Author: ISM Media Group

International Peace Activists Released From Hospital

phil and BJ
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 14, 2006

The two international peace activists shot by the Israeli military at Friday’s anti-wall demonstration in Bil’in have been discharged from hospital. Phillip Reiss from Australia was released today, and BJ Lund from Denmark, was released yesterday from the Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv. They are still recovering from their injuries and will meet with a lawyer later today to talk about the possibilities for suing the Israeli Military, after Israeli Border Police shot them in the head with rubber bullets at close range. Israeli Military regulations stipulate that rubber bullets should be shot at a distance of 40 meters, only at the legs or arms. Several Palestinians were also shot, beaten and tear-gassed on Friday.

BJ has a fracture in his jaw and is suffering from the painful swelling caused by the injury. He still has headaches and can’t chew. There is a lot of fluid and swelling in the jaw muscles which prevents him from opening his mouth. When he was shot he lost hearing in his ear for 10 seconds and now feels pressure in one ear.

“I don’t remember getting hit; when I heard the shooting I just remember turning my head and falling,” BJ said. “There was an explosion next to me and I put my hand on my ear and it was wet. I looked and there was blood all over it. I was stunned until someone grabbed me and just started running. I feel really lucky: if I hadn’t turned my head I could have lost all my teeth.”

Phil described himself as generally okay, despite a large lump on his head, headaches and exhaustion, the nausea and shooting pain has subsided. He was diagnosed with a sub-ural hematoma, swelling cuased by bleeding in the brain, and given 8 stitches for the gash near his temple. He has been prescribed anti-convulsive medication and after 6 weeks will have to return to the hospital for a CT scan. “I feel pretty lucky, I’ll tell you what.” said Phil. “If I was Palestinian it would have been a lot worse ”. The Israeli military often use rubber bullets when Israeli and international demonstrators are present and rubber coated steel bullets on Palestinians when they demonstrate on their own.Both Phil and BJ will have to return to hospital in a week for checkups.

“I feel kind of strange because there is a lot of media attention and we were told that there would be an investigation by the Israeli police, but we are still waiting for them to contact us, and I am wondering if they are going to give us any attention,” BJ reported. He added that in the hospital, “so many doctors wanted to talk politics with us, telling me I should go back to Denmark and work on social things instead of getting involved here.”

When asked how he felt about the soldiers that shot them, Phil responded, “I think they are a bunch of thugs and how they acted was very inappropriate, but I can’t say that I feel angry at them for shooting me.” BJ also was not angry but thought that, “their response was unnecessary because it was a peaceful demonstration. I didn’t see the person who shot us, and I wonder how he can deal with this when he knows they hit someone in the head who wasn’t violent. I hope he didn’t feel good when he went to sleep that night. It is frightening – it just tells me how much more insane the situation is”.

For more information: ISM media office 02 297 18 24

Non-Violent Demonstration Against the Wall in Ar-Ram Attacked by Israeli Military

by ISM Media Office volunteers

Saturday 13th May: Around 800 Palestinian and 200 Israeli and international demonstrators, representing a broad coalition of people, united in a march to call for the dismantling of the Apartheid Wall in the Palestinian town of Ar-Ram, just north of Jerusalem. With the participation of schoolchildren, teachers, neighborhood residents and representatives of all the different Palestinian political parties, it was carefully prepared as a non-violent protest. It was well disciplined, with a line of organizers at the front of the march preventing any impatient youth from provoking a confrontation with the soldiers.

The large, peaceful march was headed by a children’s marching band. Despite this, it was violently attacked when Israeli Border Police shot round after round of tear gas at the demonstrators as it approached a checkpoint, forcing demonstrators to flee for cover in nearby homes. Chief Muslim Cleric, Sheikh Taiseer Tamimmi, Palestine Chief Justice, was among the injured, IMEMC reported. A few children in the crowd then responded with rocks to the tear gas attack. As is their standard practice, the Border Police afterwards lied to the press, saying that they were attacked by the demonstrators, and it seems that all the press (including al-Jazeera) took their lies at face value. We have photos and video footage proving that the demonstration was peaceful and was attacked by the Israeli soldiers.

The Border Police continued to shoot tear gas preventing protesters from regrouping. They also denied the entry to many Israeli activists through Ar-Ram checkpoint from Jerusalem, forcing some to crawl through the fence and others to hold a solidarity protest on the other side of the fence.

