Saturday, April 08, 2006
Write Congress Now Re Ethnic Cleansing in Al-Walaja
Please go to http://www.congress.org and send the message below or your own message to your representatives regarding Israel's house demolitions in Al-Walaja.
And, for heart-rending background information about Israel's ethnic cleansing in Al-Walaja go here:
http://bethlehemghetto.blogspot.com/2006/04/urgent-appeal-from-al-walaja-popular.html
and here:
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/1113.shtml
Dear (your representative's name here),
I am deeply concerned after reading a letter from the Popular Committee Against House Demolitions in Ein-Jweisa, Al-Walaja, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The letter highlighted that the Israeli government is violating international law in the village of Al-Walaja.
In addition to the numerous house demolitions which have taken place over the past two decades in the Occupied Palestinian Territories at the hands of the Israeli government, five homes have already been destroyed in Al-Walaja this year, making 35 people homeless (to 07/04/2006).
24 more homes are slated for destruction after 12th June, making a further 190 people homeless. The residents of Al-Walaja, after their expulsion from their village in the 1948 war, will now become refugees for the second time.
According to Article 53 of the fourth Geneva Convention, regarding laws during military occupation, the destruction of civilian homes if forbidden under military occupation.
The demolitions are being justified under the pretext that Israel annexed the Ein-Jweisa neighborhood of Al-Walaja into Israel in 1967, and thus claims the homes are illegal structures within Israel. The acquisition of territory by force, however, such as the Ein-Jweisa neighborhood of Al-Walaja, is illegal, as per the Geneva Convention of 1949. More specifically, United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, passed on November 22nd 1967, calls for the "withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict"
The call of the villagers is for the international community to pressure the Israeli government to comply with international law, and respect the rights of the residents of Al-Walaja.
As my elected representative, I urge you to utilize your power and call for the halt of the home demolitions. This issue demands immediate action, as the 24 homes can be demolished anytime after June 12th.
I anticipate your response on this urgent matter.
Yours sincerely,
(Your Name)
And, for heart-rending background information about Israel's ethnic cleansing in Al-Walaja go here:
http://bethlehemghetto.blogspot.com/2006/04/urgent-appeal-from-al-walaja-popular.html
and here:
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/1113.shtml
Dear (your representative's name here),
I am deeply concerned after reading a letter from the Popular Committee Against House Demolitions in Ein-Jweisa, Al-Walaja, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The letter highlighted that the Israeli government is violating international law in the village of Al-Walaja.
In addition to the numerous house demolitions which have taken place over the past two decades in the Occupied Palestinian Territories at the hands of the Israeli government, five homes have already been destroyed in Al-Walaja this year, making 35 people homeless (to 07/04/2006).
24 more homes are slated for destruction after 12th June, making a further 190 people homeless. The residents of Al-Walaja, after their expulsion from their village in the 1948 war, will now become refugees for the second time.
According to Article 53 of the fourth Geneva Convention, regarding laws during military occupation, the destruction of civilian homes if forbidden under military occupation.
The demolitions are being justified under the pretext that Israel annexed the Ein-Jweisa neighborhood of Al-Walaja into Israel in 1967, and thus claims the homes are illegal structures within Israel. The acquisition of territory by force, however, such as the Ein-Jweisa neighborhood of Al-Walaja, is illegal, as per the Geneva Convention of 1949. More specifically, United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, passed on November 22nd 1967, calls for the "withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict"
The call of the villagers is for the international community to pressure the Israeli government to comply with international law, and respect the rights of the residents of Al-Walaja.
As my elected representative, I urge you to utilize your power and call for the halt of the home demolitions. This issue demands immediate action, as the 24 homes can be demolished anytime after June 12th.
I anticipate your response on this urgent matter.
Yours sincerely,
(Your Name)
