CPTnet
January 23, 2001

Saturday, January 6, 2001
Pierre Shantz and Rebecca Johnson went to the home of the Abu
Fannouneh family, located on an exposed rise of land in the south end of
Hebron, across the valley from the Israeli settlement of Beit Haggai.
The Israeli military occupied the Fannouneh home from December 11 -
24, 2000, a move made in response to Palestinian gunmen firing at Beit
Haggai from this area. (See December 23 release , "Armed Hospitality.")

Shantz and Johnson met Fatmeh Fannouneh, her right hand
bandaged, the result of a fall that happened during when the house
had been shot at from Beit Haggai. She told them that the military had
left her house, although they reserved the right to return and take it over
again.

She then showed Shantz and Johnson the destruction of her home.
Shells had penetrated concrete walls and interior appliances, destroyed
solar panels used to heat water, and damaged the roof top
water tanks. Water then leakedinto the home causing greater
destruction. Windows were shattered from bullets.

She also showed the CPTers the furniture that had been
wrecked by soldiers as they occupied the house.
During this occupation their home, the Fannounehs
were barred from their second story sleeping quarters.
All fourteen members of the family were crowded
into one room on the first floor. They continue to stay
in this room now that the soldiers have left, because
of the nightly gunfire .

The Fannounehs showed Shantz and Johnson the military order
authorizing the IDF to have access to their home from December 11,
2000 to January 24, 2001. Sandbags remain piled in two windows on
the second floor, and, according to IDF orders, are not to be moved.
Granddaughter-in-law Ilham Abu Fannouneh said that the family is
reluctant to restore their home for fear that the military will return and
wreck everything again.

According to the Fannounehs, at about 6:00 P.M. the previous evening,
Palestinian gunmen, thinking that the house was still occupied by the
IDF, shot at the Fannouneh home. Soldiers in Beit Haggai fired back,
also targeting the Fannouneh home.

.The next door neighbor confronted a gunman, saying, "I
have seven small children. They are so scared. I am so scared. Please
don't shoot." The gunman said to him, "Shut up, or I'll shoot you."

Art Gish, reported that at about 7:30 P.M., he saw a car with lights
blinking parked on the road below the gas station at the Israeli
settlement of Harsina in the Beqa'a Valley. At about 8:00 P.M. Gish
heard one or two minutes of rapid gunfire from the direction of the gas
station. About five minutes later he heard additional gunfire. He could not
determine the source of the gunfire.

Monday, January 8, 2001
Mid-morning, Shantz encountered a clash between soldiers and stone
throwing Palestinian youth at an H1 (Palestinian controlled) and H2 (Israeli
controlled) border point. Soldiers had confiscated car keys from two
Palestinian
men during the clash and would not return them. One driver had an
extra set and was able to drive away. In spite of Shantz's entreaties
that the soldier holding the keys return them so that the second driver
could get on his way, he was told only that the keys would have to be
retrieved from the police station.

Later that day, Shantz and Holmes met an older Palestinian woman
carrying heavy grocery bags at the checkpoint in front of the Israeli
settlement of Beit Hadassah. Soldiers there refused to allow her to
pass, despite pleas by Shantz and Holmes that they act with common
sense, justice and compassion. The older woman was forced to take
detour stairs around Beit Hadassah, while Shantz and Holmes walked
her load past the settlement. The soldier in charge threatened to call
the police, to which Holmes responded, "Good, maybe they will be
more reasonable."

Tuesday, January 9, 2001
At about 8:10 A.M. Art Gish called the CPT Hebron Team to tell them
that there were two bulldozers and a bagger at Atta Jaber's house in
the Beqa'a Valley. A soldier told them the equipment and
road closure were for "operations". Team members Pierre Shantz, Bob
Holmes, Anita Fast and Rebecca Johnson joined Gish for the morning-
long construction of a road that came within feet of the Jaber home. When
the team challenged the twenty soldiers, four police officers and
construction workers., the Commander said, "This is a compromise.
We are building a road to separate Israeli land from Palestinian land,
and we are giving the Jabers their home." (See January 10 release, "A
Curious Road to Peace.")

Carter had a long conversation with a Jewish settler woman who
described what it was like for Jews to live in countries other than
Israel. She said it was like always being"alien", whereas in Israel,
Jews finally have a place where they are
really home. She said that she understood the Palestinians' anger but
doesn't know what to do about it. She described how she and her
family had been stoned recently while in their car en route from the
Israeli settlement of Efrat to Jerusalem. She also talked about the
importance of the Temple Mount to Jews.

Wednesday, January 10, 2001
At approximately 8:00 A.M., CPT members heard a loud "pop"
followed by the "rat-a-tat" of machine gunfire. Gish and Holmes
investigated and were directed to the market near the settlement of
Avraham Avinu where a soldier told them that someone had taken a
shot at a soldier. About six soldiers ran by, shouting at
shopkeepers to close up. One officer pushed shopkeepers
and threw their merchandise down. Gish demanded that he
treat people with more respect. The soldiers ran deeper into the market
followed by Gish and Holmes. Meanwhile, Shantz intervened when he saw
soldiers harassing two mentally ill men. Shantz, Gish and Holmes did a
patrol of the market and observed three soldiers searching for the
gunman. They confirmed the story told by the first soldier. Curfew
was re-imposed about 1/2 hour later.

On a number of occasions throughout the day, the team walked
children, women and men into the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron, since
curfew was imposed after many people had already gone to school
and work.

At approximately 3:30 P.M., while on patrol, Holmes and Johnson met two
members of TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron). The
back window of their car was almost completely smashed in, the result
of