Author: ISM Media Group

Three protesters injured at Bil’in weekly demonstration

Friday, September 26, 2008

On the 26th September 2008 after the Friday prayer, the residents of Bil’in, joined by international and Israeli solidarity activists, held a demonstration against the apartheid wall and the confiscation of their land. The protesters carried banners for the 8th anniversary of the Al-Aqsa intifada. They called for a third Intifada to remove the wall, stop settlement construction, remove checkpoints, open roads and stop the confiscation of Palestinian land. They also called to break Israeli racism and for the freedom of Palestinian detainees.


Photos courtesy of Activestills

The protesters marched towards the wall carrying Palestinian flags and banners calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and for Palestinian national unity.

When protesters tried to get close to the gate to reach the village’s confiscated land behind it, the Israeli army fired tear-gas cannisters and sound grenades causing many to need treatment for tear-gas inhalation. Two Palestinian protesters and a Scottish solidarity activist were shot with tear-gas cannisters and were taken to Sheikh Zaide hospital in Ramallah.

Israeli army refuse to allow Susiya residents access to their water supply

On Wednesday the 24th of September the Israeli Army refused to let families from Susiya bringing water from their wells to their land despite an agreement that the soldiers would escort families to their wells due to the escalation of settler violence in the area. This move by the soldiers has now left the residents of Susiya without sufficient water.

The Israeli army suggested another well which belongs to the Alhreni family. The surrounding land of this well was declared as a military zone a few months ago and is now also illegally used from the settlers as a swimming place. The well does not offer drinking water quality.

This leaves the residents of Susiya in a very difficult situation as the wells in the area were they can go have run out of water. Susiya, according to the Oslo agreement, is in Area C which according to the Israeli law is under Israeli control. So it is Israel’s responsibility to fulfill the basic human right to access to water .

Palestinians, joined by international solidarity activists, tried to reach the land with a tractor and discussed with the soldiers who forbade them to enter the area. At the same time also a few settlers in their cars arrived to show their presence.

If the people in Susiya are not able reach their wells to get drinking water soon, they will have to buy expensive water to survive, although their well is just a few meters away from their tents.

Living conditions are getting worse because of the declared closed military zones around the area which prevents the Palestinians from reaching their land. If the Palestinians can not get water and food for their sheep on their land they will be forced to leave their homes. It appears that this maybe a factor in the use of Closed Military Zones by the Israeli authorities.

Yet people in Susiya still resist against their forced displacement and actions for getting water and reaching their land are planned in the near future.

Letter of Palestinian Refugee Organizations to President Mahmoud Abbas

The following letter was presented to President Mahmoud Abbas’s office on behalf of 78 Palestinian organizations on Wednesday September 22, 2008

Dear Mr. President,

Greetings of Return

We, the undersigned Palestinian refugee organizations, civil society movements and institutions in the Palestinian homeland and in exile are national organizations working to defend the right of return. We appeal to you now because we are convinced that the alignment of the official Palestinian position and the position of the Palestinian people with regards to the final status negotiation issues is of the highest priority. Foremost among these issues is the cause of the Palestinian refugees.

We are convinced that the alignment of popular and official positions is the main guarantee of a strong Palestinian position in the current negotiation process, which is taking place in a local, regional and global context that jeopardizes the national rights of the Palestinian people. In this context, we are concerned in particular about the rights of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons to return to their original lands and properties, restitution of their homes, lands and properties and compensation for damages incurred over the past 60 years. Based on the fact that all of these rights are guaranteed under international law, and based on our awareness of the enormous pressures faced by Palestinian negotiators and the tactics of negotiations, such as secrecy with regards to the negotiation proceedings, we call upon you to adopt a negotiation strategy that is based on openness with the entirety of the Palestinian people – irrespective of their current place of residence – regarding all aspects and details of the negotiation process. Implementation of the Palestinian refugees’ right of return was and continues to be the main purpose for which the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was established, a purpose which forms the central pillar of the PLO’s legitimacy as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Transparency and candidness of our representatives with all sectors of our society will guarantee that our rights are best defended, and strengthen our position in the face of enormous pressures.

It has been clear at all stages of the negotiations that this process aims to eliminate the core issue of the Arab/Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice: the Palestinian refugees and their rights of return and restitution. In fact, elimination of these central Palestinian/Arab demands form the center-piece of both Israeli and US policies. It is also no secret that during the so-called “Oslo Peace Process” these policies have employed insidious tactics in order to nullify these rights altogether. Such tactics include attempts to substitute the return and restitution of the refugees with monetary compensation; to reduce the number of those entitled to exercise these rights from over 7 million Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons to a tiny minority, including so-called “hardship cases” that would be arbitrarily defined by Israel; to suggest that the refugees return to homes located in the areas administered by the Palestinian Authority; and other humiliating “trade offs” whereby Palestinians are expected to surrender the right of refugees to return to homes, lands and properties of origin in exchange for other rights and demands, such as self-determination, borders, the reclamation of Jerusalem and removal of the illegal settlement-colonies. The Palestinian leadership has rejected such degrading bargaining tactics in previous negotiations, notably those known as the second Camp David summit and the Clinton initiative. The late President Yasser Arafat rejected these tactics, and he was made to pay for that with his liberty and his life.

