Category: Journals

Volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement are encouraged to write personal reflections about the work they engage in with Palestinian communities, the events they experience, and the people they meet. These journals offer the human context often missing in traditional reports or journalism. These articles represent the author’s thoughts and feelings and not necessarily those of the International Solidarity Movement.

Palestinian Buildings Destroyed by IOF in Beit Ummar

by Lee and Zadie


Settler carries gun as they bike through Beit Omar

Last Thursday, May 24, we visited Beit Ummar, which is a village of 20,000 just south of Bethlehem’s large settlement block that includes Gush Etzion. The main road, route 60, connects Bethlehem to Hebron and goes right through Beit Ummar. It is not a settler-only road, but because there are settlers near both Hebron and Bethlehem, they also use this road. The Border Police and Army use their duty to protect these settlers as an excuse for confiscating land along route 60 and destroying property.


Before the flower shop and grocery were destroyed

We visited two groups of people whose livelihoods have been demolished by Israeli military bulldozers the night before. The military has issued demolition notices to all the business and homes 150meters from this road in Beit Ummar, saying that they needed to protect the settlers and these buildings posed a security risk. They also accused them of building without a permit, which in some cases is true because Israel rarely grants permits to Palestinians even on land that they own.


After the bulldozers came

The IDF chose to bulldoze a flower shop with a small grocery and a mechanics shop a day before. At the flower shop, ceramic pots and flowers lay in the midst of rubble from grocery shop while back at the owner’s house, plants that the guy had managed to salvage lay out in the sun wilting for lack of water and cover. Habess Shehdah Adami, the owner of the land and shop lamented, “I see them dying in front of my eyes and I can’t do anything. In 5 hours these will be dead. What can I do? They cost thousands of shekels. I can’t cover them, I can’t irrigate them, I can’t sell them.”

And then he added, “What did I do? I’ve never been arrested. I am a man of peace. I am a romantic man. I love flowers. Even if they can’t make good to me, they should make good to the trees, to the flowers. They are a gift from god!”

Habess had papers proving that he owned the land and had a permit to build. When the bulldozers came in the night, however, and he told the commander of the 60 soldiers who showed up that he had a lawyer, the commander told him, “Let your lawyer sleep” and then proceeded to level the building.

As we stood near route 60 on the rubble in his lot brooding and feeling helpless, three army jeeps drove by heralding the approach of about 200 settlers on bicycles. It was the holiday of Jerusalem Day, which is the celebrates the capture of Jerusalem in 1967, and entails parading through Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem wearing Israeli flags. These settlers wanted to do some parading of their own, donning the Israeli flag and something not as accepted in Jerusalem: there were about three of the young guys wearing M-16, army issued, strapped to their backs. Some young women yelled at us and the Palestinians, “You are all donkeys!” and we laughed, because of the way she acted, it seemed obvious and pathetic that she was scared of us even though we just stood there.

The settlers are like a branch of the military, their presence makes it easier for the military to be there and their undercover violence towards Palestinians is unchecked by the military.

Sunbula’s journal: “Farmers in Bil’in successfully plow their land behind the Wall”

Today there was some plowing of the land around the outpost in Bil’n and as always and international presence was needed to help ensure soldiers didn’t attack Palestinians (the Popular Committee in the village decided to build this outpost at the end of last year in order to “counter-settle” the land being taken from the village. See this article).

Trying to cross the fence in order to get there has become harder since I was last there in January. There is now a guard tower on the “security” road with soldiers in it. They can’t really stop us or Palestinians from going to the outpost because of a court order permitting the residents from reaching their land but they can harass plenty as they do. There still hasn’t been a response to the village’s petition to stop the building of wall on grounds of illegality, but instead a court order permitting the residents to pass through a gate in the fence. In addition to the army, there is also the Border Police and civilian security for the settlers.

