Taking it in the Nose for Peace

Taking it in the Nose for Peace
July 31, 2002

Hi everyone,

I know some of you aren't on the Hebron news list, so I'll attach my latest contribution to peace at the end of this email. For those of you who are already aware of my rough day yesterday, thanks for the get-well notes. I am recovering nicely, though yesterday my head weighed about 300lbs and I was feeling pretty sluggish. Today, the bridge of my nose has a light blue mark and hurts pretty good, my chin is pretty tender, and I discovered three new bruises when I changed clothes last night. Between the shoulder blades, and the small of my back are a little out of whack, but I'll manage. My sardonic sense of humor has returned after a day of quiet yesterday. I guess in CPT you can't ever say, 'you should see the other guy...' I was thankful, however, that 'ultrareligious' Jewish women don't hit the gym; rather, they hit like girls. And that the one who was kicking me in the back of the head was wearing Teva sandals. The whole time I was thinking, so this is a settler beating, huh? Not as painful as I imagined, but boy is she trying hard. Hope they don't get the camera. Since I did manage to keep the camera, which doesn't happen often in settler attacks, and our team has a history of losing equipment, I plan to get a photo of myself with said camera and bruises and send it to CPT's insurance guy. With a letter reading "CPTer sacrifices body to protect equipment, prevent rising premiums"

For two brief moments, I thought that everyone had gone inside and left me out there to get whacked around, then I realized they were still in hiding from the settlers going after them. But once I yelled good and loud they figured it out. (I am happy to report I do not yell like a girl).

I did end up at the hospital yesterday, but for nothing related to the assault. Instead, I finally went to check out my ankle which has been messed up for the last ten days. I really did a number on it Sunday during the settler riot when I did a dead run across the old city. Afterwards was feeling pretty nauseous. Well, no hairline fracture as was a possibility, but a torn ligament. I've got a funny piece of elastic that is really too warm to wear this time of year and fortunately no advice I can't follow like, keep off that for a few days and be sure to use ice (ha!)

That's enough for now. It is so hot out here, I am glad we do not have a thermometer. Usually the air is so dry and breezy I don't notice the heat. Not this week. Ugh. Stay in touch...
Le Anne


For Immediate Release
CPTers ATTACKED BY RAMPAGING SETTLER WOMEN
By Jerry Levin

HEBRON, WEST BANK--Several young Israeli settler women and youths invaded
Hebron's Old Market area twice Tuesday, July 30, assaulting Palestinian shopkeepers and members of the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT), who were trying to intervene and document the incident.

The first disturbance began at about 9:15 in the morning below the CPT apartment. Four settler boys started throwing stones and rocks over the barricade separating the Palestinian market from Shuhada Street. CPTers phoned the police and alerted soldier stationed on a roof across the street to the attack.

As CPTers Jerry Levin, LeAnne Clausen, and Janet Shoemaker reached the street to investigate, two young settler women came through the barricade and began throwing stones at an elderly Palestinian man nearby. Clausen left the doorway to protect the man from the settlers.

A settler woman demanded Levin's camera and tried to grab it. Levin, who was blocking entry to the building, passed the camera to Shoemaker who was standing inside behind him. When the settler women noticed Clausen photographing them trying to get past Levin, one moved towards her, trying to grab the camera. Clausen, trying to shield the camera with her body, was knocked down by one of the women who then bent her fingers back and struck her repeatedly with her fists. Meanwhile, a second woman hit her with stones, and a third began kicking her in the back of the head. Levin, trying to block the settlers' blows, got down and covered Clausen with his body to protect her and the camera.

Three IDF soldiers came through the barricade. The settler boys stopped throwing stones, but a woman standing no more than three feet away from Clausen threw a chunk of asphalt in her face.

The women then began moving further into the market. A few minutes later a patrol of about ten Israeli soldiers entered the market through the barricade, and gently escorted the women out of the area.

At 12:45 pm, the young settler women again charged through the barricade and attacked the poultry store next to the CPT apartment, taunting and hitting the owner, his sons, and breaking several dozen eggs. Still screaming they stormed further into the market area.

Calls for help from CPT brought an Israeli Police van. Once again the policemen stood watching from the safety of Shuhada Street. After several minutes, a contingent of about ten soldiers arrived, headed into the market and a few minutes later escorted the settler women out. The soldiers made no attempt to restrain or arrest any of them.

Palestinian shopkeepers expressed their anger to CPTers about the indifference of the police and the soldiers' solicitous treatment of the settler women. One angry elderly Palestinian man, yelled at the soldiers. "Our God is watching this. And he will not let this happen." An IDF soldier hearing him stopped, turned, and said very slowly, "He is our God. And he has saved us."

A Few Thoughts on Dysentery

A Few Thoughts on Dysentery
July 25, 2002

Hi everyone,

I just realized I will be home again in just over a month, (September 11, to be exact) and need to get my speaking calendar figured out. I plan to return here around the weekend of October 12th. I'll try to start clustering talks in nearby towns together, if those of you wanting me to come could please let me know soon. I know already I'll probably want to head down towards Wartburg after October 1st. I'll send out a preliminary schedule as soon as I can!

Well, it has been a busy week or so. I always forget when I've written last. I will start writing now and stop when the mosquitos methodically gnaw my toes off, as they usually do this time of night. It doesn't matter that I've applied a cocktail of three different repellents; these guys are mutants. I read in the paper yesterday that Beer Sheva is getting cases of mosquito-transmitted West Nile Virus. Ha, ha, that's really not so far from here. So we've been watching each other for signs of delirium. How does one tell around here, I say.

