Author: ISM Media - Page 470 - International Solidarity Movement

Following settler attack, Palestinian woman arrested in Al Khalil

by Maria and Roda

7 May 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

A Palestinian woman was arrested by occupation police in Al Khalil (Hebron) yesterday after her home was attacked by settlers.

47 year old Jamila Hassan Abdul Fattah Al-Shalaldeh and her family live with two other familes in a home on Zionist controlled Shuhada Street .

Sunday night at 7 o clock, a group of settlers entered the family home with a large mirror, smashing the mirror on the staircase of the house before fleeing to the street. When occupation police and soldiers arrived (the home is across the street from an army post) the settlers accused al-Shalaldeh of attacking them, and the police took her into custody.

The morning of this attack, a nearby furniture shop owned by one of the other residents of the home was attacked by dozens of settlers. The group stole and destroyed furniture and attempted to knock down the walls of the shop.

The home under attack, like other Palestinian homes in the area, is the target of frequent, violent attacks from settlers and occupation soldiers. One month ago the Israeli army raided the home with an attack dog to force the residents to remove surveillance cameras on the exterior of the building, traumatizing the young children living in the house.

The events of yesterday serve as examples of the violence endemic to the lives of Palestinians living in Israeli-controlled zones of Hebron. The occupation forces protect the settlers as they attack Palestinian homes, property, and people of all ages. Palestinians who resist, even, passively, are punished by the police as the settlers remain free and untouched by the law.

Maria and Roda are volunteers with International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed).

A letter from Khader Adnan: “Their fate is in our hands”

by Khader Adnan

30 April 2012 | Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

Dear free people of the world. Dear oppressed and disenfranchised around the globe. Dear friends of our people, who stood with me with a stern belief in freedom and dignity for my people and our prisoners languishing in the Occupation’s prisons.

Dear free women and men, young and elderly, ordinary people as well as intellectual elites everywhere – I address you today with an
outpouring of hope and pain for every Palestinian that suffers from the occupation of his land, for each of us that has been killed, wounded or imprisoned by the state of terror, that denies anything beautiful in our lives, even the smile of our children and families. I
am addressing you in my first letter following my release – praying it will not be the last – after Allah granted me freedom, pride and
dignity. I was an “administrative detainee” in the jail of occupation for four months, out of which I have spent 66 days on hunger strike.

I was driven to declare an open-ended hunger strike by the daily harassment and violation of my people’s rights by the Israeli Zionist
occupation. The last straw for me were the ongoing arrests, the brutal nighttime raid on my house, my violent detention, during which I was taken to the “Mavo Dotan” settlement on our land occupied in 1967, and the beatings and humiliation I was treated to during arrest interrogation. The way I was treated during the interrogation at the Jalameh detention center, using the worse and lowest verbal insults in the dictionary. After questioning, I was sentenced to imprisonment under administrative detention with no charges, which proves mine and others’ arrests serve only to maintain a quota of prisoners, to harass us, to restrict our freedom and to undermine our determination, pride and dignity.

I write today to thank all those who stood tall in support of my people, with our prisoners, with Hana al-Shalabi and with myself. I
call on you to stand for justice pride and dignity in the face of occupation. The assault on the freedom and dignity of the Palestinian
people is an assault on free people of the world by a criminal occupation that threatens the security, freedom and dignity of all, no
matter where.

Thaer Hlahalh, who are now on their 61st day of hunger strike, Hassan Safadi, Omar Abu Shalal, Mahmoud Sarsak, Mahmoud Sarsal, Mohammad Taj, Jaafar Azzedine (who was arrested solely for standing in solidarity with myself) and Ahmad haj Ali. Their lives now are in great danger.

We are all responsible and we will all lose if we anything happen to them. Let us take immediate action to pressure the Occupation into
releasing them immediately, or their children could never forgive us.

Let all those free and revolutionary join hands against the Occupation’s oppression, and take to the streets – in front of the
Occupation’s prisons, in front of its embassies and all other institutions backing it around the world.

With deep appreciation,
Khader Adnan

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of
Allah.

Dear free people of the world. Dear oppressed and disenfranchised
around the globe. Dear friends of our people, who stood with me with a
stern belief in freedom and dignity for my people and our prisoners
languishing in the Occupation’s prisons.

Dear free women and men, young and elderly, ordinary people as well as
intellectual elites everywhere – I address you today with an
outpouring of hope and pain for every Palestinian that suffers from
the occupation of his land, for each of us that has been killed,
wounded or imprisoned by the state of terror, that denies anything
beautiful in our lives, even the smile of our children and families. I
am addressing you in my first letter following my release – praying it
will not be the last – after Allah granted me freedom, pride and
dignity. I was an “administrative detainee” in the jail of occupation
for four months, out of which I have spent 66 days on hunger strike.

