Abu Dis News

• "Cliff Hotel - An Odyssey" - an exhibition in Norway in 2008-09 about the Abu Dis hotel
• Saturday, 2 October: Stories From Our Mothers book launch in Palestine - Al Quds University, Abu Dis. See flyer below.
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• CADFA finishes its Stories From our Mothers project [Al-Quds - in Arabic, translation to follow...]
• CADFA volunteer blogs the current protests in Abu Dis
• Very hot in the West Bank... a volunteer's photos
• Very hot in the West Bank...
• 7th February: Israeli soldiers broke leg of Abu Dis boy as they beat and arrested him doc
• Younis Ahmad Afaneh الله يرحمه doc
• Diabetes Day in Abu Dis
• 21 November 09: Diabetes Day in Abu Dis doc
• Horrendous events in Jerusalem - and boy shot in Abu Dis pdf
• More land goes in Abu Dis pdf
• Children from Dar Assadaqa (Saja Areibeh, Nadim Abu Hilal) are reported here as reading and giving statements in support of the Palestinian prisoners at the demonstration in Abu Dis on 6th May.
• Palestinian students allege abuse, beatings at Abu Dis checkpoint
• Dr Hassan Eisa Ayyad from Abu Dis dies in Gaza doc
• Palestinians near security wall expect little change [France 24]
• Al-Quds University partnership with US college
• January 09: Land grab in Abu Dis while people look at Gaza: 4000 donums of land given back to Abu Dis following a High Court decision in August 2008 were quietly taken away again by the Israeli authorities in early January 2009 : the military took the land and told local people that the Ministry of Defence had now reconsidered the court judgement and that it was now a closed military zone.
• Banner in the middle of Abu Dis calling on people to donate goods for the people of Gaza.
• Letter from Hammam's family doc
• "Young man in critical condition after being shot three times in the head by Israeli forces during demonstration for Gaza" [ISM]
• Sunday 28th December: Demonstrations in Abu Dis against the Israeli assault on Gaza. Hammam Mohsen of Abu Dis shot and in critical condition.
• 26th December: Mohammed Hassan Eriqat aged 16 shot through the stomach by Israeli soldiers in Abu Dis. His family are not being given information about his condition. The very urgent issue at this point is that the family who have been denied information should be allowed to visit Mohammed and told about his condition. It is also important that the family of the other two boys be told where they are. It is a difficult time of year to contact CADFA members and our representative, but if you can help us raise this with the Israeli embassy please do.
• Holy Land excavation digs into Mideast rifts
• Palestine: Israeli police kidnaps a Palestinian reporter in Jerusalem [Muslim News}
• Israeli police kidnaps a Palestinian reporter in Jerusalem [IMEMC]

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• Maryam Ayyad - killed in her own house in Abu Dis by the Israeli army on 20 September 2008. See CADFA press release, SOAS statement and news links below.
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• Maryam and Hiba Ayyad's story
• Photo and message from the brother of Mariam Ayyad doc
• Al-Jazeera report on the CADFA vigil for Maryam Ayyad [in Arabic]
• Vigil for Mariam Ayyad in Camden on 27 September 08
• "Twilight Zone / Night fell, and the search began" [Haaretz, 23.10.08]
• Reuters
• IMEMC
• PNN
• Haaretz

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• August 08: Prisoner release in Abu Dis - the pictures show this prisoner before he went into jail - apparently he has lost really vast amounts of weight and people are very worried about him - he was inside for 8 years including two in solitary confinement
  