Another ISM-er and I had to get to the outpost in near-dark with one of the village shebab (youth) and we were stopped by one of the Israeli patrol cars, and between their lack of English, my broken ‘ammiyya (colloquial Arabic) and Ashraf’s broken Hebrew, there was some awkward communication which I think eventually frustrated the guy enough for him to indicate to us to buzz off.

I was eager to know what had been going on since the last time I was there. The outpost has expanded a tiny bit and there are a few more places to sleep outdoors. However, my friend told me he is usually the only one from the village who is there regularly, all the time, because the other shebab are afraid to come to the outpost now. The police have been turning up to their homes and either arresting them or confiscating their IDs for allegedly throwing stones at the Friday demonstrations against the wall. His brother is among these and he just got out of jail two months. So, basically, internationals are needed more than ever to be permanently at the outpost. There was only one visit from the army that night, one of their more routine stops for no particular reason other than to scare the Palestinians. I was more disturbed by the mosquitoes buzzing around my head all night.

On Tuesday, for the planting and plowing, we were joined by a group of older Israeli peace activists and some more internationals. Some of the Popular Committee leaders came along with youth and some of the farmers.

Plowing some of the land took place successfully, along with some sheep grazing (they were adorable) and we started digging a hole in the ground for an eventual bathroom. Everyone took their turns at digging and scooping up earth in a pail. There’s something about the earth that gave it a really nice texture – Palestinian earth that has so many stones in it and is so fertile.
There was just one visit by an army jeep that seemed more curious than anything else to check out what was going on. It’s somewhat upsetting to think that farming your own land needs to be a planned “action” with international presence, and that despite an order from the court of the occupying country saying you have the right to do.


Graffiti inside the outpost: “we are staying and will not leave”

How Many Escorts Does it Take to Get 3 Children Home?

“When are we going to get a reality show in Tel Rumeida?”
by Shlomo Bloom


HRWs (the two women in vests) try to escort Palestinian kids (left) through a razor wire fence while settlers (background) and Israeli activists (foreground) look on

20th May 2006: How many people does it require to escort three Palestinian children home while they pass a bunch of angry and violent settlers? Really, it was so many this time that I lost count. This report is the combined testimony of several different Human Rights Workers (HRWs) present in Tel Rumeida, Hebron today.

After last week’s attacks, we decided to have four HRWs present to make sure that three Palestinian children got home safely as they passed the Tel Rumeida settlement. I was going to stay on the roof of our apartment and film where I had a great view of the street and hopefully not get attacked by soldiers and settlers like last time.

A little bit of background on this particular situation: there are three Palestinian children who have to walk along a narrow path directly below the Tel Rumeida settlement in order to go home from school. The settlers consider this a provocation and regularly throw rocks at the children as they walk home. The settlers told soldiers to put razor wire across the beginning of the path and the children have to move it out of the way every day. There is an Israeli supreme court order that allows the children to use this path but soldiers on duty nearby rarely know this and often refuse to help the children get home safely.

Today, Shabbat, is always especially difficult because the settlers are not at work or school and they hang around waiting to cause trouble.


Settler woman (with baby) tries to convince soldiers that Palestinian kids (left) are not allowed to pass

I began filming as I saw one HRW walking with the children up to the entrance to the path and this is what I saw and what the HRW later told me. The HRW walked with the three children up the hill. A member of EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniers for Palestine and Israel) was close behind. The HRW started explaining to the soldier on duty that the children must be allowed access to the path to go home. The kids began trying to climb over the wire when several settlers appeared and a settler woman began yelling at the Palestinian children and at the soldier, telling them they were not allowed to pass and that they had to go around. Immediately on hearing the settler woman, the soldier told the kids that they were not allowed here because this was Israel and that they should go back. The HRW replied that it was an Israeli supreme court order that they should be allowed to pass! No one gave solid reasons whythe children were not allowed. The HRW then asked the soldier to call for backup because the settler woman hit her and was shoving her in an attempt to get at the Palestinian kids. Many settlers were crowding around the HRW and the Palestinian children at this point as they were trying to climb over the razor wire. One of the settler threw a rock that hit the HRW. The HRW begged the soldier to ask his commander about the order and he refused.

