Letter to the Israel Association of United Architects - Press Release

From: Architects Sans Frontieres:

www.arkitekterutangranser.se
ASF-Sweden, c/o BBA,
School of Architecture and the Built Environment
KTH, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden

January 28, 2009
Open letter to
The Israeli Association of United Architects
68037, Tel Aviv (Jaffa), ISRAEL (u-architects@barak.net.il)

Dear colleagues,

Architecture Sans Frontières – Sweden (ASF-Sweden) is an independent non-government organization work-ing for ‘fair and sustainable development initiatives in active collaboration with disadvantaged people or communities’, as expressed in our platform, the Hasselt Charter, agreed upon by 16 national and international organisations within the network ASF-International. In our Charter it is furthermore stipulated that professio-nals shall follow principles of human solidarity and non-discrimination, and help communities achieve self-sufficiency.

One of our instruments to achieve these aims is to engage in a project of co-operation with the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC), which since 1996 has been restoring the ancient fabric and upgrading the infrastructure of the Old Town of Hebron - one of the oldest cities in the world. The aim of the committee’s work is to safeguard Hebron’s architectural heritage, but also to revive traditional craftsmanship, create jobs and allow inhabitants to stay in the city. The role of ASF-Sweden is to spread information about the valuable work of HRC, and to contribute with Swedish experiences of integrating a child perspective in urban planning.

During our engagement in this project, we continuously face the presence of militant Jewish settlers, protec-ted by Israeli military forces (IDF), and its paralyzing impact on all normal social and economical city life in Hebron’s city centre. In addition to the immediate humanitarian consequences, severe enough, the settlers’ claims for spatial separation have brought a long term decay, destruction and fragmentation to the unique fabric of the city core. This is an alarming issue for us as professionals, and we gratefully keep in mind seve-ral supportive actions of our Israeli colleagues.

In 2004, a petition to the High Court of Justice by the Israeli NGO Planners for Planning Rights (Bimkom), prepared by architect Shmuel Groag, appealed for a stop to an IDF decree, slating for destruction of exten-sive parts of the city core for a settlers-only thoroughfare. In the same year, at the World General Assembly of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a joint Israeli-Palestinian resolution was passed that "expresses its great concern with the ongoing destruction and constant threat to cultural heritage in Israel and Palestinian territories and calls upon all parties to take positive action to respect international agreements." Regrettably, these and other actions have been largely unsuccessful, and the situation in Heb-ron has anything but improved since then. Vital streets prohibited for Palestinians, demolished and emptied houses, expelled or trapped-in inhabitants, shops closed forcibly or by lack of access, children attacked on their way to school - this is the everyday reality of life in Hebron.

We hope for an active participation of the Israeli Association of United Architects in the ongoing efforts of our colleagues, at HRC and elsewhere in the world, to safeguard Hebron’s physical and social survival, and to preserve its unique cultural heritage for the posterity.

We have also understood that Israeli architects have participated in designing illegal settlements on expro-priated Palestinian land in the Occupied Territories since 1967. These activities are in violation of professional ethics and the UIA Charter. We assume that the Israeli Association of United Architects makes this fact very clear to its members, and considers membership incompatible with such activities.

Signed by Jonas Jernberg, architect SAR/MSA

Chairman ASF-Sweden

www.arkitekterutangranser.se
ASF-Sweden, c/o BBA,
School of Architecture and the Built Environment
KTH, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden