Beit Arabiya, a family home and peace center, had been rebuilt in July.
Neighbor Jabril Jahalin, who in July of this year helped to rebuild Beit Arabiya, the family house of Salim and Arabiya Shawamre, surveys the rubble after it was demolished for the sixth time on November 1, 2012. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)
At 3:00 a.m. this morning, Israeli forces demolished Beit Arabiya, the family house of Salim and Arabiya Shawamreh, for the sixth time. First built in 1994, it was rebuilt once again this summer by international, Palestinian, and Israeli volunteers organized by the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), which has used the house as a peace center since 2003.
Beit Arabiya, located in the West Bank town of Anata (Area C) just to the northeast of Jerusalem, is a living symbol of resistance to Occupation and the desire for justice and peace. As its name suggests, Beit Arabiya is a home belonging to Arabiya Shawamreh, her husband Salim and their seven children, a Palestinian family whose home has been demolished five times by the Israeli authorities and rebuilt each time by ICAHD’s Palestinian, Israeli and international peace activists, before being demolished again this morning.
A grapevine stands amid the rubble of Beit Arabiya, the family house of Salim and Arabiya Shawamre, demolished for the sixth time on November 1, 2012. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)
Arabiya and Salim have dedicated their home as a center for peace in the memories of Rachel Corrie and Nuha Sweidan, two women (an American and a Palestinian) who died resisting home demolitions in Gaza. In the past decade ICAHD has hosted numerous visitors at Beit Arabiya, and based its annual rebuilding camp at the house, rebuilding 186 demolished Palestinian homes.
Beit Arabiya was recently rebuilt during ICAHD’s tenth annual rebuilding camp that attracted more than thirty internationals, that 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, made possible by nearly one hundred additional volunteers, including international youth, part of summer delegations to Palestine.
Local children climb among the rubble of Beit Arabiya, demolished for the sixth time on November 1, 2012. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)
Activestills is a collective of Israeli, Palestinian, and international photographers, united by a conviction that photography is a vehicle for political and social change. We believe in the power of images to shape public attitudes and to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse. We view ourselves as part of the struggle against all forms of oppression, racism, and violations of the basic right to freedom. Our images are frequently published by many leading human rights, development, and advocacy agencies, as well as by alternative and leading news media. To stay updated on our latest images, like Activestills on Facebook or visit our Flickr photostream.
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