Eye Witness Report from Bethlehem: 12/30/05 Holy Land Trust's Solidarity Walk to The Wall

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Gila Svirsky, an Israeli Jew and activist with The Coalition of Women for Peace stated "Most Israeli's today want to end the occupation..[but] talking about the suffering of others does not work here. What is working is education that focuses on Israeli self interest and Reality Tours. This past year over 3,500 Israelis and two groups of soldiers took the tour to see the Wall up close and sat in Palestinian homes and had coffee with them. When they saw how parents interacted with their kids it was the best wake up call...Self interest considers the fact that over 3.5 billion dollars a year goes to continue the occupation and that Israel is considered a pariah by the rest of the world...When Israelis claim the higher ground and portray themselves as victims the rug is pulled out from underneath them when Palestinians use nonviolent resistance."

Jeff Halper, an American Jew is the Founder and Coordinator of ICAHD: The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions: http://www.icahd.org .
Jeff looks like a cross between Jerry Garcia and Santa Clause and grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota and actually knew Bob Dylan when he was still Zimmerman.

Jeff told me that there was something about Israel that spoke to him and so he moved from the USA in 1973 and in 1997 established ICAHD.

"It was at the time when the Oslo peace plan collapsed and the occupation reasserted itself. Many Israeli peace activists began asking Palestinians what the best way to engage with each other was and the answer was blowing in the wind: 'STOP the home demolitions!'

"Since 1967 the Israeli government has destroyed over 2,000 Palestinian homes. 95% of the cases have nothing to do with security. All these homes are on Palestinian private property. The Israeli government will not grant permits for them to build on their own land, and in reality are quietly transferring the Palestinians administratively from the land. They make conditions so intolerable that the Palestinians give up and leave and this is exactly what they are after. Not only do the Palestinians receive no warning when their homes are to be destroyed they are fined $1,500.00!

"I'll get a call at 5 AM from a Palestinian telling me the bulldozers have arrived and we activists go out and engage in civil disobedience by standing up to the bulldozers.
"We also raise funds to rebuild these homes right where they had been before. The reasons for the demolitions are: for The Wall, to establish illegal settlements, build roads and because the Israeli government wants to keep Palestinians confined to the islands [areas A and B] in the West Bank and so Palestinian land remain under the control of the Israeli government."

American Methodists have contributed $50,000 to rebuild homes and USA Presbyterians, Mennonites and Quakers all support the activities of ICAHD.

Jeff can no longer count how many times he had been arrested and sentenced to community service. His eyes sparkle while he tells me, "When I tell the judge I am serving the community they just don't get it!

"The Israeli government just does not want to take responsibility and the USA government ignores the situation. Do you know why Israel does not want to become America's 51st state? Because then they would only have two senators!

Rev. Ateek stated, "The God of war, violence, oppression and terror must be rejected. Authentic Christianity is nonviolent and is all about peace, justice and liberation."

The walls we construct in our minds must fall before The Walls men build to divide ever can.

Eileen Fleming wearewideawake.org
In Israel Palestine -972528040979 until 1/06/06
HOME: Clermont, Fl

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http://www.wearewideawake.org/

Eileen Fleming, Founder of www.wearewideawake.org/ A Feature Correspondent for Arabisto.com Author of "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory" Producer "30 Minutes with Vanunu" and "13 Minutes (more...)

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