Author: ISM Media - Page 215 - International Solidarity Movement

Settler violence escalates in the vicinity of Kiryat Arba illegal settlement

19th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

The children of the Jabari family in Jabari neighbourhood of al-Khalil are singing along to a Palestinian children’s television show. It is a sunny Saturday morning but in the small living area, six tiny children sit with their mothers who explain to us that they do not go outside because of the settlers. They quietly recite every word of the television songs to themselves.

Jabari family' children — Jabari family’ children

With the massive illegal Israeli settlement, Kiryat Arba – home to nearly eight thousand Israeli settlers, directly facing their home, Saturday morning’s aren’t the only time the Jabari family is being affected. They have a newly built synagogue behind them, along with an Israeli police station. All are connected by a path that brings settlers along the family property on a regular basis. “The settlers jump behind our home in the night. They bang on the children’s windows and terrorize them.”

International human rights observers from the ISM and others have been providing protective presence for the family who, with so many children living in the home, haven’t had running water since the second Intifada. Their well, fronting the home, contains more trash than water and once they are able to procure the resources to repair it, it is subject to the same assault the family themselves endure month in and month out.

“During the Jewish holiday, the settlers filled the streets praying loudly. They shouted curse words at us.” Settlers had built a synagogue tent structure in recent months which was ordered demolished by the Israeli court system. Yet even with this small justice being done, a greater injustice persists. The land, belonging to Palestinians, has now been declared by Israeli forces to be a ‘closed military zone,’ which makes it off limits to all but Israeli military personnel.

However, settlers routinely frequent the area to pray under the protection of the Israeli army, while Palestinians are barred completely from entering. For the Jabari family, protective presence carries on as does the settler violence, harassment and constant intrusion into their lives.

Israeli forces violently attack demontrants in Kafr Qaddum

18th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Today in Kafr Qaddum, a village close to Nablus, Israeli forces injured almost 100 people.
Israeli forces attacked the village at around 11 am and invaded a family home. Upon breaking into the house Israeli forces attacked the whole family with pepper-spray. The 2 year old Bisan, 6 year old Moemen, 8 year old Nour and a 55-year old woman were all pepper-sprayed. The Israeli Forces then prevented any medical aid from assisting the family after this aggression.
Three people were injured with live ammunition by Israeli forces, a 13-year old boy and a 46-year old man in the leg and another man was ambushed and shot with live ammunition by Israeli forces while he was in his brothers house. They are being treated in a hospital in Nablus. 75 people had to be treated for exhessive tear gas inhalation.

kq1 — Israeli bulldozer at the demonstration

An 8-year old girl was shot in the head with a sponge bullet by Israeli forces, and a 55-year old man with a sponge bullet in the arm.
The Israeli army also sprayed family homes with foul-smelling skunk water, inflicting collective punishment on the whole village. Weekly Friday demonstrations in Kafr Qaddum protest against the closure of the main road leading to the city of Nablus because of the illegal settlement of Qedumim. This weeks demonstration was also in protest of Israeli aggressions against and inside al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

Skunk water being shot at civilian's houses — Skunk water being shot at civilian’s houses

Statement from ISM: Respect is essential for solidarity

18 September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Ramallah, occupied Palestine

ISM volunteers raising Palestinian flag in front of the Apartheid wall.

The International Solidarity Movement rejects any action taken by International individuals or groups in Palestine that is done without invitation or in coordination with the Palestinian community, and that consequently disrespects Palestinians.

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) has had the honor of supporting the Palestinian struggle in the occupied territories for the last fifteen years. The role of International ISM activists is to support the Palestinian popular struggle.

The ISM is founded on the basic principle of being Palestinian-led. This means that ISM does not initiate actions. We only join actions initiated by Palestinian communities and Palestinian groups engaged in grassroots activism. In accordance with our principles, we refuse any acts of dictations which is a form of stripping Palestinians from the power of decision. Therefore, instead of forcing our own ideals in the decision making of the local communities we provide genuine solidarity. In addition all international ISM volunteers are trained to behave in a way that respects the diversity and depth of Palestinian culture.

Solidarity means standing with people not for people. We emphasis this in our training because some people misinterpret solidarity with saviorship or hero complex, it is not and these attitudes are not tolerated in our movement. Palestinians are not voiceless. They have a voice, they do not need us to be their voice or to protest in Palestine on their behalf. There’s a difference between speaking on behalf of Palestinians and amplifying their voices.

