Mary's bio

My name is Mary and I have been a registered nurse for almost 50 years. Besides the usual nursing jobs, I have had some unique opportunities.

During the Vietnam war I worked with CRS (Catholic Relief Services) in the refugee camps and orphanages for 1 ½ years. Basically this was a
“life changing” experience.

From 2002-2004, I had the chance to spend 2 years teaching about HIV/AIDS in the schools in St. Lucia in the West Indies with the Peace Corps. With this experience too, I worked with and appreciated a different culture. A year later, I spent 3 months working again in refugee camps in Sri Lanka following the terrible tsunami.

In all of these experiences I marveled at the resilience and hope of downtrodden people.

More recently, while being involved in the Pax Christi organization, I learned about the Michigan Peace Team. Once again it seemed like a good fit for my current interest--peace, peace, peace.

I am married and have 3 adult children and four grandchildren.

I look forward to being a member of the Fall Team.

Tom's bio

Hello, my name is Tom and I will be a member of MPT’s Fall Team.In 1995 I retired from my work as a school social worker after spending 24 years meeting with parents of special needs children and helping them qualify for special education.

Prior to working in the schools, I worked in foster care and adoptions but then applied to work with Catholic Relief Services in Vietnam which I did in 1968-69. During this time, I found the love of my life (Mary) and we married two years later. I have three children--all supportive of the peace movement. My two sons and daughter are now adults and on their own.

In 2002, I joined the Peace Corps and was deployed for two years to the small island of St. Lucia. While there I helped establish a special needs program for children with learning disabilities. In 2005, I traveled to Sri Lanka (with Crisis Corps--a branch of Peace Corps) after the tsunami to work in the refugee camps for three months.

In all of these experiences, I loved learning about different cultures and working with the local people. Everyone wants a better life for themselves and their children.

In 2006, I helped found a Pax Christi chapter. At a State convention, I discovered the Michigan Peace Team. I was interested in the work they do and am now excited to be a member of the 2009 Fall Team.

Cats, Water & Luxury

This is Porkchop, being held by Z, my 9-year-old housemate. Neither of them will be traveling with MPT to Palestine this Fall. As Porkchop's person, I will go in her stead.

I was fortunate to be able to travel with MPT several years ago. When I left for Palestine/Israel I showered everyday, but when I came back, days would go by without me taking a shower. Water is such a huge issue in the world, and particularly in the Middle East. According to the World Bank, some 1.1 billion people currently lack access to clean drinking water, and by 2025, 3.5 billion people will live in areas where water is scarce or becoming scarce. In Palestine/Israel, settlements often have lawns and swimming pools, while nearby Palestinian communities don't have adequate drinking water. I knew all this before I left, but being there changed my habits. I still use too much water, run too much to wash dishes, etc, but it's something I am much more conscious about.

In the context of a beautiful, crowded world of limited resources, I think people can learn a lot from cats, and not only because they very rarely shower. The United States and Israel, as well as much of Europe, use far more than our share of the world's resources because we can, and as peace activists we can work on that power differential. But I think we can also ask questions about the culture that leads us to always want more, more, bigger, more luxurious, etc. And I think that we can argue not only that the insatiability of capitalism is unsustainable and immoral, but that by truly savoring small pleasures, we can have more with less. I watch Porkchop, and she fills each day with luxurious experiences. She wakes up, and stretches and yawns extravagantly. She licks herself all over, including all four paws, and looks so pleased with herself. She purrs and purrs when I rub around her ears. And so many people in this country seem to have so much, and yet derive little pleasure from it.

Recommended: An Inspiring Book

In anticipation of my MPT training, I read Unarmed Bodyguards: International Accompaniment for the Protection of Human Rights by Liam Mahony & Luis Enrique Eguren. This inspiring book tells the story of Peace Brigades International's use of unarmed accompaniment, e.g., unarmed international volunteers physically accompanying civilian activists who are threatened with violence. The evolution of this tactic of escorting a threatened individual or organization so as to deter potential aggressors who fear the political repercussions if their violence is witnessed by a foreign observer is gripping. To realize that you're soon to be doing similar peace work gives pause, but also inspiration that such work can provide a sense of safety and empowerment to a community.

