Resistance means to stay in Hebron

Solidarity Day with the Palestinian People: International Presence in the occupied Territories
Interview by Wladek Flakin
Originally published in Junge Welt

An Interview with Neta Golan – Neta Golan is Israeli and a founding member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). She lives in Ramallah in the West Bank.

Q: The UN called for the solidarity day with the Palestinian People on Tuesday. How does your movement support the Palestinians ?

Neta: Our international Solidarity Movement was founded at the beginning of the second Intifada in September 2000. We support the non-violent resistance in Palestine. It’s a joint movement of Palestinians and foreign activists, so called internationals. The leadership of ISM is Palestinian.

There are several projects we work on it in parallel. A focal point is the support for the resistance against the annexing barriers, the walls and the fences who are build around the west bank. We focus on the village of Billin, near Ramallah. For ten months now, there is a demonstration every Friday.

In Nablus we support Palestinian farmers. Together with Israeli groups like “Rabbis for Human Rights” or “Anarchists against the Fence” we go to the fields to pick olives in areas under treat from the settlers.

Q: ISM is also present in Hebron.

Neta: Yes. We have a basis in Tel Rumeida, a quarter of the old city in Hebron where Palestinians live side by side with Settlers under apartheid circumstances. For example Palestinians are not allowed to use main roads, since they are reserved for the settlers. Young settlers throw rocks at Palestinian kids on their way to school. ISM activists accompany these kids to school every day. For Palestinians there, resistance means to stay in the area.

Q: How is the acceptance of ISM and other opponents against the occupation in the Israeli society ?

Neta: There are many defamation campaigns against us. From the foreign ministry, which we are not allowed to sue because of insult or from right-wing extremist settler groups. They publish incredible lies. They wrote about me, that I spent my entire life in a clinic for mentally ill persons.

Q: Israeli officials accuse ISM to support terrorist groups or terrorist acts.

Neta: Everything that happens here, is branded as terrorism by the army. When the British photographer Tom Hurndal was killed by soldiers in Gaza, the first press release from the army claimed that he was wearing camouflage and a weapon. Later they said that he stood side by side with a Palestinian fighter. The truth is, that a group of soldiers shoot at three children on a roadblock and Tom wanted to get them out of the fire line.

Q: How can we support the Palestinians and ISM ?

Neta: I know that it’s confusing, as every story appears in two different versions. Therefore I invite, I ask and I beg everybody to come to this place, in order to witness the reality in the occupied Palestinian territories by yourself.

Palestinian Solidarity Activists Amongst Four Peace Activist Hostages in Iraq


Harmeet Sooden working with the ISM in the Jenin region of the West Bank

CORRECTION: Three of the group of four have previously been in Palestine, not only two as previously stated. James Loney was in Palestine five years ago as an activist with CPT Hebron.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Two of the four Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) hostages in Iraq of whom a video was released today have been in Palestine working as Palestinian Solidarity activists. Tom Fox (54) worked with CPT Hebron and participated in demonstrations against the apartheid Wall in Jayyous. Harmeet Sooden (32) a Canadian citizen who had been living in New Zealand, came to Palestine to join the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in December 2004 and stayed until January 2005. He worked in solidarity with local Palestinian people, mostly in Nablus and Jenin. While in Jenin, he worked with a group of ISM activists who planted Olive trees on the ‘Swithart’ farm outside Jenin, He was committed to come to Palestine for three months to join the ISM again at the beginning of December 2005 as a long term activist for the liberation of Palestine from Israeli occupation, but first decided to join a two week CPT delegation to Iraq.

Palestinians in Ramallah will hold a demonstration tomorrow at 3pm in solidarity with all four kidnapped peace activists and to appeal for their release. The demonstration will be attended by notable Palestinian religious and resistance figures.

Mustafa Jayyousi a local Palestinian activist in Jayyous who knew Tom said: “When he worked in Jayyous, Tom was part of a group who went down to the gates everyday with local farmers to help them access their lands made inaccessible by the wall. He also participated in demonstrations with the people of Jayyous against the apartheid Wall in Jayyous”.

Mohammed Ayyesh a local Palestinian activist in Balata camp, Nablus said of Harmeet: “I was touch with Harmeet and was looking forward to him coming here to work next week. We must do everything we can to secure his release.”

Basem Abu-Bakar a local Palestinian activist in Jenin said: “Harmeet came as a volunteer in solidarity with the people of Jenin. He supported the Palestinian people and the people of Jenin with his presence here, and with his work in New Zealand.”

