Category: Reports

Israeli military “superiors” interfere in Burin’s olive harvest

by Alistair George

12 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

The Israeli military ordered villagers to stop picking olives on their own land in Burin, near Nablus, today. The soldiers refused to give a reason for suspending the harvest.

“It is nothing to do with us, we just get orders from our superiors,” they said.

Villagers from Burin were picking olives on their land high up in the hills, near the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar. At around 8 AM Palestinian farmers and ISM activists entered the land closest to the settlement, and after just a few minutes an Israeli security truck was visible on the hilltop next to the land.  Four soldiers arrived in an armoured vehicle at around 8:30 AM and instructed villagers to immediately stop picking olives in the area. They stated that villagers must ask for permission and would only be given three days to finish picking all the olives on their land.  The farmers continued the harvest further away from the settlement.

At around midday, a military vehicle was again seen driving through the olive groves further down the hill, closer to the main road. At one point the vehicle left the track, breaking branches as it maneuvered through the densely planted olive grove.

Ghassan Najjar, 21, is the Director of the Community Centre in Burin.  His father owns the land nearest the settlement. He said that it was common for the Israeli military to interfere with Burin’s olive harvest.

“I was extremely uncomfortable today – I controlled my emotions for my father’s sake and to avoid escalating the situation, otherwise nothing would make me leave my land.”

Settler attacks have been escalating in recent years. This year settlers have already attacked locals four times since April and more than 4,000 trees have been burnt down. Gangs of settlers have fired live ammunition and thrown stones at villagers during olive harvests in previous years.

 

 

Alistair George is an activist with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Ramallah continues to rally support for Ofer prisoners

12 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

On Tuesday October 11, about 200-300 Palestinian and solidarity activists held a non violent demonstration near the Israeli Ofer prison, near Ramallah, in support of the demands of prisoners on hunger strike since September 27. The action began at 12:00 PM, as those in solidarity joined the parents and relatives of prisoners. The demonstrators held pictures of the captives and chanted slogans for those inside the prison to hear.

After few minutes the Israeli Army and the border police started to throw tear gas canisters directly at the protesters, in an act forbidden by international law. The canisters came from the soldier’s arms and from a new machine which, on the top of the jeeps, could fire from 5 to 15 teargas canisters at the same time. Whenever the demonstrators tried to come back to Ofer’s gate, the militar forces started to shoot at them with canisters and rubber coated steel bullets.

The result was a great number of people injured in their legs, arms, and the belly, besides a lot of cases of asphyxia due to gas inhalation. The new sound arm, referred to as “The Scream,” was also used.

Dozen of white balloons were released by Palestinians. The protest went on until 4 pm.

Ofer prison is just one of the 22 detention centres where Palestinians political prisoners are held under Israeli custody, both in Occupied Palestine and within the 1948 borders.  All detention centres are extremely overcrowded, according to reports by non governmental organizations. In Ofer, Israel also holds child prisoners.

Ramallah continues to rally support for Ofer prisoners - Click here for more images

Palestinian prisoners started the hunger strike in protest against confinement and other forms of torture and abuse, increased by they  Zionist government throughout the years, especially since June 2011.

The strike, started by detainees of PFLP (Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine) yet has now spread to thousands of adherents, including the relatives of prisoners and those in solidarity. In Ramallah alone dozens of internationals and Palestinians continue their own hunger strikes in solidarity.

Israel has affirmed it won’t attend to the detainees’ demands,  while the administration of one prison has made some concessions, but not related to the captives’ priorities.

Demonstrations have been held in a lot of cities through West Bank, Gaza and Israel proper, and permanent tents in support of the hunger strike were installed in the center of Palestinian districts. The prisoner’s health has been deteriorated day by day, and the prison authorities have just increased the repression and the punishment. Palestinians are calling for international support to raise awareness and to show solidarity.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees & Ex-Detainees Affairs, there are 6,000 Palestinian political prisoners in 22 different detention centres inside Israel proper. This number, however, is contested by Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, which informs, in its website, that there are actually 8,383 imprisoned.

Among these there are 285 minors and 28 women, as well as 270 Palestinians under “administrative detention” (without trial and without convictions, for unespecified periods of time). From the detainees,143 have spent more than 20 years in prison, and 20 are at the moment in solitary confinement.

 

After decade of demolitions, Susiya shepherd will continue to herd

11 October 2011  | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

On 10 October an Israeli army jeep filled with Israeli soldiers and a representative from the District Coordination Office (DCO) drove down the dirt track roads from the neighboring military base towards the small village of Susiya. The purpose of this visit was to serve yet another demolition order, the third since late August this year, to Muhammed Musa Muranam and his family.

Muhammed Musa Muranam and his wife pose with a demolition order issued against them

Muhammed has been formally notified by the Israeli authorities that he does not have permission to stay on his land and that he must tear down both his own home and his livestocks’ shelter immediately. If Muhammed refuses, the army will return with their bulldozers to complete the demolition.

