CPTnet
1 August 2006

HEBRON: A birthday party for Wisam and Safa'a

by Lorin Peters

The Abu Haikels live on the top of Tel Rumeida. Their land deed dates from
the Ottoman Empire. But Tel Rumeida is also the site of the ancient city of
Hebron. King David's first palace was probably within a stone's throw of
the Abu Haikal's present home. And so Israeli settlers are determined to
drive all 350 Palestinian families off Tel Rumeida hill via vandalism, stone
throwing and physical assaults. Three hundred families have already broken
under the pressure and moved away. To protect the settlers, the Israeli
military has barred everyone except settlers from using the street to the
Abu Haikels' home.

The Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Hebron decided on 24 July to
celebrate the sixteenth birthdays of Hani's niece Wisam and her neighbor
Safa'a. Some of us brought a cake and gifts. Others brought balloons and
paper plates and plastic forks. We invited a group of internationals and
Israelis to join us. Some were soldiers belonging to the group "Breaking
the Silence" who have documented Israeli military and settler violence
against Hebron's Palestinian residents.

We walked up Hani's street, past the first military checkpoint, to his gate.
Two CPTers escorted Safa'a. The Israeli military had sent the previous
soldier brigade in Hebron to Lebanon just last week. So all the soldiers at
Hani's gate were new and unsure of what to do. Hani invited them to join
the birthday party. The soldiers allowed only half our group in.

Yehuda, the "Breaking the Silence" leader, talked with a soldier just inside
the gate. Blue uniformed Israeli police arrived. Hani invited them also to
join the party. Yehuda argued vigorously with a young officer. Ten more
soldiers arrived. Yehuda continued arguing. Gray uniformed border police
arrived. Yehuda continued arguing.

The birthday girl and her mother came out. Someone suggested to a soldier
that he wish her a happy birthday, and he did. Then the soldiers allowed in
the remaining guests. The whole argument had lasted about forty-five
minutes, and had involved at least twenty soldiers and ten policemen.

As we entered their home, Hani's sister Hana burst into tears of shame that
their guests had been treated so rudely. Hani welcomed everyone. Then he
said, "Yesterday, while I was at work, several settlers came into my yard
and started banging on my wife's kitchen window. Riima and our children
were extremely frightened, and hid under the stairs. The baby started
crying with fear. But when we call the police, they never come. Now, when
you want to visit, all these police come. Where were they yesterday?"

At least the Israeli military and police who came got to hear, in Hebrew, an
articulate and passionate defense of Palestinians and their rights from an
Israeli soldier who has served in Hebron.