In an email to his friends Harmeet described the purpose of the four-person team’s work in Iraq as: “providing humanitarian aid in the form of training and documentation of non-violent responses to lethal inter-group conflict. We will also record the current conditions in Iraq, meeting with representatives of NGOs, Christian and Muslim clerics, Iraqi human rights groups and others”. He also recounted a story from Iraq: “A little 3-year old girl, Alaa, ran up to me and gave me a big hug me yesterday. She reminds me of my niece. She, however, does not see as my niece sees. She sustained severe shrapnel injuries to her abdomen and micro-fragments peppered her eyes, face and body during a US military attack in May on al Qaim, Iraq. Her mother lost an eye. She lost two brothers and several other relatives”.

Some of his friends who worked with Harmeet in the ISM appealed to the kidnappers for his release:

Donna: “Since he was back in New Zealand, Harmeet formed a new Palestinian Solidarity Group on Auckland University campus and organised speakers and forums about Palestine. He is a very shy, quiet guy, but very committed and hoped to return to Palestine next month.”

Asa: “Harmeet is a great person – we worked in solidarity with the Palestinian people together. He cares deeply about the plight of all oppressed people and is unequivocally against the occupation of Iraq and Palestine. He has also been involved in work around the conflict over Kashmir and in favour of the right of the people there for self determination. He would never act as a spy for any government. He is a sound peace activist.”

Patrick Connors: “I know Harmeet from when he volunteered with ISM in Palestine last winter. Harmeet is a very good, serious, committed person. CPT is a solid organization, with serious training and procedures, that does great things.”

For more information:
ISM Media office: 02 297 1824

Sabbath Riot by Settlers in Hebron

by ISM activists in Hebron

On the 26th of November in the West Bank, a large number of armed Israeli Settlers visiting Hebron for the commemoration of the Biblical character Abraham’s burial of Sarah broke Palestinian property and assaulted Palestinians. The rioting Settlers, numbering some one hundred and sixty people rioted in the ‘H2’ area of Hebron, so designated after the Oslo Two Peace Accord and the Hebron Protocol. ‘H2’ is that area of Hebron under Israeli civil control as opposed to the larger more populated ‘H1’ area which is under Palestinian Authority civil control. A large number of Palestinian families still remain in this Israeli controlled (and Settler occupied) ‘H2’ area and are subject to daily intimidation by local Settlers and Israeli military restrictions. International Human Rights Observers (HROs) remain in Tel Rumeida (H2) and daily escort Palestinian children to school and accompany the adults about daily errands.

Large numbers of Settlers began roaming the streets of H2 around midday. The majority were teenage youths. Initially, they shouted obscenities and spat at passing Palestinians. Around two thirty in the afternoon, a large fight broke out between the mob gathered at the top of Tel Rumeida street and the sons of several Palestinian families who were standing outside their house. One son received a fractured collarbone and another was badly beaten. The Israeli military had quickly arrived to keep Settlers away from the Palestinians, however they were greatly outnumbered by Settlers and were unable to break up the mob or prevent much of the stoning. After the Palestinians fled into their homes, attention then turned on the nearby home of the Human Rights Observers and for over two hours, five of them, with a German photojournalist remained locked indoors while their apartment was stoned and obscenities and death threats yelled at them. Another three HROs unaware that their nearby home was under siege tried to escort a single Palestinian student through this crowd and were beaten until the Israeli soldiers pulled them out.

Large numbers of the Settlers carried automatic weapons. Members of the Settler Militia were particularly aggressive toward the Western HRO’s throughout the day often shouldering and tripping them in an effort to provoke them. The HROs reported twelve separate incidents of physical assault including grabbing, pushing, shouldering, tripping and knocking one person to the ground. The mob toward evening moved along Tel Rumeida street entering Palestinian property, preventing returning Palestinians from entering their houses, breaking windows and beating on doors. The Israeli military closed a checkpoint which allows Palestinians from H2 to access H1 for over two hours while the mob paraded and Palestinians were also prevented from accessing their homes in H2 from the south. It was observed that television journalists were prevented by an Israeli soldier from entering the H2 area to film the riot and the Settlers that surrounded the soldier. Settlers remained on the street until sunset when the Sabbath fast ended.

