Author: ISM Media Group

We Shall Overcome

by Mansour
August 25, 2005

Today was another great picture of peace drawn by the Palestinian, international and Israeli peace activists as we protested against the wall being built on Palestinian land. I thought that, because some of us didn’t know the language of the others, we wouldn’t be able to participate in everything together. But I was wrong. Today, in our peaceful demo against the Apartheid wall in Imatin (Qalqilya district), all of the nationalities were chanting together, united in one voice for the Israeli Occupation Forces to hear.

It was a great moment when our eyes as Palestinian, international and Israeli peace activist met. Then a small smile appeared on our faces while we chanted the peace and freedom cries. A few minutes later, our demo changed into a festival that showed the international community that peace will come from the people who are under the Israeli soldier’s scopes. Many of us prayed at the site as an Imam to offer prayer of hope. This is the real peace that will come from people who have suffered for more than 57 years of Israeli military occupation.

Then our happiness was completed when we saw our friends from the Bil’in village who came to share in the demonstration against the wall. What a nice moment when the Bil’inians, who are also struggling to protect their confiscated land by the Apartheid wall, joined Imatin’s people. All the internationals and Israeli peace activists stood together, refusing to bow to the Israeli government’s brutality.

Now I’m sure that if we seek a real peace, our language will be united. We don’t need to speak Hebrew or English or Arabic. Our beliefs, humanity , smiles, friendship, and solidarity are the only language that we need to speak.

As a Palestinian farmer, I consider defending Palestinian rights as the first step in the process of defending human dignity. We are very proud that we carry the flag of Palestine. We are not defending our rights only, but we are drawing the map for next generation to continue the struggle for justice. We are not the only people who do that; we have internationals, we have Israeli activists, and we have our strong spirit and insistence on freeing our occupied land.

I really was very happy today, but was also very sad for a lot of our international friends who have already left for their countries without living this moment. I’m hoping they can feel our happiness from this peaceful demonstration as they felt out sadness in so many hard times,

After this great day, I really felt that I wanted to write how I felt and to ask our friends to come and share such a nice moment, a moment where you stand side by side with people who proved to the whole world that they want to live together, away from the misleading Israeli propaganda. Both Israeli peace activists and Palestinians showed the world today that they want a life of peace and not of violence, and they want the government of Israel to see we are united in our search for justice.

Silence of the Lambs

by Aaron

For several hours this afternoon, I participated in a non-violent demonstration against the construction of the Annexation Wall through the village of Bil’in. We internationals, along with Israeli peace activists, were asked by the people of Bil’in to join them in the demonstration. Bil’in is a Palestinian village that will lose more than half of its land when Wall is completed.

I volunteered to be an “arrestable,” someone who is in the front lines of the demonstration, actively participating in the main action. I, and several of my fellow “arrestables”, had filmy Israeli flag blindfolds over our eyes, UN posters attached to our shirtfronts, and strips of tape over our mouths.

We marched with a large group of people who could see, and then played (extremely clumsy) catch with a ball wrapped in a Palestinian flag. I think that the message was something like, “Israel ignores UN rulings, tries to shut everyone up instead, and inevitably ruins Palestinian lives.”

After about twenty minutes, someone decided that the message had been conveyed, and we got to take off the accessories. I was now able to actually see the demonstration which was *completely* non-violent. There was chanting and milling around, and one older Palestinian villager yelled at the soldiers’
commander, and that was it.

There was maybe fifteen minutes of this, when, without any provocation that I (or any of the other demonstrators I’ve asked) could identify, the soldiers began throwing sound bombs among the demonstrators!

After a few more minutes of milling around, the soldiers suddenly took off after a young Canadian activist, again for absolutely no reason that anyone could find, except that she probably looked Palestinian. A woman from my training class, who has many years of experience with demonstrations in Europe, immediately called out for other ISM members to surround the young woman to protect her from the soldiers.

My fellow trainee immediately followed her advice, and four more of us joined her as quickly as we were able. I’m told that often this is sufficient to effect a “de-arrest,” but this time, thinking they had identified a Palestinian activist, they surrounded us and attempted to drag us away from the intended victim. The rest of us held tight, but there were simply too many soldiers.

