International Solidarity Movement - Page 232 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Day of Rage: commemorating Nakba day in Ni’lin

15th May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al Khalil Team | Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

On Friday 15th May 2015, hundreds of Palestinians from all over the West Bank traveled to Ni’lin for a mass protest commemorating the 1948 Nakba (‘catastrophe’). The local villagers were joined by a large amount of other Palestinian protesters, as well as Israeli and international solidarity activists. There was a high level of media presence. The Israeli occupation forces responded to the peaceful protesters by firing hundreds of tear gas canisters and an excessive number of rubber coated steel bullets. Roughly 12 people were injured, as well as many suffering from tear gas inhalation. Protesters, as well as journalists, were continuously targeted with rubber coated steel bullets.

Protestors in Ni'lin running away from tear gas — Protestors in Ni’lin running away from tear gas – *photo by Haytham Khatib*

After arriving in Ni’lin, ISM activists joined Palestinian, Israeli and other international protesters to mark the 67th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine that started in 1948. The group of roughly 500 people was made up of all ages, including three generations of one local family who have all been active in supporting their community against the Israeli annexation of their land.

The march began after the midday prayer, which took place in the olive groves at the edge of the village, overlooking the segregation wall. Protesters marched towards the wall chanting loudly and waving Palestine and Nakba Day flags. The completely peaceful march was soon halted by Israeli forces who fired tens of tear gas canisters over the entire group using the ‘venom’ (a machine that can shoot 30 canisters at once). The group was forced to disperse but continued to chant and attempted to reach the wall. The occupation forces responded by continuously firing tear gas over the olive groves, reaching hundreds of canisters. The heat from the metal canisters set the dry grass a light, which quickly spread around the olive trees.

Midday prayer in NI'lin — Midday prayer in Ni’lin

For local Palestinians, marching towards the wall is a symbolic protest against the annexation of their land. Construction of the wall began in 2008 and cut off Ni’lin residents from a large portion of their agricultural land. However, protesters have previously faced extreme violence from the Israeli forces resulting in serious injuries and death. The death of a 9 year old child from Ni’lin being one of the most brutal outcomes of Israeli violence towards the local villagers.

The protest continued for three hours in which time tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets were continuously fired at protesters. One journalist was shot in the shoulder, a young Palestinian was shot in the arm, and many more were carried away and treated for excessive tear gas inhalation by the Red Crescent first aiders.

Video by Ni’lin Popular Committee

Hundreds of unarmed demonstrators confront live fire at Kafr Qaddum on Nakba Day

15th May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwarra Team | Kafr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine

Today (15th of May), during the Nakba day demonstration in Kafr Qaddum, four young men were shot with live ammunition in their legs. One of the men got a serious bone fracture. Apart from the live ammunition being shot from all directions, Israeli forces fired several rounds of rubber coated steel bullets, tear gas and stun grenades. Throughout the protest, the Israeli military forces used a skunk truck to force the demonstrators back from reaching the closed road; closed since 2002 due to the building of the settlement Kedumim. ISMers in the demonstration saw houses and gardens being sprayed, and a boy as young as four crying, covered in the noxious chemical skunk ‘water’.

Israeli forces trip young boy over with skunk 'water" - photo by Ahmed Nazzal — Israeli forces knock down four year old with skunk ‘water” – *photo by Ahmed Nazzal*

Before the prayer had started, which end usually marks the beginning of the demonstration, soldiers attacked the gathered crowd with the chemical-laced water from the skunk truck. About 200 protesters marched up towards the closed road and were chanting words of freedom. 67 years later, the Nakba is still going on. They were soon met with rubber coated steel bullets and more skunk water.

Demonstrators assemble at Kfar Qaddum on Nakba Day

The Israeli military fired tear gas and several protesters suffered from its inhalation and its blinding effect. The military then fired sound bombs and also started firing live .22 calibre ammunition. Anas, 25 years old, was hit with one of these live bullets in his leg, fracturing it. Within a few minutes, Odaye, 21 years old, had both legs pierced from the side with one of them too – the bullet first went through one leg and then into the other. Joseph, 23 years old, was hit by two bullets in the leg. He was brought in to the hospital with a regular car as both of the ambulances had already left with casualties. Bilal, 22 years old, was also hit by a .22 bullet in his leg. He was also ferried to hospital in a private car. When the soldiers retreated, the youth continued the protest with burning tires – the smoke from the demo drifted up towards the illegal settlement of Kedumim.

