Author: ISM Media Group

Free Gaza Movement: SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty arrive in Chania, Crete, Saturday 9th August at 21:00 p.m

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

To view the Free Gaza Movement website click here

For further information, contact:

+6932 766496 for directions or Greta Berlin, +357 99 08 17 67

Nicosia/Lefkosia, Cyprus, August 9. The Free Gaza Movement announced yesterday that their boats, the SS FREE GAZA and the SS LIBERTY, destined to break the Israeli siege of Gaza, will arrive in Chania, Crete, today, Saturday, August 9, at 9 p.m. where a press conference will be held to welcome them, near Crete’s Souda Bay US Sixth Fleet and NATO base.

Human rights activists Lauren Booth (sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair), Huwaida Arraf (a Palestinian-American residing in Ramallah, Palestine), and Jeff Halper (an Israeli Jew nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for opposing demolitions of Palestinian homes) will be available at the press conference for interviews.

“This will be the first time that our two boats will be publicly displayed and photographers are welcome to come, take photos and post their images,” said Paul Larudee, on board the boats sailing toward Chania. “Internationals are gathering across the world – in Beijing and Cyprus – with the common dream of peace and justice for everyone.”

Some survivors of USS Liberty request: “What is the possibility of you and the crew of the SS Liberty throwing 34 long stemmed roses into the sea as a memorial to the 34 Americans killed aboard the USS Liberty? We will pay for the roses or whatever else you have in mind. The survivors of the Liberty and their families would be eternally grateful to you and your ship mates for this gesture as no one has ever done anything like this before.” Another wrote: “I am one of the survivors of the USS Liberty. A very tired man, who woke up somewhat when I heard of the SS Liberty. I was the petty officer in charge of the body recovery and identification, and I remember it almost like it was yesterday. May God Be With You.” So, when we leave Cyprus next week, we hope to have a ceremony for all of those Americans (whose names we shall read out) killed by the Israelis on board the ship in 1967.

For more information: www.freegaza.org – live video streaming will soon be available

Photos of participants: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/

Media: http://www.freegaza.org/index.php?language=EN&module=latest_news

Bil’in Popular Committee: Toilet water – the new kind of weapon used against the people from Bil’in

To view the village of Bil’in’s website click here

Today, 8th August 2008, after the Friday Prayers, the inhabitants of Bil’in, Israeli, and international peace activists participated in a demonstration against the wall. They raised Palestinian flags and signs with slogans that condemn the policies of the occupation. The slogans condemned the construction of the wall, the confiscation of Palestinian lands for the construction of settlements, the road closures, and the seizure of Palestinian villages, towns, and cities. The protesters also carried signs with slogans against the killing of innocent civilians, especially children. In addition, the slogans condemned the attacks on detainees, in particular, shooting at them while detained, hand cuffed and blindfolded.

The protest started from the centre of the village, and the protesters chanted similar slogans in addition to those that called for national unity. Upon arrival to the wall, the protesters while raising photos of the murdered children, Ahmed Husam Yousef Musa and Yousef Ahmed Amera, attempted to cross the wall in to their land. The action was a symbol of protest against the monstrous violations that Israeli soldiers commit against Palestinian civilians. Israeli soldiers murdered Ahmed 10 days ago, 29 July 2008, and Yousef 3 days ago, 4 August 2008 – both while participating in non-violent protests against the construction of the segregation wall in Ni’lin.

Today, the protesters succeeded to arrive at the location of the wall, and they repeated chants and slogans against the occupation soldiers and their officers that command them to shoot unarmed civilians. Soon after, confrontations started, the soldiers started firing tear gas, and sprayed us with toilet water. We would like to take a sample for analysis. Many people immediately had to be sick after being sprayed with this water. This is not the first time they use water, but this time was the first that they used water from the toilets. In addition to the water, the soldiers use many types of weapons on the Palestinians. For example they use many types of gas, many types of rubber bullets, clean water, water mixed with gas, scream, saltball, sackbeans. All of these are new weapons.

From a different point, the Israeli Supreme Court gave 45 days (52 as of today) to the Israeli army to correct the current track of the segregation wall that passes through the village. Israeli Chief Justice, Dorit Beinisch, and two of her fellow colleagues, condemned the Israeli government’s neglictance of the Supreme Court’s ruling last year, which ordered the correction of the current track of the wall.

