Category: Press Releases

Marcha de colonos extremistas en Hebrón, hasta una escuela palestina.

by ISM Hebron

Esta tarde un grupo de colonos extremistas que visitaban Hebrón han realizado una marcha por la calle Shuhaddah. Su intención era intimidar a l@s niñ@s y adult@s palestin@s que se encontraran en el camino. Esta calle es un punto de violencia continuada de los colonos contra la población palestina. Ésta cruza por la zona palestina y une dos colonias judías,Tel Rumeda y Beit Hadasa. Los colonos ansían quedársela. Todos los negocios de esta próspera calle han cerrado y sólo 11 de las 52 familias permanecen. La mayoría de las fachadas de las tiendas han sido marcadas por estrellas de David, pintadas racistas y frases como :” Árabes a la cámara de gas”.
Los colonos hicieron su protesta hasta la escuela de Quertaba cuando l@s estudiantes palestin@s estaban a punto de salir. Éstos rodearon las escaleras de piedra, que es la única forma de salir de la escuela sin tener que enfrentarse directamente con los colonos de la zona. Afortunadamente, l@s profesore@s fueron informad@s y consiguieron mantener a salvo a l@s niñ@s. Se quedaron durante unos 20 minutos en la escuela hasta que llegó el ejército. Obviamente l@s niñ@s estaban aterrorizad@s de ver semejante multitud en la parte baja de las escaleras y much@s de ell@s no querían salir. Tuvieron que ser protegidos por Observadores de los Derechos Humanos (HROs) para pasar ente los colonos. Los colonos llevaban banderas israelíes y tiras naranjas de las que se ponen en las antenas de los coches, mostrando su oposición a la desconexión, y por supuesto insultaban y gritaban contra l@s niñ@s palestin@s y l@s HROs. La policía israelí observó todo desde una furgoneta blindada y no intervino para proteger la vida de l@s niñ@s palestin@s.

Cuando se les dijo que l@s HROS estaban allí para escoltar a l@s nñ@s, les contestaron que estaban escolyando terroristas.
Algunos de los comentarios que hicieron los colonos extremistas a l@s HROs fueron:

“espera que la intifada comience en Francia o Suiza”,
“Todos est@s niñ@s son terroristas”,
“Vosot@s colaborais con la Autoridad Palestina”,
“ Muerte a todos los árabes” gritaba repetidamente un colono, que se observa en una de las fotos disponibles de éste evento, que lleva un jersey verde.
“Est@s ni@s aprenden matemáticas, inglés y terrorismo en la escuela”,
“Ésta es nuestra tierra”, “Ésto no es Palestina”,
“Que se marchen to@s a Arabia Saudí”,
“Hay un lugar para todos los árabes y éste se llama infierno. Hay un sitio para tí allí”,
“Teneis las manos manchadas de sangre de los judíos”.

Cuando l@s niñ@s palestin@s pasaron por el tumulto de extremistas, éstos les gritaron de igual manera. Cada un@ de l@s 40 niñ@s y profesor@s tuvieron que atravesar este ejemplo de abuso hasta salir de Shuhaddah. Finalmente los extremistas se dispersaron en la colonia de Beit Hadassa cuando ya no había más niñ@s contra los que abusar.

Further Arrests Successfully Resisted in Bil’in

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Last night at about 3am the Israeli army entered the West Bank village of Bil’in in yet another of their night time arrest raids there. They awoke one house intending to arrest Palestinian children who had taken part in non-violent demonstrations.

The presence of about 20 Israeli and international activists in the village seemed to make the army reluctant to carry out the arrests. After about one hour the army left the village. Some Palestinians came out of their houses to resist the arrests, and make another non-violent stand against the Isreali army’s invasion of the village.

Sixteen children and young men from the village remain in Israeli detention for their participation (or alleged participation) in non-violent demonstrations and action against the apartheid barrier in Bil’in.

On the 21st of October, in an act of non-violent resistance, villagers from Bil’in began to implement the decision of the International Court of Justice that Israel’s illegal wall should be dismantled and removed metal posts meant to serve as foundation for the wall on Bil’in land. The Israeli military reacted to this act with arrests and distribution of a text in Arabic warning people not to take part in direct action against the wall. In the Arabic text the army claimed that “every Friday for the last six months, the IDF has allowed the people of the village to conduct non-violent protests against the construction of the wall on their lands”, despite regularly firing on non-violent demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets. The text concluded with the threat that “the acts of the people violating the law will disturb your daily lives”.

For the last ten months, Bil’in has launched an ongoing non-violent campaign against the annexation barrier supported by hundreds of Israeli and international activists, which has been met by violence from the Israeli army. Israel designed the current route of the barrier to annex 60% of Bil’in’s agricultural land, and expand the settlement of Modi’in Elite. Plans for Modi’in Elite’s expansion have yet to be approved by the Israeli government.

