International Solidarity Movement - Page 1609 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

My Wife is in Jail, Again

by Adam Shapiro

(The following was written by ISM cofounder Adam Shapiro after the June 20 arrest of Huaida Arraf in Bil’in, where she had joined villagers in protesting construction of Israel’s wall on their land.)

Once again, for probably the fifteenth time, I received news that my wife, Huwaida Arraf, had been arrested by Israeli soldiers as she was protesting in the West Bank. This time she was in a village called Bil’in, near Ramallah, that has been the site of weeks of village-wide nonviolent resistance to the wall Israel is constructing on village land. The wall will cut off the livelihood of the villagers most of them are farmers, while the construction of the wall in this village occurs exactly one year after the International Court of Justice ruled on the illegality of the wall as it is constructed on occupied Palestinian land.

The news media covering the Israeli-Palestinian are focusing on the confined, prison-like space of the Gaza Strip. The settlers who are protesting Israel’s disengagement are virtually all from the West Bank. As such, they are completely free to move both in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem), but also in Israel. Clearly they have rights that Palestinians do not, as Israeli settlers move freely through checkpoints, on settler-only roads in the est Bank, and can take over land and establish outposts at a whim. However, they also have rights that average Israelis do not, as they can enter the Gaza Strip, set up protest enclaves and resist the rule of the Israeli government without serious consequence. Israelis who live inside Israel are not allowed to enter Gaza, unless by permit of the Israeli military and government. In fact, these days, even foreigners are not allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, even to work on humanitarian projects, unless the Israeli government first gives permission.

What the media does not report, is that these settlers live illegally in occupied territories; that while the settlers make a lot of fuss inside the Gaza Strip or just outside of it, the Israeli government continues to confiscate and expropriate alestinian land in the West Bank and continues to build a patently illegal wall according to the ruling of the highest international legal institution the same institution that deemed Apartheid illegal and that the future of peace between Israelis and Palestinians is chopped down tree by tree and bulldozed home by home in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Indeed, today my wife sits in prison, the villagers of Bil’in face an imprisoned future, Gazans have already and continue to experience prison, and the major media remains chained to a story that will prove to be nothing more than a chimera in a few weeks time. Meanwhile, the Israeli settlers get to live illegally, continue to heap ruin upon the Palestinian people, and yet are portrayed as victims in our newspapers. Huwaida was clubbed on the head, beaten and dragged on the ground because she sat in the way of a bulldozer clearing land for the construction of an illegal wall that is stealing lives. It is finally time to recognize that it is the Palestinian people who are not free because of Israeli occupation.

Six arrested in Bil’in

ISM photo: Israeli and internationals join Palestinians
in the West Bank village of Bil’in on June 22 in a
march to protest Israel’s illegal barrier which cuts
through a gigantic swath of the village.

Residents of the West Bank village of Bil’in — along with Israelis and foreign peace activists — were chased by Israeli soldiers Friday afternoon during the protest against construction of the illegal barrier being built in the village. As the village was filled with tear gas from canisters shot into various points around the community, at least two israeli activists were kicked by soldiers as they lay on the ground.

Bil’in protesters, known for adding costumes during their demonstrations against the wall, wore masks Friday depicting the faces of U.S. President Bush and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice as they marched toward the wall route along with about 200 other people including several Israelis and other activists from abroad.

ISM photo: ISM and local Bil’in activists construct
masks of U.S. President Bush and National Security
Advisor Condoleeza Rice for a June 22 protest of the
illegal wall construction in Bil’in. Rice was currently
in the region, visiting Sharon at his ranch in the Negev
on Friday and in Ramallah on Saturday.

Before the action, as people in Bil’in donned white caps and T-shirts — reading in multiple languages, “We oppose the wall” — several Israelis traveling from Tel Aviv to join the protest were stopped by soldiers and detained en route. Another 20 Israelis managed to arrive in the village and participate.

Starting just after 1 p.m., men, women and children from the village donned masks of either Bush or Rice and covered their eyes with orange ribbons, the symbol used by supporters of the settlements in Gaza. Several carried a large sign reading “Gaza Disengagement = West Bank expansion.” The orange blindfolds were meant to symbolize U.S. leader’s being blinded from the addition to settlements in the West Bank by the removal of settlers in Gaza.

ISM photo: The march was halted earlier than usual.
Bil’in villagers protest the wall construction twice a week
even though it often ends in being beaten or arrested by
Israeli soldiers. On June 22, the soldiers set up a roadblock
far earlier than before. When the protesters refused to
disperse and remained in place, chanting slogans, soldiers
crossed their own barricade and attacked.

