of a hill near the village
of Khallet Edder, on the outskirts of Hebron. The
demonstration started out as a march from the new
school on Yatta road. It became strung-out as it
proceeded across several hills and valleys before
reaching the final summit, from which locals pointed
out a number of Israeli settlements. After speeches,
about three hundred Palestinians took part in midday
prayers. Israelis did not intervene.

In the afternoon Lynes and Uhler, with Zleekha
translating, made preliminary formal complaints with
the Palestinian Police about the attempted break-in to
the CPT apartment on the 27 January indicated by the
damaged locks.

Saturday, 29 January

Uhler and Lynes did the first school patrol of the new
school term. An Israeli military jeep was stationed
in Shuhada street. There were no problems.

A group of International Solidarity Movement (ISM)
members visited and talked about ways to cooperate
with CPT in Hebron.

Sunday, 30 January

Team members gave ISM members a walking tour of Hebron.

Monday, 31 January

Team members and Zleekha hosted a birthday party for
two Palestinian children, a member of EAPPI and Uhler
at Zleekha's brother's house. About seventy people
joined the celebration. On their way to the party,
team members, EAPPI members and ISM members tried to
walk around on Shuhada street, entering through the
Beit Romano checkpoint. The Israeli soldiers would
not permit them to pass. The group left the soldiers
some balloons and candy after singing "Happy Birthday"
and a Hebrew celebration/peace refrain.

Tuesday, 1 February

In the afternoon, two members of Medicines sans
Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) visited the team.
 They told of a recent case in which a young Israeli
settler took a young Palestinian child into a
settlement, beat the child, and released her after two
hours.

Wednesday, 2 February

Team members, Zleekha, EAPPI members and ISM members held a second birthday
party for a Palestinian boy who missed the party two days previous. The
group processed up Shalalah street through the Duboyya street checkpoint on
their way to the boy's house in Tel Rumeida. At the base of a hill near the
boy's house, soldiers held the group for about fifteen minutes while they
secured permission to pass. The group then picked up two Palestinian boys
so they could walk up the street past settler residences to the party venue.

The birthday boy's mother told of many hardships of
her people's lives. "We have no privacy or human
rights," she said. To go from their homes into the H2
district of Hebron, Palestinian families must go
through fields. A trip to Bab i-Zawiyya, which would
take five minutes along the paved, direct route, takes
an hour over hills and through fields that are often
muddy.

The team hosted a gathering of two EAPPI members, six
ISM members and six Palestinians for supper. One of
the Palestinians made this his first visit to the old
city in four years. The group discussed problems in
the old city and how to grow the non-violent movements in Hebron.

Thursday, 3 February

Barb Martens attended the International Peace Teams
Forum meeting at the American Friends Service
Committee (AFSC) residence in Jerusalem.

Friday, 4 February

In the morning, Martens, Lynes, Uhler, Roe and Meyer
went to Qilqus (Al-Sendas) with two translators to
visit Nabil Abu Turki. They were greeted by the
friend's young son and hosted by his wife. Nabil was
at the hospital with his two-month-old son. The
family reported that life is better for them since the
Israeli soldiers moved off the top of the hill across
the road from their house. The family has moved into
the first floor of their home after living in their
basement for nine years for fear of their house being
demolished. The young son of the family took the
group past the site where their first house was
demolished to the site where his father is now
rebuilding. Roe paid a visit to the Abu Youssef Al-Atrash home.

Sheikh Talel told the team about protests against land
confiscation taking place between Yatta road and
Khalet e-Dar. He also expressed his gratitude toward
an Israeli friend who refused to serve with the
Israeli military in Occupied Territories.

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