Category: Reports - Page 42 - International Solidarity Movement

Protesters break through replica of Apartheid Wall in Bethlehem symbolic run

Protesters gather for symbolic marathon near Apartheid Wall in Bethlehem

June 19 2019 | International Solidarity Movement | Bethlehem, occupied Palestine

Hundreds of people gathered in cities across the Palestinian Territories and England on Sunday June 15, to participate in a symbolic marathon in honour of the international right to freedom of movement.

The project, called “Small Park Big Run’, takes place every year thanks to the cooperation between solidarity groups in Sheffield and the Palestinian regions of Gaza, Nablus, Ramallah and Bethlehem. Two ISMers joined the run in Bethlehem, organised by Aida refugee camp community centre Aida Youth Centre, where the event was happening for the first time.

The purpose of the race was to raise awareness about Palestinian oppression focusing on Israel’s flagrant violation of the Palestinian people’s human right to freedom of movement, to raise money for local groups and to condemn the “Deal of the Century,” – the US’s new Middle East ‘peace’ deal devised by Trump’s radical Zionist son-in-law Jared Kushner.

In Bethlehem, the race kicked off near the infamous “300 checkpoint” where thousands of Palestinians are forced to queue as early as 3am every morning to make it to their jobs in Israel on time. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, it is just one of the 700 road obstacles which controls Palestinian movement within the West Bank and one of its 140 checkpoints. Protesters ran past another important symbol of the control and the oppression that the Palestinian Territories face everyday – the 708km Israeli West Bank Barrier.

Protesters finished the race by breaking through a replica of the Division Wall – a symbolic finish line – at the entrance to Aida Refugee Camp.

People walk over the broken pieces of a replica of the separation wall, used as a symbolic finish line

Freedom of movement is guaranteed under international human rights law, which fundamentally stipulates that everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his or her own, and that no one shall be “arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his or her own country”. The importance of this right results from the fact that this is a prerequisite to the exercise of other human rights, such as the rights to family, health and education.

Israel’s restrictions on the freedom of movement in the West Bank includes checkpoints, roadblocks and permit restrictions, as well as the Division Wall it has constructed along the West Bank side of the pre-1967 border. The Society of St. Yves, a legal centre based in Jerusalem, reports that: “Combined, the application of military law and control of the issuance of permits have the effect of segregating and oppressing Palestinian nationals and relegating them to second-class citizens in their native homeland”.

Other threats that reduce the right of movement is the presence of settlements officially established by the Israeli government after 1967, which is considered illegal by the international community, and the building of new outposts without government approval and so considered illegal even for Israeli law.

Palestinians hold pictures of Trump to condemning his ‘”Deal of the Century” in Bethlehem

ISM Week of Action Against Eurovision

May 2019 | International Solidarity Movement| occupied Palestine

ISM’s week of action against the Eurovision in Tel Aviv In coordination with the Palestinian Boycott National Committee (BNC) and The Palestinian campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and in collaboration with Israeli anti zionist groups has been a huge success! From before the opening ceremony until the Eurovision final there was not a Eurvison event that was not protested and their was no coverage of the Eurovision that did not at least mention the calls to Boycott the competition in Tel Aviv often bringing images from the protests that took place on the ground.

Photo by Activestills

The Week of action started rocking the Eurovision boat before it began. The international media reported on the campaign announcement: “Pro-Palestinian activists have urged supporters to “join us in disrupting Israel’s latest PR stunt” and to participate in a ‘Week of Action Against Eurovision in Tel Aviv’. The Israeli authorities were quick to state that it would not allow the activists in. The activists were prepared to remain in Israeli custody if they were denied and thus highlighting Israel’s policy of denial of access to Palestinians, their family members and human rights defenders to Palestine. But, we managed to enter!

While preparations for the international contest where underway Israel committed yet another massacre against the besieged population of the Gaza strip. Bombing the densely populated strip from the air, tanks and gun boats, Israeli soldiers killed to 25 including a family – mother, father and 4-month old baby, and two pregnant women and a twelve year old child. On May 5th, with bombs still raining on Gaza, Eurovision events and the protests against them began. Activists descended on Tel Aviv, postering pictures of slain Palestinians in the city centre, graffitiing slogans and opening a banner calling to Liberate the Gaza ghetto at a Eurovision event.

From the day that the Eurovision opened on the 15th of May we were there Blindfolded and handcuffed at the Eurovision in Tel Aviv to remind the participants of the stolen lives of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons. We projected images of the occupation taken by activestills, during one Eurovision party and held a die-in at another in solidarity with the Palestinian Great march of Return. And hung posters at the venue to bring the faces of the children murdered in Gaza to these parties were held on the beach the land of the ethnically cleansed Palestinian village of Manshiya in solidarity with the great march of return. At the semi final and ISM activists unfurled a banner inside the venue that read “We dare to dream an end of Apartheid”

We also brought our banners and joined forces with Israeli Anti Zionists at their protests on the 14th at the Eurovision finals on the 18th and highlighted the alternative events organised by our Palestinian comrades across Palestine in Haifa, Gaza, and Bethlehem as part of the International “Global vision.”

3 minutes after people finish praying at the al-Risan hill, the Israeli army fire tear gas; Protestors never give up

April 26, 2019 | International Solidarity Movement | Mount al-Risan, occupied Palestine

This Friday a large group of worshippers gathered for prayers at Mount al-Risan. When they arrived, two groups of Israeli military were already on each side of the valley waiting for them.

The worshippers prayed together in front of the hill, as always facing towards Mecca, thus having to face the illegal Israeli settlement as well.

