People of Azzun protest demolitions, blockade

A demonstration of over 450 people was held in the village of Azzun last Thursday in protest at a demolition order issued by the Israeli military against the town’s new playground and community center.

The protest was attended by scores of Azzun residents, together with activists from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), and the Fatah Youth Marching Band.

Construction of the playground and community center where the protest was held began in 2005, after the municipality was given a US$250,000 grant from USAID and the YMCA. But the Israeli military issued a demolition order against the development, and in 2006 demolished the outdoor swimming pool which was being built adjacent to the playground.

Another demolition order has been issued against the playground and community center for March 15 2008. The bulldozers have not yet arrived, and many in the community hope that a campaign conducted by the town and civil society organizations like ISM and EAPPI will succeed in rescinding the demolition order.

Although the municipal borders of Azzun are within Area A – under the control of the Palestinian Authority - the park, which is just a five-minute walk from the city center, technically lies in Area C – under the control of the Israeli military. On several occasions the municipality has applied for a construction permit from the Israeli military, but has been rejected each time, according to Azzun Mayor Iyad Khalaf.

“The only suitable place for the park is there. It’s not dangerous; there are no settlements,” Mr. Khalaf said, adding that the playground and community center also serve twelve neighboring villages.

Mr. Khalaf noted that the boundaries of Area A in Azzun are such that urban growth is impossible, with seven houses on the city’s periphery having been issued demolition orders as well.

“We cannot have a school, a clinic, or a women’s center because if we build, they will give us demolition orders,” said Mr. Khalaf.

In addition to threats of demolitions, the situation in Azzun, which is located near the Wall in the southern Qalqiliya governorate, has been further exacerbated by two major roadblocks leading into the town. Since access to road 55 was cut off over six months ago, Azzun’s economy has been struggling to stay afloat.

“In the last months, I have seen prices here double, and wages have not increased,” said local business owner Nizar Zumareh. “I’ve never seen this happen in my entire life.”

The roadblocks have severely constricted the level of consumer goods entering the town, and have also cut it off from much of the business it used to attract from people traveling through the area. In recent months, Azzun has also come under curfew several times during IDF military raids, with over 160 curfew hours in February alone – more than any other community in the West Bank.

“When you close these roads, you close everything. It has a very bad impact on the economy,” said Mayor Khalaf, who noted that several businesses and factories have left the town due to the closure and curfews.