In conjunction with the regular Israeli police, the Border Police arrested 11 people – 7 Palestinians and 4 Israelis, including one man who it seemed was arrested for carrying the Palestinian flag. They also confiscated the protestor’s signs saying they wanted them “for evidence”. The three Israelis were all released that afternoon, but all the Palestinians were accused of stone throwing (supposedly “endangering people’s lives”) and participating in an “illegal protest”. They were taken to the Russian Compound jail in West Jerusalem and held overnight. All seven were released today (the 14th) on condition that they will have to return to court if the state decides that they will be procede with prosecution.

The Wall divides the main street of Ar-Ram in two. Contrary to the myth popular in the Israeli and international press, the main effect of the Wall is to divide Palestinians from each other, because it is built within Palestinian territory, and not on the internationally recognized 1949 armistice border, or “Green Line”. It has critically damaged the life of the residents of Ar-Ram. It has divided families, stopped workers from reaching their workplace and cut off teachers and students from their schools; in fact, three schools have already been forced to close.

The mayor, Sirhan Al-Salaimeh, stated after the demonstration that Palestinians will continue their joint activities with Israelis and internationals against the occupation and the wall and for a peace that is just for both peoples.

This was a continuation of demonstrations organized by a broad coalition of forces in the Jerusalem area including: the Ar-Ram Counsel, the Public Committee to Resist the Wall in the Jerusalem district (which represents districts and villages surrounding Jerusalem on both sides of the wall), the Concord for Jerusalem, the Islamic and National Parties in the Jerusalem area, the Palestinian National Initiative (former Presidential candidate and Palestinian MP Mustafa Bhargouti’s party), The Stop the Wall campaign, the International Solidarity Movement, Anarchists Against the Wall, Gush Shalom, Ta’ayush, and other Israeli peace organizations.

Two videos from the demo:

For pictures see:
ISM site: www.palsolidarity.org
Wafa News Agency: http://www.wafa.ps/morephoto.asp?group=1437
Gush Shalom site: www.gush-shalom.org

For more information or to arrange for video footage contact:
ISM Media office 02 297 1824

The Double Standards of the Israeli Army

“I Am Not a Good Jew”: Israeli Soldier Brutality and Incompetence
An editorial by a human rights worker in Hebron


Israeli settler children throw rocks while soldier does nothing

Yesterday I went to the demonstration in Bil’in which started out fun and happy, with people singing songs and generally having a good time as we usually do at these demonstrations.

Upon confronting the soldiers there was some pushing and shoving, some sound bombs were tossed into the crowd by soldiers, and soon the soldiers started firing rubber coated metal bullets without provocation. Two ISM activists were hit in the head with rubber bullets, one seriously. He suffered a brain hemorrhage but doctors say he is going to be okay. The other ISM activist required stitches.

So, this is what happens at demonstrations. This is how the soldiers react. Are you ready to learn about what happens when soldiers are put in a situation where they are supposed to control violent Israeli settlers? Ok here we go!

Today in Tel Rumeida, a fellow ISM volunteer and I were walking a Palestinian child home. In order to reach his home, he has to pass by the Tel Rumeida settlement where settler children and teenagers were standing around, waiting for him to pass so they could throw rocks at him. This happens on a daily basis, so we are prepared.

We accompanied him so that, hopefully, the rocks would hit us and not the child. I had a video camera ready to record the rock throwing. We walked up the hill and, predictably the kids started throwing rocks. There were three soldiers standing around who — instead of controlling the children — came after me.

They asked me to stop filming, I said no. They demanded that I give them the camera, I refused. Then, as the settler children were throwing rocks and me, my fellow ISMer and the Palestinian child, the three soldiers tried to take the camera from me. They were unsuccessful because they were fat and they have not studied Kung Fu.

While my fellow ISMer was trying to get the soldiers to control the kids, a teenaged settler girl said “Jews do not throw rocks, Arabs throw rocks,” and she was standing in front a bunch of settler children who were throwing rocks at us!

At this point more soldiers arrived. I asked them to control the settler children so the Palestinian child could go home. They told me they couldn’t control the children. I told them, “All it would take to control these kids is some tear gas or a sound bomb, or, you know, how about some rubber bullets or live ammunition like you shoot at Palestinian kids who throw rocks?”

They kept covering the lens of my camera with their hand and I kept avoiding them. At one point three soldiers and a bunch of kids cornered me. The soldiers tried to take my camera, and the kids hit and kicked me. When I used my arms to block their attacks, the settler girls who were attacking screamed at me “don’t touch me, you fucking pedophile, you’re just filming so you can go home and masturbate to your porno.” and “The Arabs will kill you if you don’t watch out, just like they kill the Jews.” I said “I am a Jew and they don’t kill me.” A teenaged settler girl yelled back “You are not a good Jew!”

