Holy Land: Latin Patriarch leads demo against separation wall
"love is possible despite the evils we constantly live through" With these words last Sunday, Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, after the religious service with Aboud Catholic Community, led a peaceful march of one thousand people, Christians, Muslim Palestinians, and Jews towards the Apartheid wall building site on Aboud land. The march stopped three hundred metres from the excavators in front of the soldiers blocking the access to the building site. There the Patriarch led a short worship and then planted an olive tree as a symbol of the hundreds of trees that will be destroyed during construction of the wall on Aboud land. The construction of the barrier is threatening massive the survival of this ancient community. Hardship resulting from the Israeli occupation has led to out-migration. 60% of Aboudis already live abroad. Confiscation of 26% of their land and the blocking of access to villages to the North West following construction of the Apartheid separation barrier would accelerate emigration. After the Patriarch's departure, a hundred people stood in front of the soldiers singing slogans against the Wall. Israeli peace activist Jonothan Polack was arrested for trying to plant another olive tree. There is more information about Aboud on: www.leics-holyland.gothere.uk.com