The Ridiculousness of Tel Rumeida

by Katie

Here are a few incidents that happened in Tel Rumeida over the last few weeks. Keep in mind that these anecdotes are only a tiny fraction of the daily insanity happening here.

I don’t even blink…

The other day the soldiers at the IOF post near the Beit Hadassa settlement were detaining every single Palestinian man who walked by for up to 45 minutes for ID checks. Why ? “Security.” This is the generic answer you hear when you inquire about any outrageously unfair practice against Palestinians. Part of our work here is to try and get the men released sooner rather than later because the soldiers usually don’t detain the men for as long when we’re pressuring them. It was out of the ordinary for the soldiers to be detaining everyone who passed so I decided I was going to try to warn people to take a different route around the IOF post so they wouldn’t be detained. From down the street I could see a man I knew pretty well and I motioned for him to come over and talk to me. I told him the soldiers were detaining everyone and that he should go around and tell everyone he knew to avoid that IOF post today. What happened next just totally broke my heart because he replied “no, it’s ok, we’re used to it.” This kind of thing is so normal here that people just accept it as part of their life, but its not normal. It’s racist and unfair and it makes me so crazy to see it happening everyday. Even still, I’m getting resigned to it as well. The first time someone pointed his gun at me and cocked it, I was a little bit freaked out, now it happens so often I don’t even blink. I just laugh.

A baby or a bomb?

There’s a metal detector at the checkpoint going into Tel Rumeida that everyone must pass through. Because pregnant women and teachers don’t pose a security threat, the soldiers have orders to allow them to go through a gate instead of through the metal detector. This is so they don’t get X-rayed everyday which is unhealthy if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. There is often a lot of hassle about this policy because soldiers will say they don’t know about the order, or they will make the women wait around for a long time or they just refuse to let them through the gate all together. When the soldiers refuse to let them through, I have seen women leave the checkpoint in order to take another route into Tel Rumeida so they don’t have to pass through the metal detector. This takes them three kilometers out of their way. Recently I saw an obviously pregnant woman waiting at the gate for the soldier on duty to let her through. The soldier was ignoring her and she motioned for me to come over and help her. I asked the soldier if he was aware of the order to allow pregnant women through the gate. He replied he had heard of no such order and that if she wanted to get into Tel Rumeida, she would have to go through the metal detector. He told me he couldn’t be sure if it was a baby under her dress or a bomb (!) This is the kind of insanity that makes me almost freak out, but freaking out at the soldiers doesn’t usually help so I took a few breaths and called the nice lady at Machsom Watch, an Israeli human rights organization that monitors and intervenes in checkpoint harassment. Usually when I call her, whoever is being detained is let go, and sure enough, a few minutes later the soldier got a call and he let her through.

Call the Moussad, they’ve built a house…

Settlers drive cars in Tel Rumeida. Palestinians are not allowed to drive cars in Tel Rumeida. Why ? “Security.” Roadblocks have been set up on roads going into the Palestinian controlled area of Hebron to prevent Palestinian cars from entering or leaving Tel Rumeida. One of our neighbors recently finished building a beautiful house here. When asked how he and his family brought the building materials in to build the house, he explained that they had to bring everything in by wheelbarrow. It took two years. The house is at the bottom of a steep hill and right now the family is building a concrete wall to protect the house from rocks or debris that may fall from the hill in bad weather. They need a car to transport sand and gravel to build the wall. In order to do this, first they must move the concrete roadblocks at the entrance to Tel Rumeida in the middle of the night and second they must distract the soldiers so they do not hear the car. Last night the young men in the neighborhood had to act really loud an obnoxious in front of the soldiers so that they would not hear the car being driven a block away. The next day, the Moussad (secret police) came to ask questions about how the sand and gravel got there. My fellow Americans, your tax dollars go to pay for special missions such as this.

While venting my exasperation about the situation here to F, he told me that compared to the way things were at the beginning of the intifada in 2002, it’s like paradise now. Back then there was a 24 hour curfew that lasted for 100 days. This meant that no one could leave their house unless the army gave them permission. If they were caught in the streets, they would be arrested. I am totally in awe of the restraint and patience demonstrated by the people of Hebron.

