‘Israeli doctors to train Bil’in protesters in first aid at site of disputed security fence’

Ilana Strauss | The Jerusalem Post

5 July 2009

Physicians for Human Rights will be offering a first aid course on July 11 near the security barrier at the West Bank village of Bil’in for protesters to help them deal with injuries they incur in almost weekly confrontations with what the group’s doctors call an aggressive Israeli occupation.

“In a way, they are going to risk themselves,” said Ron Yaron, director of the international group’s occupied territories department, who explained the need for medical assistance in the West Bank.

“There are medical fields that are not available in the West Bank both due to Israeli restrictions and the entry of goods and medical equipment,” he told The Jerusalem Post.

The Israeli government limits the number of medical personnel who can travel between Israel and the West Bank, he said. Hospitals have to limit the number of workers they hire based on government quotas and medical supplies are also limited. According to Yaron, this “causes many delays” and “patients cannot reach hospitals on time.”

The Palestinian Authority has “not able to provide adequate health care to its residents,” he added. “The health care system still relies on external medical services.”

Yaron explained that the doctors involved in the training hope to provide basic skills in first aid for the protesters so they can “deal with the injuries that they face.”

Well-known Israeli doctors, including Rafi Walden, vascular surgery expert and board member of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, have been involved in the event. Many other highly skilled doctors will be teaching the course.

In addition to providing medical training, Physicians for Human Rights will also be working on a mobile clinic to treat patients who cannot reach hospitals in time. Other Israeli citizens will come to the area to provide medical care for the population.

The first aid course is as political a move as it is a medical one. One of its aims is to show solidarity with the protesters against the Israeli occupancy of the West Bank. As Yaron puts it, “People are wounded by the Israeli army and its use of weapons in an illegal way” on a weekly basis. The aim of the training is first an act of solidarity with the people who fight against the occupation and the building of the wall,” said Yaron.

Professor Zvi Bentwitch, a Physicians for Human Right board member who will be helping out at the event, agrees with Yaron, describing the protests as a “just cause.” Protesters come every week to protest at the Bil’in wall, which has also seen border policemen and other security personnel injured by rock-throwing Palestinians and their supporters.

The training is not intended for the general public, with only protesters – 20 Israelis and 20 Palestinians – allowed to take the course.

Yaron believes that the main problem surrounding medical care is rooted in recent history. “Israel didn’t develop the Palestinian system at all,” he explained. “Israel should bear responsibility [to help Palestinians].”

Bentwitch sees the first-aid course as a positive step in Israeli-Palestinian relations and considers it a “very positive bridge to peace between Palestinians and Israel.”

“I think that even protesters, if they get hurt, should get proper medical treatment,” said Bentwitch.

While he agrees with the Palestinian cause, he emphasizes that his principle focus is helping those in need. “We are doctors and don’t see any differences in gender, religion, or belief,” he explained. “It is one small contribution towards a major goal,” he said. “As a doctor, I am proud to help.”

Ni’lin demonstrates against the Apartheid Wall

3 July 2009

On Friday after the midday prayer, Palestinian residents, with the support of international and Israeli solidarity activists, gathered to demonstrate against construction of the Apartheid Wall in Ni’lin. Demonstrators gathered and marched to the Apartheid Wall, where several cut away razor wire that runs alongside the Wall. Six jeeps were already at the site alongside a large group of Israeli armed forces, who after a few minutes began firing tear gas and sound grenades at the group of protesters.

In response to the violence of the Israeli military, young Palestinian men threw stones at the army’s jeeps. Several people were hit by tear-gas canisters, including one of the medical personnel. The demonstration continued for two hours, as protesters cut the barbed wire around the illegal Wall and Israeli forces shot tear-gas canisters at the demonstrators. In addition to being hit with canisters, several had to be treated for severe tear-gas inhalation and tear-gas residue in the eyes. The group ended the demonstration when Israeli snipers approached.

Israeli forces commonly use tear-gas canisters, rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition against demonstrators.

To date, Israeli occupation forces have murdered five Palestinian residents and critically injured 1 international solidarity activist during unarmed demonstrations in Ni’lin.

