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Fact finder
6/30/2002 (8:57) |
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The following is a report prepared by a Roman Catholic Priest from Toronto, Canada on the destruction of a Palestinian's vegetable garden and vineyard by Israeli settlers and the assault committed against them by angry Jewish settlers who wanted to destroy the photographic evidence of their crimes. The report was sent out by the Christian Peace Maker Teams who are stationed in the Occupied Territories.
On May 22, Christian Peacemaker Teams received a call from the Palestinian Land Defense Committee -could the team send someone to photograph a destroyed Palestinian vegetable garden, vineyard and orchard belonging to Mohammed (not his real name). It had been bulldozed by the Israeli settlers four days earlier. His land lies next to the Israeli settlement of Karme Tzur near Halhul just north of Hebron.
CPTers Kathy Kamphoefner (Beijing) and Bob Holmes (Toronto) met Mohammed, who from behind some trees, pointed out his three dunams (3/4 acre). Three years ago the Israeli military had ordered him not to go there. The CPTers, approaching on the settler road, were challenged by Israeli security personnel on the far side of a fence next to Mohammed's land. Kamphoefner and Holmes proceeded to take photos and walked away. A white car came after them and three armed and angry Israeli settler guards stepped out.
Yelling, they grabbed Holmes and shoving him roughly towards the vehicle said he was under arrest. Holmes told them they had no authority to make arrests and asked that they call the Israeli police. Kamphoefner was on the cell phone to the CPT office, where Greg Rollins could clearly hear the yelling settlers.
Then four Israeli soldiers arrived in a jeep. One soldier pushed Holmes against the car and demanded his ID. Refusing, he asked again that the police be called. The still angry settler guards then demanded the film. When it was not handed over, they forcibly took both cameras, wrestling Kamphoefner's from her backpack. A soldier ripped out the film and exposed it. Holmes' digital card was removed and confiscated.
With cameras back in hand, the CPTers walked away, somewhat surprised at not being stopped. Fortunately, the card removed from the digital camera was blank. The one with the photos documenting this latest destruction of Palestinian farmland was safely in a CPT pocket.
Fr. Bob Holmes is a Roman Catholic priest from Toronto
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