As solidarity activists working in Palestine we get hands on experience of Israeli occupation and Apartheid and we get the honor of working alongside, supporting and learning from Palestinian activists. But much of the work of a solidarity activist takes place when he or she goes back home. In our home countries, it is our role to protest and work against our own governments’ complicity and support for Israeli Occupation and Apartheid. ISMers play an active role as part of the global, Palestinian-led, Boycott Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement.

In the 1970’s an Aboriginal activist, from Queensland, stated: “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting our time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” For us this is solidarity.

10-year old boy arrested and blindfolded in Hebron

18th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Tonight in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces arrested a 10-year old Palestinian boy twice. Both times he was taken to the military base.

Israeli soldiers arresting Marwan Photo credit: Youth against Settlement — Israeli soldiers arresting Marwan
Photo credit: Youth against Settlement

Marwan Sharabati was playing outside his house, riding a bicycle in the street, in the vicinity of a military checkpoint cordoning off part of segregated Shuhada Street for Palestinians. Settlers from the nearby illegal settlements, who are allowed to freely walk down this street, came towards him, stole the bicycle from him and left with it. Whereas Israeli soldiers at the nearby checkpoint did nothing to prevent this or even interfere, they did arrest 10-year old Marwan, telling his family they were just taking him ‘to bring his bicycle back’. When soldiers forced him to walk down the street towards the military base he was clearly scared and crying.

Marwan taken by Israeli soldiers Photo credit: Youth against Settlement — Marwan taken by Israeli soldiers
Photo credit: Youth against Settlement

The boy was released from the military base after half an hour and was walked back to the checkpoint by Israeli soldiers. A group of settlers watched the events unfold. Upon Marwan being received by a friend of the family, infamous settler Anat Cohen, charged at an international volunteer attacking her, while soldiers were standing by idly. On Anat Cohen’s request 10-year old Marwan was again arrested by the Israeli army only a few minutes after being released. A Palestinian man, who was with him at that moment insisted to stay at Marwan’s side as he is just a small boy. Israeli soldiers coerced both of them to walk down the street to the military base and barely stopped settlers from attacking the man and boy along the way. Both of them were blindfolded and made to sit on the ground in the military base, with soldiers verbally insulting them. All requests of informing the parents and allowing the boy to talk to his father were bluntly refused by Israeli soldiers.

Anat Cohen attacking international Photo credit: Youth against Settlement — Anat Cohen attacking international
Photo credit: Youth against Settlement

The family and friends were, in the meantime, forced to desert the street and go into the house by Israeli soldiers on orders of Anat Cohen. After repeated complaints of her, soldiers entered the house thus funnelling everyone into one room and preventing them from leaving. Only after Anat Cohen left the Palestinians were allowed to leave the house again. This again illustrates the power settlers exercise over the Israeli army, following their orders and whishes.

Israeli soldiers coercing Palestinians off the street Photo credit: Youth against Settlement — Israeli soldiers coercing Palestinians off the street
Photo credit: Youth against Settlement

After more than an hour of being held in the military base, both the boy and the man accompanying him were finally released but had to climb onto the roof of the house to get back inside as settlers were still at the checkpoint close to the house. Even under Israeli law, it is illegal to arrest children under the age of eleven. Still, this is just one out of many cases of child arrests and violations of basic laws that are part of Palestinians’ every day lives.

Additional restrictions for Palestinians during Jewish holidays

16th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

On Monday and Tuesday was the Jewish holiday of Rosh Ha’Shannah, the Jewish New Year.

Group of children having to pass Israeli soldiers blocking the Palestinian market

In al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces have taken this occassion to make the already tough every-day life of Palestinians in this segregated and oppressed city even more difficult.

Israeli forces during a night patrol in the Palestinian market

The omnipresence of the Israeli forces throughout the city was increased even more, forcing every Palestinian, whether elderly, little child or adult to navigate around the many closed checkpoints, groups of heavily armed soldiers right in front of their own doorsteps and throughout most of the city and their armored jeeps and trucks, blocking the already obstructed roads to schools and homes.

Young boy navigating the illegal Israeli occupation

With even more holidays approaching, Israeli forces are expected to increase the level of harassment, intrusion and collective punishment of the Palestinian people trudging through every day life in Israeli military controlled al-Khalil (Hebron).