Israeli supreme court is hearing the cremisan case on Wednesday

The Society of St. Yves said Monday that the Israeli Supreme Court will hear the case of the people of Cremisan against the wall on Wednesday, 29th of January, at 11.30am.The Society of St. Yves on behalf of the Salesian convent and school asks the Israeli State to move the construction of the wall to the opposite side of the valley adjacent to the illegal settlement of Gilo. A decision of the court could be delivered already as early as Wednesday afternoon."It is unclear what will happen on Wednesday" said Adv. Raffoul Rofa, Director of the Society of St. Yves. "It is likely that the court hearing will be the only hearing in front of the Supreme Court. A decision will probably be given either on the same day or shortly after. Of course our hope is to have a decision in our favor, but this seems unlikely, since most of the valley is already situated within the boundaries of Jerusalem which were unilaterally extended by Israel in 1967." Adding that the ruling of the court will be final; there will be no other possible legal remedies. Last Friday, the community of Beit Jala conducted its final mass at Cremisan to pray against the construction of the wall. The mass was attended by ambassadors and diplomats representing dozens of countries (including the European Union, France, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Chile, Slovenia, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden, Malta and the United Kingdom among others). The community had conducted the weekly mass as their tool of nonviolent resistance for more than two years."We have a just cause, it is about our land, it is about our presence, it is about our dignity, about our faith and about our future. But the world remains passive to Israeli actions. That's why we decided to ask the one who always listens, God, to strengthen our work for a just peace that will grant the future our community deserves in our free country," said Fr. Shomali.In the Cremisan valley, 58 mainly Christian families and the Salesian convent will lose their lands if the wall will be constructed as planned by the State of Israel. The convent, consisting of six nuns who are running a school for nearly 400 children, will be surrounded on three sides by the wall and will be separated from their neighboring monastery which produces the famous Cremisan wine. Cremisan is the last remaining space of expansion for the community of Beit Jala as well as one of the last green sites in the Bethlehem governorate. It will be cut off from Palestine as soon as the separation wall is constructed.The Israeli authorities claim that the wall in the area is needed to protect the security of the State of Israel, nevertheless it is obvious that the real reason is to annex the land of Beit Jala in order to expand the illegal settlements of Gilo and Har Gilo. The Society of St. Yves requests supportive presence at the Israeli Supreme Court hearing in the case of Cremisan against the separation wall. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, 29th of January 2014, at 11:30am, in the Israeli Supreme Court (Chief Justice Grunis with Justice Hendel and Justice Vogelman, Sha'arei Mishpat Street, Jerusalem).