You don’t know when they’ll come, but they’ll come…

With the threat of an Israeli military closure order hanging over their heads, this is one of the maxims that the children and staff of the Islamic Girl’s Orphanage in Hebron have had to keep in mind every day.

The orphans anticipate the coming misery.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

Issued on February 25, 2008 by General Gadi Shamni, the Israeli military commander of the West Bank, the order demands the closure of fourteen schools and orphanages in Hebron: eight funded by the Islamic Charitable Society and six belonging to the Muslim Youth Society.

All these clothes were made for the orphans.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

Since then, activists from the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) have been joined by other internationals from Belgium, Britain, Canada, Germany, Holland, Scotland and the US in maintaining a permanent presence in the orphanage to deter the Israeli military from implementing the order.

The first deadline for the closure of the orphanage passed on April 4 without incident, and although the children, staff and activists alike heaved a sigh of relief, they knew that the story was not over yet.

The women’s work in the sewing workshop was important in two ways: for the needy orphans and for these mothers earning at least a small salary there.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

As the second official deadline of April 28 loomed, several internationals, led by the CPT, mobilized to support the orphanage’s children and staff both emotionally and physically by preparing to peacefully challenge the soldiers – if and when they came. “How can grown men do this to little children?" asked CPT member Art Arbour.

Nothing happened until early on the morning of Thursday 1 May, when a line of military jeeps and trucks appeared at the orphanage at 1am. Some 40 Israeli soldiers emerged, and proceeded to loot the orphanage’s sewing workshop.

Soldiers emptied the sewing workshop completely, seizing equipment and materials worth an estimated USD 45,000.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

The soldiers randomly picked up all sorts of things, not paying much attention to the impact of their actions.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

The process was documented by the activists using still and video cameras. The soldiers emptied the entire workshop of its sewing machines and office equipment, also taking with them clothing that had been made for the orphans and to be sold to generate revenue for the orphanage.

An Israeli soldier seizing equipment.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

All stolen goods were put on one of the two military trucks.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

All in all, staff estimate that some USD 45,000-worth of equipment and materials were stolen. No one knows where the equipment has been taken and what will be done with it. One thing they are sure of however is that they will never see any of it again.

One can only wonder where the Israeli military took all of these things, and why...

Photo: Palestine Monitor