“They only wanted to punish me.”

CPTnet
27 June 2018
AL-KHALIL/HEBRON: “They only wanted to punish me”

“At 2 a.m. in the morning on Friday, June 23, I woke up with someone knocking on my house door and I knew what was coming. When I opened the door about twenty-five soldiers entered my house. They didn’t even let me change and immediately ordered me to wake everyone in my house. My son was sleeping in the living room; my other children were in their rooms. I had to wake them all. They put us all together in the living room and kept our cellphones and cameras.

“During the hour they were there, with the excuse of searching for guns, the soldiers raided my house. They threw all of our clothes on the floor and knocked things over to intimidate and humiliate us. They were not searching for anything; they only wanted to punish me.

“My son was handcuffed and blindfolded and they took him. When I asked, ‘why are you taking my kid? ‘They just said, ‘you will find out soon.’

“A few hours later they said that if I wanted to have my son back I would have to pay 1000 shekels. I do not have that money. My two sons are getting married soon; I have a lot of debt. I had to borrow money to be able to release my son. This is the seventeenth time he is arrested and he is only 16-years-old. The first time he was arrested he was only 8-years-old.

“My son said that in the ten hours that he was with the soldiers, they put him in a car and drove him up and down. He was blindfolded the entire time.”

…………………………………………………………………………………

Aref Jaber has always faced threats. As an active member of Human Rights Defenders, he films and denounces abuses that Israeli occupation forces commit in Palestinian territories. Since 2 June when he witnessed and filmed the Israeli military shoot and kill Palestinian road worker Rami Sabarneh, these threats have become increasingly deadly. He was arrested, severely beaten and had his house raided several times afterwards. When the soldiers were in his house they told him they would put a bullet in his head.

Still, Jaber refused to follow the instructions of the Israeli intelligence service to testify that the murdered man was drunk driving.

Now Photographers are criminalized

Activist Who Filmed Fatal Shooting of Hebron Man Detained by Israeli Forces
June 2, 2018 7:36 PM IMEMC News & Agencies Hebron, Israeli attacks, News Report, Prisoners 0

02 JUN
7:36 PM
Israeli soldiers, on Saturday, briefly detained a local activist who filmed the fatal shooting of a Palestinian worker earlier in the morning in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

Locals told Ma’an News Agency that Israeli forces detained Aaref Jaber, who filmed the moment when Israeli forces shot and killed Rami Sabarneh, 36, was detained by Israeli forces and taken into the Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron.

Official Palestinian Authority (PA)-owned WAFA news agency reported that Israeli forces confiscated Jaber’s phone.

The Israeli army alleged that Sabarneh, who worked in construction in the area, attempted to run soldiers over with a bulldozer. However, no injuries were reported among the soldiers.

Jaber denied the Israeli army’s account, saying that “Sabarneh was driving a Bobcat excavator while another worker walked next to him, Israeli soldiers asked them to stop when he was at least 10 meters away from them, the walking worker stopped, but Sabarneh apparently did not hear the soldiers and continued his way so they opened fire at him until he was killed.”

Last week, Israeli lawmakers proposed a new bill in the Israeli Knesset that would criminalize the photographing or recording of Israeli soldiers while on duty.

The bill was proposed with the support of right-wing Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and if passed, those found in violation of the law could face a prison sentence of up to five years.

05/26/18 Journalists Condemn Bill Criminalizing Photography of Soldiers

25 people including many clergy arrested

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In response to Sessions’ speech in LA yesterday (Tuesday) at least 25 protesters were arrested.  How proud I was that many clergy were included in the arrests.  For more on the arrest, go to

https://www.buzzfeed.com/salvadorhernandez/jeff-sessions-protest-los-angeles-arrest-border-separations?utm_term=.iuKOo3lVW#.dr0qJ3Y6l

Thanks everyone for all that everyone is doing to bring the children and parents back together again.  Much peace to you!  sr. Paulette Schroeder

 

 

 

Richard Rohr’s reflection today on Economy

A section of Richard Rohr’s meditation for the Feast of John the Baptist–June 25…a person comments to Father Rohr after his conference to them:

“Father,” he said, putting his hands on my shoulders, “I’ve got something to tell you. Not only is what you said true, but it’s much truer than you even imagine.” Then he explained to me a study documenting that the United States government’s savings and loan bailout of 1989 was the biggest transfer of money from the poor to the rich in human history.

“But there’s really no one to blame,” he added, in spite of the visible few who went to jail for their corrupt actions. “The whole system is skewed to protect those at the top at all costs.” In fact, I added, it’s to protect the system itself, because the system is our goal. We abhor and denigrate welfare for the poor but hardly blink at welfare for corporations or for the banking and military systems. Money is tight for education, health care, and other public services but our military budget only continues to grow.

Statement put out by our Sisters in Tiffin

“We, the Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin, Ohio, are appalled at the
inhumane treatment of our Latino brothers and sisters at our southern
border. We call for an immediate end to the practice of separating
children from their parents and from criminalizing those seeking
asylum. We call for new immigration policies that respect the dignity
of each person and honor the sacredness of family unity. In a spirit
of solidarity with those who are vulnerable, we advocate for policies
that reflect compassion, not cruelty, toward those who approach the
United States with hope in their hearts.

Action to stand with the children and parents separated at the border

  We Sisters and friends will be standing at our Seneca County ICE facility on the corner of 224/100   (south of Tiffin) on Saturday June 23 at 2:00.  Please join us with signs or just come in person and hopefully I’ll have some extra signs. Park either along the 224 road or the 100 road side…far enough off the road so we don’t cause any disturbances.

Thank you.

sr. Paulette Schroeder

Norwalk Immigration Rally Monday

I went to the rally in Norwalk yesterday. There were approx. 200 or more people there. One of the main concerns is meeting the needs of the children whose parents are in jail. All have been placed with relative or friends, but monetary donations are appreciated to help with their care. Also, a 15-year-old boy spoke and said it costs 21cents per minute for him to talk on the phone with his Mom who is in jail. St. Paul’s Parish in Norwalk has been putting money into the jail accounts of the detainees so that they can call their children and attorneys.

St. Paul’s and Hola are both collecting donations. You can donate on St. Paul’s website. I have not checked out Hola’s yet. America’s Voice/Sandusky website has a petition you can sign denouncing ICE raids.

Sr. Jackie D

 

Summer Project Peace Newsletter 2018

April Project Peace Newsletter 2018

March Project Peace Newsletter 2018