Update: The Israeli occupation forces invaded Bab AlShams village in the middle of the night and arrested all it’s residents and removed them by force injuring six Palestinians. The Residents of Bab ALShams were forced on an ISraeli police bus and driven through Jerusalem/Al Quds, from which as Palestinians they are banned by Israel, and dropped off at the Qalandia military checkpoint near Ramallah.
12 January 2013 | PSCC, Bab Alshams, Occupied Palestine
Israeli army and police have been laying siege to the newly founded Palestinian village of Bab Alshams since earlier today, blocking all roads leading to. The area has been declared a closed military zone. The village was inaugurated yesterday on Palestinian land, East of Jerusalem, in an area referred to by Israel as E1, and designated for the expansion of Ma’ale Edomim settlement.
Despite the siege, roughly a hundred supporters from across Palestine managed to reach the village, trekking through rocky terrain. Earlier today, Abdallah Abu Rahmah of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee said, “Israel has been defying international law for decades by building illegal settlements on stolen land and demolishing Palestinian homes. We are here to say that Israeli impunity must end. We have the right to build and live on our own land”.
This morning the residents of the village where notified by Israeli police that they will be evicted despite an injunction issued by the Israeli High Court, prohibiting demolition of the village for six days. The officers informed residents that the injunction only forbids the removal of village structures, not their inhabitants. Despite this statement, Israeli government has appealed to the court to revoke the injunction. As growing numbers of Israeli forces amass in the vicinity of the village, seemingly preparing to carry out an eviction, the residents of Bab Alshams stand firm in their resolution to hold on to the land.
Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers prevented Palestinian legislators Hannan Ashrawi, Saeb Arekat and Ahmed Majdalani from reaching the village and confiscated Majdalani’s VIP card.
Famed Lebanese writer, Elias Khury, author of the epic novel Bab Alshams after which the village is named, phoned the residents earlier today to express his support. “You have revived Bab Alshams”, he said, “I wish I were there with you.”
12 January 2013 | International Solidarity Movement
Tom was 21 years old when he was shot. A photography student, he had left the UK to volunteer as a ‘human shield’ in Iraq. Here he heard about the ISM, one of whose volunteers, Rachel Corrie, had just been killed by a bulldozer whilst protesting house demolitions in Rafah. He headed there himself, arriving on the 6th April.
On the day of his shooting, Tom was with other ISM activists walking through Rafah when Israeli sniper fire started. Almost everyone ran for safety, but Tom noticed that three children, aged between four and seven, had remained motionless, paralysed with fear. Tom went back for them. He got the little boy to safety, and then went back for the two girls. He was wearing a fluorescent vest, and was clearly unarmed. An Israeli sniper shot him in the head. (Read more.)
Join the Palestinian call urging EU citizens to act for justice for Palestine.
EU representatives have expressed numerous concerns about Israeli violations towards Palestine, however, witnessing ever-increasing violations, words are not enough. Ask your representatives to act and call for suspension of EU’s trade agreements with Israel, until it complies with international law. Stop EU’s complicity in these crimes now. Read the full text of the call below.
Take Action: Write to your Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Then write to your Members or European Parliament (MEPs).
1) WRITE TO YOUR PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER:
Time For Justice – A call from Palestine to EU citizens
Ask your governments and EMPs to suspend EU-Israel Association Agreement and ACAA, stand up for human rights and end the occupation
Representatives of European governments have expressed grave concerns over Israel’s plan to build another 3000 settlement units in the West Bank. The EU High Representative Catherine Ashton reiterated that “all settlement construction is illegal under international law and constitutes an obstacle to peace.”
While statements of concern regarding Israeli war crimes and international law violations are welcome, in practice Israel’s military occupation and apartheid policies including its settlement project in the West Bank, the continued siege and assault on the Gaza Strip, the ongoing demolition of Palestinian homes, the illegal annexation of occupied East Jerusalem, Arbitrary arrests and torture of adults and children, severe restrictions on freedom of movement and access to resources and other illegal military operations, receive direct and concrete support from Europe.
