A 22 year old Palestinian activist was detained in al-Khalil this morning. He was held and interrogated for thirty minutes, before being escorted through the Shuhada Street checkpoint. He was released after another half hour with no charge, but was told that Israeli forces would raid his house if they found he was linked to the Palestinian Authority.
Eiman Faroukh was detained and questioned while walking in the Old Soukh. Once they saw that international activists were documenting the incident, soldiers took him into an alley out of sight before demanding that he hand over his wallet and phone. When he attempted to give them to a friend, the friend was also threatened with detention unless the items were handed over.
They then proceeded to escort him to the Shuhada Street checkpoint, where he was interrogated further. Border Police were called in to harass activists taking photos, threatening them with arrest. When the activists refused to leave, Israeli forces escorted the man into Shuhada Street, where Palestinian activists could not go.
ISM met with the founder of al-Khalil’s largest women’s cooperative to discuss business, the occupation and women’s empowerment.
Idhna is a small town to the west of al-Khalil, located less than a kilometre from the separation wall that divides Israelis from Palestinians. It is also home to the main workshop of Women in Hebron, a women’s cooperative which provides an independent source of income to 150 women in nearby villages.
The workshop is a simple four-room ground-floor apartment, with traditional weaving machines as well as modern sowing machines. The walls are lined with examples of the women’s work; patterned rugs and delicately designed dresses sit alongside hand-made wallets and pillowcases. There is even a room just for children’s clothing, which includes a crèche for the women’s children to sleep in as they work.
Nawaal is the founder of the cooperative, a middle-aged Palestinian woman from the area. Her gentle voice belies an energetic and determined temperament. Not content with her role in helping to coordinate the women’s work, Nawaal takes it upon herself to travel Europe and east Asia in order to spread awareness of the occupation, and to find a market for the women’s products.
Tourism in Palestine declined sharply after the Second Intifada ended in 2005. The construction of the apartheid wall discouraged both domestic and international tourism, and those that do continue to visit are more likely to come on short day-trips, giving little to the local economy.
The decline in tourism is just one part of the economic sabotage Palestinians have been subject to by the occupying power. Roadblocks and checkpoints impede freedom of movement, while settlers vandalise Palestinian farms and the Israeli government deliberately restricts access to basic services like water.
It was in this context that Nawaal chose to set up Women in Hebron to provide an independent source of income to local women, most of whom would not be able to find employment otherwise. ‘They don’t have university degrees, but all the women in the villages know embroidery – it’s traditional here’, she explains. It took three years until other women began to join, but now there are over 150 women producing items for their store in central Hebron.
Working in a cooperative rather than a traditional business allows the women to retain the full product of their labour. By contrast, many factories in the West Bank are owned by Israelis, with workers sacrificing a significant portion of their work to the profits of the, usually male, owner or shareholders. These profits are then sucked out of the Palestinian economy, contributing to a state of neo-colonial dependence which would threaten even an independent Palestinian state.
While the cooperative only employs 150 women so far, it has a significance far beyond the villages of the al-Khalil area. By integrating women who would otherwise remain unemployed into the labour market, the cooperative helps to liberate them from financial dependence within the family. By giving these women full ownership of their product, the cooperative helps to liberate them from financial dependence on factory-owners, who might hire or fire them at a whim. By dividing profits amongst the workforce, the cooperative keeps the money in the Palestinian economy, helping to build a viable Palestinian economy that serves as much more than a source of cheap labour for Israeli factory-owners and a market for Israeli products.
Nawaal recognises this wider importance of the cooperative, and has been in contact with feminist and socialist organisations in Europe. Though she is grateful for the steadfast support of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, she is hoping to find broader support among the European left. Nawaal plans to speak at Feminism in London this October, and is considering a visit to the Durham Miners’ Gala in July.
She hopes that bringing along Palestinian children to speak alongside her will help awaken her European audience to the reality of growing up under occupation. Women in Hebron’s main store is in al-Khalil’s Old City, run by Nawaal’s friend Leila. Even at the best of times, al-Khalil is not an easy place to grow up.
Israeli forces watch as two Palestinian children herd goats outside the Ibrahimi mosque
The city is home to 300-500 settlers, who are protected by 1,200-2,000 soldiers and border police at any one time. Twelve checkpoints dotted throughout the city put children in daily contact with soldiers, while routine armed patrols and frequent raids and manhunts see them frequently harassed, beaten and detained. The settlers are no better, with Palestinians suffering harassment, intimidation and sometimes violence. A local settler who murdered 29 Palestinian worshippers, including children, in 1994 is buried in the town, and his grave is still visited by settlers who consider him a martyr. The former leader of the fascist Kach party, which supported the massacre, is a local resident.
Unlike other cooperatives, Women in Hebron do not receive sponsorship from the Palestinian Authority, as they are based in the villages rather than the city. Nawaal is not concerned about this, however, and says that the women are proud of their independence.
Israeli soldiers interrogate a young Palestinian boy in al-Khalil
What is more of a concern to her is local corruption. Tour guides, including both locals and Europeans, have been demanding a 30% tribute from vendors in the Old City, with the threat that they will keep tourists away from shops that do not pay the fee. Nawaal says that the pressure from this form of corruption is causing great financial troubles for the cooperative.
The combination of financial pressure and the need to spread awareness of Palestinian experiences of occupation and methods of resistance have led to Nawaal’s decision to tour the UK this summer. If she can get a visa, she hopes that her visit can bring some much needed outside support to al-Khalil’s largest women’s cooperative.
