On the 7th of October 2008, the religious right-wing movements, Women in Green (Women For Israel's Tomorrow ) and the Committee for a Jewish Shdema, set out a call on an upcoming activity which will be held on the 16 of October 2008, celebrating the 'Sukkot day'; the activity will take place in the evacuated military base of 'Ush Ghurab ' what the Israelis refer to as 'Shdema'.
Several demonstartions and activities were held during the last few months of 2008 showing the real intentions of Israeli settlers of re-occupying the site and building a Jewish community there; such attacks were carried out by settlers and under the protection of the Israeli border police, under the alleged purpose of providing security for the so-called celebration.
The so- called activity calls for a gathering at Ush Ghurab site as clearly stated in the invitation advertised on the woman green website. This call shows the unwillingness of Israeli settlers to abandon the site or give it up to Palestinians for whatever purpose by stating that 'We must continue the fight to keep it in Jewish hands.' And …'internal and external enemies of Israel are talking about giving away to the Arab enemy our Heartland and half of Jerusalem'. The activity will be attended by several key persons of settlers' councils and rabbis from from Kiryat Arba' settlement in Hebron, Gush Etzion settlement bloc southwest of Bethlehem Governorate, and Har-Homa settlement located north of Bethlehem city. The event is authorized by the Israeli occupying forces who will be providing security to protestors as stated in the invitation.
About 'Ush Ghurab' Site
The area were the Israeli military base existed is locally known as 'Ush Ghurab' (Shdemah as the Israeli Army calls it). It lies to the east of Beit Sahour city, on a mountainous area stretching over tens of Dunums of open spaces.
The site is bordered from three directions (south, west and north) by Palestinian built-up area, and from the east, it is bordered by Za'tara bypass road. The site was used by several administrations before it was occupied by the Israeli Army in 1967 as headquarter for the British Mandate troops and later on by the Jordanian Forces. However, the area that defines the Israeli military base today is much larger than it used to be before 1967; as the Israeli forces confiscated more Palestinian lands throughout the years of occupation to increase the area of the military base. See Map 1
Following the eruption of second Intifada in September 2000, the shdema site was the launching point of the repeated Israeli attacks against Palestinians and properties in the city of Beit Sahour.
On April 27, 2006, and in a surprising move, the Israeli Occupation Forces evacuated the base. Heavy Equipments existed at the site were moved to another Israeli Military base located southeast of Beit Sahour City called 'Herodion Base', in Al Furdeis area. However, the evacuated site was not handed over to the Palestinian site at that same time and yet until today.
Prepared by
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
