Category: Reports - Page 102 - International Solidarity Movement

Tree Planting and Protest in Beit al-Baraka

10th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Trees were planted and a demonstration took place today at Beit al-Baraka today to protest the extension of the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc.

An international presence had been requested by the organisers so two ISM volunteers headed to Beit Ummar to meet with them, and along with three Israeli activists headed to Beit al-Baraka, 38-dunam (9.3 acre) compound located near the al-Arrub refugee camp. This is an area which used to be owned by Palestinians, but which has now been fenced off, either by settlers or by the American millionaire, Irving Moskowitz, who is rumoured to have purchased the site through a front company in 2012 in order to create an illegal Israeli settlement there. What is very clear is that this area is earmarked for illegal settlement and will form a strategic extension to the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc that overlooks the area. What local Palestinians fear is that the entire Gush Etzion junction will be closed to Palestinians, permanently closing the road between Hebron and Behlehem for them. This fenced area is now a closed military zone forbidden to Palestinians.

Close to this closed area a group of around 25 local Palestinians, and the international and Israeli activists planted a number of trees on Palestinian land as a protest, attended by several Palestinian Authority officials, and some press. After the tree planting, which was observed by Israeli soldiers, the demonstrators marched peacefully towards the closed area of land and the soldiers and confronted them, during which there was some arguing and scuffling with soldiers. Two men were detained for a time, but nobody was arrested.

The creeping extension of the Gush Etzion cluster of settlements which Israelis call ‘the gateway to Jerusalem’ and increasing tension and violence at the junction make this entire area a frightening place for Palestinians to pass through.

5th Annual BDS Conference Held in Ramallah

9th of April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | West Bank, occupied Palestine

Held on the 68th anniversary of the Deir-Yassin massacre, the fifth annual BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanction) Conference took place in Ramallah. The event featured a keynote address from Ahmed Kathrada – an icon of the South African Anti-Apartheid movement and former political prisoner. The conference was taking place in the tenth year of non-violent resistance by the BDS movement.

The day was extremely well attended, in spite of recent statements by Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, that euphemistically encouraged assassination attempts against BDS Activists by calling for: “civil targeted killings.” This aggressive attitude was demonstrated in Israel’s attempts to deny and/or obstruct travel to the conference for Palestinians living inside the 1948 borders of Israel and from the West Bank in general. This resulted in coaches of attendees from Jerusalem being delayed and some being denied access.

Mr. Kathrada’s keynote address concerned the mirroring of aspects of the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa and the current struggle by Palestinians against the illegal Israeli occupation: “[The Palestinian experience] is similar to the experience of black South Africans under Apartheid. However, in some ways the violence of Israel’s occupation is even worse than that which South Africans had to contend with.”

Mr. Kathrada went on to describe his 26 years and 3 months in prison, 18 years of which were spent on Robben Island. He drew an audible response of sadness and disbelief when comparing his own experience and that of Palestinians, as he observed that he was, “convinced that Palestinian political prisoners under Israel’s Apartheid policies have it worse.”

In addition to the keynote speaker, other speakers at the event were split between between those linking BDS to the “Globalised Nonviolent Struggle for Justice and Rights” and speakers on “Spreading the BDS anti-Normalisation Culture Among Palestinian Communities in the Homeland and Exile”.

Notably at the conference, Dr. Wassel Abu-Yousef, speaking on behalf of the PLO Executive Committee said: “the PLO has taken into consideration the importance of having a relationship with the BDS movement at all levels.” This demonstrates a committment in the wider Palestinian political community to the policy of non-violent resistance as espoused by the BDS movement.

This peaceful commitment stands in contrast, however, to the arguments put forward at the anti-BDS conference in Jerusalem last month, where various pro-Zionist figures put forward their agenda against BDS. That conference included Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan inexplicably linking BDS to jihadism and Islamic terrorism.

Speeches on the day in Ramallah, however, (both live and pre-recorded), far from calling for jihad, were secular, peaceful and informative in their detailing indivdual groups committment to BDS.

Representatives of a wide variety of groups spoke, demonstrating their community’s links to the BDS movement. These included speakers from BDS in Jerusalem and Gaza (the latter prevented from travelling by Israeli blockade and delivering a report via pre-recorded message); those representing Palestinian women’s groups – Women’s Campaign for Boycotting Israeli Products and the General Union of Palestinian Women – political prisoners, media, schools, trade unions and refugees. As well as local campaigners, international groups provided updates on their BDS campaigns from the USA (specifically in relation to progressive American Jews) South America, Egypt and the EU.

The conference concluded with an address by Omar Barghouti – co-founder of BDS – and a conference-wide discussion on the future of the movement.

For more information on BDS and to learn how you can get involved visit: https://bdsmovement.net

Bil’in protesters keep fighting after more than a decade of friday demoes

9th April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Bil’in, occupied Palestine

The weekly protest took place in Bil’in on Friday April 8th, as it has done every Friday for over a decade. Around 35 protesters, a mix of multi nationals and Palestinians, took part. Very soon after the peaceful march started, the protesters were met with a hail of teargas delivered by approximately 10 Israeli Occupation Force soldiers and border guards who had arrived in five jeeps and were parked about 500 meters away. They continued to shoot teargas for about 20 minutes. One protester was overcome by teargas and had to be treated in an ambulance by medics.

