Eight men were arrested in the village of Azzoun today as a result of an early morning raid by Israeli soldiers. Israeli jeeps entered the sleeping village at approximately 2:30am, shooting sound bombs and ordering residents to evacuate their houses, forcing families with babies as young as 2 months old into the freezing rain under threat of death. With the houses emptied, soldiers proceeded to enter and ransack premises, leaving residents in the street for up to half an hour.
The eight arrestees were aged between seventeen and twenty-five, with many of the arrests seemingly random.
The family of one of the arrested men reported that around 30 Israeli soldiers entered their home between 2:30 and 3am, shooting sound bombs into the house despite the fact that the front door was open. Soldiers ravaged the house before arresting the eldest son, aged twenty-five, a Palestinian Authority soldier on holidays with his family.
Another young man, aged twenty-one, was taken from his home whilst his family were forced out into the rain for fifteen minutes. Approximately 30 Israeli soldiers broke down the door of the family home, demanding that the parents give up all of their sons to the soldiers. The only son at home was seized and dragged out of the house wearing merely light pajamas, the soldiers ignoring the family’s pleas to allow him to take warm clothes.
Residents advise that this is common practice for the Israeli soldiers. “They always come in the winter after midnight”, said on resident. “They search the houses and take the young men aged around twenty years old. If they do not find the sons, they destroy everything – food, clothes, furniture, everything. Sometimes they even break the walls.”
The father of one of the arrestees reported that his family is used to random arrests – that he, his father and his grandfather have all been arrested many times for no reason. Once, Israeli soldiers even arrested his thirteen year old son, keeping him in detention for one week before releasing him.
None of the families have any information as to the whereabouts of their sons. No reasons were given for the arrests, and as such families do not know if the youths have been charged or held in Administrative Detention (detention without charge or trial). They suppose they will have to wait up to twelve days before lawyers will have access to their sons, if at all.
The Village of Bil’in is continuing its weekly protest against the Apartheid Wall and the confiscation of land by the Mattiyahu East settlement. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the wall must be moved west to give Bil’in back 250 acres of its land. However, the army thus far seems to be ignoring the order, and the wall still stands. The Supreme Court also recently rejected a petition to stop the construction of another Israeli settlement, Mattiyahu East, on Bil’ins land even further to the west.
Bil’in has recently been receiving support from New York, where demonstrators have now twice picketed the newly opened Leviev diamond store on Madison Avenue. The owner of the store, Lev Leviev, is an Israeli billionaire who uses funds gained from selling Angolan diamonds to build illegal settlements in the West Bank, including Mayttiyahu East. Leviev diamonds are conflict diamonds in the broadest sense, funding the repressive Angolan government and illegal West Bank settlements, widely viewed as an obstacle to Middle East peace.
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2. Fifth in a series of Nonviolent Protest Against Apartheid Road 443
Highway 443 is the main road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It is completely closed for Palestinian traffic, even though 9.5 km of it cuts through the West Bank and its expansion was built on seized Palestinian land. Together with the Apartheid Wall, it creates the enclaves of Bir Nabala and Biddu, which are completely surrounded by Israeli infrastructure. With Annapolis approaching, Apartheid Roads are very topical as Palestinians are looking for a contiguous state, not the isolated Bantustans that they are now forced to live in.
Meet at 12pm at the bridge near the village of Beit Ur, above the Palestinian-only tunnel that runs beneath the main highway.
Yousef: 022488113
www.apartheidmasked.org
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3. New Nonviolent Demonstration Against Land Seizure Near Umm Salamuna
A new demonstration starts tomorrow near Umm Salamuna against plans to expand the road leading from Road 60 to the Efrat settlement. The expansion is to be built on 30 dunums of land belonging to the Palestinian village of Al’Ma’sara. Many ancient grape vines are to be destroyed during the expansion.
Meet at 11.30am at the turn off from Road 60 leading up to the Efrat Settlement and Umm Salamuna.
Mahmood: 0599586004
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For more information on any of tomorrow’s protests:
New York, New York, Nov. 20 – The Madison Avenue jewelry store *LEVIEV New York* was again the site of protests by human rights activists angered by Israeli diamond mogul Lev Leviev’s settlement construction in Palestine, and other abusive practices in Angola and New York City. Tuesday evening’s protest, on the second day the store was open to the public, followed a noisy, surprise protest at *LEVIEV New York’s* gala opening on November 13 which derailed the evening for the celebrities and socialites in attendance.
