Wadi Na'am, Israel

Dear Friends,



I rest assured that you are familiar with the saying 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' Well, imagine that a European government or an American one, or a Muslim one, or any government decided to demolish a synogogue or church—not because they were endangering life due to age or technical faults, but just because—well, for what ever reason, as, for instance ethnic cleansing. Would not the world shout? Would not the world make the guilty party realize that it is a pariah, that these things are not done by decent societies! Israel plans to demolish a mosque. We must not remain quiet. Shame shame shame on Israel!!! When will it learn to hear and abide by the 'golden rule'? Please write protest letters as requested below.


Apart from this request, 4 items about Gaza follow, 2 of which are by Amira Hass, who arrived with the 3rd Free Gaza boat and has remained for the time being.

Dorothy URGENT

November 17th, 2008

Wadi Na'am, Israel


The first mud and straw-bale built mosque in Israel received demolition orders late last week in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Wadi al Na'am, come help stop the demolition!

Volunteers are urgently needed starting this evening (Monday November 17th) to stay in the mosque through Thursday (November 20th) to protest and document any attempt to carry out the demolition.

To sign up for a shift, please email Tess at greencenter@bustan.org or call her at 050-371-1802, OR Josh Berer, 052 7500152, RCUV.

If you can arrive with a car to bring people to and from Wadi Na'am that is extremely helpful. We will make every attempt to provide transportation for those who need it.

There are 80,000 Bedouin Arabs currently living in 45 unrecognized villages in Israel that lack basic infrastructure, health care, electricity, and water access. Local Bedouins as well as Christian, Muslim, and Jewish volunteers from Israel, the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Africa have contributed to building the mosque over the last four months.

For more information about the mosque, please see this article from August 2008: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=31522

And

http://joshberer.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/the-straw-bale-mosque/

If you cannot make it, please fax or call the following officials to protest the demolition:

Itzhak HaKohen, the Minister of Religious Service

Fax: 02 6706157. izchakec@knesset.gov.il

Meir Shitrit, the Minister of Interior

Fax: 02 6408920. mshitrit@knesset.gov.il

Zeev Boim, the Minster of Housing and Construction, and Minister responsible for the Israeli Land Authority, and the Bedouin Minority.

Fax: 02-6496062. zaevb@knesset.gov.il


For press inquiries:

Mahmod Jarbeau at 057-466-2331 (Hebrew, Arabic) —resident of Wadi Na'am, served nine years in the Israeli military, director of the project

Ra'ed Al Mickawi 052-371-1801 (Hebrew, Arabic, English)—Director of BUSTAN

Dr. Yeela Livnat Ra'anan 054-748-7005 (English, Hebrew)—RCUV