Chief Justice Beinisch confirmed to the Israeli government representative, Avi Lisht, her ruling to correct the track of the wall and added; “we ruled that the current track cannot sustain as it does now.”

The people of Bil’in submitted a petition to the Israeli Supreme Court in 2005, hoping to prevent the Israeli occupation army from confiscating their lands. The confiscated lands would be used to build the segregation wall and further annex the remaining of the land in favor of constructing the illegal settlement, ‘East Metateaho’.

On July 2007, the Israeli Supreme Court decreed the illegitimacy of constructing the wall on Bil’in’s lands, and further ordered the government to propose a different track of the wall without harming the nature of the village. A year after the ruling, and because the Israeli government did not act in accordance with the ruling, the people of Bil’in through their advocate, Mikhael Sfard, decided to return to the Supreme Court. The Israeli government further continues the same policy without acknowledging the Supreme Courts ruling.

Israeli soldiers invade international apartment in Tel Rumeida

On Friday 8th of August at 20:45 two international volunteers came home to find their roof occupied by three soldiers. The soldiers had been occupying their roof terrace since 18:45.

When asked what the soldiers were doing there, they responded by pointing their guns at the internationals and said “we’re just looking”, the soldiers then told the international volunteers to leave their own house. To this the internationals responded by telling the soldiers that they hadn’t got anywhere else to stay. One of the soldiers then proceeded to tell the two volunteers that they were under arrest. While detained on the roof the soldiers surrounded the two international volunteers pointing guns at them constantly.

They then told the two volunteers to sit in the corner of the roof terrace, when asked why, a soldier replied saying that if they didn’t sit in the corner of the roof terrace he would shoot him in the head.

Just after this comment, footsteps were heard from downstairs and a torch came up the stairs, this turned out to be the soldiers’ commander who showed the internationals a military order. After being shown the order the two internationals decided to leave the building and wait outside. The commander then came downstairs and told the internationals that they could stay in the house, but just not the roof terrace.

The internationals decided then to go into their apartment where they are staying now with the soldiers occupying the roof terrace just outside. They have received abuse through their window, as well as loud electronic noises.

The soldiers vacated the house at 22.00.

Israeli army arrest municipality member in Nablus

On the night between the 5th and 6th of August, Israeli army invaded Nablus to arrest Majida Fada, a 38-year elected member of the municipality.

People from the neighborhood report that the army arrived around 1:30am, closing the area and shooting out street lights. About ten soldiers then moved into the residential building where Majida Fada lived with her parents, forcing the doors open and storming into family homes. A man named Based Khader was reported to have been used as a human shield while soldiers carried out their search.

Majida Fada, head of the municipality committee responsible for the beautification of Nablus, is one of 7 municipality council electives who have been arrested this year. This is the second time Majida Fada has been arrested. Three years ago she was held for six months without trial before being released. As with her previous arrest, the family says that they have not been told the reason for her detention.

Continued violence and repression against the popular protests against the wall in Ni’lin

On the 7th of August around 300 hundred people protested against the building of the apartheid wall at the land of Ni’lin.


Video courtesy of Israel Puermam

The demonstration started at 11 am and marched from the village centre. It reached the construction site managing to stop the bulldozers from working for a while before being attacked and driven back by border police. They kicked, punched and arrested Palestinian, Israeli and international protesters, also using tear gas and sound grenades. In a continuing pattern of intimidation of Ni’lin’s Popular Committee, Mohammed Abdelkader Amira was arrested along with an Israeli activist.

Due to the violence from the border police the demonstration pulled back and clashes soon broke out between the Israeli army and young men and boys from the village. It continued throughout the day until the soldiers finally left at 5 pm.

During the day a total of five people, among them one Palestinian, one Israeli and three French citizens, were arrested and seven injured by rubber bullets.

Today’s demonstration in Ni’lin was the first since Yousef was killed by Israeli army. His funeral was on Monday. More protests are planned to intensify the struggle for the Ni’lin villagers right to their land and to bring justice to the deaths of Yousef and Ahmed

During the night to Thursday 7th of August the Israeli army invaded the village once again. They broke into a house and arrested Sheikh Salah who was released during the day. The last week shows a pattern of Israeli army entering the village at night throwing sound grenades and arresting people active in the popular committee of the village organising protests against the wall.