International Solidarity Movement - Page 489 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Amani al Khandaqja, defender of prisoner rights, becomes a prisoner herself

by Robin and Axel

21 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Amani’s father displays the photo of his daughter, Amani, who was taken away by the Zionist military earlier this week.

Early Monday morning, on the 20th of March, Israeli soldiers raided a Palestinian home in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, terrorized a family and arrested a young woman named Amani Al Khandaqja.

The soldiers arrived at 2am, whilst the family was sleeping, they surrounded and then entered the house. One of Amani’s brothers was awoken by loud voices outside his window, upon looking out he saw a number of soldiers interrogating members of a neighboring household.

As he ran to wake up his father, Saleh, a series of loud, hard bangs could be heard on the front door of the household. After repeated banging, Saleh went down to open the door, and the Israeli Occupying Forces violently forced entry into Amani’s home. The entire family of 9 were forced onto the roof of their own home with their hands held above their heads and held at gun point.

According to Saleh, the trespassing soldiers were nervous and twitchy, making the situation unpredictable and terrifying for the entire family who, suffice to say, felt severely threatened.

“I asked for permission to sit down as I have problems with my knees,” explains Saleh. “This request was denied.”

While the family was interrogated on the roof, soldiers ransacked the house with dogs, justifying this brazen act of terrorism with the unsubstantiated and unlikely claim that Saleh’s family home might contain weapons or explosives.

The soldiers asked Saleh repeatedly about his imprisoned son, Bassem, who has been held in Israeli prison since the second Intifada. Amani herself was also mentioned by the soldiers as they claimed she had been writing about the Palestinian struggle for equality and rights on the Internet and had been active in the support of political prisoners.

In an interview with her father, he described her as an incredibly brave person with an extraordinary passion for the Palestinian struggle for the most basic of human rights. In any event it was clear she was wanted by the Israeli’s primarily for the fact that she had dared to put her thoughts and feelings in print concerning the illegal Zionist occupation of Palestine.

After two hours of interrogation, harassment and threats, the soldiers decided to arrest Amani despite the fact that they did not find anything in the house and were unable to produce any material sufficient to press charges.

As her father emphasized, “I am not worried about her destiny because she has done nothing wrong and can’t be held guilty of any crime. But my heart is breaking from her being taken away from us.”

Despite the fact that Amani has not been accused in a court of law, let alone found guilty of any crimes, there is a great possibility that she will be held for a long time nonetheless.

The biased Israeli legal system allows for what is euphemistically referred to as “administrative detention,” a law adopted from the British Mandate era that allows for the confinement of persons without charge or trial. Under this law a person can be held in prison for six months at a time, without being put in front of a judge or even being formally suspected of a crime. After six months, the procedure can be repeated and therefore one can be, in effect, held for an indefinite amount of time.

Throughout Amani’s arrest the IOF soldiers repeatedly made clear their Zionist ideology and how they viewed her hopes for a free Palestine:

“This is not Egypt, Tunisia or Libya. A popular uprising, leading to a revolution is not possible in Israel.”

With these chilling words, and not-withstanding the irony of Israeli soldiers comparing their own country to one of the many U.S backed dictatorships that dot the region, Amani was handcuffed and dragged into the bracing night air, away from her broken home and devastated family.

Robin and Axel are volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed)

This Occupation is brought to you by Corporate America

by Paige

23 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

During a recent demonstration in Hebron (Al Khalil) demanding the opening of Shuhada street, protesters were subjected to something that could only have been thought up in the United States – a weapon which comes with its own commercial. Amid the sound of concussion grenades exploding, an automated voice announces: “This is a test of the long range acoustic device, LRAD, from American Technologies Corporation.” The strange automated message serves as a reminder that the Israeli occupation is not just a local or regional issue but one with important international dimensions.

The fate of Palestine has, for most of its history, been subject to the geopolitical and economic interests of powerful states. During the wane of Ottoman power, Palestinians, along with other Arabs, revolted against Ottoman rule in alliance with the British in exchange for a promise that Britain would recognize the independence of Arab states. At the same time Britain made a deal with France, known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement, to divide the Ottoman ruled territories among themselves.

That is exactly what happened when the League of Nations implemented the mandate system following the end of the second world war and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. France was given domain over what is now Lebanon and Syria, and Britain over Palestine, Jordan and Iraq. The Ottoman empire defeated, with the help of Arabs promised self-determination in return, France and Britain were free to divvy up the Middle East and realize their colonial ambitions.

With the birth of the Zionist movement there was yet another European colonial project with its sights on the land of Palestine. Zionism was inspired by European colonial concepts like “terra nullius”, racial superiority over the native population, and expulsion of this population through what was euphemistically referred to as “transfer.”

