ISRAELI PARLIAMENT PASSES HISTORIC MINE ACTION LAW

International Community Celebrates Success of Campaign Led by
12-year old Landmine Survivor

March 14, 2011—Jerusalem—Last February, when young Daniel Yuval said he wanted to do something to rid his country of landmines, even he did not expect that his call to action in a dramatic shift in Israeli landmine policy this year.

Today, the Israeli parliament passed legislation to establish a National Mine Action Authority to implement a systematic national plan to clear nearly one million landmines from Eilat to the Golan within years. Today, mine accident survivors and residents of affected communities celebrate the success of “Mine-Free Israel”—a campaign coordinated by Roots of Peace, together with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the Center of Regional Councils, and Council for a Beautiful Israel.

Israelis and Palestinians have lived with the invisible but constant threat of landmines claiming their lives and limbs. Minefields left from past wars have blocked access to nature reserves and agricultural fields.

The unprecedented legislation, which passed a second and third reading today, includes the Government of Israel’s commitment to dedicate at least NIS 27 million annually for humanitarian mine action, and it also creates a mechanism to receive donations for mine clearance activities. A delegation from the U.S. Department of State is visiting Israel this week to assess the needs of Israel’s nascent mine action program. The United States has provided more than $1.9 billion to help over 80 mine-contaminated countries clear minefields and explosive remnants of war as well as destroy small arms and light weapons since 1993.

“This is life-saving news for Israel and its neighbors,” says Jerry White, an American who helped launch Mine-Free Israel and is a recognized leader in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Peace. Like young Daniel, White also lost his leg to a mine explosion some 27 years ago as a tourist hiking in the Golan. “Israel can clear its minefields in less than ten years, following the example of Jordan, which has already cleaned up its border with Israel and is expected to be mine-free by July of this year,” White says.

“Jordan is a member of the 1997 International Landmine Ban Treaty, along with more than 150 countries. The United States and Israel have not yet joined the Treaty, which requires members to cease all landmine production and use, destroy stockpiles, clear minefields and assist the victims worldwide.

“This landmark legislation paves the way for humanitarian removal of explosive litter preventing the use of agricultural lands and access to religious sites sacred to Christian, Jewish and Muslim people alike. The Holy Land is not ‘holy’ when there are mines in the ground,” said Heidi Kuhn, Founder and CEO of Roots of Peace. “It took the voice of a young boy to remind the world that once they are removed, fertile grounds become available for planting peace in both Israel and the West Bank.”

MISSION STATEMENT:
Roots of Peace an international humanitarian, non-political organization works to unearth dangerous landmines in war-torn countries and empowers the local communities scarred by these inhumane weapons. Working to build sustainable crops on land once too dangerous to traverse is how we transform the scars of conflict into the roots of peace. See www.rootsofpeace.org

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Daniel Yuval

While Jordan cleared all landmines along its side of the Jordan River,
mines still prevent millions of pilgrims visiting Israel from safely
accessing the Baptismal Site of Jesus
Photo: Simona Or-Munteanu

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem meets with Roots of Peace representatives
in Jerusalem, January 17, 2011

An estimated 1 million landmines and UXOs are planted in the West Bank on Sacred Sites:
The Fields of Bethlehem, The Batsimal Site of Jesus, and The Jordan River Valley

March 14, 2011—DEMINE/REPLANT SACRED SITES

The Roots of Peace Middle East DEMINE/REPLANT SACRED SITES Initiative is launched by landmine survivors Jerry White and Daniel Yuval.

The Roots of Peace Middle East DEMINE/REPLANT SACRED SITES Initiative is a humanitarian and interfaith program seeking to bring peace forth from the bottom up through landmine removal during this traditional season of peace on earth. Over an estimated half-million landmines are planted on sacred lands such as Bethlehem, Qasr el Yahud, the Baptismal Site of Jesus, and the prolific agricultural lands on the bank of the Jordan River. Turning Mines to Vines™, we seek to unearth landmines and replant traditional “sacred species” such as pomegranates, grapes, figs, dates, olives, wheat and barley. As shepherds tend to their sheep during modern times, the risk to both humans and animals will only be eliminated by landmine removal.