The authors show the success of this concept through the story of Peace Brigade International’s accompaniment of activists in Guatemala, El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Colombia and Haiti. In these nations, protective accompaniment took many forms: from being with an individual 24 hours per day to being present in the offices of a threatened organization, from acting as "observers" at peaceful marches or protests to traveling with people on risky journeys. Accompanied threatened individuals included human rights activists, trade unionists, community leaders and organizers, and peace activists. Instrumental to PBI's work is the building of relationships with local non-governmental organizations and local, regional and national authorities. In addition to tracing the development of protective accompaniment, the authors analyze the power of the technique as well as the potential pitfalls. Revealing interviews with key political and military figures involved in the events described lend credence to the power of this tactic in curtailing violence and saving lives.

An aspect of PBI protective accompaniment that intrigued me was its international network of supporters -- PBI members and other concerned individuals, academic and religious organizations, government representatives, the UN and non-governmental bodies such as Amnesty International -- who react promptly to an alert issued by PBI and apply pressure to prevent further acts of violence. PBI activates the alert system whenever one of the teams or someone they accompany is faced with death threats, abduction, arrest or assault. A case sheet is sent out with details of the violation and perpetrators, background information, the suggested wording of an appeal, and the contact details of the intended recipients. Participants are asked to immediately send faxes, emails or letters to government and military authorities in the country in which the crisis is occurring and/or to approach their own government officials to do it on their behalf. Within hours of the initial incident, there are hundreds of faxes and emails protesting the violation.

I've been a long-time member of Amnesty International but I have to confess to not having had much confidence in the effectiveness of their letter-writing campaigns. I was stunned to learn that an alert could generate such response and that such response could have such a significant impact on a rogue government, making them aware that such violations are not occurring in isolation and the eyes of the international community are upon them. Thus these networks multiply the protective power of PBI's international presence.

Musings:

• How immune is Israel/the Israeli army to MPT, ISM, and other peace groups and foreign observers?
• Has Israel's "immunity"/impunity been threatened since the Gaza invasion?
• Could MPT, in collaboration with other peace groups, create a network of supporters to respond to alerts, such as Peace Brigades International?

- JF

Nursing Home Walled in

In preparation for a Palestine/Israel trip this fall, I viewed a Jerusalem nursing home POV documentary on public television this week. The nursing home was similar to a good USA nursing home, but the striking difference was that the elderly nursing home residents would be completely cut off from their families by the illegal apartheid wall, being constructed near them. The apartheid wall has affected all life in occupied Palestine. The feelings of dismay and resistance of the elderly to being treated with such disregard was evident. I will not visit the nursing home, but I will stand before the illegal apartheid wall, with the hope that soon true peace and justice can come to Palestine/Israel.

Introduction of Fall Team member - Rusty

Hello, I am Rusty (OK, that is my "Trail Name" when hiking - a tradition on the Appalachian Trail). I am excited to be a part of the fall team headed to the West Bank. Quotes seem to be guiding forces for many. I came upon this poster years ago and have hung it in every office/work place of my career. It is old and beat up but the message is still sound. It is from such guiding forces that I find myself compelled to be involved more actively than sitting home peacefully, praying for peace, marching, letter writing and such. I look forward to sending accurate new releases from Palestine. My hope is that my supporters, family, friends and other readers of this blog will learn a bit more about the situation in Palestine and be moved to take action as they see fit. I trust that my presence in Palestine will in some way help to diminish violence.

