NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE ~~~~ PEACEMAKING IN PALESTINE
Newsletter No. 100
June 20, 2006
It is six months since we last sent out a newsletter. Since “retiring,” Mary has given a couple of presentations on her experiences with Christian Peacemaker Team and has preached in a few places. We continue to get the updates from the Team in Hebron, West Bank; life there gets steadily harder as settlements gradually, inexorably, take over Palestinian lands.
The big news, of course, concerns the elected Hamas government, and we are not alone in finding it hard to discern a future for Israel and Palestine.
This letter deals with the ways that the US, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia (the “Quartet”) are trying to keep Palestinians alive in the face of the intransigence of the Hamas government which refuses to accept Israel’s right to exist. It is clear that Hamas (for all the good it does with its social programs) promotes terrorism; militants daily fire rockets from Gaza into Israel.
Below are two items: a CPT action release concerning the US Senate’s bill to cut off aid to Palestinians, and a background piece from BBC News, both pieces edited a bit.
cdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdPUNISHING ABU MUNEER
By Mary Yoder
Abu Muneer, a valuable Palestinian friend to Christian Peacemaker Teams, is in a terrible family and financial crisis. Abu Muneer (whose name is changed for privacy), a Hebron city engineer for the past 27 years, also works for the Palestinian Authority (PA). He and another 140,000 Palestinians are in positions dependent on US and EU aid for survival.
In the January PA elections, Abu Muneer’s entire extended family voted, as well as over 80% of his village. The world praised the Palestinians for their democratic elections. But the US cut off aid to the Palestinians because of the Hamas victory.
Abu Muneer has received no paycheck since February. Although the US could continue to pay the PA through the president, Mahmoud Abbas, it has completely shut off aid money.
Abu Muneer is the sole provider for 15 members of his extended family; four of whom are university students. The cost for them alone is $2,600 per month. His family savings are gone. He fears that if someone became sick, there would be no money for medical expenses.
Abu Muneer had six acres of his land confiscated by the construction of the Separation Wall in 2004. Now in 2006, his remaining two acres will be confiscated by a Palestinian bank as payment for money borrowed two months ago: borrowed to educate and feed his family. In a frightening spiral of debt, Abu Muneer does not know how his family will survive the next several months.
University professors, school teachers, doctors, and nurses have received no salary for four months. Abu Muneer also says that the Israeli government took these elections as an excuse to issue three more military orders for land confiscation, annexing more land to Israel. Abu Muneer fears that the increased hardships and poverty will cause a rise in violence. “What if Palestine becomes like Iraq?” he says sadly.
What possible purpose is served by punishing citizens like Abu
Muneer – city workers, teachers, doctors and nurses? Is there any
goal? Can any of us imagine going to work and not getting paid
month after month?
ACT NOW! The US House of Representatives recently voted to
discontinue aid to the Palestinians. The vote is coming up quickly in
the US Senate under Senate Resolution 2370. This resolution would
not only cut off aid to the Palestinians but would also place
restrictions on other countries giving aid by using various means of
pressure. Call or send a brief note to your Senator. This only takes a
few minutes.
To contact your Senator, call the Capitol Switchboard at
202-224-3121 or visit www.Senate.gov
Tell your Senator:
* Withholding AID makes it extremely difficult for critical assistance
to reach Palestinian families and children. This does not reflect our
national, Christian/religious values and will only lead to greater
instability, resentment and even violence
* Withholding AID weakens Palestinian moderates and undermines
the US’ ability to remain engaged in peacemaking
* Withholding AID will not provide the US President with the
flexibility required to effectively conduct US policy toward the
Palestinians
For more information on this critical issue see a special report in the
Guardian newspaper (UK): UN Calls for Massive Rise in Palestinian
Aid, http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1787076,00.html
For an online petition visit:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?JfJfP
Palestinian workers receive wages
Monday, 19 June 2006
Some Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip have been paid $300,
their first wages since a cut in Western aid. Up to 90,000 government
workers are due to receive the payments, made available after Hamas
officials carried cash into Gaza to circumvent the aid ban. The move
came as an EU envoy met Israeli officials to outline plans to release
100m euros ($126m) of aid, bypassing the Hamas-led government.
More than $20m was available to pay Palestinian wages after Hamas
leader Mahmoud Zahhar and another official crossed the border into
Gaza carrying suitcases full of cash. The money will go to government
employees who earn less than $355 per month. West Bank residents
are expected to receive their money over the next two days, the
Palestinian finance minister said.
Western aid was frozen after Hamas won elections but refused to
renounce violence or recognize Israel. Many Palestinians have
suffered severe economic hardship following the move, which
prompted aid organizations to warn of a humanitarian crisis.
The EU’s external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner,
said on Monday that emergency aid payments were likely to be
released to Palestinians from the beginning of July. Under terms
agreed by the “Quartet,” the EU will give 100m euros ($126m) but
will bypass the Hamas-led Palestinian government. The Quartet
announced that they would back an EU proposal to provide support
for local health services, guarantee fuel supplies and provide for the
basic needs of poor Palestinians.
After talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner insisted no money would be available to the
Palestinian government unless three conditions were met. Those
requirements are the recognition of Israel, renunciation of violence
and an acceptance of past agreements.
On Sunday, the Hamas-led government gave a guarded welcome to
the plan. A Hamas spokesman said any funds for impoverished
Palestinians were welcome, but he argued that in bypassing the
elected government, the Quartet was undermining democracy.
The PA is heavily dependent on foreign aid and on donor countries.
The EU gives about 500m euros ($632m) a year to the Palestinians,
making it by far the biggest aid donor. However, public employees
will not directly benefit from the new aid plan. The Hamas
government has turned to other countries for assistance and hundreds
of millions of dollars have been given or promised by Egypt, Iran,
Pakistan and other countries.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/5096872.stm
Published: 2006/06/19 23:01:30 GMT