DEMINE~REPLANT
SACRED SITES

Heidi Kühn

Roots of Peace transforms deadly minefields into thriving farmland.

Landmines continue to injure and kill innocent people, and block economic and agricultural development around the world. Since 1997, Roots of Peace has turned Mines to Vines™ in Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Iraq, the Kyrgyz Republic and Vietnam.

Roots of Peace is now leading a campaign to Demine~Replant~Rebuild™ Sacred Sites in the Middle East, the landmine heartland of the world.

The Baptismal Site of Jesus:
Qasr el Yahud, Jordan River Valley

Now is the time to free the
land, replant vineyards, and
rebuild trust.

Landmine survivors and recipients of the
2010 Roots of Peace Global Citizen Award:
Jerry White, International Chair, Campaign
for a Mine-Free Middle East and Daniel Yuval,
Youth Ambassador Mine-Free Israel

Heidi Kü̈hn, CEO & Founder of Roots of
Peace, planting olive tree in former minefield
in Jordan River Valley, July 2010

There is tremendous need in the Mideast, with millions of mines polluting Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, and a growing number of mine victims.

Jordan is already a success story, expecting to clear its last minefields by 2012. Israel is poised to pass a new law in 2011 that will require, for the first time, the clean up of old minefields with no security value. The Palestinian Authority strongly supports this initiative, pledging to ban the weapon and demine its land.

The survivors are calling for action. In February 2010, eleven year-old Daniel Yuval lost his leg to a mine explosion while playing in the first snow of the Golan Heights. From his hospital bed, Daniel boldly called on Israel to demine now. "Let's make sure no other boy or girl gets hurt or killed." Daniel is now a Youth Ambassador for Roots of Peace.

Let's make sure no other boy or girl
gets hurt or killed.

—Daniel Yuval, Youth Ambassador

Today, more than half a million mines prevent access to Israeli and Palestinian farmland, nature reserves and holy sites. Roots of Peace will replace these minefields with bountiful agricultural lands—replanting indigenous crops, such as pomegranates, grapes, figs, olives, dates, wheat and barley.

Roots of Peace needs your help to mobilize the resources urgently needed to make sure no one else—man, woman or child—will be killed or maimed by these indiscriminate weapons.

Together, we can make safe the
path for everyday farmers and
pilgrims of all faiths to walk
without fear on these
sacred lands.

The “Seven Sacred Species”
Jerry White and Heidi Kühn—The Knesset, July 2010

“Family for Peace”
Gary, Heidi, and Christian Kühn, standing in the waters of the actual
Baptismal Site of Jesus, “Qasr el Yahud,” Feb. 2011

Daniel Yuval and his mother

“Social networking for Peace”
Daniel Yuval and Christian Kühn

Social networking with students in the West Bank, Feb. 2011

Heidi Kühn

Harvesting the “Seven Sacred Species” of Biblical
times: pomegranates, grapes, figs, olives, dates,
wheat and barley

Please support our efforts to
return the land to peaceful
and productive use,
transforming destruction
and death into sustenance
and life.

View the Knesset's Mine Action Bill Proposal for the 2nd and 3rd Reading, March 14, 2011:
Bill Proposal (Hebrew)
Bill Proposal (English translation)

Read Daniels Report

Watch a newscast about Daniel Yuval

Visit Daniel Yuval's Facebook page

Read “EXPLOSIVE LITTER”—The Survivor Corps 2010 Status Report on Minefields in Israel and the Palestinian Authority:
“EXPLOSIVE LITTER”(English)
“EXPLOSIVE LITTER” (Hebrew & Arabic)

Read the ROP/Survivor Corps press release from June 30, 2010 “Israeli Boy Calls World to Mine Action at Banks of Jordan River”

Read the ROP press release from July 25, 2010 “Mine-Free Israel Bill Proposal Wins Unanimous Support of Government and Knesset”

Read The Jerusalem Post article posted on September 20, 2010“Campaign targets landmine awareness”

View the ROP Call to Action Tri-Fold