Although the Israeli Police were called on over eight separate occasions during the day, their presence on the street was minimal and was of short duration when they did arrive. Only one Settler was seen to be detained. It was left to a small number of Israeli soldiers to hold back the Settlers. Nevertheless, many windows, doors and rooftop water heaters were smashed and Palestinians stoned, beaten and intimidated by Settlers. Despite repeated pleas, Police and army numbers remained minimal thus giving these armed Settlers free reign to roam the streets of ‘H2’ and continue the process of intimidation toward its Palestinian residents, a process which has the ultimate goal of evicting them from their homes. On Shuhaddah street adjacent to Tel Rumeida alone only eleven out of the fifty two families remain. One more family is currently trying to leave. Despite the recent high publicity Gaza pullouts, the remainder of the Settler community continues to use violence and intimidation to expand and consolidate unabated.

ACCIÓN URGENTE. ACTUALIZACIÓN SOBRE LOS PRESOS DE BIL’IN.

El 27 de Noviembre, a las 2’30 de la mañana, un gran despliegue militar israelí, acompañado por lo policía de fronteras entró en el pueblo de Bil’in. La policía de fronteras se dirigió a la casa de Mohammed Hashem Burnat, preguntando por su hermano de 25 años, Farhat. Al no encontrar a Farhat, ordenaron salir a la familia, incluidos 8 niños y un bebe de 10 meses, fuera de su casa, apunta de pistola y comenzaron a revolver todo en la casa, amenazando con volver cada noche hasta que encontraran a Farhat en casa.

Las fuerzas israelíes entraron en la casa de Mohammad Ali Burnat y detuvieron a su hijo mayor, de 19 años, Saji Burnat. Sus tres hermanos más jóvenes de doce, diez y siete años, se despidieron de él mientras era esposado, le tapaban los ojos y era introducido en un jeep. Saji es el decimoctavo habitante de Bilin separado de su familia en una serie de ataques nocturnos dirigidos por el ejército de Israel y la policía de fronteras, desde el 21 de Octubre cuando los habitants de Bil’in, en una acción directa noviolenta, desmontaron parte del muro de anexión que está siendo construido sobre su tierra.

Situación de los detenidos en días anteriores.
El 24 de Noviembre, un juez militar decidió que Ashraf Abu Rahme, conocido como Dubbah, continuara detenido hasta el final de los procedimientos judiciales. Dubbah, grande y querido activista noviolento, sufre de severas desventajas para el aprendizaje. Los interrogatorios de los servicios secretos y del ejército israelí, incluyen tortura física y psicológica. El abogado de Dubbah, Mahmud Hassan y Firas Sabar de Addameer(Asociación Palestina de Apoyo a Presos y por los Derechos Humanos) se presentaron en el Juzgado Militar con documentación sobre la condición de minusválido de Dubbah’s. En respuesta y como expresión de lo que las autoridades de la Ocupación consideran benevolencia, el juzgado dio instrucciones para que un médico militar le examinara en un mes.

Hamza Samara, de 21 años fue liberado bajo fianza de 10.000 shekels, el pasado Viernes, 18 de Noviembre, gracias a los fondos donados al Movimiento de Solidaridad Internacional de Palestina para asistencia legal que han hecho posible su liberación. Durante los 25 días en prisión, Hamza fue objeto de torturas en varias ocasión. Para más información sobre Hamza ver: https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2005/11/20/21-year-old-palestinian-tortured-in-iof-jail/

Fadel Awad Ali Yasin, padre de dos hijos, e Issrar Samara han sido puestos bajo custodia, desde el 24 de Octubre y comparecieron ante un juez militar en la base militar de Oler, el 29 de Noviembre.

Khelmi Abu Rahme, de 19 años está bajo custodia desde su arresto, y tendrá juicio el 25 de Diciembre.
Wajdi Khatib de 17 años, Jawad Khatib de 19 años y Farai Yasin de 19 años, están detenidos desde el 23 de Octubre y serán juzgados el 8 de Enero de 2006.
Abdullah Ahmed Yassin de 14 años, Tour Mahmoud Yassin de 19 años, Nayes Gazzi Al Katib de 18 años, Basem Ahmed Issa Yassin de 28 años, Khalid Shokat Al Katib de 20 años, Baasil Shokat Al Katib de 21 años, Hasan Awad Yassin de 26 años y Mohammed Omran Katia de 23 años fueron sentenciados a prisión con penas de entre dos y cuatro meses con una multa adicional de 1.000 shekels. Están detenidos en el Centro de Detención Militar de Ofer y en un Centro similar en Ketsiot, en el desierto de Nakab.