European support is expressed in the preferential conditions that Israel receives under its Trade and Association Agreements with Europe. The association agreement stipulates that “relations between the parties, as well as all the provisions of the agreement itself shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles”, and that this “constitutes an essential element of this agreement”.
To date the European union state-members have chosen to ignore their obligation to suspend the agreement due to Israel’s ongoing severe human rights violations. It is time to end European complicity with Israeli war crimes.
Tell your Prime Minister, your Foreign Minister and your representatives to the European Parliament that the time has come to take action and suspend Europe’s trade agreements with Israel as well as end trade with companies operating in settlements on occupied territories until Israel fulfils its obligations under international law: Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall; Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194. Tell your representatives to act for justice now.
Dear Prime Minister, Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dear MEP,
I am gravely concerned with the complicity of European Union countries in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. While the recent statements of concern issued by European representatives regarding Israeli unilateral actions such as Israel’s settlement project in the West Bank, the continued siege and assault on the Gaza Strip, the ongoing demolition of Palestinian homes, the illegal annexation of occupied East Jerusalem, the arbitrary arrest and torture of Adults and children, the severe restrictions on freedom of movement and access to resources and other illegal military operations, are welcome, they are not enough.
It is past time that we fulfil our obligations and stop support of trade with companies associated with settlements, and implement the Human rights clause in our Trade and Association Agreements with Israel and suspend the agreements due to Israel’s ongoing severe human rights violations.
I call on you to take immediate action and suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, ACAA and the planned Protocol on the participation of Israel in Community programmes, as well as end trade with companies operating in settlements on occupied territories, until Israel fulfils its obligations under international law: Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall; Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
For the full text in all European languages click here.
11 January 2013 | PSCC, Bab Alshams, Occupied Palestine
250 men and women from across Palestine establish this morning a new Palestinian village named “Bab Alshams” (Gate of the Sun). Tents were built in what Israel refers to as area E1 and equipment for long-term living was brought.
The group released the following statement:
We, the sons and daughters of Palestine from all throughout the land, announce the establishment of Bab Alshams Village (Gate of the Sun). We the people, without permits from the occupation, without permission from anyone, sit here today because this is our land and it is our right to inhabit it.
A few months ago the Israeli government announced its intention to build about 4000 settlement housing units in the area Israel refers to as E1. E1 block is an area of about 13 square km that falls on confiscated Palestinian land East of Jerusalem between Ma’ale Adumim settlement, which lies on occupied West Bank Palestinian land, and Jerusalem. We will not remain silent as settlement expansion and confiscation of our land continues. Therefore we hereby establish the village of Bab Alshams to proclaim our faith in direct action and popular resistance. We declare that the village will stand steadfast until the owners of this land will get their right to build on their land.
The village’s name is taken from the novel, “Bab Alshams,” by Lebanese writer Elias Khoury. The book depicts the history of Palestine through a love story between a Palestinian man, Younis, and his wife Nahila. Younis leaves his wife to join the Palestinian resistance in Lebanon while Nahila remains steadfast in what remains of their village in the Galilee. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Younis smuggles through Lebanon and back to the Galilee to meet his wife in the “Bab Alshams” cave, where she gives birth to their children. Younis returns to the resistance in Lebanon as his wife remains in Bab Al Shams.
Bab Alshams is the gate to our freedom and steadfastness. Bab Alshams is our gate to Jerusalem. Bab Alshams is the gate to our to our return.
For decades, Israel has established facts on the ground as the International community remained silent in response to these violations. The time has come now to change the rules of the game, for us to establish facts on the ground – our own land. This action involving women and men from the north to the south is a form of popular resistance. In the coming days we will hold various discussion groups, educational and artistic presentations, as well as film screenings on the lands of this village. The residents of Bab Al Shams invite all the sons and daughters of our people to participate and join the village in supporting our resilience.