The protest ended with about 15 people being temporarily detained by soldiers. Six people were arrested in all. They were: Jawad Asi, a Palestinian from the village of Beit liqya; Noga Alui and Uri Ayalon, Israelis from Tel Aviv; Marcy Newman and Ted Auerbach of the United States; and Natalia Nueez of Sweden. Asi was kept apart from the others at a police station at the Givatze’ev settlement.

Reuters photo: Soldiers hold down and
detain Palestinian and international peace
activists during a protest of the wall
construction in Bil’in. the wall seizes land
from the village, cuts through farms, and
will cut the village off from surrounding areas.

The arrestees were charged with being in a “closed military area” and of assaulting soldiers. Video footage taken by activists led to the immediate drop of assault charges against all of those arrested. The Israelis and internationals were issued 15-day bans from entering Bil’in.

“It’s ridiculous, because they only call it a ‘closed military area’ after we’re already there. It’s not declared one before that,” Newman said. “The other irony is that we were accused of assaulting soldiers. We were the ones being assaulted.” While two Israelis were kicked, Nueez reported that one of the soldiers began spanking her once the tear gas had been fired and solders began running at the activists.

Reuters photo: Israeli troops detain Palestinian and international
demonstrators during a protest against Israel’s illegal barrier at the
West Bank village of Bilin, Friday, July 22.

Meanwhile, as Palestinians, Israelis and internationals in villages across the occupied territories protested the wall, planned settlement expansion and the closure of much needed roads, Prime Minister Arial Sharon visited the West Bank settlement of Ariel — just after a chat with Condoleezza Rice at his ranch in the Negev Desert about the upcoming Gaza disengagement — making promises to “expand” and “strengthen” the settlement in the near future.

CAMERA CONFISCATION
At least one person in Bil’in on Friday reported soldiers had tried to take his camera while he recorded footage of Israeli activists being kicked. In Nablus, several cameras and film were seized. Being that no physical harm can come to a person by having a lens pointed at them, it’s a logical assumption that the goal is to limit publicity about the harsh treatment soldiers inflict on Palestinian civilians and peace activists. Video footage proved Friday that the charges of assault lodged by soldiers were false. Video footage of a Wednesday protest in Bil’in also showed that it was soldiers who had attacked activists when they tried to accuse a group of internationals of assault. It’s interesting that those who allegedly work to protect a democratic state are so eager to limit free speech by confiscating the tools of free speech.

Reuters photo: About 15 people were
detained and four arrested in Bil’in on
July 22. Six were arrested on charges of
being in a closed military area and
assaulting soldiers. Video footage cleared
all six activists form the charges. Soldiers
are getting more aggresive about trying to
confiscatate video and still photography
cameras.

NOTE: Natalia Nueez has a tilde over the first ‘e’ in her last name. It sometimes gets dropped, depending on the browser.

Israeli Army surrounds Asira demonstrators. shoots one villager

by Sarita Ahooja

Over 250 villagers of Asira, Nablus district, gathered at 10AM this morning to begin the demonstration for free movement and against the military closures that have effected their community since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Israeli Armed Personnel Vehicles, deployed since dawn, surrounded the villagers before they could take Sabaatash road, which leads to Nablus, and reach the roadblock. The army confiscated the accompanying village cars, ambulance and keys, cameras and film, and immediately blocked the entry to several local Arab and International journalists. An officer told Khannan Aljamen, a community leader, that the demonstration was illegal and that he would shoot straight to the head if anyone tried to continue on.

Without warning, a soldier shot a young man in the hip to prove his point. Medical volunteers have reported that the injury is not critical.

Khannan, with some knowledge of Hebrew, also overheard a soldier point out 2 other young men on top of a car. He said ” Make sure you hit them.”

Khannan placed himslef in front of the guns and yelled that they stop the shooting. The soldiers spat on him.

A high ranking officer reiterated, “I promise you, if anyone moves, we will put a bullet through his head!”

During this time, the Israeli army detained and arrested the 10 Israeli peace activists before they could reach the demonstrators. Nine internationals from Canada (including myself), Sweden, USA, and one Palestinian resident of Balata
refugee camp, were detained by soldiers at the Sabaatash roadblock as we headed towards Asira from Nablus to join the demonstration. They claimed that we were playing games with them and demanded to see our passports. They refused to allow us to pass under the pretext that it was a closed military zone.

The villagers were left alone to deal with the violent repression of their protest against the roadblock.

When Khannan asked the officer “why do you allow the settlers to freely move on these lands, and not the Palestinians? What about those sheep over there…are they allowed to move?” They officer replied, “I would like to keep it closed forever, you have no right to move. The sheep can move, they are animals.”

After an hour and half, the army left the village and returned to their military base. The Joursem military base is considered the second largest after the Syrian-Jordanian border military base.