They tore us off, one by one; I’m rather proud to have been the second to last removed, just before my friend was dragged away. I lost my shoes and my camera (which my friend actually had the presence of mind to grab while being dragged off!), and got dragged along the ground for a few yards and then dropped. My friend got the same treatment. The woman targeted for arrest was detained for two hours until she convinced the soldiers that she really was a Canadian citizen. If she had been a Palestinian, the story would, most likely, have ended quite differently. Five others were detained as well, but only one Israeli activist is currently being held.

After 15 minutes of sound bombs and tear gas, a Palestinian youth apparently snuck up near the demonstration and threw a stone at the soldiers. Some six soldiers rushed after the kid, and several of us rushed after them.

For about a half hour, a handful of Palestinian kids slung stones at the soldiers without any hits, or near misses, while the soldiers shot (mostly the less dangerous type of rubber bullets) at the kids. I’m told they hit one youth in the leg and stomach. We activists stayed close to the soldiers, took pictures and video, and urged them to stop shooting at the kids.

The critical issue here is that the soldiers’ presence is illegal and violate practically every section of the Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory. The closest parallel is probably aggravated robbery, in which force is used to accomplish a theft. The fact that the victim attempts to defend him/herself is not considered a defense for the robber, to put it mildly.

At any rate, the action is over, and with limited casualties. There was the kid shot with rubber bullets. And a 61-year-old woman from my training class was shot in the back of the head with a tear gas canister; the Red Crescent gave her three stitches, a tetanus shot, and refused payment as usual.

A handful of activists were apparently treated for tear gas inhalation, and an Italian activist tripped, cut himself on Israeli barbed wire, and had a few
Stitches put in his hand.

Once again, the villagers of Be’lin made their statement about the horrors of occupation, and, once again, they were met with senseless violence by the Israeli military.

Note: Villagers and international activists tried to put signs on the guns of the Israeli soldiers. One managed to attach a sign to the gun.

ExitUs

Although the two reports below don’t fit into any regional catagory, they are being posted for any international who is leaving the airport to go home. Many stories have already been documented of the treatment when entering, some have reported the treatment when leaving. These two women are 81 and 71 years old, and they want to pass on recommendations to all of us.

ExitUs
by Hedy Epstein
August 23, 2005

I was detained from arrival time at the airport until it was time to get to the gate for boarding. I was questioned much more than ever before, much of it having to do with Women in Black (WiB). They attempted to get names from me; all I ever gave was WiB.

“Who invited you?” “WiB.” “What is WiB?” I pointed to my clothes, since I was wearing a plain black top and black pants. “How did they know to contact you?” “Because I am a woman in black.” To every question I responded, “WiB”. They went through my stuff, but only superficially.

I was taken to one of their lovely rooms to be patted down and scanned with the metal detection wand. The young woman wanted me to “take out” my knee replacement (because it’s mostly metal, the wand goes off). I explained it couldn’t be done. She insisted I could and that I must do so. Finally, she called in her supervisor, just a couple years older, who also insisted that I “take it out.” I suggested they bring in a doctor or nurse, who can “educate” them. Finally, they gave up, probably because it was time to get me to the gate “on time.”

Recommendation: Check your wallet when they give it back to you. Someone took the four $100 bills I brought with me in case I needed to hire an attorney when I entered Israel. Since I didn’t need him, I was carrying the money home.

Before I went to security, I looked in my wallet to make sure my money was still there. It was. I realize I should have checked my wallet when it was finally returned to me, but didn’t. It probably was stolen while I was away from the security area, being wanded.

I’ve sicne contacted the airport ombudsman, which I did earlier today. I’m sure it’s a futile attempt to retrieve the cash. I might get a response, but not the money. Make sure you check your money both before and after you go through security if you are stopped. In fact, tell them how much money you have, then insist that it is checked before you leave.

Leaving on a jet plane
by Marie
August 23, 2005

I didn’t expect any problems at the airport on leaving, so I was somewhat surprised at being taken from the line immediately after they looked at my passport. Obviously they were expecting me, because they didn’t scan it or check it against any list. They just saw my name and beckoned for three or four goons who said I must follow them. They didn’t want me to push my luggage cart but I said I needed to lean on it due to leg problems. They let me do that, but made sure I didn’t touch my bags.

Across a long hallway, up a freight elevator, down another long hallway and into the luggage searching department.

