International Solidarity Movement - Page 79 - Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.

Shuhada Kindergarten Stands in Solidarity with Child Prisoners

Human Rights Defenders organised a solidarity campaign with Palestinian Child prisoners in the Shuhada St Kindergarten on Sunday February 4, 2018.

The Kindergarten is close to the Cordoba school in the H2 Israeli controlled area of al Khalil (Hebron). Both the school and the kindergarten have to access Shuhada St. down some stairs through a military checkpoint. Half way up the stairs there is a steel gate which is closed by a rope from the Cordoba Checkpoint on Shuhada St. Unnecessary delays and harassment often occur at the checkpoint on a daily basis.

Cordoba Checkpoint from the stairs accessing Cordoba School and the Shuhada St Kindergarten

The event was a beautiful show of solidarity by the Kindergarten children. 700 Palestinian children are detained, interrogated and tortured every year and currently 350 are imprisoned (Adameer). Various speakers described the plight of the children imprisoned as well as the terrible situation for the many Palestinians living in H2 and the determination of the Palestinians to stand strong. Badia Dwaik, from Human Rights Defenders called upon governments of the world to act against the illegal and immoral occupation of Palestine by Israel. (See the video) The event was run in conjunction with the Dismantle the Ghetto Campaign which aims to mobilize people to engage in nonviolence activities and calls for the removal of checkpoints and the eviction of settlers from al Khalil/Hebron.

Staff and teachers from the Kindergarten delayed at least 15 minutes

After the event, the children from nearby Cordoba School were allowed to leave through the Cordoba checkpoint. But then a settler ordered the army to stop the kindergarten children and staff from passing and the gate was shut. The staff and children were delayed for 15 minutes with no justification.

Activists from ISM and another organisation were then detained a further 15-20 minutes. During this time a Zionist settler was escorted by Israeli soldiers through the checkpoint to video the activists. Other radical settlers harassed the Press below on Shuhada St. while this was going on. After being released another settler made multiple attempts to cut off ISMers with her car as they walked to Checkpoint 56 towards the Palestinian controlled area of H1. She eventually got out of the car filming the activists and calling one of the a “Europa Nazi.” (see video)

Such restrictions of movement, suppression of free speech, intimidation and harassment are common occurrences in al Khalil/Hebron. Aggressive settlers and the Israeli army work together to make life increasingly difficult for Palestinians in H2. The Palestinians are under increasing pressure and some are forced to leave but others manage to hold on in a beautiful demonstration of Sumud (steadfastness).

Israeli soldiers order Palestinian family to halt approved rooftop construction

18th February 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Occupied Palestine

Israeli soldiers confiscate approved building materials adding up to 10,000 NIS from Palestinian builders.

Last weekend, the Sharabati family that lives on Shuada street in Al Khalil were hard at work constructing a metal frame for a roof covering on top of their house which is overlooked by an illegal settlement. Settlers arrived at a gate adjacent to the Sharabati rooftop and began swearing in Arabic, banging on the gate and trying to provoke a response. Palestinians and ISMers ignored this apparent harassment and continued on with the work before breaking for lunch. Shortly thereafter, 12 soldiers including 3 commanders arrived and ordered the Palestinians to halt construction, as they did not have proper permission even though the Sharabati family does have the necessary paperwork. After one hour of talking on their radios and taking pictures of the project and the family, the soldiers confiscated the power tools, equipment and generator leaving the rooftop in disarray.

The Sharabati family have previously tried to make alterations to their roof and faced the same difficulties. Head of the family, Mufid Sharabati, was assaulted five years ago by many soldiers, which resulted in hospitalization and metal plates in his back.

Regardless of having proper paperwork authorizing rooftop construction, the family remained powerless at the word of a few angry settlers and actions of soldiers today. Now they have lost the right to construct on their private property as well as 10,000 NIS worth of equipment. They are prepared to further challenge the soldiers’ unjust actions so they can eventually complete construction.

3,829 illegal settlement housing units in Khalil area were approved by the civil administration just last October, whilst Palestinians cannot even make minor improvements to their own homes on their own land.

Children traumatised when Israeli soldiers raid schools

12th February 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Occupied Palestine

This Sunday, 6 Israeli military jeeps with soldiers entered the village of Hares, southwest of Nablus, in order to raid three schools filled with kids of all ages. Around 10 AM about 20 Israeli soldiers tried to enter the school yards of the two high schools. The pupils were in between classes and all out in the school yard. The teachers managed to lock the gate, so the soldiers stopped and interrogated all the cars and the people passing in the street outside.

