Year: 2013 - Page 78 - International Solidarity Movement

The occupations toll on one family in Burqa

1st April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Burqa, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

A brief visit to any family home in the occupied West Bank is sure to be a combination of warmth and tragedy as no person here has been immune to the brutality of the occupation that has dominated the lives of Palestinians for over 60 years.

Ra'ed Haj who is unable to walk, talk or hear after he was nerve gassed — Ra’ed Haj who is unable to walk, talk or hear after he was nerve gassed

In the small village of Burqa near Nablus , we visited the Haj household , where 32 year old Ra’ed has been rendered unable to speak , walk or talk after nerve gas was fired into the bathroom he was washing up in in 2002. The Israeli soldiers reached this bathroom by knocking through wall after wall of neighboring houses, which is common practice for the Israeli Occupation Forces.
Despite also suffering from a brain tumor, Ra’ed has been repeatedly denied permission to seek adequate medical facilities by the Israeli army.

His mother and father now care for him, but worry who will continue to do so in the future. Which relatives will be there to care for him in the future is unpredictable to say the least. His brother Muhammed is currently in the notorious Jalame prison after the Haj household was raided by the army at 2am. He is still awaiting charge or trial. Jalame prison is infamous for its harsh interrogations and solitary confinement in the dark. Muhammed also suffers from regualar migraines after he was shot in the head with a steel coated rubber bullet in 2005. The same illegal ammunition was fired at his friend which took out both of his eyes. In 1994 his home was also demolished to make way for the illegal Homesh settlement.

Wether a resident of Burqa has the absurd luxury of being able to reside in his family home or not, the Israeli army constantly make their presence known by raiding the village nearly every night, making wanton arrests and damaging property.

Ra'ed holds up photographs of himself before the attack — Ra’ed holds up photographs of himself before the attack

Land in village of Qusin used as garbage dump by settlers

27th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Qusin, Occupied Palestine

By IWPS

On Wednesday March 27 at 15:00 the village of Qusin organized a tour of a nearby quarry that is regularly used as a garbage dump. The residents of Qusin invited the Minister of the Environment, IWPS and the International Solidarity Movement to inspect the amount of Israeli trash that has accumulated in the recent weeks.

The quarry had been partially refilled with dirt and gravel covering the majority of the trash, leaving three large piles of plastic, wood and metal exposed. The effect was that of a large land fill in the middle of a mined industrial zone. The organizers of the visit explained that the toxins from the trash are seeping through the soil into the water sources of the nearby villages, endangering the local residents. Local community organizers from Qusin reported abnormally high cancer rates in the village.

Residents of Qusin have started to regularly visit and protest as a community at the dump site. Around 75 people attended the protest. The group arrived together via bus and saw a large white truck with two passengers unknown to the community parked at the site. The organizers of the event reported that these individuals were members of the Israeli security service. The individuals stayed within their vehicle throughout the event and were observed by both ISM and IWPS who both took pictures.

After a brief tour and discussion, one of the large piles of trash was set aflame. The majority of Qusin residents were exiting the dump site when Israeli military jeeps entered the area. No arrests were made.

Qusin is a small village outside of Nablus with approximately 1,941 residents. It is bordered by illegal Qedumim settlement. The village is known for its participation in prior demonstrations due to the unjust roadblocks that prevented residents from driving to Nablus from 2002 to 2009.

Demonstration in commemoration of Land Day

30th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Burin, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

On the 30th March 1976, Palestinian citizens of Israel instigated demonstrations in protest at Israeli government plans to confiscate large amounts of Palestinian land in the Galilee region for new Israeli settlements. The thousands of people who took part in non-violent general strikes, demonstrations and marches were violently attacked by the Israeli military, who injured many hundreds and killed six young Palestinian men.

Farmers watched by Israeli Occupation Forces

Thirty-seven years later, Israeli land-grabs continue and settlements continue to expand. But Palestinians in the West Bank, in Gaza, in Israel and in the diaspora unite in solidarity on Land Day each year, demonstrating to the Israeli authorities their continuing sense of a Palestinian community – a people who will continue to struggle against occupation and fight for self-determination.

