FROM THE TEL RUMEIDA CPTnet ARCHIVES
When Christian Peacemaker Teams set up in Hebron/ Al-Khalil in the summer of 1995, among its first contacts were the Abu Haikel family, and the struggles of the families living in Tel Rumeida have featured prominently in our releases over the last eighteen years. Accordingly, to show our readers what the new settlement expansion on Tel Rumeida means, what it means to have more Israeli settlers on Tel Rumeida with more Israeli soldiers to guard them, we will be running releases from our archives on Facebook and our blog in the coming weeks. [Note: Since this release was written, Palestinian residents have not been permitted by the Israeli military to drive to their homes in Tel Rumeida for many years. They must park their cars in the H-1 area of Hebron and sometimes walk for long distances to reach their homes.]
For updates on the settlement expansion on Tel Rumeida see the Save Tel Rumeida Facebook page.
CPTNET Aug. 6, 1995
Soldiers stand by while settlers harass Tel Rumeida
residents
by C. Pauls
HEBRON, West Bank. Amidst a week of increased harassment by settlers in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood, a Palestinian resident of the neighborhood reported a two-hour delay entering his home on Thursday afternoon, August 3. Hani Abu Heikel and his two sisters were returning to their home at about 4 pm on Thursday when they were met by more than 50 settlers at a checkpoint at the base of the Tel Rumeida settlement. The bus which brought the settlers into town was blocking the junction.
Abu Heikel asked the Israeli soldiers for assistance. The soldiers said that there was nothing they could do, and did not attempt to help the Abu Heikels pass through the crowd of settlers blocking the street. Abu Heikel then phoned the Israeli police. Four police jeeps arrived and forced a way for the Abu Heikel vehicle to enter the road leading to their home. Even with the soldiers present and a police escort, settlers showered the Abu Heikel vehicle with eggs and stones, and sprayed water at the car as it passed.
Last Sunday, July 30, two new mobile homes were moved to the Tel Rumeida settlement, near the city center of Hebron. The addition of the mobile homes marks an increase in harassment by the settlers during the past week. In reference to the soldiers’ response to recent provocations by the settlers, Abu Heikel said: “They do nothing. If they see something is dangerous for the settlers, then they will arrest the Arabs.”
The settlers used to wait until nightfall before attacking, Abu Heikel told members of the Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron. “Now day and night they attack us. We have no protection, and we need it.”