Palestine rarely sees a day when Israel’s army does not attack its population centers. Even more rare is the day when Israel’s army does not destroy priceless historical and cultural buildings during its raids, along with schools, hospitals, roads, and water and sewage systems. Nablus, the largest city of the West Bank, has been particularly targeted because of its deep historical roots. Archaeologists have identified Nablus as one of the oldest cities in the world, possibly first established as early as 9000 years ago. Its Hebrew biblical name is “Shechem” meaning shoulder or high land. The newer city, which became known as Flavia Neapolis, was built in 70 AD by Titus the Roman in honor of Flavius Vespasian, the Roman Emperor at the time. Possibly the richest city in the West Bank in terms of archaeological treasures, it has seen many of them intentionally destroyed under the catch-all pretext of “hunting suspected terrorists.”
Today, Sherif Fam discusses this little explored topic with well-known activist and UK architect, Mr. Abe Hayeem. Mr. Hayeem is an Iraqi Jew from Bombay, and a veteran of the Anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa, who has extensively studied, and challenged Israel’s use of architecture to consolidate its brutal military occupation and erase the memory of Palestine’s historical and cultural heritage. He is the founder and UK Chairman of Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine.
This program was produced by This Week In Palestine for WZBC radio on June 17, 2007.
For more information, visit:
truthandjusticeradio.org
apjp.org (Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine)
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