Whereas the rights of return, restitution and compensation are enshrined in international law and specifically affirmed in UN General Assembly Resolution 194 and UN Security Council Resolution 237;
Whereas we see that increasing US pressure aims to force Palestinian negotiators to agree to an obscure framework for a solution that is to be achieved by any means and at the soonest date, and that such a framework is largely for internal US consumption in the context of a US Presidential election;
Whereas it has become clear that the US administration is working on other fronts to market its obscure framework for a solution in the September 2008 session of the UN General Assembly;
Whereas we realize, as a result of our movement’s long and difficult experience with Israeli politics, that Israeli political actors seek to solve the internal Israeli political crisis by venting destruction on the Palestinian front through various policies and practices, all of which work to entrench Israeli occupation, colonialism, and apartheid, and aim to attain international recognition of Israel as a ‘Jewish State;’
Whereas Western and Israeli election platforms must not be employed to put pressure on the Palestinian negotiators, who should in no way be a party to the political maneuvers of US and Israeli political candidates, particularly in order to protect the legality, legitimacy, and sanctity of Palestinian national rights regardless of who emerges victorious in foreign elections;
Whereas we perceive the retreat of the once principled European position, and the transformation of this position into one that conforms to the US policy of total complicity and support for Israel;
Whereas we clearly see the weakness and inability of the Arab countries to take action or play any effective role;
Whereas we witness the sharp, painful and unprecedented deterioration in the internal Palestinian political arena;
Whereas it has become plain and obvious that powerful external pressures aim to annul Palestinian refugee rights, particularly the right to return to their original lands and properties and the restitution of these lands and properties;
Whereas Israel and the US, according to Israeli officials, are intensifying their efforts to reach a framework for a solution that is acceptable to both Israel and the US and will be viable regardless of the ruling party;

Whereas the primary measure of the legitimacy of any solution remains the extent to which it will lead to the exercise of the right of self-determination by the Palestinian people, including foremost the right of Palestinian refugees to choose to return to their original homes and lands regardless of their current place of refuge,

We approach you with this statement based on our strong desire to chart a way forward that is built on the highest levels of clarity and candidness with the Palestinian people; a way forward that aims to strengthen the Palestinian position in this sensitive stage of the Palestinian struggle; a way forward that ensures that any framework for a solution will include the following principles in clear and immutable language :

1. The rights of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons to return, restitution and compensation are fundamental rights under international law and relevant UN resolutions – particularly UN General Assembly Resolution 194 and UN Security Council Resolution 237. The content of these rights is non-negotiable irrespective of the manner in which they will be exercised;
2. The right of return is an individual right held by every Palestinian refugee and internally displaced person. This right is passed on from one generation to the next, based on the individual’s choice on whether or not to return, an inalienable and indivisible right, and not affected by any bilateral, multilateral, or international treaty or agreement. Any such agreement must respect the fundamental precepts and principles of international law;
3. The right of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons to return is a collective right that is not limited to one group or another, and it is an integral part of the Palestinian right of self-determination;
4. The right of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons to return is not subject to referendum.

May you remain steadfast in our struggle for freedom and dignity

Drafted: August 2008

Signed:

