Sheffield visitor from Palestine twin city on West Bank says situation is worsening
A citizen of Sheffield’s Palestinian twin city has spoken about the worsening situation in the West Bank and made an appeal for medical aid.
Amjad Refaie, who is director of the long-standing New Askar refugee camp in Nablus, has returned to the UK and has visited Sheffield and other towns and London boroughs that have friendship links with Nablus.
Sheffield City Council signed a friendship agrement with Nablus last year and Mr Refaie visited the city in February, along with New Askar camp’s administrative assistant Siham Husanein and Tareq Draidi, director of the Beit Lid sports club in the Nablus directorate.
On his return to Sheffield, Mr Refaie attended a reception with Lord Mayor Coun Safiya Saeed at the town hall last Thursday (June 26) and visited mosques and community groups.
He also spoke on behalf of the Sheffield Nablus Twinning Association at a Welcoming Cultures event at the Millennium Gallery and made a speech at the weekly Palestine solidarity rally held outside Sheffield rail station on Friday evening.
Mr Refaie described how Israeli troops have entered refugee camps on the occupied West Bank of Palestine, broken their way into homes to violently interrogate people, set up multiple checkpoints and imposed curfews.
Control
He said that it usually takes him around six to seven hours to travel to the UK but this time the journey took 36 hours because he was stuck at several Israeli checkpoints, including travelling out of Palestine.
Mr Refaie said that the Israelis are planning a major airport near one of their illegal settlements in the Nablus area. “They want to make settlements between Jenin and Nablus and to be under control always.
“They want to make links between all the settlements around Nablus. It means that they installed six big checkpoints around Nablus.”
He said that big gates are being installed at every entrance to every town, village or refugee camp.
“When they want to lock them, they lock them, and when they want to open them, they open them. Sometimes they make a decision to close all the gates.
“They have destroyed three camps in Nablus – Nur Shams, Jenin and Tulkarm.
Attacked
“There are 45,000 refugees in the north of Palestine.” Mr Refaie said that people in the area and families have taken in the refugees.
He said that his camp had been attacked by the Israelis the day after he left. Every home was subjected to security checks and it was divided into four blocks. Some homes were marked to be demolished.
“Everywhere is soldiers. They enter these houses, they have a lot of people who are injured and ambulances are not allowed to enter into the camp.
“We have lost three young people in the last three to four months.
“I came to Sheffield to tell people what is happening and I hope people will make donations for an ambulance and medical centre. We’re hoping to raise around £50,000.
“I come to make more awareness for the Palestinian people and to push the twinning agreement between Sheffield and Nablus. I think the council are positive for twinning.”
Appeal
For further information about the medical appeal, visit https://chuffed.org/project/124166-new-askar-camp-nablus-emergency-medical-aid
Mr Refaie said that he carries a message of peace to the world from Palestine. He said that Palestinians want to help people around the world who are in similar situations to them.
“To be honest, the UK are the country that gave our land to the Israelis. We are the owner and we want them to correct this mistake.”
Twinning association chair Dr Julie Pearn said that council leader Coun Tom Hunt made “a very warm speech” at a town hall meeting on Friday.
“He referred to the relationship between Nablus and Sheffield as being long term and he talked about the huge feeling between the people of Sheffield and Palestine and Nablus.”