Category: Features - Page 55 - International Solidarity Movement

Children: marvelous examples that life must go on whatever happens

29th November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Children: marvelous examples that life must go on whatever happens, even if their growing up is influenced by negative experiences with settlers, soldiers, torture, humiliations…

We experienced this in the two days of the Jewish festival of “Chaye Sara” in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) in which 2.500 settlers arrived, camped in tents, went on their tours along the Palestinian souq and all the streets around the Ibrahimi Mosque. Apparently they prayed, but… what did they ask to their God?

Palestinians and internationals were expecting the usual violence against people and shops. In fact, groups of youngsters, feeling protected by their army, destroyed a shop window, insulted shop owners, made exercises with their third finger… violently stole handcraft souvenirs from many shops. To steel is a crime…. But here in Palestine, it depends on who you are.

Some of the settlers in their tour, just in front of a soldier, threw stones at houses on the hill over the Ibrahimi Mosque. So we spent two nights in the area, trying to reduce more violence: soldiers and settlers could see us and ours cameras…

As usual, the families were very welcoming, never complaining… they knew… this is their life. And the children? After the first moments, the explosion of their innocence, of their hunger of attention, thirst of joy.

children-and-soldiers — drawing made by Palestinian child

In front of the houses, soldiers equipped and ready for the most terrible fight, the rifles pointing to a possible enemy and hundreds of Jewish settlers walking proud to demonstrate their presence there.

And the children? They went on playing with us, laughing, jokeing, even when we accompanied them to a shop.

The rifles and the most sophisticated guns against the incredible strength of these children able to smile and play with the simplest things in their streets, in their homes, thanks to their minds still free of a gray and oppressive wall.

The right to be a child – also in this situation of human stupidity and of too many adults against them. The international society has the duty to protect them. Too many of them have already had their lifes ruined. It’s enough!!!

There is Only One Struggle

28th November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | occupied Palestine and Standing Rock

Sometime after 9-11 U.S. police departments (State, local, & Sheriff’s Departments) along with many U.S. governmental law enforcement agencies such as Homeland Security, the FBI, and Border & Customs Police began to send their officers to Israel for training with the Israeli Police and the Israeli occupation forces. Training has included counter-terrorism measures, crowd control, and protests. Much of the training takes place not in Israel proper but in the illegal settler colonized West Bank .
There’s many similarities between what is happening in Palestine and what is currently happening in Standing Rock in North Dakota to the Water Protectors. Many of the law enforcement officers at Standing Rock have been trained in Israel. The weapons and tactics are identical. The use of high pressure water cannons, rubber bullets, rubber coated steel bullets, the use of attack dogs, and sound grenades are the same in both places.

Palestinians in solidarity with first nation water protectors Photo credit: Fosna

The killing (read-murder) of so many unarmed people of color in the U.S. by the police with no accountability to speak of and police officers given paid time off with their superiors and the courts stating they acted properly. Hundreds of Palestinians have been murdered by the Israeli occupation forces stating the individual had a knife or was suspected of having a knife or other weapon, with complete impunity.
A medic at Standing Rock recently noted that the law enforcement personnel are intentionally targeting the legs and heads of the Water Protectors. This is a tactic that is commonly used on Palestinians.

Palestinian activist attacked by Israeli occupation forces security dog

A bridge leading to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) that has been closed for over a week has had large cement barriers and razor wire place on the bridge. Road blocks like this are a common occurrence all over the West Bank, severely limiting freedom of movement, stopping emergency vehicles from getting through and often having to drive miles out of their way to get someone to a hospital. The one road blocked bridge is causing ambulances to drive an extra thirty minutes to get an injured person to the hospital.
There are many internationals working with Palestinians here in the West Bank and Gaza. At the same time there are a number of Palestinians who have traveled to Standing Rock in solidarity with the Water Protectors. One who recently arrived at Standing Rock stated that on his way there he thought a great deal about the similarities and conditions between Palestine and Standing Rock. Upon arrival he “no longer thought about the similarities. I felt them in my bones.”

Palestinians in solidarity with Standing Rock water protectors. Photo credit: mondoweiss

Our struggles are one. The Palestinians the Water Protectors and other activists in the U.S. are all working for the same freedoms against the same oppressors. A quote on our apartment wall reads: “Solidarity: if you come here to help, you are wasting your time…but if you have come because your freedom is bound up with mine then let us work together.”

For the Palestinian perspective on this comparison see this article by Issra Suliman.

Not business as usual: colonial settlers in al-Khalil for Jewish festival

27th November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The Jewish holiday/celebration of Chayei Sarah and the reading of the Torah regarding Sarah took place in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) on 25th and 26th November 2016.

Beginning of Friday hundreds of Jews from illegal colonial settlements within the West Bank as well as Jews from Israel began arriving. It was estimated there may be as many as 1500 coming for their festivities. Huge tents and designated camping areas were set up (some in areas owned by Palestinians). They were also staying with families and friends in the existing illegal settlements here in al-Khalil.

This lot was the play area for the Palestinian elementary and secondary school. Now it's being used for The Sarah event. — This lot was the play area for the Palestinian elementary and secondary school. Now it’s being used for The Sarah event.