We Mourn the Loss of Tom Fox

1-We Mourn the Loss of Tom Fox
2- The Association of Muslim Scholars in Palestine calls for the release of the remaining hostages.
3- Palestinians saddened at Fox’s killing

“Why are we here?”
Reflection written by Tom Fox in Iraq the day before the abduction
2 December 2005
As I survey the landscape here in Iraq, dehumanization seems to be the operative means of relating to each other. U.S. forces in their quest to hunt down and kill “terrorists” are, as a result of this dehumanizing word, not only killing “terrorists,” but also killing innocent Iraqis: men, women and children in the various towns and villages.
It seems as if the first step down the road to violence is taken when I dehumanize a person. That violence might stay within my thoughts or find its way into the outer world and become expressed verbally, psychologically, structurally or physically. As soon as I rob a fellow human being of his or her humanity by sticking a dehumanizing label on them, I begin the process that can have, as an end result, torture, injury and death.

“Why are we here?” We are here to root out all aspects of dehumanization that exist within us. We are here to stand with those being dehumanized by oppressors and stand firm against that dehumanization. We are here to stop people, including ourselves, from dehumanizing any of God’s children, no matter how much they dehumanize their own souls.


The Association of Muslim Scholars in Palestine calls for the release of the remaining hostages

https://palsolidarity.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy/tom2.jpg
English translation of the statement:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
The Association of Muslim Scholars in Palestine deeply regrets the killing of the peace activist Tom Fox on Iraqi land.
We were shocked and grieved to receive news of Tom’s death on the morning of the 11th of March 2006. We renew our call to our brothers in the Swords of Justice group to release our brothers that are still in captivity: Norman Kember, James Loney and Harmeet Sooden.
Signed,
Association of Muslim Scholars Palestine

Palestinians saddened at Fox’s killing

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
https://palsolidarity.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy/Satellite.jpg
Palestinians throughout the West Bank expressed sorrow Saturday over the killing of American Tom Fox, 54, who had traveled to the West Bank to protest for their cause before he was taken hostage in Iraq.
Fox’s body was found shot in the head and chest Thursday near a Baghdad railway station. He had worked with Christian Peacemaker Teams in the Palestinian areas before he began work with the group in Iraq.

Fox, from Clear Brook, Virginia, had demonstrated in the West Bank town of Jayyus against the construction of the security fence and he helped Palestinians pick olives, local Palestinians said.
“Tom used to sit in front of the (Israeli) bulldozers to block them,” said Jayyus’ mayor, Shawka Shamha. “Hearing news that he was killed makes me very sad.”
Sharif Omar also from Jayyus said that Fox lived at his brother’s house for three months while local Palestinians and foreign activists protested against the construction of the barrier.
“I’m very sorry to hear that he has been killed,” Omar said.

Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron also remembered Fox. Neither Fox nor the Briton and two Canadians taken hostage with him deserved to die, said Hisham Sharabati, a human rights activist who met Fox.

“I’m calling for the kidnappers to release the other hostages,” Sharabati said. “This killing harmed the Palestinian and Iraqi causes because the hostages were working for peace.”
The two Canadians – James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden – also worked in the Palestinian areas.

When the four were taken hostage in November last year, the Palestinians’ top Muslim clergyman, Mufti Ikrema Sabri, called for their immediate release.

Non violent activist faces 11th court appearance

By Harrison Healy, Jerusalem

On February 8, Palestinian activist Mohammad Mansour made his 11th court appearance relating to “crimes” committed at a demonstration in 2004. For over a year-and-a-half, Mohammad Mansour has been repeatedly required to appear before Judge Ron Alexander of the Israeli “peace” court in Jerusalem. He has been accused of throwing stones, encouraging others to throw stones and being involved in “illegal demonstrations” inside the West Bank.

Each time the judge has deferred the case. The prosecution has repeatedly asked for more time to gather evidence against Mohammad Mansour, yet despite constant harassment they have find any evidence to support their claims.

At Mohammad Mansour’s previous appearance on February 15, his court hearing was postponed until March 21. On his way home from Jerusalem, Mohammad Mansour’s bus was stopped and he was detained for an hour before receiving two invitations to visit Israeli intelligence. The last time Mohammad Mansour declined such an invitation, intelligence officers went to his father’s house and threatened him with arrest.