• 16th August 08: Abu Dis School star pupil badly beaten and arrested by Israeli army doc
• International frontier between Abu Dis and Bethlehem?: These pictures show Israeli work at the Container checkpoint south of Abu Dis, between Abu Dis and Bethlehem. The work looks set to transform the already difficult road (look at the pictures of the tailbacks) into another quasi-international frontier, like the ones already in the Wall at Qalandya or Al-Zayem. It is clear that the Wall and these huge institutional checkpoints or "terminals" between Abu Dis and area and Jerusalem are part of an illegal landgrab that Israel hopes will make the annexation of East Jerusalem a "fact" and will create an international frontier at that point. But as the inhabitants of Abu Dis ask, what is this new one all about? What is going on at Container? An international frontier between Abu Dis and its neighbour Bethlehem as well? And similar things are happening at Jaba checkpoint to the north. - Is there to be an international frontier between Abu Dis and Ramallah as well?
• New 24-hour emergency centre and delivery room opened in Abu 21st June 08
• AL-HAQ Position Paper: 60 years of Nakba
• Nakba day march May 2008 doc pdf
• A checkpoint for women only doc
• Dar Assadaqa starts weekly film showings for young children, March 2008 doc
• Sunday, 17th February 2008, 4pm: Special concert at the Al Quds University Theatre with the Saddaqa Trio from Camden, the Camden Dar Assadaqa Ensemble from Abu Dis, and the Al-Quds University Band. And at 6pm at the new Dar Assadaqa building in the main street near the old mosque the official opening of the new Dar Assadaqa by Baroness Jenny Tonge
• Snow in Abu Dis - the video
• 31 January 08: Snow in Abu Dis - message from a friend in Bethany doc
• Army in Abu Dis 21 Jan 08
• 21 January 08: Candle-lit march in Abu Dis calls for the lifting of the siege in Gaza. At least a hundred people from Abu Dis have marched today from the old mosque in Abu Dis to the house of Abu Ala, Ahmed Qureia, calling for an ending to negotiations with Israel until they stop the massacres and the siege on Gaza. Click for press releases on the situation from the UN Human Rights office, Al Haq and Defence for Children International(Palestinian human rights organisations) This is one of dozens of demonstrations across the West Bank and there are demonstrations across the Arab world today. On Saturday 26th there will be an international day of action against the siege on Gaza and CADFA in London will be supporting a demonstration outside Parliament.
• 21 January 2008: Painting begins in new Dar Assadaqa!
• Abu Dis fencing champion: Hanin Halabiyeh (17) from Abu Dis Girls' School has been chosen as one of the Palestinian fencing team. In April 2007, she travelled with the team to Sweden and in August 2007, to Poland. Hanin has currently got fourth place of nine countries. (Hanin was one of the young people who visited London with CADFA in June 2006)
  
  
• Camden Clinic Health Day announcement December 07: A day for diabetics, including tests and medicine - important because of the difficulty for people in Abu Dis of getting to hospitals in Jerusalem.
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• Israel confirms settlement plans [BBC]
• 11th December: Israeli soldiers on the rampage in Abu Dis doc
• US Aid to Abu Dis... doc
• 17th November 07: Israeli authorities prevent CADFA Abu Dis co ordinator from travelling to London with Abu Dis group
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• Children collecting their prizes following the CADFA drawing competition, at the UNWRA school in Abu Dis, November 4th 2007


• Winners of the Camden Abu Dis children’s drawing competition doc
• 27 Oct 07: Camden teachers' visit to Abu Dis a great success doc

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OCT 07: NEW LANDGRAB INCLUDES ABU DIS LAND:



• Map
• 14 October 07: CADFA Press Release: Camden human rights group condemns Israeli takeover of Abu Dis lands
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• Land grabs make Palestinians’ lives a misery [Guardian Letters, 11.10.07] doc
• Israeli army orders confiscation of Palestinian land in West Bank [Guardian]
• Rabin supported it, too [Haaretz]
• Israel takes West Bank land for new road

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• New political prisoners' museum opens in Al Quds University, Abu Dis Campus
• Another checkpoint birth near Abu Dis on Friday 7th September 2007. Wedian Abu Romi from Azariyeh was not allowed through the checkpoint in time to have her baby in hospital, having been kept waiting by the Israeli police, along with her family, when they were asking for permission to pass. Click here and here for more.
• Competition for children in Abu Dis doc
• Doctor humiliated at checkpoint doc
• Camden Football Team - and Exciting News for Abu Dis Children doc doc
• Many holders of Jerusalem IDs are having their IDs taken away doc doc
• June 07: Human Rights Report doc doc
• May 07: Report on human rights situation in Abu Dis doc doc
• Freedom Kites: On 5th June 2007, 40 years to the day after the June war started and the Israeli army occupied the West Bank, children in Abu Dis and Camden flew kites to call for freedom. See leaflet and photos from Abu Dis below - Camden photos coming soon...