I was driven to declare an open-ended hunger strike by the daily
harassment and violation of my people’s rights by the Israeli Zionist
occupation. The last straw for me were the ongoing arrests, the brutal
nighttime raid on my house, my violent detention, during which I was
taken to the “Mavo Dotan” settlement on our land occupied 1967, and
the beatings and humiliation I was treated to during arrest
interrogation. The way I was treated during the interrogation at the
Jalameh detention center, using the worse and lowest verbal insults in
the dictionary. After questioning, I was sentenced to imprisonment
under administrative detention with no charges, which proves mine and
others’ arrests serve only to maintain a quota of prisoners, to harass
us, to restrict our freedom and to undermine our determination, pride
and dignity.

I write today to thank all those who stood tall in support of my
people, with our prisoners, with Hana al-Shalabi and with myself. I
call on you to stand for justice pride and dignity in the face of
occupation. The assault on the freedom and dignity of the Palestinian
people is an assault on free people of the world by a criminal
occupation that threatens the security, freedom and dignity of all, no
matter where.

Please, continue in exposing this occupation, boycotting and isolating
it internationally. Expose it’s true face, the one that was clearly
exposed in the attack of an Israeli officer on our Danish cohort.
Unlike that attack, the murder our people is a crime that goes by
unspoken of and slips away from the lens of the camera. Our prisoners
are dying in silence. Hundreds of defenders of freedom are on hunger
strike inside the prisons, including the eight knights, Bilal Diab and
Thaer Hlahalh, who are now on their 61st day of hunger strike, Hassan
Safadi, Omar Abu Shalal, Mahmoud Sarsak, Mahmoud Sarsal, Mohammad Taj,
Jaafar Azzedine (who was arrested solely for standing in solidarity
with myself) and Ahmad haj Ali. Their lives now are in great danger.

We are all responsible and we will all lose if we anything happen to
them. Let us take immediate action to pressure the Occupation into
releasing them immediately, or their children could never forgive us.

Let all those free and revolutionary join hands against the
Occupation’s oppression, and take to the streets – in front of the
Occupation’s prisons, in front of its embassies and all other
institutions backing it around the world.

With deep appreciation,
Khader Adnan

Another water cistern demolished, another violation of Human Rights

by Joseph

3 May 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

On Wednesday 2nd May 2012, in the town of Al-Baqr, the Israeli occupation forces destroyed yet another water cistern.

The water cistern measuring 16 metres in width and length, and 8 metres in height was used to irrigate approximately 40 to 50 dunams of land. The land was used for the purpose of farming. The farms were mainly used for growing grapes, and various other vegetables.

The water cistern, owned by Yihya Jaber, was demolished approximately six and a half hours after the ordeal had begun at 7am in the morning. As ISM volunteers arrived at the scene, we could see the excavator being used to pick up the soil and filling in the demolished cistern. As we approached the scene, three Israeli soldiers told us not to go any closer.

Without giving us any clear instructions of where we were allowed to stand, we attempted to find an accurate view of this illegal demolition. With the permission of a local Palestinian family, we were able to see the carnage from their terrace. As we looked down, the cistern was almost nonexistent and the source of livelihood for many of the Palestinians in Al-Baqr was reduced to rubble and dirt.

The families looked on helplessly.

The soldiers had completely surrounded the scene preventing anybody from approaching the cistern while it was being destroyed. At approximately 1pm the the Israeli soldiers had finished what they came to do, they abandoned the scene taking away their digger and tipper.

Another water cistern demolished, another violation of Human Rights.

As the scene was abandoned the families come out, staring blankly in despair to what is left of a structure they so desperately relied on. It was one of a series of blows delivered to the Palestinians of Al-Baqr as the tally of water cisterns demolished by the Israeli occupation in Al-Baqr alone, rose to 8 just in the space of the last two years. The illegal destruction of this water cistern will affect the lives of 30 to 40 Palestinians.

The demolition in Al-Baqr was not the first time the Israeli occupation forces had destroyed this water cistern.

It was first demolished in 2010. Just like the demolition of 2010, Jaber had recieved only two to three weeks notice about it from the Israelis. Jaber and the local Palestinians whose livelihood depends upon these water cisterns, were informed that the reason for why the demolitions were taking place was due to the fact that neither of the families had a permit for the water cistern. According to Dr Shahaad Attili, the minister of Palestinian Water Authority, water cisterns do not require a permit from the Israeli Civil Administration, thereby rendering the pursuit of a permit as another useless exercise.

