Tanya Reinhart, Israeli anti-apartheid activist, died suddenly of a stroke in New York last night, March 17, 2007. She was 63 years old.
Reinhart received her B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy and Comparative Literature from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem and later became a professor of linguistics at Tel Aviv University.
Reinhart’s thesis supervisor was Noam Chomsky. So it’s not hard to imagine her special interest on politics and media of the Middle East.
She was a strong supporter of the academic boycott of Israel, was a co-founder of the Coalition of Women for Peace, and author of many articles and books, including Israel/Palestine: How to End the War of 1948.
In this book, Reinhart delves into the root causes of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, exposes the ways in which Israel has systematically worked to undermine the Oslo peace agreements, and highlights the connections between the Israeli/Palestinian issue and the U.S. War on Terrorism.
Reinhart was a dedicated political and human rights activist, committed to a peaceful and just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Thank you, Tanya, for your amazing words, unforgettable humanitarian work, and commitment to peace and justice!
It’s been a week since I returned home here to Palestine.
And it has been four years since a twenty-three year old American peace activist, named Rachel Corrie, was killed by an Israeli Occupation Forces bulldozer in the Gaza Strip.
I never met Rachel. But I can feel what drove her to this place. The people and the land and the history melds into the tastiest brew. But it goes stale as you witness the harassment around every corner. A concrete wall separates a Palestinian town from Palestinian town. A 22 year old Israeli soldier screams at a 60 year old farmer trying to access his farmland. How can this be? Most of my folks back home would not even believe it. It’s hard to keep the blood from boiling. The Palestinians are in a constant state of being pushed from their Land.
The balfour declaration of 1917. Al Nakba (the Catastrophe)of 1948 when Israel was created on top of Palestinian land. Then 1967 brought the illegal Israeli Occupation of what remained of historic Palestine–the West bank and Gaza. Imagine 40…60…90 years of this! All these years of deportation from your home, fear, house demolitions, harassment, destruction of farmland, collective punishment…and the list goes on and on…
And Rachel saw this four years ago in Gaza. Writing through e-mail she said,
“I have been in Palestine for two weeks and one hour now, and I still have very few words to describe what I see. It is most difficult for me to think about what’s going on here when I sit down to write back to the United States. Something about the virtual portal into luxury.”
“I have bad nightmares about tanks and bulldozers outside our house and you and me inside. Sometimes the adrenaline acts as an anesthetic for weeks and then in the evening or at night it just hits me again – a little bit of the reality of the situation. I am really scared for the people here.”
And then Israel came to bulldoze a house in Rafah, the town where Rachel was staying. Unfortunatley, the house of the civilian Palestinian stood in the zone of Israel’s Wall. Israel claimed that under the house, Palestinian militants were using tunnels to smuggle weapons from Egypt. No tunnels have been found.
So, Rachel, with her bullhorn and bright orange jacket stood affront the house. And chills go through me every time I think about what was going through her mind at that time.
“You’re gonna stop… This bulldozer is going to stop!”
But the bulldozer didn’t stop. Instead, the bulldozer, manufactured and distributed by the American corporation “Caterpillar,” moved forward. The Israeli driver did not stop for her screams. He did not stop for her bright orange jacket or when the other human rights volunteers rushed forward, flailing their arms. No, the driver buried her underneath tons of steel and earth, and then wheeled the monstrous Caterpillar back over her, crushing her for a second time.
Yesterday, in the village of Bil’in in the West Bank, there was a small vigil for her in commemoration of her life and resistance. Bil’in has a wall running thourgh it, separating Palestinians from their farmland. 60% of the farmland has been annexed into Israel due to this Wall. For over two years, Palestinians, Israelis, and international non-violent activists have demonstrated in solidarity against this Wall.
Banners in honor of Rachel were seen scattered throughout the demonstration.
We marched to the wall where the Israeli Occupation Forces were waiting for us, as they usually are. The tactics they use to our non-violent demonstrations vary. Some walked past the razor wire to get closer to the farmland on the other side of the Wall. Others stayed back.
The IOF responded by beating people with their batons and pushing demonstrators to the ground or dragging them along it.
After the fog from the tear gas, sound bombs and rubber bullets cleared, it was realized that four people had been arrested, including Palestinian and Israeli demonstrators, and 7 were injured, including a Palestinian journalist.
Another peaceful demonstration achieving a violent response from what Israel calls their Israeli “Defense” Forces. But those who are living under Occupation and those who come to witness see their true colors.
Rachel saw this in Rafah four years ago. And those of us here now, continuing non-violent resistance to the longest-standing Occupation of our time, see these crimes. And many wonder when the rest of the world will realize that their luxury comes at a heavy price to others across the world.
There has been no justice for Rachel to date. And the crimes against the Palestinians continue to multiply as the international community turns its back.
After the demonstration I headed down to Hebron. My eyes were stained with tear gas residue and the smell seeped from my clothes. But I wanted to end this day on a happier note, for Rachel, and for the kids in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron who are living under Israeli military control, and whose neighbors happen to be the most right wing, extremist Israeli colonialists in all of the West Bank.
