Aletho News

ΑΛΗΘΩΣ

HEBRON: “Let them walk three miles”; Passover brings further restrictions on Palestinians

CPTnet | 21 April 2011

The Jewish Passover/Pesach holiday has imposed further restrictions on the residents of Hebron. All of the gates allowing entrance to and exit from the Old City souq on its east side were locked or barred shut to Palestinian residents and non-Jewish international visitors.

The closure caused significant difficulties for teachers and pupils.  A woman—widely known as the “ladder lady”— whose house is on Shuhada Street, along which the Jewish worshipers walk, allowed Palestinians to use her house for getting in and out of the souq (market).  In the morning, they rang her bell, and walked through her house and down the stairway into Shuhada Street.  The Israeli police on duty in the morning allowed the children and teachers then to cross Shuhada Street on their way to school.

However, when school ended for the day and the children and teachers tried to make the return trip, Israeli soldiers and police initially refused to allow them to cross Shuhada Street, saying that the Old City souq was closed.  Teachers, a local community leader, and CPTers asked the police to let the children cross.  They pointed out to a senior Israeli policeman that if he did not allow the children to cross Shuhada Street they would have to take a detour of at least three miles.  ‘Let them walk three miles,’ he responded.  An Israeli peace activist contacted the Israeli DCO (District Coordinating Office) to ask them to intervene.  For whatever reason, after a delay, the soldiers and police allowed the children and teachers to cross Shuhada Street, and the ladder lady allowed them to go through her house on their way home.

However, a gate to the Old City was open to some visitors. During the morning, Israeli soldiers accompanied several groups of settler-led Jewish groups through the Palestinian souq.

Passover continues through next Tuesday.

April 21, 2011 - Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Subjugation - Torture

No comments yet.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

« Previous | Next »