25 June 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
On Thursday, June 21, Israeli forces confiscated a water tank from a Bedouin Palestinian family in the Jordan Valley, leaving them with no access to water. Three Swedish women were arrested for standing in solidarity with Palestinian women and children who peacefully protested by standing in between the Israeli military and the water tank at risk of theft.
Israeli soldiers deal violently with a Palestinian woman peacefully protesting the theft of her water tank – click to see more photos
The Jordan valley is a fertile are ideal for agricultural production. When Israel took control of the West Bank, it immediately took hold of water resources and began to target Palestinian communities and empty them from the Jordan Valley. The villages left are isolated from each other not only by distance but by Israeli checkpoints, closed military zones, and other restrictions on movement. The Israeli military performs military training in proximity to many communities, putting them at constant risk.
The illegal occupation of water resources has made water access an urgent problem. The United Nations declares water a basic human right. The World Health Organization has declared that each individual need access to 100 litres of water per day, but Palestinians use on average between 50 to 70 litres per day. Many Palestinians in the Jordan Valley however, receive as little as 10-20 litres per day. This is a figure lower than both the recommended daily intake and the absolute minimum daily consumption required to avoid ‘mass health epidemics.’ Families in the Jordan Valley are forced to buy water at incredibly inflated prices. Some households spend 40-50% of their income to buy water from Israeli companies.
“When we came to the Bedouin camp, children were crying and there were a lot of soldiers trying to drag them away from the tractor that they tried to block. There were no men, only women and children, and around 60 soldiers and policemen. The Bedouin men were scared to show any resistance because of the risk of administrative detention,” says Rosa Andersson, one of the women who was later arrested.
The Swedish women were released after 30 hours of arrest and they are now prohibited from being in the West Bank. No one, Palestinian or International, showed any violence. The Palestinian family dependent on the confiscated water tank now has no access to water as the driest season of the year has just begun.
Rosa Andersson and Amina Simonsson are volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed).
2 June 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Sufian, along with his brother Shaban, father Mohammed, and sister-in-law, were traveling from H1 area to H2 area of the Palestinian city of Hebron. The H1 area is home to around 140,000 Palestinians and is under Palestinian authority control. The H2 area is inhabited by around 30,000 Palestinians and approximately 500 Israeli settlers in 4 illegal downtown settlements and is under Israeli military control. To pass into H2, Sufian and his family were forced to go through an Israeli military checkpoint.
Sufian’s sister in law, who is almost 3 months pregnant, asked to not pass through the X-ray scanner n order to not cause harm to her unborn child. She was permitted to go through a different pass. The others went through the scanner and into H1 area, but the sister-in-law was not allowed to exit at the other side of the checkpoint.
Mohammad approached one of the Israeli soldiers on duty and asked him why he was not letting his daughter-in-law exit the checkpoint. The soldier responded by attacking Mohammed physically, pushing and insulting him. There were 10 soldiers at the checkpoint at the time due to a shift change. Sufian asked the soldier why he was attacking his father, for which he was attacked as well. Shaban remained with his wife, still not permitted to pass, as soldiers handcuffed Sufian.
Israeli police arrived on scene and began asking questions. Sufian told the police not to believe him or the soldier, and instead watch the video footage taken by the checkpoint cameras or bystanders. The soldier who attacked the young men claimed that they had prevented him from doing his job. The policemen then left, leaving Sufian and his family alone with the Israeli soldiers. Sufian was shoved into the wall and forced to sit on the ground even though his hands were tied.
“Why are you doing this to him?” Shaban asked the soldier. He was subsequently handcuffed from behind and both the young men had their IDs taken by the Israeli military.
The brothers were taken to the Tel Rumeida settlements and held for 2 hours. Despite the cold, they were made to sit outside. They say Israeli soldiers were inside laughing as they watched video footage of the ordeal repeatedly. Passing Israeli settlers and soldiers threw insults and swore at Sufian and Shaban.
Eventually, a military doctor was brought to examine the two detainees. When the doctor asked if they needed anything, they asked for some water to which the doctor replied he could not help them in acquiring.
The brothers were taken to the police station where they waited from 6 p.m. to midnight. The Israeli police authorities sided with the soldiers in their claim that they had been sitting peacefully when the two brothers attacked them. Sufian and Shaban were then interrogated before being blindfolded and taken to several unknown locations, sometimes left outside on the ground in the cold.
Eventually the brothers were transferred to Assioun prison. Their clothes were taken and they were given “very dirty jail clothes.” Sufian and Shaban spent 2 days in the prison as their lawyer tried to get Israeli authorities to view the video that proves their innocence. That particular Friday, the police commander in charge of their case was on ‘vacation’ and thus, lower ranking officers were the ones who had ordered imprisonment of the two brothers.
