Anti-Peace Actions Counterballance Gaza Pullout

International alert:

In the typical Sharon-style, the planned Gaza-pullout is "counterbalanced" by a whirlwind of anti-peace actions.

Read more about it in the Ma'ariv, April 4, article by Shlomo Gazit, former head of Israeli military intelligence, of which we made a translation ("Israel's contribution to maintaining the calm"): http://www.geocities.com/keller_adam/gazit.htm Maybe that an immediate protest about the imminent demolitions in Um Rukba South (neighborhood of El-Khader) - as detailed in the forwarded message below - can still make a difference.

Please, let your protest be noticed by sending not alone email but ALSO fax AND were available use the phone. (But don't worry when some of the contact data are already outdated.)

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Office of the Prime Minister 3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187 Jerusalem 91919, Israel Phone: +972-2-6753333 Fax: +972 2 6521599 E-mail: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il

Minister of Justice Tzippi Livni Ministry of Justice 29 Salah al-Din Street Jerusalem 91010, Israel Phone: +972-2-6708511 Fax: +972 2 6285438/6288618 E-mail: sar@justice.gov.il

Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz Ministry of Defence, 37 Kaplan St., Tel-Aviv 61909, Israel. Phone: +972-3-5692010 Fax: +972-3-69-62757/16940/17915 e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov

Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom ph: +972-2-5303111 fx: +972-2-5303367

American Consulate, Jerusalem Email: keenme@state.gov, Fax: +972-(0)2- 627-7230 European Union, Jerusalem, Email mailto@delwbg.cec.eu.int, Fax: + 972- (0)2-532 6249 UN Special Coordinator, Gaza, Email unsco@palnet.com, Fax: +972-(0)8- 282- 0966 S/SMEC, Office of the Special Middle East Coordinator fax: (+1) 202 647 4808

White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111 State Department Bureau of Public Affairs Comment Line: 202-647-6575

for embassy email addresses: http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.html and more on: http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel2.html ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Subject: Press Advisory: Imminent Demolitions Near Bethlehem Date sent: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 09:26:34 +0200 Priority: Urgent From: "PLO Negotiations Dept."

Press Advisory: Demolishing Um Rukba South PLO Negotiations Support Unit April 5, 2005

Alert: Israeli High Court Expected to Rule This Morning On March 29, 2005 the Israeli military issued 8 notifications of impending demolitions for 10 structures in Um Rukba South in the Bethlehem area. The structures, mostly family homes, house 58 Palestinians and comprise 80% of the neighborhood’s total area. Um Rukba South is a neighborhood of al-Khader, a town adjacent to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The nearby settlement of Efrat (app. Pop. 7,000) and two settlement outposts—Giv’at HaDagan and Giv’at HaTamar—have been expanding northward, encroaching upon Um Rukba’s land.

(For a map of the area, please visit http://www.nad-plo.org/maps/wall/pdf/Um%20Rukba.pdf).

Villagers were given three days to appeal the final demolition orders. While some of the initial demolition orders were issued years ago, Thursday’s final demolition notifications are in keeping with a pattern of activity now seen around the West Bank to make room for the Wall and settlement expansion. Attorney Osama Halabi appealed to the Civil Administration Planning Authority yesterday, pleading for a stay of execution on the orders. The appeal was rejected. This morning, the Israeli Supreme Court is expected to rule on the matter. If denied, Israel will likely imminently demolish the homes—although the actual time(s) and date(s) may not be disclosed in advance. The structures include 6 homes, 3 chicken barracks, and a water well—all of which straddle the Palestinian road once used to access al-Khader’s agricultural lands. Years ago, Israel transformed the road into a settler access road for Efrat, restricting Palestinian use and confiscating large tracts of land for the outposts of Giv’at HaTamar and Giv’at HaDagan. By sealing this road to Palestinian vehicular use, Israel effectively cut off Um Rukba South from its mother village of Al-Khader. On February 20, 2005 the Israeli Cabinet approved a revised Wall route. According to this route, the Wall in Bethlehem would have dipped at least 5kms into the occupied West Bank, but most of Um Rukba South would have remained on the “Palestinian” side of the Wall.

(For an assessment of the revised Wall route, see http://www.nad-plo.org/inner.php?view=news-updates_f19bp;

for a map of the revised Wall route, see http://www.nad-plo.org/maps/wall/pdf/wallcolonies.pdf.)

These targeted demolitions and nearby settlement expansion, however, suggest a different intention. Now it appears that Israel might re-route the Wall to incorporate the settler access-road, which links Efrat directly to Jerusalem (via Highway 60).

The orders are as follows:

OsamaSalah: Chicken Barracks (Military Order No. 12972) JamilBalbul: House (Military Order No 848) 19 People. 3/4/5. Owner Hassan Dadoah: 2 Chicken Barracks and Water Well (Military Order No. 356)

MohammadMusa: House (Military Order No. 5056) 11 people AbdelSalem Salah: House (Military Order No. 3075) 9 people MahmoudSalah: House (Military Order No. 5172) 8 people MohammadSalah: House (Military Order No. 12196) 5 people IbrahimSalah: House (Military Order No. 12195) 6 people

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