![]() |
Dear,
![]()
Ezra Nawi's sentencing hearing took
place yesterday (Sunday), and Jewish Voice for Peace was there with
over 20,000 of your signatures. The judge will render her sentence
on September 21st, 2009.
At the hearing, Emily Schaeffer testified on behalf of JVP, and on
behalf of all the people who had signed letters in support of Ezra. She
explained that over 20,000 people from around the world knew Ezra,
supported him, and demanded that he not be jailed for his courageous
nonviolent defense of Palestinian Bedouins in the South Hebron
region-under constant attack by settlers, the Israeli army and police.
When crossed-examined, she was asked if
"tikkun olam" described the events about which the hearing was taking
place.
She
answered: "Absolutely."
The prosecutor objected to the filing of the signatures. Thanks to
Emily's testimony on behalf of JVP, and thanks to the insistence of
Ezra's attorney, Leah Tzemel, the long list of names attesting to
Ezra's support were accepted by the judge.
In fact, the Jerusalem Post reported on this case in an article with
the following title:
20,000
sign petition asking Jerusalem court not to put peace activist Ezra
Nawi in jail
To date, the
video detailing the events leading to his arrest has been watched
over 37,000 times. Ezra Nawi's sole crime was trying to stop a
military bulldozer from destroying the homes of Palestinian Bedouins in
the South Hebron region. Ironically, Judge Ziskind verdict punishes
Nawi for "disturbing the peace:" The peace of the bulldozer and the
home demolitions.
After the soldiers demolished the home, a handcuffed Ezra is seen
telling the laughing soldiers:
"Yes, I was also a soldier, but I didn't
demolish houses. There's a big difference. The only thing that will be
left here is hatred. Only hatred will be left here. Very funny,
soldier? That the kids will be sleeping outside, is that funny?"
No wonder The Nation called him "Israel's Man of Conscience." Haaretz
compared his nonviolent resistance to that of the Mahatma Gandhi and
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ezra's case is part of a larger pattern of
harassment targeting nonviolent resistance against the Israeli
occupation. Palestinian nonviolent activists fare considerably worse
than him. We recall the recent arrests of Palestinian nonviolent
activists in the town of Bil'in. Eighteen Palestinian activists remain
in military prison today, together with the two leaders of the the
Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements: Mohammed
al-Khatib and Adib Abu Rahma. They sit in military jails without
bail-or are offered bail only under condition that they cease their
nonviolent demonstrations. Others, such as Bassem Ahmed Ibrahim Abu
Rahma, have paid for their nonviolent protests with their lives. Last
April, he was killed in Bilin by a high velocity tear gas fired
directly at him at close distance.
![]()
Sydney Levy
Jewish Voice
for Peace
|
|
|
|
![]()
__._,
|