Azzun Update

The Israeli army has imposed a curfew on the village of Azzun which started last Tuesday, August 18th, and is still in effect. Villagers cannot come into or leave the village after 8:30pm which is also about the time that villagers are coming home to eat for the first time in the day due to the fact that the holy month of Ramadan has begun. If residents miss the 8:30pm cut off time, they are unable to make it home for the night. All entrances to Azzun were also closed for two days, making it impossible for any vehicles to come and go. On Monday, Azzun was paritally opened, however the main entrance into the village remains closed. During this time of curfew the Israeli army has also arrested a total of 9 boys and men from Azzun.

‘Iraq Burin: Protesting the Confiscation of Land

August 21, 2009—Two MPTers traveled to the village of ‘Iraq Burin to join a protest against the continued confiscation of village lands, as well as the inability to access their agricultural land. The village is 8 kilometers west of Nablus and the illegal settlement of Har Bracha is located southeast of ‘Iraq Burin. Har Bracha and its outposts are the same communities that have harassed the villagers of Burin, which MPT has written about in past reports.

(Marching to the fields that farmers in 'Iraq Burin no longer have access to because of the nearby illegal settlement.)

One hundred dunums of ‘Iraq Burin land has been confiscated by Israel in order to construct the illegal settlement of Har Bracha. Some of the land that remains in the residents of ‘Iraq Burin’s possession, farmers are prevented from grazing sheep on or harvesting because of its close proximity to the settlement. Villagers have also been harassed by the settlers of Har Bracha.

(Soldiers waiting on top of the hill.)

The demonstration that MPT joined, was the third that has taken place in the village. After the noon prayer, protestors including Palestinian and international activists marched toward their confiscated lands, while holding banners and Palestinian flags. There were approximately 100 Palestinians and 20 internationals present. Upon arrival in the fields near the settlement, soldiers surrounded the demonstrators and shot multiple teargas canisters at the crowd. The procession continued to protest for an hour and then ended the demonstration.

(Protesters gathered on a small hill in the field.)

(Soldiers came over to the crowd to force protesters back.)

No arrests or injuries were reported.

Jenin: From an Armed Uprising to Cultural Resistance

On Tuesday, August 18th, two MPTers visited the Freedom Theatre in the Jenin Refugee Camp. Jenin is the northernmost Governorate in the West Bank. The city of Jenin has approximately 120,000 residents while the Refugee Camp has just over 18,000 people. The story of the Freedom Theatre starts with an Israeli woman named Arna Mer-Khamis who was married to Saliba Khamis, a Palestinian man from Nazareth. In 1988 Arna came to Jenin and began working with Palestinian youth from the Refugee Camp giving acting lessons. According to the Freedom Theatre’s website, Arna wanted to give the children a space to work through the trauma they experienced because of the ongoing conflict. Because of her work she received the Alternative Peace Prize in 1993 and used the money to build a theatre in the Camp.

The first theatre, the Stone Theatre, was destroyed in 2002 during the Israeli army invasion of the Jenin Refugee Camp. In the midst of the Second Intifada the Israeli army sought to crush the armed resistance in the Camp and in the process destroyed half of its housing units and other buildings, including the theatre. They brought in large bulldozers and leveled buildings without warning. Some of those killed during the invasion were former acting students of Arna’s. In 2005 Arna and Saliba’s son Juliano, a then famous actor in Israel, returned to Jenin to begin building a second theatre known as the Freedom Theatre.

The inside of the Freedom Theatre today

Today the theatre complex includes the theatre itself, video editing studios, a film darkroom, a library, two classrooms and a computer lab. The computer lab was donated by an Israeli man whose daughter received a heart from a Palestinian boy who was killed by Israeli soldiers in the Camp in 2005. Classes in the complex are taught by Camp residents, Jenin city residents and international volunteers.

One of the classrooms, decorated by students' photography compositions

There is a specific program for the younger children where they are able to work through their trauma by acting out scenarios that they have lived through. In a culture where “the streets are for the boys,” acting classes also provide girls in the Camp with a safe space to express themselves as well as come together outside of their homes. Both boys and girls in the theatre’s promotional video specifically mentioned that the Freedom Theatre has given them new opportunities for their future.

