Israeli and U.S. forces displace villagers from homes for military training in the Jordan Valley

By Brandi Jackson

13th November 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

On November 11th Palestinians from the Jordan Valley villages of AelRaesAhemer, AelMaleh, and Ael Meta, were awoken by Israeli occupation forces at 6:00 AM and forced to leave their homes and villages because the military was to use the area for military training.

The villages are part of Area C in the West Bank, and therefore are under full Israeli civil and security control. Palestinians in Area C, which covers over 60% of the West Bank, are practically forbidden to build on their own property; while neighboring illegal settlements continue to expand. The villages undergo constant attacks and threats from either the army or settlers, including home demolitions, physical beatings, destruction of property, etc.

U.S. Forces have recently arrived in Israel and the West Bank to conduct a joint military exercise simulating a war in the Middle East that would require the U.S. to intervene. The drill is considered to be the largest joint military exercise carried out by the two countries, and is severely affecting the lives of Palestinian villagers throughout the West Bank. It also violates Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which states that “Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive.”

After Israeli occupation forces displaced the villagers out of their homes, they then began to practice shooting tanks, missiles, and artillery into the areas of the villages throughout the day.

According to the information we received from several people, the villagers will be able to return to their homes at 6:00 PM. Some may have to go through this process every day for up to two months, until the Israeli and U.S. Forces are finished with their joint military exercise. “The Military told us that we are not allowed to return to our homes at all. We don´t know what to expect,” explained a Palestinian.

Brandi Jackson is a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed)

Palestinian youth attacked in Hebron – 1 man in critical condition

18th Novemeber 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

 

Soldiers in Hebron

Update:  Hamdi Alfalah, 22, shot and killed today in Hebron.

Ibrahim Abu Eisheh, a Palestinian youth was hit in the head by a tear gas canister at around six in the afternoon. He is in critical condition at a hospital and is currently undergoing surgery.
For the third consecutive day in Hebron there has been a large amount of Palestinian resistance in the old city against the Israeli occupying forces. Two streets in particular were hardest hit by the conflict.
One being one of the main streets in the souq where most of the fresh produce is sold in the city. The other road intersects the market street and runs north of the military gate that is used for entry during Saturday settler tours. This area is known as Bab Baladia and was the main fighting ground for the shabab; which is the name for young Palestinian males.
Today not only were multiple tires burned but a couch was set aflame. Firecrackers are also a favorite for these demonstrations, which briefly give the tiring struggle a whimsical edge.
Though rocks are obviously dangerous when used as projectiles it’s extremely rare that one gets close enough to the soldiers to be considered dangerous, plus they have armor and padding.
The Israeli army responds to the relatively symbolic acts with rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters that are shot at high speeds from their machine guns. Yet apparently this isn’t enough to combat untrained civilians that are predominantly in their teens. A skunk water truck came out of the Israeli installation and went into H1, which according to the Oslo accords is supposed to be in full Palestinian control.
The disgusting material was sprayed into the food market and the Palestinian homes that reside above it. Israeli army personnel have also been trying to break into private residences so as to gain access to the roof for tactical advantage. At one point six border police raided a building, as they shut the front entrance door other border on the outside broke off the handle so nobody else could enter. There have also been several detainments of Palestinian youth that are given no reason as to why they are held while they are blindfolded and cuffed.
All of this activity inevitably ends up in injuries, today was certainly no exception.

By Team Khalil

Settlers set mosque on fire in Urif, West Bank

by Vincent Redheart and Anas Green

19th November 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Today, Monday 19 of November at around 4 am, a bunch of settlers from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar set a mosque in the village of Urif on fire. The door has been damaged and the prayer mats were severely burned. After a few hours Israeli soldiers reached the area causing several clashes with the inhabitants who appeared nervous due to the attack. The soldiers shot a huge amount of tear-gas and sound bombs at the residents.
The village of Urif has been attacked many times in similar ways by the illegal settlement of Yitzhar. This year, on 29th April, mask-wearing settlers invaded the village supported by Israeli soldiers who used tear-gas, sound bombs and live ammunitions. Another event happened on 26th May when armed settlers burned cultivated fields, threw stones and shot live ammunition against the Palestinian people, one of whom was injured in the abdomen.
The illegal settlement of Yitzhar is responsible of countless attacks against surrounding villages: not only Urif but also Burin and Asira al-Qabaliya suffered similar attacks.
Urif is a Palestinian town near Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, located thirteen kilometres South of Nablus. The town has a population of just under 3000 inhabitants and is overlooked by the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar.

