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."