[GushShalom] Demolitions started at Akaba - Protest may still make a difference

[Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)]

GUSH SHALOM  pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org

######################
Demolitions started at Akaba 
Your protest can still make a difference
##############################

International alert
                                                                        
"The soldiers have arrived, they are destroying houses!". It was Haj Sami 
Sadek from from the tiny Palestinian village of Akaba, sourth-east of Jenin. 

This is the same village about which we sent an alarm, October 23, when 
the demolition of 12 houses seemed imminent. With your help we 
succeeded then to arouse a wave of protest letters, and win time. But the  
authorities thought that meanwhile everybody may have forgotten about 
Akaba. 

Yesterday,  two houses were demolished "because they had been built 
without a permit". As we wrote before, the inhabitants of Akaba would 
have gladly build legally on their lands - but since 1976 the Israeli 
authorities refused to issue any building permits there. Two families - 
altogether four adults and twelve children - are left homeless in the middle 
of winter, in a cold mountain region. And the army official in charge 
anounced upon his departure that they would be back "in five days" in 
order to demolish ten more houses, including Akabah's mosque and 
kindergarten. 

Why this sudden interest in Akaba village? During these months the army 
revived old demolition orders which had lain dormant for years and issued 
new ones. Also they started conducting searches and intimidating patrols, 
in one of which armed soldiers entered the kindergarten and greatly 
frightened the children there. There seems no obvious reason. No violent 
activity of any kind occured in Akaba in the entire 36 years of Israeli rule. 
However, some unofficial maps of Sharon's Separation Fence show the 
village of Akaba to be straight in its route...

Whatever the reason for the threat to Akaba's houses, the threat is direct 
and immediate. For a community of some 250 , altoghether living in 18 
houses plus some shacks and tents, the destruction of twelve of the  
houses will be a mortal blow. Efforts are presently made to save what can 
be saved and otbtain a judicial injunction preventing further demolitions. 
This is the context which can make your renewed protest meaningful.

addresses:

To:
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon <pm_eng at pmo.gov.il>
Spokesperson of the Prime Minister <dover at pmo.gov.il>
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz <sar at mod.gov.il>
Spokesperson Defense Ministry <info at mail.idf.il>
Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom <sar at mofa.gov.il>


and/or via the Israeli embassy in your 
environment; addresses of Israeli 
embassies at 
http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm

with copies to:

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan <ecu at un.org>, <coi at un.org>
US President George W. Bush <president at whitehouse.gov>
"Secretary of State,  Colin Powell" <secretary at state.gov>,
Mr. Terje Rod Larsen <unsco at palnet.com>, <lemore at un.org>
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights <webadmin.hchr at unog.ch>
European Union  <civis at europarl.eu.int>, <public.info at consilium.eu.int>

If possible  send  in addition a fax or hardcopy 
letter to:

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, 
Office of the Prime Minister
3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187 
Jerusalem 91919, Israel
Fax:  +972 2 6705475 

Please, send copies to:

Haj Sami Sadek, Mayor of Akaba 
Phone/Fax  972-09-2572201
phone 972-55-795286 / 972-59-208512

Israeli Committee Against House Demolition: 
icahd at zahav.net.il

Gush Shalom:
info at gush-shalom.org

And - last but not least: phone to the 
Commander, Civil Administration  +972-(0)2-9977341

You can use the following sample letter or  
compose your own.

Dear Sir

I am deeply shocked at the demolition by the 
Israeli army of two houses in the occupied 
village of Akaba southeast of Jenin, on December 
23, and even more so by the threat to destroy 
another ten houses. This village has never caused 
a security problem. The IDF apparently wants to 
destroy the whole village (the entire village 
contains no more that 18 houses) with demolition 
orders even for the mosque and the kindergarten. 

In the much-publicized prime minsterial speech at 
Herzlia, a plegae was made  that Israel would 
abide by its obligations under the Roadmap for 
Peace. The destruction of a village days after 
such a  speech would cast grave doubts, to say 
the least, on whatever international credibility 
the government of Israeli still has. 

I call upon you to act immediately to prevent any 
further demolitions and to grant the people of 
Akaba permits to build houses for themselves on 
their own land. 

[your name and address]

--
Read about factories exit from the occupied territories
in 2nd part of following article
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/374866.html

(Akiva Eldar in Ha'aretz Dec.23 2003)
--
If you want to be among those from all over the world who prepare to 
welcome Mordechai Vanunu ("the nuclear whistleblower ") upon his 
release in April (imprisoned since 1986), write to: 
<freevanunu at mindspring.com>

--
http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (òáøéú/Hebrew)
http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English)
http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in Arabic)

with
\\photos of recent actions 
\\the weekly Gush Shalom ad 
\\the columns of Uri Avnery 
\\Gush Shalom's history & action chronicle  
\\position papers & analysis (in "documents")
\\and a lot more

N.B.: 
On the Gush Shalom website links for 
Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish

In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language 
press releases mail to:
gush-shalom-heb-request at mailman.gush-shalom.org 
+ NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line.

If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can 
send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece 
of paper to: 

Gush Shalom
pob 3322
Tel-Aviv 61033
Israel

or ask us for charities in your country which receive 
donations on behalf of Gush Shalom

Please, add your email address where to send our 
confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at 
request only.