wfn.org | United Methodist helps Palestinians who have lost homes

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Feb. 26, 1999        Contact: Tim Tanton*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-71BP{107}

NOTE: This story may be used as a sidebar to UMNS #105 and is accompanied by
a photograph.  

By Shanta M. Bryant*

HEBRON, West Bank (UMNS) -- A pile of concrete rubble sitting on dry, barren
land is all that remains of the family home of the Jabbers, a Palestinian
family from Beqa'a Valley, east of Hebron.

The Jabber home on the West Bank was bulldozed by Israeli soldiers because
the family, which has lived on the land for five or six generations, did not
have the proper building permit, granting permission to construct additional
rooms on their house.  

"We have been living on this land since 500 years ago," said Atta Jabber,
37. "We have documents from the Turkish, British and French governments
saying that we have been owning this land."

Diane Roe, a volunteer with the Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron, stood
with Jabber as he showed a United Methodist group from the United States the
final remains of his home, for which he labored for six years and spent
US$22,000. 

Roe and other peace team members work for justice for Palestinians whose
homes have been demolished or are threatened with demolition. In addition,
the group's Campaign for Secure Dwellings pairs up North American churches
with Palestinian families under demolition order. 

"These are the new refugees in the world," said Roe, a member of the United
Methodist Church's North Central New York Annual Conference, describing the
families displaced due to bulldozed homes.

Peace team members help rebuild demolished homes, and they also work with
Israeli peace groups, Arab groups and other international organizations.
  
Jabber's home and others in the area are being demolished to make room for
the construction of roads for Jewish settlers, Roe said. "The settlers say,
'We want security. We don't feel secure with Palestinians living on the
sides of the road.' So Palestinians are removed, even though they've been
here for many years."
 
The Israeli government justifies the demolitions by saying the targeted
homes were built without permits. However, Palestinians are routinely denied
building permits to build additional rooms or construct houses on their
property, despite documents showing land ownership. In addition to building
homes, a permit must be obtained to plant trees.

More than 2,500 Palestinian homes have been demolished since 1967, when
Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, according to the
Christian Peacemaking Team. Most of the demolition orders are issued on
homes that fall under the category of Area C. That area, which is 70 percent
of the West Bank, is controlled by the Israeli government. 

Most Palestinian villages are in Area A, the 3 percent of the West Bank
directly under Palestinian control. The remaining 27 percent of the West
Bank is under Area B, which is jointly controlled by the Israeli government
and the Palestinian National Authority.

The tight regulations on issuing building permits to Palestinians have
enabled the Israeli government to declare that the land is "abandoned" and
can be readily used for development, particularly for the expansion of
Jewish settlements and the construction of roads and highways.  Some
speculate that denying permits helps the government contain the growth of
Palestinian
communities.

Some Israelis staunchly believe the government has rights to any land within
its border, and they deny that housing demolitions exist. "We believe in the
right of Jewish people to live in any part of Israel," said Jack Kern, an
Israeli settler, who lives nearly 20 minutes from the Jabbers' demolished
home.

"As far as I know, I don't know of any Arab home that had to leave here
because an Israeli wanted to move in, not since 1967," he said.

Atta Jabber, has temporarily moved to Jerusalem, but he hopes to move back
and rebuild his home and his life.

"I don't hate these people," he said. "I don't care if you are Christian,
Muslim or Jewish. We are
human beings. We have to feel for each other."

# # #

*Bryant is the program director of communications and associate editor of
Christian Social Action magazine for the United Methodist Board of Church
and Society.

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