The Freedom Theatre has just concluded its first year of post-secondary acting school. Currently there are 9 students, 2 of which are women, in the school. It is the only acting school in the northern West Bank and one of its productions, Fragments of Palestine, is scheduled to tour in Europe in the coming months.

The theatre in Jenin is one example of how Palestinians are resisting Israel’s cultural occupation. People who work and/or participate in the Freedom Theatre believe that a third intifada is coming, a nonviolent uprising which should use art and culture to create social change.

To visit the Freedom Theatre’s website: http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org/

Bil'in Update

Two MPTers returned to the village of Bil’in for night watch on Saturday, August 15^th. Although the military did not enter Bil’in during the night, they did arrest a young boy earlier in the evening at around 6pm. The boy was playing with a friend in the field when the Israeli military reportedly saw him via the cameras they have stationed throughout the village. One boy was arrested while the other boy he was playing with was able to run away.

East Jerusalem: 53 People Homeless and Counting

MPT returned to occupied East Jerusalem for an action protesting the eviction of the Hanoun and Al-Ghawi families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah. The demonstrators marched from Damascus Gate outside the Old City to the settler-occupied Hanoun home in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

MPT joined Palestinians, Israeli activists, and other internationals in front of the Hanoun home. Upon arrival at the home demonstrators noticed hired security officers stationed inside the gates of the occupied homes. Settlers stood in the gate and on top of the roof laughing at the demonstrators and one settler danced in rhythm to the protestors’ chants, led by 3 Palestinian women. Protestors displayed signs created by the Hanoun, Al-Ghawi family and other residents of Sheikh Jarrah. One police officer and 4 Israeli soldiers were present at the demonstration.

Palestinian woman leading protest chants

Settlers watch the demonstration from the Hanoun house

After demonstrating in front of the Hanoun home for approximately 35 minutes the leader of a local Palestinian committee asked protestors to proceed to the Al-Ghawi home. More hired security was present at the Al-Ghawi home and settlers occupying the Hanoun home came down to the Al-Ghawi home. After 25 minutes in front of the Al-Ghawi home the committee leaders thanked protestors for their presence and announced that a similar action would take place the following week. After the demonstration formally ended some dialogue was exchanged in Hebrew between the occupying settlers and the Israeli activists. Sheikh Nasser, one of the evicted Palestinians, spoke at length with an Jewish American tourist, explaining the situation in Sheikh Jarrah.

Following the protest MPTers were approached by a Palestinian man living in Sheikh Jarrah whose family is next in line to be evicted. This man goes between the Hanoun and Al-Ghawi family daily to stand in solidarity with them as his family faces a similar situation. He further explained to MPT that he thinks Israel is taking the neighborhood in a piecemeal fashion so as not to draw too much attention to the process.

A hired security officer stands guard as he allows settlers into the Al-Ghawi home

Sheikh Nasser speaking with a Jewish American tourist

On Sunday the former Governor of Arkansas and possible 2012 Presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, joined Israeli settlers and their supporters for a dinner in East Jerusalem, held at the Shepherd Hotel, which is located in Sheikh Jarrah and is a site for more projected illegal settlements. An excerpt from the New York Times article on Huckabee’s visit to the area, “His three-day trip, focusing on visits to settlements and meetings with settler leaders, puts him in direct opposition to President Barack Obama and positions him even to the right of Israel's own hawkish prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Picture of Huckabee on his trip (courtesy of Haaretz)

To read about Huckabee’s visit in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz visit:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108071.html

For the full New York Times article visit:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/08/17/world/AP-ML-Israel-US.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=mike%20huckabee&st=cse

Azzun Atma: a Village Surrounded

(Demonstrators stand in front of the checkpoint into 'Azzun 'Atma)