“Do you have a cellphone?”
“Yes”
“Where?”
“In my purse”
“Sit down there”

“Do you have a laptop?”
“Yes”
“We have to check it.”
“Whatever”

“Do you have a cellphone?” (again)
“Yes, why do you keep asking me if I have a cellphone, are you going to take it away from me? I need to use it.”
“No, No of course not.” “Sit there.”

“Come here and take out your laptop.”
“You take it out”
“No, you must do it”

Limped over to baggage counter. Opened bag. Dragged out clothes and stuff on top and threw it all over counter.

“Don’t throw everything all over!”
“Why not, you’re going to do it anyway. I’m sick of this.”
“Come with me”
“I don’t want to leave you with my money and things”
“Don’t worry, everything will be here”

In the Wanding Room for metal detection
“Do you have anything on your body?”
“Exactly what I had when I came in.”

Back to seaching area
Used telephone to tell someone I was being held.

‘”I need to take your phone, and your (phone) book.”
A few minutes later, they brought it back.

Person I had called calls back.
“We must take your phone for a minute”
(obviously to check number of caller)

All was repeated for about one and a half hours until they repacked everything and gave me the guided tour to the ticketing office (me limping and wheezing all the way) where I asked for my wheelchair. Wheelchair was brought; Australian Airlines employee asked for passport; I told her my guard was holding it.

When I finally boarded I felt I wanted to burn all my clothes, and never never never go back to Ben Gurion. I will fly into Gaza next time. Inshallah.

Regarding the questioning:

I was never asked a single question about where I had been, what I was doing, who had I visited.

They obviously knew everything they needed to know about me. At one point while the bodyguard was arguing at a security checkpoint with a guard who didnt want to let him and wheelchair pass I heard “Palestine” mentioned. I just waited for them to sort it all out between them, and eventually my bodyguard insisted on pushing my wheelchair through, with much
screaming and arguing in Hebrew.

When I returned to France, I discovered they have done something to my laptop computer. The battery is completely discharged, and the power cord doesn’t fit propertly and won’t charge it. The panel on the bottom of the computer has obviously been taken out and no longer fits properly.

Recommendations: Take your cellphone to the airport with you. Even if they take it away, you still have time to call someone and let them know you are being harrassed. But recognize that they will take it away from you and check the phone numbers you have dialed.

Mail whatever you can back to yourself, including memory sticks, photos, tapes, material. Ask them to turn the computer or camera back on when they give it back to you to prove it still works.

Nine hours to get home

by Ash
August 20, 2005

UPDATE: Last night, five Palestinians were killed by the Israeil Occupation Forces in Tulkarem

On the way home yesterday, I was stopped 6 times at Israeli checkpoints traveling from Ramallah to Tulkarem. These were not pop-up checkpoints this time — a little different this week — but concrete at both ends with a cover for soldiers’ equipment.

Israeli checkpoints are symbolic of the daily humiliation we face. Not only do Israeli soldiers keep us waiting for long hours; the entire procedure is an attempt to make us lose our humanity, to degrade us so that we feel worthless and sub-human. Sometimes Israeli soldiers ask people to take off their clothes, sometimes people are forced under gunpoint to eat during the fast in Ramadan.

When I arrived at Jabra, just four km outside Tulkarem, a soldier told our bus driver that we were not authorized to go to Tulkarem through this checkpoint, so we had to turn around and try the only way left. We made our way to Innab roadblock, which consists of a metal bar that cuts off Tulkarem city from the nearby villages. A huge razor barrier, about 15 ft high, is built on the right side of the road equipped with an Israeli watch tower. We got out of the bus and passed the new metal bar which had been put in only a few days earlier.

More than 60 Palestinians were standing in two lines on both sides waiting for one Israeli soldier to come and check their IDs. The soldier checked IDs and luggage on either side of him while four other soldiers stood watching!!

People were frustrated and angry as they were made to wait for a long time and, of course, it is not in the soldiers’ mandate to speed up. One woman walked toward the soldier checking IDs and said “You stole our land, our water, our air. Why are you restricting our movement? What more do you want?” The soldier shouted, “Shut up!” then ordered everybody to move 20 feet back and headed away to drink water! He looked at us and smiled. Then after 10 minutes he walked lazily forward and said “Yallah! (Let’s go! in Arabic) One by one!”

After the soldier looked at my ID and checked my bag, I took a service (shared taxi) to Innab, then walked around the metal bar and took another service to Tulkarem.