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• The young dabkeh dancers from Dar Assadaqa (who are supported by CADFA) danced at the end-of-school event at the UNWRA School Abu Dis on 31st May 07
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• Abu Dis woman in labour forced to go to hospital alone doc
• Injustice or insanity? doc
• Camden London and Camden Abu Dis doc
• Israeli army abducts three children from Abu Dis
• Invading our house and arresting my brother doc
• February 2007: Report on human rights situation in Abu Dis [Arabic] - English to follow  doc
• 23 February 07: The Association for the Human Rights of Citizens in Israel - in Jerusalem - has written an urgent request to the Head of the Police Investigations Department and the Head of the Border Police asking for an inquiry into the attack on the Abu Dis Boys' School. See Al Quds article below:
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• Statement in Arabic on Israeli attack on Abu Dis Boys School doc
• Degrading treatment of Abu Dis Councillor: Ali Ayyad, a Council member from Abu Dis, was asked by the Israelis to go with his brothers to Jerusalem in order to discuss the future of the Cliff Hotel (here called the "imprisoned" Cliff Hotel) which the Israelis have taken over, and which is owned by the Ayyad family. In order to do that, they had to seek a permit from the Civil Department near the Jabal Az Zaytoun checkpoint (or "terminal" as these big checkpoints are now called). On Wednesday 14th February they went to the Civil Department in order to get the permit. When they went there, Ali Ayyad was told to take off his clothes and made to sit on a wet, dirty chair in public for an hour. See Al Quds article below [Arabic]:
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• Wednesday 14th February 2007: Attack by Israeli army on Abu Dis School doc
• Friday 9th February 07 - from friends in Abu Dis: During the past week, the Israelis have been doing work on the wall under Al Aqsa Mosque - between the Wailing Wall and Al Aqsa Mosque - putting the stability of the place at risk. They want to destroy a bridge which threatens the Al Aqsa Mosque - Palestinians and Muslims all round the world are very upset. Today is Friday, the day of Friday prayers, very important for Muslims.

  This morning the Israelis have been keeping people out of the mosque and the situation is getting worse. About 500 people prayed today at Damascus Gate and about the same number at each other gate of the old city of Jerusalem.

  After the prayer, a demonstration began against what the Israelis are doing at the Al Aqsa, soldiers and the Israeli Border Police attacked people with tear gas, sound bombs and live bullets. They have also charged the demonstration using horses and steel batons. People are getting seriously injured from all of this and taken to Al Muqassed Hospital.

  In Abu Dis, people have been on their roofs this morning watching (over the Separation Wall) what is happening in Jerusalem, listening to explosions and gunfire, hearing stories of people being killed. There are demonstrations in Abu Dis and Azariyeh and a huge one in Qalandya. There are 500 Israeli army in the Al Aqsa square itself, using stun grenades, and the crisis is continuing.

