Demolition of Centre for Autistic and Special Need Children

Prevention of Demolition of Centre for Autistic and Special Need Children in East Jerusalem
from ICAHD, 29 April 2007

Photo: Active Stills

The Jerusalem Municipality is planning, during the coming days, to demolish a building in Wadi Joz in East Jerusalem which is used by the Iyat amuta, (an amuta for the advance of children with special needs) and the amuta Kochavey Jerusalem. The prevention of the demolition will help the children and families of a particularly vulnerable sector of the community which is in very real need for urgent help.

Photo: Active Stills

From Monday, April 30, onwards, activists will be present at the centre’s site in Wadi Joz to try to prevent the demolition. In order to get there, go to Wadi Joz, in Suwani, after the wholesale market continue straight down, 50 metres, to the entrance to the industrial area, and then turn right onto a rough track and you will see the centre (Palestinian public transport goes to that area from nearby Damascus Gate). The centre is within walking distance of Augusta Victoria and the Hebrew University.

The demolition is being carried out according to the final decision of the district court. The centre hosts children for two week special stays, and is an afternoon daycare centre. It is important to state that all special education schools in the east of the city are located in the Wadi Joz area, near the centre’s address. This is something which affects access and transport to the centre. The Iyat amuta searched for a long time for a suitable premises for the school, but didn’t manage to find such a place, because of the scarcity of available buildings and the sky-high rents charged in the area. At the premises of the centre they already undertook various alterations and renovations to serve the children’s special needs and are involved in ongoing work there for that end. Iyat is the only service provider in the entire East Jerusalem area providing for the special needs and therapy for autistic children, handicapped or challenged children and on many occasions has to refuse to accept any more children for treatment, with all the anguish that is involved in such refusal.

For further information, contact:

Abdul Rahman, from Iyat: 0548-121 925

Shai Haim (ICAHD): 0506-986 964

Meir Margalit (ICAHD): 0544 345 503
www.icahd.org

Baruch Marzel Steals Five Goats

Baruch Marzel Steals Five Goats
by ISM Hebron, 29 April 2007

baruch marzel steals Palestinian goats

Tel Rumeida, HEBRON–At 3.45pm on April 29, Israeli settler Baruch Marzel directed 2 male Israeli settlers to capture 5 Palestinian goats who had wandered close to the Israeli settlement of Tel Rumeida. At 4.15pm, human rights workers (HRWs) were alerted by a Palestinian boy who took the HRWs to the roof of a Palestinian house next to the settlement from where the HRWs were able to photograph two of the goats being held outside Baruch Marzel’s house. The goats were seen to be eating his trees. When Israeli settler children noticed that the goats had been spotted they took them away from view.

Goats escape through checkpoint, Photo: ISM Hebron

Meanwhile the goatherd, a Palestinian from outside Tel Rumeida, spoke to Israeli soldiers. After some negotiating, the soldiers managed to persuade the settlers to return the stolen goats. Two soldiers were seen running up the steep hill in pursuit of an escaped goat. One goat made a run for it, escaped through the checkpoint and made his own way home. The rest of the goats were reunited with the goatherd and the rest of the flock and he took them all home.

Seattle Post Intelligencer: Corrie personified Northwest idealism

Activist Corrie personified Northwest idealism
by Joe Copeland, 28 April 2007

Rachel Corrie’s beautiful life and sad story echo with the Northwest: idealism, independence and adventure. It’s fitting the inspiring play, “My Name is Rachel Corrie,” will be back in Seattle after a weekend trip to her hometown, Olympia.

As to how much of America gets to see the play, it’s tempting to ask who cares? But that would be to give into censoring theaters, or convincing them that the play isn’t adequately balanced. As if plays ever were balanced. The standard ought to be whether they are engaging, true to their subject and have a worthy subject.

For all the dissuasion (recently, a Florida theater cut and ran), this play meets the mark, especially on the subject: Rachel Corrie — the real person. She also happened to engage in political activism that ended with her death.

Yes, the play is set partly in Palestine — the real place, even if its statehood is contested and strangled. And, like a lot of activists in Israel and elsewhere, Corrie had views about Palestinian suffering, particularly and most appropriately on what her government’s expenditures support.

When she was killed by an Israeli bulldozer as she sought to stop the destruction of homes, Corrie was working with a non-violent campaign, the International Solidarity Movement. Aren’t Americans always hearing how Palestinians ought to engage in non-violent protest? All sorts of accusations have been made, ranging from an allegation that ISM was in ideological cahoots with terrorism to the idea that Corrie was plain naïve to put herself anywhere near a seemingly intractable conflict. Well, excuse her, and excuse Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire.

Maguire, who earned her 1976 prize for opposing violence in Northern Ireland, says she was in a non-violent protest outside Ramallah earlier this month when Israeli forces intervened. She had just given a speech on non-violence, in which she singled out Corrie for praise. In an account distributed by the Institute for Public Accuracy (consumer advisory: IPA is leftist), Maguire said she was “invited to participate in a nonviolent demonstration with some of the Palestinian members of parliament and Israeli peace activists and local villagers and international visitors.

“We walked along to try to walk up toward the separation wall, and it was a totally non-violent protest. And we were viciously attacked by the Israeli military. They threw gas canisters into the peace walkers, and they also fired rubber-covered steel bullets.

“As I tried to move back and help a French lady, I was shot in the leg with a rubber-covered steel bullet … I was stunned by it, and then later on, after having some treatment by the ambulance medics, I went back down to the front line with the peace activists, and we were again showered with gas. I was overcome and had a severe nosebleed and had to be taken by stretcher to the ambulance and treated. …

“These were over 25 unarmed peace people who had been viciously attacked by the Israeli military. And it was a completely peaceful protest. It was absolutely unbelievable. I never in all my years of activism witnessed anything so vicious as from the Israeli military.”

