
Filmed and produced by Cat Rabenstine for the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Palestine.
Life in the West Bank
Filmed and produced by Cat Rabenstine for the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Palestine.
CPTnet Volume 36, Issue 3
A newsletter written by members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams
This autumn, a local businessman alerted three CPTers to the presence of a group of soldiers outside the Ibrahimi School, located in the heart of the Old City.
Upon arrival, the school principal informed CPT that a settler boy, around seven years old, had accused two Palestinian boys from the Ibrahimi School of throwing a rock at him.  Soldiers wanted to enter the school with the settler child to identify and arrest the Palestinian boys, and the school principal responded by saying they would first need to get
permission from the Palestinian Minister of Education.
Over a period of three hours, fifty Israeli soldiers, twenty settlers and Israeli police gathered outside the school. When the Palestinian Ministry of Education told the soldiers that they could not enter the school, the Israeli army disregarded his decision and entered the school with the settler boy in tow.
Two Palestinian boys under the age of eighteen were arrested in front of their peers and taken to the local police station. The Israeli army and police informed the Minister of Education that these arrests were necessary for “maintaining the peace,” because the group of settlers gathered outside the school had threatened to remain and harass the school
children if the police did not arrest the Palestinian boys.
Over the years, people on the Hebron team have witnessed settler children attack Palestinian children many times, and to the best of our knowledge, no police officer has ever taken a Palestinian child into an Israeli school to point out his/her attackers.  Indeed, when adult Palestinians and internationals provide documentation of settler children attacking Palestinian children and adults, police and soldiers usually dismiss them rudely.
The Ibrahimi School incident not only shows the lack of impartiality on the part of the police, but also that settler accusations supersede preserving the educational environment of Palestinian children.
The entry of soldiers into educational institutions signifies to children that schools are not safe places for them, thus creating further barriers to education.
The young settler boy that made the rock throwing accusation was prompted by his father and other adult settlers to demand entry into the Ibrahimi School during school hours. Settler adults brought a number of settler children with them to the school and refused to obey the soldiers instructions for children to leave the scene.
Children need safe environments where they can learn and grow. Unfortunately, what CPT observes here in Al-Khalil is that children, both Palestinian and Israeli, are not being brought up in a spirit of love or respect for others.
The Israeli authorities in this area are not preparing children for a life of peace, tolerance, and equality — a life that all children deserve.
For footage of the Ibrahimi school incident, click here
Below is the press release provided by C-SJP, links to two videos of the mock checkpoint and links to other articles about the action.
New York, NY, November 18 – On November 18th, 2010 from 12pm to 2pm, Columbia University Students for Justice in Palestine (C-SJP)—a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, and community members—constructed a theatrical mock Israeli checkpoint at the Low Library steps at Columbia University.
Three students dressed as Israeli soldiers lined up dozens of volunteer students throughout the afternoon, blindfolded them, and forced them to sit on their knees as a symbolic gesture to portray the hardships faced by Palestinian students.
Those playing the role of the Palestinian students had tape over their mouths to reflect how Israel silences Palestinian voices by withholding their right to education.
We learned on Thursday morning that the Columbia administration alerted Zionist groups on campus 48 hours prior to our action in order for them to organize a counter demonstration.
Although Palestinian voices are loud and strong at Columbia – amplified by the opening of the Center for Palestine Studies last month – the administration remains firmly Zionist. All things considered, the action was a tremendous success!
Israel-Palestine debate hits College Walk from Columbia Daily Spectator on Vimeo.
Ever wonder how olives are turned into olive oil soap, or olive oil for that matter? Â Watch this video for a quick tour of an olive oil press and an olive oil soap factory in a small town in northern West Bank.
If you live in Chicago, visit the Fair Trade Bazaar at Lake View Presbyterian Church on Saturday, November 20 to purchase some of both!
I spent many Sundays in Zababdeh since July 2010, celebrating with Fr. Firas and his congregation at St. George Melkite Church. Â Though the services were in Arabic, a few things were still familiar: the rhythm of prayers, the passing of peace and the children staying occupied by giggling and playing games in the back of the church. Â I quickly became accustomed to a service filled with rose-flavored incense, sermons I couldn’t understand and communicating in semi-sign language.
Below are a few of my favorite memories from Zababdeh.
To see my other stories from Zababdeh go to:
Sweatshop in Zababdeh only choice for some women
Get your hands dirty in Zababdeh
Experience the Holy Land with the Living Stones
When I hear the cadence of a drum squad, my heart skips a beat remembering my days in marching band at Dallastown High School. I loved marching through the parking lot to the football field to the beat of the school’s cadence.
Today, while walking through downtown Nablus, I heard the enticing sound of drums coming from the main square. I quickly changed my afternoon plans and hastened to the square, where I found myself in the midst of a Freedom Rally. Everyone was holding signs protesting Palestinian imprisonment in Israeli jails.
Children from many different schools were marching around the square in their uniforms. Mothers held framed photographs of their imprisoned sons. Music played and a stage hosted a few speakers. Downtown Nablus was packed like figs in a basket and the place was thumping with energy.
As I weaseled my way through the crowd to capture videos, I noticed something different about the subjects of my photos. Usually people give me strange looks when I ask to make a video of them. Sometimes they ask, “why?†Today, the women holding Palestinian flags and photographs of their sons looked me in the eye and nodded, as if to say what many in Nablus have said before, “Take this photo and show it to everyone you know.â€
Please watch the video clips from the rally in Nablus today.