UPDATE, Saturday 7th – A few hours after the demonstration yesterday Israeli soldiers eventually managed to invade the village shooting rubber bullets and firing sound bombs at Palestinian children who threw stones at them to defend their village. Three houses were damaged. Reuters cameraman Emad Bornat (who is also a resident of the village), who was the only person present filming this, was arrested and beaten. He was taken to hospital in Jerusalem and then taken back to the police station where he was questioned until 1am. He is currently being held at Ofer detention center near Ramallah. Emad was originally charged with assaulting a border policeman and throwing stones but the assault accusation was later dropped. Emad has been documenting the non-violent resistance to the Wall in Bil’in and his video footage has often refuted the false allegations of the Israeli military and helped to get those detained or arrested released. He has made a film called “One Year of Peaceful Resistance to the Wall”, made up of the hundred of hours of footage of the demonstrations he has taken.
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As on every Friday for the last 20 months, the villagers of Bil’in, supported by international and Israeli activists, marched from the village mosque after prayers to the apartheid wall, which has stolen around half of the village’s agricultural land.
Following the pattern of last week’s demo Israeli forces didn’t hinder the marchers on their way to the gate in the Wall. The IOF declared the area a Closed Military Zone and banned the villagers accessing their land on the other side of the Wall. At the gate the villagers chanted resistance slogans, reminding the occupiers that their spirit of defiance and demand for justice won’t be suppressed.
As some villagers attempted to climb onto the gate, soldiers hauled them off onto the other side. Two villagers, Ayad and Iyad Burnat, were detained in this way.
Not deterred by the intense midday heat and their empty stomachs, many villagers decided to continue the protest by marching down the slope along the wall and were immediately attacked by Israeli forces firing multiple rounds of tear gas. Around 20 protesters suffered from the effects of the gas and were forced to disperse into the olive groves where they watched as the IOF turned their attention to children in the olive groves on the opposite side of the road. Snipers took up positions and started firing rubber bullets at children in the groves who responded by throwing stones.
As the IOF prepared to invade, villagers blocked the road with rocks and the village youth once again successfully managed to prevent the world’s fourth largest army from invading, armed only with what they could find on the ground.
Huwarra checkpoint, just South of Nablus, is notorious for its volatile atmosphere and violent soldiers. Today was an example in point. Hundreds of women and men were forced into a large holding pen, with small children being crushed against the turnstiles separating the soldiers from the Palestinians waiting in line. Young and old suffered from the heat, perspiring and holding onto one another as not to faint or fall. Young infants and fragile groceries were carried on shoulders and heads so as to escape injury as the soldiers shouted and waved their weapons in the faces of people at the back of the line to make them step forward.
Ramadan is an exertion in itself, yet one which the pious believe that Allah will repay in plenty in the afterlife. What should be a humbling and beautiful display of piety and steadfastness is transformed and sullied by aggressive soldiers intent on, in the words of one commander, “torturing the people as much as possible until they break the fast.” To this soldier’s contentment and flying in the face of the spirit of this the ‘prohibitive month,’ Palestinians waiting in line were reduced to elbowing their way forward in line and arguing heatedly about who was to go first.
At one point, a well-known journalist, Jafar, from the nearby village of Salim, approached one of the higher-ranking soldiers in order to inquire whether he could take pictures of the chaos unfurling in front of him. Yet before he even had time to open his mouth, the soldier punched him in the face and beat his chest with his rifle. As the journalist backed away, the soldier followed and continued kicking his shins and thighs with his heavy boots. Bleeding from his mouth and limping badly due to pain in his right leg, the journalist demanded to file a report on the incident while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
The attack was witnessed by a human rights worker and reported to a senior officer who arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. After threatening to arrest the journalist, the officer finally ceded to his demands and documented all injuries incurred, promising to let the journalist know what consequences this completely unprovoked attack would have for the soldier in question.
Just as the line of people started moving more smoothly through the checkpoint, four young men requested that human rights workers go with them through the olive groves around Huwarra checkpoint. They wanted to make sure that three of their friends, who had been intercepted by Israeli military while trying to make their way home around the checkpoint, and thus avoid the several hours long wait, were not being beaten or otherwise maltreated. While walking across a field between Rujeeb and Awarta, two soldiers spotted the group and ordered them to approach. They were extremely aggressive, pushing two Palestinians and holding their guns to the head of one of the men. While assaulting the men physically in front of the human rights observers, the soldiers cursed at the Palestinians, and repeatedly addressed them as “dog.” The group was taken to Awarta checkpoint, where three others were already being made to wait since two hours back.
