3 December 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
On two different occasions while Palestinians, accompanied by international activists, peacefully blocked roads leading to illegal settlements to demonstrate against the occupation and settlements, settlers purposefully injured activists in hit and run incidents.
On November 14 while a group of protesters blocked a road leading to an illegal settlement, a settler tried to drive through the crowd, then accelerated, deliberately hitting an international activist, as the activist was trying to get out of the way. The activist hit the front of the car, then bounced off the windshield and hit the ground. The settler then drove away, careless about what he had just done. An ambulance was called, and the activist was treated for injuries to his head and arm.
A similar incident occurred on November 19, as a roadblock protest was held on another settler road. As a settler car approached the crowd, he accelerated into Palestinian popular struggle coordinator Abdallah Abu Rahmah, hitting him with his car, before fleeing the scene. Abdallah was treated in hospital but was released later that day. Israeli army soldiers were present at the scene, but didn’t do anything to prevent the settlers from acting in violent ways, and allowed them to flee the scene.
The settlers seem to be above the law. They continually get away with violence, destruction of property, and constant harassment against the Palestinians, while the soldiers usually protect them, because they have Israeli citizenship. Incidents similar to these happen constantly all throughout the West Bank, while soldiers and authorities turn a blind eye.
Abdallah Abu Rahmah lies injured on the ground after a car driven by Israeli settlers ran over him at a roadblock protest. Photo by: Guest photographer Hamde Abu Rahma / Activestills.org
Davey Brandi and Ellie are volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed)
Communities in the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills are in grave risk of being entirely expelled from their traditional homelands. They are therefore calling on people of conscience to join them in solidarity with their struggle to remain. The March Freedom Ride will provide people from all over Palestine and abroad with this opportunity.
Please help publicize the ride by circulating the text below through your various networks. Please also invite your friends via the Facebook event notice: http://www.facebook.com/events/529394713738231
Many thanks,
Freedom Bus Team
March Freedom Ride, Occupied Palestine 17 – 27 March 2013
Resisting Israel’s Ethnic Cleansing Campaign in “Area C”
The people of the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills invite you to join them in their struggle against the colonial conquest of traditional lands.
Over a period of 11 days, students, artists and activists from across Palestine and abroad will join Palestinian farmers and shepherds at risk of forced expulsion from a homeland they have inhabited for generations. In particular the March Freedom Ride will include building and reconstruction work, protective presence activity, guided walks, home-stays, interactive workshops, educational talks and cultural events. Through Playback Theatre, residents of the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills will also share personal accounts about the realities of life and struggle under settler colonialism, military occupation and state-sanctioned apartheid.
The ride is organized by The Freedom Theatre’s Freedom Bus initiative in partnership with Jordan Valley Solidarity and the South Hebron Hills Popular Committee.
The Freedom Bus, an initiative of The Freedom Theatre, uses interactive theatre and cultural activism to bear witness, raise awareness and build alliances throughout occupied Palestine and beyond. Endorsers of the Freedom Bus include Alice Walker, Angela Davis, John Berger, Judith Butler, Maya Angelou, Mairead Maguire, Mazin Qumsiyeh, Noam Chomsky, Omar Barghouti, Peter Brook and Ramy Essam. Endorsers also include the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), Students for Justice in Palestine, Highlander Research and Education Centre, Janasanskriti and Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed (PTO). A range of other Palestinian and International artists, activists, academics and organizations have endorsed the Freedom Bus.
Audience members share autobiographical accounts and watch as a team of actors and musicians instantly transform these accounts into improvised theatre pieces. Playback Theatre provides opportunity for education, advocacy and community building.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON AREA C, THE JORDAN VALLEY AND SOUTH HEBRON HILLS
Under the Oslo II Accord of 1995, the West Bank was divided into 3 administrative regions know as Area A, B and C. Area C includes 61% of the West Bank and falls under complete Israeli civil and military control.
International law prohibits land appropriation, resource exploitation and population transfer by an occupying power. However since the 1970’s, Israel has confiscated the vast majority of Palestinian land in the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills (both of which are currently located in Area C). In the Jordan Valley for example, 50% of land has been illegally taken for the exclusive use of 36 settlements and their agriculture. A further 45% of land has been taken for military bases, ‘closed military zones’, and so-called ‘nature reserves.’ In addition, life for Palestinian residents of the South Hebron Hills and Jordan Valley is characterized by home demolitions, confiscation of livestock, restricted access to farming land and daily harassment from settlers and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). Most communities lack basic services including schools, clinics, electricity, telephone lines, running-water, or a sewage system and infrastructure built to meet these needs is frequently demolished under orders issued by the Israeli Civil Administration. Despite these egregious human rights violations, Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills have exerted their right to exist and survive on their traditional lands. For more information about the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills, please see:
27 November 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Strip
Photo by Rosa Schiano
Fishermen in Gaza are able to fish six miles from the shore for the first time since 2006 after the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza. Fishermen hope the fishing industry will recover after its almost complete destruction by the siege but say that 6 miles is not deep enough.
Abu Alaa El Amoudi, (A fisherman in the Gaza strip): “Since October 2000 when the Second Intifada began until now the Israeli military do not allow us to enter the sea 3 miles past Gaza beach. Our work was at 3% of our usual capacity and even that was very dangerous. Thank god, the situation now is better than before the war, now we can move to 6 miles but if we go deeper the Israeli military shoots at us. We wish as fishermen in Gaza Strip to work freely.”
