CPTnet
April 26, 2005

AT-TUWANI UPDATE: 20-24 April 2005

Wednesday, April 20
CPTers Bill Baldwin and Christy Bischoff witnessed the police escorting
thirteen children to school from Tuba.

One shepherd and two women from At-Tuwani were grazing their sheep and
harvesting lentils near the road near the Israeli outpost of Havat Ma'on.
While Baldwin and Bischoff were watching school patrol, an Israeli army jeep
stopped where the family was working. Baldwin and Bischoff made their way
down the valley to the shepherd. When the CPTers reached the place, Israeli
soldiers were trying to move the sheep back. The soldiers said that
Palestinians were not allowed to be near the road.

One month earlier, the Israeli DCO (District Coordinating officer) had come
to the village and told the villagers below the road was all open area for
the Palestinians. When one Palestinian explained that they had received
permission by the DCO, the soldier called the DCO, who denied giving
permission. The soldiers threatened to arrest the Palestinians. The
Palestinians continued harvesting lentils and the soldiers left.

The shepherd explained that before the CPTers had arrived on the scene, the
soldiers had kicked and hit the sheep with their guns. One hour later, one
of the battered sheep t gave birth to a stillborn lamb. Four hours later a
second sheep died. The shepherd told the CPTers that he has eleven children
and now only eight sheep (another of his sheep had died from the settlers
having distributed poison on grazing land in previous weeks.)

During afternoon school patrol, the police were late showing up. When
Bischoff called the police about the escort, the officer replied with "We
don't like you; we don't love you. Stop calling us."

Bischoff, Baldwin, and Maureen Jack accompanied shepherds in Surora.

 Thursday 21 April Prophet Mohammed's birthday. No school.

An Israeli lawyer came to get information about the beating of the sheep the
day before.

Friday 22 April
No school

Baldwin, Bischoff, John Lynes, and Diana Zimmerman accompanied shepherds
near Surora.

Saturday 23 April
During morning school patrol, the soldiers arrived an hour late to walk the
children to school.

Baldwin, Bischoff, Lynes, and Zimmerman accompanied shepherds all day near
Surora.

During the afternoon school patrol, the soldiers were over two hours late
arriving to walk the children back home.

Two sheep from Mufakara died after eating poison while grazing in Khoruba.
The shepherds believed that it was poison that still had not been cleaned
up. One sheep was pregnant, and the other was nursing a lamb The shepherd
said that the next day, lamb would be dead as well.

Sunday 24 April
Soldiers were late for morning school patrol. When Baldwin called the army
to see where they were, they said there was no school. Baldwin informed
them that school was indeed in session. The army arrived one hour late.
Seven children were followed by an army Humvee, with no soldiers walking.

Baldwin, Bischoff, Zimmerman, and Lynes accompanied shepherds near Havat
Ma'on.

The military was one hour late in arriving to bring the children home from
school.