January 10th, 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Urif and Qusra, Occupied Palestine
As the villages around Nablus woke up to the rare scene of a snow-covered landscape, Israeli settlers violently attacked groups of youngsters playing with snow in the villages of Urif and Qusra. Two people were both hit in the leg by live bullets fired from settlers’ guns and six people were hospitalized because of rubber-coated steel bullets shot by the Israeli army.
In Urif, a group of thirty-five settlers came down the hills from the nearby Yizhar illegal settlement and attacked youth engaged in a snow-battle. One settler, who was carrying a sword, went to slash one of them but was stopped in time by the villagers. Other settlers started shooting live bullets and attacked two houses, smashing their windows. Shortly after the attack started the Israeli army also came down the hills, openly protecting the settlers from people that were gathering to defend their village. International human-rights activists that arrived in Urif saw settlers throwing stones and filmed them uprooting olive trees while the Israeli army shot tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets, preventing the activists and villagers from approaching the settlers. As the attack went on, settlers again opened fire on people from Urif and hit one young person in the leg. Five other persons were taken to hospital because of injuries sustained from rubber-coated steel bullets shot by the Israeli military.
A similar scenario occurred in the village of Qusra, with settlers from the Esh Kodesh and Qida illegal settlements attacking at the same time the attack in Urif was underway, thus raising the possibility that these were coordinated attacks. Fifteen settlers gathered on the hill overlooking Qusra and five of them, three of whom were armed with guns, went down to the village. The five settlers first headed to one of the homes on the edge of the village, previously targeted in a number of other assaults. As youth who were playing with snow went running to defend the home, settlers started shooting at them with their M-16 guns. 21-year-old Ammar was hit in the leg after the bullet passed through the mobile phone in his pocket. Settlers continued shooting at friends of Ammar who were trying to carry him away from the scene. He is currently in hospital and will have to undergo surgery because of the wound caused by the bullet.
In the meantime, dozens of Israeli soldiers started gathering on the hills, while settlers went around fields breaking olive trees. Only this morning a total of 188 olive trees were destroyed, with some of the trees having up to 20 years-worth of toil invested in them. When villagers from Qusra went to confront the settlers in the act they were met by tear-gas and rubber-coated steel bullets fired by the Israeli army positioned on top of the hills; resulting in one person being hospitalized, after a hit by a rubber-coated steel bullet in the leg.
Settlers and soldiers’ attacks are nothing new for both Urif and Qusra. Urif has been struck almost daily in the past month and a half, as settlers attacked the school and homes at the outer part of the village. This is often followed by soldiers’ incursions into the village, routinely shooting huge amounts of tear-gas in the streets and houses of Urif. Twenty women suffered miscarriages because of tear-gas inhalation in the last six weeks. Furthermore, soldiers frequently arrive at night, shouting through megaphones, throwing stun grenades and turning on their sirens, simply to deprive people of their sleep. Qusra has also been attacked four times in the past few weeks, when settlers uprooted thousands of olive trees, attacked a Red Crescent ambulance and beat up villagers. Recent offensive graffiti in Hebrew was still to be seen on the walls of the mosque there today, a year and a half after being subjected to arson.
Settler breaking olive trees in Urif
Soldiers protecting settlers while destroying trees in Urif
188 olive tress were broken by settlers in Qusra this morning
Qusra villagers run from a volley of tear gas
Friends carry one tear gas victim to safety
Qusra villager collapses due to tear gas inhalation
Ammar awaiting his operation in hospital
Ammar´s mobile phone still wasn´t enough to stop the bullet
Israeli army and police have been laying siege to the newly founded Palestinian village of Bab Alshams since earlier today, blocking all roads leading to. The area has been declared a closed military zone. The village was inaugurated yesterday on Palestinian land, East of Jerusalem, in an area referred to by Israel as E1, and designated for the expansion of Ma’ale Edomim settlement.
