1)
16 February 2004
For Immediate Release

VILLAGERS UNITE TO PROTEST THE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR COMMUNITIES
Israelis and Internationals Support Villages Coming Together in
Resistance


[Beit Surik, Occupied Jerusalem] On Friday February 20, hundreds of
Palestinians from six villages northwest of Jerusalem will gather at
the
Boys' School of Beit Surik at 1:00 PM to march against the planned path
of
the Wall in this region. International and Israeli peace activists will
join
the Palestinians in their demonstration calling on the international
community to intervene to stop the destruction of their land and
livelihood
and to bring down Israel's Wall of Apartheid. The demonstration comes
only
three days before the International Court of Justice is set to rule on
the
legality of the Wall at The Hague.

The path of the Apartheid Wall in this region will cut off Beit Surik,
Biddu, Beit Ijsa, Al Qubbaiba, Qatanna, and Beit Duqqu from their land
and
water resources and eventually lead to the destruction of these
communities
as they are mostly comprised of farmers. 90% of Beit Surik's land will
be
isolated from the village and de-facto annexed into Israel by the
construction of Apartheid Wall; old houses will be destroyed and the
villagers will be stripped of three major water resources, which will
leave
them no choice but to leave their village.

Your presence will help us to stop the destruction of Palestinian
communities.

For more information, please contact:

Popular Committee Against the Wall, NW Jerusalem
-Mohamed Khalid (Arabic and Hebrew): 050 494 083 or 02 247 3255.
-Khalil Aljamal (English): 052 987 073
-Tariq Alsheikh (English): 067 544 919
-ISM Media Office: +972 2277 4602

END
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2)
The Way to School
Wednesday 11th February 2004
Andrew
Jenin, Palestine

7am. I am standing about 10 meters from the settler road (Israeli
only) and
roadblock that divides the western part of the village of Abaa and the
city
of Jenin from the eastern part of the village. Ahead of us on the far
side
of the road looms the grey concrete of an Israeli army tower. The tower
dominates the area where the Palestinian road to eastern Abaa becomes
subsumed by the settler road and a series of trenches, concrete and
razor
wire obstacles.

As I stand observing this scene a steady trickle of school children
walk
past, some are as young as 6, none older than 12. They pick there way
through the trench in front of the settler road before forming a line
by the
road in the shadow of the Israeli army tower that stands on the far
side.
One by one a soldier stationed in a concrete and metal inspection booth
calls them across the road. Every child has to present him or herself
and
school bag for inspection. Some of the children are barely tall enough
to
see the soldier in his booth. The soldier gives each bag a cursory
look, the
search a meaningless ritual before ushering the child on. At one point
two
boys try to move up together but another soldier motions them back to
the
line and the one by one pattern is resumed. At about 7.30 some teachers
from
the school pass us and join the line of children. They wait until the
last
child has past before following them to the school. By 8am over 100
children
have passed this way. A few teachers pass from the other side, heading
for
Jenin. The soldiers then retreat to their tower, the checkpoint sealed
until
the schools close for the day.

There is no shouting, or abuse, no use of violence. But there is
something
deeply disturbing in the sight of school children having to begin and
end
each day passing one by one through a military checkpoint. A local
teacher
has informed me that the children often have to wait for up to half an
hour
until the soldiers decide to open the checkpoint. In the last months
of
2003 these children lost 21 school days when this checkpoint was
closed. The
threat of violence from the military presence here used to deny these
children their educational rights.

I have been here before. In the summer of last year ISM activists and
local
people protested here and made two attempts to remove the concrete
blocks
that denied local people vehicular access between the eastern villages
of
Jenin area and the city itself. On both occasions we opened the road
but on
both occasion the act was purely symbolic, the roadblock reappearing
within
hours and on the last occasion a trench being dug across the original
Palestinian road. The eastern part of Jenin area remained isolated,
local
people unable to take their vehicles and often themselves to and from
Jenin.
However the situation has deteriorated with the construction of the
tower
and checkpoint here. Where occasional army patrols and impromptu
checkpoints
once made travel here uncertain now the permanent military presence
ensures
that no one can pass this way unless they are a primary school pupil or
a
teacher in a local school.

Despite public statements made in January by the Israeli army that they
had
withdrawn from Jenin and its access points their grip has tightened
here.
The people of at least 10 eastern villages are denied access to the
city
that provides them with healthcare, educational and economic services.
It is
still possible to reach Jenin from these villages but in requires an
hour
detour through the hills to make up the few meters that are blocked in
Abaa.
It is still possible for primary school children to go to school but
each
day they are forced to walk unaccompanied in the shadow of the tower
and
guns of the Israeli army.

For more information from Jenin: +972 (0)67-943-926

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INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
www.palsolidarity.org

"For the tyrant has the power to inflict only that which we lack the
strength to resist"... Krishnalal Shridharani