Despite it being unnecessary to be in possession of a permit, it is common knowledge that it is near impossible for Palestinians to obtain permits for land illegally occupied by the Israeli Government. On both occasions that Jaber had applied for permission, they were turned away on the grounds that “It is Israeli Land” or “It’s too close to the security road,” or “It’s an agricultural area,” and finally “It’s too close to the settlements.”

The cost for applying for a permit is approximately a thousand shekels, and now the cost of complaining about the demolition is normally between a total of 15000 NIS. Even if he does manage to afford this fee, which is highly unlikely, it will most likely be a futile battle against the discriminatory and apartheid policies of Israel.

In the past two years according to Daikonia, over 44 water cisterns hve been destroyed in land falling under Area C, affecting the lives of over 13,500 people and displacing 127. In the past month alone, a total of 7 water cisterns have been destroyed in West Bank with yet more structures under threat.

This is a clear violation of the Israeli-Palestinian joint agreement from 2001, the “Joint Declaration for Keeping the Water Infrastructure out of the Cycle of Violence.”

It is also important to note that Israel has denied the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention by occupying Palestinian land but have accepted the applicability of the Hague Regulations. Under Article 43 of The Hague Convention Israel, as an occupying power over both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, has the ultimate responsibility to ensure that public order and safety are upheld in the territory it occupies, including securing the welfare of the population. Its impossible to see how Israel is securing the welfare of the Palestinian population when they are illegally destroying water cisterns that will cause them severe hardship.

The village of Al-Baqr remains under constant threat of demolition. Not only the remaining water cisterns, but the houses face the same consequences as they are considered “illegal.” This adds more burden to the strains of Al-Baqr.Even for electricity, all families are required to purchase cards which offer a limit of kilowatts lasting only two to three days. The closest hospital is also 25 kilometers away, shorter routes to the hospital have been made inaccessible for Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces. It is also very difficult for children to get to schools everyday as they have to travel long distances.

As demolitions continue in Al-Baqr the illegal Zionist settlements populated by migrants to stolen land continue to expand, the two nearest settlements being Harsin and Kariat Arba. Two years ago the main road leading into the town was opened up so the settlers can come and gawk at the plight of Palestinians. However the Israeli Government refers to these outings as “tours.”

Joseph is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Video: Flag woman confronts Israeli military at prisoner solidarity demonstration at Ofer

by Jessica Mansour

1 May 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

4 people were injured today at a peaceful rally held near the Ofer military prison, in solidarity with hunger striking Palestinians within Israel’s Occupation prisons.

Injuries sustained were caused by rubber coated steel bullets, along with tear gas canisters, skunk water, and pepper spray. Taysir Arabsha was injured by a rubber coated steel bullet, while others sustained lighter injuries from these bullets.

A Palestinian woman’s iconic gesture of resistance echoed loudly across the world as she climbed atop a skunk water truck at the demonstration. Titled “Flag Woman” by fellow activists, she managed to avoid arrest, yet she and others suffered from direct pepper spray as they escaped Israel’s violent presence at the rally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNDF2v0etho

About two weeks ago on Prisoners Day, thousands of Palestinian prisoners within Israeli Occupation Prisons began hunger striking with those who had resisted nourishment by the Zionists for weeks on end prior. Today Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahla entered their 63rd day of hunger strike. Reports have indicated that they have been transferred to hospitals as their declining health is becoming more fatal.

The hunger strikes come as resistance to Israel’s overall collective punishment of the Palestinian people, in illegally besieging them and occupying them in open air prisons, while arbitrarily arresting Palestinians and subjecting them to administrative detention, which can be extended for periods on end without any evidence or a formal court hearing.

Khader Adnan and Hana al Shalabi were released from prison following their hunger strikes, with Shalabi relocated to Gaza and separated from her family and loved ones.

About 4,000 Palestinians are currently held in Occupation prisons.

Jessica Mansour is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Army Invades three Tulkarem towns

30 April 2012 | IMEMC

Israeli soldiers invaded on Sunday the towns of Dir al-Ghsoun, Bal’a and Shewika, near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, installed several roadblocks and inspected the ID cards of dozens of residents.

Local sources reported that five armored Israeli military vehicles invaded Shewika area and installed a roadblock on its main road before stopping dozens of vehicles, and inspecting the ID cards of the drivers and passengers.

The sources added that four armored military vehicles invaded Bal’a town, east of Tulkarem, and installed a roadblock at its main junction that leads to Nablus and Tulkarem, before stopping vehicles and inspecting the ID cards of the residents.

The army also invaded Dir al-Ghsoun town, and drove around in its streets, before stopping and searching a number of vehicles.

The army is still heavily deployed around the invaded towns, and around several nearby towns, an issue that raises fear among the residents of the possibility of further invasions and attacks.