Teargas being shot by Israeli Forces towards peaceful protesters

Bil’in is a village with a population of 1,800 residents and is situated 12 km west of Ramallah in the central West Bank of Palestine. It is internationally renowned for its weekly demonstration against the occupation and the building of the annexation wall. Frequent injuries, and even deaths, have occurred at this protest, and the Oscar nominated movie 5 Broken Cameras has documented the violence that the protesters continuously face.

Peaceful protesters being attacked by Israeli Forces. One person needed medical treatment.

Despite the death and destruction wrought upon the beleaguered villagers, they remain unbowed and continue to march every single week in an attempt to make their voices heard, and to bring international attention to their plight.

Nabi Saleh Protest Ends With Tear Gas

8th of April 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | West Bank, occupied Palestine

As on every Friday a group of Palestinians, supported by Israeli Peace Activists, Internationals and with an international media presence, came together in Nabi Saleh after midday prayers to protest the continued illegal occupation of Palestinian land by Israel.

In Nabi Saleh, Israel have taken and continue to deny Palestinian access to a well that lies between the village and the illegal settlement of Halamish. The weekly demonstration is a family-orientated affair involving many women, men and children whose farms and day-to-day lives have been severely affected by the lack of access to the water from the well. The protestors continue to demand an end to this gross abuse of the most basic of human rights.

There are two routes the protest can take but after excessive force and violence used by the Israeli Occupying Force at the previous demonstration, it was agreed by all present to take a potentially less dangerous route heading towards the top of the hill that faces the settlement and to proceed toward the well below it.

Led by the women and young girls the procession reached the top of the hill where the first sighting of the soldiers caused a brief pause. The protest moved carefully and slowly down the hill towards the road that intersects between the village and the settlement, still led by women and children, chanting, clapping and waving flags.

At this point the army fired three rounds of the deadly and extremely dangerous, long range, large, rubber-tipped bullets that separate in flight to release tear gas. This caused the protestors to pause their descent of the hill, however they did not disperse. As a result the army fired three more of the long range bullets, designed to pierce houses, directly at the protestors, although thankfully not hitting anyone. This did send them back to the top of the hill where they stayed back from the tear gas.

Leah, an Israeli activist attending the demonstration, looking down the hill to the soldiers said “I am ashamed of my country.” Having served in the army as a teenager she had seen the daily human rights abuses up close and now attended protests every week against the occupation and the conduct of the occupying forces.

Mohammed, a villager of Nabi Saleh, looking out over the gas stated “this isn’t about Palestine and Israel. Israel is just the face of the colonial and capitalist powers.” He hugged internationals, thanking them for coming and shook Leah’s hand as the protestors finally walked back to the village.

The Israeli Army continue to use the long range tear gas bullets, impossible to see when fired and potentially deadly if making contact with anyone and they continue to use them from inside the legal distance for firing.

For more information on the deadly long range weapons being deployed by the army at protestors see: http://bit.ly/1YiNt6X

And for a detailed report into previous human rights abuses at Nabi Saleh see: http://bit.ly/23oJxVJ

IOF Military Training Exercises in the Jordan Valley

4th April 2016|International Solidarity Movement | Al-Khalil Team, occupied Palestine

In the north of the Jordan Valley, and adjacent to the town of Tubass, are three agricultural communities: Yarza (with 4 families), Ibzk (13 families) and Samre (11 families). These families have existed on this land for hundreds of years, and some were born in a cave in the hills overlooking their homes. Their homes are regularly demolished; Yarza has been demolished five times with the last demolition occurring in August 2014.

The area is littered with ammunition, including bullets and landmines, as a result of the frequent Israeli Occupation Forces training exercises that occur here. These exercises are illegal under international law since this is an agricultural community, and they take place in close proximity to homes. Many of the residents have been injured or killed, according to activists who work for Jordan Valley Solidarity, including a father of three who was burying landmines in order to secure the safety of the community. One exploded, killing him instantly.

Soldiers training on Palestinian land.

The local community, with the help of different organizations, requested protection from the UN office in Ramallah, to no avail.

On Sunday, April 3rd the residents were notified that military training exercises would be taking place for two days starting Monday, April 4th, and they were to refrain from going out. However, the training started that night. When military training is taking place, the children are prohibited from going to school, since they are usually bussed to Tubass. Where they live has been designated Area C, and there are no schools within close proximity.

Palestinian family living in the village.

On April 4th, two International Solidarity Movement volunteers arrived at Yarza. There they observed the arrival of more than 200 heavily armed soldiers who arrived in buses and jeeps. They crossed the land the communities live on, many on foot, and positioned themselves over a small rise approximately 500 metres away. Throughout the night very loud explosions were heard all the way to the village of Tubass.

The communities feel very threatened by these actions, and the children especially are terrified by the presence of the Israeli soldiers and by the exceedingly loud explosions. The residents believe that there are many other areas further away that the IOF could choose instead of being so close by and endangering their safety.

This beleaguered community has suffered in countless ways; their livestock is regularly confiscated, their homes are frequently demolished, and worse yet, there have been lives lost to Israeli military training which could very easily take place elsewhere.