CPTnet
April 8, 2000
HEBRON UPDATE: March 16 - 30, 2000
Thursday, March 16
While Reinhard Kober was giving a group of 20 young German
conscientious objectors a tour of Hebron, a soldier stopped them in front of
Avraham Avinu settlement just outside of the old city market. "You are not
allowed to enter the old market!" the soldier told them. "It is too
dangerous. You could be kidnapped!"
Kober replied, "I cannot believe that. I am living in the market and know
lots of friendly families. Do you
have bad experiences with Palestinians?" "Yes", responded the soldier, but
would not explain further. Instead, he offered to accompany the group into
the market. Kober refused his offer and continued on with the tour.

Friday, March 17
While Jamey Bouwmeester was giving a tour of Hebron and talking with the
group at the site of the closed Palestinian market outside of Avraham Avinu
settlement, a settler stopped and listened. After completing his talk,
Bouwmeester asked the settler whether he had any questions. The settler
said nothing and walked away.

Monday, March 20
Dianne Roe went to Yatta to visit a family who's aunt, Liga Zein, was
evicted from her home in November, 1999, when over 700 Palestinians were
displaced from their land and the caves they inhabited. Liga and her husband
are now living on another part of their land in a tent. The reason Israel
gave for the eviction was the need to clear the land for a military
firing range. The Israeli settlement of Ma'on borders the firing range but
was not included in the closed military area. Roe told the family about an
Israeli demonstration in Tel Aviv the day before (Mar.19) which was held on
behalf of the Yatta families. They were surprised that there were Israeli's
working on their behalf.

Tuesday, March 21
Settlers in Hebron celebrated the Jewish holiday, Purim, with a parade and
festive costumes today. Rick Carter and Kober stood on the sidewalk to
watch the parade, and were called obscene names by one of the settlers.
The Israeli government carried out the last redeployment in the West Bank
before the final status talks. 6.1% of Israeli controlled land was handed
over to the Palestinian Authority. None of Palestinian families who are
partnered with North American families through the Campaign for Secure
Dwellings are affected by the redeployment and remain living under full
Israeli control.

Saturday, March 25
Natasha Krahn and Carter spoke with some Palestinian tour guides working for
the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism at the Tomb of the Patriarchs and
Matriarchs. The tour guides informed Krahn and Carter that they had been
told by Israeli police that they could not wear anything identifying
themselves as tour guides. The men disobeyed these orders and continued to
wear their badges. This is one of several
measures that the IDF has taken to prevent an official Palestinian presence
at the Tomb.

Monday, March 27
Krahn and Carter were giving a tour of Hebron and were stopped by soldiers.
They asked Krahn where her I.D. was, and she pointed to her CPT armband.
"No," they replied, "you need identification to give a tour." Krahn replied
that she gave tours all the time. The soldiers then said that they must
accompany the group, but Krahn refused and continued on her way with the
tour. The soldiers followed along until
Krahn reiterated that they did not want accompaniment by soldiers.

Tuesday, March 28
As Kober was passing in front of Avraham Avinu settlement, he saw settler
children unload from their school bus and run toward their homes, kicking
several Palestinian men as they passed. Soldiers watching nearby did not
intervene. Kober asked the soldiers why they did nothing and they replied,
"we cannot do anything, only the police." Kober then asked what the
children are being taught at home or at school so that they would kick
Palestinian adults. The soldiers did not reply.

Wednesday, March 29
The Israeli Supreme Court met today to decide on the fate of the Palestinian
families evicted from the Yatta area in November. Anne Montgomery, Roe,
Carter, and Kober went to Jerusalem to hear the Supreme Court decision.
Many Yatta families and Israeli peace activists also gathered at the court.
The Court ruled that the displaced families could return to their land and
their homes immediately, and that an arbiter would be appointed to figure
out which families are permanent residents and have the right to stay there.

Thursday, March 30
Anita Fast, Montgomery, Roe, Krahn, and Carter went to Yatta with Abed el
Hadi Hantash of the Palestinian Land Defense Committee, to visit one of the
families from the area which was declared a closed military zone. As the
team passed by the military outpost near their home an army jeep pursued
them and stopped their van to tell the driver that they
could not pass by that way because it was a firing range. The driver was
able to negotiate the team's passing with the promise that they would not
return by the same way. When the team asked the family about the firing
range on
which they lived, they were told that the soldiers used the range only once
a year, and that they had not used it at all since expelling the 700
Palestinians from the area.