These are the photos and slides from my powerpoint presentation on the latest Center for Jewish Nonviolence delegation to the West Bank, Palestine in July 2016.
As a diaspora Jewish organization, the Center for Jewish
Nonviolence strives to find the balance between asserting our voice and values
as Jews who are implicated in Israel’s policies and actions, while also
recognising that it is Israelis and the Palestinians themselves who ultimately
must find an equitable and sustainable way to live in close proximity to each
other
The delegation at Umm al Khair village in the South Hebron Hills
Disappearing Palestine
Claire Anastas' house in Bethlehem, cut off on three sides by the 8 metre high separation wall
Aida Refugee Camp Bethlehem, the largest key in the world represents the desire to return to the homes they were evacuated from 4 generations ago in 1948
the separation wall
Checkpoint 300 Bethlehem early in the morning when West Bank workers try to get to their jobs in Jerusalem
Umm al Kheir is directly against the fence of Carmel Israeli Settlement illegal under International law
In around
135 settlements and 100 outposts in Area C, the total population of
Israeli settlers is nearly 400,000, (excluding East Jerusalem). As of
December 2015, altogether over 800,000 Israeli Jews reside over the 1949
Armistice Lines (including east-Jerusalem neighbourhoods), constituting
approximately 13% of Israel's Jewish population.
an outpost of Israeli settlers near Susiya, led by a South African man
1949 Geneva Convention
Article 49
Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as
deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of
the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are
prohibited, regardless of their motive.
The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of
its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.
Mohamed and Awdah, two young graduates from Umm al Khair
The people of Umm Al Khair face many problems and chalenges, not least their inability to access sufficient water.
According to a 2003 survey,
●
The
average water supply to Palestinians in the West Bank is 63 litres per capita
per day.
●
In 43 out of the 708 Palestinian communities the
per capita daily supply is less than 30 litres.
●
The World Health organisation recommends a per
capita minimum of 100 litres.
●
These figures relate to those communities
connected to a supply – 69% of the population of the West Bank only. The rest
rely on rain harvesting, springs, wells and water purchased from private
suppliers.
Rabbi Brant Rosen wields a pick as we aim to plant 5000 thyme plants
Mural painting at Umm al Khair
backfilling the foundations of a prefab house replacing a demolished house in Umm al Khair
all our activities in the village are watched by the civil administration of the Israeli Defence Force
Eid shows his working models of Israeli bulldozers made from the metal of demolished houses in the village
water tanks and solar panels provided to bedouin villages in South Hebron Hills by an international NGO called Comet ME
Ghalia and her 4 sons made homeless after their house is demolished - she gave her sons a shower when she heard we were visiting, despite lack of water
Ghalia's house
the UN provided a tent to protect from sun during the day, but at night Ghalia and her children sleep on the ruined kitchen floor
Approximately
61 per cent of the occupied West Bank is classified as Area C under the Oslo
Accords, and is home to approximately 150,000 Palestinians. Some 70 per cent of
Area C is off limits to Palestinians, as it is placed within the jurisdictional
boundaries of the settlements’ regional and local councils. Palestinians are
not allowed to construct on State land, in
military firing zones, nature reserves, the buffer zone around the wall
and alongside major roads, leaving them with only 30 per cent of Area C where
construction is not a priori prohibited.
Ancient Hebrew town of Susya - archaelogical park run by Israeli settlers on land that belonged to Palestinians who were evicted and now live opposite in tents
we take the Susiya Palestinian villagers for an outing to the archaeological site
Mney for the park was provided by the Jewish National Fund in the USA
an elder of the village tells of life before their eviction
a settler volunteer at the park keeps an eye on us
Abed and his mother show us the cave in which she gave birth to him, now part of the archaeological park
bulldozers on land belonging to the Abu Heikel family in Tel Rumeida, Hebron, developing another archaeological park
Hebron now and a picture of the bustling place it used to be before 2000
Whole streets, markets and shopping areas have been blocked off by the Israeli army in Hebron
Our delegation goes to help clear an old factory which local Palestinians want to make into a cinema - we are watched by Tel Rumeida Israeli settlers
police and army soon come to move us away - they argue with the owner of the land and try to get him to complain about us, but we are there with his permission
we refuse to move, but the army declares this a closed military zone and finally we have to go and 6 of our Israeli friends are arrested
that eveing we celebrate the Jewish Sabbath at Susiya village, watched by Palestinian children
as the sun goes down and we complete our sabbath rituals our Israeli friends arrive after having been released from police custody
outisde the old city wall in Jerusalem another archaeological site, King David's City, snakes around Palestinian homes, burrowing tunnels underneath them and compromising foundations
the Arab area of Silwan in Jerusalem is gradually being taken over by Israeli settlers
zuheir rajabi - one of those threatened with eviction from their home - once owned by a Yemeni Jewish trust
Abdul Abu Nab, also evicted from his home
wego down a steep ladder to hep retrieve the belongings of Jawad Abu Nab, evicted by Jewish settlers and all his belongings thrown into a basement room only reached by ladder
a young Jewish settler child being escorted by a security guard through Silwan
we organise a street party outside Zuheir's house
Postscript - the two South Hebron Hlls villages we spent time in - Susiya and Umm al Kheir are both threatened with imminent demolition.40% of Umm al Kheir was demolished a few days ago, making 27 people homeless.