When the internationals finally arrived 2 hours later from another route, soldiers were still roaming among the trees in the surrounding hills. The Israeli acrtivists were released one hour after there detention and returned to Isreal.

Khannan informed us that army jeeps had entered the village the night before and shot gunfire in the air to intimidate the villgers – routine.

We stayed to speak to some villagers that were not attending the Friday prayer before returning to Nablus. The plans for the Thursday July 28th demonstration to open Nablus are now being worked out to ensure international and media presence.

Israel denies access to a caravan for justice in Palestine

by George Rishmawi
International Middle East Media Center

Israel denied access to a group of 130 international human rights and peace activists of the Caravan for Justice in Palestine, who tried to access the country, coming from Jordan, Palestinian sources reported on Friday.

The activists were interrogated for nine hours, according to the source, before they were forced to return to Jordan.

The Israeli embassy to Amman claimed the activists want “to go to Israel to hold provocative activities,” and that “every Israel denied access to a group of 130 international human rights and peace activists of the Caravan for Justice in Palestine, who tried to access the country, coming from Jordan, Palestinian sources reported on Friday.

The activists were interrogated for nine hours, according to the source, before they were forced to return to Jordan.

The Israeli embassy to Amman claimed the activists want “to go to Israel to hold provocative activities,” and that “every country has the right to decide who enters its territories.”

The delegation included members from 18 countries including France, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico and Germany. Three of the 130 strong delgation were children.

According to Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, the soldiers prevented the activists from entering Israel, stamped their passports with a mark that will prohibit them from entering Israel or the Palestinian Territories for the rest of their lives and forcefully dragged them onto busses, which then sent them back to Jordan. Soldiers beat, dragged, and pushed many of the Caravaners and confiscated one of their cameras while they were forcing them onto the buses. Israel brought extra security forces onto the scene to carry out the forced evacuation.

The Caravaners have been on the road for over two weeks on the way from Strasbourg, France, to their destination in Jerusalem to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and to demand that Israel comply with international law, UN resolutions and the International Court of Justice decision last summer that declared the Apartheid Wall unlawful and ruled that all states party to the Fourth Geneva Convention do everything in their power to see that Israel complies with the ruling, tears down the Wall and compensates all victims. According to the organizers, the Caravan for Justice in Palestine is a group of over 150 activists who have made a caravan trip from France through Geneva, Bologna, Trieste, Patras, Athens, Istanbul, Ankara, Damascus, Amman, and many other big cities to reach Palestine.

Along its way, the delegation met with UN and government representatives to plead the case for international law in solving the Israel/Palestine conflicts.

The Caravan members, according to organizers, believe that the application of international law is the key to resolving the conflict, and have decided to produce a strong and united civil society showing in support of it.

Israel has become more active in preventing peace activists from entering the country because of mounting nonviolent anti-occupation activities organized by the International Solidarity Movement and other peace groups that function in the area.

“Every week we bear witness to yet another violent attack by the security forces at the village of Bil’in,”

by, Yoav Stern
Haaretz Correspondent
See the story online at: www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/603111.html

Five people were lightly hurt and five others were detained for questioning during a a demonstration against the West Bank security fence in the village of Bil’in, adjacent to Ramallah, on Friday.

Hundreds of Israeli, Palestinian and foreign protestors took part in the demonstration. According to the demonstrators, Israel Defense Forces troops and Border Policemen sprayed tear gas and fired rubber bullets at them.

Protests have been held in Bil’in for several months to protest the construction of the separation fence on village land. Once completed, the fence will cut village residents off from their fields.

Every Friday, village residents protest, along with left-wing Israeli activists, Arab MKs and members of the Palestinian parliament. Hamas militants, headed by Hassan Yousef, have taken part in the demonstrations, alongside Israelis.

MK Barakeh receives summons over alleged protest violence

MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash-Ta’al) received a summons on Thursday requesting him to show up at the Binyamin police department’s offices to face allegations that he assault a border police officer.

The alleged attack took place at an anti-fence protest outside Bil’in in April.

Sources close to Barakeh said that they have video footage clearly showing it was Barakeh was assaulted by the border police officer, and not vice versa.

Barakeh said that he would not abide by the summons that was handed to him by the Knesset Speaker’s office because the Binyamin police department is situated in the occupied territories.

“If anyone wants to question me they are invited to do so in my office in Nazareth,” said Barakeh defiantly. When summoned to be questioned by police, lawmakers are usually allowed to ask police to question them at their chambers.

“Every week we bear witness to yet another violent attack by the security forces at the village of Bil’in,” said Barakeh. “The victims are not just Palestinians but also the peace activists who are non-violently demonstrating against the racist separation fence. We’ve all seen this week just how differently security forces treated the violent protests of the right (at Kfar Maimon).”