Michigan Peace Team was invited to a demonstration outside the West Bank village of ‘Azzun ‘Atma, in the Qalqiliya district on Friday, August 14th. Movement in and out of ‘Azzun ‘Atma, is completely controlled by the Israeli military. Palestinians wishing to enter the village can only due so if they have a special permit and live in the village. The village is located in what is known as the “seam zone”, which is any area between the green line and the separation barrier. Neither the seam zone area nor the wall make a uniform line, instead they jut deep into the West Bank where settlements are located. Along the path of the Wall, Palestinian lands have been annexed and movement is restricted. The Qalqiliya area is a prime example of the incohesive geography of the West Bank due to the Wall, illegal Israeli settlements and checkpoints. There are four illegal Israeli settlements surrounding ‘Azzun ‘Atma (see map below) and according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the separation barrier is projected to completely surround the village.

(Qalqiliya area. Click to enlarge)

(Close-up of 'Azzun 'Atma area)

MPTers joined around 25 Palestinian activists and 3 Israelis near the checkpoint into ‘Azzun ‘Atma to protest the increased restriction of movement for Palestinians living inside and around the village. Palestinians gave speeches, some of which were directed at the soldiers who had come out of the checkpoint once the demonstration began. Soldiers drove their jeep out of the checkpoint, parking it in the road and making it harder for cars to enter the village. During the protest, soldiers told one of the demonstration leaders that the action was obstructing traffic for people entering the checkpoint. The Palestinian man replied that the action may be obstructing traffic for 5 or 10 minutes, but the checkpoint has been obstructing it for 2 years.

(Checkpoint into the village with an illegal Israeli settlement in the back.)

(Residents of 'Azzun 'Atma must go through an Israeli checkpoint to enter their own village.)



(Soldiers complained that the demonstration was disrupting traffic into the checkpoint.)

Villagers of ‘Azzun ‘Atma do not normally joined the demonstration outside their village for fear of reprisal, such as having their Jerusalem permits taken away. Many depend on access to Jerusalem for their jobs that support their families. Several soldiers took pictures of the activists during the protest, which is one form of intimidation used to discourage the actions from continuing. When one MPTer took out her camera to photograph a soldier who was taking pictures of the demonstration, the soldier immediately put his camera away. To support their neighbors in ‘Azzun ‘Atma, Palestinians from the town of Qalqiliya and the surrounding villages organize and put on the demonstrations every other Friday. One activist told MPT that although the demonstration has started out small, he hopes it will grow in the future.

(Soldiers stood across from the demonstration for the duration of the action.)

(A soldier taking a picture of the demonstrators.)

Loretta and Nancy Home Safely

Summer Team Members Loretta and Nancy have returned home safely from their time in the West Bank; thank you to all of our summer teamers for their incredible work!

Azzun Part II: the effects of occupation

Two MPTers and members of the International Solidarity Movement returned to the village of Azzun, to hear about their current situation under the occupation. Of the 12,000 residents in Azzun, 71 adults and an additional 22 children under the age of 18 are in jail. There are also 12,000 refugees from Azzun living outside of the West Bank, who were displaced during the 1948 war.

(click to enlarge this map of the area)

In addition to the individual problems villagers of Azzun face, there are also a number of issues the village faces as a whole because of the occupation. Israel’s separation barrier and illegal settlements have confiscated 9,000 dunums of village land. Currently a greenhouse and a kindergarten are scheduled to be demolished.

The illegal settlements surrounding the village, Zufin to the northwest, Alfe Menashe to the west and Ma’ale Shomerom to the east have created a number of problems. The sewage and garbage from the illegal settlements have polluted Azzun’s water tables. Bir Zeit University conducted water tests and found high levels of lead. Employees at the Office of Agriculture in Azzun told MPT that they believe there is a correlation between the high level of lead found in the water supply and the high number of residents diagnosed with stomach, breast and throat cancer.