Para más información acerca del uso de la tortura en las prisiones israelíes ver: http://www.stoptorture.org.il/eng/

LO QUE PUEDES HACER PARA AYUDAR:
¡Enviar una carta!. Prestar tu voz para aquellos que son silenciados. Exige la liberación de los hijos de Bil’in detenidos por el ejército de Israel por participar en acciones noviolentas contra la construcción de un muro juzgado como ilegal por la comunidad internacional. Por favor, enviad una carta siguiendo el siguiente modelo, escrito por Gush Shalom o incluso hecha por ti mismo, en nombre de aquellos que son expulsados de Bil’in.

Querido Señor,

El pueblo de Bil’in, como en otros lugares, está intentando cambiar la lucha que está teniendo lugar entre sus pueblos, transformando la violencia hacia los caminos de la noviolencia. Ahora, tengo conocimiento de que el ejército de Israel ha estado enviando provocadores para participar en las manifestaciones de protesta de los habitants de Bil’in y los que les apoyan, para converter estas protestas noviolentas en incidents violentes. Además, he sabido que el ejército de Israel está entrando en el pueblo por las noches y arrestando a jóvenes por participar en manifestaciones contra la confiscación de su tierra. ¿Se entiende con esto que usted prefiere la violencia?. Además, también, he sabido que la ruta de separación del muro ha sido planeada para que usted pueda expropiar la tierra en el lado oeste por la construcción de asentamientos(Modi’in Illit). Este objetivo se justifica usando el argumento de la seguridad. Todo esto está siendo hecho en flagrante violación de la ley internacional, establecida por la Corte Internacional de Justicia de La Haya. Por consiguiente, usted está enviando a sus soldados a tomar tierra robada. ¡No hay justificación para esto!

Yo le apelo para que:

Siga las resoluciones de la O.N.U. contra la construcción del muro de Separación sobre el territorio ocupado de Palestina,
Siga la ley internacional,
Cese los ataques contra Bil’in y libere a los prisioneros,
Ponga fin inmediatamente a las provocaciones violentas.
Aprovecho la ocasión para enviarle un cordial saludo,

Fdo.:

Envía tus cartas a:
1. American Consulate, Jerusalem, Email: jerusalemacs@state.gov, Fax: +972-(0)2-627-7230

2. European Union, Jerusalem, Email: mailto@delwbg.cec.eu.int, Fax: +972- (0)2-532 6249

3. UN Special Coordinator, Gaza, Email: unsco@palnet.com, Fax: +972-(0)8-282-0966
or S/SMEC, Office of the Special Middle East Coordinator Fax: +1-202-647-4808

4. White House Comment Line: +1-202-456-1111

5. State Department Bureau of Public Affairs Comment Line:
+1-202-647-6575

6. Minister of Justice Tzippi Livni
Ministry of Justice
29 Salah al-Din Street Jerusalem 91010
Israel Phone: +972-2-670-8511
Fax: +972 2 6285438/6288618
E-mail: sar@justice.gov.il, mancal@justice.gov.il, pniot@justice.gov.il

7. Brigadier-General Avichai Mendelblit – Head of the military’s legal branch
Fax: +972 (0)3-569-4370

8. Colonel Yair Lutstein – Legal adviser for Judea & Samaria command
Fax: +972 (0)2-227-7326

b) Envía dinero para la liberación de la juventud de Bil’in. Por favor, haz tus aportaciones al Fondo Legal del Movimiento de Solidaridad Interacional para ayudarnos a conseguir la liberación de los encarcelados. Las aportaciones pueden hacerse a través de la web del I.S.M. www.palsolidarity.org/main/donations/, o por cheques enviados a
ISM – USA PO BOX 5073
BERKELEY CA 94705-0073
USA

Por favor, los cheques para “MECA(ISM-USA Fund). La Alianza para los Niños de Oriente Medio la patrocinadora fiscal del I.S.M. U.S.A.. Es una organización no lucrative. Su número de exención de tasas es el 94-3074600. Si tu organización puede recaudar dinero, por favor, escribe a info@palsolidarity.org. Agradecemos al abogado israelí Tamar Peleg de Hamoke y a la organizaciónde apoyoa a los presos palestinos Addameer que han prestado sus servicios y representado a los activistas de Bil’in.