Maybe Maguire, too, is naïve. But it’s interesting that an activist with a certain standing and experience found herself feeling so shocked by governmental force, much like Corrie. Perhaps we will hear more about Maguire’s experiences, including some news balancing. We can only wish that, someday, an older Rachel Corrie might have shared her similarly matured, experienced views on any number of issues.

When I contacted Maguire by e-mail, she sent a copy of her speech. “It is the Rachels of this world,” she said, “who remind us that we are responsible for each other and we are interconnected in a mysteriously spiritual and beautiful way.”

Was Corrie necessarily right about how she viewed an intractable conflict in which Palestinians (like Americans) have plenty of cause for regret about their leadership at times? I wouldn’t say so. Was she a victim of overaggressive or reckless actions? We may eventually know, as her parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie, are admirably pursuing answers.

More than anything, the Seattle Rep’s brave presentation tells us this: From an early age, when Rachel Corrie spoke against hunger in a good speech caught on a video shown at the end of the play, she was meeting the world with compassion, intelligence and spirit that her region can always value. With any luck, the play’s use of her writings will only be a step toward further exploration of a remarkable young woman.

Joe Copeland is an editorial writer and member of the P-I Editorial Board. E-mail: joecopeland@seattlepi.com.

IMEMC: Palestine Information Minister visits Spain, meets Spanish Foreign Minister

P.A Information minister visits Spain, meets Moratinos
by Naseer Faleh, 28 April 2007


Photo: IMEMC

Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, welcomed at the Spanish Foreign Ministry, the Palestinian Minister of Information, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Who is also the official spokesperson of the Palestinian National Unity Government.

The meeting is considered a positive step towards the European position regarding dealing with the Palestinian unity government.

Barghouthi stated that the meeting focused on the harsh conditions that the Palestinian residents are facing under the siege, and Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues in addition to the Israeli attacks and invasions into the Palestinian areas.

He added that he explained to Moratinos the agenda of the unity government, and the initiatives made by the Palestinians during the past period, including the prisoner swap initiative and the initiative which calls for a parallel truce with Israel.

The two leaders confirmed the importance of ending the Israeli occupation, and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian independent state, in addition to the importance of implementing the international resolutions, and the principles of the international law in order to end the occupation.

Barghouthi also called on Europe to start dealing with the unity government, and to continue its support to the Palestinian people, and added that the siege and bad living conditions could lead to further violence in the region.

He added that the time has come for the world to recognize a government that represents 96% of the Palestinian people, and thanked Spain for its positive positions.

On his side, Mutations confirmed that the Spain will continue its efforts and will conduct additional efforts to hold and international peace conference.

He added that the siege should be lifted, and that the sanctions are harming every Palestinian house, in addition to harming the health, and educational sectors.

Two days ago, Barghouthi met in Berlin with the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and discussed with him the efforts needed to lift the siege and enable the Palestinian Authorities carry its duties in ending chaos and insecurity.

Haaretz: Protest in Jaffa against home demolitions

Protestors rally in Jaffa against move to evict local Arab families
By Yigal Hai, 28 April 2007

Hundreds of Jaffa residents on Friday participated in a march to protest measures that the Israel Lands Authority and the Amidar housing company have taken in the past year to evict Arab families from Jaffa.

The Israel Lands Authority and Amidar claim the families invaded the properties and built on them illegally.

The march was organized by The Popular Committee to Defend the Land and the Right to Residency, which was established by the Arab residents of Jaffa several weeks ago.

According to the committee’s leaders, the Authority and Amidar in the past year issued 500 eviction notices to Arab families from the Al Ajami and Givat Aliya neighborhoods, and some of the notices have evolved into eviction lawsuits.

The organizers of the march questioned why the Authority and Amidar have taken a sudden interest in the matter in the past year, when the families have been living in their homes for several decades. They say the families have held a status of protected tenants who pay rent.

The residents’ representatives say the authority and Amidar are attempting to Judaize Jaffa while also making a profit from selling the properties, which are near the seafront, to an affluent Jewish population.

The protesters in the march shouted various slogans such as “Jews and Arabs against house demolitions” and “The transfer won?t happen.”

According to the “This is a tsunami of evictions and demolitions,” said Al Ajami neighborhood chairman, Camel Agbaria. “The struggle for a roof over one’s head should be the ultimate struggle. Instead of firing bullets, they fire dollar bills here.”

March participants included Meretz MKs Yossi Beilin and Ran Cohen and Hadash MKs Dov Khenin and Hanna Swaid.

Throughoutt the past week, the Popular Committee handed out flyers to Jaffa residents, calling on them to join the protest. The flyer, entitled “The residents of Jaffa are at risk of being evicted and expelled again,” presented a picture from 1948 of an Arab family reluctantly leaving its Jaffa home along side a picture from 2005 of a tractor demolishing the home of an Arab family in Jaffa.

“500 families are at risk of being expelled,” the flyer read. “Thousands of people remain with no roofs over their heads for the benefit of the wealthy and rich entrepreneurs.”

The Housing Authority and Amidar reject the accusations. A statement issued by the Housing Authority said, “The documents in question are warning letters issued by the Amidar company, which manages the Authorities properties and deals with invaders.” Only several dozens of letters have been issued.”

“If anyone has any complaints, they are welcome to visit the Amidar offices and prove they have a legal claim to the property,” the statement read. “The claims that this is a transfer are demagoguery. No person will be evicted without a court order.”

According to the head of the Amidar directorate, Doron Cohen, Amidar rejects “with scorn the demagogic attempt by the ‘Popular Committee’ to use the events of the War of Independence to protect those who break the law. Amidar works to protect the State’s property rights regardless of the tenants character, religion or nationality.”