Rethinking Israel after Sixty Years
. . . . Jeff Halper
Israeli Independence Day 2008, marking the sixtieth anniversary of the rise of the Jewish State, should be cause for sober reflection and reevaluation as well as celebration. Indeed, we Israeli Jews have much to celebrate. But something, it appears, is amiss. Israel’s 60 Year gala appeared exaggerated, the joy expressed through the blaring loudspeakers somewhat artificial and forced.

The celebrations were certainly more militaristic and triumphalist than usual. Neither the Palestinians nor the Occupation were allowed to penetrate the close narrative encasing Independence Day, of course, but military themes and displays, plus the presence of thousands of soldiers and police in every public place, conveyed an underlying disquiet. Something else was present, an unsettling but unspoken element. I call it the Palestinian poltergeist. . . more

Activism
. . . . Constructing Peace Campaign
During the past two months the Constructing Peace Campaign has rebuilt six demolished Palestinian homes in the Jerusalem area, in a village north of Ramallah, and in a village near Bethlehem. The families were provided with a simple 35-50 meter (300-450 sq. ft.) home in solidarity with their suffering, and as an act of civil disobedience. These homes were demolished solely because the Israeli government does not issue building permits to the vast majority of Palestinians under its control in the Occupied West Bank.

. . . . ICAHD Activists Resist Demolition
ICAHD received an alert one day last month regarding an imminent home demolition in the village of Anata, east Jerusalem. It was the home of the Hamdan family which had been rebuilt during the 2007 ICAHD summer Camp. An SMS alert was sent out to activists who arrived at the home before the demolition commenced. ICAHD Director Jeff Halper actively resisted the demolition and was arrested. A video of his arrest is on the ICAHD web site, and after his release Jeff wrote an article reflecting on the day's events Read the Article

Another Day of Home Demolitions
. . . . Fred Schlomka
By the time the activists arrived, the police and Israeli Army had cordoned off the house, giving the family just half an hour to remove their belongings. Then the giant jackhammer attached to the bulldozer began its ugly work, systematically destroying the fruit of decades of Sbeih family savings. It wasn't enough for the machine of destruction to make the house uninhabitable by collapsing the roof and walls. They also burrowed deep into the rubble and tore into the concrete slab floor of the house. Then the bulldozer went meticulously around the edges of the slab, digging deep into the ground to the foundations buried several meters in the ground. Once the house had been completely destroyed the jackhammer turned its attention to the surrounding trees, and the recently poured concrete slab that was intended for an addition to the original home. Read the Article

. . . Summer Camp
The summer camp is now fully booked. ICAHD will host over 30 internationals in July, including a large contingent from Spain. They will help to rebuild the home of a Palestinian family whose house has been demolished by the Israeli authorities. The summer camp program also includes tours of the West bank and Israel, and presentations by Palestinian and Israeli peace and justice groups.

Practical Activism/Advocacy
What you can do this month . . .

• Add the 18,000 homes banner to your site.
• Mount the Jerusalem Dispossessed Exhibit.
• Download one or more ICAHD brochures to distribute to your organization and at events.
• In the USA contact your Senator or Congressperson about ongoing house demolitions and settlement construction.
• In Europe contact your national government and Members of the European Union .