The front of the mosque is seen here with scorch marks near the door
The prayer mats are seen here, scorched by flames

 

Vincent Redheart and Anas Green are volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed)

 

List of People Twitting in English from Gaza [Constantly Updated]

In Gaza:

@RanaGaza – Rana

@annepaq – Anne Paq (Activestills photographer)

@DimaEleiwa – Dima Eleiwa

@pdanahar – Paul Danahar (BBC Journalist)

@jncatron – Joe Catron

@AhmdFarra – Ahmad Farra

@MyFreePal – Rawan

@ShahdAbusalama – Shah Abusalama

@Palestinianism – Farah Filasteen

@Solarah – Samah Saleh

@RichardDufek – Richard Dufek

@emilie_baujard – Emelie Baujard (Radio France journalist)

@GazaYBO – Gaza Youth Break Out

@PTelegraph – Palestine Telegraph

@WillOuda – Wael

@sarahussein – Sara Hussein (Agence France-Presse journalist)

 

Relevant information sources about Gaza:

@IsmPalestine – International Solidarity Movement

@MedicalAidPal – Medical Aid Palestine

@jadaliyya – Jadaliyya

@AliAbunimah – Ali Abunimah

@intifada – Electronic Intifada

What YOU can do as an International to help people in Palestine

17th November 2012 | Palestine

via http://qumsiyeh.org

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Before we address what can be done, we need to ask what Palestinians want from the International Community and what are some goals to adopt for your group to help achieve that. The Palestinian Civil Society Call to action is the best articulation of what Palestinians want from the International community. They include the Palestinian Constants or Thawabet. The Civil Society Call was initially signed by 170 Palestinian civil society organizations and communities and has since been endorsed by thousands of groups. It is posted at http://www.bdsmovement.net/call

Second, we must educate ourselves. Visit Recommened Books and Links

Here are possible goals for your group:

Ultimate Goals
1. To implement the right of return for refugees to their homes, farms, businesses, and lands (include restitution, and compensation for suffering).
2. To develop and implement a pluralistic democracy in Israel/Palestine with equality and human rights for all.
3. To end to all acts of violence, colonization, and oppression.

Intermediate Goals
1. To develop and implement governmental and public support for the ultimate goals by media work, lobbying, and educational campaigns.
2. To develop and implement campaigns of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) as happened in South Africa and as civil society has called for.
3. To develop and implement strategies and tactics for Palestinians remaining on their lands and resisting Israeli colonization and ethnic cleansing (e.g. by job creation and supporting non-violent direct actions).

Short-term Goals:
1. To develop community members and structures to identify with this vision.
2. To engage in efforts of education and alliance building.
3. To ensure fair media coverage and exposure with a concerted media strategy and action.
4. To provide direct relief and humanitarian aid to those suffering from human rights abuses.
5. To increase political/human rights tourism.

64 Ways to act for peace with justice (what YOU can do)

1) Educate yourself via reliable books. For example books by Ilan Pappe (Ethnic Ceansing of Palestine), Edward Said (The Question of Palestine).

2) Educate yourself and track current information and key historical data via websites (and disseminate it). For example look into http://www.imemc.org/, http://electronicintifada.net/, http://english.aljazeera.net/, Encyclopedia of the Palestine Problem, Palestine Remembered, and similar websites.

3) Educate yourself by visiting Palestine and writing about it. There are many organizations doing tours that inspire. Examples Siraj Center, Alternative Tourism Group, Holy Land Trust, Global Exchange, Birthright Unplugged, ISM etc

4) Practice using clear and unambiguous vocabulary including language to protest apartheid and colonization. See for example developing anti-partheid framework for the struggle (PDF File): http://www.endtheoccupation.org/downloads/AAF%20curriculum%20training%20.pdf

5) Challenge media bias by first educating yourself and others about its existence and the extent of the bias. See for example http://ifamericansknew.org/

6) Write to the mainstream media. You can do letters to the editor (usually 200 words) and/or opinion pieces (700-900 words).

7) Start your own group or join an existing organization that works for justice. Simply search/google your city with the word Palestine to identify candidates.

8) Join the International Solidarity Movement, the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program (EAPPI), Christian Peace Maker Team, or other groups doing work in the occupied areas

9) Develop close working relationship with progressive parties and groups in your country.

10) Network and enhance groups working on sanctions and suspension of US aid to Israel. e.g. Suspend US Aid to Israel Now

11) Lobby. This is done individually or by supporting/joining one or more od the many groups doing it, e.g. Council for the National Interest, Citizens For Fair Legislation, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine, and American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights (http://www.aaper.org/).

12) Hold a teach-in, seminar, or public dialogue. This is straightforward: you need to decide venue, speakers, and do publicity. This can be facilitated through such groups as Palestine Media Watch which have speakers bureaus.

13) Send direct aid and support for people on the ground through transparent and trustworthy groups.

14) Use youtube and googlevideo to disseminate information

15) Challenge Israel in local and International courts.If you are a lawyer, donate your time and start some networking and initiate cases (e.g. US congress is violating US laws by sending money to Israel, US Citizens can bring cases against foreign governments that harmed them). Groups with great interest and activism on behalf of Palestinians includes Lawyers Without Border, National Lawyers Guild, Al-Haq, Yesh Din, and Adalah – Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel.

16) Help coalitions work for Palestine and insist they do not leave this issue; example is http://CTUnitedforPeace.org.