This automatically meant more Israeli occupation forces, more border police, much more “security” at checkpoints that Palestinians need to pass through on a regular basis as part of their normal daily routines (going to work, shopping, etc.) It also meant a complete closure of many of the checkpoints, not allowing anyone who was not here for the festival (that is a colonial settler) to go through.

Israeli Occupation Forces preparing for the "Settler Tour" with their guns and dogs — Israeli Occupation Forces preparing for the “Settler Tour” with their guns and dogs

On Saturday “security” was at its peak. Every Saturday afternoon there is a tour of the Palestinian Old City by settlers from the illegal settlements. This usually consists of around 20 to 150 settlers. With about as many Israeli occupation force soldiers to “protect” them. This weekend the tour consisted of nearly 2700 settlers. This obviously meant more soldiers, on roof tops, police dogs sniffing out the route before the tour began, soldiers positioned approximately every 50 meters along the entire route and at the beginning and end of the group. Many shop owners closed early for fear of trouble by the settlers parading through the Old City.

Sniffing for bombs on the parade route before it starts.

Soldiers and settlers parading through the Palestinian market where some shops closed early

The settlers who participated were singing, dancing, acting provocatively aggressive towards the Palestinians and internationals who were trying to mind their own business or observing the events. There were many “shouts of “welcome to Israel “ by the settlers as well as “f*ck you’s” and “this is our home not yours, we will never leave” at the Palestinians. An observer witnessed a number of incidents of harassment by the settlers toward anyone who was not Jewish and part of the group.

An obvious "welcome" from one of the settler youth — An obvious “welcome” from one of the settler youth

One Palestinian family in the Tel Rumeida area had their home invaded for approximately 10 hours by soldiers who set up observation on the roof and using their bathroom and kitchen as if it were their own place to do as they wished. An international who was invited to the home by the family to observe the goings on was forced to leave after an hour by the soldiers. The family was frightened by these events, but to the best of this writers knowledge there was no real damage done in the home by the soldiers.
An observer witnessed at least two Palestinian youth who were detained by the Israeli occupation forces for one reason or another. A third Palestinian was detained for trying to defend himself after a settler spit on him.
This is life in illegally settler occupied al-Khalil. The Israeli’s pretty much do as they wish and the Palestinians residents pay the consequences.

Israeli forces cause fires at Ni’lin weekly protest

25th November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwarra team | Ni’lin, occupied Palestine

The non-violent demonstrations against the illegal occupation of Palestine and the Apartheid Wall in in the West Bank village of Ni’lin have been going on weekly since 2008, as an attempt to get back the land and the fields, that was stolen from the villagers.

This past week, before the demonstration began, as Palestinians gathered for the Friday prayer in the olive grove just outside the village, Israeli forces aggressively intervened, detonating a sound grenade close to the Palestinians. The Palestinians still managed to finish their prayer and the protesters, including Palestinians, Israeli and international activists, began walking down the road running through the olive trees and down towards the Apartheid Wall. After walking about 50 meters, the protesters were blocked by more than ten Israeli soldiers and border police, commanding that the Palestinians return to the village, and telling them they were not allowed to be on their land.

A longer stand off followed. Protesters would argue with the Israeli forces that they have the right to peacefully protest the illegal occupation and theft of their land. As a response, the occupation forces started pushing the protesters further back towards the village. The protesters left the road and walked through the olive plantations in order to get past the soldiers and exercise their right to walk through their lands to reach the Wall. Again, even before the wall was in sight of the participants in the peaceful march, the Israeli forces intervened, and this time opened fire with teargas bringing the demonstration to a halt.

When the protesters still didn’t disperse and return to the village, the Israeli forces increased the use of teargas, firing it both from their guns and from an attachment from an armed military jeep, which is able to fire multiple canisters at once. They also used robber coated steel bullets and one Israeli solidarity activist got hit on her hand, leaving it very swollen.

At a time when fires rage across Israel, and Palestinians are being accused of starting these fires, the very hot teargas canisters from this protest caused multiple fires across the village olive fields. One olive tree got burned, and as the demonstration came to an end, the villagers were awaiting fire trucks to put out the fires.

Israeli forces shoot and kill Palestinian man at Qalandiya checkpoint

24th November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Ramallah, occupied Palestine

It has been confirmed that Jihad Mohammad Khalil, 48, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers at Qalandia checkpoint early Tuesday morning, 22nd November. Khalil is from Beit Wazan village, west of Nablus in the northern part of the West Bank. He was shot on the spot by an Israeli soldier, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. A spokeswoman from the Israeli Police claims that the man was approaching a security guard welding a knife and so he was neutralized, while another spokesperson says that he was attempting to stab Israeli security forces.

So far there has been absolutely no evidence shown to prove these claims. No soldiers were hurt during the incident and no other injuries reported. After he got shot, Jihad Khalil was left to bleed to death by the soldiers, as they would deny access to the medics rushing to give first aid. After the killing, the soldiers shot down the checkpoint and prevented the Palestinians from crossing into illegally annexxed al Quds (Jerusalem).