Category: Features

ISM Tours USA : Bring the Palestinian resistance to speak to your community

Are you ready to take your activism for Palestine to the next level?

In 2002, the International Solidarity Movement grabbed world attention by bringing volunteers from around the world to defend Palestine through nonviolent resistance.  They stayed with resistance fighters in the Nativity Church in Bethlehem. They brought medical supplies to the besieged Palestinians in the ancient Nablus Casbah.  They documented and filmed the destruction and mass killing of Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp.  In 2002 and 2003, thousands participated at their own expense.

One was Rachel Corrie, who was killed trying to prevent demolition of a home in Gaza. Another was Tom Hurndall, killed by a shot to the head. ISM has operated continuously since then, serving at the request of the Palestinian community through participation in Palestinian nonviolent resistance. In 2009, 2012 and 2014, ISM volunteers were with the Palestinian people in Gaza, reporting the Israeli invasion and helping in the hospitals, clinics and schools that were attacked even as they served the refugees.

But ISM is today unable to fill the demand from the Palestinian popular movement.  We need to recruit more volunteers, so we have brought the ISM to North America to talk to interested groups. The speaking team consists of one of our Palestinian coordinators and an experienced international volunteer.

The presentation includes a screening of an abridged version of Radiance of Resistance, a film produced by three ISM volunteers serving in Nabi Salih and featuring Ahed Tamimi and her cousin, Janna Jihad.
The first of two Palestinian ISM coordinators to join the tour, Rana Nazzal has trained and provided orientation to ISM volunteers in Palestine. In 2013, she and the Nariman Tamimi, the mother of Ahed were arrested in Nabi Saleh. We have chosen to withhold the identity of the second Palestinian ISM coordinator until later, so as not to prejudice that person’s ability to come. Both are heroes with compelling stories that they would like to share with you.

The ISM volunteer for part of the tour will be Katie Miranda , who served as an ISM activist, coordinator and trainer in the West Bank. Katie Miranda is a jewelry and apparel designer, calligrapher, and contributing cartoonist to Mondoweiss and Middle East Eye. She is the founder of Palbox, a quarterly subscription box featuring products from Palestine and Arabic calligraphy.

As an ISM volunteer, Joe Catron reported from Gaza during several major Israeli attacks, especially from al-Shifa Hospital, as the Israelis threatened to bombard it. He is now an independent reporter on Palestine and the Middle East, and an organizer of many public actions in New York, as well as a widely followed commentator on social media.
The total length of the presentation, including the film and the two speakers, is 50-60 minutes not including Q&A. In order to make the  tour affordable to student groups, we are asking only for $250 per event plus local meals, lodging and transportation. Homestays with local families in the community are an inexpensive and welcome way to meet the lodging and meal requirements.  The actual cost to ISM is around $1000 per event, including international and domestic airfares as well as speaker compensation for otherwise lost income.  A small group of donors has already pledged to match your donations in order to raise the estimated $25,000 to cover the rest of the costs.  Please be as generous as you can.

Schedule of events (subject to change):

  • Mar 1-4     Attending conference & Al-Awda rally & march in DC
  • March 5    Alabama U, Birmingham, AL
  • March 6    Emory University, Atlanta, GA
  • March 7    Decatur, GA
  • March 8    U of Georgia, Athens, GA
  • March 12  Chattanooga, TN
  • March 16 New Orleans, LA
  • March 19  Brooklyn, NY
  • March 20  Albany, NY
  • March 21  Syracuse, NY
  • Mar 22-24 Available
  • March 25  Boston, MA
  • Mar 26-30 Available esp. Canada
  • Mar 26-Apr 6 2 teams available for US & Canada
  • April 3      OPIRG Carleston, Ottawa, Canada
  • April 4      Montreal
  • April 5      Available for Toronto area
  • April 6-7   Available US only
  • April 8-10 Madison, WI
  • April 12    Northfield, MN
  • Apr 13-15 Available US only
  • April 16    Poughkeepsie, NY
  • Apr 17-25 Available US only

To reserve a date for your event:

Reply to this email or call 510-236-4250.

To help with your donation:

Send your donation by check or on line to the Northern California ISM chapter by following the instructions here:

http://www.ism-norcal.org/donate/

Thank you for helping to defend Palestine.

Children traumatised when Israeli soldiers raid schools

 

Ibrahim and his father Issa.

12th February 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Occupied Palestine

This Sunday, 6 Israeli military jeeps with soldiers entered the village of Hares, southwest of Nablus, in order to raid three schools filled with kids of all ages. Around 10 AM about 20 Israeli soldiers tried to enter the school yards of the two high schools. The pupils were in between classes and all out in the school yard. The teachers managed to lock the gate, so the soldiers stopped and interrogated all the cars and the people passing in the street outside.

Being unable to enter, they then moved on the elementary school. Many of the children were scared and tried to go home, but the stressed out teachers managed to collect them in the classrooms, locking the gate to keep the soldiers out. The new Shabak officer of the region was leading the incursion.

That night, Ibrahim, a six-year old boy from the school came to sleep in his father Issa’s bed for the first time. “He always sleeps in his own bed”, Issa says to the ISMers meeting them. “He asked me if he won’t be able to go to school again tomorrow and when I asked him why he would think not he said ‘Cause the soldiers might come again’.” Issa then tried to convince his son that the soldiers wouldn’t come “But he then asked me ‘Who can guarantee that?’ and all I could do was to persuade him to go to school. He does not seem relaxed and still sleeps in my bed.”

