Write to President Shimon Peres:
Email: President of the state of Israel Mr. Shimon Peres: public@president.gov.il
Fax: +972-2-5887225
Please send copies of all emails and faxes, as well as any responses you receive, to RHR at info@rhr.israel.net
Subject: Please use your power to prevent the injustice of wiping out the entire Palestinian village of Susya
Dear Mr. President
Please use your power to prevent the injustice of wiping out the entire Palestinian village of Susya, whose only offense is building for its own survival. The villagers have they been forced to build their flimsy homes on their farmland only because they have been twice expelled from their homes by the IDF.
Background: The Palestinian village Susya is located in the South Hebron Hills, one of the poorest, disempowered areas in the entire West Bank. It is one of several small communities in the region that are part of a unique culture living until this day in caves. Susya consists mainly of tents and the few remaining caves not destroyed, with no electricity, water or sewage infrastructure. The residents barely subsist on seasonal agriculture and herding. The attempt to force these simple people off their lands has been likened to the kivsat harash,
Susya is located on its residents’ farmland, for which they have no construction permits. They didn’t move there to flout the law. Rather, they were expelled from their previous homes. Many of the residents originally lived just on the Israeli side of the 1967 border, but joined family members in the original village of Susya after being expelled into the West Bank in 1948. In 1986 the Susya was declared a closed archaeological zone because an ancient Hebrew synagogue had been unearthed there. The Palestinians were expelled from their village without receiving any alternative accommodations. They moved to a different set of caves on their farmland.
In 2001 all the villagers were again expelled, this time from their farmland. Again, the army destroyed the caves in which they lived. The reason: A settler from the adjacent settlement of Susya had been murdered. The killer eventually apprehended was from the town of Yatta, but that didn’t stop the army from destroying all of Susya. The idea of collective punishment – of punishing an entire village for the offenses of one person – is distorted, destructive and unlawful to begin with. But, in the case of Susya, the punishment was meted out to a village that had nothing to do with the murder.
The Israeli High Court ruled that demolitions must stop, and the residents must be permitted to return. Because the caves had been destroyed, the Susya residents were forced to build tin shanties and tents. However, planning for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories has been controlled by the military since 1971, without Palestinian representation. The planning committees were unprepared to even approve the construction needed to replace the caves illegally demolished by the army. Demolition orders have been issued for all structures in the village from 2001 until today. Recently, the extremist organization Regavim petitioned the court to expedite the carrying out of outstanding demolition orders. The entire village is in peril.
This Thursday, January 31st, a fateful High Court hearing on the Regavim petition will take place. It will not only determine Susya’s future, but will have implications for endangered homes throughout the Occupied Territories. We are cautiously optimistic that the Court will not approve Regavim’s request, because the Court will probably accept the State’s position that demolitions cannot be carried out before due consideration has been given to a new alternative zoning plan that has submitted by Rabbis For Human Rights. However, if the Court merely accepts the State position, we leave in place the discriminatory planning system denying Susya and other Palestinian communities any possibility of even minimum humanitarian development. In all likelihood, the Civil Administration will eventually reject the new zoning plan, and Susya will be again in danger.
First and foremost, this terribly unjust. Please take to heart the Torah’s oft repeated command to remember the bitterness of Egyptian oppression when we relate to the strangers in our midst. Furthermore, the hatred and misery created by planning discrimination and administrative demolitions make the dream of peace and security ever more distant, and further erode Israel’s standing in the community of nations.
We know that you cannot and should not interfere in judicial decisions. However, you can use your influence to persuade the new Israeli government to end the intentionally discriminatory planning process for Palestinians in Area C, and you can work for a moratorium on administrative home demolitions until such time as a more just system is in place.
Sincerely,
Your name
Help us prevent Susya from being wiped out.
- Spread word of the injustice;
- Write to Israel’s President Shimon Peres (Sample letter and email below), demanding that this moral stain in our name be prevented. President Peres cannot and should not interfere with the legal process. However, if we meet our goal of 2,400 letters in the next 24 hours we may be able to generated some much needed publicity before the hearing, and influence what President Peres does after the hearing.
Background: The Palestinian village Susya is located in the South Hebron Hills, one of the poorest, disempowered areas in the entire West Bank. It is one of several small communities in the region that are part of a unique culture living until this day in caves. Susya consists mainly of tents and the few remaining caves not destroyed, with no electricity, water or sewage infrastructure. The residents barely subsist on seasonal agriculture and herding. The attempt to force these simple people off their lands has been likened to the kivsat harash, the Biblical parable of a wealthy man who steals the one ewe lamb of a poor man. The prophet Nathan uses this story to rebuke King David.
Susya is located on its residents’ farmland, for which they have no construction permits. They didn’t move there to flout the law. Rather, they were expelled from their previous homes. Many of the residents originally lived just on the Israeli side of the 1967 border, but joined family members in the original village of Susya after being expelled into the West Bank in 1948. In 1986 the Susya was declared a closed archaeological zone because an ancient Hebrew synagogue had been unearthed there. The Palestinians were expelled from their village without receiving any alternative accommodations. They moved to a different set of caves on their farmland.
