Author: ISM Media - Page 391 - International Solidarity Movement

ISM condemns Ynetnews misinformation, calls on Ynet to correct false allegations

7th May 2013 | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

International Solidarity Movement calls on Ynetnews, a popular Israeli digital newspaper, to correct the false allegations against the recently arrested Swedish human rights activist and a young boy in Al-Khalil (Hebron).

Ynetnews reported that the Swedish activist allegedly attempted to take an Israeli soldier’s gun and resisted arrest. Also reported was that the young boy arrested was throwing stones. Both allegations prove entirely false in the Youth Against Settlements full video of the event. Story here.

Support our demand to report accurately on events in Palestine. Contact the Ynetnews editor-in-chief at editor-in-chief@y-i.co.il or the Ynetnews editorial department at news@ynetnews.com.

Below is the letter sent to Ynetnews editor-in-chief, still awaiting response.

TO: Ynet News Editor-in-Chief

RE: Inaccurate Ynet Article

It has come to our attention that ynet recently posted an article about the arrest of a child and an international activist in Hebron last week that contains entirely false information regarding the nature of the arrests. If ynet intends to report accurate information, unattributed allegations such as those that appear in that report are unaccountable as the basis for a posted story, especially as those sources turn out to be entirely false. You may see a full video of the event here. We hope that ynet will attempt to restore its lost credibility on this article and uphold an honest journalistic ethic by both correcting the falsity of that report in addition to posting the entire video of the event to display without a doubt for misinformed readers that the two arrests were made without illegal action by either the child or the international man. False information in reporting on a story such as this is, as ynet must agree, unacceptable.

Please also note that this false reporting has not gone unnoticed, as +972 magazine has already reported that ynet clearly misrepresented the events as evidenced by video of the event. You may see that report by +972 here.

Awaiting your response,

ISM Palestine Media

P.S. ISM will make this letter to the editor public awaiting appropriate remedy of this misinformation by ynet news.

N.B. In actual event, in the afternoon of the 28^th April, several children from an illegal Hebron settlement attacked two Palestinian children, aged 11 and 12, who were walking home from school. The soldiers proceeded to arrest the Palestinian victims of the attack despite the fact that according to eyewitnesses, they never struck back.

Having witnessed the arrests of the children, Swedish human rights observer Gustav Karlsson asked Israeli soldiers “why are you arresting these children?” only to be violently grabbed and also arrested. Following this, the children and Gustav were taken to a nearby military base. Gustav said, “I was blindfolded, but I could hear the children crying and screaming next to me. Twice, the soldiers pointed their guns at me, loaded them and pretended to pull the triggers”. As well as these mock-executions, soldiers violently shoved Gustav with their guns as they moved him and the children around.

The children were released later the same day, while Gustav is currently in Givon prison accused of assaulting a soldier, despite clear video evidence to the contrary.

Increased military presence at primary school where 27 children were recently arrested

7th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

Children walking past soldiers on their way to school - 7th May. — Children walking past soldiers on their way to school – 7th May.

On the 20^th March, 27 children aged 7 to 16 were arrested on their way to school in Hebron’s old city. For the past three days the Israeli military have had a large, heavily armed and threatening presence outside the four schools on this street, where the children were grabbed at random by Israeli soldiers just five weeks ago.

Children have to walk through a checkpoint manned by several Israeli border police each morning in order to reach their schools, often receiving hassle from the soldiers as they do so. On the morning of the 5^th of May, some children threw stones at the checkpoint – in response the border police radioed for army back up and two jeeps arrived on the scene. One jeep then proceeded through the checkpoint driving down towards the school parking outside whilst children were still arriving. After it left the other jeep drove down outside the schools and four army officers exited the vehicle and patrolled outside the schools for another half an hour.

On the 6^th May at around 7.00am as children were walking towards their classes, three military jeeps arrived without provocation and ten soldiers patrolled in front of the school, maintaining a presence for over an hour.

On the 7^th May two jeeps arrived at the checkpoint and seven soldiers walked through it, towards the schools. When asked what their purpose in the school area was, the commander answered “we’re protecting our people”. They had no further response when it was suggested that their actions seemed absurd, considering the disparity of power between the heavily armed Israeli military occupiers and a few young children throwing stones in resistance.

