Category: Features - Page 12 - International Solidarity Movement

ISM Week of Action Against Eurovision

May 2019 | International Solidarity Movement| occupied Palestine

ISM’s week of action against the Eurovision in Tel Aviv In coordination with the Palestinian Boycott National Committee (BNC) and The Palestinian campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and in collaboration with Israeli anti zionist groups has been a huge success! From before the opening ceremony until the Eurovision final there was not a Eurvison event that was not protested and their was no coverage of the Eurovision that did not at least mention the calls to Boycott the competition in Tel Aviv often bringing images from the protests that took place on the ground.

Photo by Activestills

The Week of action started rocking the Eurovision boat before it began. The international media reported on the campaign announcement: “Pro-Palestinian activists have urged supporters to “join us in disrupting Israel’s latest PR stunt” and to participate in a ‘Week of Action Against Eurovision in Tel Aviv’. The Israeli authorities were quick to state that it would not allow the activists in. The activists were prepared to remain in Israeli custody if they were denied and thus highlighting Israel’s policy of denial of access to Palestinians, their family members and human rights defenders to Palestine. But, we managed to enter!

While preparations for the international contest where underway Israel committed yet another massacre against the besieged population of the Gaza strip. Bombing the densely populated strip from the air, tanks and gun boats, Israeli soldiers killed to 25 including a family – mother, father and 4-month old baby, and two pregnant women and a twelve year old child. On May 5th, with bombs still raining on Gaza, Eurovision events and the protests against them began. Activists descended on Tel Aviv, postering pictures of slain Palestinians in the city centre, graffitiing slogans and opening a banner calling to Liberate the Gaza ghetto at a Eurovision event.

From the day that the Eurovision opened on the 15th of May we were there Blindfolded and handcuffed at the Eurovision in Tel Aviv to remind the participants of the stolen lives of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons. We projected images of the occupation taken by activestills, during one Eurovision party and held a die-in at another in solidarity with the Palestinian Great march of Return. And hung posters at the venue to bring the faces of the children murdered in Gaza to these parties were held on the beach the land of the ethnically cleansed Palestinian village of Manshiya in solidarity with the great march of return. At the semi final and ISM activists unfurled a banner inside the venue that read “We dare to dream an end of Apartheid”

We also brought our banners and joined forces with Israeli Anti Zionists at their protests on the 14th at the Eurovision finals on the 18th and highlighted the alternative events organised by our Palestinian comrades across Palestine in Haifa, Gaza, and Bethlehem as part of the International “Global vision.”

3 minutes after people finish praying at the al-Risan hill, the Israeli army fire tear gas; Protestors never give up

April 26, 2019 | International Solidarity Movement | Mount al-Risan, occupied Palestine

This Friday a large group of worshippers gathered for prayers at Mount al-Risan. When they arrived, two groups of Israeli military were already on each side of the valley waiting for them.

The worshippers prayed together in front of the hill, as always facing towards Mecca, thus having to face the illegal Israeli settlement as well.

A man from one of the surrounding villages explained the situation; “The plan from the Israeli is to build an outpost on this mountain, they want to build a road between […] the settlements. […] They want to make a connection between the settlements, and the plan, after they control this mountain, they will separate the west of Ramallah, this village, from the rest of Ramallah. It will be destroying the life, destroying the economic resources, destroying everything.”

After the prayers finished some of the people began to walk up the hill towards the illegal settlement in protest. Within three minutes of the prayers finishing the Israeli soldiers began shooting tear gas into the crowd of worshippers including the Imam.

The local man explained the protest: “For around nine months here in this area, we have been protesting, refusing this plan from the Israeli, asking them to move this outpost in the mountain, and to give the land to the owner. Before around one month, one of the owners of the land tried to build a small room here – they (the military) came and demolished it. […] But they allowed the settlers – the settlers on not their own land, this is Palestinian land – they allowed them to build farms and outposts, and as I say, this is a centre, they start it here for a big settlement in the area, to build a big road between the big settlements in the area.”

The Israeli military continued to fire tear gas canisters into the crowd to stop them from walking up the hill, which is rightfully and legally the protesters land. During the attack illegal Israeli settlers were seen at the top of the hill. And shortly after a drone was seen in the air hovering over protestors, possibly taking pictures.

Many people suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation, but thankfully there were two Palestinian medics and an ambulance there to hand out water and treat anyone injured.