On the way to my village of Saida, 16km to the south of Tulkarem, an armed military vehicle, parked on the side of the main street just 6 km outside of the city, was stopping dozens of vehicles from moving. While we were waiting, two Israeli soldiers stopped a bus on the other side of the street. All passengers got out and the two soldiers asked everyone to pull up their clothes while one soldier on the top of the armed vehicle was aiming his M-16 at them.

After 30 minutes, our moment of being humiliated came. Two soldiers walked toward our taxi. One got close to the window and asked the driver where he was going. The driver answered, “We are going to Saida village”. The soldier opened the door in the middle and asked one young Palestinian to step out; then he came to the front seat where I was sitting and punched me on the shoulder and said, “Get out!”. We were standing just five feet in front of the two soldiers. The same soldier again asked us to pull our clothes up and turn around. Then he took my ID and asked, “Where are you going?”. “Saida,” I answered. “Where do you live?”. “Saida,” I replied again. Then the soldier said, “Yalla”!

Two days ago when I was in Bil’in village, I went with an Israeli friend to Tel Aviv for the first time since I was 12 years old! My friend told me that it’s easy to get to Tel Aviv, but I was very concerned since I am a Palestinian, and it is illegal to travel there. It’s like another world for us. We took a taxi at around 9:30 pm to the nearby village, Dier Qaddis to the west of Bil’in and walked for three minutes to reach a settler road. I was breathless, and scared that I might be caught by Israeli border police.

We continued walking on that settler road until we reached Modo’een Elite settlement, which is built on Bil’in’s land. I was standing at the entrance that has a lighted stone arc, looking at the beautiful and fancy buildings they have – green trees and a fountain – wondering if the people who live there know that their government is stealing more land from the Palestinian farmers and families of Bili’n to build their houses!

After 20 minutes, a settler pulled over to give us a ride to a stop station, where we picked up a bus straight to Tel Aviv.

If Israeli checkpoints are for ‘security’, why don’t they set up checkpoints in Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv? Why were there no soldiers to check my ID that night? Why did no one stop me from going inside Israel? Were the Israeli soldiers off duty in Tel Aviv?

All this makes me think that maybe it is the “Israeli democracy” that is trying to break our spirit and take our freedom under the big lie of security and peace.

Suffer the Little Children

by Nils and Lo
August, 2005

HEBRON — Since the Oslo agreement, the city of Hebron has been divided into areas ruled by the Palestinian Authority and areas ruled by Israel. Today, there are about 500 Israeli Jews living inside Hebron, with a Palestinian population of close to 200,000. Two to three thousand Israeli soldiers serve as ‘protection’ for these illegal Israeli settlements. This ‘protection’ is, in fact, a system of oppression of the Palestinians, imposing major difficulties on their daily lives.

The old town of Hebron, for example, is home to just a few settler families and is therefore surrounded by checkpoints. Many Palestinian shops are closed, and there are nets hanging over their streets, because of all the garbage, bottles and rocks that the settlers on the rooftops keep throwing at the Palestinians below.

Lots of streets and entire neighborhoods are closed off with iron gates put up by the military. Most Palestinians were forced to move out of the old town during the long and systematic curfews following the outbreak of the second Intifada.

Abrahams’ mosque has been divided into a Jewish and Palestinian part since Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Palestinian worshipers in the mosque in 1994.

ISM has now set up a presence in the Tal Ramada district. Between 30 and 50 settlers live in this area, along with many hundreds of Palestinians, surrounded by roadblocks and checkpoints, which has forced almost all Palestinian shops and stores to close. The Palestinians in Tal Ramada face daily harassment from both the settlers and some of the soldiers.

Palestinian children are afraid to go out in the streets to play. It is not unusual to see the settlers, even kids, attack them, and the soldiers will do nothing to protect them. The police, who claim to
serve as protection for the Palestinians, are always very delayed and are perceived by most as useless protection.

Many Palestinians now fear that more settlers and soldiers will come as a result of the disengagement in Gaza. Already, two families from Gaza have moved in. There is also a fear that an even more aggressive Zionism will emerge among both settlers and soldiers after the disengagement.

International presence in Hebron might help to de-escalate the situation and is already needed in order for many Palestinian children to be able to go to their school and to play in the streets.