Being unable to enter, they then moved on the elementary school. Many of the children were scared and tried to go home, but the stressed out teachers managed to collect them in the classrooms, locking the gate to keep the soldiers out. The new Shabak officer of the region was leading the incursion.

That night, Ibrahim, a six-year old boy from the school came to sleep in his father Issa’s bed for the first time. “He always sleeps in his own bed”, Issa says to the ISMers meeting them. “He asked me if he won’t be able to go to school again tomorrow and when I asked him why he would think not he said ‘Cause the soldiers might come again’.” Issa then tried to convince his son that the soldiers wouldn’t come “But he then asked me ‘Who can guarantee that?’ and all I could do was to persuade him to go to school. He does not seem relaxed and still sleeps in my bed.”

Issa also emphasises how many kids in Hares and all around Palestine suffer from similar traumas. “For sure my son is not the only one reacting like this. There are many children having nightmares and wetting their beds every night as a reaction to the soldiers raiding their schools.”

A few years ago Israeli soldiers entered the schools daily. Around 1000 girls and boys met the soldiers every day, but after the village managed to bring up a case towards the Israeli military, the raids stopped. Now many villagers fear the children will once again get more traumatised.

Ahed Tamimi Returns Before Israeli Show Trial

11th February 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Occupied Palestine

On Tuesday morning, Ahed Tamimi once again was brought before an Israeli military court at the Ofer Military Prison. Despite objections from the Tamimi family and Ahed’s lawyer, all media and foreign diplomats were barred from entering the court room during the trial. The prosecution read the 12 charges against Ahed, to which she declined to respond. The 17 year old, who recently celebrated her birthday behind bars, will remain under administrative detention in Israeli prison. Her next court date is on March 11.

ISM sat down to speak with Ahed’s father, Bassem Tamimi, at the family home in Nabi Saleh to discuss the events of the trial. About the court’s decision to remove the media and diplomats from the court room, Bassem told ISM “[The Israelis] don’t want to show the world it’s just a theatre.” Bassem also told ISM about the poor conditions of Ahed’s imprisonment, but said that his daughter was still strong despite her treatment.

When asked if he had any hopes for the upcoming trial he said “No, they are a state above the law”.

Protest marks 30 years since intifada settler murder

Protesters gather on the closed road in front of the illegal settlement Kadumim

10th February 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Occupied Palestine

Yesterday in Kfar Qaddum Israeli armed forces fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters, luckily without injuries. The 8^th of February marked 30 years since Kfar Qaddum’s first march during the Intifada, when villager Abed al Baset Jumal was murdered by masked settlers. Locals gathered today in honor of Baset Jumal as well as in protest of a road blockage that inhibits access to their village; this road has been closed to locals since 2003. The soldiers also fired several rounds of rubber coated steel bullets, teargas and sound bombs.

The march started after the Friday prayer, with the local Boy Scout group accompanying protesters with drums up the main road. Israeli soldiers had positioned themselves on the hill between Kfar Qaddum and the illegal settlement of Kadumim, and before any confrontations started with the protesting youth, the soldiers started to fire live ammunition.

Local boy scouts group performs drum line to commence the protest.

Throughout the protest the military fired tear gas, sound bombs and rubber coated steel bullets, but as one of the protesters noted, “live ammunition hasn’t been used in this way for six years – fired so much, without any reason and directly at the protesters.”

A protester is throwing back a teargas canister fired by the Israeli army

Murad Shtawie, who is a community leader and organizer in Kfar Qaddum also told the ISM-ers how during the first intifada 30 years ago, the villagers of Kfar Qaddum had one of their first protests where 28-year old Abed al Baset Jumal was killed by masked settlers. Many protests were arranged in the West Bank during this time, and often met by consistent settler violence. On February 8^th 1988, a bus with settlers approached the protest in the east of the village. The settlers were dressed in koffias speaking Arabic, and told the villagers they were on their side. When Abed approached to bid them welcome, one of them pulled a gun and killed him with two bullets – one in the head and one in the neck. The protesters also commemorated this yesterday.

The settler violence is ongoing to present day. About three days ago, settlers from the illegal settlement of Kadumim threw rocks at a farmer north of the village injuring him in the head. He is recovering in the hospital with six stitches.