In an urgent appeal to Defence Minister Peretz Gush Shalom, The Israeli Peace Bloc, warns that erection of the “Separation Wall” is about to cause grievous harm to the Flowers of Hope School near Bethlehem.

We have received an S.O.S. from school director Ibrahim Issa. The bulldozers are already working directly in front of the school, and the student cafeteria built at considerable expense is about to be demolished. But the director is more worried about the fact that erection of the Wall would prevent Israelis from coming to visit the school and hold peace dialogue meetings in it.

Flowers of Hope has been known for many years as a school teaching peace and the building of bridges, which regularly invites Israelis to come and meet its Palestinian students, out of the belief that the conflict between the two peoples cannot be solved by violent means. Now, this channel of meetings and dialogue might be blocked, leaving stereotypes of hatred in its place.

The school director and staff ask that – if the state of Israel insists upon building the wall at this location – at least a gate would be opened through which Israeli visitors could pass to the meetings which have been taking place at this school for more than two decades.

We call upon you, Mr. Defence Minister, to accede to this modest request and not wreck this determined effort to cultivate a culture of peace on the Palestinian side” writes Gush Shalom.

Contact: Adam Keller, Gush Shalom Spokesperson adam@gush-shalom.org Ibrahim Issa, Flowers of Hope School Hopeflowers@palnet.com