I say all this because the past three days I've suffered from a nasty stomach bug. As soon as I caught it, I thought about the friend I met earlier on the street in Jerusalem, who shook my hand and then later said, "You know, after being in Gaza I've been nasty sick. The doctor diagnosed me with dysentery." As I lay in agony, I thought, "Gee, thanks for shaking my hand." Probably by the time he'd mentioned it I'd already rubbed my eye or something. Fortunately, after some panicked phone calls (hey, just what is dysentery anyway?) someone on our team was able to tell me that in Arabic, dysentery is used to describe all manner of nasty stomach bugs. So anyway. Whatever it is, it is gripping all of Palestine, local and foreigner alike, and has for some months now. Bleh. The upside to being ill is that it got me off my ankle which I did something dumb to and wasn't slowing down to give it a rest. I'm back on patrol today, though.

Previous to the sick days, I spent a couple days walking out to the Baqaa Valley near a settlement where a number of families have been suffering from a settler militia which refers to itself as "Settler Security." I find that about as apt a description of what they do as "Israeli Defense Forces" around here. The families call it a 'gang,' which I don't find too far off the mark myself. They run around in jeans, flak jackets and sport Uzis. You call them what you like. Anyway. They've been suffering from these guys for the past year, more so in the past couple weeks, as has just about every Palestinian landowner located near a settlement. The militia all over the Hebron district (county) as well as the settlements in the city have been trying to expand their territory rapidly. This area I went to is one we don't usually cover, but I imagine we'll be spending lots of time out there pretty soon. I'm now working on a special report to release later this week and the team is trying to figure out what else we can do to stop the expansions. Stay tuned...

Team life has been gritty lately. I mean that in the most literal way. The team decided while I was in Jerusalem that we needed to save water during this shortage season by cleaning less. A thick layer of scum has now descended upon most surfaces. Slimy dishes are taking over our counter space faster than the settler activity I just mentioned. Let's not even discuss the squat toilet. Overall I am not amused. My teammie Greg was grouchy all day yesterday too, and when I finally made him tell me what it was, he said "team's too big and everything's filthy." Team size has been a bit frustrating too. I like a team that's large enough nobody gets overburdened, but small enough so everyone still knows what's going on and everybody knows who left their dishes in the sink and sneaked away.

I've been reading The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris and have found the comparison between monastic community life and CPT community life ironic and amusing. Mainly because she paints such a realistic view of monastic community. It has really helped me feel out, now that I'm finding myself a 'senior' member of the team, how to keep community glued together. Basically: worship together, constantly forgive, stay flexible, and communicate. I'll probably pontificate on that further in future emails. For now, I'll go catch up on those dishes.

In Peace,

Le Anne

I don't make the news, I just train the guys that do

I don’t make the news, but I train the guys who make the news?
July 3, 2002

Gee, when people take my training program for nonviolent direct action and civilian human rights protection, this is what happens to them. I guess I should attach a disclaimer to tomorrow's program. Guess I'll go find Darlene and spend a final night carousing. Eric, who is Jewish American, brought his mother over here with him. She is apparently taking it all rather well. Got to spend the last two days with a really cool Michigan Peace Team-er named Mike, am trying to recruit him to the team also if he doesn't get deported first. Add these to my guys in the Church of the Nativity and Muqataa last invasion-go-round. Well, I'm still firmly planted here for the meanwhile.
-Le Anne


[Press Release from ‘The Other Israel’ and Gush Shalom, the Israeli ‘Peace Bloc’]

Tomorrow: court decision regarding deportation order against two of the internationals
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2002 19:06:06 +0200

URGENT:

Only now was announced that tomorrow at 12 o'clock the Administrative Court in
Jerusalem is going to give its final verdict in the question of the deportation order against Josie Sandercock (UK) and Darlene Wallach (US). The two were among a group of internationals arrested several weeks ago at Balata Refugee Camp in Nablus - while trying to provide humanitarian help to inhabitant whose house had been taken over.

The two are represented by lawyers Mahmoud Jabbarin of LAW and Gaby Laski of
PCATI. The court is in the Disstrict Court building on Salah a-Din Street, East
Jerusalem. In an earlier session the presence of activists, journalists and diplomats
may have had an impact - there followed release on bail.

The decision of tomorrow is not only important for the fate of these two women, but
also as precedent. IF YOU FEEL THAT THE INTERNATIONALS DO AN IMPORTANT HUMANITARIAN JOB, THEN BE THERE.

(Based upon the information we just now got from Josie.)

A vivid description of the earlier session and about what these internationals stand for in Tom Segev's "Three Volunteers in Limbo" of Friday, June 14
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=176264&contrassID=2&
subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

The following is another ISM report out of the many we receive daily :

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
http://www.palsolidarity.org
July 3, 2002 1700
For immediate release

Two Americans, one Brit held captive by Israeli Army

Held in inhumane conditions, denied access to consulates

[NABLUS] At 1600 Monday July 01, 2002 Israeli soldiers took Eric Levine, an American human rights worker, Brian Dominick, an American medical worker, and Peter Blacker, a British medical worker to an army occupied house near Nablus where they were made to stay under inhuman conditions, with no explanation, for over 45 hours.

They were put in a small unfinished room, out in the open. They remained in the open
day and night without adequate shelter from the heat or nighttime cold. They were
given one meal a day consisting of canned food and not allowed to use toilet facilities. The men repeatedly asked why they were being held and requested to make phone calls to their family and consulates, but were denied. Soldiers yelled at them, pushed them and told them that if they tried to leave they would be shot.

Today at approximately 1600 the men were released in a remote location near
Nablus, whereby they made their way into Nablus on foot. The two medical workers are
now with the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) in Nablus,
and Eric is due to be on a flight back to the United States tonight.

The Israeli Army has thus far not given either the ISM or consular officials any explanation as to why these men were abducted, treated inhumanely and held
incommunicado for two days.