Christian peace activists in hebron
Mary lawrence is friendly steamed on the strain of old town hebrons. From time to time, the woman remains with the red cap to talk to shop owners and passers-by in the large palatinian city. It is usually nothing good. "We do not stop prere", complains an old palasticine. "You have already distributed people from the apartment about us, now you are tramming us." she means the judian settlers. Lawrence writes with and wants to understand a lawyer. Hope, however, does not occur because the legal path was barely drawn by success.
Mary lawrence in cpt outfit in the old town hebrons. All photos: peter scherer
The 64-year-old lawrence is part of the christian peacemaker team (cpt), the christian peacemaker, in hebron. The group has been a permanent prasence in the city for eight years. Actually, the dedicated american dekanin is in a small town on the eastern custage of the usa. You will receive from your community but the jerkiness for your difficult mission, also financially. For them the practical implementation of christianity.
Other version of the story
Her colleague gary brooks, even pastors, came first to the country on leaving pilgrims. In the conservative christian circles in the us, the support for israel is very much widespread. The construction of the jewish state should accelerate the return of the messiah.
But when i returned here, i quickly realized that there is another version of the history known to me. This is unknown at our home. Palastinians are known there only in connection with suicide assessments or other horrible things, on the israel then always reacts only.
Brooks remained a long and looked at the life of the palace tongues under the crew. In 1998, three years after the establishment of the local group, the 55-year cpt joined and has since regular for four weeks a year to hebron. "I accompany girls to their school directly opposite a settler house", says brooks. "On her way of school, the little ones have to pass by several militar exports, partly not passed through or attacked by settlers." the pastor with the seabar stall turns the attackers then in the way. Or he tries to convince the soldiers to let out the schoolers.
Soon after the conquest hebrons in the war of 1967 occupied judian extremists hauser in the old town. The settlers have been converter for apartment since then. In addition, the army always promotes collective starting barriers via the approximately 35.000 palastic residents of the immediate city center to ensure the freedom of movement of today 450 settlers. The powerlessness towards the staunch violence and the impossibility to pursue a regulated work provide rough despair and not in hebron. According to the israeli human rights organization betselem, in this way, over 40 percent of the palastians from the former market and business center were distributed in this way. On the other hand, the israeli army undergoes little, but protect the settlers.
The formerly very busy business center in the old town hebrons has been used by siedlern for about two years
Ten years ago one of them penetrated into the big mosque hebrons and shot into the crowd. 29 praying died, dozens were wounded. At that time, cpt decided to rent a house in the city. The group itself was founded in 1984 by christians, especially by mennonites, quakers and other practice-oriented faiths with deep-rooted pacific principles. "We dedicate non-violent peacebacks the same discipline and sacrifice like armies in war", explains gary brooks. With this attitude, cpt teams are in many conflict areas in use worldwide.
Firearms with 16
In the cpt house there is a bad mood at the moment. A young activist is very silent.
Because our direct neighbors have moved out a few days ago. The front of her house is located at the schuhada strain, which is now no longer used by palasticians. The settlers threw them stone stones into the window and wanted to penetrate into the house. These people just stopped.
Bourke kennedy (66)
And the buried also the team. On the roof of her house, she points to the few buildings in the immediate vicinity that are still inhabited. "It’s just a matter of time until the settlers take over the apartments." on several homes, the army has already commented on.
Bourke kennedy on the roof of the cpt house in the old town hebrons
Also kennedy is dedicated to her peace service in hebron a month of the year. "I see my task above all in it", so the unitarian, "to remember the soldiers that they can election their behaviors." many of the young conscripts laughed them simply, she says. But others come to grave and leave the palastic, whom they have been found in the rain for two hours, again. "I do not fear in front of the soldiers", says kennedy, who leads a small theater at home. But in front of the settlers she is scared. "Especially in front of their children, which are thirst for firearms with 16 years and pulling them through the threads."
pre-held man at a checkpoint in the old town hebrons
Cpt members are often at militar controls, where they are trying to maby particularly brutal soldiers. In addition, they go to night patrols through the old town, whose inhabitants are particularly exposed to the settler attacks.
Often, people also call us who are afraid to go on the strain alone. We will accompany you. Or we stay with people whose house wants to blow up the army.
Gary brooks
Cpt organizes sponsorships of affected families with christian or judian communities in the usa. The group also works closely with israeli peace groups and offers training on non-violent actions.
The activists document the human rights inspection observed in hebron. From their experiences they report in the us and canada, the country of origin of most cptler. The personnel infants are also the subject.
The settlers scold us nazi whores. You have already tried to go over by car.
Bourke kennedy
The only right behavior, according to the pacifist, is to simply ignore the aggressors. "We do not have provoking us." but the fronts are clear. The settlers hate the controversial christians and throw them one-sided partisan. Kennedy has this back:
That’s not true. We also protect the settlers when they are attacked. But most of the violence and above all their cause is not from the palatinians.