After half an hour there were in total 10 Palestinian men and 3 international human rights observers detained at Awarta checkpoint. At four o’clock they were told that they would not be allowed to leave until nine o’clock in the evening as “punishment for breaking the law.” When human rights workers inquired as to what punishment the law proscribed for the offense, the soldier responded, “I have the gun, I make the law, and I say they have to be punished for 5 hours.” When asked exactly what law the group was breaching, the soldiers answered that there was a law stipulating that everyone must go through the checkpoint. Upon being asked what they would do if they had to wait six to ten hours every day after having been at university just to go home and eat with their families, they offered nonsensical answers such as that they think that the young men should pass through the checkpoint only in the morning or bring food with them and break the fast on their own in Nablus.
At one point, a plainclothes settler from Britain approached the people being detained pretending to be a police officer and then a soldier, threatening them with arrest. The soldiers gave the settler a welcoming hug and then stood chatting, smoking and snacking on pomegranate seed right in front of the fasting Palestinians without any regard to their feelings. The settler stood menacingly over the seated detainees and joined the soldier in his questioning and taunting. In effect, the settler was allowed to ‘play soldier,’ with the lives of the Palestinians in detention.
After an hour, the group was allowed to return to Huwarra where their IDs were given back to them and they were allowed to go home. Before leaving, one of the men, a university student from Beita, told the human rights workers that their presence had prevented “physical punishment today” but emphasized that this is a daily occurrence and that he will continue to walk around the checkpoint. “Why not take the chance? I have to wait at the checkpoint anyway so I might as well wait outside in the fresh air,” he said and winked.
2:48pm: Three settler boys around age 13 began behaving physically threatening towards a Palestinian girl of the same age as she was trying to enter her home on Shuhada Street, just across from Beit Hadassah. Human rights workers (HRWs) on Shuhada Street moved to accompany her to her house and the settler boys started throwing rocks at them. The soldier on duty had his back turned and ignored the situation even though HRWs asked him to intervene. Only after an Israeli HRW spoke to him in Hebrew, did he begin to pay attention to the situation. The soldier said the HRWs were provoking the settler kids by standing there. Another HRW called the police who came promptly and remained in front of Beit Hadassah for approximately half an hour.
3.30pm: Two HRWs were at the crossroads looking towards the Tel Rumeida settlement. Three settler boys, aged about ten, were throwing rocks towards a Palestinian house nearby. The HRWs called to the soldiers at the crossroad to come. One of the soldiers yelled at the boys until they stopped.
4.15pm: The same boys came out of the settlement with other girls and boys. They moved down the road towards the crossroad. Three boys went into the entryway of the Palestinian house and threw rocks at the front door. Others threw rocks down the road towards the soldiers who were responding to the HRW’s call. Both soldiers sent the settler children back to the settlement.
5.00pm: Abu Samir, Samir, Rafa and Mohammad Abu Aeshah were returning to their house opposite the Tel Rumeida settlement. Two settler boys came out and threw rocks at them. Video of this is available. An Israeli army officer has told a HRW that the soldiers are positioned to help in case of a settler attack against this family. This does not appear to be the case. No soldiers came. It is less than a week since the Abu Aeshah family were attacked in this way. The officer’s assurance does not seem to be worth much.
September 29, 2006: Today, in the village of Al-Jab’a, Palestinian villagers, supported by Israeli and international activists successfully removed a large section of an illegal roadblock that had been installed by the Israeli army. The Palestinians were able to achieve their objective: creating a passage wide enough to allow for a service taxi (a mini-bus sized shared taxi: they at as the mainstay of public transport in the West Bank). While work was still going on, Israeli army arrived and assaulted Palestinian, international and Israeli activists.
A group of Palestinians, along with their Israeli and international supporters joined together at the junction between the villages of Al-Jab’a and Surif to remove the earth mound roadblock that prevents cars from passing between the villages – nearly 100 people altogether. The roadblock prevents school children in Al-Jab’a from reaching Surif. It also prevents farmers in Surif and Al’Jab’a from reaching their land via tractor, while similarly preventing the transport of crops from the fields to the market. The roadblock effectively closes the road in two directions, and service taxis are prevented from waiting to pick up travellers. Fed up of these restrictions aimed against the Palestinians, for the second time in eight days, the people assembled to dismantle the obstruction. On September 21, the villagers carried out a similar action and began the work to remove the roadblock.