So I met up with Katie to have our first TRCDP Reunion.
The Tel Rumeida Circus for Detained Palestinians is a circus group that Katie and I co-founded last summer in response to the abuse and harassment placed upon the Palestinians in Tel Rumeida.
More about TRCDP can be found at: http://trcdp.livejournal.com
The kids were so excited to see us back there to do our weekly Friday fire performances. Unfortunately, Palestine is squeezing out the last of its snow and rain and the show wsa postponed due to weather. Kinda’ hard to do fire performance in the rain.
But we will be back, and invite all of you to come and see us, coming to a checkpoint near you!
But for now, time for us to get to work. To continue the work of non-violent resistance, be it through writing, photographing, protesting, videotaping, circus performing, interviewing…
I wrote this poem for Rachel Corrie and for Palestine,
may we soon celebrate their justice…
Palindrome
Echoing through my dreams I hear the voices of the peaceful masses
As the Tanks shoot tear gasses
and rubber bullets.
And echoing through the televison
I hear the same old lies
As our non-elected president stares coolly at the lens of this tele-prompter.
The strings grew tighter between Bush and Sharon
But Bush only condoned the evils of that Bastard,
While money,
Faster and Faster
and faster
Was shipped to the Rascist State
as hungry people right outside on our streets
Met their fate
with no food…No healthcare…No money….
Ain’t that funny…
Cause echoing through my mouth I say the same old words and I wonder…
Whats that word?
Repition…Repition…
Repetition…
If I say it enough will I reach you?
If I say it enough will I teach you?
If I say it enough, if I preach to you
Will you take what I say and Repeat it?
This tactic semms to have worked for the Administration,
Example:
9-11. 9-11.
9-11.
11th September, 11th September,
11th September…
Remember!…
Remember!…
Remember!…
Remember so I can justify my illegal wars!
Remember so I can pre-empt terror!
Remember so I can be emporer of this planer with
Right hand up to god and
Left hand up to Empire, with
Fingers crossed on Both, I
Pledge allegiance to Umpire
Each and Every Nation on the PLanet ’cause that’s how
HE planned it…
Well,… All for one
And one for all…
I for one can’t stand it!
‘Cause echoing through each and every cell in my body
I feel the desparation caused by Occupation.
Tax dollars manifesting themselves into Caterpillar bulldozers,
D-9 Model,
Specially designed in the United States to
Kill 23 Year Old PEACE Activists
and to Rip through Palestinian Homes,
While a Mother groans,
A Brother phones to tell of his 10-year old sister shot in the head by an Israeli soldier…
Tax dollars transcending themselves into Apache helicopters,
Dropping tons of missiles onto the crowded streets of Gaza.
“Collatoral Damage,” they call it.
I call it “A Shame!”
I call it, “Punishable under International Law
and Conventions of Geneva!”
While a Father grieves, a’
D-9 leaves ANOTHER field of Olive Trees Uprooted!
But violence is rooted in these actions.
Can’t have a fraction of one without the other.
Can’t reach an understanding
When you’re standing on the Landing Zone of and F-16 Bomber,
Branded with the words:
“Made in U- S- A-”
Ain’t no other way to end this viscous cycle…
Ain;t no other day ‘cept for the one in which we are right now…
See, fighting ain’t our pride,
But how can’t we when our kids are dying?
How can’t we when the sounds of all this Crying
Seep into each coming morning?
How can’t we when storming through the streets of:
Nablus
Jenin
Hebron
Qalqilya
Tulkarem
Come tons of tanks and bloodshed?
Fighting ain’t our pride
But being on this Ride, down the road of Genocide,
Is not going to cut it!
It’s not going to cut it the way we cut down these fences!
‘Cause let’s face it…
Echoing from the distance, I hear from out persistence:
Freedom.
Justice.
Resistance can only bring about this.
Echoing from my worldwide audience I hear a silent revolution…
But this silence is tragic…
Think of the magic of noise pollution…
Raise your voices and
SCREAM!
‘Cause echoing from the distance I hear from our persistence:
Freedom.
Justice.
Repeat.
Freedom.
Justice.
Repeat.
Freedom.
Justice.
Repeat!
Jerusalem – Ma’an – The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has successfully exerted pressure on an Irish transport organisation, Veolia, leading them to cancel a contract to train Israeli drivers for a light railway system in East Jerusalem. The railway system will link several Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem to West Jerusalem; the settlements include Pisgat Ze’ev, French Hill, Neve Ya’akov and Gilo.
Veolia is a constituent of Connex, the rail company that is currently building the tramline in East Jerusalem. Connex was awarded the $500 million US contract to build and operate Jerusalem’s light rail system.
Israel had been holding negotiations with Veolia to train Israeli engineers and drivers on the Dublin Luas tramline system. But Irish trade union representatives, in response to the IPSC, exerted pressure on Veolia to withdraw from the proposed project.
