CPTnet
May 15, 1998
TORONTO, ON: Christian Peacemakers Place Rubble at Israeli Consulate

Toronto, ON - On May 14 Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) members and
supporters, went to the Consul General for Israel in Toronto and in Chicago
to register their concerns regarding Israeli government policy of
demolishing Palestinian homes. On May 14, fifty years ago the State of
Israel was established.

Since the 1993 Oslo Accords were signed, 530 Palestinian homes have been
demolished resulting in thousands of homeless men, women and children. CPT
has worked in the Hebron area with Palestinians and Israeli peace groups
to try to stop these demolitions for the past three years.

A group of 6 persons who wanted to speak with the Consul
General in Toronto was prevented from entering the building by the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). While negotiations with the RCMP and the
Consul General continued, other members of CPT handed out leaflets to
passersby, and identified the names of families whose homes had been
destroyed or were targeted for demolition. Others carried placards with
messages such as "Israel, Remember When You Were Homeless" and "Israel,
Stop Home Demolitions". A pile of rubble was erected on the sidewalk,
while participants read out the names of Palestinian families affected by
the policy of demolitions. Peacemakers placed a sign over the rubble
saying, "No more suffering for Israelis, no more suffering for
Palestinians". A large toy bulldozer beside the pile of rubble symbolized
the bulldozers which routinely destroy Palestinian homes.

After 45 minutes of negotiation, 3 persons were escorted to the
Israeli Consulate on the 7th floor where they engaged the security guard in
a short dialogue and presented him with some rubble and letters
from the children in a Sunday School class at Stirling Avenue Mennonite
Church in Kitchener. As the witness drew to a close, a Jewish member of the
group wrote the word "Shalom" on the sidewalk with chalk.

In Chicago,the CPT group presented rubble to the offices of the Counsel
General of Israel at the same that the event in Toronto was taking place.
The Chicago group sang, prayed and leafeted on the street as the small
delegation delivered the rubble. In reflecting on the action, Rich Meyer,
who recently returned from work with CPT Hebron said, "How do you make clear
to someone what it feels like for the Majid al Atrash family who has seen
three of their neighbors' houses demolished and now have been told their
home is next? That is what I was thinking about as we worshipped today."