Until when will this go on? House demolitions in Jerusalem continue
Bulldozer leaving the site.
Destruction.
Belongings.
Residents without roof over their heads.
It all started at 10:00 on the morning of the 5th of November. It began with a call from a member of the Sabeel, to an intern of the Church of the Redeemer. A house demolition was to take place at any moment in the Shufat neighbourhood of East Jerusalem. The intern informed us EAs and we decided to join him as he was heading there to express solidarity through the ministry of presence.
We got ourselves downtown from the Mount of Olives as fast as we could, but time was not on our side. On the way I called for backup. We called the EAPPI office, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) and the Palestinian Counseling Centre (PCC), getting the information to as many as we could manage to reach or contact. In the meantime, I kept in contact with the Sabeel member who was already there.
Unfortunately with the lack of direct transportation the demolition was already completed by the time that we arrived. As we moved in, the bulldozer accompanied by 15 cars from the army, municipality and police were moving out.
All we found there was the family and of course, the remains of what used to be their home. Their belongings had been shoved out by the municipal workers 15 minutes before the bulldozer struck.
The Sabeel member pointed out to me where the owner of the house was sitting. I knew I had to express my sympathy and get some details of the incident but felt it was a very difficult thing to do. Finally I collected myself and approached him, a middle aged, strong man but torn up deeply inside, although he hid it quite well.
I introduced myself and the programme and expressed my sympathy and how I wished I could have been able to stop this from happening. The amazing answer I got from him was, "Please, you are welcome" as Palestinians will always say! I did not expect that at that moment.
This house was a home to 3 adults and 7 children, built only in 2007 and was a dream come true to Ahmed Bshara who had started his new life. He had built this house to prove his manhood to his beautiful wife, and to provide a shelter for his lovely children and to gain respect in the community in which he lived. This is how a man would protect his family, building a home for them. He would use up all the savings he had in order to have this dream fulfilled. Money, energy, time, courage and love had been used to have that structure built and turned into a home. Within minutes, one machine had reduced his home into dust and iron.
What does he say to his children when they come from school to find their home in ruins, how does he answer the innocent questions of where shall we stay, where shall we play now? At this moment, he has no idea.
Since the children were at school when the house was demolished, he gave instructions to protect them from witnessing this gross violation; this abomination. His wife was also not home and he sent instructions for her to be taken somewhere else. He told me that he preferred to endure the pain alone, he preferred to be the only one with this last ugly picture of his home and let his family always remember the palace he had built them. He is still a man; they could not take that away from him although they tried. Finally he says, "I will build them their home again!"
