08-01-2010, 10:05 PM
ISRAELI PEACE ACTIONS BULLETIN # One
Hi, everyone, now that I am in Israel, I have been doing some activist tourism. Yesterday I went on a guided tour with Rotem Dan M. Some of you will remember him as a twenty year old refusenik when he came to Australia eight years ago. He is now running his own business as a social justice tour guide. We went to Silwan a large but poor Palestinian suburb of Jerusalem. Silwan is the real Old City of Jersualem, where the palace of King David, if he lived, may well be. Silwan is the focus of politicised archeology digs and progressive exclusion of Palestinians from their homes. A right-wing organisation, Elad, with the mission of reclaiming the Jewish history of Silwan stops at nothing to gain possession Palestinian homes and digging to demonstrate the exclusively Jewish history of the site. The name Silwan has been removed and replaced by the "City of David". It is privately funded with the blessiing of the Israeli authorities. Elad activists have posed as tour operators to!
gain the confidence of Palestinian families and find out about the details of their ownership of their homes. These have been used to manipulate them into selling. In one case the fingerprints of a dead woman were used to forge a signature agreeing to sale. While a court judgement declared the documents to be forged, the 'sale' was not cancelled.
Rotem took us to visit a family whose home or part of it had been demolished twice because there was no permit (very few Palestinians get building permits,). Two of th sons of the house are under house arrest for allegedly throwing stones. Rotem speaks fluent Arabic and it was joy to see him engage so warmly with our hosts. This is peace-making in action. |How healing for that Palestinian family to encounter an Israeli who reaches out to them by learning their language and speak with them on an equal level. What a contrast from having their history obliterated and their property rights over-ridden. This scary need to eliminate the Other, when embracing them as equals brings such rich rewards.
Rotem then took us to the Wadi Hilwah Information Centre. This is how the people of Silwan are fighting back, by putting their limited resources into a community centre that puts their story and affirms their rights.
Today I joined the weekly demonstration against the dispossession of Palestinians by fanatical ultra religious Jewish settler in Sheikh Jarrah. It is led by young people in a new coalition to fight house demolitions in East Jerusalem. About two hundred and fifty of us marched the one and a half hour walk from trendy Ben Yehuda Street in central Jerusalem to the \palestinian suburb of Shekh Jarrah. Cops accompanied us , chasing away the odd character who yelled abuse at us in the \jewish area. We were welcomed with Arabic coffee by the local \Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. Slogans and banners said 'Sheikh Jarrah is Palestine, remove the settlements!' 'Free Palestine = Free Israel' 'This is Apartheid' 'Democracy cannot live on Dispossession'. We were orderly, stayed on the footpath by agreement with the police. A number of the young people wore flowers in their hair. A group of drummers led by an unflagging young woman played all the way to Sheikh Jarra There were a numbe!
r of people from the Gaza Freedom |March there, including Phil Weiss of Mondoweiss. A number stayed on to be in the homes with the Palestinians after the settlers came out of their Shabbat service, when not infrequently they harass the local Palestinians. Since I am leaving at seven am tomorrow morning to go to the South Hebron Hills tomorrow, I gave that one a miss, though I would have like d to do it. Next time I must plan to stay longer!
Anyway, people, signing off for tonight
Vivienne
Hi, everyone, now that I am in Israel, I have been doing some activist tourism. Yesterday I went on a guided tour with Rotem Dan M. Some of you will remember him as a twenty year old refusenik when he came to Australia eight years ago. He is now running his own business as a social justice tour guide. We went to Silwan a large but poor Palestinian suburb of Jerusalem. Silwan is the real Old City of Jersualem, where the palace of King David, if he lived, may well be. Silwan is the focus of politicised archeology digs and progressive exclusion of Palestinians from their homes. A right-wing organisation, Elad, with the mission of reclaiming the Jewish history of Silwan stops at nothing to gain possession Palestinian homes and digging to demonstrate the exclusively Jewish history of the site. The name Silwan has been removed and replaced by the "City of David". It is privately funded with the blessiing of the Israeli authorities. Elad activists have posed as tour operators to!
gain the confidence of Palestinian families and find out about the details of their ownership of their homes. These have been used to manipulate them into selling. In one case the fingerprints of a dead woman were used to forge a signature agreeing to sale. While a court judgement declared the documents to be forged, the 'sale' was not cancelled.
Rotem took us to visit a family whose home or part of it had been demolished twice because there was no permit (very few Palestinians get building permits,). Two of th sons of the house are under house arrest for allegedly throwing stones. Rotem speaks fluent Arabic and it was joy to see him engage so warmly with our hosts. This is peace-making in action. |How healing for that Palestinian family to encounter an Israeli who reaches out to them by learning their language and speak with them on an equal level. What a contrast from having their history obliterated and their property rights over-ridden. This scary need to eliminate the Other, when embracing them as equals brings such rich rewards.
Rotem then took us to the Wadi Hilwah Information Centre. This is how the people of Silwan are fighting back, by putting their limited resources into a community centre that puts their story and affirms their rights.
Today I joined the weekly demonstration against the dispossession of Palestinians by fanatical ultra religious Jewish settler in Sheikh Jarrah. It is led by young people in a new coalition to fight house demolitions in East Jerusalem. About two hundred and fifty of us marched the one and a half hour walk from trendy Ben Yehuda Street in central Jerusalem to the \palestinian suburb of Shekh Jarrah. Cops accompanied us , chasing away the odd character who yelled abuse at us in the \jewish area. We were welcomed with Arabic coffee by the local \Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. Slogans and banners said 'Sheikh Jarrah is Palestine, remove the settlements!' 'Free Palestine = Free Israel' 'This is Apartheid' 'Democracy cannot live on Dispossession'. We were orderly, stayed on the footpath by agreement with the police. A number of the young people wore flowers in their hair. A group of drummers led by an unflagging young woman played all the way to Sheikh Jarra There were a numbe!
r of people from the Gaza Freedom |March there, including Phil Weiss of Mondoweiss. A number stayed on to be in the homes with the Palestinians after the settlers came out of their Shabbat service, when not infrequently they harass the local Palestinians. Since I am leaving at seven am tomorrow morning to go to the South Hebron Hills tomorrow, I gave that one a miss, though I would have like d to do it. Next time I must plan to stay longer!
Anyway, people, signing off for tonight
Vivienne
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it." Karl Marx
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.