When the Israeli police commander returned on Sunday and watched the video evidence, the charges were changed from ‘attacking a soldier’ to ;obstruction of duty’. The brothers were ordered to pay 2000 NIS (510 U.S. dollars, 410 euros) each as their bail.
Mohammed, father of the two men, was not notified of the charges laid against his sons, their whereabouts, or anything. Only after hiring a lawyer to go investigate was Mohammed aware of their situation.
Sufian and Shaban have never had such an experience although they have encountered Israeli soldiers on a daily basis throughout their lives because the home Mohammed and his sons were born in is only 20 meters from a checkpoint between H1 and H2
When asked if the event has affected his life in anyway, Sufian replied that it has, “made me more determined to stay in this place. Even if I am offered a palace in a better country I will not move. If they lessen my salary I will not move.
“I understand the hard life of prisoners more, and I am not an activist, but my presence here is my form of resistance.”
Richard Frank is a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
28 May 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
On Friday, May 25, illegal Israeli settlers drove into the village Lubban ash-Sharqiya where they attempted to forcefully enter a family’s home. When Israeli soldiers and policemen arrived at the scene they joined the settlers, supporting’ them whilst they tried to enter the house.
Men of the Palestinian family, together with International Solidarity Movement (ISM) volunteers and other internationals, stood at the gate of the house to prevent the settlers from entering. The father of the household, Khaled Daraghmeh, and his son were then beaten and arrested.
Lubban ash-Sharqiya is a village located some 30 kilometres south of Nablus, adjacent to Route-60, the primary north-south road that runs through the occupied West Bank. The village is surrounded from all directions by 3 illegal settlements: Eli, Shilo, and Ma’le Levona. The illegality of these Israeli colonies has been confirmed by the International Court of Justice and the United Nations Security Council.
On the outskirts of Lubban ash-Sharqiya, near the colony Ma’le Levona, Khaled Daraghmeh lives with his family. Khaled, like many other Palestinian villagers, works as a farmer and is dependent on what the harvest provides him. Living next to Israeli settlements is not an easy fate for Palestinians and Khaled has suffered a lot.
“It began to get really bad about five years ago. That was when the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) demolished my first house.” says Khaled.
After his first house was demolished, Khaled moved to his father’s old house just across the road. The peace he seeked there did not last long. Only a couple months later, settlers attacked and burned down the entire building. Khaled was then forced to move to a third house, an ancient Ottoman building that also belongs to his father. Here the family lived in one part of the house, using the remaining space as a poultry farm.
The settlers have made it clear, however, that they are determined to get rid of Palestinians in the area. Last Saturday, some 50 settlers forcefully entered the house, removed all the furniture, and burned it. They also poisoned the drinking water of the poultry farm, leading to the death of most of the animals inside.
Now Khaled is frightened of life in his own home. He welded the door to the living area and moved into a small, dark room, where he used to keep animals.
“In the past, I was able to repair or rebuild what the settlers destroyed, but now I have used up all my savings,” says Khaled.
The harassment continues to today. As Khaled worked his land, a settler car stopped at the road and began making phone calls. He feared a new attack and called the ISM, seeking their immediate presence. Upon their arrival, the settlers had already left and everything appeared calm. Later, while the group of Palestinians and internationals sat together having lunch, approximately 20 settlers of all ages arrived and started walking towards the Ottoman house.
Palestinians from the area, accompanied by the ISM, approached the settlers and asked them what they were doing here. They replied that the land was ‘community property’ and that they had the right to be there. Khaled, who owns the land and has all the needed documents to prove it, replied by saying that this is his land, and that he wanted them to leave.
While the discussion continued, an Israeli military jeep with 6 soldiers arrived and began to split up the crowd. A policeman told the settlers that they could not enter the house as it belongs to Khaled and his family. The settlers grew upset with the policeman and screamed that he was a coward and afraid of the internationals and their cameras.
A discussion in Hebrew took place between them and meanwhile another police car arrived and 2 other policemen joined the crowd. After a couple of minutes of heated dialogue, the 3 policemen, the 6 soldiers, and the illegal settlers walked towards the house while the settlers screamed, “you see, you see, now we can enter!”
Jamal Daraghmeh is peppersprayed and loses his shoe in the violent arrest | Katarina Reigo
The Palestinians together with the internationals formed a line at the gate of the house to prevent the approaching group from illegally entering the house. Khaled was wrestled to the ground and beaten by soldiers and police men, even after being handcuffed. When Jamal, Khaled’s 21 year old son, saw his father beaten and attacked, he ran over to try to help. When he reached, the soldiers and policemen attacked Jamal in the same way they did his father.