Protestor shot in his leg with live ammunition

The villagers of Kafr Qaddum demonstrate weekly against the closure of the road between their village and Nablus, since 2002. The Palestinians are not allowed to travel the most direct route to Nablus, 13 km away, due to the positioning of nearby illegal Israeli settlement Kedumim. The commute to Nablus from Kafr Qaddum has now doubled.

Wounded protester rushed to hospital from Kfar Qaddum

Today’s demonstration at Kafr Qaddum was just one of many large scale demonstrations held in commemoration of Nakba Day. The Nakba is the Palestinian name for the ethnic cleansing of the vast majority of Palestinian Arabs from Historic Palestine in 1948. The systematic massacres and expulsion of some 700,000 Palestinians and the destruction of 500 villages by Zionist paramilitary groups paved the way for the creation of Israel as an ethnically and ideologically ‘Jewish State’.

Mirrors used as a distraction to Israeli's violent forces - photo by ‎المسيرة__كفرقدوم‎ — Mirrors used as a distraction to Israeli’s violent forces – photo by
‎المسيرة__كفرقدوم‎

The ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians by Israeli zionists did not stop in 1948. Both within the recognised boundaries of the Israeli state and within the illegally Occupied Palestinian Territories, Palestinians are struggling daily against expulsion and land theft. In Kafr Qaddum, as in the rest of Palestine, Israel’s attempts at ethnic cleansing are being resisted.

South African students protest against Woolworths

15th May 2015 | Congress of South African Students | Welkom (Free State), South Africa

On Nakba Day more than 10 000 South African School Learners March Against Woolworths over Israel Trade.

More than 10 000 South African school learners protested earlier today against Woolworths Stores over its Israeli trade. The #BoycottWoolworths protest was led by the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) in the Free State. COSAS represents school children in all 9 SA provinces and is arguably the largest school learner organization in the country. Click here for photos from today’s COSAS protest against Woolworths.

Thousand protest against Woolworth in South Africa

The 15th of May was chosen for the protest to also mark the 67th year of the Palestinian Nakba “Catastrophe” (the 1948 establishment of the modern State of Israel that was the start of the displacement and oppression of the indigenous Palestinian people).

According to COSAS Free State, the protest march by COSAS against Woolworths is “in solidarity with the people of Palestine who continue to experience the harshest form of apartheid by the Israeli regime”. Sipho Tsunke of COSAS Free State said: “We are therefore mobilizing all young people and parents to boycott Woolworths which continues to have relations with Apartheid Israel. We will not be misled by Woolworths and their silly PR campaigns for example their MySchool programme or that of bringing USA musician Pharrell Williams to South Africa. We are telling Pharrell Williams, as school learners of South Africa, to cancel his shows in South Africa until Woolworths ends its relations with Israel.”

left: COSAS protest in 1985; right: COSAS protest today

Today’s protest march started at Thabong Community Center at 09h00 and ended at Goldfields Mall (where Woolworths store is located) in Welkom in the Free State. The protest, according to police estimates, drew between 10 000 and 13 000 young learners from various areas in and around the Free State province of South Africa. Further COSAS protests against Woolworths are due to take place in coming weeks in other provinces.

In August 2014 a call for the complete boycott of Woolworths until it ends its Israeli trade links was made by BDS South Africa, COSATU, ANC Youth League, MJC, SACP, YCL, SASCO, PSA, COSAS and various others including the National Coalition 4 Palestine (a coalition of more than 30 organizations, trade unions and other groups). An independent #BoycottWoolworths impact report by a Wits University researcher has found that Woolworths is losing over R30 million (close to R8 million per month) since the start of the BDS #BoycottWoolworths campaign. According to the report the actual impact “could be in the hundreds of millions”.

