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Family Stories

Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes is integral to the expansion of settlements across the West Bank. The loss of a home houses causes immense hardship to entire Palestinian families. These are the stories of just a few Palestinian families who saw their lives thrown into chaos by a sudden and painful demolition. There are thousands upon thousands more.

Family K: No “natural growth”

Posted in Family Stories on October 15th, 2009.

The rubble of Family K's old house surrounds their rebuilt one.

The rubble of Family K's old house surrounds their rebuilt one.

Mr. K is a high school mathematics teacher who lives with his family in the village of Shukba in the central West Bank. One day his wife called him at work to say that the Israeli army has arrived and was about to demolish their home. By the time he arrived more than 100 soldiers had closed off the village and were destroying six houses. The only reason given was that the houses had been built without permits. The village is situated in Area ‘B’ under Palestinian Authority control. However all the land surrounding the village is in Area ‘C’, owned by the villagers but under Israeli control.

Israel refused to allow the village to undergo natural expansion as families grow, and results in the policy of home demolitions. One of the arguments the Israeli government has made against a settlement freeze is that it would restrict “natural growth” within Israeli settlements.

Family F: Refused permits, built anyway

Posted in Family Stories on October 15th, 2009.

Demolished home debris

Demolished home debris

Mr. F lives in the village of Shukba in the Central West Bank. The Israeli army destroyed 6 houses in the village in one day in 2006. Though it had proved impossible to obtain building permits from the Israeli authorities, Mr. F built a home for his family of seven children. His family has lived in the village for hundreds of years and he has legal title to the property dating back to the Ottoman era. However the Israeli government has a policy of not allowing Palestinian villages to grow, refuses requests for permits, and routinely destroys homes that represent a family’s life savings. Over 40 Israeli activists helped to rebuild this home.

Family M2: Your house or your village.

Posted in Family Stories, Uncategorized on October 15th, 2009.

Forced to dismantle their home by the Israeli Authorities.

Forced to dismantle their home by the Israeli Authorities.

Mr. M2 built his home in 2006, adjacent to his parent’s home on the family land. In 2007 they were forced to dismantle the home by the Israeli Authorities under threat of massive demolitions in the village. The people of Kebia are mostly farmers, construction workers, and a handful of professionals. Many of them travel to Ramallah for work, and some work in the settlements. Even the village schoolteachers work in the settlements during the summer as laborers in order to supplement their salaries. Kebia was also the site of an infamous massacre by Israel’s 101 Brigade on 14th October 1953. The attack on civilians, which killed 65 people, was led by Ariel Sharon who subsequently became a prime Minister of Israel.

M family suffers two house demolitions

Posted in Family Stories on July 5th, 2009.

The M Family outside their house, rebuilt by ICAHD & ICAHD-USA

The M Family outside their house, rebuilt by ICAHD & ICAHD-USA

Zatara is situated just south of Jerusalem in Area ‘C’ near the Har Homa settlement. The family paid over 7,000 shekels to apply for a building permit in 1995 but was refused. Mr. M went ahead and built a home on their own land in 1996 and lived there with his wife and two children. Mr. M inherited the land from his father. The family home where Mr. M grew up was legally built with a permit from the Jordanian Authorities who occupied the area before 1967. The house was demolished on 10th November 1997. The family rebuilt the house and lived there until 20th September 2006 when the second demolition occurred, with the entire family present. Solders cordoned off the entire village and declared a curfew before the bulldozers were brought in. The family also owns 20 dunams (5 acres) of land near the Nicodeem settlement. However they are unable to work the land due to being run off by settlers who have also uprooted their olive trees.