You can visit Women in Hebron in al-Khalil’s Old City, or online at https://womeninhebron.com/
Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli soldiers and border police yesterday in Hebron, as Palestinians demonstrated in solidarity with the prisoners’ hunger strike. The clash lasted for five hours, with Israeli forces using tear gas, sound bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets, and live ammunition to disperse the protesters. A 15-year old and a 20-year old were shot, with many others arrested.
Israeli soldiers began the assault by advancing on Bab al-Zawiya from Shuhuda street
The clashes began soon after midday, as Israeli soldiers emerged from Shuhuda street checkpoint in order to disperse Palestinian youths, who had been throwing stones at the checkpoint’s gates.
Israeli soldiers assault Bab al-Zawiya
Soldiers were unusually quick to begin firing rubber-coated steel bullets, with a 15-year old boy being hit in the head outside the market entrance at 1pm. The boy was rushed to hospital in a nearby car.
Palestinian youths avoid rubber bullets with a smoke screen and wooden barrierSoldiers were watched over by several snipers on surrounding rooftops.
Despite the use of tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition, it took 5 hours for Israeli forces to clear the area of Palestinian youths, who had only rocks.
Palestinian teenagers throw rocks at soldiers as they assault Bab al-Zawiya
Soldiers repeatedly harassed journalists covering the clash. One boasted that they had begun firing rubber-coated steel bullets and hadn’t ‘even eaten lunch yet’.
Journalists harassed by Israeli border police
At 2.30pm, a 20-year old Palestinian man was shot in the leg with live ammunition and subsequently rushed to hospital.
Border police fire live ammunition at protesters
After a short break, soldiers resumed their assault at 3.30pm, moving through the Bab al-Zawiya gas station to fire tear gas, sound bombs and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters.
Israeli army assault protesters in central HebronIsraeli soldier throws sound bomb from Bab al-Zawiya gas station
Many teenagers were detained during the clashes, and some afterwards as soldiers appeared to target particular children.
Israeli soldiers chase child down street in central Hebron
One teenager was filmed being beaten in the street by Israeli soldiers as they dragged him towards Shuhuda street.
The clashes occurred following a demonstration in solidarity with the prisoners’ hunger strike. 1,500 Palestinian prisoners are currently on hunger strike in Israeli jails, having refused food since the 17th of April. In the last few days around 70 prisoners have been moved to civilian hospitals due to ‘seriously deteriorating’ health conditions. The number of prisoners at serious risk of death is expected to increase sharply soon, with many now refusing to even drink water.
The demonstrations occurred on the same day that the Palestinians held a general strike in support of the prisoners. According to the organisers of the strike, it was the first general strike since the first intifada to be observed by Palestinians living both at home and in the diaspora.
A 12-year old Palestinian boy was detained by Israeli armed forces this afternoon in Hebron’s Bab al-Baladiyya military base. The boy was apparently targeted by the soldiers, who were interrogating passers-by on his whereabouts. When he was identified, the heavily-armed soldiers quickly surrounded the boy and his father before forcing them into the military base.
Despite onlookers objecting that the boy had not thrown any stones at the gate of the base, soldiers argued that it seemed he was preparing to do so. Officials from the Palestinian Authority attempted to intervene but were not successful, while a Palestinian who agreed to be interviewed by ISM after the incident was subject to deliberate intimidation by Israeli forces.
The boy’s mother attempted to join her husband, but was forbidden. The boy’s much younger brother was seen crying in confusion, tugging on his mother’s leg as the 12-year old and his father were led into the compound. Sources tell ISM that this was the 12-year old’s first experience of military detention.
A 14-year old Palestinian boy was detained yesterday afternoon as Israeli forces conducted a search in Hebron’s Old City. The boy was riding his bike when four heavily armed soldiers began interrogating him. Shortly after, he was taken to Bab al-Baladiyya military base.
14-year old Palestinian is detained by Israeli soldiers
Prior to the search, soldiers had stopped several men outside the base. With their IDs confiscated, they were questioned for 20 minutes on suspicion of throwing stones. One soldier attempted to intimidate ISM activists and nearby tourists by taking photos of them.
Palestinian men stopped and questioned by Israeli soldiers, IDs confiscated
After letting the men go, the soldiers entered the Old City in an apparent manhunt. They again harassed ISM activists, threatening to arrest them if they continued to take photos and illegally declaring a closed military zone in the area. One soldier then threatened an activist, saying that he had already killed one boy on that road. After ISM activists challenged them, they ran away and forced their way into a Palestinian home, taking positions on the rooftop.
Israeli soldiers run away from ISM activistsIsraeli soldiers enter a Palestinian home against the will of the occupantSoldier takes position on the rooftop
After 5 minutes, the Israelis came down and began the search again. They soon found the 14-year old sitting on his bike, and began to interrogate him. The heavily armed soldiers then escorted the boy down to the base, refusing to comment on the reason for his detention.
Soldier interrogates 14-year old Palestinian
The boy has reportedly been a repeated target for Israeli forces, having been detained 5 times already. According to a local source, the soldiers had originally sought the boy for having knowledge of who was throwing stones, but now accuse him of throwing stones himself.
Soldiers order ISM activist to stop taking photos as they detain 14-year old boy
A day earlier, the same soldiers had been filmed harassing another young Palestinian boy for no apparent reason.
![Soldiers detain 12-year old child in al-Khalil [VIDEO]](https://palsolidarity.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/patrol-in-hebron.jpg)
