End Demolitions Now! » Shukba http://enddemolitionsnow.org A Settlement Freeze Would Not Be Enough. Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:01:49 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Family K: No “natural growth” http://enddemolitionsnow.org/2009/10/family-k-no-natural-growth/ http://enddemolitionsnow.org/2009/10/family-k-no-natural-growth/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:41:12 +0000 dave http://enddemolitionsnow.org/?p=630
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.

]]> http://enddemolitionsnow.org/2009/10/family-k-no-natural-growth/feed/ 0 Family F: Refused permits, built anyway http://enddemolitionsnow.org/2009/10/family-f-refused-permits-built-anyway/ http://enddemolitionsnow.org/2009/10/family-f-refused-permits-built-anyway/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:15:27 +0000 dave http://enddemolitionsnow.org/?p=622 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.

Demolished home debris Mr F and his children outside their rebuilt home. ]]> http://enddemolitionsnow.org/2009/10/family-f-refused-permits-built-anyway/feed/ 0