One of my friends was killed today

Hashem Al Azzah was a 55 year old Palestinian man who lives in Hebron, who I had the privilege of getting to know last summer in 2014. He and his family have lived in Tel Rumeida, and have suffered horrific harassment from Israeli settlers over the timespan of several decades, who did everything possible to get them to move out. Hashem and his wife had been assaulted, and in one attack many years ago, his wife suffered a miscarriage. They have had bullets shot at their home, their grapes poisoned, and from 2000 to 2104, they were denied the right to pick their own olives.

Despite this, Hashem did not give up. He ran a community centre in Hebron, which provided free counseling and medical treatment to Palestinian women. He managed to get volunteers from the West to come in and teach young adults as well as children English, and kept a summer school going in which I was able to volunteer at a bit.

What I remember most about him was his warm hospitality. Two summers ago, he and his family had me and another ISMer at his home for supper and tea, and then we stayed up all night (until 2 in the morning) drinking tea, talking about politics and history and God.

I wrote a blog entry about him and his family, it can be found: http://mighty-stream123.blogspot.ca/2014/08/hashems-neighbours.html

What I found very admirable about Hashem is not only his courage, but compassion. Unlike some Palestinians I have spoken to in Hebron, he said he would be fine living with the settlers, even those who have been tyrannizing him and his family as his neighbours... as long as they were equal under the law. He wanted justice, not revenge.



Today, his life was ended.



Hashem had a heart attack in his house, which is uphill in Tel Rumeida. Only Israeli settlers and soldiers and police are allowed to drive there. Palestinians who live there are banned from driving a vehicle. Not even ambulances are allowed in.



Because of this rule, Hashem had to be carried downhill by some Palestinian friends, to a square called Bab E Zawiyeh, which is in H1, the part of Hebron that is under Palestinian Authority control. When they got there, they arrived in the midst of clashes between Palestinian young men and youth, and Israeli soldiers. The young men and youth were in most likelihood throwing rocks. The soldiers, among their other weapons, were shooting off massive amounts of teargas.

Trying to get medical help, Hashem got caught up in the gas cloud. I hope he died quickly, but having experienced teargas several times myself, he probably didn't. In most likelihood, my friend died in great pain and distress, choking and gagging as the fumes invaded his lungs and throat. He probably felt the intense burning inside that the gas creates, and probably felt panic as he began to suffocate. Perhaps his heart gave way sooner and his suffering lasted less, but I have no way of knowing.



He died as another Palestinian victim of the violence of the occupation. He should not have died like this, choking to death in gas that he was forced to walk into, because he was not allowed access to an ambulance. He should have died an old man in bed, surrounded by family and friends. Not like this.



He joined a large list of Palestinians, who along with a smaller but no less important number of Israelis, died in the violence whose root cause I believe is the occupation of Palestine by the Israeli government. No one deserves to be teargassed to death. No one deserves to be stabbed. No one deserves to be shot, or beaten to death.



I pray that God comforts his family, and the family of every single person, regardless of nationality or religion or ethnicity, who has been killed by violence.



Equality and justice for all Palestinians and Israelis is the only possible solution.
End the occupation!!!!

https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=768406

Thank you, Tim. God bless you.

Thank you, Abuayisha. May Allah grant him Paradise.

Hi Tim,

Thank you so much for the question, it is a good one.

I would say that getting informed, and spreading that information among others, would be a very good thing. Another good idea would be to pressure your government, if you are American, to ensure that military aid to Israel is dependent on it not abusing human rights.
If you think you could handle it, going on a Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation or spending a week or few volunteering with International Solidarity Movement in Palestine would be good, but I understand that many people are not able to do this.
Financially supporting Palestinian and Israeli groups, or other groups around the world, that are working for justice and peace in that region, would be a good thing also.