President Carter's Statement of Support of the Orphans of Hebron
Read by Tim Rothermel of the Carter Center - Jerusalem
on April 24, 2008
at the Al-Shari'yah Girls' Orphanage, Hebron
During my peace mission in the Middle East last week, I heard many stories of Israelis and Palestinians suffering injustice. I was informed about a particularly troubling development, an imminent threat to Palestinian orphans and students in Hebron.
The Israeli military has issued orders for the closure of two orphanages, three schools and support facilities run by the Islamic Charitable Society. I understand that the military has already confiscated an ICS warehouse full of food, clothing, school supplies, and buses and has welded shut the gates of a new orphanage and school for 1,200 girls, which was scheduled to open this September.
The Islamic Charitable Society has been serving the needs of the poor of Hebron since 1962, and should be allowed to continue their good work.
I ask people of good will to join me on behalf of the orphans and students. Together, we ask the Israeli military to rescind the closure orders against the orphanages and schools so that 240 children will not lose the place they've come to know as home and 1,700 students will not be thrown out of school.
What Palestinians and Israelis need to do now is to take actions that will create a more hopeful future for the children of Palestine—these actions would have the opposite effect.
Read by Tim Rothermel of the Carter Center - Jerusalem
on April 24, 2008
at the Al-Shari'yah Girls' Orphanage, Hebron
During my peace mission in the Middle East last week, I heard many stories of Israelis and Palestinians suffering injustice. I was informed about a particularly troubling development, an imminent threat to Palestinian orphans and students in Hebron.
The Israeli military has issued orders for the closure of two orphanages, three schools and support facilities run by the Islamic Charitable Society. I understand that the military has already confiscated an ICS warehouse full of food, clothing, school supplies, and buses and has welded shut the gates of a new orphanage and school for 1,200 girls, which was scheduled to open this September.
The Islamic Charitable Society has been serving the needs of the poor of Hebron since 1962, and should be allowed to continue their good work.
I ask people of good will to join me on behalf of the orphans and students. Together, we ask the Israeli military to rescind the closure orders against the orphanages and schools so that 240 children will not lose the place they've come to know as home and 1,700 students will not be thrown out of school.
What Palestinians and Israelis need to do now is to take actions that will create a more hopeful future for the children of Palestine—these actions would have the opposite effect.
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1 comment:
Dear President Carter (if only you were still President!), I know that you are not unaware of what is actually happening in Palestine/Israel. You must have read Ilan Pappe's book, "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine", published by the One World Publications group in Oxford? What is going on in Hebron is systematic. Is it time that we acknowledge the Truth? Is it time that we stop talking about one state/two state solutions? I don't want to be dispiriting but I have recently come to the conclusion that we must start acknowledging the "facts on the ground" and maybe, just maybe, once the "smoke screen" is removed we can begin to approach the Real possibilities for Palestine and the Palestinian people. Solutions might well involve drastic measures but humanity demands nothing less and the continuing hypocrisy does no one any favours. All I can do is bear witness. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Yours sincerely Cecil H. Newman
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