FEATURE (WEST BANK): Summer Work Camp foster Palestine-Israel understanding 8-13-04

SUMMER WORK CAMP BRINGS UNDERSTANDING
DAY 4 Sampler

Beit Arabiya Summer Work Camp 2 In the morning the participants of the Summer Work Camp heartily walked up the hill from Beit Arabiya to continue the rebuilding of the Kabu'ah's home. Cement was poured on the second floor and needed drying, so we went to an informative critical tour of the settlements and the wall around Jerusalem.

The tour had to change the planned rout due to the explosion south of the Qalandiyah checkpoint at the northern entrance to Jerusalem that killed two Palestinian bystanders and injured another 18 people. As the participants were out on the tour, the IDF entered Anata. Luckily the workers were not at the building site.

The army jeeps entered the area, stopped on the hill overlooking Beit Arabiya and turned round.During the tour we visited the biggest settlement in the West Bank, Male Adomim, an insulated Jewish neighborhood were people are not ideological about the place they live.

We also saw in Abu Dis very clearly how the wall is separating Palestinians from Palestinians radically affecting their lives and livelihood.In the evening we saw the stirring yet in some contexts dangerous film by Juliano Mer Khamis and Danniel Danniel: "Arna's Children."

It is always difficult to see the other side of a coin, and more so in the middle of fighting, when pain, anger and hatred rule. This film presented us with a rare opportunity to get a fuller and more realistic picture of the Palestinian Intifada. The discussion afterwards kept the participant's attention until very late at night. Juliano answered questions from internationals, Israeli's and Palestinians. His charisma, integrity and talent are commendable.

For more information contact:
Lucia Pizarro
International CoordinatorIsraeli Committee Against House DemolitionsPO Box 2030, 91020 Jerusalem, Israel
Tel: 972-(0)2-624-5560 Fax: 972-(0)2-622-1530 Mobile972-(0)547704307
Email: lucia@icahd.org mailto:lucia@icahd.org
Web: http://www.icahd.org