In a loud, festive protest this evening, 40 New Yorkers chanted, danced Palestinian Dabka and performed street theater. Protesters were faced by a cordon of police officer who leaned against the LEVIEV store windows, blocking any view of the expensive jewelry in the showcase. No customers entered the store during the hour and a half protest. Protesters focused on Leviev’s companies’ construction of five illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, Leviev’s close ties with the repressive government of Angola where he mines diamonds, and Leviev’s massive New York City development projects with his former US partner Shaya Boymelgreen, which have been plagued by construction problems, and have frequently utilized underpaid, non-union workers in hazardous conditions.
Protesters chanted, “You sparkle, you shine, but settlements are still a crime,” and “How fancy, how pretty, Leviev out of New York City.” They paused to hear the tale of the “gems of injustice” which featured dancing cardboard diamonds. A performance of the Palestinian national dance, dabka, to the song “Wayn ya Ramallah” was interrupted prematurely by an NYPD officer who appeared unappreciative of Palestinian culture. Since no customers were willing to enter the store during the protest, protesters handed pedestrians on Madison Avenue gift bags which included soil from Palestine and a thank you note saying, “Dear valued customer, with every purchase you make from *LEVIEV New York*, you help Lev Leviev to seize a handful of Palestinian land in order to build more illegal Israeli settlements.”
Riham Barghouti, a spokesperson for Adalah-NY, explained that “This new campaign is a strong local response to the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. It shows the willingness of more individuals in the US in general and in New York City in particular to carry out effective action to oppose the building of Israeli settlements on confiscated Palestinian land, and other Israeli human rights violations.”
The protestors’ call for a boycott of Leviev’s businesses comes days before the US government hosts Israeli and Palestinian leaders at Annapolis, Maryland for negotiations. Israel’s rapidly expanding settlements, viewed worldwide as a violation of international law and an obstacle to peace, will be a major topic at the negotiations. Leviev’s Danya-Cebus and LIDAR companies are building homes in the West Bank settlements of Zufim, Mattityahu East, Maale Adumim and Har Homa. Previously, Danya Cebus built homes in Ariel settlement. The five settlements in which Leviev has built homes seize vital Palestinian water resources and agricultural land, and are strategically located to divide the West Bank into disconnected enclaves, making the creation of a viable Palestinian state difficult or impossible.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth has also reported that Leviev is a primary donor to the right-wing Israeli organization the Land Redemption Fund. The Fund spends its large budget to secure Palestinian land for Israeli settlement expansion, allegedly with the aid of deceit and strong arm-tactics. Journalist Meron Rapoport revealed today in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz Daily that Leviev was a guest of honor two years ago at a major event in Jerusalem for Elad, an Israeli organization which promotes the “Judaization” of Palestinian East Jerusalem. Elad refuses to reveal the names of its donors.
Leviev, Israel’s richest man, burst onto the New York City scene by buying up a large number of properties and buildings in Brooklyn and Manhattan over the last five years. He came under fire, along with his former US partner Shaya Boymelgreen, from the Laborer’s Union and ACORN for the working and safety condition at his development projects. Brooklynites are concerned that these problems will carry over into the duo’s planned Gowanus Village project.
Protest organizers announced plans to flyer outside *LEVIEV New York* this Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, and to organize a large protest in the coming weeks. “We will return as often as necessary until New Yorkers understand that Leviev’s triangle trade is built on human rights abuses and the destruction of marginalized communities in New York City, the Palestinian towns of Bil’in and Jayyous, and in Angola,” said Ethan Heitner, a spokesperson forAdalah-NY.
For more info see Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East:
www.mideastjustice.org
On Tuesday, November 20th, international Human Rights Workers (HRWs) were alerted to a military invasion in the Fara’h refugee camp, near Nablus. The military had surrounded the camp during the night and the attack began around 1 am. The army was said to have been looking for wanted men, and though they arrested around eleven people, it is unclear if they got who they wanted.
