CPTnet
February 14, 2000
HEBRON: Take Care of the Homeless
by Reinhard Kober

 [NOTE: Reinhard Kober is a 43 year old teacher from Hamburg who has been
serving on a 6 month assignment with CPT in Hebron.]

A group of 25 "rebuilders" from the Israeli peace group Gush Shalom, CPT
and
 the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions (ICAHD), crossed the city
lines of northern Jerusalem on the morning of December 12. They intended to
support a homeless Palestinian family by rebuilding their
demolished house.

After half-an-hour's drive they arrived where the family lives in a
"unrecognized" Palestinian village on the slope of a hill. Just on the
other side of the valley to the south it was easy to see how an Israeli
settlement near Katana is spreading over the top of the hill like an
octopus.

Jeff Halper, an organizer with ICAHD, explained the situation: Several
houses in this village got demolition orders. Two and a half years ago this
house was demolished. The family then rented a house, but had to move again
since their landlord claimed it for his own family.

The family decided to rebuild their house in order to have a place to stay,
although they had no chance to get a permit. Since they began rebuilding,
the family had suffered the harassment of soldiers and the "Civil
Administration" (military government of the West Bank) field inspectors.

Helicopters observed the progress of the construction. They were beaten by
the police and taken to the hospital. Medical treatments had to be paid
for by the family themselves. As the village is not connected with
electricity, the family used a generator, which was recently confiscated by
the authorities.

As Halper was talking, the family offered us fresh juice and fruits,
although they did not eat or drink in daylight hours since it was the
Ramadan fast.

Then more than 20 people started to break a policy that expels families
from their own homes and their land. They stood in a line and passed long
bars to the roof of the house. Others received the bars, placing them where
directed, and fixed the connections with wire.

This long line of working people, coming from different places with
different backgrounds, represented a symbol for a new cooperation:
Palestinians and Israelis working for a common future. The signs on the Gush
Shalom shirts showed a possible way: two states - one future. And we as
foreigners from different countries were privileged to support them.
Suddenly I found out about what is meant in Isaiah 58: "I'll tell you, what
it really means, to worship the Lord ... Give your food to the hungry and
care for the homeless..."