Khaled’s 17 year old son, Jalad, then tried to help them and was instead attacked by the settlers and pushed away by the soldiers.
As the policemen walked away with the handcuffed men, they struck Jamal in the head a couple of times. The youngest son, Mu’min, 14, was filming the attacks on his brother and father when the policemen tried to kick him in the head. The boot missed him only by a few centimetres. Then policeman pulled the camera out of the teenager’s hands and stole it.
Only moments later, Jamal was pepper sprayed in the face before they forced him into the police vehicle. Khaled was then pushed into the jeep with bleeding hands from the brutal handcuffing.
“This has become normal to us. My father has been arrested 4 times recently and my brothers is beaten up all the time. Mu’min can not even walk to school without the settlers attacking him,” says Jalad.
To survive as a Palestinian living adjacent to these illegal settlements, can, with the assistance of the Israeli Occupation Forces, feel like a losing game. Only last year, 250 to 270 of Khaled’s olive trees were uprooted by settlers. Last week, an entire field of cucumbers was destroyed along with the irr system of the family’s land.
These attacks have pushed the Daraghmeh family into the desperate situation they are now in. After being forced to start over again and again, they have no money left. They can not repair the things that are destroyed, leading to a bad harvest, and less income.
Simultaneously, the Israeli state has offered Khaled 5 million shekels (1 million Euros) for his land. But as many other Palestinians, he is rejecting the money, and the resulting ethnic cleansing, and will continue to live and work on his land even if it means sleeping in a small, dark room with no electricity or running water.
Alex is a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
22 May 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Castro Risaq was arrested on the night of the May 1 in Burin, a village just 7 kilometres south west of Nablus. The Israeli military arrived at 1 a.m. demanding Castro. Waking up the family, they barged through the front door. The 38 year old man was arrested and blindfolded without an opportunity to get dressed. His wife and 6 children were forced to watch as the head of the family was taken away without explanation. No charges have been pressed yet. The soldiers who arrested him stated only, “this is our job.”
Castro was told that he would have a hearing within 3 days. This date has since has been postponed to the end of the month.
Castro and Salam Risaq’s three sons
Castro holds both a Palestinian and British passport. He lived in the United Kingdom for a period of 7 months before he was called back to Palestine to stay with his ill mother. He intended to pass on his UK citizenship to his to eldest daughters, 15 and 18, but did not have the opportunity to do so before being arrested.
Upon Castro’s arrest, his wife, Salam Risaq, contacted the British Embassy. Their response was simply that they are unable to help.
The Risaq family has so far been denied visitation. They will only be allowed to see Castro in court during the promised hearing.
To support his family, Castro worked as a shepherd alongside his brother. Now that the family is left without a primary breadwinner, life is difficult. Castro’s 13 year old son wants to take over his father’s position. Salam only receives support from her brother-in-law and some Burin residents whose family members have also been taken by Israeli authorities.
Salam’s youngest son will soon need a second eye surgery in Jerusalem. His father’s arrest might make this impossible. Raising 6 children by herself for an unknown period of time has put a great deal of pressure on Salam.
Castro Risaq’s youngest son requires a costly eye surgery that may be impossible now due to his father’s imprisonment
Burin has been subject to many arrests on a daily basis for the past years. The village is surrounded from all directions by four illegal Israeli settlements. The Israeli military often patrols through the village at night, raids homes, and arbitrarily arrests members of Palestinian families. There has been a series of harassment and arrest of Burin’s youth, particularly those with a connection to the youth community centre in the village.
According to previous reports, between 200 and 300 Israeli soldiers have been known to raid Burin village. Arriving at night, the military will awaken entire families and destroy the inside belongings of the home. Parents complain that their children have not slept peacefully in years due to the constant threat of an army night raid.
On 21 April 2012, 10 youth were arrested in Burin. 5 of them were expected to take their final exams this year. It is unknown what their fate, or Castro’s, will be.
Maria Erdely is a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
20 May 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
The three snapshots below are composed from interviews conducted whilst working for the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank from September to December 2011.
FARCE
Rodni Jaber is a Palestinian woman who lives and works as a farmer in Al-Baqa’a, a windswept valley situated a few kilometers East of Hebron in the West Bank. Her family is regularly attacked by Israeli settlers and harassed by the Israeli military.
In 1998 Rodni’s son Raja was born. A few days after his birth, settlers attacked the house; one settler made a complaint to the police that someone named ‘Raja’ had put a knife to his chest, threatening to kill him.