Eventually, I decided it would be better off if I went up to the apartment to film. That way I would not get attacked. A soldier saw me retreating, and tried to take my camera again. He was unsuccessful. I began filming from the second floor balcony of the apartment building. I caught the soldiers and settlers attacking members of TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron). As soon as the settlers saw me filming, they started throwing rocks at me again and yelling they hope the Arabs kill us.

In my opinion, if these people want to get good at throwing rocks, they ought to take lessons from the Palestinians, because they couldn’t hit a fucking elephant if it was standing in front of them. Eventually I went into the apartment to film from the window so I would not have to dodge rocks. The police finally arrived and the situation died down.

So, this is the irony of the situation. Palestinians and internationals peacefully demonstrate and get shot with rubber bullets. Israeli settler children throw rocks and hit and kick people and the soldiers refuse to stop them and instead attack the internationals.

Later in the day I was down on Shuhada street with another ISMer and settler children began throwing rocks at us again. The soldiers made a halfhearted attempt to control them but gave up. I called the police. The children kept throwing rocks and tried to prevent a Palestinian family from passing. I went over to where the family was and attempted to escort them past. The kids kept throwing rocks and the soldiers kept doing nothing. After I made a second call to the police, they finally showed up and got the children under control. I asked the police officer to remain there to control the children. He told me I should leave if I didn’t want to be attacked. Fortunately though, he stayed and got the children under control. After about 20 minutes, he left and the children began throwing rocks again.

So, this is Tel Rumeida during Shabbat, the Jewish holy day, and the Jews here act like fucking animals. I wonder, what would Moses do if a Palestinian child was walking past him. Would he throw rocks? Are Jews obligated under Jewish law to throw rocks at Palestinians? I feel like I am obligated under human law to protect anyone from attacks from these fucking religious extremists.

Oh, and by the way, while I’m still pissed off, I should write about the fact that Palestinians here are suffering severely from the funding cuts. People are so poor. A friend of mine who works for the Palestinian Authority hasn’t been to work in 20 days because they can’t pay him and he has $30 to his name.

The international community is punishing Palestinians because they voted for Hamas and it’s turning into a tragedy. One man told me today that economically, the past 3 months has been the worst it has ever been. So please, people in the United States, if you have not written to your congressperson to vote against the so-called Palestinian “anti-terrorism act,” HR 4681 You can do this by email here.

Shabbat+new soldiers+settlers=ouch!

By Mary, a 75 year-old ISM volunteer in Tel Rumeida

Shabbat, new soldiers and violent settlers make a very unpleasant day.

At 11am, I was at the Tel Rumeida crossing waiting for children to come from the Qurduba school. The Palestinian Abu Aeshah girls, who live near the Israeli Tel Rumeida settlement came. I accompanied them towards the settlement. The soldier outside the settlement told me to stop and go back. I said that I would go back if he would watch the girls to their house. There were Israeli settler children outside. They often attack the Palestinian children. The soldier seemed more interested in watching me than the children and did not help.

At 11.15am the Al Azzeh children arrived. They walk along a track next to the settlement. There were settler children at the entrance to the settlement, so an EAPPI human rights worker walked up to the track with them. The settler children started to throw stones at the Palestinian children so other EAPPI human rights workers and I went up too to stand between the Palestinians and the stones. The soldiers tried to push the children back to the crossing for safety instead of controlling about 8 settler children, who were throwing stones. I came between the soldier and 14 year old Janette. It is not right that an eighteen year old soldier should be standing with his body so close to a young girl, who is already under attack. More soldiers came but the stone throwing continued further along the track and the Palestinian children were not able to pass. Three TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) workers arrived to observe the incident. Finally the police were called and came quickly. They were able to control the situation and the children were able to reach their homes.

I told the police and soldiers that there would be other children needing to pass from 12.30 to 1.30pm. The police said that the soldiers would look after this and that they would be patrolling. TIPH agreed to stay until all the children were home.

At 12.35pm, one of the Abu Aeshah boys arrived. I walked with him up towards the settlement. There were now two soldiers on duty outside the Tel Rumeida settlement. They would not let me pass and were watching me instead of the Palestinian boy. I finally convinced one of them to look the other way. The boy got home safely but Israeli settler children were beginning to come to the entrance of the settlement and waiting.