Issa also emphasises how many kids in Hares and all around Palestine suffer from similar traumas. “For sure my son is not the only one reacting like this. There are many children having nightmares and wetting their beds every night as a reaction to the soldiers raiding their schools.”

A few years ago Israeli soldiers entered the schools daily. Around 1000 girls and boys met the soldiers every day, but after the village managed to bring up a case towards the Israeli military, the raids stopped. Now many villagers fear the children will once again get more traumatised.

Ahed Tamimi Returns Before Israeli Show Trial

 

11th February 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Occupied Palestine

On Tuesday morning, Ahed Tamimi once again was brought before an Israeli military court at the Ofer Military Prison. Despite objections from the Tamimi family and Ahed’s lawyer, all media and foreign diplomats were barred from entering the court room during the trial. The prosecution read the 12 charges against Ahed, to which she declined to respond. The 17 year old, who recently celebrated her birthday behind bars, will remain under administrative detention in Israeli prison. Her next court date is on March 11.

ISM sat down to speak with Ahed’s father, Bassem Tamimi, at the family home in Nabi Saleh to discuss the events of the trial. About the court’s decision to remove the media and diplomats from the court room, Bassem told ISM “[The Israelis] don’t want to show the world it’s just a theatre.” Bassem also told ISM about the poor conditions of Ahed’s imprisonment, but said that his daughter was still strong despite her treatment.

When asked if he had any hopes for the upcoming trial he said “No, they are a state above the law”.

Protest marks 30 years since intifada settler murder

Protesters gather on the closed road in front of the illegal settlement Kadumim

10th February 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Occupied Palestine

Yesterday in Kfar Qaddum Israeli armed forces fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters, luckily without injuries. The 8th of February marked 30 years since Kfar Qaddum’s first march during the Intifada, when villager Abed al Baset Jumal was murdered by masked settlers. Locals gathered today in honor of Baset Jumal as well as in protest of a road blockage that inhibits access to their village; this road has been closed to locals since 2003. The soldiers also fired several rounds of rubber coated steel bullets, teargas and sound bombs.

The march started after the Friday prayer, with the local Boy Scout group accompanying protesters with drums up the main road. Israeli soldiers had positioned themselves on the hill between Kfar Qaddum and the illegal settlement of Kadumim, and before any confrontations started with the protesting youth, the soldiers started to fire live ammunition.

Local boy scouts group performs drum line to commence the protest.

Throughout the protest the military fired tear gas, sound bombs and rubber coated steel bullets, but as one of the protesters noted, “live ammunition hasn’t been used in this way for six years – fired so much, without any reason and directly at the protesters.”

A protester is throwing back a teargas canister fired by the Israeli army

Murad Shtawie, who is a community leader and organizer in Kfar Qaddum also told the ISM-ers how during the first intifada 30 years ago, the villagers of Kfar Qaddum had one of their first protests where 28-year old Abed al Baset Jumal was killed by masked settlers. Many protests were arranged in the West Bank during this time, and often met by consistent settler violence. On February 8th 1988, a bus with settlers approached the protest in the east of the village. The settlers were dressed in koffias speaking Arabic, and told the villagers they were on their side. When Abed approached to bid them welcome, one of them pulled a gun and killed him with two bullets – one in the head and one in the neck. The protesters also commemorated this yesterday.

The settler violence is ongoing to present day. About three days ago, settlers from the illegal settlement of Kadumim threw rocks at a farmer north of the village injuring him in the head. He is recovering in the hospital with six stitches.

Israeli soldiers throw sound bombs at the demonstrators.

 

 

 

 

 

Palestinian villages attacked – yet resisting illegal outposts

12th January 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Occupied Palestine

Today in Kfar Qaddum the protesters, marching towards the road closed off due to the illegal settlement of Kadumim, were suppressed by Israeli military. Protesters were met with teargas and rubber coated steel bullets. Luckily there were no serious injuries. Three days ago though, hundreds of settlers from the illegal settlement of Havat Gilad attacked the neighboring village of Far’ata.

When ISMers spoke to the protesters in Kfar Qaddum, they expressed more relief than usual about there being no serious injuries today. “There is so much violence around the West Bank right now, so if something happened here we fear that it would go unnoticed.” says the main coordinator Murad Shtawi. He showed ISM the video taken by his friends in Far’ata where dozens of settlers forcibly enter the village.

Following the funeral of a recently killed settler from the illegal outpost of Havat Gilad, dozens of settlers attacked the nearby village of Far’ata. The settlers from the illegal outpost threw stones at seven Palestinian homes, breaking windows and causing other property damage. The attacking settlers also damaged trees belonging to Palestinian villagers.

Photos from the security cameras in the Far’ata families’ homes.

The illegal outpost of Havat Gilad, founded in 2002, has had numerous incidents of land theft, destruction, vandalism, and violence towards nearby Palestinian villages. The illegal outpost is scheduled for demolition under an international agreement, but Israel has yet to remove the illegal outpost. Outposts, like Havat Gilad, are illegal under Israeli and International law.

Video of settlers in Far’ata

The villagers in Kfar Qaddum have been protesting the effects of the illegal settlement Kadumim since 2011. Apart from the land theft, which is still ongoing, in 2003 the villagers lost their main connection with Nablus increasing their commute to almost an hour instead of previous ten minutes.