FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 1998
HEBRON: Al Atrash family invites Israeli and international community
to accompany them as they rebuild their home

To the Israeli and International Community,

In the name of God the merciful and the compassionate, greetings.

We, the family of Yussuf and Zuhoor al-Atrash have decided to rebuild
our house that the Israeli military destroyed on March 3, 1998.

On Sunday, March 8, approximately 100 settlers and soldiers came to
our land and said they would bomb any equipment we brought in to
rebuild our home. They brought a bulldozer to take away the stones we
had brought to rebuild our well. They said we must remove the tents
we and our ten children have been living in since our home was
destroyed.

We are asking for Israeli and international volunteers who love peace
to come stay with us while we rebuild our home over the next several
weeks. Our family is afraid that the settlers and soldiers will take
revenge on us for rebuilding our home. We think that it would be
especially helpful to have Israelis come and spend time with us as
members of the Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron have.

Our home is south of Hebron in Qilqis on Al Sendas mountain. We have
papers of ownership dating back to the time of the Ottoman Empire.
Welcome.

Yussuf and Zuhoor Al-Atrash

Note: People who are interested in coming down to provide a
protective Israeli and/or international presence for the Al Atrash
family as they rebuild their home should contact the Christian
Peacemaker Team in Hebron at the above e-mail address immediately.
Because our team is small, we simply cannot provide a 24 hour
presence at the Al Atrash family?s home for more than a couple weeks.
This is a wonderful opportunity to affirm and encourage nonviolent
resistance to an extremely unjust policy.