Six days ago on August 13, 1998 the CPT August delegation sat in the living
room of Atta and Rodina Jaber's house as CPTer Mark Frey showed us how to eat
maqlubeh-a dish of rice, eggplant and chicken-using pita bread instead of
cutlery. After we had finished eating tea was served. We sat and talked and
enjoyed each other's company.

Today, August 19, the scene at the Jabber house was quite different. Less
than half an hour before CPTers arrived, bulldozers had demolished the house
and Rodina was in the hospital because she had been beaten by soldiers. Along
with her were her two-year old daughter Dalia, her mother in law, and
Rodeina's brother Badran.

When we arrived, Atta had just gotten there from Ramallah where he works,
the bulldozers and soldiers were gone, and some of the family's belongings
were scattered on the hillside-including the furniture we had sat on last
week.

Atta told one CPTer that he had put "twenty-two thousand
dollars and six years of my blood into this house." Now all his hard work is
a pile of cement block rubble.

When Rodeina returned home, we sat with her and felt helpless. She couldn't
nurse four month old Rajeh and Atta was looking through the pile of
belongings for some powdered milk. The milk was found, and then came some of
the younger
children with tea kettles and glasses.

As we sat among the ruins of the demolished home, we were once again served
tea. I am angry that this family who so generously opened their home to us
just six days ago no longer has a home to live in. I am angry that soldiers
beat Rodeina only because she wanted to stop the demolition of her home. I am
angry that we CPTers were in Bethlehem instead of Hebron and were too late to
do anything except feebly attempt to pick up the pieces.

Mostly however I am angry because we in North America are too complacent to
write our governments and force them to stop supporting Israel and its
damaging policies that allow families like the Jabers to be without a home.

Tonight I will sleep in my bed in the CPT apartment, and when I return to my
own country, I can count on the fact that I will have a house to go home to.
Where will the Jabers sleep tonight, tomorrow night, and the rest of the
nights to come? This morning they would have answered, "Here in our home."
Tonight they cannot.