Derry man horrified by Palestinian evictions
A Derry man currently travelling through Israel has spoken of his horror at witnessing the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes.
Jonathon Crockett, from Rossnagalliagh has spent the past month in Jerusalem and Hebron, living amongst the Palestinian communities there.
Writing to the 'Journal' from East Jerusalem, the Derry man spoke of the "brutal occupation" under which Palestinians constantly live their lives.
"This occupation takes many forms, at many different levels. I have lived and slept on the streets of East Jerusalem with two Palestinian families who were evicted from their family homes of 57 years by the Israeli armed forces on August 2.
"Each family has three generations - from the grandfather to the children, and all of them lived in the family home together. This is the way Palestinians traditionally live. Together, both families number 50 people, and by all accounts seem a very decent, hard-working people. "The fact that they have refrained from using violence in response to this incredible injustice shows how dignified they are.
"Instead, they have deck chairs and mattresses set up across the street from their old house of more than 50 years, now occupied by a Jewish family.
Jonathon said the Palestinian families were in many ways, helpless to challenge the status quo.
"The families were issued an eviction notice in March this year. They protested and showed evidence of their ownership of the property but were eventually evicted by a huge military presence.
"Upon speaking with the Hanoon family head, who has sat on the pavement outside his family home for 22 days since eviction, he said 'I do not want rice or to stay in a hotel. I just want my house back and to live in peace.'"
The Derry man said he believed the international community to be complicit in causing the Palestinians suffering.
"Whilst this brutal occupation is visibly happening, our international governments are standing idly by. Of course, it is obvious that they have selfish interests sewn up in the creation of a Jewish state in the Middle East.
"There is oil here, there is also many countries who want to impose their influence on this part of the world.
"Hence, the western powers need a foothold or some kind of platform to compete for dominance in the Arab world.
"Unfortunately, the Palestinians as a nation and people, are the 'little ones' that will suffer because of this 'global power struggle", he said. source
3 years ago