At 1.00pm, Samir Abu Aeshah arrived. I walked with him towards the settlement followed by another international with a camera. Israeli settler children came out of the settlement. Girls came right up to us abusing and yelling at us. Twenty young settler boys threw stones at us. I was hit several times. There were eight soldiers who pushed us back towards the crossing. They did not stop the stone throwing and tried to stop any filming. Samir Abu Aeshah ran to hide in his uncle’s house. Another six soldiers arrived and attacked our person who was filming. They also attacked a woman from TIPH, who was taking photos. Israel recognizes TIPH and they are allowed film anywhere. I was being hit by stones. As a soldier was telling me to go back, settler boys were coming round behind me and throwing large rocks at my back. I was then hit on the head with a rock. Settler children were now nearly to the crossing and still attacking and I was outside my house.

I called the DCO, saying that I had been hit with 12 stones and rocks and had been hit on the head. The woman on the line agreed with me that this should not happen. Another army jeep arrived. There were now twenty soldiers, about twenty violent young settler boys, ten abusive settler girls and many settler adults including Sara Marzel (wife of Baruch Marzell, founder of the ultra-extremist Chayil Party (Jewish National Front) ). Some of the soldiers started grabbing the boys who resisted and kept throwing stones. The girls kept coming right up to me and abusing me. The settler adults watched and did nothing to help or control their children. I called the police. When they came they were able to control the situation but there was still no way to get Samir Abu Aeshah home.

Some of the Israeli settler children and adults walked to the Jewish cemetery followed by an army jeep. I went in the Israeli police jeep to make a complaint. Sometime later, Samir came out of hiding and walked home by himself, with no support from the soldiers.

Bil’in demonstration in the press

1. “Australian injured in West Bank protest” From the Australian

2. “Sydney man shot in Israel during protest” From The Age

3. “Hamas Supporters Help Palestinian Gov’t” From The Guardian

4. “Bil’in protest wounds 2 border police” From the Jerusalem Post

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1. Australian injured in West Bank protest
From the Australian

May 13, 2006
An Australian has been injured when soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd who were protesting the building of Israel’s West Bank separation barrier, according to *Associated Press* and an activist website.

An *Associated Press* reporter at the demonstration saw four people hit with rubber bullets during the protest, including a photographer.

Activist Philip Reess from Sydney and a Danish national were reportedly hit in the head with the rubber-coated metal balls during the demonstration, said the International Solidarity Movement on its website.

The website report said Mr Reess was shot in the head “as he was running away,” and had been filming the demonstration, held in Bil’in village on the West Bank.

Both injured men are in Tel Aviv’s Tel Hashomer hospital. At least five Palestinian protesters were injured by rubber bullets, while the ISM’s website claims Israeli troops beat protest leaders.

The ISM reports that the bullet which hit Mr Reess caused a hemorrhage, though he is said to be conscious.

Around 300 people were involved in the demonstration.

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2.Sydney man shot in Israel during protest
From The Age

May 13, 2006 – 6:19AM

A Sydney man is being treated in an Israeli hospital after being shot in the head during a protest in the West Bank, an activist group says.

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) said Israeli soldiers started throwing sound grenades and firing rubber-coated bullets during the demonstration, injuring seven people.

ISM spokeswoman Zadie Susser said Phil Reiss, from Yowie Bay in Sydney’s south, and a Danish demonstrator were seriously injured after being shot in the head at close range with rubber bullets.

Ms Susser said Mr Reiss had been volunteering with the ISM for two weeks and had been filming the demonstration.

“He was standing with a video camera filming and they shot him,” she told AAP.

“Phil walked a little bit then sat down, and me and an Israeli activist helped him get up and the blood was spurting out of his head.

“We got him out of the line of fire and … as we were getting him into the ambulance an Israeli soldier grabbed his long hair and they all tried to stop him from leaving in the ambulance even though they knew he was injured.”

Ms Susser said Mr Reiss had haemorrhaging in his brain and was being treated in Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv.

“We spoke to the doctor a few hours ago and he told us Phil was in a moderate condition,” she said.

“He had haemorrhaging in his brain and they were monitoring him.”

The ISM is a non-violent, Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

The violence occurred during a weekly demonstration protesting against the building of Israel’s separation barrier at the West Bank town of Bilin.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said the injured man was 29 years old. He could not confirm his name at this stage.

