Author: ISM Media Group - Page 332 - International Solidarity Movement

My Name is Rachel on Al Jazeera

My name is Rachel on Al Jazeera
by Martinez, 20 April 2007

Rachel Corrie’s parent

Rachel Corrie’s parents and Braden Abraham, the director of My Name is Rachel Corrie, were interviewed last night on Al Jazeera. Several cities, including one of the most recent in Florida, have censored the play.

Director Abraham said that Rachel was not only a humanitarian, but that she was also an artist, two things that make the play a wonderful experience.

When a man called in to the station during question and answer from Israel, he stated that “Rachel Corrie was a member of the International Solidarity Movement.” The caller claimed that the ISM supports suicide bombers because he said that on the website, the ISM says that Palestinians have the right to use “any means to resist Israel.”

Cindy Corrie answered this. She said she met ISMers all over the world, including the seven that were present when Rachel was murdered. Mrs. Corrie said that none of them condoned violence, let alone suicide bombers. She said that the ISM believes in rights granted by international law and that ISM works with non-violent resistance. Corrie said that she stood side by side with Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals, resisting non-violently in villages such as Bil’in, where 60% of the land is being confiscated by the Apartheid Wall.

“They come together to do non-violent resistance– these are their principles,” said Mrs. Corrie.

Mrs. Corrie mentioned that international law recognizes the right of Palestinians to resists– and that it is not limited to non-violent resistance.

IMEMC: IOF demolishes homes, uproot trees in S. Hebron. (2 Actions this Sat.)

IOF returns to continue destruction in South Hebron
by Ghassan Bannoura

Photo: ISM Hebron

UPDATE: In response to the demolitions in South Hebron, Palestinians from South Hebron are calling on international and Israeli solidarity activists to join them in two actions this Saturday, April 21. Activists will join shepherds and residents on the land in the villages of Twani and Baweeb. Afterwards, all are invited to discuss the demolitions and determine a strategy for preventing future demolitions.

For more information, contact: ISM Media Office, 0599-943-157, 02-297-1824

The Israeli army invaded the villages of Qawawis and Towani south of the city of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank, uprooted trees and demolished houses on Thursday midday.

Photo: ISM Hebron

In Qawawis village the Israeli army troops, along with several bulldozers, stormed the village and demolished six farmers’ homes and one animal shed. Soldiers even handed out a demolition order to families that are still living in a tent since their home was demolished several months ago by the Israeli army.

The Israeli army has demolished the homes once before, in last February, but with the help of international and Israeli human rights organizations the homes were rebuilt. However, the Israeli army came today and demolished them again, sources in the village told IMEMC.

Photo: ISM Hebron

The Israeli military, in alliance with illegal Israeli settlers, has been trying to force the Palestinian residents of the south Hebron hills to leave their homes for years. Due to harassment from the nearby Israeli outposts several of the young families of Qawawis moved to a nearby town; when the Israeli army then forcibly evacuated the remaining families, a court ordered that the families could return to their homes.

According to a lawyer representing the families, the Israeli army now claims that this court ruling allows only the last inhabitants of Qawawis to return, not their children who earlier fled the assaults of the Israeli settlers.

Meanwhile, another Israeli force along with one bulldozer uprooted at least 50 trees and a water well that belong to Palestinian farmers in the village of Towani, also located south of Hebron city. Israeli human rights activists arrived shortly after the army attack told IMEMC that the soldiers not only uprooted olive trees which are 10 years old, but also took the trees with them when they left.

Homes Rebuilt by Peace Activist Demolished Today

This morning Israeli Forces accompanied bulldozers to the Home of the Abu Kabatya Family near Um Nazel which was rebuilt with donations collected by peace activists. They demolished the families’ home and then proceeded to the land of farmer Ali Rabia near At-Twani and uprooted fifty olive trees, fifteen almond trees and destroyed a water well. From there they continued to Qawawis and destroyed six homes including all the homes recently rebuilt by ISM and a coalition of Israeli groups.

The shepherds and farmers of the south Hebron hills are not granted building permits to build on their own lands by the Israeli occupation authorities. Anything they build without a permit is promptly demolished. At the same time they are surrounded by what Israel calls “illegal outposts”, who do not receive demolition orders, and instead are immediately hooked up to electricity water and roads that are barred to Palestinians, and provided with a constant military presence.

For more information contact:
Yehiel (Hebrew and English): 050-2110639
Mr. Abu Kabatya: 0505318204
Yousef Qawawis (Arabic): 052-2042797

Pictures available upon request.

IOF Extra-Judicially Execute a Palestinian After Arresting Him in Jenin

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
18 April 2007

On Tuesday afternoon, 17 April 2007, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) extra-judicially executed a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of Fatah movement) near Jenin town in the northern West Bank. IOF shot him dead after having arrested him.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 12:30 on Tuesday, an IOF undercover unit moved arrived at al-Shuhada intersection on Jenin – Nablus road, traveling in a civilian vehicle with a Palestinian registration plate. The vehicle stopped near a stone treatment compound belonging to Fayez ‘Alawna. Two IOF soldiers got out of the vehicle and intercepted a Palestinian car that was traveling in the area. The driver got out of the car with his hands up. The two soldiers moved towards him, and one of them kicked him to the abdomen. The driver fell on his back. The two soldiers then carried him and then left him hitting a tree at the roadside. When he fell onto the ground, one of the IOF soldiers moved towards him and shot him dead to the head and the abdomen from a zero range. The victim was later identified as Ashraf Mahmoud ‘Aaref Hanaisha, 24, from Qabatya village near Jenin. IOF claim that he was wanted.

PCHR strongly condemns this hideous crime, and:

1) Reiterates its condemnation for extra-judicial executions committed by IOF, and stresses that they serve to increase tension in the region and threaten the lives of Palestinian civilians.

2) Calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to fulfill their obligations under the Convention and ensure protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

IMEMC: Hundreds attend Second Bil’in Int’l Conference

Hundreds join the Bilin Conferene on Popular Resistance
by George Rishmawi, 18 April 2007

Speakers stressed the need for popular resistance

More than five hundred Palestinian, Israeli and international peace activists arrived in Bilin on Wednesday morning to join the second international conference on popular resistance, which is held in a marquee in the heart of the village.

The confernce started with a rendition of the Palestinian national anthem, then Nasser Al-Kidweh, a senior Palestinian official representing the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, spoke to the conference.

He affirmed the President’s support of the popular nonviolent resistance against the Israeli occupation in Palestine. Vice president of the European Parliament Luisa Morganitini, who came from Italy to join the conference, affirmed her support and solidarity with the Palestinian people “in their just struggle for freedom”.

A number of Palestinian speakers gave a summary of the Palestinian confernce which was held on March 22nd, and presented the recommendations of the Palestinian confernece. Member of the French Parliament Jean-Claude Lefort spoke about the double standards in the present situation in Palestine. A member of the Bilin Popular Committee Against the Wall gave an overview about the village and the history of nonviolent resistance to the Wall.

Bilin is a village northwest of Ramallah where the Wall will cut through its land causing many villagers to lose a large area of their agricultural land. The people of Bilin have beenn organizing nonviolent resistance to the wall for two years.