Mohammad Mansour attended the interview but no-one spoke to him. They simply kept him waiting for several hours in a small room.

Without reason, the court date was changed from March 21 to March 8. Attending was difficult for Mohaamad Mansour, as his Palestinian ID does not authorise him to be in Jerusalem, forcing him to avoid checkpoints in order to reach the court. The prosecution requested still more time and was granted a deferral until September 10.

Send messages of support to Mansour at mohammad_pal68@yahoo.com

Harrison Healy is a member of the Australian socialist youth organisation Resistance, and is currently working with the ISM in Palestine.

United action against apartheid wall

By Harrison Healy

Since January 2005, there have been regular demonstrations in Bil’in against the apartheid wall being constructed in the West Bank. The wall has divided Palestinian towns, destroyed homes, removed access to fertile land and imprisoned the Palestinian people.

The town of Biddu was one of the villages that succeeded in Its campaign to divert the route of the wall, but five Palestinians lost their lives in that campaign. Four of those killed were shot during the first demonstration, yet the town kept on fighting. Actions in villages like Budrus and Biddu also helped get many locals involved in anti-wall demonstrations in other villages. Nine Palestinians in total have been killed in anti-wall demonstrations.

There are rallies every week after Friday afternoon prayers in Bil’in, Abud and Beit Sira, and since March 4, weekly Saturday demonstrations are organised in Tulkarem, where the wall has cut off nearby villages such as Jubara. The rallies are organised by popular committees in each village and are supported by international solidarity activists and Israelis.

In Beit Sira, people have planted olive trees to replace those the army tore down and in Abud the demonstrations have involved burning army blankets used to flatten the road. In Bil’in, the villagers have organised mock lynchings on the wall, international conferences attracting hundreds of participants and soccer games across the wall. They also use mirrors to reflect messages like “Stop the wall” onto soldiers’ flack jackets.

Bil’in villagers have also constructed two outposts on the other side of the wall, facing multiple illegal Israeli settlements. The army would like to destroy these small rooms. Every night, Palestinians and international activists camp out at the outposts to have fun together and express their solidarity.

The number of villages wanting to take action is growing. The ISM, the International Women’s Peace Service and Operation Dove have all contributed to the success of the demonstrations, along with Israeli activists ho commute to the West Bank each week to support their Palestinian comrades. The impact of the Israeli presence at the demonstrations is significant – an Israeli border police officer admitted in court that police are given different shooting instructions if there are Israelis in protest crowds.

Yet injuries and deaths have still occurred and even Israelis aren’t safe from being harmed. On February 24, 17-year-old Israeli activist Matan Cohen was shot in the eye by a “rubber” bullet (metal coated with a millimetre of plastic) at a demonstration in Beit Sira. He may lose much, if not all, of his sight in that eye. Palestinian demonstrator Hussni Rayan was also shot at close range with a steel rubber coated bullet that entered 8cm into his body during the protest.

Harrison Healy is a member of the Australian socialist youth organisation Resistance. He is currently working with the ISM in Palestine.

Supreme Court Hearing concerning the Matityahu Outpost

This Wednesday, 15 March 2006, at 8:00 am, the High Court of Justice will hold a hearing on the petition of Peace Now and the Head of the Council of Bil’in against the construction of the Matityahu East neighborhood on the lands of the village west of the barrier’s route.

The hearing will take place in Hall D at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, in front of Judges Barak, Rivlin and Prokachya.

In early January, the petition (number 143/06) was filed, after it had been revealed that the new neighborhood is being built against planning and construction laws, and under a new scheme not yet approved. On January 12, Judge Prokachya issued a temporary injunction, forbidding any further building in the compound, as well as banning any new residents from entering the flats.

The petition has direct implications for the barrier. The State already admitted that the route of the fence on the lands of Bil’in was designed to allow the construction of the Matityahu East
neighborhood.

For further information:
Michael Sfard (Attorney): 054 471 39 30
Dror Etkes (Settlement Watch, Peace Now): 054 489 93 51, 02 566 06 48