Finished Sign at Everest

Report filed June 3rd at the Town or Settlement of Efrat.

Efrat, founded by Israelis in 1980, is a small town of some 8,000 Israelis living inside occupied Palestine, inside the 1967 border called "the Green Line", about 15 minutes from Jerusalem. Some 40% of the towns residents were born in the United States.

We entered Efrat from a well paved highway reserved only for Israelis, running from Jerusalem to Efrat. We met Ardie Geldman at his home inside Efrat.

Ardie is a polite and well spoken American from Chicago. He loves his town, his children, and his adopted country. "This is not a "settlement", he explains, "this is a town. We are not leaving here."

What struck me most about Efrat was how lovely and green it was. This was as fine a suburb as any upper middle class neighborhood in the United States, complete with a Ben and Jerries ice Cream, a travel agency, and a small shopping area. There was a small gate with a guard, but nothing that made us feel that we were surrounded by violent Arabs. It was the nicest neighborhood we have seen in the West Bank.

Afrat is clearly inside the West Bank, on land once inhabited by the Palestinian people and promised to the Palestinian people by United Nations resolutions 181, 235, 238, and the international court of justice. These resolutions have been endorsed by the United States, and promised to the Palestinian people as the basis for any final peace settlement. With great clarity, Ardie explained that 1) the United Nations resolutions were resolutions only, and not legally binding, 2) that he does not recognize the international court of justice and believes they are biased by European interests, 3) that while the Geneva conventions prohibit Israel from taking the land of a sovereign power by an act of war, the Palestinians are not a sovereign power, and so the creation of the Israeli town of Efrat inside occupied Palestine is quite legal.

Ardie felt Peace with the Palestinians was unlikely in the near future, because Hamas would not recognize Israel. I asked Ardie if he would accept an offer where Hamas recognized Israel's right to exist, on the condition that Afrat be recognized as a town inside the nation of Palestine. He said "no", they are part of Israel and any final peace must permit Afrat to remain a town under the authority of Israel. I did not ask him why the Palestinian people should accept an Israeli town inside their borders, nor did I ask why his town should be permitted to use Palestinian water supplies.

I did ask Ardie if my Palestinian friend could purchase a home inside Afrat. "Legally", said Adie, "it is permitted", however "it would not be socially acceptable. I do not think it would be a good idea."

I was hold the boom mike during the interview, and forgot to take pictures of Ardie. I might ad that he is the only person we have interview that asked for payment of an honorarium. After making payment, I asked where the money would be spent. With an awkward smile, he explained that the $50.00 I had paid will be put to use to support new "towns" forming inside Palestinian occupied territory.

 

The signs are sponsored by "IWagePeace.Org" and "Combatants For Peace.Org." Both signs will be received at services at the Berlin Mosque, in Berlin CT at 1:00 P.M. Friday June 8th, at Congregation Mishken Israel in Hamden CT on Friday June 8th at 8:00 P.M. and on Sunday, June 10th, 10:30 A.M. at Woodmont United Church of Christ, in Milford CT. The public is welcome at all services. Proper attire is required. Inside the Mosque, Men should wear modest clothing with long pants, women should dress modestly with long paints or full length dresses with long sleeves and head scarf.

For information call: Bruce A. Barrett at (203) 710-5675, email him at IWagepPeace@.mac.com, or visit his web site www.IWagePeace.Org