This diary transmits an APPEAL by the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) to help some Palestinian families who have been unjustly deprived of their homes and land, and who continue to be the victims of ethnic cleansing, which still continues on the West Bank of Palestine. The pictures show some of the families made homeless by recent house demolitions conducted by the Israeli Occupation Force (IOF).
On Wednesday the 14th of February, the Israeli Occupation Forces demolished a large number of houses and agricultural structures in four different villages in the South Hebron Hills: Qwawis, M’nezel, Um-Elhe’r, and the Abu-Kbeita family near the Yatir settlement. The villagers in this area struggle to stay on their land despite ongoing home demolitions, violent attacks, and constant settler and military harassment.
Please donate what you can to help them remain on the land they have farmed for generations.
Illegal Israeli settlements and outposts (illegal even according to Israeli law) whose residents have stolen most of the area’s agricultural land, have tried for years to drive the local Palestinian villagers off their land. Unlike the homes of Palestinians, the illegal outposts are not demolished. Instead, they receive electricity and water supplies, paved roads and subsidies for their agricultural enterprises. The Palestinians rely on water from wells, a few hours of electricity a day from a generator, and an ever-decreasing patch of land on which to grow crops and graze their livestock. Despite these hardships the indigenous people refuse to surrender to the state-sponsored land grab, aware that they otherwise face eviction into walled ghettos.
With your help, ISM, and the Israeli peace groups, Ta’ayush and Rabbis for Human Rights, are working to rebuild the houses and structures as soon as possible. Rebuilding will start over two days in March. Villagers have requested that internationals maintain a permanent presence in the area after the rebuilding to offer protection from settler violence.
It is estimated that around $36,000 will be needed to rebuild all these houses and structures. The costs below are for the materials and transportation of them to the different locations. The costs include: cement, blocks, stone, sand, concrete and roofs.
Um al Kheir 1 concrete house – NIS 37,000
5 other houses – NIS 62,000
Qawawis 7 houses and 1 agricultural structure – NIS 14,800
Imneizil 1 house and 1 agricultural structure – NIS 9,800
Abu Kbeita Family 2 houses and a tent – NIS 6,700
Lawyer’s fees NIS 21,000Total NIS 151,300 ($36024)
Checks of any amount may be made out to “ISM-USA” and sent to:
ISM-USA
PO Box 5073
Berkeley, CA 94705
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation, please make your checks of $50 or more payable to ISM-USA’s fiscal sponsor, A.J. Muste Memorial Institute, (with “ISM-USA” on the memo line of the check), and send to the same address above.
After making a donation, ISM asks that you send an e-mail detailing the amount and the date of the payment to:
info@palsolidarity.org
About the International Solidarity Movement (ISM)
The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles. Founded by a small group of activists in August 2001, ISM aims to support and strengthen the Palestinian popular resistance by providing the Palestinian people with two resources, international protection, and a voice with which to nonviolently resist an overwhelming military occupation force. ISM has numerous affiliates world wide including a dozen or so mostly located in university settings in the United States.
Link: http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2007/02/28/south-hebron-appeal/
Reprinted with ISM permission
