wfn.org | Methodist Missionary Calls for End to Siege in Palestine

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Contact:  Fr. Raed Awad Abusahlia
P.O.Box 14152  Jerusalem  91141
Tel.  (972 2) 628.2323 / 627.2280
Fax  (972 2) 627.1652
Personal E-mail: nonviolence@writeme.com
Latin Patriarchate E-mail: Latinpat@actcom.co.il
Latin Patriarchate's Homepage: http://www.Lpj.org
"Nonviolence Homepage": http://go.to/nonviolence

JERUSALEM, March 9, 2001--The first day after Areiel Sharon's inauguration 
has brought an intensification of the siege imposed upon the Palestinian 
Territories. 

Palestinian villages, towns and cities are now completely isolated from each 
other. The cities are becoming clusters of prisons. 

The road that was closed on March 7th had been the only route allowing 
Palestinians around Ramallah to access the city.  Now Birzeit and Ein Arik 
areas are completely cut off by trenches, sand barriers and tanks; the 
Israeli soldiers staffing these points are refusing to allow people to walk 
in the area or to cross the barricades.
 
This means that the 68% of the population of the West Bank who live in rural 
areas--including the inhabitants of the 90 villages in the Ramallah area--are 
cut off from hospitals.  Primary health care workers are unable to access 
villages and provide essential health services.   Thousands of people are 
unable to get to their work. Farms face the growing risk of a disaster in the 
absence of water and food supplies, which will decimate both agricultural and 
livestock industries.  The students and staff of Birzeit are unable to reach 
their university.
 
This afternoon Palestinian men and women participating in a Women's Day 
March, tried to move the barrier with their bare hands.  Soldiers opened fire 
upon them with bullets and tear gas. 

What is happening now is nothing less than war on the Palestinian economy, 
and an escalating aggression against the predominantly civil Palestinian 
population. 

Never during the past 34 years of illegal Israeli occupation has there been a 
worse time for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. 

The trench between Ramallah and Birzeit remains this day.  As reported, on 
Thursday the trench was dug. During the day the governorate of Ramallah had 
the trench filled back in.  Yesterday, the IDF again bulldozed the trench, 
this time placing military personnel to block any foot traffic as well.
 
Not only has the trench blocked traffic, affecting almost 70,000 people, it 
has cut water, electricity and phone lines to thousands of homes. 

Signed: Rev. Sandra Olewine 
United Methodist Liaison - Jerusalem 

===

Total Siege of Palestinian Towns within the Occupied Territories:

A Report provided by LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of 
Human Rights and the Environment

For Additional Information Contact:
Khader Sheqirat
P.O. Box 20873 Jerusalem
(972.2) 581.2364
Email: Lawe@netvision.net.il
www.birzeit.edu/lawe

JERUSALEM, 7 March 2001--At 1 a.m. this morning Israeli soldiers imposed a 
total siege of Palestinian villages within the Occupied Territories.  They 
have dug a trench 
and installed a blockade, starting from Sorda village near Ramallah, from Ein 
Sheikh Yusef, up to the town of Bir Zeit.  

The trench and blockade is 2 metres into the earth, and it is about 150 
metres in length. This total siege prevents any access to or out of the areas 
by vehicle. 25 Palestinian villages, and their 65,000 residents, have been 
affected by this closure, in particular El Mizra'a el Qiblia, and Abu Qash, 
Kobar, and Abu Shkhedim.  

The Israeli soldiers, in the course of digging up the trenches and installing 
the blockade have destroyed the water pipes (the only water supply outlets) 
and telephone cables of these villages. The residents are left without any 
water or telephone access. 

Students of Bir Zeit University are meant to start the new University term on 
17 March 2001. However, the five thousand students attending the University 
will be unable to gain access as all access roads and routes to Bir Zeit 
University from other Palestinian villages or towns have been closed off by 
Israeli soldiers. 

