Unted Mthodist Church slams Israel's closing of Charitable Society in Hebron

Monday June 09, 2008 22:58 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

The North Central New York (NCNY) conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) issued a statement of support for Muslim orphanage in Hebron threatened to be closed by the Israeli military.

The Israeli army carried repeated attacks against the orphanage which is sponsored by the Islamic Charitable Society in Hebron.

The society fosters nearly 6000 of orphans and runs several facilities in order to support thousands of less fortunate families in the Hebron area.

New York task force of the UMC express their concern over the repeatative Israeli attacks and measures against the orphanage, especially that there is an Israeli court ruling indicating the faiulure of the military to prove any security needs for such measures.

The statement added that the council will "ask congressional representatives to urge the State Department to pressure the Israeli Military Commander to rescind the order to close the orphanage.

The NCNY task force has resolved to "Express its outcry at the Israeli invasion, destruction and theft of the properties of the Islamic Charitable Society in Hebron," and to "Ask congressional representatives to urge the State Department to pressure the Israeli Military Commander to rescind the order to close the orphanage."

Additionally, the group has also called their church for prayers for the orphanage and encouraged "establishing relationships between youth groups in NCNY conference and the schools and orphanages threatened with closure."

On Friday June 6, Israeli soldiers stormed on Thursday two charitable societies in the Hebron area,   confiscated their properties and closed them by military orders for three years.

The two societies, in Al Shiokh village, and Beit Ula town, belong to the Islamic Charitable Society in Hebron. The Charitable society fosters orphans and schools them but it was also shut down by the Israeli forces earlier this year.

The National Committee for Aiding the Orphans stated that more than fourteen military vehicles and jeeps invaded Al Shiokh village on Friday at dawn, and broke into the Charitable Society and its school and confiscated their belongings.

Soldiers confiscated chairs, computers, office equipment, and documents that belong to the society and the school. Troops then put a military order at the gate shutting down the society for three years.

In Beit Ula village, west of Hebron, soldiers broke into the offices of the Islamic Charitable Society and confiscated computers, files and other stationeries before hanging on its main door, a military order shutting it down for three years.

These attacks are part of the ongoing attacks against the Society as the Israeli authorities claim that the society is affiliated with Hamas movement.

The National Committee for Orphans Support slammed the Israeli attacks and warned against the ongoing Israeli policy of closing all facilities which belong to the Charitable Society, including its schools and orphans' homes.

The Committee demanded a comprehensive campaign to protect the schools and facilities as they are providing shelter and aid to a large number of orphans and thousands of poor families.

hebron | international politics | news report saed at imemc dot org