CPTnet
29 January 2007
HEBRON: Outdoor Conference calls for opening of Shuhada Street

by Janet Benvie

On the 25th of January, nearly 200 Palestinians and international peace
activists, including CPTers Bill Baldwin, Bob Holmes and Dianne Roe,
participated in an open-air conference beside the Israeli military
checkpoint at the top of Shuhada Street in Hebron. The conference was the
second event organized by Palestinian ISM in Hebron, calling for the Israeli
military to open Shuhada Street, in accordance with an Israeli High Court
decision in December 2006. See
<http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/809722.html> )

The peaceful event had an almost carnival atmosphere, as young and old,
Palestinian and international, gathered together to listen to speeches and
to chant, sing and dance.

People held placards that called for freedom of movement, an end to the
illegal Israeli occupation and an end to settler violence, as well as for
the opening of Shuhada Street. Palestinian residents of Tel Rumeida, the
community most severely affected by the closure, spoke about the harsh
living conditions caused by restrictions on their movement enforced by the
Israeli military. A local school headmistress related the difficulties her
students face every day trying to get to and from school. A twelve-year-old
boy from Tel Rumeida, told of his experiences of growing up in a land under
military occupation.

Shuhada Street used to be one of the city's main thoroughfares. The Israeli
army has prevented Palestinians from using the street for the past six
years, and has also enforced the closure of all the stops and stalls on the
street. These restrictions have had a profound, detrimental effect on the
livelihood of thousands of Palestinian families.

CPTer Jan Benvie later spoke with an Israeli peace activist in another area
of Hebron, who told her that soldiers had prevented him from passing through
the checkpoint to join the conference. The military often prevents Israeli
peace activists, who want to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, from
entering Hebron. On Thursday 18 January, the Israeli police prevented some
150 Peace Now (an Israeli peace group) activists from traveling to Hebron.
The Israelis wanted to protest in Hebron against settler violence, following
the airing of a video showing a settler verbally attacking a Palestinian
family. (See http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3350480,00.html )

Issa Amro, a Palestinian nonviolent activist and one of the conference
organizers, told CPT that his group plans to hold weekly events until the
Israeli army abides by the court ruling.

Photos of this conference, and other events in Hebron, may be viewed at:
http://www.cpt.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=hebron
<http://www.cpt.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=hebron>