Yet Another Invasion

["CCRR" <ccrr at palnet.com>]

Dear Friends,

I am writing you again to let you know the situation here in Palestine
after the latest invasion.

Now it is after 4 days of closure the Israeli army forcing us to under
curfew. As you may know that the Israeli army left Bethlehem and church of
Nativity just 10 days ago, so us CCRR (The Center for Conflict Resolution
and Reconciliation) returned back to work we hold a meeting for our peace
education trainers and counselors and we put a plan to use this last month
in school year in making some discussion with the teachers and student to
put a plan for summer vacation to the student, and we began to plan held
the conference for 100 teachers, counselors and directors of schools to
discuss our peace education program, one of them in Jericho schools, and I
have done three appointments in Tantur with Israeli of organization to
resume our the dialog for building peace. In this time the Israeli army
send back his tanks in Bethlehem without excuse except that Sharon want to
lowest the Palestinian and freedom. In last 10 days no one event happens in
Bethlehem, it is just Sharon policy and his government that he doesn't want
any settlement in the Palestinian people life.

I'm asking what the justification of continuation of occupying us is? What
is the justifying of discrimination against our people? What is the
justification from preventing our peace education program? What is the
justification from preventing me from meeting my peace activist's friends
Edy Kaufman, millesse, Yakel, Haggai, to discuss and plan for peace work? I
was invited to participate in a conference for peace education on the 29th
of may in Haifa university, but the Israeli occupation army refused to
allow me to attend, even it is organized by Israeli university and nothing
in it against Israel and it is for peace education, but Sharon government
may think that it is dangerous to talk about peace education Š!!!

This last invasion to Bethlehem is a clear sign that the Israeli government
is interested and asking for reactions from Palestinian side to justify the
occupation of 3000000 Palestinians and continue the military laws and the
policy of discrimination and humiliation of Palestinian people.

As a peace activist and a simple person who believe in peace, justice,
love, human values, and the morals of human rights, I think that
occupation, discrimination, military laws, and all kind of violence will
never bring peace or settlement to our area or to our country or to our
land.

I think that violence will never bring peace of justice, killing will never
create life. It is a crazy and stupid thought that some of us think that
killing is bringing life of peace. Tanks, artillery, and bombs will never
solve problems or build peace. The tools of damage and killing are produced
for evil not for good. I want to say for those who think that these milling
machines will build any kind of settlement or peace, they are wrong because
we can't mix fire with oil, it is the same if we put peace and arms, or
freedom and occupation or justice and discrimination.

So the peace man Sharon prevents any meeting for peace and preventing peace
activists from talking, meeting or working. Haifa University wrote to me:
"Dear Noah, I am truly sorry to inform you that we did not succeed in
getting a permit for you or any other person from PA "Palestinian
Authority" to attend our weekend workshop on peace education. How
paradoxical!".

I don't know what danger for the peace man Sharon to allow peace activists
from the two sides to meet and discuss and plan for peace education
programsŠ.?

This is the action against terror of Sharon army, is to prevent any sort of
peace meeting or education.

As we are now living a situation of uncertainty and fear from the Israeli
occupation army which may impose curfew in every time, until now our
children missed 60 school days and many of them having psychological
problems and  fear from the army and the tanks which are marching in front
of their houses. In the last invasion of Bethlehem not one pallet shoot to
the army so why this invasion? to protest, no actions from Palestinians. I
think that Sharon is inviting clashes and violence, by his violent actions
to try to provoke the Palestinians to react to his violence actions to
excuse his occupation to our homes and the action of discrimination and
immoral policy.

So please excuse me for this use of strong language, but it is unbelievable
that the world keeps silent on these inhuman actions and asks us to accept
the occupation. As a peace activist I don't think that there isn't any
chance that we can have peace with the occupation. These two words are
contradicted concepts which will never live together, and it is a shame
that in the third millennium we have people still believe that it is
accepted to occupy other people and to discriminate people because their
color, nationality, ethnic or race and also some people try to justify
occupation by different means of tricks or silly reasons.

I hope that we all stand very strong against occupation, discrimination,
killing or hurting any human being for any reason. Violence is a disease
that we all have to recover from it and build our relation or respect,
peace, justice and human morals.

I know that the wave of fundamentalism in these days is very large, strong
a very powerful by the evil tools like tanks, guns, and bombs, but our
power as peaceful people in our values and believes of justice and I hope
and ask all of you to put our hands together and cross all the boarders and
meet for peace. I feel really very sorry and upset to be prevented from
participating is the peace education dialogue by Sharon army and hope that
we all raise our voices against this violence actions.


Yours in peace & reconciliation,



The Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation - CCRR

Director



Noah Salameh

P.O.Box. 861

Bethlehem - Palestine

Tel. +972-2-2767745

Fax. +972-2-2745475

E-mail: ccrr at palnet.com or salamehn at hotmail.com