CPTnet
27 July 2005

HEBRON UPDATE: 3-14 July 2005

Sunday, 3 July

Peggy Gish spent the night with a Palestinian family who lives near the
Halhoul bridge north of Hebron. In the spring of 2002 when Israeli soldiers
had closed the bridge, Gish was traveling from Jerusalem and was unable to
cross the bridge to reach Hebron. This family took her in and sheltered her
for two days until the bridge was open. Gish visits "her family" each time
she comes to Hebron.

Monday, 4 July

Abdel Hadi Hantash informed the team of two Israeli military orders that
would confiscate ninety-seven more dunams of Palestinian land to extend the
fence around the Telem settlement. This act would be the largest land
confiscation in the Hebron District and would take away the farms of fifty
families. The team prepared an urgent action alert concerning this
situation. (See 8 July 2005 Hebron Urgent Action, " Largest tract of land
ever confiscated in history of Hebron District to take place 19 July 2005.')

Tuesday, 5 July

Gish and Mabel Brunk visited Palestinian families in the Beqa'a Valley,
delivering photos and greetings from U.S. churches connected with them
through CPT's Campaign for Secure Dwellings (CSD.)

Wednesday, 6 July Brunk and Lorin Peters patrolled near the Israeli
settlement of Tel Rumeida, where Palestinian families face frequent assaults
from Israeli settlers.

Thursday, 7 July

Mary Yoder and Brunk patrolled in Tel Rumeida.

A Palestinian guide accompanying a tour group that Peters was leading spoke
to the group about being an eye witness to shootings in Bethlehem after the
1994 Baruch Goldstein massacre in Hebron. "I saw many of my friends shot
down."

Friday, 8 July

Yoder and Peters patrolled in Tel Rumeida. An Israeli soldier asked them,
"So what does CPT do?" Peters replied, "We try to reduce the violence
between the settlers and Palestinians."

The soldier said, "You only see one side. You don't see our suffering. Ten
of my best friends were in a bar that exploded just minutes after they had
left."

One of the women responded, "We are sorry Israelis are killed. We want
peace and freedom for both the people of Israeli and the people of
Palestine. Shabbat Shalom."

"Shabbat Shalom," he replied.

Sunday, 10 July

Diane Janzen, Michael Goode and Peters visited a Palestinian family in Tel
Rumeida. The main path to the family's house has been confiscated and grape
vines cut off by settlers. The group stopped in the Ibrahimi Al-Khalil
Society office and talked with a lawyer who is filing a law suit on behalf
of the families on Shuhada Street and Tel Rumeida Road, who were forced out
of business by harassment from the settlers and Israeli military closure
orders.

Tuesday, 12 July

Peters, Brunk and Janzen visited the Abu Haikel family to pay respects on
the death of Jamil Abu Haikel, the family patriarch. Hani and his sister
Hana told of their father finding it hard to trust people because of
difficulties living near settlers in Tel Rumeida. Once after a visit from
CPTers his father said,"I feel at peace after they come. I don't know why.
They are Christian and I am Muslim."

On the day of the funeral the Israeli settlers had a party to celebrate that
a Tel Rumeida Palestinian died. They threw candy at the funeral attendees.
The family was shocked by the lack of respect. Hani said, "I feel sorry for
the settlers. They aren't acting human."

Fireworks exploded all afternoon and evening in celebration of Palestinian
students' passing their high school final exams.

Wednesday, 13 July

Matt Chandler, Brunk and JoAnne Lingle patrolled the Old City and Tel
Rumeida.

Three new Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Israel/Palestine (EAPPI)
volunteers came for an introduction to CPT. A Muslim woman from South Africa
wept as she said, "These Palestinians are my people; I don't want to accept
their oppression." She also said, "Islam has also lost its way. Everywhere
it has forgotten the spirit of God and turned into just another way of
making money."

CPTers working with the Hebron team during this period included Diane
Janzen, Lorin Peters, Michael Goode, Mabel Brunk, JoAnne Lingle, Matt
Chandler, Mary Yoder and Diana Zimmerman.