Why East Jerusalem?

I volunteer for Arabia.pl and Peace and Development Studies as an Ecumenical Accompanier (EA), serving on the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The views contained in this blog are personal to me and do not necessarily reflect those of WCC, EAPPI, Arabia.pl or PDS.

What do we do here? 

Currently we have 7 teams in 6 placement across the West Bank (Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Tulkarem, Jayous, Janon) and East Jerusalem. Our major role is to provide a protective presence to Palestinian communities. We monitor checkpoints, school runs and work with local communities. 

What does East Jerusalem team do? 

Five mornings a week ( as early as from 4.30 AM onwards) we monitor 3 checkpoins at Qualandia (major checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah), Shu'fat refugee camp and Zaitoun. We do it in the early morning in the rush hours when Palestinan workers commute to work in Israel. 

We provide protective presence to the communities within the Separation Barrier and outside the Separation Barrier as well as in the 'seam zone'. Seam zone is the name of the area in between the Green Line and the separation barrier  - the wall very often goes deep within West Bank according to the Israeli policy of maximizing the land gains and minimizing Palestinian presence in Israel. Communities in the seam zone are effectively cut off from the access to the West Bank (and Israel as well). 

In East Jerusalem we focus mainly on providing protective presence to communities that face the threat of eviction from their houses - in Silwan and in Sheikh Jarreh as well as within the Old City. We are also work with Palestinian Christian communities in the city.  

Outside the city, we work in the Shu'fat camp and with different Bedouin communities within and outside the barrier as well as well as communities in the seam zone (Al Khaleila and Nabi Samuil).  

We also provide a protective presence at the school runs in Jerusalem - at Dunn Gate (next to the Western Wall) and in Wadi Rababa. 

For more information please contact me directly at dominika.blachnicka@gmail.com