Confiscating two caravans and a Stop-work Order Served to a Kindergarten in Arab al Kharabsha – Jericho

Violation: Confiscating two caravans and a Stop-work Order Served to a Kindergarten.

Location: Arab al Kharabsha gathering – Jericho.

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army.

Victims: dwellers of Arab al Kharabsha gathering.

Date: September 8, 2011.

 

People of Arab al Kharabsha were delighted to finally find a solution to their children schooling; they had finally received funding to build a new kindergarten in addition to receiving two caravans as a donation.The caravans were to be used as classroom for children who had to go to school in Al ‘Auja village, 3 km to the south.

 

Nonetheless, Israeli forces broke into the gathering, they handed a stop-work order against the kindergarten claiming that it is being built before receiving proper construction permits from the Israeli Authorities. It must be noted that the kindergarten was nothing more than a simple hut built out of wood. The order specified October 12, 2011, as the date for the hearing session to be held in Beit El Military Court to decide on the fate of the kindergarten. Furthermore, Israeli troops confiscated the caravans that were used as classrooms.

 

  

Salam abu Kharbeesh, the Kindergarten supervisor, stated to an LRC observer: ‘The purpose of the order and confiscation is hindering education in the village. It is meant to disrupt education of the young generations and turn the nomads’ gatherings into primitive and scattered gatherings that are easy to control. The kindergarten was supposed to provide service to 14 children; notifying it means that we lost any hope in providing these children with education knowing that it is not possible to send them to ‘Ahbab Allah’ kindergarten in Al ‘Auja every morning. The same goes for the young children who were goinf to benefit from the caravans which were to be used as classrooms. Twelve 8-12 years old pupils were supposed to benefit from the caravans. The recent confiscation made it difficult to educate these children since it is hard for them to go for a 3-km-long-trip to reach their schools.’

 

Salman Romanin, Al ‘Auja Village Council President, stated: ‘Plans have been put on place for the development of the nearby nomad gatherings. However, the Israeli Occupation obstructs the implementation of any suggested program using various excuses, closed military zones, natural reserves, nearby a colony, etc. Even the project sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO to provide the gatherings with water tanks was stopped. It makes me wonder if drinking water imposes a threat on the Israeli state. Are they deprived from drinking water for the benefit and wellbeing of the colonists?’

 

Arab al Kharabsha are people who were deported from their lands in Beer Sheva after the Israeli conquest in 1948. They immigrated to southern hebron at first, however, the hardship and the climate forced to move again to the Jordan Valley. The gathering consists of 120 people who were deported three times before before settling nearby al ‘Auja. Nevertheless, they are still threatened with expulsion; they are still living the Nakba days.