Action alert: Susiya village at high risk of demolition

11th May 2015 | Operation Dove | At Tuwani, South Hebron Hills, Occupied Palestine

POPULAR STRUGGLE COORDINATION COMMITTEE
AND
POPULAR STRUGGLE COMMITTEE OF SOUTH HEBRON HILLS
CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE
IN SUSIYA VILLAGE

Where: Susiya Village, South Hebron Hills

When: From now, permanently

What: Popular Struggle Coordination Committee and Popular Struggle committee of South Hebron Hills has just opened the “Solidarity tent” and invites you all to bring your solidarity and your support in order to save Susiya village from the eviction plan. Internationals are also invited to document and to spread the information about the situation in Susiya.

Why: In 1986 the village of Susiya was declared archeological site, its land expropriated and inhabitants were evicted and forced to move in their nearby agricultural land where on 2012, Israel’s Civil Administration distributed demolition orders to over 50 temporary structures. In 2014 the residents of Susiya, represented by Rabbis for Human Rights, sued for a request to freeze the demolition order’s implementation. In 2015, on May 5, the Israeli High Court rejected that request, allowing the demolition of the village.

Now the threat to be evicted and deported again, becomes more imminent for the inhabitants of Susiya.
Please come to participate at the initiative.

Contact: 059 9330164, Hafez al-Hreini
Contact: 054 992 5773, Operation Dove

Read more about the background and the current situation in Susiya here.

Life in a refugee camp – New Askar, Nablus

11th May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwarra Team | New Askar, Nablus, Occupied Palestine

New Askar refugee camp is situated north-east of Nablus in the Askar area. It was created in 1965 to accommodate the increased number of refugees who were living in (old) Askar Camp that was established in 1950 after hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced from their homes in the Nakba. This ethnic cleansing of 1948 was part of the creation of Israel. The camp has since grown to a total of 6.000 people living on an area of 0.5 km². This high density creates both a claustrophobic and at time a dangerous environment.

Located in Area C, under full Israeli control, it does not have the status of a refugee camp. This means that if the occupation was to end and refugees were able to return to their hometowns, those living in New Askar would not be given this right. They cannot take part in the elections of Nablus municipality either. Instead, the camp has its own internal government and elections take place every two years. All political parties, except for Hamas, are represented and currently there are nine elected men and two women.

But although the camp has a good level of self-organisation, many problems remain unsolved; one of the main ones being drugs. The camp is plagued with drug dealers and as it is located in Area C, there is no presence of Palestinian police. The camp is also open to local settlers, Israeli soldiers and Samaritans to come and buy whatever they want.

Another issue is health. Until 2007, there were no public services and even today they are extremely limited. Islamic Relief in the US and the Norwegian government have helped provide for a clinic and a school. However, there is only one doctor for the whole of the camp’s population and there is no help from the Palestinian Authority, their presence is only seen at times of election.

The director of the youth centre, Nasser, explained to us that all children of the camp, (60% of the population), are now able to have primary education on site, whereas they have to travel to Nablus for their secondary education. “We need to build the minds of our children, explain their real history which has been denied them for so long.” And their history has been politically very active, as is the case with most refugee camps. Throughout both the first and second Intifadas, the majority of resistance fighters came from the camps, which endured a particularly significant Israeli military presence. During these times, New Askar withstood high levels of structural loss, 65% of its youth was arrested and at least 200 residents were injured and 30 were killed. Many years later, the living conditions remain challenging and unemployment has reached 70% of the adult population.

"We will return". The camp's walls are covered in graffiti of resistance — “We will return”. The camp’s walls are covered in graffiti of resistance

Living in such an intense area, as much demographically as socially, a community full of gossip and internal problems has developed. Nonetheless, “Here, no one will go to bed without food or sleep on the street. In the end, we will all help each other out”, comments Nasser.

He continues by saying that he is in favour of one state. “This land is for all of us. We need to share and we have the right to live here, including the Jews, but not the Israelis”. In the past, Samaritans, Christians, Jews and Muslims lived together side by side. But now, “We have become a small Palestine here. People are refugees from all over 48 [term used to describe what is now called Israel], we are refugees in our own country”.