1. 194 Association (Syria)
2. Abassiya Association (Palestine)
3. Abnaa Al-Balad Center for the Defense of the Right of Return (Syria)
4. Aidun Group (Lebanon)
5. Aidun Group (Syria)
6. Al-Awda Palestine Network (Holland)
7. Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition (North America)
8. Arab Cultural Forum (Gaza, Palestine)
9. Arab Liberation Front
10. Arab Palestinian Front
11. Association for the Defense of the Rights of the Internally Displaced (Palestine)
12. Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights (Palestine)
13. Beit Nabala Association (Palestine)
14. Bisan Association (Syria)
15. Coalition of Right of Return Defense Committees (Jordan)
16. Coalition of Right of Return Defense Committees (Jordan)
17. Committee for the Rights of Palestinian Women (Syria)
18. Confederation of Right of Return Committees (Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, France, Holland, Poland, Finland)
19. Coordinating Committee of Palestinian Organizations Working in Lebanon (Lebanon)
20. Council of National and Islamic Forces in Palestine (Palestine)
21. Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
22. Democratic Palestine Committee
23. Depopulated Towns and Villages Associations (Gaza, Palestine)
24. Farah Heritage Society (Syria)
25. Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Palestine)
26. Higher Follow-up Committee on Prisoners (Palestine)
27. Higher National Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return (Palestine)
28. Inevitable Return Assembly (Syria)
29. Islamic Jihad Movement
30. Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas]
31. Istiqlal Youth Union (Lebanon)
32. Istiqlal Youth Union (Syria)
33. Ittijah: Union of Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations (Palestine)
34. Jafra Youth Center (Syria)
35. Jimzo Association (Palestine)
36. Lajee Center, Aida Camp (Palestine)
37. National Assembly of of Palestinian Civil Society Organizations (Palestine)
38. National Committee to Commemorate the Martyr Ahmad Al-Shuqairy (Jordan)
39. National Nakba Commemoration Committee (Palestine)
40. Palestine Democratic Union [Fida]
41. Palestine House Educational and Cultural Center (Canada)
42. Palestine Liberation Movement [Fatah]
43. Palestine Remembered (USA)
44. Palestine Right of Return Coalition (Global)
45. Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (Palestine)
46. Palestinian Civil Society Coordinating Committee in Palestine and Abroad (Global)
47. Palestinian Liberation Front
48. Palestinian National Democratic Movement (Palestine)
49. Palestinian National Initiative
50. Palestinian People’s Party
51. Palestinian Popular Struggle Front
52. Palestinian Refugee Rights Defense Committee (Balata Camp, Palestine)
53. Palestinian University Professors Union (Gaza, Palestine)
54. Palestinian Women’s Grassroots Organization (Syria)
55. Palestinian Youth Democratic Union (Syria)
56. Palestinian Youth Organization (Syria)
57. Palestinian Youth Struggle Union (Syria Branch)
58. People’s Assembly of the Towns and Villages Depopulated in 1948 (Palestine)
59. Platform of Associations in Solidarity with Palestine (Switzerland)
60. Popular Committees to Defend the Right of Return (Gaza, Palestine)
61. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
62. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command
63. Refugee and Right of Return Committee (Syria)
64. Refugee Camp Popular Committees (West Bank & Gaza, Palestine)
65. Refugee Executive Office (Palestine)
66. Right of Return committee (Switzerland)
67. Ruwwad Cultural Center (Aida Camp, Palestine)
68. Salameh Association (Palestine)
69. Secular Democratic State Group (Gaza, Palestine)
70. Union of Right of Return Committees (Syria)
71. Union of Women’s Activity Centers, West Bank Refugee Camps (Palestine)
72. Union of Youth Activity Centers, Refugee Camps (Palestine)
73. Vanguard for the Popular Liberation War [Sa’iqa]
74. Women’s Activity Centers (Gaza, Palestine)
75. Yaffa Charitable Fund (Jordan)
76. Yaffa Cultural Center (Balata Camp, Palestine)
77. Youth Assembly (Gaza, Palestine)
78. Youth Struggle Union (Lebanon)

Three more residents of Ni’llin arrested by Israeli forces

Three more people from the village of Ni’lin were arrested in the early morning of the 25th September Israeli forces.

Moumin Abed Shadah Flror (17), Ibrahim Khalil Mussleh (19) and Said Attalah Amira (23) were all abducted from their homes at around 1am on the 25th September. Israeli forces entered the village, where large- scale demonstrations against the construction of the apartheid wall
have been taking place for several months, at around 1am, firing sound bombs and tear-gas.

These latest arrests mark a continuation of the Israeli policy of arrests of those involved in demonstrating the wall. In the last week 6 residents of Ni’lin have been arrested during night invasions of the village.

Member of the Ni’lin Popular Committee shot in the head with tear-gas cannister

On the 23rd September at about 11:00 Ahed Khawajeh, Salah Khawajeh, Mohammed Amira, 5 EU Parliament representatives and the head of the municipality Ayman Nefeah went to the fields to show the Parliament members the impact of the apartheid wall before a planned demonstration.


Photo by Iyad Haddad

The Israeli army approached them and told them to go back to the village because they were not allowed on their land. They showed them an order for the area to be a ‘Closed Military Zone’, and threatened to use rubber-coated steel bullets. As they were walking back, a soldier shot a tear gas canister from about 25 metres hitting Ahed and breaking the bone between his eyes. As the others helped Ahed the soldiers barraged them with more tear gas. Luckily no one else was seriously hurt and Ahed reached the Ni’lin medical clinic. He was transferred to Sheikh Zaid Hospital in Ramallah where he remains in a stable condition, but with eyes swollen to an extent that he can not open them at this moment.


Photo by Iyad Haddad

At about 13:00 a group of about 50 protesters both Palestinian and international walked to the fields to protest the construction of the wall, which will annex another 40% of Ni’lin’s land accumulating a loss of around 85% of it’s land since 1948. As the protesters reached the road, (prepared for the wall) on the village’s side of the valley, unprovoked, the army started shooting tear gas directly at the demonstrators from the road on the opposite side of the valley. Some people suffered from gas inhalation but amazingly no one was hit by the cannisters. The demonstration spread around the fields with significant activity in the fields close to the medical clinic. Many rubber bullets were fired along with more tear gas and sound grenades. At about 15:30 the soldiers, who numbered around 20, left by foot and by hummer. People were later treated for injuries from rubber bullets, contact with metal gas cannisters, tear gas inhalation.