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3.*Hamas Supporters Help Palestinian Gov’t*
From The Guardian
*Friday May 12, 2006 5:31 PM*

*AP Photo JRL109*

*By ALI DARAGHMEH*

*Associated Press Writer*

NABLUS, West Bank (AP) – Thousands of Hamas supporters rallied in the West Bank Friday, donating money and jewelry to help out the cash-strapped government as the U.N. human rights chief warned Palestinians were on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.

The Hamas-led government is facing a crippling international boycott over its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel.

About 5,000 people demonstrated in support of Hamas in the West Bank city of Nablus. As they offered up their money and jewelry, organizers announced over megaphones how much participants were donating while speakers criticized Western economic pressure on the Islamic militant group.

“These donations are our way of telling the world that we can live without them, and our children are paying what the Europeans should be paying,” said Bassam al-Shaqaa, a former mayor of Nablus.

Western nations, which list Hamas as a terror group, have cut off all funding to the Palestinian Authority, and the Israeli government froze its monthly transfer of $55 million it collects in taxes for the Palestinians.

The economic boycott has left the Palestinian government unable to pay salaries of its 165,000 workers, causing a deepening financial crisis throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

Concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation, Western donors agreed this week to resume some humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. But they said no aid will be sent to the Hamas government until it renounces violence, recognizes Israel and accepts past peace agreements.

Meanwhile, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said the rising casualty toll from both Israeli attacks on suspected militants and Palestinian suicide bombings was “unacceptable.”

“Civilians, particularly the most vulnerable, such as children, women and the elderly, should not pay the price for the neglect of human rights and humanitarian obligations,” she said in a statement released at U.N. European headquarters in Geneva.

The statement said Palestinians were “on the brink” of a humanitarian crisis.

Her warning came a day after Palestinian officials said that senior militants imprisoned in an Israeli jail have hammered out a proposal softening Hamas’ rejection of Israel’s right to exist.

If Hamas agrees to the plan calling for a Palestinian state alongside Israel, it would represent a major concession. However, even if the group accepts a two-state solution to the conflict, it is unlikely it would be able to secure a resumption of Western aid without an explicit recognition of Israel.

Top Hamas leaders have not yet responded publicly to the proposal.

Since taking power in March, Hamas has sent conflicting signals about its willingness to accept the international community’s conditions for doing business with it.

While the draft document could signal an important turning point for Hamas, it includes key Palestinian demands that Israel rejects. These include affirmation of the right of millions of Palestinian refugees to return to homes in what is now Israel and a complete withdrawal from all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The prisoners’ document also asserts that Palestinians have the right to attack Israelis in the West Bank, but that Israel itself should be off-limits for bombings and shootings.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he is ready to withdraw from much of the West Bank to make way for an independent Palestinian state, but he plans to keep large blocs of West Bank settlements and holy sites in east Jerusalem.

Hamas leaders in Gaza and the West Bank have previously hinted they might abandon the group’s call for the destruction of Israel. But Khaled Mashaal, the Syria-based leader of Hamas, has rejected any suggestion of moderation.

Attending a conference in Qatar on Thursday, Mashaal made no reference to the prisoner document.

Moderate Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah said he backs the prisoners’ plan, which would authorize him to lead peace talks with Israel. Abbas, who is embroiled in a power struggle with the new Hamas government, has repeatedly urged the group to soften its positions.

Also on Friday, a Palestinian militant was killed during an Israeli raid in Nablus. The army said it shot the man, a member of the Fatah-linked Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, after militants opened fire at troops.

Two Palestinians, an Australian and a Dane were hurt during a protest against Israel’s separation barrier near the West Bank village of Bilin, witnesses said. The four were hurt by rubber-coated steel pellets.

The Israeli military said troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas after protesters tried to tear down barbed wire and threw rocks. Two border policemen were hurt by stones, the army said.

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4. Bil’in protest wounds 2 border police
From the Jerusalem Post
By JPOST.COM STAFF

Two border policemen were lightly wounded by rocks when some 150 anti-security fence protesters scuffled with security forces on Friday in the Palestinian village of Bil’in.

A French news photographer was also wounded during the protest. Demonstrators claimed that he had been hurt by security forces; the police, however, refuted the protesters’ version of events and said that the photographer had been hit by a rock thrown by the demonstrators, Israel Radio reported.

The protesters also claimed that five of their group had been struck with rods and three others wounded by rubber bullets.

Bil’in has become one of the more volatile foci of protests against the security barrier. Demonstrations against the continued construction of the barrier have become weekly events, and often degenerate into violent altercations