Muhammed and his wife live permanently in their tent home in Susiya. if the tents are demolished his family, and their livestock will be homeless. Muhammed has documents proving that the land has been in his family for several generations.

On 11 October 2011 Muhammed told an ISM volunteer that he is determined to stay in his home, and that he will continue herding his sheep for as long as possible.  Muhammed is unwilling, and perhaps unable, to contemplate his family’s future if his home is destroyed.

Susiya has a long history of demolition orders dating back to 1991. In 2001 the whole village was demolished by Israeli army soldiers and their bulldozers. Caves, tents and wells were all destroyed leaving approximately 70 people homeless. The last demolition in the village of Susyia was four months ago. At this time six family homes were demolished (all from the Jabur family). Two of these families have now built and live in temporary tents, the other families have relocated to Yatta. The court case is in relation to these demolitions is ongoing.

It is unclear at this time whether Muhammed will return to the Isreali courts to challenge the demolition order; understandably he has little faith in the Israeli justice system.

Seven school children injured over tightened “security” measures in Tel Rumeida

11 October 2011 |  International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Tightened security at Tel Rumeida checkpoint cause an impromptu demonstration by the schoolchildren, resulting in seven injured children, and injuries to the headmaster. Teachers of Tel Rumeida’s school were told they must begin to pass through metal detectors and present their bags for search, despite the permission they have had for the past 7 years to pass through a separate gate. The rules have also been changed for those suffering heart complications, and pregnant women, who carry permits that normally would allow them to avoid the metal detectors. The children of the school emerged, chanting slogans and holding posters. Finally, the children exited the checkpoint to be with their teachers, and began classes on the sidewalk. Seven children reported injuries and six went to hospital. The head master of the school also reported injuries from soldiers aggressively handing her.

In Tel Rumeida, Hebron, around 7:30 Tuesday morning, the teachers of Tel Rumeida’s boy and girl school of grades 1-10 refused to submit to checks, instead beginning a silent demonstration by remaining outside the gate where they were refused entry. 9:00 am, the school children marched out of the school to the inward side of the checkpoint, demanding their right to education. Israeli military soldiers at times pushed the children. An Israeli police man grabbed two girls, about 12 years old, and dragged them out through the checkpoint, causing an uproar. He continued to grab outspoken children and pull them out of the checkpoint. Seven children ended up in the hospital with injuries from aggressive handling by soldiers. Some were pushed against a stone wall. A female settler drove through the demonstration, aggressively pushing both adults and children with her car. She drove around, and returned to drive through again. Many of Tel Rumeida’s inhabitants claimed that she pushes pedestrians with her car on a regular basis while driving through the streets that Palestinians can only walk on.

 

Demonstration of teachers and students in Tel Rumeida - Click here for more images

Before the children emerged from the school, a soldier was asked why restrictions are enforced only on the Palestinian residents, despite the violent reputation of the settlers. He replied, “I also don’t agree, but I have a mission to protect the Jewish people. I don’t want to be here.” Their batallion was newly transferred to this area, and soldiers said that their commander had come the day before and changed the rule. As the kids began the demonstration, the head of the school health department, Mohammed Abutherei was detained in a police jeep for at least half an hour because he was unable to control the over 100 children. “Police threatened that if I did not control the students, Tel Rumeida would no longer have a school” said Abutherei.

For the past seven years, teachers, those with heart complications, and pregnant women have passed through a gate without a metal detector.

Several of the teachers exclaimed that they will continue to hold classes on the street until the checkpoint’s rules are reverted. More protests are being planned.

House Demolition: Jab’a resident insists he will rebuild again

10th October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank.

On 10th October 2011 at 5am Israeli forces demolished a family home in the village of Al Jab’a, about 15 km southwest of Bethlehem.

The owner, Sheikh Nasri, was farming his land at the time of the demolition. Nasri, 50, had been constructing the house for his family of ten children whilst living in a nearby rented property. He had applied for a building permit, which was still pending. Villagers reported that a Demolition Order had not been presented.

Al Jab’a has a population of around 800 and is near the illegal Israeli settlements of Batayim and Nahal Gebaot. In an interview with ISM volunteers, Sheikh Nasri explained that the location of his village is a cause for daily struggle; they are refused access to much of their farm land by the military and endure prolonged assaults from the settler community. When Shieikh Nasri’s 15 year old son attempted to farm their land, soldiers arrested him, and he was detained in an Israeli prison for over 6 months. On another occasion soldiers refused to allow Sheikh Nasri and his pregnant wife to pass through a check point to get to the local hospital – she was forced to have her baby at home without medical care.

 When asked what he plans to do next, Shiekh Nasri remains defiant:

I will build it again, and if they take it down again, I will do it again. And I will do it again. If I die, my son will do it. If my son dies, his son will do it. Until we all die. That’s what I’m planning to do… To stay here, plant the land, build houses and die here. We have no other place to live.

The Israeli wall plan will result in Al Jab’a being besieged by the wall from the north, east and west and bypass road number 367 from the south, effectively isolating it from the rest of the West Bank. Villagers reported that 10 other houses are currently at risk of demolition.