  • 29 July 2008: Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 30 July 2008: Yousef Amira (17) was shot in the head with two rubber coated steel bullets. He died in a Ramallah hospital 5 days later on 4 August 2008.
  • 28 December 2008: Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22) was shot in the back with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 28 December 2008: Mohammed Khawaje (20) was shot in the head with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition. He died in a Ramallah hospital 3 days later on 31 December 2008.
  • 13 March 2009: Tristan Anderson (37), an American citizen, was shot in the head with a high velocity tear gas projectile. He is currently at Tel Hashomer hospital with an unknown
  • 5 June 2009: Yousef Akil Srour (36) was shot in the chest with 0.22 caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.

In total, 35 people have been shot by Israeli forces with live ammunition in Ni’lin: 7 were shot with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and 28 were shot with 0.22 caliber live ammunition.

Since May 2008, residents of Ni’lin have been organizing and participating in unarmed demonstrations against construction of the Apartheid Wall. Despite being deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, the Occupation continues to build the Wall, further annexing Palestinian land.

Ni’lin will lose approximately 2,500 dunums of agricultural land when construction of the Wall is completed. Israel annexed 40,000 of Ni’lin’s 58,000 dunums in 1948. After the occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the illegal settlements and infrastructure of Kiryat Sefer, Mattityahu and Maccabim were built on village lands and Ni’lin lost another 8,000 dunums. Of the remaining 10,000 dunums, the Occupation will confiscate 2,500 for the Wall and 200 for a tunnel to be built under the segregated settler-only road 446. Ni’lin will be left with 7,300 dunums.

The current entrance to the village will be closed and replaced by a tunnel to be built under Road 446. This tunnel will allow for the closure of the road to Palestinian vehicles, turning road 446 into a segregated settler-only road . Ni’lin will be effectively split into 2 parts (upper Ni’lin and lower Ni’lin), as road 446 runs between the village. The tunnel is designed to give Israeli occupation forces control of movement over Ni’lin residents, as it can be blocked with a single military vehicle.

Israeli forces invades Bil’in Village and kidnap two youths

Bil’in Popular Committee

5 July 2009

At approximately 4:15 on the morning of 5.7.09 more than 100 Israeli Soldiers invaded Bilin Village. Many of them were masked and all carried automatic weapons.

They attacked several houses and arrested Oda Rebhe Abu Rahma, 20, and Mahmoud Issa Yassein, 17. Upon request the soldiers would not tell their families where they were taking them or the name of an officer in command. Palestinian and international presence questioned the soldiers and dearrested several people who were documenting the kidnappings. This is the third week of night raids in Bilin village. Israeli soldier have conducted night raids almost every night and have arrested seven village youth during this period.

Al Jazeera interview with Mairead Maguire

Free Gaza Movement

5 July 2009

The Israeli prison guards are denying the right for Mairead to access her medicine. Continue to email and call Mark Regev and Shlomo Dror and express your outrage over the treatment of the FreeGaza21 while they are imprisoned. The women have no access to their luggage or their clothing.

Mairead is fasting, not just for her friends incarcerated along with her, but for the 11,000 Palestinians also thrown into jail, many without benefit of trial.

Hear her eloquent interview with Al Jazeera.

Egyptian authorities punish two activists for Palestinian solidarity work

4 July 2009

For Immediate Release:

Natalie Abou Shakra, Lebanon/UK, and Jenny Linnell, UK, two International Solidarity Movement activists who came to Gaza as part of the Free Gaza Movement voyages, both British nationals, were prevented from exiting the Gaza Strip via the Rafah Crossing on the 28th of June, 2009 by the Egyptian border authorities. In addition to having special coordination by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) based on the request of the British Embassy in Cairo, Natalie and Jenny were given approval to pass through the Crossing on the 9th of June, prior to an official opening, by a call from the office of Mr. Yasser Othman from the MFA. Nevertheless, on the 10th of June, they were returned back by the mukhabarat (intelligence services) at the Crossing demanding they both return back when the Crossing officially opens.