Other than Bir Zeit, these villages will also suffer from lack of access to 
medical treatment or care, as there are no hospitals or medical clinics in 
these villages.  The residents would usually go to Ramallah for medical 
treatment, however all movement by vehicle out of the villages is prohibited. 
Furthermore, the Israeli forces are also stopping the delivery of any crucial 
supplies into the villages, including medical supplies. 

According to Dr. Albert Aghazarian of the Public Relations department of Bir 
Zeit University, and other residents of the 25 villages affected, there have 
been no recent clashes or demonstrations in the area.  Furthermore, there 
have been no shootings from these villages at Israeli soldiers or settlers. 

There are no genuine security or military reasons for taking these measures. 
The total siege is being imposed by the Israeli government as a repressive 
form of collective punishment, which is prohibited by international 
humanitarian law. 

LAW demands that the Israeli government stops its violations of international 
human rights and humanitarian law by ending the total siege imposed on these 
Palestinian villages. 

LAW demands that the residents of the 25 villages be immediately granted 
access to essential supplies (including water supplies and telephone) and 
medical care and treatment. 

LAW asks the International community to intervene to take measures to stop 
Israel's on going and escalating violations of international human rights and 
humanitarian law, and to urgently intervene before the humanitarian crisis 
deepens within the Occupied Palestinian territories. 

[LAW, the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the 
Environment, is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to preserving human 
rights through legal advocacy.  LAW is affiliate to the International 
Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Fédération Internationale des Ligues de Droits 
de l'Homme (FIDH), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Member of 
the Euro- Mediterranean Human Rights Network.]

===

Israeli Parliament (Knesset) Member Protests Government Policy

For additional information, contact: 
MK Azmi Bishara
Nazareth Office: Tel 972-4-457457, Fax 972-4-457458
Jerusalem Office: Tel 972-2-6753101, Fax 972-2-6753182,
Email: abishara@knesset.gov.il

JERUSALEM, 9 March 2001--In an apparent escalation of aggression towards a 
predominantly civil Palestinian population, heavily armed Israeli military 
forces raided
this morning, local Palestinian time, the town of Surda, the main entrance to 
the city of Birzeit, bulldozing the main road linking Ramallah with more than 
30 villages and towns including the city of Birzeit. 

As a result of this, telephone lines and water pipes were totally destroyed.  
Further,
due to previous closures imposed on adjacent passageways, this road was being
used extensively by travelers from the northern towns of Nablus and Jenin to 
Ramallah.  

This situation has lead to the fact that over 70,000 individuals living in 
these communities have been totally isolated, and denied access to basic life 
necessities including food and health services.

The town of Birzeit is the host of the leading Palestinian institute for 
higher education, Birzeit University. With the recent developments, 5,500 
students, 650 faculty, and staff members are effectively prevented from 
reaching the University Campus.

In addition, the communication facilities to the University have been totally 
cut off, as well as to the surrounding towns, entailing that there is no 
means of maintaining contact with the outside world.

According to the eyewitness reports of residents in the area, including 
myself, the damage has been extensive and will require substantial time and 
resources to be repaired.  Therefore, the length of time needed for the 
residents of the villages and towns in order to access communication 
facilities, water utilities, food supplies, and health services is unknown.

On March 8, 2001 MK Azmi Bishara forwarded a strong letter of protest 
addressed to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Minster of Defense Benyamin 
Ben-Eliezer, and Deputy Minster of Defense Dalia Rabin demanding the 
immediate repair of the road, as well as an immediate end to the collective 
punishment policy.

MK Azmi Bishara states: "This is a cruel upsurge of the collective punishment 
policy Israel has adopted in the occupied territories. The plain inability of 
people to receive medical attention as well as lead a semblance of a routine 
life is intolerable and equal to terrorist acts.

Israel is continuously violating all international laws and agreements 
concerning occupied territories as well as the residents of occupied 
territories".

Signed: MK Azmi Bishara

-end-