Al Walaja, where they live, is a village in the southwestern Jerusalem region and northwest of Bethlehem. During the 1948 War, Israel confiscated 65% of the village. Many refugees from this northern village sector later built homes in an area now known as new Al-Walaja. Some went to Jordanian refugee camps, and still live there today. After the 1967 War, Israel confiscated more land from the north of Al-Walaja, annexing it to Jerusalem. The people of this northern sector, called Ein-Jweisa, did not know their sector was annexed. When it was annexed, they should have been informed and also given the more advantageous Jerusalem IDs. From 1967 to 1985, all of Al-Walaja was ruled by the Israeli military, but with no public services provided then or now.

In 1985, the Jerusalem Municipal Court issued an order to demolish two homes in this northern sector of Ein-Jweisa, because they were built without the proper municipal permits. Thus, the people of Ein-Jweisa learned their land had been annexed by the City of Jerusalem, so that their presence there was illegal. The sector formed a Residents’ Committee to defend their lands, organized demonstrations, and hired a lawyer to appeal for the cancellation of the demolition orders and to reverse the order of annexation to Jerusalem.

In the early 1990’s, it became clear that Jerusalem and Israel authorities would continue to demolish homes and clear the area of people and houses. Since 1985, the Israelis have demolished 30 more homes and 10 animal sheds, leaving many people homeless. Due to this, many people left Ein-Jweisa. Since 1990, the Israelis have issued demolition orders for another 55 homes. These orders demand not only demolitions, but an exorbitant monthly fine of up to $217 USD per square meter for each family.

In 2004, the Israelis increased their pressure on the people of Ein-Jweisa with a campaign of arrests claiming they were on the land without permits. Twenty-two residents were arrested, convicted, imprisoned and pressured to leave their land and to sign papers acknowledging illegal presence. The Residents’ Committee took the case to the Israeli High Court, which ordered the military to cease the arrests, and demanded that the residents of the sector provide legal proof of their presence in the land in 1967. Despite the order, another 84 people have been arrested.

Israeli authorities stopped issuing the special permission-to-work-in-Israel ID cards to the residents of Ein-Jweisa. They arrested all drivers and seized two buses which connected Ein-Jweisa to Bethlehem, saying they were registered in Palestine, but should have been registered in Israel. Vehicles were impounded with fines up to over $1,000 USD.

In 2003, Israeli military further isolated Al Walaja by destroying part of the main road to the next village, Beit Jala and Bethlehem, through the Cremisian monastery and winery. The Italian government paid for resurfacing the road, but a month later the Israeli military bulldozed the road forcing transit by a longer single route.

Ein-Jweisa residents are being pressured to apply for Jerusalem IDs to enable them to stay on the land. However these IDs would be no guarantee against home demolitions or involuntary expulsions. Furthermore, accepting Jerusalem IDs would recognize the Israeli annexation of Ein-Jweisa.

The illegal Apartheid Wall will eventually cut the village of Al Walaja in two, physically force the annexation of Ein-Jweisa to Israel and totally encircle the rest of Al Walaja, leaving one exit and entrance point. The first annexation of Al Walaja took 20 of the 22 natural springs.  When the illegal Apartheid wall is completed it will take the other two springs and destroy the elementary school.   Israel does not want all of Al Walaja because that would mean giving more Palestinians Jerusalem IDs.  The people of Al Walaja do not want to be part of Israel.  However, the Israeli government does want part of Al Walaja land because they can continue to expand their illegal settlements, when they push the Palestinians already living there off of the land.

[Map: Jerusalem – northwest Bethlehem – southeast]

In the first 3 months of 2006, five homes were demolished. By June 2006 an order went out to demolish 24 more homes. This order has been extended, but now one year later, no one knows what day bulldozers will come to demolish their home with little or no chance to move belongings.

Sometimes the evil of the occupation feels utterly devastating. Sometimes we feel like we can listen to no more, but then we remember that the Palestinians must live here and must resist the occupation to survive. Omar, our host said, “I do not hate Israelis, but I feel lots of anger.” He does not even see all Israelis as bad people.

We are over and over again so awed by the courage, persistence, optimism and loving attitude of the Palestinians. We could see hope, love, and joy in Omar’s family. His wife said, “Every day has good and bad elements. We have to see the good. We must be grateful for what we have.” Although we sometimes feel crushed in spirit by the horror of the occupation, our spirits are revived by the wonder of the Palestinian people. We are grateful to be in someway in solidarity with them in their struggles for peace and justice. We hope that we can do our part in telling their story to others in the world so that change can come.

[Photo: Illegal Israeli settlements north of village]