• Solana says he is shocked by settlement growth in occupied West Bank
• Mustafa: a child arrested on Monday morning in Abu Dis doc
• December 2006: Report on human rights situation in Abu Dis doc doc
• November 2006: Report on human rights situation in Abu Dis  doc  doc
• October 2006: Report on human rights situation in Abu Dis  doc  doc
• 26th October 2006: Fantastic Eid event at Dar Assadaqa. British visitors and residents of Abu Dis alike were delighted by the Eid event held at Dar Assadaqa on 26th October - the product of lots of hard work by members of the Friendship House and a bright point of hope at a time of real difficulty in Palestine. Visitors were welcomed by displays of dabke and a moving play in Arabic done by the young people's theatre group, and prizes were given to the winners of the Our Town photo competition. A beautiful display of local art and crafts included old items from the area such as pottery and agricultural equipment, and also things made more recently by local women, children in schools and by Abu Dis prisoners in Israeli jails. Children at the Friendship House had worked on a clay model of old Abu Dis, with tiny copies of houses and animals. Visitors from England were given a presentation about the work of the Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association, and work from the classes at Dar Assedaqa was on display on the walls. To end a lovely evening there were big trays of makloubeh and other Palestinian food made by local people.
• 13 October 2006 - Letter from Abu Dis doc
• 4 October 2006 - Student arrested for going to university  doc
• 30 September 2006 - Health Day at Abu Dis Friendship House - The first open health day at Dar Assadaqa, Abu Dis, was organised jointly by Abu Dis Camden Health Links and Palestinian Medical Relief because of the current problems with the supply of doctors and medicines in Abu Dis**. Two doctors (one of them a child specialist and the other a GP) and several voluntary helpers saw 68 patients. Those that needed it were given free medicine. The open day was such a success that this will be repeated fortnightly. ** Note that the money from Camden sent in the summer by Camden Abu Dis Health Links has been used to provide medicine via the Al-Muqassed Clinic in Abu Dis.
• 18 September 2006 - Letter from Abu Dis doc
• September 2006: Report on human rights situation in Abu Dis doc  doc
• September 2006: Human rights clinic starts at Al-Quds University, Abu Dis: With the help of CADFA academic links, a human rights clinic is starting at Al-Quds University which will provide help for local people suffering human rights abuses and provide practice for trainee human rights lawyers. (This innovative clinic is seeking further funding).
• 21 September 2006: Children's Art Festival at Friendship House to celebrate Peace Day - click on thumbnail to enlarge



• 13 September 2006: There was a demonstration outside the Red Cross offices in Abu Dis, drawing attention to the situation of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Demonstrators were calling for prisoners from Abu Dis and the East Jerusalem area to be included in any prisoner exchange with Israel. See below for Notes and demo pictures.

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Click here for Abu Dis Demo photos

• August 2006: Report on human rights situation in Abu Dis  doc  doc
• July 2006: Report on human rights situation in Abu Dis  doc  doc



• ABU DIS WINNERS OF THE OUR TOWN COMPETITION 2006

Mohammed Abu Hillal and Diaa Abu Hillal both took photos of the Wall in Abu Dis  doc

Khamees Baher used a photograph of Fadi Baher and wrote about him  doc

Sa'ad Dakhlala did not put in a picture of Abu Dis but he took photographs of the school in Anata and wrote about it  doc

• 2 August 06: Article about CADFA summer scheme [PNN - Arabic]
• 12th July 06: Israel invades two Abu Dis youth centres doc
• 9th July 06: More land confiscated from Abu Dis doc
• 30 June 06: Friends of just released brothers arrested doc
• 28 June 06: Release of two Abu Dis brothers from Israeli jail doc
• 27 June 06: Early morning arrests reported across Abu Dis this morning - the Israeli army have arrested many people across the whole of the West Bank today
• Said and Tawjehi - a 17-year-old is prevented from doing his 'A' level equivalent doc
• "Our women give birth at Israeli checkpoints.... and the world watches..." - 26 May 06  doc
• A doctor reports the brutal killing of a patient trying to get to a hospital - 23 May 06  doc
• About Shehadah Ahmad Mohsen [in Arabic]  doc
• Photo and report on the death of Mr Mohsen from Al-Quds - 24 May 06 [in Arabic]  doc
• Letter from Abu Dis following London march on 20 May 2006  doc
• CRISIS IN PALESTINE - Statement by CADFA May 2006  doc
• Call from Abu Dis: Stop the Collective Punishment doc
• Call for help doc doc
• Abu Dis children to come to Camden. Eight children from Abu Dis together with their teachers will be making a visit to Camden schools and youth clubs in mid-June for ten days.
• Haneen from Abu Dis Youth Club Girls' Fencing Team won first prize in a Palestinian fencing competition held in Jericho on Friday 28th April. Click below to find out more - and on the thumbnails for larger pictures.

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