The occupation disperses the Afaneh family…and what is behind the scene of the two girls crying in the car
The occupation authorities dispersed the family of Anas Afaneh and separated the members of the family, under the pretext that his wife, "Nuzha", bears the identity of the "West Bank" and cannot live in her home in Jerusalem.
The couple, Anas and Nuzha Afaneh, were married 5 years ago, and since that time they have been living in their homes in Sur Baher, and they had two children, Yaqeen, “a year and a half” and Sadine, “one month old”. More than a year ago, the couple Afanehfiled a “reunification”application so that Nuzha could live freely and safely in her home and her city, but last Wednesday, the occupation deprived the family of stability and safety, after the couple were arrested and restrictions were imposed on them.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Jerusalem met with Nuzha at her father’s house with her two daughters in the village of Anata, and the husband Anas in his home alone in the village of Sur Baher. The wife is prevented from entering Jerusalem and the husband cannot leave his house because of the imposition of house arrest on him.
As for details of what happened with the family, it was late on Wednesday evening, when they were on their way to the village of Beit Safafa to buy sweets, but a police vehicle stopped them, checked their identities, and detained them in the street and then inside the investigation center.
Nuzha Afanehexplained to the center what happened to her. She said: “A police car stopped us, searched the car and checked the ID cards. The policeman told me that my presence in Jerusalem was “illegal.” He demanded that I get out of the car and into the police car. My husband refused at first, and after an argument I went to the police car and I was held alone, and the policeman confiscated the car key from my husband and my mobile phone.”
She continued: "Yaqeen and Sadine were inside the car alone, the sounds of crying and screaming did not stop, I asked the policeman to go to them to silence them and check on them. I am inside the police car and cannot reach them while my husband is being investigated in the street and is also prevented from approaching the girls to calm them down.”
She added, "The policeman agreed to allow me to go to our car, on the condition that Anas would be detained in my place. I rushed to the two girls but the policeman prevented me from holding them and breastfeeding Sadine, resulting in a new altercation with the police that insisted not to allow me to approach my girls.”
Afaneh explained that she and her husband suggested to the police that they come to the police station with their own car to ensure the safety of the two children, or that the husband, Anas, be arrested and taken to the police station, but all of this was rejected, and the police insisted on arresting the couple and demanded that they contact a relative to take the two children.
Nuzha said: "The police threatened us to contact the Social Affairs to take the two girls, so he forced us to call one of our relatives and he came rushing to the place, and as soon as he arrived, the police car drove us to the investigation center "Moria".
Nuzha said: "We found out that the key to our car was being held by the police, and our relative had to leave Yaqeen and Sadine inside the car alone, and headed to the police station to take the car key. After some delay, he managed to do so."
Nuzha explained that she and her husband were interrogated, and the police deported her to the checkpoint"300" near Bethlehem by herself after midnight, and prevented her from informing her husband of the matter. The policeman called her brother and asked him to come to the checkpoint to pick her up.
She said: "I arrived at the checkpoint and the policeman gave me the phone and my ID. I called the family and asked them to bring my children because I was very worried about them... When they arrived after more than half an hour, they showed signs of fatigue and were still crying."
On his part, Anas Afaneh explained that the police investigated him and released him under conditions, including five days of house arrest, a fine of 5,000 shekels, a ban on driving a vehicle for a month, and the charge was “transporting a person with a West Bank ID.”
On the night of the arrest, Anas said: "After the investigation was completed, I rushed to the place of detention of my wife, and the policeman told me that she had been transferred to checkpoint “300”, where she is prohibited from being in Jerusalem, so I rushed to the place to check on her."
Anas wondered, "How can two girls be left from ten at night until two in the morning without being fed?Yaqeen was very tired of crying and her eyes are swollen."
He added: "We lived harsh hours and pressure and in fear for my daughters at the time of our detention, and today, fear and anxiety over the future and fate."
Anas said: "Yaqeen, Sadine and I cannot live in the West Bank in order to preserve our existence and our rights in Jerusalem, and my wife cannot live in Jerusalem because of the laws of discrimination. So what is the solution??
