Category: Press Releases

Israeli forces arrest a German national and an Italian national in At-Tuwani

11 April 2009

A German national and an Italian national were taken by Israeli forces while accompanying farmers at 11am. Both individuals have been taken to the police station at Kyrat Arba. Palestinian farmers in At-Tuwani rely on the presence of International and Israeli human rights workers to mitigate violence from settlers.

As soldiers in the area frequently ignore settler violence and rarely interfere to protect the farmers, international volunteers provide support for the Palestinians. The grazing action began around 8.30 am, and the German and Italian nationals were arrested at 11am.

At-Tuwani is a village of 300 Palestinians located in South Hebron Hills. Residents make their living through farming, primarily wheat, barley, olives and grazing sheep. At-Tuwani is also one of several villages under daily threat from extremist settlers living in the area. Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills are daily nonviolently resisting settlement expansion and violence at the hands of settlers and soldiers.

Internationals accompany Palestinians as they perform agricultural work on their land and in other nonviolent demonstrations. Internationals accompany Palestinians as they work their land, use video to document settlers, soldiers, and police, and intervene as Palestinians request.

Urgent action for Palestinian school children from Tuba and Maghaer-al-Abeed

Luisa Morgantini

11 April 2009

Of utmost concern for CPT and Operation Dove is the safe travel of Palestinian school children who walk from the nearby villages of Tuba and Magaher-al-Abeed to At-Tuwani’s elementary school. These school children face a treacherous daily walk past the illegal Israeli settlement of Ma’on and the illegal outpost of Havat Ma’on. For years, armed adult settlers have attacked, threatened and harassed the children along the path from Tuba to Tuwani. In 2004 the Knesset recommended that the Israeli military provide the children with an armed escort. However, since settlers constructed a gate across the road one year ago, the escort soldiers have refused to walk with the children far enough to ensure their safety.

In the past two weeks internationals working with Operation Dove and Christian Peacemaker Teams have twice witnessed settlers grazing sheep directly in the path of the children at the time they walk home from school. Because the children have been physically attacked in the past, and threatened with death by settlers earlier this school year, they are terrified by the presence of these settlers. Since an incident on March 24 in which settlers were present at the end of the children’s walk home, internationals and the children have repeatedly asked the soldiers to walk with the children until they are out of danger. On April 1 settlers again came onto the land between the outpost of Havat Ma’on and the village of Tuba while the children were walking. Members of CPT and Operation Dove were present and the children ran towards them crying and very frightened.

Internationals now request that concerned people make calls to the Communications office of the Southern District Commander of the Israeli Military. It is an Israeli phone number, (country code 972) 2 996 7200. Please ask Commander BenMoha to instruct the soldiers who perform the escort of the Tuba and Magaher-al-Abeed school children to accompany the children all the way past the Ma’on chicken barns and past any settlers present. Please stress that this is particularly necessary because of the repeated presence of settlers in this area at the time of the children’s walk home, and remind the commander that settlers used violence against the school children on fourteen occasions in the 07-08 school year and on two occasions during the current school year.

For a complete report on the school escort, including maps, photographs and interviews with the children, please see “A Dangerous Journey.”

In addition to phone calls, Operation Dove and CPT ask that people send the IDF Public Appeals office a simple message.

Sample message: (no more than 75 words)

Subject: Request to Commander BenMoha
Palestinian school children from Tuba and Magaher-al-abeed must walk past militant settlers from Ma’on and Havat Ma’on to attend school in At-Tuwani. The Knesset recommended in 2004 that the IDF escort these children. Currently soldiers refuse to escort the children far enough to ensure their safety. In order to do so they must accompany the children all the way past the Ma’on chicken barns and past any settlers present.
IDF Public Appeals Fax: 011-972-3-569-9400.
IDF Public Appeals Phone: 011-972-3-569-1000.

Fourth Bil’in International Conference on Popular Nonviolent Resistance

Bil’in International Conference on Popular Nonviolent Resistance

Date: 22 April – 24 April 2009
Location: Bil’in Village, West Bank, Palestine
Registration: register online on the Bil’in Village webpage
Cost: accommodation per night is 20 Euros, plus conference registration of 30 Euros
Program:

DAY 1: Wednesday, 22 April 2009 (panels)

Welcome speeches 9:30-10:45
• Eyad Burnat head of Bil’in Popular Committee
• Salam Fayad, Prime Minister of Palestine
• Luisa Morgantini, Vice President of the EU Parlament
• Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize
• letter from Jimmy Carter, Carter

Saving Jerusalem 10:45-11:30
• Rafiq Al Hussaini, Representative of the Palestinian President’s office and Secretary general of Jerusalem Capital of Arab Culture 2009
• Atallah Hanna, Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
• Um Kamel al Khurd, activist with the Sheik Jarah popular committee

Break 11:30-11:40

Panel 11:40-12:40
• 10 minutes for each of the Heads of Delegations, including Adar Grayevsky, activist from Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall

Break 12:40-12:50

Promoting a Culture of Resistance 12:50-14:35
• Zico Tamela, International Officer of SATAWU, South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Durban, SA)
• Iman Hammouri, Director of the Popular Art Center and Steering Committee Member of PNGO (Jerusalem)
• Haidar Eid, Associate Prof. of English, Al-Aqsa University, Gaza, and member of PACBI’s Steering Committee (via video conference)

