Holy Land: campaigners issue appeal after demolition of peace centre

After Israeli bulldozers demolished the home of Salim and Arabiya Shawamreh for the fifth time on Monday, 23 January, human rights campaigners, aid agencies and representatives from several Jewish organisations and Christian churches issued the following appeal:

The Israeli Supreme Court had ruled in 2009 that the house was illegal because it didn't have a building permit. Since 1967 when the Occupation began, more than 26,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished by Israeli authorities all in violation of international law.

In December 2011, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called on Israel to halt demolitions forthwith.

Israel's demolition of homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem displaced more than 1094 people in 2011, twice that of the previous year and the highest number since 2005.

After each demolition of the Shawamreh home, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions rebuilt it, as an act of political resistance to Israel's heinous demolition policy and to demonstrate that there are Israeli partners for peace. After the fourth demolition in 2003, the house was rebuilt as a peace centre and named Beit Arabiya. But now even this icon of peace is reduced to rubble.

How much longer will Israel be allowed to escape accountability by using the excuse that Palestinians don't comply with Israeli regulations when in fact Israel is the guilty party because it refuses to allow Palestinians to build their much needed homes?

We call upon all people concerned, including leaders of faith communities, to speak out and respond to repeated Israeli actions which only push peace further out of reach.

Linda Ramsden, Director, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions UK
William Bell, Policy Officer Middle East, Christian Aid
John Hilary, Executive Director, War on Want
Paul Northup, Director, Greenbelt
John Pilger, Patron, ICAHD UK
Baroness Jenny Tonge, Patron, ICAHD UK
Prof Avi Shlaim, St Antony's College, Oxford, Patron, ICAHD UK
Rev Chris Rose, Director, Amos Trust
Vivien Lichtenstein, Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Abe Hayeem, Chair, Architects and Planners Justice in Palestine
Ibrahim Hewitt, Chair of Interpal (Palestinian Relief and Development Fund)
Ismail Patel, Chair, Friends of Al-Aqsa
Pat Gaffney, General Secretary, Pax Christi, International Catholic Movement for Peace
Dr Stephen Leah, Member of the Methodist Conference
Sarah Colborne, Director, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Jan Davies, Friends of Sabeel UK
Penny Rivers, Churchwarden of St John the Evangelist, Farncombe, Surrey
Angus Geddes, United Reformed Church, Havant
Warren Bardsley, KairosPalestine UK

For more information see: www.icahduk.org

See also: ICN 24 January 2012 Holy Land: peace centre demolished for fifth time www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=19707