Snipets

I get regular updates from the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Hebron, West Bank, & Baghdad, Iraq. I thought I would occasionally include short segments from these to give you some idea of what's happening in these two conflict zones. Here are two from the Hebron CPT team:

In the afternoon members of CPT and Operation Dove (Italian Peace Group) accompanied shepherds near Kharuba, Southern West Bank. On the way back they met two men from the village of Mgheir Al-Abeed, who asked that the group visit more often. They told a story about the settlers from the outpost bringing their dogs to swim in the village well. The settlers told the people of the village that it shouldn't be a problem for them, since they and the dogs are the same (dogs are religiously unclean for Muslims).

Members of CPT & Operation Dove (OD) walked to the Palestinian village Tuba in the morning to observe the children on their way to school. Another OD member and Peggy and Art Gish observed from the village of At-Tuwani where their school is located. When the eight children walked from Tuba to the junction where they normally meet the jeeps of the Israeli escort, an armed settler stood on one of the hills in between and threatened them. The children shouted to the soldiers waiting for them and then ran back towards Tuba. The CPT member and the ODer ran out to meet them. After a few
minutes the volunteers with the father and older brother of some of the children accompanied them to try again. The settler again threatened the children, but this time three soldiers got out of their jeep and started walking to the children, and their father encouraged them to go to the soldiers. The soldiers met the children and escorted them to school.