A man from one of the surrounding villages explained the situation; “The plan from the Israeli is to build an outpost on this mountain, they want to build a road between […] the settlements. […] They want to make a connection between the settlements, and the plan, after they control this mountain, they will separate the west of Ramallah, this village, from the rest of Ramallah. It will be destroying the life, destroying the economic resources, destroying everything.”

After the prayers finished some of the people began to walk up the hill towards the illegal settlement in protest. Within three minutes of the prayers finishing the Israeli soldiers began shooting tear gas into the crowd of worshippers including the Imam.

The local man explained the protest: “For around nine months here in this area, we have been protesting, refusing this plan from the Israeli, asking them to move this outpost in the mountain, and to give the land to the owner. Before around one month, one of the owners of the land tried to build a small room here – they (the military) came and demolished it. […] But they allowed the settlers – the settlers on not their own land, this is Palestinian land – they allowed them to build farms and outposts, and as I say, this is a centre, they start it here for a big settlement in the area, to build a big road between the big settlements in the area.”

The Israeli military continued to fire tear gas canisters into the crowd to stop them from walking up the hill, which is rightfully and legally the protesters land. During the attack illegal Israeli settlers were seen at the top of the hill. And shortly after a drone was seen in the air hovering over protestors, possibly taking pictures.

Many people suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation, but thankfully there were two Palestinian medics and an ambulance there to hand out water and treat anyone injured.

A thoughtful and calm man, Abu Lara, wanted to speak to us and told us about the struggle:

“Every Friday we will try to go up the mountains, every Friday, but we can’t because the soldiers are shooting gas at us, and we don’t have weapons, nothing, we have nothing, with hands only. But we will still try, try every Friday. After 100, we will try, because this is our land, and we don’t have strong, but we will try. We have idea about this, our land. So, we will still be trying to go to our land, and take our land. Israel has taken our land in West Bank, we are not going to leave to other countries. We are still here, it’s our land. “

Watch the full interview with Abu Lara here, where he explains why these protests are important:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFUiNfAbQLs&feature=youtu.be

Protesters take the hilltop

April 19, 2019 | International Solidarity Movement | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

Soldiers shoot live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades at protesters in the weekly Friday demonstration in Kafr Quaddum. Several Palestinians, a minor and an international were shot by rubber-coated steel bullets and a French international was beaten and arrested by Israeli soldiers.

Around 150 protesters gathered in protest today in Kafr Quaddum to honor the 31st anniversary of the martyr Khalel Alwazer (Abu Jehad), a member of the central committee of the Fateh movement. They marched through the village towards the illegal settlement and in a demand to reopen the main road in and out of the village.* Protesters were joined by leaders from the PLO, Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, and Popular Resistance Committees in the West Bank. Even though it was the Christian holy day of good Friday, Father Abdalla Yolyo, who is an Orthodox Christian Leader, also joined the protest and showed his support to the villagers.

Almost immediately after the start of the protest the soldiers opened fire on the demonstration with of rubber-coated steel bullets. Soldiers were hiding on the roofs of Palestinians houses and on the hill. Many protestors were hit with rubber-coated steel bullets including several Palestinians, two international activists and a child who had to receive medical assistance.

At the same time several protesters were climbing the hill where the soldiers were firing from. The protestor managed to push the soldiers back and reached the top of the hill.

protesters climbing hill, soldiers in the background

As the soldiers left, the protester lit tire-fires, and the wind direction sent the smoke into the illegal settlement. Almost 10 minutes later the soldiers returned, charging into the demonstration and opened fire with live ammunition and eventually arrested a French international human rights defender.

*The main road into the village has been closed since 2003 by the illegal settlement. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled the road block illegal, however the Israeli authorities refused to reopen the road. In February this year, Israeli authorities promised to reopen the road if the villagers protested peacefully for one month which the villagers complied with. However after a month of peaceful demonstration the road was not re-opened. As a response to the broken promise, the habitants of Kafr Quaddum and several internationals have been protesting ever Friday until the road is re-opened.

8th anniversary of the death of Vittorio Arrigoni

16th April 2019 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Gaza, occupied Palestine

This week marks the 8th anniversary of the death of Vittorio Arrigoni, a journalist and an italian activist working with the International Solidarity Movement in Gaza. On April 16th 2011, when Arrigoni was 36 years old, his body was found in Gaza city, only a few hours after “The Brigade of the Gallant Companion of the Prophet Mohammad bin Muslima”, a Salafist group operating in Gaza, released the video where he was blindfolded and wounded. His alleged murderers were arrested and sentenced to 15 years after appealing their sentences.

Vittorio Arrigoni spent three years inside Gaza, working with peoples who’s lives were affected by the blockade of the area. He witnessed and documented the effects of the Israeli blockade and the continuous human rights abuse in the area. He was a committed ISM activist which also made him a target for arrest and harassment by the Israeli forces, but also lead him to different demonstrations and protests around Gaza.

After breaking the blockade in 2008, Arrigoni described that moment as being on of the happiest of his life, as “it became clear, not only to the world, but Palestinians also, that there are people who are willing to spend their lives to come and hug their brothers here in Gaza.”.

On the 8th anniversary of his passing, when Gaza remains besieged by the occupation, we still remember Vittorio through his words and actions and hope to continue our work through the example that he set us.

“We must remain human, even in the most difficult times … Because, despite everything, there must always be humanity within us. We have to bring it to others.”
Vittorio Arrigoni
4th February 1975 – 15th April 2011