17) If you work in a group, suggest formation of local or national coalitions to increase the power by association.

18) Join the campaigns for economic boycotts. For example see successful examples here: http://www.qumsiyeh.org/boycottsanddivestment/

19) Join or initiate a campaign for cultural and academic boycott; see http://pacbi.org/.

20) Host an art exhibit or other art performance (music, dabka etc) that highlight the rich Palestinian culture.

21) Engage in civil disobedience actions to draw attention and change policies.

22) Develop campaigns to support the right to enter: see www.righttoenter.ps
Israel Takes Aim At Palestinian Families By Ida Audeh
http://www.countercurrents.org/audeh110907.htm

23) Facilitate a visit by the Wheels of Justice bus tour to your area (in the US) or create a bus like that (e.g. in Europe). See justicewheels.org

24) Donate to aid Palestinian Children. For example, Palestine Children Relief Fund, and Playgrounds for Palestine

25) Develop campaigns to ban Political Junkets to Israel.
Here is an example “In a challenge to one of the most powerful lobbying tactics used by the Jewish community, a county in Maryland decided last week that local legislators could no longer go on sponsored trips to Israel. http://www.forward.com/articles/11553/

26) Support the campaigns to end the siege on Gaza. See http://www.freegaza.org/, http://www.witnessgaza.com/

27) Work in your country against discrimination
Arabs Against Discrimination: http://www.aad-online.org/
American Arabs Anti-Discrimination Committee http://
28) Support Human Rights: Amnesty International http://www.amnesty.org, Human Rights Watch: http://hrw.org/doc/?t=mideast&c=isrlpa
B�Tselem:The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories http://www.btselem.org

29) Support the Right to Education Campaign: http://right2edu.birzeit.edu/

30) Promote lifting Siege against Palestinians, especially Gaza

31) Work against home demolistions:
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions: http://www.icahd.org/eng

32) Support empowering Youth from Palestine e.g. see http://www.yfppal.com/ and http://www.alrowwad-acts.ps

33) Write to and work with alternative mass media (like DemocracyNow, Public Access TV).

34) Create your own content and post it to the web

35) Utilize social networking sites to reach a mass audience (e.g. facebook)

36) Go into chat rooms, email discussions etc and spread the word.

37) Buy Palestinian Products, for example from www.palestineonlinestore.com, www.canaanfairtrade.com, www.palestinefairtrade.org.

38) Pray for Peace and Justice or if you are not religious, take time out to think and meditate on what can be done to achieve Peace with Justice

39) Make a podcast or public service announcement and spread it

40) Drop a banner from a traffic bridge or any other publicly visible location

41) Put out an information table in a university student center, public gathering, festivals, or other places where people congregate.

42) Host a fundraising party or dinner at your home.

43) Show a documentary in a public setting and then have a discussion about it.

44) Organize a public debate between those who support Zionism and those who support equality and justice

45) Learn Arabic or if you are an Arab learn another language (including Hebrew) so that you can communicate better

46) Make a street theater

47) Engage in Civil disobedience acts (this may entail getting arrested).

48) Reach out to Christian religious leaders and ask them to act based on the Kairos Palestine document www.kairospalestine.ps

49) Challenge the Zionist attempts to doctor Wikipedia (ie. imposing a Zionist distorted version on this free web encyclopedia). Become a wikepedia editor/writer.

50) Start a genuine interfaith dialogue based on acting for justice rather than chatting to hide injustice.

51) Find a way not to pay taxes to governments that violate human rights and use your taxes for war and oppression.

52) Host a dinner with Arabic food and show people the rich cultural traditions like embroidered dresses that go back to Canaanitic times.
Write to us to remind us of other ways to act.

53) Run for public office.

54) Put-up a billboard in your community that highlight a certain aspect of the struggle.

55) Develop partnerships/twinning between universities, schools, colleges, churches etc with similar Palestinian entities.

56) Introduce a divestment resolution from Israel at your city or town council.

57) Pass-out flyers or stickers at a public event.

58) Host a speaker from your community who was in Palestine to tell personal stories and experiences

59) Ask your Church or University or other appropriate group to invite a Palestinain speaker.

60) What ever your field of work, you can find a way to network people in it with Palestinains in that work: librarians, professors, pediatricians, journalists, farmers, small shop owners, workers etc.
61) Wear an armband on particular days to start conversations about Palestine. For example a black arm band on Nakba day (15 May) or a green armband on Land Day (30 March). It allows you to tell a story to those who ask.

62) Hold a sign that says boycott apartheid in front of every visiting Israeli official in your country including artists or university faculty or othesr that represent Israeli institutions.

63) Do a flash mob at facilities that support Israel (like Starbucks).

64) Organize programs to support Palestinian political prisoners (more than 750,000 Palestinains were imprisoned since 1967).

(list initiated by Mazin Qumsiyeh, George Rishmawi and others at the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People).

More ideas in this collection of activist experiences found in the Activist Manual