Ben Gurion, one of the founders of modern political Zionism, expressed his enthusiastic support for ethnic cleansing in 1937 when he wrote “In many parts of the country new settlement will not be possible without transferring the Arab fellahin. . . Jewish power, which grows steadily, will also increase our possibilities to carry out the transfer on a large scale. You must remember, that this system embodies an important humane and Zionist idea, to transfer parts of a people to their country and to settle empty lands.”

With European colonial concepts, funding from Europe and America, weapons and the Balfour Declaration from Britain, Zionism was far from a local project. European and North American leaders saw the establishment of a Jewish state in the Middle East as advantageous, as a bulwark against “Asian barbarism” and a proxy state that could represent British, and later American, interests in the region.

American and European leaders with this same mindset would later pressure the UN General Assembly into supporting the 1947 partition plan.

Since the end of the second world war the most important source of support for Israeli crimes has been the American government. Between 2000 and 2009, the United States gave Israel $24.1 billion of military aid, including more than 670 million weapons and related equipment such as tear gas canisters, bulldozers, white phosphorous, ammunition and F16 fighter jets. During roughly the same period Israel killed at least 2,969 Palestinians and committed countless human rights abuses. One example is the killing of 16 members of the Abu Halima family in 2009 by the Israeli army, who shelled their house with white phosphorous produced by American corporation Tiokol Aerospace. A Human Rights Watch investigation into the use of white phosphorous in Gaza found that Israel’s use of the weapon constituted a violation of international humanitarian law and called on the United States to halt the transfer of white phosphorous to Israel.

The international dimension of Israeli human rights violations is also evident in the global reach of Israeli hasbara, from powerful lobbies like AIPAC to campaigns like Brand Israel, launched by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Toronto in 2008, with the aim of distracting from the occupation by highlighting Israeli culture, technology and contributions to medicine and science.

The implications for international activists are two-fold. First, when your friends, your uncle, or a random stranger challenges your decision to go to Palestine by claiming that “it has nothing to do with you,” tell them that the tear gas canister that put Tristan Anderson in a coma was manufactured in the United States, and that the financial, military, and diplomatic support needed for Israel to continue committing crimes with impunity originates in the halls of our parliaments, congresses and government subsidized corporations.

Secondly, you must remember that volunteering in Palestine is only half the struggle, the real work begins once you step off that plane and go home. That is why supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions is so important – Israeli oppression will never end until its international supporters realize there is a price to complicity. Now seems a good time to teach American Technologies Corporation this lesson.

Paige is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Awaiting release and hearings of local activists, Kufr Qaddoum met with more Israeli violence

by Robin and Leila

23 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Protest against the occupation, Kfer Qaddum, West Bank, 23.3.2012 — Demonstrators take cover as the Israeli army shoots tear gas. Photo by: Oren Ziv/ Activestills.org

It was under a bright, sunny sky that the people of Kufr Qaddoum once again gathered to protest against the roadblock which isolates them from the rest of the West Bank. The past week there had been much frustration and anger since Murad Ashtawi, member of the Popular Committee, was arrested during last week’s demonstration.

To everyone’s suprise, Murad was released yesterday, along with four other prisoners who are locals of Kufr Qaddoum. Ahmad Ashtawi, who was bitten by an attack dog in last week’s demonstration, is still being held captive along with seven other prisoners from Kufr Qaddoum.

Both Ahmad and Murad have their court hearings this Sunday. Murad is accused of pushing a soldier, and Ahmad is accused of throwing rocks.

There was a great turnout of people today consisting of both Palestinians and internationals. Spirits were high as the demonstration moved towards the road block that cuts of Kufr Qaddoum from easy access to Nablus. Marchers were accompanied by music and cheering. When they reached the soldiers blocking the road there was dancing and speeches.

The soldiers immediately responded with excessive amounts of tear gas, which scattered the crowd and pushed the demonstration further back. The military then shot a significantly high amount of rancid smelling “skunk water” at the people and at the homes of Kufr Qaddoum as the skunk water truck entered the village.

Many people experienced an increased amount of tear gas today which resulted in several people suffering from tear gas inhalation and also being hit by flying canisters.

According to the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee,

A delegation of foreign diplomats visited Kufr Qaddoum, south of Nablus, after soldiers sicced a dog at one of the protesters last week, causing him serious harm. During the visit, several of the diplomats suffered from the effects of tear-gas, shot at protesters to disperse the demonstration. Jorge Lobo de Masquita, Representative of Portugal to the Palestinian Authority , as well as a South African diplomat were rushed to an ambulance, where they were given first aid for tear-gas inhalation.

Rubber coated steel-bullets and soundbombs were also used to harm the protesters. Mita, a French international activist, was hit by a canister fired at the crowd as she was running from the soldiers. The tear gas cannisterboth bruised and burned her lower calf.