In 2001 all the villagers were again expelled, this time from their farmland. Again, the army destroyed the caves in which they lived. The reason: A settler from the adjacent settlement of Susya had been murdered. The killer eventually apprehended was from the town of Yatta, but that didn’t stop the army from destroying all of Susya. The idea of collective punishment – of punishing an entire village for the offenses of one person – is distorted, destructive and unlawful to begin with. But, in the case of Susya, the punishment was meted out to a village that had nothing to do with the murder.
The Israeli High Court ruled that demolitions must stop, and the residents must be permitted to return. Because the caves had been destroyed, the Susya residents were forced to build tin shanties and tents. However, planning for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories has been controlled by the military since 1971, without Palestinian representation. The planning committees were unprepared to even approve the construction needed to replace the caves illegally demolished by the army. Demolition orders have been issued for all structures in the village from 2001 until today. Recently, the extremist organization Regavim petitioned the court to expedite the carrying out of outstanding demolition orders. The entire village is in peril.
On Thursday, January 31st, a fateful Supreme Court hearing on the Regavim petition will take place. It will not only determine Susya’s future, but will have implications for endangered homes throughout the Occupied Territories. We are cautiously optimistic that the Court will not approve Regavim’s request, because even the State has said that demolitions cannot be carried out before due consideration has been given to a new alternative zoning plan RHR has submitted, that would legalize the homes and school and solar panels of Susya. However, if the Court merely accepts the State position, we leave in place the discriminatory planning system denying Susya and other Palestinian communities any possibility of even minimum humanitarian development.
We must spread the word regarding this injustice, and the desecration of God’s Name that could take place -In our name. We cannot let our country act toward the stranger in our midst in such a way that we forget our heritage. We were slaves in Egypt, and we have been commanded to remember the bitter taste of oppression.
- For more information: The origin of the expulsion – A Brief history of Palestinian Susya
Write to President Shimon Peres:
Email: President of the state of Israel Mr. Shimon Peres: public@president.gov.il
Fax: +972-2-5887225
Please send copies of all emails and faxes, as well as any responses you receive, to RHR at info@rhr.israel.net
Subject: Please use your power to prevent the injustice of wiping out the entire Palestinian village of Susya
Dear Mr. President
Please use your power to prevent the injustice of wiping out the entire Palestinian village of Susya, whose only offense is building for its own survival. The villagers have they been forced to build their flimsy homes on their farmland only because they have been twice expelled from their homes by the IDF.
Background: The Palestinian village Susya is located in the South Hebron Hills, one of the poorest, disempowered areas in the entire West Bank. It is one of several small communities in the region that are part of a unique culture living until this day in caves. Susya consists mainly of tents and the few remaining caves not destroyed, with no electricity, water or sewage infrastructure. The residents barely subsist on seasonal agriculture and herding. The attempt to force these simple people off their lands has been likened to the kivsat harash,
Susya is located on its residents’ farmland, for which they have no construction permits. They didn’t move there to flout the law. Rather, they were expelled from their previous homes. Many of the residents originally lived just on the Israeli side of the 1967 border, but joined family members in the original village of Susya after being expelled into the West Bank in 1948. In 1986 the Susya was declared a closed archaeological zone because an ancient Hebrew synagogue had been unearthed there. The Palestinians were expelled from their village without receiving any alternative accommodations. They moved to a different set of caves on their farmland.
In 2001 all the villagers were again expelled, this time from their farmland. Again, the army destroyed the caves in which they lived. The reason: A settler from the adjacent settlement of Susya had been murdered. The killer eventually apprehended was from the town of Yatta, but that didn’t stop the army from destroying all of Susya. The idea of collective punishment – of punishing an entire village for the offenses of one person – is distorted, destructive and unlawful to begin with. But, in the case of Susya, the punishment was meted out to a village that had nothing to do with the murder.
The Israeli High Court ruled that demolitions must stop, and the residents must be permitted to return. Because the caves had been destroyed, the Susya residents were forced to build tin shanties and tents. However, planning for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories has been controlled by the military since 1971, without Palestinian representation. The planning committees were unprepared to even approve the construction needed to replace the caves illegally demolished by the army. Demolition orders have been issued for all structures in the village from 2001 until today. Recently, the extremist organization Regavim petitioned the court to expedite the carrying out of outstanding demolition orders. The entire village is in peril.
This Thursday, January 31st, a fateful High Court hearing on the Regavim petition will take place. It will not only determine Susya’s future, but will have implications for endangered homes throughout the Occupied Territories. We are cautiously optimistic that the Court will not approve Regavim’s request, because the Court will probably accept the State’s position that demolitions cannot be carried out before due consideration has been given to a new alternative zoning plan that has submitted by Rabbis For Human Rights. However, if the Court merely accepts the State position, we leave in place the discriminatory planning system denying Susya and other Palestinian communities any possibility of even minimum humanitarian development. In all likelihood, the Civil Administration will eventually reject the new zoning plan, and Susya will be again in danger.
