RTE No 20 Interior - Road to Emmaus Journal

Road to Emmaus Vol. XI, No. 4 (#43)Taybeh’s Pleahandicraft workshops that have been run by local families for centuries canexport to Jerusalem or sell to local tourists.DR. KHOURY: Yes. Another group that is trying to bring awareness is the InternationalSolidarity Movement, which started in Palestine around 2000.People from other countries are invited to live in Palestinian communitiesand go back to their countries to bring awareness of these human rightsabuses by Israel. In December, 2009, Palestinian Christian leaders issuedthe Kairos Palestine Document (www.kairospalestine.ps), calling on churchesaround the world “to say a word of truth and to take a position of truthwith regard to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land.” From 2002, the WCCalso initiated the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine andIsrael (EAPPI) which brings volunteers to our area every six months to takeback their eyewitness experiences to their churches.Taybeh: Water, Roads, Trees and a WallRTE: How has all of this affected you in Taybeh?DR. KHOURY: Ever since I began living in Taybeh in the early 90’s, I’ve feltI was in a psychological prison because there are checkpoints everywhere,which means soldiers with machine guns, who may or may not let you pass.In the 1990’s you always had to identify yourself and you often had to havepermits to pass through the checkpoints, but with the concrete wall in 2002,this psychological prison became a physical prison.In my village of Taybeh we have three illegal Israeli settlements surroundingus that control all of the bypass roads and all of the natural resources. Wehave no access to the roads going in or out of our village to Jerusalem withoutIsraeli permission, although most countries recognize the PalestinianOccupied Territories. The Israeli settlers have paved roads, but even whenwe can obtain a permit, they only allow us to use the steep gravel back roadswith large potholes that often damage our cars and are extremely dangerousin the winter rains. This is a form of punishment for Palestinians. Even onthese back roads we are stopped by Israeli soldiers at checkpoints along theway, but this is the only way we can get to work or to school in Ramallah. I’llreturn to the problem of permits and checkpoints in a moment.In terms of natural resources, the Israelis now also control all of the waterresources. In Taybeh we don’t have water on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,Opposite: Taybeh, Palestine.1415