FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Israeli settlers attack Portland-church volunteer with stones in Jerusalem

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Written by EAPPI - US EAPPI - US
Category: News News
Published: 09 April 2010 09 April 2010
Last Updated: 09 April 2010 09 April 2010
Created: 09 April 2010 09 April 2010
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Prior to the attack the women had visited a Palestinian home in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem, a hot spot area, since Israeli authorities began a wave of evictions last summer. Up to 28 large Palestinian families are currently targeted for eviction to make way for illegal Israeli settlements, plans which the Obama administration has criticized.

When the police arrived ten minutes later, Pruess says, "The settlers surrounded the police giving their side of the story. They said such things like, “The Arabs attacked the internationals," meaning the women EA volunteers.

According to the EAPPI report, the EAs "were actively trying to talk to the police but continually waved away...They did manage to talk to the police for around one minute, but the police did not ask any of the EAs for specific details of the incident. A Palestinian was arrested, but police took no action against the settlers who started the confrontation" (Settlers attack EAs with stones: eappi.org).

Preuss believes that "If the Palestinian men hadn’t shown up...we would’ve been seriously hurt. They protected us. The arrest...[of the] Palestinian man, adds insult to injury."

The EAs filmed the attack as it was happening. After it was viewed and public, EAPPI updated their report adding that "four of the settlers in the Youtube clip were banned for a month from Sheikh Jarrah. [T]he Israeli courts gave two more families in Sheikh Jarrah a month's notice to leave their houses. This would bring the number of evicted families to five, including dozens of individuals, many of them children."

Preuss has a masters degree in social work and has nearly completed the requirements for her certificate in conflict resolution and mediation certificate at Marylhurst University.

Though EAPPI is supported by US national churches through EAPPI - US, American volunteers provide the funds to participate. Preuss received grants from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land - A Ministry of Central Lutheran Church, in Portland, where Preuss is an active member. Members and others also donated to the "Holy Land Travel Fund" which Central Lutheran recently established to help travelers such as Preuss (centralportland.org). Fundraising continues during coffee hour each Sunday as coins are dropped in to the "Change for Palestine" jar.

To read Preuss' blog, go to witness4peace.wordpress.com.
To view the "Sheikh Jarrah attack April 5 2010" video, see youtube.com/watch?v=WPm1AQqF77M.
For EAPPI report and photos, see "Settlers attack EAs with stones": eappi.org =
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