Lunch 14:35-16:00

Examples on the ground of popular nonviolent resistance in Palestine 16:00-17:15
• Raid Salah, Representative of the Islamic Movement (48)
• Abdullah abu rahma, Coordinator of the Bil’in popular committee
• Ahed Al Hawaje Coordinator of the Naalin popular committee
• Mahmud Zawahre, coordinator of the Maasera popular committee
• Fathi Khderat, Coordinator of the Jordan Valley Campaign

Break 17:15- 17:30

Panel of representatives of Palestinian Political leaders on the future of Popular Nonviolent Resistance 17:30-19:30
• Rafiq al Natsha, one of the Fatah leaders
• Abed Elrahim Mallouh, Deputy Secretary-General of the Popular Front of Liberation of Palestine
• Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mubadara
• Qais Samaria (abu Leila), Secretary general of the Democratic Front of Liberation of Palestine
• Basam Salhi, Secretary General of the Palestinian Popular Party
• Samir Ghousha, Secretary General of the Palestinian Liberation Front

Presentation: Apartheid under Construction. The cantonization of Palestine 19:30-20:30
• Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mubadara

Cultural Event and Open Space for sharing materials of the organizations that are participating in the conference 20:30 -22:00

DAY 2: Thursday, 23 April 2009 (workshops & field trips)

Workshops (4 parallel workshops) 8:30-10:00
• The BDS movement: challenges and perspectives
Coordinated by: Lubna Hammad (Adalah-NY), Muhammad Jaradat (Badil), Omar Barghouti (PACBI)
•  Corporate Responsibility for Violations of International Law – Campaigns and Initiatives
Coordinated by: Shawan Jabarin, General Director, Al-Haq, Michael Sfard, Israeli legal counsel to Bil’in Village Council, Merrav Amir/Dalit Baum, Project Coordinators, Who Profits? Exposing the Israeli Occupation Industry
• Spreading and supporting the Popular nonviolent resistance (Bil’in)
Coordinated by: Eyad Morar (Abu Ahmed) Head of the popular committee of Budrus, Fathi Khderat, Coordinator of the Jordan Valley campaign
• Building an international movement in solidarity with Palestine
Coordinated by: Luisa Morgantini, Vice-President of the European Parliament

Field Trips to Locations 10:30-all day
• Hebron
• Beit Lehem
• Al Quds
• The Jordan Valley
• North West Bank

DAY 3: Friday, 24 April 2009 (reflections & action)

Presentation of the final agreements of the workshops 9:30-11:00
All the participants will have the opportunity to present their opinion and vote the conclusions of the different workshops through a participative methodology
• Spokesperson of the BDS movement: challenges and perspectives workshop
• Spokesperson of the Corporate Responsibility for Violations of International Law – Campaigns and Initiatives workshop
• Spokesperson of the spreading and supporting the Popular resistance workshop
• Spokesperson of the Building an international movement workshop
• Final discussion and agreements

Training for Internationals: preparing an action 11:30-12:30

Final demonstration against the Wall and settlements 12:30

Israeli Navy abducts 8 Gazan fishermen 100 meters off the coast

6th of April 2009 at 7am: Israeli Naval forces abducted eight Palestinian fishermen (including two minors) from the Salateen area in the north of the Gaza Strip.

Additionally, the fishermen’s four hassakas (small fishing boats) have been taken by the Israeli Navy. According to eyewitnesses, the fishermen were only about 100 meters from the coast at the time of their abduction.

Initial information received regarding the fishermen’s details are as follows:

-Esshaq Mohammed Zayed, 45

-Rassam Mohammed Zayed, 25

-Hafez Assad Al Sultan, 25

-Ahmed Assad Al Sultan, 17

-Safwat Zayed Zayed, 35

-Nashaat Zayed Zayed, 10

-Hammada Joma Zayed, 22

-Joma Mollok Zayed, 50

During the last month the Israeli Navy has escalated its attacks against Gazan fishermen by injuring at least three of them, abducting a further 24 fishermen, and stealing 10 hassakas and one shansula fishing boat.

Last week dozens of Salateen fishermen, joined by the Director of the General Syndicate of Marine Fishers, Palestinian activists from the Beit Hanoun Local Initiative and International Solidarity Movement activists, demonstrated against the Israeli attacks, demanding the release of the stolen boats.

Funds needed for Tristan Anderson’s medical expenses

Justice for Tristan

Tristan Anderson
Tristan Anderson

Tristan Anderson, an American citizen, was critically injured during a demonstration in the West Bank village of Ni’lin. Anderson was shot in the head with a tear gas projectile from around 60 meters by Israeli forces on 13 March 2009.

Tristan (38), is currently in Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv. To date, he has undergone 3 brain surgeries.  During the first operation, part of Tristan’s right frontal lobe had to be removed, as it was penetrated by bone fragments. A brain fluid leakage was sealed using a tendon from his thigh, and his right eye suffered extensive damage. The long-term scope of Tristan’s injuries is yet unknown.

Tristan has been a social justice activist for many years. He grew up in Oakland, California, where he was introduced to activism at a young age. Over the past years, Tristan has been involved in numerous projects, including Food Not Bombs, a group that cooks for the homeless, and an operation committed to stopping the destruction of tree groves in Berkley California through sit-in demonstrations. He recently traveled to the West Bank to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.

As Tristan has been in intensive care for three weeks, it is certain that his recovery process is accompanied by mounting medical expenses. We ask that supporters around the world donate what they can to help pay for Tristan’s care. He is without medical insurance in the United States and will need substantial financial assistance to continue the long-term treatment that his injuries will require.

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