Palestinian flags adorned the bulldozers which have razed 400 dunums of land here in the last week as villagers took back their confiscated land. Two Palestinians were injured as the Occupation Forces spent several hours pushing and beating demonstrators back. Water shortages are becoming an increasingly dire problem in Hebron district as the Wall’s route has been planned to isolate many of the local natural water resources.
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/948.shtml
This day, June 29th, Rateb Abu Rahma, “the Palestinian Ghandi,” – a non-violent peace activist from Bil’in remains in custody after the prosecution appealed against his release on bail yesterday.
Gaby Lasksi, Rateb’s lawyer, has filed an urgent appeal for his immediate release. The hearing will take place tomorrow at Ofer military base at 1:30pm.
Rateb, 40, married with children, was arrested whilst he lay on the ground holding a fake tombstone. The tombstone represents the death of Bil’in due to the illegal separation barrier being built close to the village.
Rateb was injured by a sound grenade thrown at him while he lay on the ground. He was then arrested, and refused medical treatment. Israeli peace demonstrators videoed everything and their tape proves Rateb is innocent. Since his arrest on June 17th, he has remained in custody charged throwing stones.
Protests Outside Bil’in Set to Continue
A non-violent protest against the building of the illegal separation barrier near Bil’in will be held at 1:00pm on Friday July 1st. Residents will be joined by Israeli and International peace activists in the latest of a series of protests against the building of the barrier that have occurred near Bal’in.
The ISM acknowledges that though the Israeli military court has found Wahid Taysir guilty of manslaughter it has failed to question the policy and decision makers responsible for Tom’s murder and the murder of thousands of other innocent people.
Tom would want us to remember him. But we also know he’d want us to remember that thousands of innocent Palestinians have died under similar circumstances. These people’s deaths have not been investigated, and have often been lied about, claiming the victims to be combatants or explained away with empty phrases like “caught in the crossfire” or “tragic accident.”
We pay tribute to the courage and determination of the Hurndall family, who despite their grief, fought for justice, and overcame every obstacle the Israeli Government and Army put in front of them.
The ISM renews its demand for an independent investigation of the murder of American ISM volunteer Rachel Corrie in Rafah who was crushed to death by an Israel military bulldozer on March 16, 2003, a few weeks before Tom was shot.
Tom Hurndall is never far from our thoughts, and he continues to inspire our Palestinian, Israeli, and International volunteers as we begin our Freedom Summer 2005 campaign in the Occupied Territories.
For more information:
Phone: 972 2 2971824
Email: info@palsolidarity.org
Press coverage of the verdict:
Ha’aretz – IDF soldier convicted of manslaughter of British activist
Jerusalem Post – Soldier guilty in death of UK activist
BBC – Israeli guilty of shooting Briton
Daily Mail- Soldier guilty of Briton’s killing
The Sun Online – Brit death soldier guilty
The Express – Soldier guilty of Briton’s killing
USAToday – Israeli military court convicts soldier in killing of Briton
Sky News – Soldier Shot Activist
Translation of http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3098699,00.html:
After the Israeli Army forbade adults resident in the village to enter Israel in order to protest in front of the Supreme Court that has been deliberating their appeal against the building of the separation fence on their land, dozens of children were brought from the village to demonstrate. Friction was created between them and the police after the children waved Palestinian flags. One of the adults that was permitted to accompany them said: “We had hoped the children would create sympathy”.
Children’s demonstration: Dozens of Palestinian children, residents of Bil’in village that is located between Modi’in and Ramallah demonstrated today (Tuesday) in front of the Supreme Court after the army forbade the adult residents of the village from entering Israel. Light friction developed between the children and the police after the children waved Palestinian flags and the police ordered them to desist. An argument developed between Israeli and international activists accompanying the children and the police. One international activist was arrested.
Ahram Khatib is one of the adults who were permitted to accompany the children. According to him: “These children are the first to be directly affected by the wall, and we had hoped that they would create sympathy in the Israeli court system, but I am afraid the decision has been taken ahead of time”.
In their appeal, the residents of Bil’in, located east of Modi’in and adjacent to Kiryat Sefer, state that the building of the fence is confiscating more than half their lands – 2,300 dunums out of a total of 4,000.
In the appeal, it is argued that the village lands are used for agricultural purposes, including olive and almond trees. The appealers argue that the confiscation of land hurts their income as well as their dignity, and does not allow them to exist and to grow the produce on which they rely, and hence that the confiscation of land contradicts the basic law: human dignity and freedom, and also the basic law: freedom of employment.
According to Khatib, there is an additional problem with the building of the fence on village land: “They are not taking our land just to build the wall. They are building settlements behind the fence. They are building five and six storey houses, and that is for the settlements”.
Bil’in, like the other villages in the area, has stood out in the last few months in non violent struggle against the separation fence. The residents said that they want to use this struggle to highlight the damage to their lives and to recruit as many people as possible from the Israeli peace camp and international supporters.
Over the weekend, demonstrators in Bil’in used a new weapon to protest against the wall. They threw balloons filled with chicken excrement towards security forces.
Photos of children’s demo at:
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/3283/index.php
Today, Saturday June 18th, the Bil’in Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements will host a meeting of the committee of ministers against the Wall including ministers Walid Abed Rabbo, Ghassan Khatib, Khaled Kawasmi, Hind Khoury, Ahmed Majdalani, Naser El Qodwah, and Mohammed Shtayeh.
The meeting will take place in the Bil’in village council at 1 PM and will include discussion of the summer campaign against the Wall, the creation of a council against the Wall with neighbouring countries, the creation of a Land Fund, and other related issues.