HRWs arrived around 8 am, while the military was still attacking the camp. They visited a formerly occupied house, one of five, which showed doors smashed in, furniture destroyed, belongings scattered, and a six year old child who had recieved a rifle butt to the face. The child was soon after taken to the hospital. During this time the army were continuing to drive their hummers and bulldozers quickly through the camp, shooting at both the unarmed refugees, and their vehicles. Windows of houses and cars had been shot out, as well as the electricity transistor, causing $15,000 worth of damage to the transistor and taking out the electricity to the camp.
Ambulance crews were on the scene to deal with the wounded. One man was shot in the foot, and a fifteen year old was shot in the leg, both with live ammunition. HRWs witnessed three youths shot in the leg with rubber coated steel bullets, and one shot in the head. It is still unclear how many more were taken to the hospital for treatment due to rubber coated steel bullets, and tear gas.
After the army had left HRWs met in one family’s house and spoke to people from the camp. In the house where they met, the wall had cracked open and the concrete gate outside had been smashed when an Israeli bulldozer picked up the family’s car and threw it at the house. The car is of course destroyed. The refugees talked about when the army came in the night, how people whose houses were occupied were forced to stand outside in the rain, how some of the men were forced to stand under the drainpipes during the downpour. They said the army drives through often, though they do not always attack.
Fara’h refugee camp holds around 6,000 refugees, and today school was cancelled for the children. The older students, many of whom go to Al-Najah University and had exams today, were prevented from taking them due to the invasion.
The village of Al Funduq, 15km from Qalqilia, is today under curfew. For the first time in the history of the village the 700 residents are forbidden from entering the streets, driving cars, and are subject to random house searches.
Following the shooting of an Israeli settler at 11pm on Monday 19th November, Israeli soldiers have imposed the curfew, which is tantamount to collective punishment. Eathmound roadblocks have been installed on two of the main roads out of the village, preventing travel to neighbouring villages of Hajja and Tulkarm. The main road through the village – road 55 connecting Qalqilia to Nablus – remains open but only to Israeli vehicles. Soldier patrols and flying checkpoints ensure no Palestinians are able to use this road.
The curfew came as a surprise to the residents, many of whom have been left stranded without food. One resident was forced to take the risk of violating the curfew to travel to a nearby village in order to obtain milk for his children, as all shops in Al Funduq have been forced to close. A doctor attempting to travel through Al Funduq to attend an emergency in Jinsafut was denied entry and told to go home by Israeli soldiers.
Soldiers are claiming that the curfew is necessary to secure the area following the shooting. However, soldiers have admitted to village residents that they know the shooter was not from Al Funduq, a village noted for its peaceful coexistence with settlers, many of whom come to the village to do their shopping. The car allegedly used by the shooter has been found, and determined to not belong to anyone residing in Al Funduq. Soldiers, however, in a testament to ridiculousness, claim that the villagers should have prevented the shooting from taking place, thus insinuating that the villagers are somehow responsible for this action.
To the contrary, two of the village residents came across the scene of the incident last night, mistaking it for a car accident, and attempted to help. Upon realising the life-threatening condition of the injured settler, they proceeded to call an ambulance, however the settler later died.
At 4pm, a convoy of Israeli settlers entered the village from the direction of the Qedummim settlement, and proceded to construct a makeshift roadblock from materials they found on the side of the road. Angry at being photographed, they attempted to intimidate Human Rights Workers in the vicinity. Numbers of settlers swelled, preventing the passage of Israeli vehicles along the arterial road. Soldiers and police entered the scene shortly after, but did nothing to disperse the aggressive settlers, nor even to remove the roadblocks. Indeed, it was Israeli motorists themselves who got out of their cars to clear the roadway. With the roadblocks gone, settlers then positioned themselves in the middle of the road, stopping lorries and hence the flow of traffic.
As their protest continued unabated, Israeli settlers then took their rage to the property of the Palestinians, smashing shops and houses inside which resided trapped villagers – all under the unchallenging gaze of the Israeli soldiers and police. It was only after night fell and the local council turned off the street lights that settlers moved their rampage from the heart of the village up to the major highway intersection on the village outskirts, between Al Funduq and Jinsafut.
At least 6 other villages in the Qalqilia district are also under curfew, including Kafr Laqif, Jinsafut, Haja, Baqa Al Hatab, Immatin and Kafr Qaddum.
