An Update from my friends the Christian Peacemaker Team in Israel/Palestine from At-Tuwani in the southern West Bank
At-Tuwani Update 20-24 April 2005
April 20 - CPTers Bill Baldwin and Christy Bischoff witnessed the police escorting 13
children to school from Tuba.
One shepherd and 2 women from At-Tuwani were grazing their sheep and
harvesting near the road near the Israeli outpost of Havat Ma'on. While
Baldwin and Bischoff were watching school patrol, an Israeli army jeep
stopped where the family was working. Baldwin and Bischoff made their way
down the valley to the shepherd. When the CPTers reached the place, 4
Israeli soldiers were trying to move the sheep back. The soldiers said that
it was forbidden for the Palestinians to be near the road. One month
previous the Israeli DCO (Distinct Coordinating officer) had come to the
village and told the villagers below the road was all open area for the
Palestinians. When one Palestinian explained that they had been given
permission by the DCO, the soldier called the DCO, who denied giving
permission. The soldiers threatened to arrest the Palestinians. The
Palestinians continued harvesting and the soldiers left.
The shepherd explained that before the CPTers had arrived on the scene, the
soldiers had kicked and hit the sheep with their guns. One hour later, one
of the sheep that was hit gave birth to a still born lamb. Four hours later
a second sheep died. The shepherd expressed that he has 11 children and now
only 8 sheep (another of his sheep had died from the poisoning in previous
weeks).
During afternoon school patrol, the police were late showing up. When
Bischoff called the police to come, the officer replied with "We don't like
you, we don't love you. Stop calling us."
Bischoff, Baldwin, and Maureen Jack accompanied shepherds in Surora.
April 21- Prophet Mohammed's birthday, no school.
An Israeli lawyer came to get information about the beating of the sheep the
day before.
April 22 - No school.
Baldwin, Bischoff, John Lynes, and Diana Zimmerman accompanied shepherds
near Surora.
April 23 - During morning school patrol, the soldiers arrived an hour late to walk the children to school.
Baldwin, Bischoff, Lynes, and Zimmerman accompanied shepherds all day near
Surora. There were no incidents with settlers.
During the afternoon school patrol, the soldiers were over two hours late to
walk the children back home.
Two sheep from MuFakara died after eating poison while grazing in Kharouba.
The shepherds believed that it was poison that still had not been cleaned
up. One sheep was pregnant, and the other was nursing a lamb The shepherd
expressed that tomorrow the lamb would be dead as well.
April 24 - Soldiers were late for morning school patrol. When Baldwin called the army to see where they were, they said there was no school. Baldwin informed
them otherwise. The army arrived one hour late. Seven children were followed by an army Humvee, with no soldiers walking.
Baldwin, Bischoff, Zimmerman, and Lynes accompanied shepherds near Havat Ma'
on.
The military was one hour late to bring the children home from school.
--------------------------------
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical initiative to support violence
reduction efforts around the world. To learn more about CPT's peacemaking
work, please visit our website at: http://www.cpt.org.
Photos of our projects may be viewed at: http://www.cpt.org/gallery
At-Tuwani Update 20-24 April 2005
April 20 - CPTers Bill Baldwin and Christy Bischoff witnessed the police escorting 13
children to school from Tuba.
One shepherd and 2 women from At-Tuwani were grazing their sheep and
harvesting near the road near the Israeli outpost of Havat Ma'on. While
Baldwin and Bischoff were watching school patrol, an Israeli army jeep
stopped where the family was working. Baldwin and Bischoff made their way
down the valley to the shepherd. When the CPTers reached the place, 4
Israeli soldiers were trying to move the sheep back. The soldiers said that
it was forbidden for the Palestinians to be near the road. One month
previous the Israeli DCO (Distinct Coordinating officer) had come to the
village and told the villagers below the road was all open area for the
Palestinians. When one Palestinian explained that they had been given
permission by the DCO, the soldier called the DCO, who denied giving
permission. The soldiers threatened to arrest the Palestinians. The
Palestinians continued harvesting and the soldiers left.
The shepherd explained that before the CPTers had arrived on the scene, the
soldiers had kicked and hit the sheep with their guns. One hour later, one
of the sheep that was hit gave birth to a still born lamb. Four hours later
a second sheep died. The shepherd expressed that he has 11 children and now
only 8 sheep (another of his sheep had died from the poisoning in previous
weeks).
During afternoon school patrol, the police were late showing up. When
Bischoff called the police to come, the officer replied with "We don't like
you, we don't love you. Stop calling us."
Bischoff, Baldwin, and Maureen Jack accompanied shepherds in Surora.
April 21- Prophet Mohammed's birthday, no school.
An Israeli lawyer came to get information about the beating of the sheep the
day before.
April 22 - No school.
Baldwin, Bischoff, John Lynes, and Diana Zimmerman accompanied shepherds
near Surora.
April 23 - During morning school patrol, the soldiers arrived an hour late to walk the children to school.
Baldwin, Bischoff, Lynes, and Zimmerman accompanied shepherds all day near
Surora. There were no incidents with settlers.
During the afternoon school patrol, the soldiers were over two hours late to
walk the children back home.
Two sheep from MuFakara died after eating poison while grazing in Kharouba.
The shepherds believed that it was poison that still had not been cleaned
up. One sheep was pregnant, and the other was nursing a lamb The shepherd
expressed that tomorrow the lamb would be dead as well.
April 24 - Soldiers were late for morning school patrol. When Baldwin called the army to see where they were, they said there was no school. Baldwin informed
them otherwise. The army arrived one hour late. Seven children were followed by an army Humvee, with no soldiers walking.
Baldwin, Bischoff, Zimmerman, and Lynes accompanied shepherds near Havat Ma'
on.
The military was one hour late to bring the children home from school.
--------------------------------
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical initiative to support violence
reduction efforts around the world. To learn more about CPT's peacemaking
work, please visit our website at: http://www.cpt.org.
Photos of our projects may be viewed at: http://www.cpt.org/gallery
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