No Jewish-Only City inside Beit Sahour
Don't Let the IDF Kidnap Mazin Qumsiyeh
In the 70's the Israeli army seized 670 dunums of private land in the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour which is next to Bethlehem and expanded a military base built on Palestinian lands. According to the land seizure order the land would go back to the Palestinian owners once the army stopped using it. The base was used to shell Palestinian homes, damaging or destroying some 300 over the years.
In 2006 the base was abandoned. The community wanted to develop the area for public use. Funding was acquired for a peace park, a children's playground, and a hospital. However, settlers from the far right-wing Women in Green group persuaded the Israeli government to ban the development of the area. Settlers have been coming to the area holding religious classes, movies, demonstrations. In the summer of 2008 settlers announced they would build a 'Jewish city' on the land. Recent reports in the Israeli press said the army would build a new 'watch tower' on the site.
In January 2010 army bulldozers began working on the land. When local residents objected they were informed the area was a closed military zone. A peaceful protest that was to end with a Christian prayer on the land was broken up by tear gas and concussion grenades on February 21. A similar demonstration the week after was ended by even more violent means. On March 2, at 1:30 in the morning the IDF blockaded roads around the home of Beit Sahour resident Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, a member of the Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab. He had just left to go on speaking tour, but his family was told that the army wanted him to report to a military liaison office. We are concerned that Dr. Qumsiyeh will be put into Administrative Detention upon his return to Beit Sahour. Administrative Detention is the notorious practice of putting people in prison without trial. Prisoners are kept for terms of several months and this can be renewed indefinitely. Hundreds are presently in Administrative Detention.
Qumsiyeh and the other members of the Ush Ghrab committee are doing necessary, peaceful and legal work and should not be stopped or intimidated. President Obama has called for a settlement freeze as a way of getting peace talks started. He, members of Congress and the media should focus on Ush Ghrab and demand the IDF and settlers leave the area.
We call for the following:
1) An end to any IDF or settler construction or presence on Ush Ghrab.
2) Free access by Palestinians to the land
3) Permission to build a children's hospital on the site
4) A public statement by Israeli authorities withdrawing all threats to Dr. Qumsiyeh and other Beit Sahour activists.
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