The Muslim News - School raided by Israeli soldiers in East Jerusalem

Issue 215, Friday 30 March 2007 - 11 Rabi' al-Awwal 1428

School raided by Israeli soldiers in East Jerusalem

By Aasiya I Versi

The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) is facing fresh allegations of human rights abuses during a raid in Abu Dis Secondary School in the occupied East Jerusalem.
Yassar Sabbah, former Principal for the Abu Dis Secondary School, told The Muslim News, “What happened on February 14, is a series of daily violations exercised against education in our country. To have fully equipped soldiers enter the school, which has 465 students aged 11 to 17 years, is disturbing. The soldiers attacked the children who ran trying to hide but three of the soldiers stormed into the classroom and beat children from Grades 7, 8 and 9.They ran under the desks, but were badly beaten, six children were moved to the health centre in town. When teachers attempted to defend their students they were attacked in front of their students. Upon my arrival to the school, I found a state of panic and terror had sparked among students. Parents rushed to see to their children.”
The London’s Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA), which forged links with the town of Abu Dis, told The Muslim News, “The occupation soldiers burst into classroom after classroom, pushed the teachers out of the way, and beat several students. Some of the kids hid under their chairs while others protected themselves with their school bags.”
Gill Kaffash, 67, a volunteer English teacher at the Friendship house in Abu Dis told The Muslim News regarding the effect of the raid on the community, “One of the main things which struck me was how unprotected they feel - their teachers could not protect them, nor can their parents, with over 30 young boys being arrested in January alone. Only one child in the group had been present during the incident and he was most anxious to deny that he had been afraid - that was the adults. Psychologically, this feeling of vulnerability has a terrible effect on children. A striking feature is how little impression the incident made on people generally here - they are just so used to Israeli violations of their rights.”
CAFDA is a human rights organisation that started in October 2004 and has established a link with Abu Dis, providing financial aid and moral support for the town disconnected from Jerusalem due to the Apartheid Wall. It has championed the formation of Friendship houses which offers, among other programmes, English and computer classes after school hours whose teachers are often volunteers from Camden.
Sabbah, praising the help and support from Camden, said, “The experience of friendship that has arisen for nearly three years between Camden and Abu Dis has had a significant impact on the sufferings. International forums and the idea of pairings, which began evolving between cities and towns in Britain, have a large role in creating hope in the hearts of many citizens in the town. They provide a platform for Palestinians to relay their personal stories and the daily suffering under the occupation. It opens the door for Palestinians to talk about their personal experience which I think is marginalized. It clarifies the vision of the new members about what is happening in this part of the world.”
Ruth, an Israeli citizen residing in the UK, explained to The Muslim News about her long standing work with CAFDA, “I don’t see Abu Dis as one problem. It’s part of a larger complex problem of the occupation. I want Israel to withdraw unconditionally and deal with the refugee problem.” Ruth primarily deals with macro global campaigns against the occupation of Israel inclusive of campaigns against human rights. On the role of public in the Palestinian-Israeli saga, she said, “It has to be a grassroots effort, we should put pressure on the Government, on the European Union to pressure Israel to comply by Israeli Law and to ensure the human rights of citizens.”
No one from the Israeli Embassy was available to comment on the issue.

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