Robin and Leila are volunteers with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

A family’s nightmare: Beaten and kidnapped by illegal settlers near Qadumim as Israeli military facilitates the crime

by Jonas Weber

23 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

A family of four was kidnapped by settlers on Thursday afternoon while having a picnic close by an outpost near Qadumim. When soldiers arrived at the scene they chased away the relatives of the kidnapped family with tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets alongside settlers throwing stones.

It was around 4.30 pm on Thursday that the El Seddi family, who were eating almonds on their families land in the outskirts of Jit, east of Nablus, was kidnapped by a gang of settlers. The settlers approached the family on four wheelers in a group of about ten young men with their shirts wrapped around their heads to conceal their faces.

The family was dragged down the valley by the settlers who were armed with big sticks, and forcing the mother to say to their children that “this land does not belong to us.”

The youngest of the children, only 2 years old, took no notice of this and blatantly told the settlers what he thought of them in response. The father, Samer received many blows during the descent into the valley, and the day after his face was swollen and patched up.

The little three-year old girl also sustained wounds on her legs, and the mother says that she was constantly being pushed around and taunted by the settlers while carrying her children.

After about half an hour Samer’s father Ibrahim and two of his brothers became worried for the family and went to look for them. As they climbed a hilltop adjacent to the settlement they saw how the family was being dragged up the hill towards the settlement.

” They have an old dried out water well by the outpost, we think their plan was to throw the family in there,” said Ibrahim Jamil Khader, who hides a black eye behind a pair of big shades.

When the settlers realized they had been discovered they momentarily released the family who started running towards their relatives on the adjacent hill. Right behind them 25-30 settlers followed. When the family reached the top of the hill adjacent to the settlement, Israeli soldiers had arrived at the scene.

It soon became obvious however that they had not come to apprehend the kidnappers. Instead Samer’s father and brothers had to stall the soldiers and settlers while the family made their way back towards the village.

“As I was talking to the soldiers one of the settlers jumped out in front of them and punched me in the face. I asked the soldiers why
isn’t he here to care about our lives and he answered that ‘We can’t fight these people, they are dogs.'”

The three men were chased off by the soldiers shooting tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets as well as the settlers who threw stones. There have been problems with the settlers before but something like this has never happened.

“No one was prepared for this, says Ibrahim. The children are mentally exhausted, and we are afraid that they will be traumatized by this.”

The military has a different view on what happened that day.

“The official story is that the family was lost in the hills and that the settlers helped them find their way back. They are so full of lies,” says Ibrahim.

Jonas Weber is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Video: Civil resistance in Palestine

22 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

From Nablus, Palestine to New York City, civilians stand up to the forces of order and privilege.
Palestinian villagers confront the Zionist military of the State of Israel in Kusra and Kufr Kaddoum villages near Nablus, the occupied West Bank. The Jewish international opposition expresses its solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom.

MPEG4 format available from the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians saalaha@fokus.name & Tanweer Cultural Enlightenment Forum of Nablus mustafa.azizi@hotmail.com

Mustafa Azizi, the filmmaker, describes his production:

I am Mustafa Azizi, a Palestinian filmmaker from the people under occupation. My art offers images of the resulting occupation, carrying dreams of ordinary people to the world in order to narrate the horror of being under occupation, to look for hope among the rubble of difficulties.

I try to understand the reality converting it to the dreams, I say frankly and boldly what is happening and will happen. From this came this product which was conceived simple and crazy, to say this is my country and this is what’s happening to her. I am responding to what they give me, as a Palestinian. I want to give my opinion. I need Palestine as I want it and as I love it, not as they want to give it to us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxbsziJQZg8

My film is simple.
This film was made because of an increase in the recent attacks of the occupation on the citizens and the various forms of stealing and burning land and killing Palestinian livestock farmers , and because the settlers have become the first line of Israel’s attack against the Palestinian villages.
The idea of this product was to address the world in its own language and explain to it the width of the issue of Palestinian Civil Resistance’s their weekly protest against the expansion of settlements, land theft, occupation. The closure of the main entrances to these villages, and daily attacks from settlers and army.
The film shows Palestinian people working hand in hand with international solidarity activists to move the conflict to a higher level, a global struggle against all forms of racism, humiliation and occupation against the forces of authoritarianism that enslave peoples and loot and steal in order to further colonial objectives. This conflict has become the popular form of expression the world uses against all types of exploitation. The non violent struggle has become a form of the Palestinian model and applies in all the corners of the world: sit-ins, tents and demonstrations against the authority, power and tyranny of monopoly and other types of capitalism that crush the poor.

This film simply connects what is happening in Palestine to what is happening in the world. It also sheds light on a range of other issues and information about the Palestinian issue, which gives us a simplified idea of the conflict here for decades.