Raed Abu Odai (A fisherman in the Gaza strip) : ‘’Six miles is a big improvement but there are still not enough fish. To catch more fish we need to go deeper. Yesterday I went in seven miles and was shot at by the occupation’s navy with live ammunition and a water cannon but thank god no one was hurt.’’
The Israeli forces illegally reduced the area of fishing gradually from 20 nautical miles, which was established under the Oslo Accords, to 10 nautical miles in 2005. In June 2006, IOF imposed a total siege for months, and opened it later permitting fishermen to fish within a 6-nautical-mile limit, which was then reduced to 3 nautical miles in 2007. Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinian fishermen even within the 3 nautical miles since 2009. Fishermen are subjected to shootings, resulting in deaths and injuries, they are often chased, arrested, unnecessarily inspected, humiliated, and their boats and fishing equipment are confiscated, and sometimes drowned or destroyed by the Israeli military
26 November 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Strip
Women hand-harvesting wheat in the Gaza ‘buffer zone’
After years of being barred from their land, Gazan farmers celebrate their ability to return. Once the terms of ceasefire were announced thousands flocked back to their property that has been vacant for eleven years, though many are still understandably wary.
Jaber Abu Regaleh, who is a farmer from Farahin (which is near the border of Gaza and close to the former buffer zone) said:
“We are celebrating. Everyone, young men, young women, old people, we are all outside walking on our land along the border. I am near the fence now. There is ten meters between me and the Israeli jeep. We have a lot of work to do to repair the destruction caused by the occupation, but we will till the land and plant it. We will renew the agricultural land so it is as it used to be. This is better than a holiday for us.”
The killing of twenty one year old Abdelhadi Qdeih and wounding of nineteen others by the Israeli military a day after the ceasefire has left other residents scared of returning.
Naser Abu Said lived in Jaher al deek near the border of Gaza with his wife, Naama and five children. Naama was killed and the children injured by Israeli artillery on the 13th of july, 2010. “We were living a good life before they shelled our house. Our two year old son was outside as his mother ran to get him. She was shot with a shell that scatters pieces of metal. The army didn’t allow an ambulance to approach her for four and a half hours while she died.” Nasser’s house was demolished and children and relatives injured when the house was shelled again on the 28th of April, 2011. “ We are still afraid, we cannot believe what has happened. We have not gone back to the land yet. If the israeli soldiers shoot and kill you there’s no one held accountable. We are waiting to see what happens.” Said Nasser.
The Buffer Zone was a no-go zone imposed by Israel, starting at the border fence and extending into Gazan territory to which Palestinian access was denied. Israel treated this border area which contains much of Gaza‘s most arable land as a free-fire zone. Any Gazan resident entering the zone risked death or injury. Israeli troops invaded regularly, including armoured columns and kept the lands razed of any built-up structures or agricultural activity. Israeli Occupation Force aircraft dropped leaflets warning residents not to move within 300 metres of the border fence. In reality however, Palestinians have been shot up to two kilometres from the border fence.
For Media: We have English (as well as other languages) speaking people in Gaza wishing for their voices to be heard. To arrange for interviews please contact: palreports@gmail.com
Haidar Eid, professor (Tel Al Hawa, Gaza)
”On November 19th, while death and destruction was still pouring down on Gaza I wrote: “Gaza 2009 was the Sharpeville and Guernica of Palestine. Gaza 2012 is Palestine’s Soweto 1976, that will lead inexorably to implementation of the Right of Return and the end of ALL racist solutions; the beginning of the end of occupation, colonization and Apartheid in Palestine! ” This is what has happened. History has repeat itself, but not as a tragedy this time: 1976 witnessed the beginning of the end of Apartheid in South Africa; 2012 will be the turning point that will lead to the end of Apartheid in Palestine!
Ola Anan (West of Gaza City)
‘’Life is beginning to go back into normal life, student are back to school today, I can’t imagine how hard it feels to go back to the school and find out your friends was killed during the war. People begin to go out of the street to see the destroyed places. Land marks of the city are destroyed, they compare how the things are seems different, seems that we needs a lot of time to realize what really happened, how much we have lost.’’
Muhsen Abu Ramadan (the chairman of the steering committee of PNGO in Gaza)
“One of the factors that helped Palestinians achieve their victory are the solidarity groups and activists who demonstrated all over the world and helped spread a message reflecting the international humanitarian values based on human rights and peoples rights to self determination.”
Maram Humaid (student in Gaza Strip)
”It’s the third day after the attack of Israel on Gaza. Normal life is not easier. You can see activists publishing photos on twitter. We, students, activists, boys and girls practice our life normally, there is no wounding, no fire, it is getting normal. Many people are thinking to have fun, but we passed too difficult period and it is hard to do that. We meet and talk about this war, our memories, what is going on and how we are. I have a list of people I want to ask how they are, to see who is secure.”
Rushdi Sarraj (photographer in Gaza strip)
‘’8-days of the aggression on Gaza Strip passed like ages. We never slept or found a way to rest. The sound of bombing and the smell of death lingered everywhere. But we continued our media work without fear and showed the world the hidden face of the Israeli crimes. Targeting the media was the highest priority of the occupation, I lost more than one of my colleagues among the dead and wounded.’’
Jaber Abu Regaleh (farmer from Farahin near the border of Gaza in the former buffer zone)
“We are celebrating. Every one, young men, young women, old people, we are all outside walking on our land along the border. I am near the fence now. There is ten meters between me and the Israeli jeep. We have a lot of work to do to repair the destruction caused by the occupation but we will till the land and plant it and renew it to be the agricultural land that it used to be. This is better than a holiday for us.”
