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Occupation Police Benevolence in the Jordan Valley

Posted on: January 25, 2007

by Peter, January 25th

Recently, I was able to accompany three Palestinians on a drive through the Jordan Valley. The more scenic aspects aside, a trip through the area revealed the slow, destructive siege of the Valley.

Movement restrictions have effectively sealed off the Jordan Valley from the rest of the West Bank. For example, the north of the Jordan Valley in the Tubas region (a two hour drive at minimum from Ramallah) should be 15 minutes from Nablus. However, the Occupation has restricted Palestinian access to this area to those registered in the villages of the Valley; to reach … Continue reading


Updated on January 25, 2007
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“They’re the army. They’re always right”

Posted on: January 24, 2007
“They’re the army. They’re always right”

by Yifat Appelbaum, January 24th

A. made some fried squash tonight at the office. He looked a little more serious than he usually looks. As we were eating, he told me a story.

“Today I was at Qalandia,” he started, “Some army jeeps started going down the road towards Ramallah. And there were some kids.”

(pause)(nod) Ok, I think I know where this is heading..

He continued, “And they started throwing rocks.”

(pause) Yeah I know how this is going to end up and I’m starting to get that sick feeling in my stomach.

“And the soldiers fired one … Continue reading


Updated on January 24, 2007
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A trip to the post office…

Posted on: January 16, 2007

by Lucretia Reflection,

Yesterday I had to take some things to be mailed at the post office in Jerusalem and had conservatively estimated 4 hours for the trip. Oops, silly me !

When I first came to Palestine a year ago, the trip from Ramallah to Jerusalem took about 20 minutes. Fast forward one year of additional checkpoints and Israeli paranoia and you have a trip that most people expect to take an hour.

Being somewhat uninformed about my status as new Israeli citizen living in the West Bank and confusion about what nationality I should present myself as at which checkpoint, (it’s … Continue reading


Updated on January 16, 2007
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Pulling the Roadblocks over our Eyes

Posted on: January 8, 2007
Pulling the Roadblocks over our Eyes

By Katie Miranda


Updated on January 10, 2009
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“Are you Fateh or Hamas?’ – “I am neither”

Posted on: December 23, 2006

by the ISM media team, December 23rd

Last night Israeli forces invaded Ramallah Old City around midnight, occupied a family home, blindfolded the twenty-year old son, banged his head against a door and refused to allow the grandmother suffering from diabetes to use the bathroom.

Several jeeps, a hummer and an APC invaded Hizbe Al Qadim Street in Ramallah Tahta around midnight and demanded entry into a family home by banging with rifle butts on the front door. Forced with complying or having their front door blown open, the family opened and several soldiers were seen entering with large bags. Once inside … Continue reading


Updated on December 23, 2006
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Israel has the right to defend herself

Posted on: December 20, 2006
Israel has the right to defend herself

by John, December 18th

“Israel is a democracy and a friend and has every right to defend itself from terror.”
George Bush, May 2004

I had a tour of Hebron today going a bit further than the Tel Rumeida settlement. But we did pass through this area – it turns out that the soldiers often ban the residents from repairing their houses, hence the fact that many have moved out. Many more moved out after the massacre in 1994 by Baruch Goldstein and the Israeli government imposed a curfew for their own ‘safety’. This curfew stopped … Continue reading


Updated on December 20, 2006
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Testimony from Detained Human Rights Defender

Posted on: December 18, 2006

by Mary, December 18th

There have been four occasions in the last two and a half months when the Israeli army and police have helped and encouraged Israeli settlers to trespass on Palestinian land. This is against Israeli law. The aim is probably to help Israeli settlers establish a bridgehead on Palestinian land so that in the future they can insist that they have been using the land.

Yesterday, at 12.30pm, I was ill and asleep when I had a call from an international human rights defender (HRD). She said that Palestinian children were being stopped returning home from school. Israeli settlers … Continue reading


Updated on December 18, 2006
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Checkpoint Humiliation

Posted on: December 18, 2006

The other day as we were travelling through Zatara checkpoint between Ramallah and Nablus, I witnessed a particularly disgusting display of power by the Israeli army. An extremely public humiliation of a woman, who was taken out of a shared taxi and had her ID and phone removed. She was fighting back the tears, trying to retain her dignity, but was clearly distressed. Everything about the soldiers interaction exuded contempt for her. One in particular was clearly getting something from “punishing” her. We were prevented from speaking to her, which made our ability to intervene somewhat limited. What we were … Continue reading


Updated on December 18, 2006
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“Welcome to Israel” – a trip down the Jordan Valley

Posted on: December 15, 2006
“Welcome to Israel” – a trip down the Jordan Valley

by John, December 14th

Today we had a trip down the Jordan valley which didn’t start too auspiciously for our Palestinian contact – he had just been delayed for two hours at a checkpoint. A soldier on the way through a checkpoint had drawn a star of david in the dust of the car. When they returned the soldier wanted to know who had wiped it off and held them for two hours demanding to know.

We started at a farm near the Bisan checkpoint in the north where Palestinians now find it very difficult … Continue reading


Updated on December 15, 2006
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Olive Harvest Reflections

Posted on: December 13, 2006

by Jane Smith, December 10th

I have been back in Palestine for a week. Although the violence and tension is less than in the early years of the Intifada, the oppressive control of Palestinian life is worse than ever. People are losing hope.

Despite this, I feel so fortunate to be here during the olive harvest and have been welcomed with incredible generosity and open heartedness. I have climbed olive trees and experienced the beauty of harvesting; feeling ripe olives running through my fingers, and hearing them fall like huge drops of rain on the tarpaulin below. Resting in the shade of … Continue reading


Updated on December 13, 2006
Posted under: Journals

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