A thoughtful and calm man, Abu Lara, wanted to speak to us and told us about the struggle:

“Every Friday we will try to go up the mountains, every Friday, but we can’t because the soldiers are shooting gas at us, and we don’t have weapons, nothing, we have nothing, with hands only. But we will still try, try every Friday. After 100, we will try, because this is our land, and we don’t have strong, but we will try. We have idea about this, our land. So, we will still be trying to go to our land, and take our land. Israel has taken our land in West Bank, we are not going to leave to other countries. We are still here, it’s our land. “

Watch the full interview with Abu Lara here, where he explains why these protests are important:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFUiNfAbQLs&feature=youtu.be

Join ISM: Training in Dublin, Ireland, April 27, 2019

ISM Ireland is offering a day of pre-training for prospective volunteers who are interested in joining the International Solidarity Movement on the ground in Palestine. All volunteers are required to participate in training before joining activities in Palestine.

Attending the training session in Dublin will give you a chance to get a first impression of ISM and the kind of work we do, receive training, connect with former volunteers and have your questions answered. It is a chance to learn about how Palestinians are working against the occupation and how we as internationals can work in solidarity with them using a variety of tactics.

Attending the training is not a commitment to go to Palestine, although many who have attended the training in the past have decided to go.

The training will take place on April 27, 2019:
Time: 10:30-16
Venue: Jigsaw, 10 Belvedere Court, Dublin 1, D01 E726

To sign up for the training, please contact ism.dublin@protonmail.com

Remembering Rachel Corrie

16th March 2019 | International Solidarity Movement, occupied Palestine

Today marks the sixteenth anniversary since the passing of ISM activist Rachel Corrie. She was 23 at the time of her passing. Rachel was tragically crushed to death under the front blade of an Israeli military Caterpillar bulldozer near Rafah, in the southern region of the Gaza Strip. Rachel died whilst placing herself in the path of a bulldozer to protect a Palestinian family whose home was about to be demolished. Rachel was killed during a three-hour peaceful demonstration between occupying Israeli forces operating two armoured bulldozers and eight ISM activists courageously trying to stop them.

Rachel had come to Gaza during part of her senior-year college assignment that connected her home town of Olympia with Rafah In Palestine, Rachel had engaged with other International Solidarity Movement activists in efforts to prevent continued demolition of Palestinian homes in operations that the Israeli military claimed were aimed at eliminating weapons smuggling tunnels.

In 2005, Corrie’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the state of Israel. The lawsuit charged Israel with not conducting a full and credible investigation into Rachel’s death and with the responsibility for her death. In August 2012, an Israeli court rejected their suit and upheld the claims made in the 2003 military investigation, ruling that the Israeli government was not responsible for Corrie’s death. The ruling was met with criticism by several human rights organisations and the international public. An appeal against the August 2012 ruling was heard on May 21, 2014, and on February 14, 2015, the Supreme Court of Israel rejected the appeal.

Sixteen years after her death, Gaza remains besieged by continuous military operations and bombing by the occupying Israeli forces. The International Solidarity Movement continues to strive for freedom and justice for Palestine, just as Rachel did during her time here. Remembering Rachel Corrie through her words and actions means continuing our solidarity with the Palestinian people.

In this interview you can listen Rachel explain and give insight to the situation in Gaza just two days before her death.

Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian delivering legal documents at Rajabi House

March 13, 2019 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Al-Khalil (Hebron), occupied Palestine

Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian in Al-Khalil (Hebron) on Tuesday while attempting to distribute legal court documents. The Palestinian man was identified as 36-year-old Yasser Fawzi Shweiki.

After the shooting, Shweiki’s body was dragged into the Rajabi House. The army further prevented Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s medics from entering the scene to treat Shweiki.

Human rights workers were attacked by Israeli Police and arrested immediately after arriving on the scene.

The shooting occurred outside the Rajabi House (also called Beit HaMeriva or House of Contention by Israeli press; the Peace House, Beit HaShalom, or בית השלום‎ by Israeli settlers)–which was first occupied by illegal settlers in 2007.

In December 2008, the illegal settlers were forcibly removed from the Rajabi house following a Supreme Court order finding that the settlers submitted “large-scale forgeries of many documents” to the courts. In response to the ruling, Baruch Marzel (ברוך מרזל) (former spokesman for the terrorist organization Jewish Defense League and resident of Hebron) told Ynet “We must go to war.”

Settler violence followed, setting fire to Palestinian fields, olive groves, homes, shops, and cars. At least 2 Palestinians were shot by settlers, including Hosni Abu Saither–shot in the chest at point-blank range on December 4th, 2008. B’Tselem published a video of the shooting:

Israel claims that Shweiki had a knife when he was shot on Tuesday.

Ofer Yohana (עופר אוחנה)–the infamously violent settler that was caught on video in 2016 kicking a knife towards the body of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif after he was shot by Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (אלאור אזריה)–was on the scene of Shweiki’s shooting on Tuesday; he can be seen attempting to stop the filming of the human rights workers’s camera in the first video above.