lennart
10-05-03, 15:35
“This is the last day of your life”: Message at checkpoint
Palestine Monitor
10 May, 2003
Nablus - When Zaher Al Shoule (40 years old) left his house last Thursday morning (1st of May), he was unaware that a death threat was waiting for him.
The endemic joblessness in Palestinian Occupied lands has reduced Zaher, a father of three to earning a living by transporting goods for Palestinians on his donkey's cart, back and forth across the army barricaded “17 force” checkpoint.
On that morning the checkpoint was crowded with more than 70 Palestinians queuing and waiting to cross. Zaher, along with his brother Asad were preparing themselves to the work when a woman came with a message from the Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint:
“ The soldiers ordered me: ‘Go there and tell the man who is standing near his donkey that he is bothering us by being here every day, and that this is the last day of his life!” Insaf Al Resha a school teacher
was forced by the soldiers to be the bearer of the message.
However, even before Zaher heard the full message, a sniper amongst the soldiers shot one live bullet killing him on the spot.
“They killed him because he used to help the people carry their goods across the checkpoints as well as informing them the absence or presence of Israeli soldiers at the 'back roads' round the checkpoint,"his brother Asad sadly said.
According to Asera Al Shmalia residents, the Zaher family is one of the poorest families in the area. His job and that of his brother - transferring people goods across the checkpoint on a donkey back - was the only way they had to survive and barely make ends meet.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/Special%20Section/Closure/checkpoint_message.htm
Palestine Monitor
10 May, 2003
Nablus - When Zaher Al Shoule (40 years old) left his house last Thursday morning (1st of May), he was unaware that a death threat was waiting for him.
The endemic joblessness in Palestinian Occupied lands has reduced Zaher, a father of three to earning a living by transporting goods for Palestinians on his donkey's cart, back and forth across the army barricaded “17 force” checkpoint.
On that morning the checkpoint was crowded with more than 70 Palestinians queuing and waiting to cross. Zaher, along with his brother Asad were preparing themselves to the work when a woman came with a message from the Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint:
“ The soldiers ordered me: ‘Go there and tell the man who is standing near his donkey that he is bothering us by being here every day, and that this is the last day of his life!” Insaf Al Resha a school teacher
was forced by the soldiers to be the bearer of the message.
However, even before Zaher heard the full message, a sniper amongst the soldiers shot one live bullet killing him on the spot.
“They killed him because he used to help the people carry their goods across the checkpoints as well as informing them the absence or presence of Israeli soldiers at the 'back roads' round the checkpoint,"his brother Asad sadly said.
According to Asera Al Shmalia residents, the Zaher family is one of the poorest families in the area. His job and that of his brother - transferring people goods across the checkpoint on a donkey back - was the only way they had to survive and barely make ends meet.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/Special%20Section/Closure/checkpoint_message.htm