Update on Mas'ha activities

Update on Mas'ha activities

Mas'ha, Occupied Palestine, August 3, 2003

A One-Family Bantustan Must Not Be Allowed

Today Palestinians, along with 50 internationals and 10 Israeli activists =

prevented the demolition of Palestinian property and blocked the constructi= on of the Apartheid Wall in front of Hani A'amer's house. He and his family l= ive in the village of Mas'ha, where for months Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals have been holding an Anti-Wall camp.

If the wall is completed as planned, Hani, Munira and their 6 children will= be imprisoned between the Apartheid Wall and the fence of the illegal Elkana settlement. They will only be able to leave the house three times a day und= er the control of security guards, virtual prisoners on their own land.

Bulldozers began construction on the Wall at approximately7am about 20m from the house. The Israeli Military and police were called in to evict the= activists. The Palestinians, Internationals and Israelis linked arms around= the property as the owner of the house, representatives of the National Committee against the Wall, the ISM, IWPS, and Israeli peace organizations =

all held a press conference for the media who were covering the action.

Because the activists and the media were there to protect the family, construction was halted for the day, and the contractor informed the protes= tors there will be no work on the site of Hani A'amer's house for the next two months.

However, the activists have pledged to keep a presence in the Mas'ha peace =

camp erected in front of the house and hold the contractor to his promise .= They want to insure that there is no further attempt to continue the path o= f the Wall.

Protesters will demand a written guarantee from the Israeli Defense Minist= ry that the house will not be cut off from its village. They are also demandin= g that Israeli Military immediately repair the water pipes of the house damaged b= y the construction.

They have given the authorities until Wednesday to respond, then they will = do further action.

This camp is just one part of the campaign against the Apartheid Wall that =

demands:

Ø Stopping the wall construction and demolishing the current Apartheid =

Wall

Ø Repairing and compensating for the damage caused

Ø Returning confiscated land

Ø Dismantling the settlements

Ø The end of the occupation

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