Dear all
This is a cry from the heart i hope that this will reach the world decision makers if they still have mercy and justice in their hearts .

 I ask every one of you to send this to every body they know , this  appeal should be  to be heard by as many persons as possible this is very  urgent. I know that we can not stop the wall, others before us tried but  failed . We still hope that a miracle can happen to stop this tragedy and  demolish all the walls that humans are building to protect them from their  conscious they know that they are steeling and they will forever live in  FEAR it is not the wall that will protect their children from the anger of  the new generation that is living the tragedy of occupation ... and injustice.

I do not have the heart to write about this parcel of wall that will  pass so close to our second Family house the first one my father lost in  1948 when he was not given the possibility to go back to Jerusalem where he  used to live. This wall will enclose our house from the east north and west  we are still lucky to have the south free ... well free is too much  said lets say accessible. Many land owners  from beit-jala will have no more  access to their land .This area is well known for its olives vines and  apricots other than the kinder garden run by the Salisian sisters that will  be totally cut from Beit-jala by this wall or fence . We feel so discouraged  by the silence of the world on the tragedy of this wall. In my point of  view this wall will be the factor that will increase the breech in  the  cultural and the human aproach so much needed in this part of the world .  What we need are bridges not walls  to prepare for  a good and prosperous future for our children and their's.

Tony Sfeir

Bulldozers start work on Wall to annex Bethlehem's Cremisan Monastery

While the world's attention turns to the dramatic situation in Gaza, the  Israeli Army has begun uprooting ancient olive trees in Bethlehem's Cremisan  area, marking out the path of the wall to be built through one of the  regions most valuable heritage sites.

The Cremisan area is of significant heritage value, home to the only winery  in Palestine and two monasteries. Some of the finest examples of the regions  ancient terraced landscape can be found here. The Wall will carve through  these terraces destroying agricultural landscapes that have survived for  centuries.

An urgent appeal has been circulated by Beit Jala district council, calling  for action to stop the bulldozers. The statement reads: ?This morning  Tuesday 27th of June 2006, the Israeli bulldozers guarded with armed  personnel started cutting and uprooting olive trees in the Cremisan area in  preparation for the construction of the segregation Wall. Cremisan area has  the only remaining forest in the city, and the most fertile agricultural  and, which is the main source of income to many farmers in the city?

When the Wall is completed, Beit Jala district will have lost access to   wo-thirds of its land. The Cremisan area is one of the very few  recreational sites in the city where locals used to go on weekends and  holidays.

Open Bethlehem's Chief Executive, Leila Sansour says: At a time when the US Congress is considering the plight of Palestinian Christians, we are  witnessing the destruction of this community?s land, heritage and  livelihood. The people of Bethlehem are untied in their message to the  international community: if you want to help us, stop the construction of  Israel's Wall.

The last announcement of major confiscation of Beit Jala?s land happened in  March when world attention was focused on the Jericho Prison siege.

Leila Sansour