First and foremost, this terribly unjust. Please take to heart the Torah’s oft repeated command to remember the bitterness of Egyptian oppression when we relate to the strangers in our midst. Furthermore, the hatred and misery created by planning discrimination and administrative demolitions make the dream of peace and security ever more distant, and further erode Israel’s standing in the community of nations.
We know that you cannot and should not interfere in judicial decisions. However, you can use your influence to persuade the new Israeli government to end the intentionally discriminatory planning process for Palestinians in Area C, and you can work for a moratorium on administrative home demolitions until such time as a more just system is in place.
Sincerely,
Your name
21 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 17, 2013 at 7:57 am
Leah Levane
I spent a lot of time in Susiya in Summer 2012. They have suffered so much over the years; one family had had their homes destroyed 5 times since 1986. How can it be OK for Israeli Settlements close to this village to be legal and it be impossible for Susiya to get permission to build on their own land. The demolition actions violate international law. People are just trying to live their simplelives, grow their trees, graze their goats and grown a few vegetables. Let them build a proper village, they also want and deserve running water, asphalt roads, a school, clinic. They currently have some electricity through solar panels thanks to COMET ME but the solar panels are also under threat of demolition, How can we expect people to live with this.
January 23, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Rachael Milling
My husband and I spent a week in Susiya in 2008. We watched as they grazed their sheep on their own land, harrassed by settlers and army alike. The settlers spat and swore at us. The army tried to intimidate us. The lives of the Palestinians are affected at all times by the spite and hatred of the Israelis. I was amazed by their fortitude and desire for peace. All they wanted was to be left alone and get on with their lives on their own land.
January 30, 2013 at 3:33 pm
cissy
How is it possible Israel gets away with this!? They are just the same as the nazi’s in 1940-45! How can they do to the palestinians what has been done to them!!??
January 31, 2013 at 5:40 am
Rabbi Arik Ascherman
It is important not to go overboard. What we are doing is terrible, but there are no death camps, and we are not Nazis
January 27, 2013 at 12:30 am
Carol Huntington
was there in November. link for emails does not work –error
January 31, 2013 at 5:39 am
Rabbi Arik Ascherman
We tried to get the email link to work, but now you can just use the email itself
January 27, 2013 at 10:06 am
Louisa Leal
Hope everything gets resolved for the people that love their places in that village and children can grow to be happy .
January 27, 2013 at 6:54 pm
Hadija
Thank you all!
January 30, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Alice Krieger
Dear President Peres, how can you ignore the plight of yet more
Palestinian children. Being a President is not only the glory – sometimes it
would be honorable to say or do something that not everybody will
love but you cant always sit on the fence. In the last 10 days six
Palestinian youth were killed by soldiers fire and one girl student and
I, as an Israeli, wait for you to say something. Yes, you’re a great
President in comparison to past but where is your feistiness that you had
against Rabin, where is your conscience? Even an aged President
should be ready to speak out against injustices
January 30, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Hans Goldstein
Gør noget,Peres!
January 30, 2013 at 4:13 pm
Joshua Goldberg
Demolition is equivalent to expulsion and would be a travesty.
January 30, 2013 at 5:01 pm
Important Supreme Court session on the future of the Palestinian village of Susiya
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January 30, 2013 at 7:43 pm
eva Seligman-Kennard
Please allow the residents of Susya to live on their rightfully owned land. Let justice prevail and prevent another stain on Israel’s reputation
January 30, 2013 at 8:24 pm
Terence Christopher
The world Sympathises with the Jews of the world for the appalling treatment they received at the hands of the Nazis in the 1930ies and 1940ies. However eighty years later it will not accept Israeli abuses of people living on their own lands. Israel is surrounded by hundreds of millions of Arabs who will never forget nor forgive if Israeli poliicy concentrates on weapons and aggression. This time when the West and the US is supporting Israel , it needs to be used to find reconciliation between the peoples so that a peace loving Israel is welcomed for the goodwill and support it gives its neighbours.The current policy just continues the hatred. Eventually support for Israel will dwindle and the Islamic people will become wealthier and more powerful than Israel… What conceivable Israeli policy will then guarantee its existence which is what we seeking..Despite the suicidal thinking that persists everywhere in the region.
February 1, 2013 at 11:39 am
Elizabeth Way
If its not to late I would like to add my support to the campaign to save Susya and to establish the right of the people of Susya must be allowed their basic human rights.
February 2, 2013 at 4:37 pm
alfreh
go to the hell
February 4, 2013 at 4:19 pm
lombard
FULL concern in agreement with Cissy’s coments. Keep nevertheless finger crossed for your success against fanatical racism !
February 4, 2013 at 7:22 pm
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February 5, 2013 at 5:17 am
Updates from Supreme Court Proceedings (Jan 31, 2013) Regarding the Palestinian Village of Susya ~ by @rhreng | Occupied Palestine | فلسطين
[…] Read the outcome of the legal discussion. Thanks to everyone who distributed the call for help (thousands of letters were sent to President Shimon Peres asking for his assistance) and who came to the […]
February 5, 2013 at 9:21 am
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