This daily military presence must be a continual reminder for the children who were arrested and their classmates of the military brutality of the 20^th March. One bystander stated “this could inhibit the right to education – children might be too scared to come to school.”

In a city which has seen at least 66 child detentions and arrests since mid-February (these are just those witnessed by international observers), this continued initimidation and persecution of children is evidence of Israel’s disregard for international law for the protection of children – a finding backed up by Unicef’s recent report criticising Israeli military treatment of Palestinian children.

Swedish activist falsely accused of violence by Israeli media “Ynetnews”

4th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

On the 28^th of April the Israeli digital newspaper Ynetnews published a two paragraph article with false allegations about the arrest of a child and Swedish activist in Hebron.

The article, written by Itamar Fleishman, is full of inaccuracies and false information. The “Palestinian youth” mentioned in Ynet’s report are clearly young children as seen in the video below.

The accusations of “throwing stones”, “resisting the arrest” and “attempting to grab an IDF officer’s firearm” are completely fictitious as evident in the YAS (Youth Against Settlements) video of the full event. The video, below, clearly shows that none of the violence mentioned in Ynetnews report is based in truth or accurate sources.

This is how Ynetnews tells the story.

And this is what actually happened.

Judge for yourselves!

See our original article here.

Settlers and Israeli forces suppress second joint Friday protest in Silwad and Deir Jarir villages

3th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

Teargas being shot at demonstrators in Deir Jarir

Around four hundred Palestinians, joined by a handful of international activists, participated in today’s weekly demonstration organised by Silwad and Deir Jarir villages on their lands, upon which settlers from Ofra set up an illegal outpost more than four weeks ago.

Today, at around 12pm, several hundred people from Silwad and Deir Jarir villages gathered on a hilltop facing the new outpost to hold their second weekly protest. As they were waiting for more people to join them, around ten settlers invaded the nearby Palestinian valley and clashes ensued. Israeli forces, already present at the scene, began shooting tear gas canisters at Palestinians.

After the midday prayers were performed on the hilltop those who were gathered started marching towards the new outpost. Israeli soldiers assembled in a line facing the protesters immediately started shooting extensive amounts of tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets at the people.

The march was then dispersed, with several people suffering from tear gas suffocation and requiring assistance from Palestinian Red Crescent personnel. One international activist was also shot with a plastic coated steel bullet. As clashes continued to erupt between Israeli forces and protesters, settlers appeared again at the scene. Palestinian protesters went forward to push the settlers back from their land and were soon met with more tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets fired by Israeli forces.

Confrontations between Palestinians lasted for another hour until the settlers retreated from the scene. The extensive use of tear gas throughout the afternoon led to a number of fires being sparked on the agricultural land that continued burning throughout the clashes.

Yesterday, a jeep driven by settlers drove on to the land broke down a gate and ran over top of 35 olive trees destroying them. Settler attacks often occur in these villages, settlers from nearby Ofra settlement recently raided the village of Deir Jarir, setting fire to ten of the resident’s cars. Earlier in April settlers severely attacked a Silwad villager who used to be a judge, beating him with an iron rod until he lost consciousness. Silwad has seen consistent clashes in recent weeks due to this violence and the establishment of the illegal Nezah Benjamin outpost twenty days ago.

Trees destroyed by settlers on 2nd May 2013

This outpost consist of caravans and huts situated on Palestinian farm land that the residents of Silwad, Deir Jarir, Taybeh and Ein Yabrud have been denied access to for over a decade. A settlement outpost is the first move made by settlers when conducting a land-grab in the West Bank; establishing temporary buildings which are protected by the military and eventually made permanent, in order to establish ‘facts on the ground’ and steal Palestinian land.

This is the second weekly demonstration that the villages of Silwad and Deir Jarir have held together to protests the land theft and settler violence and more demonstrations are expected to be organised in the following weeks.

Revisiting Ni’lin after four years

2nd May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

It’s been four years since I had visited and lived in Ni’lin and the decision to visit on Friday filled me simultaneously with excitement and longing but also dread. Four years ago I had supported the non violent resistance in Ni’lin as an ISM activist and had experienced the horror and oppression of the occupiers against such actions. Ni’lin’s demonstrations against the Apartheid Wall represented the Ni’lin population’s resilience. They would not let more land, that was the life blood of the community, be stolen.

