Al Kaa'bnah tribe confined behind the Wall

Thursday September 27, 2007 15:47 by Maisa Abu Ghazalah - IMEMC News

Tal A'dasah, of Biet Hanina, north of East Jerusalem was turned into an isolated island by the Annexation Wall that surrounds the area and totally isolates the town after closing its only outlet to the nearby town of Bir Nabala earlier last week.

The residents of Tal A'dasah were forced to set a tent behind the Separation Wall that is constructed on the main road of Bir Nabala to be a place where twenty four children will be able to learn after being unable to go the nearby schools of Bir Nabala and al Jeeb villages.

Mahmoud Ka'abnah, member of al Ka'abnah family and principle of al Ka'abnah elementary school said; "we set this tent out of fear that our children will lose their educational future, after closing the last outlet in the Wall.

 They were deprived from reaching their schools" Al Ka'abneh added and said that the residents are now  living in a big prison inside their eight barracks of metal and wood where 63 members of the family are imprisoned in without any justification or guilt .

Eight other barracks are for the sheep, he said that the wall was constructed in May of 2006 blocking their only outlet that leads to nearby town of Bir Nabala where they used to buy all of their basic needs, including the fodder for their cattle, and marketing their products.

They also used to Bir Nabala clinics and their children used go to its schools. He clarified that the soldiers, always present near the Wall, were allowing them to pass through this opening without any objection before the completion of its construction.

He added that they were surprised when they sow the contractors as they were placing cement blocks to close the only outlet.

 He went on to say that" since then until now, the men were unable to go to their work and the children to their schools, and “we were also unable to bring food for our families specially that we are in the holy month of Ramadan”.

“ At the same time we are prevented from reaching East Jerusalem because we are bearers of Palestinian identity cards and the Israeli army do not issue us permits to enter Jerusalem. We are also suffering also from a severe shortage in the fodder for our cattle which is our only livelihood. In addition to the water problems, since the water meter is behind the Wall we are unable to open it to fill our tanks whenever we need."

Al Ka'abanah stated that the Wall prevented the residents from reaching any medical center, especially the elderly people who suffer from several diseases and need ongoing medical care.

A young man of Al Ka'abanah identified as Hussein, was attacked not long ago by Israeli soldiers present near the Wall because he passed through the only hole without their permission.

The young man was hospitalized and the soldiers broke into the homes of al Ka'abna and attacked the residents severely.

Regarding the living conditions, resident Mahmoud Ka'abnah said; "we are living on the area of five hundred Dunums, a big part of which we are using for pasturing and agriculture. Some years ago we had 1500 of cattle, today we only have 600 this is because of the high price of the fodder and the shortage of the lands, a section of them is used for construction."

 In 1994, the Israeli Ministry of interior delivered a warrant for residents barring them from living in this area. Four of their barracks were demolished to force them to leave the place that is only 300 meters away from their recent location since the place they are living in is legal and they are allowed to stay in.

"last year the Israeli ministry of interior delivered warrants stating the demolition of our homes, a decision that coincided with the construction of the Wall in the area under the pretext that we are living illegally in the area and that we are Palestinian residents who are living Israeli lands”, Al Ka'abanah added.

He clarified that since that day until now, several court sessions concerning this issue were held but without reaching  any decision.

"During the last session and the court of the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem , the Judge threatened us, and said that she will issue a decision to demolish our homes and to pay a fine of fifty thousand NIS under the pretext that we are living in unlicensed homes, notifying that the homes of the Bedouins are unsettled and are made of the hair of the cattle and metal and do not need license."

He protested against the judge's decision saying that there issue is apolitical and not a criminal one. Al Kaa'bnah, called on the Palestinian Authority, Human rights organizations and the Israeli peace groups to support them and to save their life that is threatened by slow death.

 Um Hussein, 41, a mother of three children, the oldest is nineteen, the youngest is four months. The Israeli army had attacked her son while he was passing through the opening of the Wall to get fodder for their cattle and she affirmed that she herself was attacked by the Israeli army when she tried to defend her son.

“We are living in a tragic life, the soldiers had cut off of us all of the life basic needs. Shall I stay and watch my children die in front of me because of the Wall", she stated.

 She affirmed that since the Israeli army began the construction of the Wall in the area, they started to impose curfew in the area for several times and they arrested her son more than once beside the Wall. She added that this is the only place they could live in and Israel is imposing on the them slow death to implement its discriminatory plans. Al Ka'abanah tribe has a long history of expulsion.

They were forcibly expelled from their lands in 1948 in the area of Bir Sheva to the Hebron area until 1962 and then expelled to the area of Tal A'dasah in Beit Hanina.

Translated by Manar Jibrin

jerusalem | the wall | human interest manarjibrin at gmail dot com