Eventually the soldiers ordered the two HRWs and the Palestinian children back down the hill where they would wait for approximately 45 minutes for the right people to show up and allow them home.


Palestinian child waits to go home

At this point there were about fifteen soldiers present and they noticed me filming on the roof. Some soldiers took my picture and I smiled, waved and blew them a kiss.

At this point the HRW on the street with the children called the District Command Office to try and get them to order the soldiers to let the children go home. She also called the police.

Another Jeep full of soldiers arrived. Some soldiers were holding the settlers at the top of the hill at bay but most had positioned themselves in the road so that the children could not pass.


Members of TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) watch soldiers

Now there were four members of TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron), four members of EAPPI, three of us, two Israeli activists, two people wearing UN vests and God knows how many soldiers present all discussing whether or not these poor kids should be allowed home.


The Palestinian children’s uncle (in black jacket) tried to convince the soldiers to allow the children to go home

One of the Israeli activists called the police, explained the situation in Hebrew and requested their presence. They finally showed up.


The three Palestinian kids wait


UN workers talk to Israeli police

Eventually someone figured out what was supposed to happen and one police officer, the two UN workers and three or four soldiers walked the children up the hill and over the razor wire.


The children are finally escorted home by police, soldiers and UN workers

As soon as the police and soldiers were out of view, an adult settler woman threw several rocks at the Palestinian children as they walked along the path to their home.


The children are finally escorted home by police, soldiers and UN workers, settlers are in the background, guarded by soldiers


Kids walk over the razor wire

The children got to their home about an hour after they should have.

Shlomo’s Journal: “The Magic Answer”

By Shlomo Bloom

Today I arrived at Qalandia checkpoint on my way to Jerusalem from Ramallah and got in line behind about 15 Palestinians. The line moved at a slow but steady pace until two people showed their IDs to the soldiers behind the glass and an argument in Hebrew began. It was clear the Palestinians were having trouble communicating in Hebrew so one of them asked if the soldiers spoke English. The conversation then continued in English and I was surprised to hear this Palestinian talking in an extremely assertive manner with the soldiers. He talked like an American I thought, Palestinians don’t tend to be quite as sassy with the soldiers. The problem was very clear. The American man’s relative was not being allowed through the checkpoint. Apparently the relative had an appointment in Jerusalem to get a visa to go to America, but he did not have an ID that allowed him into Jerusalem.

Basically, depending on where you live is the controlling factor on where you can travel. if you are Palestinian and do not live in “Israel” (this includes all of occupied east Jerusalem which was unilaterally annexed to Israel) you can’t go to Jerusalem. Never mind that it is Islam’s 3rd holiest city… if you live in the west bank, you cannot go there.

So, he needed an ID that says he can go to Jerusalem. And He didn’t have one.. so he can’t go there no matter what, even if he has business there.

This reminds me of a friend of mine who had to appear in court in Jerusalem a few months back. He did not have a Jerusalem ID and was not going to be allowed into Jerusalem. But if he did not appear in court, he would have been arrested. So, he had to “sneak” into Jerusalem.. walk around the wall, basically.. He had to enter illegally so he would not be arrested. It’s ridiculous.

And yeah, to get a visa to go to the US, apparently you must go to Jerusalem…

The two men were showing the soldier a piece of paper which seemed to state that the man did have an appointment today. The soldiers did not care. They refused to let him through.

“How is he supposed to get his visa if you won’t let him through ?” The American argued. The soldiers simply refused. This continued for a few minutes and then I asked the American-speaking man if he was, indeed American. He said yes. I told him “I am too, I’ll try to talk to the soldiers for you if they let me through.” He asked the soldiers to let me through and they refused.

Eventually the two men were forced to give up and go back. The American said they had been waiting two months for this appointment.

