CPTnet
20 August 1998
HEBRON URGENT ACTION: DEMOLITION OF HOMES IN HEBRON DISTRICT

At 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 19, the Israeli military demolished the home
of Atta and Rodeina Jabber. 70 Israeli border police and soldiers threw
Rodeina Jaber, her mother-in-law, her brother Badran and her three children
under five out of their home. When Rodeina pleaded for them to let her
remove her belongings before a bulldozer pushed over the walls of her house,
they beat her up.

After soldiers pitched out some of the household belongings, the bulldozer
went to work. Rodeina's husband, Atta Jaber, had been at work. He arrived
too late to see the demolition of his house, built in 1992. Tears rolling
down his cheeks, Atta said, "I put six years of my blood into this house."

The Jaber family was the first family matched in CPT's Campaign for Secure
Dwellings. They are the second family matched with North American group to
have their home demolished. The demolished house was built during the Madrid
peace talks. They and many other Palestinian families,believing there would
soon be a Palestinian state, began building homes at this time to relieve
desperate overcrowding. (Since 1967, Israeli military has routinely denied
building permits to Palestinians living in areas designated for Israeli
settlements.)

Last week a delegation of 11 Rebuilders Against Bulldozers from Canada, the
U.S. and Nicaragua met the Jaber family. Upon hearing the news, delegation
member Bob Atchison (Manhattan, KS) wrote, " It breaks my heart to hear of the
destruction of the Jaber home when only last Thursday we sat in a circle
sharing the maqlubeh [a traditional Palestinian dish] meal in their living
room."

Early thursday morning, the Jaber family began laying the foundations for a
new, smaller house beside the slab of roof with crumbled cement bricks
scattered about. One of Atta Jaber's extended family members said, "If they
put it down, we'll make another. If they put that one down, we'll make
another one."

The Israeli family matched with the Jabers through the Israeli
Committee Against Home Demolitions plans to bring a carload of people to help
rebuild.

CPT members have been staying with the family since the demolition. CPT asks
for the further support of internationals in denouncing this incident.

CPT REQUESTED ACTION:
--Write, fax or e-mail letters of protest to Israeli,
Palestinian, U.S. and Canadian officials. Emphasize demolishing Palestinian
family homes so that settlements may confiscate their homes more easily is
also a form of terrorism.

--If you choose to write to Madeline Albright, Bill Clinton, or your Senators,
you may wish to include a photo of the Jaber family with the note, "Because
you have not demanded an end to the Israeli policy of demolishing Palestinian
homes, this family was made homeless on August 19." Digital photos are
available from Rich Meyer, coordinator of the Campaign for Secure Dwellings.
Send requests to cptcsd [at] npcc [dot] net

--Call your U.S. legislative representatives or Canadian
Members of Parliament. Ask for an appointment to talk about the devastating
consequences of Israel's home demolition policy. If the representative or
MP cannot meet, meet with an aide.

--Hold a vigil at the nearest Israeli consulate with signs saying, "Why is
Israel making families homeless?" Other possibilities include leaving piles of
building rubble in front of the consulates.

--People wishing background on the issue of home demolitions
written in response to the Israeli government's boilerplate excuses, may
request an attachment from Kathleen Kern (Klaskern [at] aol [dot] com.) The attachment
was written by Jeff Halper, coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against Home
Demolitions.

ADDRESSES

ISRAELI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS:

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, fax: 011-972-2-651-2631; e-mail:
likud1 [at] likud [dot] org [dot] il or fax: 011-972-2-566-4838; email: pm [at] pmo [dot] gov [dot] il

President Ezer Weizman, fax: 011-972-2-561-0037

Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, fax: 011-972-3-691-6940

US GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS:

President Bill Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC
20500; tel. 202-456-1414; e-mail: president [at] whitehouse [dot] gov

US Secretary of State Madeline Albright, 2201 C St. NW, Washington, DC
20520; tel: State Dept. switchboard 202-647-4000; fax: 202-736-4461;
e-mail: secretary [at] state [dot] gov.

Members of Congress: US House of Representatives, Washington, DC
20515; Senators: US Senate, Washington, DC 20510; tel: Capital
Switchboard 1-800-504-0031 or 1-888-723-5246

US Ambassador to Israel, Edward Walker: fax: 202-736-4461, attn: Trish
Costilancik

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS:

Prime Minister Jean Chretien, R. 311 S, Centre Block; House of
Commons; Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 (no postage necessary); tel: 613-992-4211;
fax. 613-941-6900; e-mail pm [at] pm [dot] gc [dot] ca

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy, House of Commons, Otta