In addition to Azzun, the nearby village of ‘Izbat at Tabib is under threat of losing half of its residents’ homes (23 out of 45 homes are scheduled to be demolished). The suspected reason for the demolitions in ‘Izbat at Tabib and Azzun, is the construction of an Israeli-only road which would connect the surrounding settlements to each other and to Israel proper. This road would also cut through the main road to the Palestinian city of Nablus, forcing vehicles to drive out of the way in order to enter this urban center. Recently, villagers of ‘Izbat at Tabib have been denied access to their agricultural lands while settlers accompanied by the army, have been increasingly seen perusing the area for hours at a time.

Qurawat Bani Zeid: Let the water flow

On Thursday, 6 August 2009, three MPTers were called shortly before midnight because the Israeli military had entered Kifl Haris, a village near the illegal Israeli settlement Ari’el. A family from Kifl Haris requested MPT be present Thursday night because they feared settlers would enter the village and cause violence.

MPT arrived at 12:40am where they were met by Israeli soldiers who questioned MPT’s presence in the village and warned the team that they should be off the streets before 1:00am because settlers were coming to the village to pray. Kifl Haris is the site of three ancient tombs to which religious pilgrimages are periodically made. MPT was informed that Jewish pilgrims come to pray at these specific tombs three to four times a year, sometimes bringing as many as 4,000 pilgrims into the village during the night. The last few times violence has broken out when settlers have come to pray. More specifically, settlers have thrown rocks at Palestinians, burned their cars, and one time shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian girl. The family explained to MPT how they live in constant fear of violence from the settlers.

The settlers and their private security car

Approximately 200 religious Jews entered the village around 1:30am, making their way through the streets toward the tombs. Dozens of soldiers positioned themselves along the route of the pilgrimage and drove throughout the village. The pilgrims finished by 4:00am and the soldiers left the village around 5:00am.

No injuries or arrests occurred to MPT’s knowledge.

Azzun: Stories from an occupied village

On Thursday, 6 August 2009 two MPTers along with members of the International Solidarity Movement visited Azzun, a village of 12,000 people in the Qalqiliya governorate southwest of Nablus. While in Azzun MPTers were told several different stories that exemplify the struggles the villagers face under occupation.

MPT first met with a man whose brother was arrested two days prior when the Israeli Army invaded the village and arrested him in the middle of the night. The man has not been charged with any crimes but remains in jail. From Azzun alone 82 individuals have been arrested, with an increased number of arrested in the past 9 years. Twenty of those arrested were under 19 years old at the time of their arrest and of the total number arrested 17 individuals have not yet seen a judge or been sentenced.

Next MPTers met with a woman who was released from jail 10 days prior after 3 years in prison. The woman was arrested two weeks after the Israeli Army killed her brother. Her activism in a local woman's group as well as her brothers' resistance were given as reasons for her arrest during her interrogation. Following her arrest in Nablus the woman was taken to a nearby jail where she was bound with her hands behind her back and had her head covered so she could not see. She was left in this condition outside from 5am to 3pm kneeling in the hot September sun while soldiers/police officers kicked her in the back and head.

Palestinian woman who served 3 years in prison for resisting the occupation

Initially she was taken to a prison for Israeli criminals, rather than a woman's political prison, where she was harassed and mistreated by other prisoners and felt that her life was in danger. She was interrogated for 14 days straight, without food, access to a bathroom or sleep. After the first week of refusing to talk she was beaten by male officers. After one month in the prison she went on an 8-day hunger strike, demanding to be transferred to a female political prison. While in the political prisons she subsequently went on many hunger strikes as she was denied a mattress to sleep on and other hygiene items. She objected to her treatment citing International Humanitarian Law and was eventually given some of the items she demanded. While in prison the only person allowed to visit her was her young daughter who was a year and a half old at the time of her arrest.

The women she was in prison with ranged in age from 14 to 45 years old. The young women were not schooled by the prison so the prisoners organized themselves into different academic subjects in order to provide the education for the younger girls. Whenever the women demanded better conditions based on International Law they were met by the authorities with beatings, teargas in their cells, and solitary confinement. One woman was arrested while pregnant and gave birth to her son in jail. Over a year later she and her young son are both still living in the prison.