British charity, War on Want, reported an IPSC spokesperson as saying that: “This is a small but significant victory for the Palestinian right to self-determination. This tramline, like the Apartheid Wall, is an integral component of Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem. You would expect a tramline to be fairly innocuous, but the lesson is no: when you do business with Israel, you invariably do business with the Occupation. Veolia clearly understand that there is a growing awareness of this within Irish society. People are realising that diplomacy has utterly failed to curb Israeli crimes. We must cut ties with Israel in order to force it to end its Occupation,”
The spokesperson further stated, “Veolia’s position, however, is extraordinary. In cancelling this contract, Veolia acknowledge that the Israeli line is illegal and unsupportable. Yet it is they who are building it! The hypocrisy is inexcusable, and their attempts to deny that they bowed to pressure are laughable. Since the Minister for Transport and the Railway Procurement Agency have ultimate control over who runs the Luas, the IPSC now calls on Martin Cullen and the RPA to cancel Veolia’s contract unless they cease building this illegal tramline on occupied Palestinian territory.”
The IPSC concluded by stating that: “If human rights groups and Palestinian solidarity campaigns can ensure that no country will train Israeli engineers and drivers, then perhaps we can help to ‘derail’ this criminal project entirely.”
The Criminal Investigations Division of the Israeli military police are opening an investigation into charges that Israeli soldiers used Palestinian civilians as human shields during an operation in Nablus two weeks ago.
The inquiry was launched upon the orders of IDF Judge Advocate General Brig.-Gen. Avi Mandelblit.
Palestinians residents of Nablus in the West Bank claimed that during an IDF raid in the city, soldiers illegally threatened civilians at gunpoint. Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled out use of Palestinian civilians in military operations, and specifically banned taking Palestinian civilians on arrest raids.
On February 25, the Associated Press filmed a video in which a Palestinian man is shown accompanying heavily armed soldiers as they conduct house-to-house arrest sweeps.
After the operation, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem published a report in which Palestinian witnesses reported seeing soldiers use a Palestinian girl, 11, and boy, 15, as human shields.
Walking on ‘tiptoe’?
According to witnesses’ testimonies, on the first day of the operation soldiers arrived at a Palestinian family’s Nablus home and instructed the family’s 15-year-old boy to accompany them on searches of three other homes.
The boy said the soldiers pushed him with their rifle barrels and forced him to enter the rooms of the homes ahead of them, to open closets and empty their contents, and open windows.
Contrary to the allegations, at the end of the operation the IDF claimed to have “walked on tip-toe” in its treatment of the city’s civilian population. According to IDF sources, the army performed a widespread military operation in Nablus but within strict constraints.
“We were asked by all ranks to do everything in order not to hurt innocent Palestinians, because it is clear that such an incident would be extremely significant, beyond the level of the division and brigade here,” a senior officer said.
The army noted that nine fugitives were arrested during the raids and multiple weapons caches and explosives laboratories were discovered. One Palestinian was killed, one IDF soldier was moderately wounded and three were lightly wounded.
“Love you. Really miss you. I have bad nightmares about tanks and bulldozers outside our house and you and me inside. Sometimes the adrenaline acts as an anesthetic for weeks and then in the evening or at night it just hits me again – a little bit of the reality of the situation. I am really scared for the people here. Yesterday, I watched a father lead his two tiny children, holding his hands, out into the sight of tanks and a sniper tower and bulldozers and Jeeps because he thought his house was going to be exploded. Jenny and I stayed in the house with several women and two small babies. It was our mistake in translation that caused him to think it was his house that was being exploded…” – Those were the words of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year old peace activist tragically killed under Israeli bulldozers, to her mother.
Dear readers,
As we commemorate the fourth anniversary of the brutal killing of Rachel Corrie, let me pay a tribute to this heroine who sacrificed her life in protest against the Israeli destruction of Palestinian houses in Rafah.
No activist acted more heroically than did Rachel Corrie four years ago when, as recalls Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the Palestinian-led International Solidarity Movement, which Corrie worked for, she died while “attempting to prevent the Israeli military from destroying Palestinian civilian homes. She was raising her hands and yelling at the bulldozer driver to stop. The bulldozer driver paid no attention. … He buried Rachel with dirt, which ended up, obviously, knocking her down. Then he ran over her, and then reversed and ran over her again.”
Nothing can be more heroic or noble than sacrificing one’s life for defending human beings, rights, or noble values.
To those who always attempt to change historic facts in a way that suits their goals, Corrie’s killing wasn’t accidental. The woman sat for about three hours in front of houses belonging to Palestinians, before the driver of the Israeli bulldozer drove over her. She was aware she was going to be brutally killed, but she wouldn’t care.
Rachel; we’ll always remember your loving spirit, your dedication to the Palestinian cause and your determination not to bow before even death in your struggle to aid the suffering population of Palestinians.
Sheikha Sajida,
The Sheikha can be reached via e-mail at Content@Aljazeera.com