Today in the village of Burin , a group of Palestinians and internationals planted olive trees in a field close by to Yitzar and Bratcha settlements. Pictures of Rachel Corrie, Vittorio Arrigoni and Tom Hundrnall were hung from the newly planted trees. Black balloons adorned with the Palestinian flag and Land Day posters were released into the air.

A young boy holds a Palestinian flag in front of Israeli soldiers

The activists were joined almost immediately by several Israeli military and police jeeps. A soldier announced that we were in a closed military zone and that we had 25 minutes to vacate the land. The village mayor wanted to avoid any problems so all of the activists then left the land.

The activists were then invited to a house next to the field for tea but the soldiers said that this also was a closed military zone and that we should leave immediately.

Olive trees are planted to commemorate Land Day

Poster of deceased ISM activist Tom Hurdnall is planted alongside an olive tree.

Settler attacks ISM activists

An ISM activist and her sister were attacked today on Shuhada street, Hebron, by the infamous settler Anat Cohen. The incident is the last in a long line of violent acts committed by Cohen. It was believed to be motivated by the fact the ISM activist was wearing a headscarf, as Palestinian access to Shuhada Street has not been permitted since 1994.

Despite being allowed access by a soldier, the pair’s walk down the street was quickly interrupted by the aggressive advances of the settler. Cohen blocked their path and shouted about Auchwitz, dubbing the pair “Nazis”. She then kicked one of the women in the leg and attempted to slap the other. An EAPPI member was also the victim of some abuse as he came to the scene and filmed events (See attached video). The victims were especially horrified by the position of the police, who after ignoring the initial incident spoke and listened to Cohen, while completely ignoring the Internationals.

The ISM activist and her sister were then requested to go to the Police Station. After 90 minutes of investigation from uninterested police officers, they were told to “be sensitive during the Jewish holiday”, and released, with no re-assurance of future safety on Shuhada Street. Whether or not Cohen was questioned is not known.

Incidents such as this represent the huge amount of humanitarian disregard settlers such as Cohen can get away with. It is also a sad reflection of intimidation being status quo under Israel’s occupation. The ISM activist pointed out how the assault was indicative of “The systematic intimidation and oppression of the Palestinian people

Journalists detained in Hebron, leading to two arrests and threats to restrict Palestinian movement

By Team Khalil

24th March 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

In the afternoon of the 24^th March, two Palestinian Al Jazeera journalists arrived into Hebron to interview a Palestinian family living near the illegal Israeli settlement in the area of Tel Rumeida. When they arrived, settlers called the Israeli military and police, who arrived and confiscated the journalists’ ID cards, despite having seen their press credentials. The Al Jazeera reporters had their ID cards returned after around an hour, but two Hebron Palestinians who attempted to intervene on their behalf with police were arrested and removed in a police car. Their status is currently unknown and no reason was given for their arrest.

After the journalists were today apprehended, police and settlers arrived into the area with rolls of barbed wire, informing another Palestinian resident that his primary access to the main road would be closed. Hashem Azzeh and his family live underneath the Tel Rumeida settlement, with their access to the main road running directly next to the settlement. This path has been repeatedly closed by the Israeli authorities since 2000, and was only opened most recently in late 2012 after extensive legal battles in the Israeli courts.

The police and settlers claimed today that the path would be closed because unapproved people had been walking along it. According to the Israeli authorities, only Hashem, his family and guests walking with them have permission to use the path. Hashem states that he has no knowledge of strangers using this route to access his house.

Without the path, Hashem and his family have to travel a much longer, rock-strewn and hazardous route to leave their home. Hashem said today, “I think they will close my access now, they will say it is for security reasons.” He thinks that the settlers used the arrival of the journalists and the subsequent confusion as a pretext to close his path and restrict his family’s movement, in further attempts to drive them from their home – they already face regular hassle from Israeli authorities and attacks from the settlers, including on Hashem’s young children.

Police (inside car) question journalists while soldiers stand by – Tel Rumeida settlement is visible in the background