The gap created in the roadblock by the villagers and their supporters
The demonstrators marched from the village of Al-Jab’a, following Friday prayers, and assembled at the blockade. The Palestinians carried signs reading “I Dream of Freedom for My Children,” “Settlers Create Apartheid” and “You Steal Freedom,” while others carried Palestinian flags. When the demonstrators reached the roadblock, they began removing it with shovels, hoes, picks and their hands. Rocks were passed hand to hand, the rubble that formed the base of the mound was moved by shovel, and others began to dig underneath the two ton concrete block that was to be moved. After the stones and dirt had been partially removed, and the base of the block exposed, ropes and straps were attached to the block, and a large lever was angled underneath to help lift. Using the strength of over thirty people, the block was moved inch by inch. Some demonstrators pushed the block from behind, and others pulled on the ropes. In minutes, the demonstrators were able to roll the block five times, clearing a path for cars, trucks, pedestrians and donkeys. With the block removed, and the rubble cleared, the hole created was nearly 9 feet (3 meters) wide.
By the time the block was moved and the road opened, large contingents of Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) soldiers had assembled. Three military jeeps, one Hummer and one police jeep had been dispatched, as well as more than twenty soldiers and police. They ordered the people to leave, claiming that the entire area was a “closed military zone.” Soon after, the IOF soldiers and police attacked the demonstrators. First the IOF attempted to seize the shovels and picks, but the demonstrators were able to prevent these tools from being taken by passing them from person to person. After this, the IOF soldiers attempted to arrest a Palestinian man. During this attempted arrest, the demonstrators were able to peacefully block the soldiers, and prevent the man from being seized. After two unsuccessful attempts to arrest demonstrators and steal tools, the IOF soldiers attempted to arrest two Israeli solidarity activists. Once again, the demonstrators were able to successfully prevent the arrest of the activist by blocking the IOF soldiers with their bodies.
Following the four unsuccessful attempts to seize demonstrators and equipment, the soldiers entered the clearing leading to Surif and chased an Israeli activist who was returning the tools to their owners. The IOF soldiers assaulted the activist, and quickly international activists with the Palestine Solidarity Project (PSP) intervened. During this encounter, the IOF soldiers repeatedly assaulted international and Israeli activists by choking them, punching them, striking them with the shovels and knocking them onto the ground. While the four soldiers attacked the demonstrators, one shouted in English, “I am going to beat her…I am crazy.” During this attack, four activists were injured. While seemingly departing, one soldier, in his rage destroyed a protest sign held by a Palestinian child.
Having successfully opened the roadblock, and remaining in possession of their tools, the Palestinians, Israelis and internationals decided to return to the village. Though they were totally non-violent throughout the demonstration, and were peacefully dispersing, IOF soldiers attempted to follow the Palestinians into the village, presumably to make arrests. In order to prevent this, international and Israeli activists sat down in front of the Hummer that was leading the caravan of soldiers into the village. This tactic prevented the IOF from entering the village, and the Palestinians returned home.
Less than one hour following the demonstration, an military bulldozer, made by US company Caterpillar was dispatched to rebuild the roadblock. This reaction by Occupation forces was expected. The demonstrators knew that their action would not open the road permanently – it was an act of resistance against the Occupation’s policy of closure and restriction of movement. While the roadblock was open for only one hour, during that time, the demonstrators witnessed several families, individuals and farmers riding donkeys, pass through the opened roadblock.
A quick look at the forecast and the calendar today might have told one all that you needed to know about how the demo at Bil’in might have been expected to fare. Unseasonally hot weather, combined with it being Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims, both significantly contributed to a somewhat muted protest today. That notwithstanding, at midday today there were still 50 commited protesters, Palestinians and Israelis marching together, supported by an international presence from ISM and the media. Their complaints against the Israeli government, vociferous and persistent, continue unabated against the shameless land-grab perpertated by the ever-expanding, endlessly greedy Israeli state, which swallows Palestinian land by the mouthful and spews only settlement-colonies in its wake. Without recourse to the law, the substance of which is no than the emptiest of charades for Palestinians, the robbed villagers of Bil’in have no other option but to physically protest at the presence of the wall which snakes arounds their homes and steals their livelihoods.
In the heat today, and with many protesting on empty stomachs, the demo was quieter than usual, almost subdued. People tried to pass onto their land, and tried to remove the barbed wire seperating them from what is theirs, but to no avail. In Bil’in today the fire that burns in the hearts of many against the injustices here may have flickered but it was not extinguished. It is a fire that will not die, as it spreads from village to village, providing light in the shadow of the wall.
