Beit Arabiya, home of Salim and Arabiya Shawamreh, has risen from the ruins of its demolition for the fifth time in thirteen years. More than two hundred people gathered in the West Bank town of Anata to celebrate the rebuilding of Beit Arabiya, home of Salim and Arabiya Shawamreh family. Since 1998, this home has been demolished five times by the Israeli government but rebuilt each time by the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) as a political act of resistance to Israelis demolition policies, which are illegal under international law.
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The home was rebuilt during ICAHDis tenth annual rebuilding camp that attracted more than thirty internationals who stood side by side with Israelis and Palestinians who refuse to be enemies, demonstrating that there are partners for peace.
Within two weeks, the pile of rubble left after the demolition of the house in the middle of night on 23 January earlier this year, was transformed into a fully functioning house with extensive terrace. This was made possible by nearly one hundred additional volunteers, including international youth, part of summer delegations to Palestine who worked with temperatures soaring over 30 degrees C and with limited water supplies.
ICAHD launched its tenth annual Rebuilding Camp on July 2nd.
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Click here to read a special pre-camp issue of the ICAHD Newsletter.
Official Press Release (pre-camp)
with background information on demolitions.