Parents in Abu Dis are asking for your help, and we’d like to draw your attention to our letter to you last week -thanks to those who have responded and we hope to encourage others too.
The question of the safety of the children shows up all the issues that Palestinians face – the discrimination the face on a daily basis (the Israeli settlers are guarded in their settlements but the children of Palestine face the dangers of military might) and the lack of representation or ways to change anything. In Abu Dis, mainly marked ‘Area B’ under the Oslo agreement, there are not even Palestinian police, so there is no defence at all for the children on their ways to school.
As the picture shows, Abu Dis parents (fathers -that’s the way it works in Palestine) met yesterday to see what they can do. They decided to make a rota to be at and around the schools every early morning to try to guard the children and warn each other if the Israeli army comes.
They are calling on US to try and get some protection for their kids, and Cadfa have been writing lots of letters; we would like your help with letters, with the press (do you have any contacts?) and with good ideas of ways to raise this.
WE WILL BE HAVING A MEETING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP ON THIS SCHOOL ISSUE at the CADFA office in London during this week. Please let us know if you would like to be involved.