She embroidered this artwork while in prison

The last visit MPT made in Azzun was with the family of Nasser, a 16-year-old boy who the family explained was killed by Israeli settlers. Nasser and two of his friends were out on 13 January 2009 when he was shot twice in the head. The shots did not kill him, and while his two friends were caring him away they were attacked by settlers throwing stones at him, one of which hit Nasser in the head, killing him. The Army detained the other two boys, both of which are still in prison without charges. When Nasser's family was told about the incident the Army claimed Nasser had thrown a stone at a settler vehicle, which ricocheted off the car and fatally hit him in the head.

Nasser's body was held for 4 days in Israel, where an autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death. Although Israeli doctors confirmed the Army's story human right's doctors were denied entry to examine the body and confirm the cause of death. The settler involved in the incident was the son of settlement's mayor. The mayor's son was arrested but not charged with any crimes.

If Nasser were still alive today, he would be starting his final year of high school this fall.

A picture of Nasser hanging in his family's living room

August 5 2009-Update

Two MPTers returned to the village of Bil'in Wednesday night to join several other international activists and Palestinians in their efforts to resist the occupation. MPT has been to Bil'in many times, but was called back to the village because two nights prior, the Israeli Forces came into and raided the village of Bil'in, arresting a total of 7 Palestinians and damaging several Palestinian homes. While MPT stayed the night in Bil'in, they sat on roof tops to keep an eye on the Israeli roads, watching for Israeli military vehicles heading towards Bil'in. They also patrolled on foot, looking for soldiers hiding behind trees as they sometimes do prior to incursions. While MPT was there, no Israeli Forces entered the village.

Grape Harvest Begins in Saffa

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

At 8:00 am an MPTer went with Palestinians and other internationals to accompany Abu Jabber Soleiby and his family to his land in Saffa, near the illegal Bat Ayin settlement, between Bethlehem and Hebron.

Palestinian Village of Saffa

After the farmers had been in the valley for about an hour harvesting their first grapes of the year, one Israeli military jeep arrived between the settlement and the Palestinian agricultural land.

First Israeli Army Jeep Arrives

The farmers, satisfied with their small collection of grapes, decided to head back to the village.

Heading Back to the Village

After returning to the edge of the Palestinian village, well away from the illegal Israeli settlement that has been the source of violence in the area, the Palestinians and internationals were stopped by approximately 15 Israeli soldiers who blocked their return to Saffa.

Israeli Army Blocks the Road

Soldiers asked what the internationals were doing with the farmers in the valley, insisting that soldiers were always there in the past to protect the farmers when the Bat Ayin settlers came to harass them. Abu Jabber Soleiby showed his scars and bruises from previous settler attacks in rebuttal, and insisted that when settlers and soldiers were both present without internationals during past attacks, soldiers protected the settlers, not the Palestinians.

Abu Jabber Talks with Soldiers

After threatening two internationals with arrest and 20 minutes of negotiation, the soldiers allowed the farmers and their supporters to continue into the village.

Soldiers Allow Farmers to Pass with their Grapes

MPT was informed that just over three weeks ago, settlers set fire to hundreds of valuable fruit and olive trees on this Palestinian land. Combined with the cutting of over 125 trees in June and an earlier fire, settlers from Bat Ayin settlement have destroyed nearly all of the land that provides income for 125 extended family members of Abu Jabber, Hamad, and Abdullah Soleiby.

Scorched Earth

International and Israeli accompaniment of farmers in Saffa has been necessary to prevent violent attacks by settlers on the elderly farmers of the Soleiby family. Farmers have come under attack on several occasions in the past four months while attempting to farm in the valley on their own, including an attack in April that left 81-year-old Abdullah Soleiby with a cracked skull.