Peace Depends on Israel...

Interview with Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, October 4, 2010


Jeff was born and educated in the U.S, and became a professor of anthropology.  He moved to Israel in 1978 to explore his Jewish roots. By 1997 he was founding an anti-occupation organization known by the acronym ICAHD  (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions).  He looked for an issue that would represent the abuses of Israel's military policies toward Palestinians, and found it in the practice of demolishing homes of Palestinians who had built without the un-obtainable permit.

Since 1967, Israel has torn down more than 25,000 family dwellings, making homeless that many large families. Children often returned home from school to find their toys and clothes in a heap of rubble. Or families would be awakened at 2 or 3 a.m., evicted from their homes in their pajamas, and forced to watch the house-eating bulldozer crush all that they owned. Jeff and ICAHD approached this issue from several angles.

 ICAHD organizes summer work crews of international volunteers and Palestinian construction workers to rebuild houses as an act of resistance. Some of these homes - 170 so far - have been re-demolished by the Israeli army, but those who have resisted have delivered their message: we will not give up.

Jeff has traveled all over the U.S. and Europe to educate the international community about the truth of what is happening in Israel/Palestine. He has a keen analysis of the "facts on the ground", and insists that the core problem is the occupation by Israel of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. "Israel is not the victim; it is the occupying power; it is the only player that has a government and an army.  So peace depends on Israel much more than on the Palestinians."

As for the " peace process" Jeff says that the American government "won't do anything meaningful." He believes that only grassroots organizing will bring about a change. Meanwhile, and that may be a very long while, ICAHD is busy throughout the year showing up at non-violent demonstrations against the "apartheid wall", settler violence or the uprooting of olive trees, and going to the olive harvest to help protect farmers from settler attacks and harrassment. Jeff has stood before bulldozers to prevent their devasting advance on homes and orchards, and he was on the first Free Gaza ship, the only one so far to actually land in Gaza's port. For these actions he has been arrested numerous times.

"Obama gets it, " says Jeff, but Congress won't let him act to pressure Israel. In the absence of significant action by the U.S., a new anti-occupation strategy is developing in the international community: "anyone BUT the U.S." needs to step in. "The United States should be concered about its growing isolation as other countries start to step into the breach. He named Turkey, Brazil and South Africa as examples.

ICAHD is now participating in the international Boycot, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign with  the clear position that this campaign is not against Israel, but against the occupation.  However, as Jeff's 6 year old granddaughter played at his feet, he said that her future is at stake, and he does not want her to grow up in such a militarized society as now prevails in Israel.

Would the Israeli public accept a Palestinian state within the '67 borders, taking the settlements out of the West Bank and East Jerusalem? Well, says Jeff, 65% would go along with that, but they are completely uninvolved. "Their life is too good."