Ex-Palestinian banker's dogged West Bank animal shelter fights for its life

The quest to save man’s best friend has brought together an unlikely pair: a former Palestinian bank manager who never leaves home without her makeup and high heels, and a straight-talking Australian volunteer who drives her around as she rescues stray cats and dogs throughout the West Bank.

But with an eviction notice from the Palestinian Authority’s Regional Environmental Health Department for the animal shelter founded by Diana George Babish, a Palestinian Catholic from Bethlehem, hanging over their head for two months now, Babish and Sophie Thompson spend their time rescuing homeless animals and ferrying them to a vet in Tel Aviv for medical treatment. With help from a handful of Israeli animal rescue volunteers and some dedicated Palestinian animal lovers, they are also finding permanent and foster homes for as many of the cats and dogs as they can.

The cited reason for the threatened eviction of the Animal and Environment Association Bethlehem shelter from its cement structure in the Area C location on the edge of Beit Sahour, south of Jerusalem, is “to preserve the public’s health and safety.”

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Babish continues to work with Israeli rescue organizations despite the many critics within Palestinian society, including members of her own family, who complain about her interaction with Israelis and about her efforts helping animals when there is so much need among Palestinians.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-palestinian-bankers-dogged-west-bank-animal-shelter-fights-for-its-life/