Israeli Troops Wreck the Al-Tafawk Children’s Centre in Jenin and Attack the Children with Tear Gas

Ask Boris Johnson and Sir Starmer how Destroying a Children’s Center has anything to do with Israel 'protecting itself' against rockets 

With all attention on Israel’s genocidal attacks on Gaza and the pogroms against Palestinian citizens in Israel, the situation in the West Bank itself is being ignored. There is currently a reign of terror there to add to the problems with COVID.

Jenin Refugee Camp is being constantly attacked by Israeli troops.

For the past few years the Brighton Trust has been raising funds for the Al Tafawk Centre in Jenin, which is in the north of the West Bank. On Sunday I learnt from an eye witness, who for safety reasons will have to remain nameless, that Israeli soldiers raided the Centre last Saturday night destroying the equipment.

This is Zionism’s idea of peaceful coexistence. It should prove, even to the eternally blind, that Israel is a vicious and murderous settler colonial state that even needs to attack a Palestinian children’s centre to emphasise who is in control.

The Israeli occupation authorities wishes to see the Palestinians of the West Bank ethnically cleansed. It therefore hates any civil society organisations because they help keep the population together. Hence why the Al Tafawk Centre was targeted.

Below is the statement that I received. It speaks for itself and below that is a statement on Facebook from its manager.

What You Can Do

Please circulate the information in this blog to your MP and ask them to put down/sign what is called an Early Day Motion protesting at the damages by the Israeli Defence Forces to the Centre and in it call for the IDF to pay compensation for the restoration of the Centre.

Ask your MP to raise these abominable acts with Dominic Raab and the Foreign Office.

Please contribute whatever you can afford to the Al Tafawk Appeal which we have been running these past years or donate directly to:

Account Name:          The Brighton Trust

Account Number:       91420311

Sort Code:                   09-01-28

Reference:                   Al Tafawk Appeal (this is important)

By publicising this as much as possible you will be helping to protect the staff and children at the Centre. The Israeli Army and those who command it have to be made aware that there is a price to pay for their actions.

Thank you

Tony Greenstein

Hi,

I just received some horrible news.

Last night they've raided the center. First they started to shoot from outside the center. Then they blew up the front door and entered the center. They threw everything around. Damaging everything of value. Like the printer.

I have been sent some pictures. I have attached them to this email.

Mona [the Manager] is very scared and in shock. She doesn't know what to do. 9 children are also still in shock

The situation in Jenin.

Persona Doll Training enjoys working with Al Tafawk Centre in Jenin. Our programme for working with older children detailed in our publication “Empowering Voices” was developed thanks to this relationship. The centre’s founder, Mona Jalamnh has recently sent us heartbreaking messages, describing what is taking place there. This is what she wrote on May 11th.

“I will try to write what is going on here in the camp from the time the soldiers attacked Jerusalem.. our nights change to nightmare in the camp and also our days

Every night hundred of solders' jeeps come to the camp and start shooting everywhere throw gas at homes from windows as the children are sleeping and if anyone need to save or move his child to hospital or even to safer place he put himself in danger.

Two days ago, the soldiers were hid around the centre as we thought they went away in the early morning so I decided to go as everyday to open the center at 7 am.. but when I reach the center with some children the soldiers start to throw gas at us,

the children start running in street and I couldn't control them

The situation in Jenin now is very hard I go to the center in secret .At day time they don’t shoot as at night

But for 2 days they keep throwing Gas at the children in the center so i had to close it till I feel a little safer.

We are really hopeless like what happen when I was child in 2000..

I do not know how to explain the pain and fair we face I wish I could make pictures but I am sure it would be so dangerous

The children feel bad from the gas and the noise of shooting they spent the time under the tables crying.”