Rodni: “Several days later the soldiers came to arrest my son. So I showed them my son who was 40 days old and I showed them his birth certificate because they didn’t believe he was Raja.”
The soldiers left but they contacted the family shortly afterward with a demand.
Rodni: “They said that Raja should come to the court and at the age of 50 days I had to take him. They said, ‘where is the defendant Raja’ and I showed them my son”.
OK, so that was the end of it then?
Rodni: “No – the judge ruled that when he reaches 16 years old he will have to come to back to court!”
Surely when the case comes to court and it becomes apparent that Raja could not even sit up or support the weight of his own head at that time of the incident, let alone threaten to harm anyone, the situation will go beyond parody?
Rodni (laughs): “Of course!”
But the ruling still stands; Raja is 12 years old now and in four years’ time he will have to go to court and explain his role in the incident.
TRAGEDY
Mustafa Tamimi, 28, was fatally injured during a protest in Nabi Saleh in December 2011. The protests began after the village’s Ein al-Qaws spring was taken over by residents of Halamish, a nearby illegal Israeli settlement, in 2009. Hundreds of protesters have been injured in Nabi Saleh but Tamimi was the first fatality during the village’s demonstrations.
Ibrahim Bornat, a 28 year-old artist and activist from Bil’in was with Mustafa when he was fatally injured.
Ibrahim: “We were alone, with the rest of the protest quite far behind. We were chasing after the [Israeli military] jeeps, telling them to leave the village.”
One jeep slowed, opened its rear door a fraction and fired two tear gas canisters directly at them, from a distance of around three meters. As the first tear gas canister was fired…
Ibrahim: “Mustafa pushed me so it went over my head, the second one hit him.”
He saw Mustafa lying prone on the floor but did not realize exactly what had happened.
Ibrahim: “I thought maybe he had passed out from the gas. I went to him and turned him over and took the cloth off his face. The side of his face was blown off, the eye was hanging out and I pushed it back but I could see the inside of his head.”
There were no ambulances around, so they put Tamimi in a service [communal taxi] but the Israeli military stopped it and tried to arrest Tamimi, until they realized how seriously injured he was.
Mustafa lay on the ground for half an hour, receiving ‘treatment’ by the Israelis. He was not allowed to leave until his ID card was found, wasting valuable time.
Although Mustafa’s heart may have been revived later temporarily, Ibrahim knew he was dead.
Ibrahim: “When I was holding him, I’m sure that he died in my arms. He let out a gasp and his soul left.”
Ibrahim was not surprised at the actions of the Israeli military.
Ibrahim: “The occupation maintains itself through killing.”
TRAVESTY
Khowla Wazwaz from Hebron in the West Bank recounts the night in 2005 when her son Moussa, then 23 years-old, was arrested by the Israeli military.
Khowla: “It was around 6pm and it was raining. The soldiers surrounded the house and started to throw sound bombs. When Moussa went outside – every gun has a laser – it was like there were hundreds of laser dots on his body.”
The soldiers told Moussa to remove all his clothes and threw him a white jumpsuit, he took it and they separated him from his family.
Khowla: “After that they started to interrogate me – [the interrogator] asked me ‘where does Moussa go, when does he come back,’ all these questions. I told him everything I knew but he told me, ‘look, the soldiers are beating him, so tell me where the gun is’. I said, ‘he doesn’t have any gun.’”
She was interrogated for three or four hours but she did not know anything. As she was interrogated, she could hear awful sounds from the next room.
Khowla: “I heard someone screaming ‘mother, mother!’. I do not know if they were beating Moussa or not, I think that perhaps it was someone acting.”
Once the interrogations had ended, Moussa was arrested and taken away. The soldiers then turned their attention to the house.
Khowla: “They destroyed the inside of the house. We have a library and they started to open fire [with live ammunition] at the books, they destroyed the computer and took the hard drive.”
Khowla was denied permission to speak to or visit her son for a year after this arrest. Moussa was given 8 life sentences for participating in the resistance – a total of 792 years. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and was released on 18 October 2011 in the first wave of the deal to exchange Palestinian prisoners for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
But Moussa was not released home to his family in Hebron. He was exiled to the Gaza Strip against his wishes, which Palestinian prisoners’ group Addameer describes as “a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and qualifies as one of the most serious war crimes.” At the time of the interview (November 2011) the family had not been able to visit him.
[This piece is part of an exhibition in creative journalism at the Nolias Gallery, London running from 19-23 May 2012, which features work by a range of journalists and photojournalists, including a selection of David Shaw’s photography from Palestine.]