For more Information:
Abdullah Abu Rahme, Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements: 0547258210
ISM media office 02-2971824

Israeli Military Attacks Civilian Houses in Nablus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This morning, international Human Rights Observers based in the Nablus area witnessed the direct aftermath of what the Israeli military is calling an “arrest operation” – a path of destruction and houses destroyed by gunfire and grenades. To the Palestinians of the Al Maskew and Al Shabir neighborhoods of Nablus, it seemed more like collective punishment for sheltering the fleeing Hamas fighter. Contrary to media reports from the Israeli military, the people of the neighbourhood claimed that the dead fighter did not live in the houses that were attacked by the military.

According to eyewitnesses, at approximately 12:30 last night the Israeli Occupational Forces approached the Al Maskew and Al Shabir neighborhoods of Nablus, which are located close to the Askar refugee camp. A Hamas fighter, Amjad Hanawi had entered the area and was being pursed by the Israeli military. The IOF remained in the neighborhoods until 6 AM and Hanawi was killed at approximately 5:00 AM. There was extensive property damage to 3 apartment buildings, both the interior and the surrounding yards.

At 11:30 this morning, nine Human Rights Observers visited the homes and the families to determine the extent of the damage and get eyewitness accounts. According to them, the Israeli military entered the homes and forced everyone to leave during the night. The men at this time were naked and not allowed to put on clothes, whereas the women were forced to undress while they were outside. The military were attacking from two nearby houses, to the east and west of the buildings. This was clear from the large holes left from grenades shot from M-16 rifles into the apartments, which were at either an upwards or downwards angle, but level with the apartments. There was also damage from explosions which left a wide spray of damage, much like a grenade or fragmentation explosive of some type. Bullet holes were everywhere and all the windows were smashed. According to the families, the Israelis had emptied the homes and continued to fire explosive devices into them, causing extensive property damage in a form of collective punishment. According to eyewitnesses, this all occurred after the wanted man had been killed.

The wanted man had been shot by the Israeli military while jumping over a wall outside the buildings, after which a bulldozer approached and buried him beneath the wall. While doing this the bulldozer did extensive property damage to the surrounding houses.

The ISM condemns this blatant violation of International Law and human rights. The practice of targeted assassination is condemned by the international community, as is the principle of collective punishment.

Bil’in Boy Shot in Head with Rubber Coated Bullet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today, Friday November 11, 2005, in the village of Bil’in, the Israeli army attacked a peaceful gathering of Palestinian, Israeli and International peace activists who were dancing and singing blocking construction of Israel’s separation wall which annexes large parts of the West Bank, including 60% of Bil’in’s agricultural land. During the attack on demonstrators, soldiers shot Mohammed Suleiman Burnat a 16-year old Palestinian in the head with a rubber coated steel bullet. The boy is currently in hospital

The Palestinians of Bil’in and other areas in the West Bank were joined by approximately 150 Israeli and foreign peace activists, at today’s demonstration.

For the last ten months, Bil’in has launched an ongoing non-violent campaign against the annexation barrier supported by hundreds of Israeli and International activists, and met by violence and collective punishment from the Israeli army. Israel designed the current route of the barrier to annex 60% of Bil’in’s agricultural land, and expand the settlement of Modi’in Elite. Plans for Modi’in Elite’s expansion have yet to be approved by the Israeli government.

In Rare Move, Israeli Peace Activists’ Convictions are Cancelled

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Yesterday, when Israeli peace activists Neta Golan and Shelly Nativ appeared before Judge Nitsa Maymon-Saashua in the Kfar Saba court for sentencing, she instead canceled their convictions. The rare step was taken after the recommendation of a probationary officer who was impressed by the “humanitarian motivations” of the two activists.

In April 2001, the two were arrested when they chained themselves to olive trees in the West Bank village of Deir Istiya in an attempt to prevent the destruction of the trees by Israeli bulldozers. They had been found guilty of preventing a police officer from performing his duty and preventing a public worker from performing his duty. Neta Golan is one of the founders of the ISM and was one of the international and Israeli activists who were with Yasser Arafat in his Muqata’a compound during the Israeli military siege in 2002.

Neta Golan said: “although, personally this is a relief, it’s only because of the institutional racism of the Israeli state that we as Israeli Jews have been let off in this way. Palestinians are regularly given extremely harsh treatment by the apartheid Israeli legal systems.”

Since September 2000, the Israeli military has destroyed more than 500,000 olive and fruit trees. The International Solidarity Movement condemns the Israeli legal system for its defense of war crimes committed by the Israeli military and settlers and its criminalization of non-violent protest against the Occupation.

For more information call:
Attorney Gabi Laski, 054 4418988
Or the ISM Media office, 02-2971824