Students Boycott Apartheid

LYD

Jul 5, 2009 Uncategorized | Author: Sarah

Growing up near Detroit the word “ghetto” is nothing new to me. Hearing about drugs and crime is also not out of the norm so when I heard these things about Lyd I thought it would be something familiar so far from home. When I arrived in Lyd I realized there are many differences. In Detroit I think it would be fair to say we lack building demolition. Many old buildings we leave stand become crack houses. In Lyd however peoples home are demolished. Not crack houses, but rather houses where families live for the reason of ” building permits”. Israel denies people permits then later demolishes homes for not having them.  In Detroit there are definitely “ghetto’s” but nice houses are further away from them. In Lyd the nice houses are just past a wall. The wall was requested by Jewish citizens so that they no longer had to see the “ugliness” of Lyd.  This said a lot to me. The Israeli citizens of Lyd were not at all concerned about the families and children that are subjected to living under these conditions but rather their concern lied in the fact that they just did not want to see it. What kind of people are they? How can you witness these things and feel no concern or anger? When we went to see the wall it was still being built. We were told that construction of the wall had been stopped for awhile. The reason the construction was going on while we were there is because a family who lived near the wall was told that either their home would be demolished, or they and the other inhabits of Lyd had to sign a paper saying they agreed with the wall. Everyone decided the family keeping their home was more important than objecting to the wall. The unity amongst the people never seizes to amaze me.  Israel can built it’s walls but it will never stop the strength of the Palestinian people.