On the 27th of June, after more than 18 hours of waiting at the entry gate to the Egyptian terminal on buses packed with Palestinian women, children and elderly people, and patients in critical conditions in ambulances, the Egyptian authorities demanded all be returned back to Gaza. However, the people went down to the gates to peacefully demonstrate and protest against the cruelty, inhumanity and injustice of the border authorities, after which only a few ambulances went in from the dozens present on the Palestinian side.

The following day, the 28th of June, after many hours of waiting, a bus carrying Palestinian passengers, as well as the two activists, were let through into the Egyptian terminal. Palestinians were made to sit on filthy floors in the arrivals hall. There were many mothers and fathers with tired and ill children on their laps and sick, elderly people who lost consciousness, as well as women who begged on their knees to be let through, only to be constantly turned down and screamed at by aggressive Egyptian officers.

A young man who couldn’t speak and who was in a wheelchair, at one point of desperation, hit himself on the chest constantly as he attempted to express himself as they pushed him and the wheel chair aggressively. When an elderly man fell unconscious on the floor, Natalie approached to assist him and the mukhabarat officer who was dealing with their case told her, “I will make sure YOU will never leave Gaza.” “How did you get into Gaza,” asked another officer who saw them sitting on the floor with their luggage. “We came on the Free Gaza Movement boats.” He smiled and said, “So, you don’t need us to answer. You already know why you’re not being allowed out.”

After hours of waiting, Natalie and Jenny were told to enter the mukhabarat office and were asked what they had been doing in Gaza and how they entered the Gaza Strip. A short time later, their names were called out with those on the murjaa’ list (to return back to Gaza). The two activists refused to leave on the basis that they should be told why they were being denied entry despite having been granted permission to do so by the MFA and showing the permits they were holding from the Ministry. No genuine answer was provided. A little after midnight, Egyptian officers surrounded them and forcibly removed them from the Crossing, dragging them across the floor. As they forced the activists out, the man dragging Natalie by the wrists told her, “You’re lucky my shoe is not in your mouth as they would do in Jordan.” When she replied, “All that you have done to the people is registered in notebooks,” he replied to her coldly, saying, “Who will hold me accountable?” [meen hayhasibny] in a sarcastic tone.

The Crossing is the ONLY exit has to the world outside. Shutting this exit in the faces of the Palestinians is a direct participation by Egypt with Israel in crimes against humanity.

The British Embassy in Cairo, after being contacted by the activists, stated that, “We are working on it,” “We’ve seen them [Egyptian authorities] do this before,” “Wait till tomorrow when we can sort things out,”  and “You have everything you need to cross, the problem is from them [the Egyptian intelligence services].”

The activists stated that “…the treatment we were subjected to at the Crossing was a form of psychological and physical abuse. It is a kind of punishment, which the Palestinian people, and all those who stand in solidarity with their rights are also subjected to. The Egyptian authorities at the Crossing violated our basic human rights, something common to the Palestinians’ daily experience. Human rights, both of Britons and Palestinians were callously violated on the 28th of June, not to mention our rights as women, regarding the degrading and humiliating manner in which we were treated. As is evident from the verbal exchange mentioned above, this is a direct message from the Egyptian authorities to the Free Gaza Movement and the democratic will of any person standing in solidarity with the Palestinians. We are human rights activists and what we witnessed and experienced in that Crossing was a violation to every existing right, a crime against humanity, or rather… crimes.”

The activists entreat the British Embassy to “…urge the MFA to investigate what went wrong and to insist that those responsible for what happened on the 28th of June, particularly the intelligence office at the Crossing, provide an explanation as to why such treatment was issued and why we were denied entry despite having previously been granted permission to enter. It is only reasonable that we should know why we endured what we did, whose error it was, and specifically why the permission that was arranged earlier in June was not recognised by the officials at the Crossing, resulting in our passage being denied. It is the duty of the British Embassy to safeguard our rights as British citizens and also as human beings. It is to our dismay and utter disappointment that after going through the nightmare of the 28th of June, we were left feeling so stranded and neglected. Are we also being punished for our solidarity and human rights work by the British authorities? Why are human rights and citizen rights disregarded when an issue relates to the Israeli occupation and the other states which support Israel’s crimes? As a matter of urgency, we appeal to the Embassy to fulfill its responsibility – ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its citizens!”