PETITION TO THE PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL REUVEN RIVLIN

"Haj Ibrahim Ahmad Abu El-Hawa is known to many as a Peacemaker who has lived his entire life on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. He has spent over 70 years being a walking symbol of hope, peace and generosity. Bringing peace has always been his way of life – from speaking at massive public gatherings to milking cows with local peace groups. He is a dear friend to all faiths: Muslims, Jews, Druze, and Christians.

Haj Ibrahim is one of the founding members of the Jerusalem Peacemakers, an interfaith organization working towards interreligious understanding in Jerusalem since the late 90s, with the late Rabbi Menachem Froman from Tekoa and Rabbi Metatyahu from the USA. He has assisted with educational and religious tours -- including countless peace activities -- as a guide, teacher and friend. He “lives to give” and his mission is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” He is a truly rare soul and has given his life and his life savings to help others through this philosophy, working tirelessly and speaking to millions worldwide through his work with people of all religions, cultures and faiths.

Haj Ibrahim has built without a building permission (which in his case was very difficult to obtain) additional two floors above his two floor level house. The Local Affairs Court of Jerusalem sentenced him to the fine of 288,000 NIS in 60 payments and destruction of these two floors in his house. He is a pensioner and is not able to pay 4800 NIS every month (which now became 5,300 NIS because he could not pay for the last seven months until January). Therefore, Haj Ibrahim Ahmad Abu El-Hawa is facing three years of prison every time he can not pay three consecutive payments, according to the agreement between the prosecutor and his lawyer, which he was forced to sign in order to avoid a harder punishment. He has no more resources. Although, Haj Ibrahim Ahmad Abu El-Hawa made affords to pay from 2012 until now, he is not
capable to continue paying the fine because of his low pension and too high monthly fine, running costs of his lawyer and his architect.

Within the volatile landscape we see in the region today, when Ibrahim’s work is most important, he is struggling to continue. His health has severely turned for the worse, having suffered both a stroke and a heart attack in the last year. He is now seriously ill and the weight of the court order continues to grow heavy upon him.

If we don’t act now, his grief might worsen his health condition and he may be imprisoned because, as a pensioner, he is financially unable to pay the high fine. As well, part of Ibrahim's newly built house may be demolished. The additions were built in order to tend to the needs of his growing family, which includes three deaf and mute sisters of Ibrahim’s wife whom his family cares for daily.

We ask for your support to prevent all of this from happening. Please consider Ibrahim's achievements, however humble, and grant him your pardon. We hope to obtain your quick response since the next court process is upon us.

Thank you for your support."

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PLEASE READ ABOUT THE CASE OF IBRAHIM

Haj Ibrahim Ahmad Abu El-Hawa requires financial help so that he can fulfill the decision of the court and pay the fine and that he can obtain a legal permission to keep the two built floors and to prevent them from being demolished. He needs to pay the fine to the court and expenses for the lawyer, architect and the application for the legal permission. According to his information, Haj Ibrahim Ahmad Abu El-Hawa needs these additional two floors to accommodate his many children and grandchildren. He regrets building his house without the permission and about grave consequences of this decision. He did not apply previously for a building permission because according to the experience of his neighbors, residents of his neighborhood A-Tur in Jerusalem, such applications almost never have been successful, and under the conditions, when no other opportunity is provided, he decided to built his house without a permission.

Ibrahim on Google - Year in Search 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwHCGAr_OE

Recent Publications about Ibrahim's court ruling
http://www.maariv.co.il/page.aspx…;
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.634736

Jerusalem Peacemaker Profile
http://jerusalempeacemakers2008.jerusalempeacemakers.org/…/…;
http://peaceforibrahim.org/about/

Peace For Ibrahim - A Campaign to Save a Peace House in Jerusalem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Sakm7WIcM

Ibrahim and his house of peace on the Mount of Olives - Jerusalem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqEt6HJ2SPw

The Beduin host on the Mount of Olives
http://www.jpost.com/…/The-Beduin-host-on-the-Mount-of-Oliv…;

Shattered dreams?
http://www.jpost.com/In-Jerusalem/Features/Shattered-dreams

The hostel that doesn't ask
http://www.haaretz.com/…/the-hostel-that-doesn-t-ask-1.3154…;

If You're in Jerusalem Just Ask for Ibrahim
http://www.roadjunky.com/…/if-youre-in-jerusalem-just-ask-…/

Ibrahim of the Mt. of Olives
http://jerusalemgypsy.blogspot.co.il/…/ibrahim-of-mt-of-oli…;

A Palestinian Peacemaker
Living on the Mount of
Olives
https://www.globalonenessproject.org/…/palestinian-peacemak…;

A Journey to Israel and Palestine
http://www.spectacle.org/0302/igf.htmCampaign

Page Haj Ibrahim, the Peace Maker from the Mount of Olives, Needs Help!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/216720338533999/

Ibrahim Abu El Hawa Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/216720338533999/ibrahim
l
אזור קבצים מצורפים
תצוגה מקדימה של סרטון ה-YouTube Google - Year in Search 2014
Google - Year in Search 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwHCGAr_OE

תצוגה מקדימה של סרטון ה-YouTube Peace For Ibrahim - A Campaign to Save a Peace House in Jerusalem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Sakm7WIcM