When it was my turn to show my passport to the soldiers I chastised them for not letting the two men though. “He clearly had an appointment in Jerusalem, why can’t you let him through to go to the appointment ?” I asked.

Want to guess what the answer was ?

I’ll give you a hint- this is the answer they give to any question you ask “Why did you beat this man ?” “Why is this man detained ?” “Why are you searching this little girl’s backpack ?” “What are you doing invading this family’s home ?”

As my friend thalya pointed out it is also the answer to the fallowing questions-

“Why did the NSA go trawling through millions of phone records of american citizens making domestic calls?”

“Why are an unknown number of young soldiers being held indefinitely without charge in Guantanemo?”

“Why does the Patriot act give the government the power to review records of who is checking out what books from a library?”

“Why are we planning to bomb and/or invade Iran despite the fact that they have never threatened and could never threaten the U.S. and clearly do not posess nuclear weapons?”

“Why were all the ‘intellectuals’ in NAZI Germany arrested and imprisoned?”

“Why was Tibet occupied by the Chinese?”

The answer of course is- “Security.”

Successful Land-Access Action in Beit Omar

Sunbula’s Journal: “Settler Brats and Weed Pulling”

20th May: From Jerusalem to Beit Omar, you need to change taxis three times in order to get there, partly because of two Israeli checkpoints. It is a small village outside Hebron (al-Khalil) past Bethlehem. An international presence was needed there today in order to help the farmers farm their land outside the village which is being encroached upon by an illegal settlement. The settlers have been harassing the villagers and attacking them to stop them from working on the land, in order to try and annex more of it. We were received in the house of Ibrahim Abu Marya and his family and then walked with other internationals from the Christian Peacemaker Teams and Israeli anarchists and peace activists to the fields. Army jeeps were driving past us and when we got to the land just in front of the settlement, there were soldiers gathered. I thought they were going to harass us, but they were mostly trying to stop the settler children from coming and provoking us and the villagers. The settler children, some of them probably under 10, were gathered there and cursing at us in Hebrew, shouting such nice things as “Nazis”, “sons of whores” and “Hitler needs help” and giving us middle fingers. This is one of the things I detest most about the settlers – they send their little children to attack Palestinians and peace activists because they know the army can’t and wont do anything against them. Talk about cowardice. The soldiers today seemed rather indifferent to the settler kids and seemed to have a bored “I want to go home” expression on their face, which I don’t blame them for.

We were lucky in that sense that they didn’t help the settlers today. This behavior from settlers is pretty mild compared to what goes on in Hebron city, where the faithful of Meir Kahane, Baruch Goldstein, the Kach and other such nutcases live; they are considered racist and insane even by mainstream Israeli political standards, which is saying something, but they have money and influence in the Israeli establishment and from sections of American Jewish communities, who believe they are helping to settle the land of Greater Israel.

The internationals and Israelis helped pull weeds from the land and just stay there to prevent the settlers from attacking. The army is more likely to restrain them, in fact much more likely, when there are internationals present, which is why the presence of international solidarity activists is so important and why the Israelis harass people at the borders whom they suspect of being activists. The army is less likely to beat and shoot Palestinians at demonstrations when there are international faces present, watching, photographing, recording, and protesting. It was fairly peaceful today overall, which is the way it should be more, especially after the large number of injuries at this Friday’s protest in Bil’in village. It was also fun, everyone was impressed by my Arabic and the village kids surrounded me and kept chatting with me about various things. They also demonstrated their ability to sing, in unison, “we shall overcome” and “we will rock you”, clearly showing their varied and eclectic taste in western music. I also learnt lots of vocabulary relating to nature and plants, which should hopefully be helpful.

I am off to Ramallah tomorrow, leaving Jerusalem, for the ISM office and the training for newly arrived people. Excited to meet people I had befriended last time and my good old first Palestinian friend, Mansour the big joker from Biddu.