Students’ Celebrations End with Invasion

Students’ Celebrations End with Invasion



Posted on August 9th, 2007.
On Tuesday, August 7, 2007 Palestinian students received their end-of-year exam marks. It was a day for celebration (for some), and consequently an occasion for fireworks. At approximately 1pm in the village of Al-Jab’a, Betlehem district, these celebrations were abruptly ended when Israeli Occupation Forces invaded the village, detained several male residents, and occupied at least 1 home.
Several jeeps and Armoured Personnel Carriers entered the small village of 800 residents where soldiers closed the road near the school and began stopping and questioning residents. They also forced one man to allow them into his home while his family waited outside. When international activists asked why they were in the village and what they were looking for one soldier replied simply with a shrug of his shoulders. Another said there had been shooting in the village. When an international activist attempted to explain that they had been there all day and the only ’shootings’ were of fireworks, the soldiers began ushering the internationals out of the area.
This was a small reminder of the complete lack of sovereignty of Palestinians over their land and their lives; a simple moment of celebration ended with invasion.