I arrived in the village not knowing what to expect. Four years is a long time and although parts looked familiar everything was also completely different. The town seemed busier and I was surprised to see cash machines in the Baladia (town centre). I felt disorientated as I gazed at the walls that were adorned with advertisements instead of martyr posters. Ni’lin has suffered heavily under the occupation, not just from the loss of land but also the persecution of its non violent resistance. Five shaheeds (martyrs) were killed by the Israeli occupation forces for opposing the Wall. I arrived early and wandered around Ni`lin with a fellow activist to hopefully reconnect with old friends. I had imagined that it would be okay just to turn up for the demonstration but needed time to acknowledge and deal with things that happened during my stay. I walked to the shop to prepare by buying ‘Top Drink’ a hydration must when sampling Ni’lin produce. From there we walked up the hill to the hospital, as I knew that two of the martyrs were buried near there. Four years ago Ni’lin did not just demonstrate against the wall but jumped into action to demonstrate against the slaughter that was taking place in Gaza as part of ‘Operation Cast Lead.’ Ni’lin demonstrated with other Palestinians on everyday of the operation from mid day until sunset. On the 28th of Decenber 2008 20 year old Mohammed Khawaje and 22 year old Arafat Khawaje were shot with live ammunition whilst demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza alongside international and Israeli activists.

The atrocity was just two of the many that happened at the time as international media was focussed on Gaza. The killings were unimaginable to myself and were the reason it took me so long to return to Palestine.
Walking back towards the baladia, we were approached by a young boy who recognised me. This made me very happy and we spoke about his older brother and family who I knew and made arrangements to meet them after the demonstration. The boy was now 10 but was still as happy as he always was. I felt concern for him as he joined the demonstrations fearing for his safety as all Palestinians who participate put themselves in danger. The first martyr from Ni’lin was his age, Ahmed Mousa, who was shot dead at a demonstration on 29th July 2008. At Ahmed’s funeral 17 year old Youssef Amirah was shot dead with a rubber coated steal bullet a day later.

My young friend took me to the demonstration in the olive fields where we passed a martyr poster, the most recent, that I hurtfully found out when checking up on Ni’lin after I had gone back to my country. Yousef ‘Akil’ Srour who was 36 years old when shot with 0.22 live ammunition during a demonstration.

We proceeded to the demonstration where people came up and welcomed me, hugging me and shaking my hand as I apologised for taking so long to return. After the prayer, we approached the wall, which is now complete. Before 1948 Ni’lin owned 58’000 dunams of land from which 40’000 was stolen by the creation of Israel. The 1967 occupation lead to the construction of the illegal settlements of Nili, Modin ilit, Hashmon’im Mattiyahu that took 8’000 dunams. In 2008, the construction of the Wall stole another 2’500 dunams and a tunnel exclusively for settlers, highlighting the nature of apartheid, 200 dunams. Nearly 90% of Ni’lins original land has been stolen since 1948.

It infuriated and saddened me that the Wall was built after so much tragedy. The demonstrators tried to force open the metal gate as army fired tear gas. I felt very tense and worried during the demonstration, remembering the arsenal of weapons that had been previously used on Ni’lin demonstrations. On this occasion they just fired tear gas, but in the past they used live ammunition, 0.22 live ammunition, rubber and plastic coated steel bullets and the deadly high velocity tear gas canister that critically injured 37 year old Tristan Anderson, an international volunteer, on March 13th 2009 just a week after I left, who needed 15 months of treatment in hospital and has been left permanently disfigured.

I met up with a friend after the demonstration where I met his new brother and sister who had been born during the time I was away. It felt symbolic that he had a brother who was four and a sister of two who played around him, that showed the new life and that there is hope that the future generation need not live in fear. We spoke a lot about the situation and the past whilst drinking coffee and smoking argila. I asked about how the wall had changed life in Ni’lin, but the responses were always optimistic, ‘life is good, life will be better, the wall will fall.’

I said goodbye and promised it would not take four years to return and looked forward to my next visit.