At 1:00 am on the morning of April 30th, the Israeli Military raided the Hebron Girls’ Orphanage near the intersection of Salaam and Al Adel (Peace and Justice) Streets. Acting on orders issued by Major General Shemni, soldiers looted the workshop of all its sewing and processing machines, office equipment, rolls of cloth, finished clothing and supplies. CPT members documented, with still photos and video, approximately 40 Israeli soldiers emptying the workshop contents into 2 – 40ft. trucks. The estimated value of the physical material taken is $45,000 US. The cost in terms of the fear and terror instilled in the hearts of the little girls living above the workshop is much higher.
Members of Christian Peacemaker Teams and other internationals from Belgium, Britain, Canada, Germany, Holland, Scotland and the US have been sleeping in the orphanage. Their concern is for the children who live in fear of the military forcing them out of the place they’ve come to call home. Their hope last night was that their presence would forestall the army’s raid on the workshop. They hoped in vain. CPT’s Art Arbour decried this latest effort by the Israeli military in its campaign to close the orphanages, “How can grown men do this to little children?” CPT members documented with still photos 40 Israeli soldiers clearing out the workshop
Statements of support for the orphans have come in from former President Jimmy Carter, from EU Vice President Luisa Morgentini and from representatives of many international organizations worried about the fate of the orphans in Hebron. Please join with them in supporting the orphans.
Phone – 972-(0)2- 222-8485 or e-mail – cptheb@palnet.com to learn more.
Call President Bush, Prime Minister Olmert and the Israeli Military.
Contact numbers are on http://www.hebronorphans.blogspot.com
To learn more about CPT’s work in Palestine click here