| The Story of Claire, in her words... |
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My name is Claire Anastas. I am the mother of four children. My family lives between Jerusalem and Bethlehem on what has historically been the main street; it was the only entrance into Bethlehem before being blocked off. Since the First Intifada, we have had a very difficult situation, which consistently worsened through the Second Intifada. The Israelis closed the main road and put blocks around my house. When they blocked the road, we were forced to close our shops immediately. Our neighbors closed their shops as well, and they left. Before that time, our businesses thrived, but after the closure six years ago, our lives became terribly hard and dangerous. The closure turned our home into a military zone, placing us in great danger. We have suffered greatly, especially our four children. They have suffered through difficult times and borne more than enough, particularly throughout the year of curfews during 2002. We thought the closure was temporary, that there would be an end to the dangers and trials posed by it. Our case was taken by both sides to the Supreme Court. They announced that the wall would surround our building. Now we are isolated, alone, and caged. We worked hard to live a healthy life, especially for our children's sake. We have lost everything. Our shops supported 14 members of the family, 9 of whom are children. Because of the wall, we can no longer sustain our family. We are trapped inside of an immense, challenging, and dangerous situation. We are destroyed, and have no means with which to live a normal life. |