Tag Archives: military

Education under occupation

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The 25th of February marks the anniversary of the massacre that took place at the Ibrahimi Mosque, in 1994, where 29 Palestinians were shot dead, and another 129 were left wounded. The massacre was committed by a Jewish doctor – an immigrant from the United States and resulted in prolonged curfews, restrictions on movement for Palestinians, the closing of their shops and marketplaces, and a pattern of impunity for settler violence. Since then Israel has continued with its policy of punishing those who are being attacked.

The center of the city is deserted and in ruins. You have to visit there, repeatedly, in order to begin to understand not only how it looks but the understand the  impact of the 120 blockades and checkpoints that cut off abandoned streets in the middle in the centre of the Old City.

This video was made by the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel, documenting education under occupation through the eyes of some young students and teachers in Hebron.

https://vimeo.com/116338150

 

 

 

Living in the path of settlers

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There is a military watch box on the roof of the Shamsiya house, making the roof a closed military zone and the family is forbidden to access it. For security reasons the Israeli military will search the house on a regular basis. On Saturdays, there is a tour for settlers through Hebron and the settlers from the Tel Rumeida settlement walk past the Shamsiya house. They access the roof and have damaged the water tanks. They throw stones at the family below and their daughter was knocked unconscious after being hit by a rock thrown by a settler. The Israeli military do not stop the settlers from being on the roof. The family are part of the “shoot back” camera project, run by the Israeli Human Rights organisation B’tselem. Vulnerable families are given cameras to document attacks on them and their property.

In the following 9 minute film, Yuval Orr shows what the daily life is like for 15-year-old Awni Abu Shamsiya as he attempts to maintain some shred of normalcy in his hometown of Hebron.

Festival of Friendship Refugee Week Event 2014

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Refugee Week Festival Sat 21 June 2014

Refugee Week Festival Sat 21 June 2014

Only one week to go!
The Refugee Week Festival starts
12 noon in Leichhardt Town Hall, next Saturday, 21st June.
More about the Festival…

The 2014 Refugee Week Festival will support a school transport programme to help teenage girls in the remote community of Dkaika  finish high school. Currently the students have to walk for almost an hour, must walk 7km along a rough 4WD mountain track  to  the nearest high school

The situation in Dkaika
The students have to walk for almost an hour to reach the nearest junior high school and even further to a school where they complete year 12.This has lead to high dropout rates, especially for girls.

Chidren study in front of their classroom - demolished by the Israeli occupation forces.

Chidren study in front of their classroom – demolished by the Israeli occupation forces.

The solution identified by the community is a school transport plan and with your support, we can help them achieve this.

You can help support the students of Dkaika by coming to our Refugee Week Festival, which will be held on Saturday, 21st June, in Leichhardt Town Hall. The money raised will pay the wages of a driver and we hope, the running costs of the vehicle, to take students to high school and university.

To read a full report about the village and our proposed project to support education access to the community click here.
For Festival details, email hebronleichhardt@gmail.com.
Donations are welcome and can be made here.

Leichhardt Friends of Hebron have been successful in supporting the establishment of three kindergarten facilities in Hebron and the South Hebron Hills. Through our partnership with the Hebron International Resource Network (HIRN) we are working with some of the most impoverished, vulnerable and threatened communities in the area.

Dkaika is one of these, an isolated and vulnerable community in the far south of Palestine, only metres from the boundary with Israel. Sadly, the community faces a targeted campaign of isolation and destruction from the Israeli Army.

The Israeli authorities are threatening to demolish 35 homes and buildings, including at least one classroom. At least 4 homes and one classroom have already been demolished.

They also prevent the community from accessing the most basic services, including electricity and running water although these are provided to Israeli residents of nearby illegal settlements. Despite the hardship this causes, people feel able to remain on their traditional lands as long as their children have access to education, which is highly valued in Palestine people.

Since 2009, Leichhardt Friends of Hebron have been successful in supporting the establishment of three kindergarten facilities in Hebron and the South Hebron Hills. Through our partnership with the Hebron International Resource Network (HIRN) we are working with some of the most impoverished, vulnerable and threatened communities in the area.