1st April 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
The four human rights activists arrested three days ago on Thursday 30th March on a peaceful Land Day protest action now face the Israeli military court at Ofer tomorrow, 2nd April. They are charged with participating in an illegal demonstration and being in a closed military zone. They were in fact exercising their human rights of freedom of expression and assembly.
All four belong to the Dismantle the Ghetto Coalition and the ISM team here in al-Khalil has been working with and supporting their actions.
Please act immediately in Hebrew, English or your own language:
• Call the Israeli embassy consulate and demand the immediate release of the four activists.
• Call the Israeli embassy consulate and demand the Israeli authorities immediately drop all charges against the four activists.
• Demand an immediate end to the continued harassment of the four activists and other human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
31st March 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
A Palestinian demonstrator is arrested dragged down the hill by an Israeli soldier.
On Thursday the 30th March, four prominent Palestinian activists were violently arrested by Israeli forces following an olive tree planting action marking the 41st Land Day demonstrations in al-Khalil.
ISM activists joined demonstrators who had gathered near the Palestinian house now occupied by the army in the Jabari area of al-Khalil. The demonstrators were already surrounded by dozens of Israeli soldiers, border police, and civilian Israeli police. Over fifty Palestinian demonstrators then made their way down the steep hill into the olive groves where, accompanied by international activists, as well as the international press, they planted a number of olive trees in defiance of the continuing dispossession and destruction of their olive groves by Israeli settlers.
A young boy plants an olive tree as part of the Land Day action.
Once the trees were planted, demonstrators made their way back up to the road where they were met by an increased number of Israeli forces claiming that the area had been declared a closed military zone. The demonstration continued on an embankment beside the road. However, it wasn’t long before Israeli forces began pursuing and violently arresting Palestinian demonstrators, whilst colonial settlers – including the notorious Ofer Yohana (עופר אוחנה) – harrassed and filmed them.
Israeli forces push demonstrators to the ground before arresting themA Palestinian man is pulled away by border police, who are believed to have broken one of his hands.
As the demonstrators made their way up the hill they continued to be harassed by Ofer Yohana and other colonial settlers and Israeli forces, who took photos and videos of them using their mobile phones. One Israeli settler attempted to block ISM activists from filming by holding up an Israeli flag, and telling the activists to ‘Go [back] to Europe!’. Despite one Palestinian man telling Israeli forces that one of his cuffed hands had been broken in the arrest, the detainees were pushed into military vehicles and taken away.
The Israeli colonial settler who demanded international activists ‘Go to Europe!’
The four Palestinian activists are currently still detained, and will be charged on Sunday at the military court in Ofer. They are charged with participating in an illegal demonstration and being present in a closed military zone.
All four Palestinians who were arrested had long commitmented to non-violent public protest in their home city of Khalil. Shortly before being arrested one of them had heard soldiers tell him that it was ‘his turn’ soon. These arrests are part of ongoing Israeli efforts to close down all public protest in the city. Despite the many injustices faced by non-violent activists across Palestine, the resistance continues.
Demonstrators gather along the roadside, chanting and waving banners.
Omar Barghouti is one of the founders of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (Photo by The Electronic Intifada)
On March 19th Israeli authorities barged into the house of Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement; in an attempt to tarnish his image and reputation by claiming an alleged income outside of Israel. Omar and his wife Safa endured a first round of interrogation lasting 16 hours, Omar was subsequently jailed for five days and although he has already been released he is under a gag order.
This last attempt to silence and tarnish the reputation of Omar Barghouti is a desperate move by Israeli authorities that recently considered the BDS movement as a “strategic threat”. In fact, in 2016, at least one Israeli minister went as far as suggesting “targeted civil eliminations” (meaning murder) of BDS leaders with the help of Israeli intelligence.
Inflammatory fabrications were published against Omar Barghouti just a day before his arrest was made effective, signalling an attempt to silence and tarnish his reputation. Furthermore, the current investigation includes a travel ban which may stop Omar from receiving the Gandhi Peace Award jointly with Ralph Nader, scheduled in a few weeks time in the USA.
The International Solidarity Movement stands in solidarity with Omar Barghouti in the light of this new attempt at silencing the voices of those who stand for freedom, justice and equality against a brutal military occupation; and we ask our friends and comrades to intensify their solidarity work with Palestine, including BDS chapters throughout the world.
29th November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On Monday, 28th November 2016, Palestinians gathered to demand the bodies of their loved (brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, daughters and sons) – killed by the Israeli occupation forces – back for burial. Many of these family members who attended were holding signs and posters of their loved ones and appeared very distraught.
Woman crying over family memberWomen holding signs of their killed family members
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered outside the Palestinian municipality, holding banners and pictures of their family members, who have been gunned down by Israeli forces, left to bleed to death. Afterward, the Israeli occupation forces would kidnap the dead body, denying the right of a funeral to the family. Palestinians, since October last year, have been gunned down by Israeli forces, often on the claim of having a knife. The policy of withholding the bodies from the families, is enacted as a form of collective punishment illegal under military law, punishing the family for an alleged act of the killed Palestinian. In this form, the family is denied to bury their family members, despite in Islam a body is supposed to be buried latest the day after death.
Distraught family members
Instead, the Israeli occupation forces keep the bodies in “the freezers of the zionist occupation”. Many bodies of Palestinians are still held by the Israeli forces, with no-one knowing whether they will ever be given to the mourning families that have lost a loved member.
27th November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
The Jewish holiday/celebration of Chayei Sarah and the reading of the Torah regarding Sarah took place in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) on 25th and 26th November 2016.
Beginning of Friday hundreds of Jews from illegal colonial settlements within the West Bank as well as Jews from Israel began arriving. It was estimated there may be as many as 1500 coming for their festivities. Huge tents and designated camping areas were set up (some in areas owned by Palestinians). They were also staying with families and friends in the existing illegal settlements here in al-Khalil.
This lot was the play area for the Palestinian elementary and secondary school. Now it’s being used for The Sarah event.
This automatically meant more Israeli occupation forces, more border police, much more “security” at checkpoints that Palestinians need to pass through on a regular basis as part of their normal daily routines (going to work, shopping, etc.) It also meant a complete closure of many of the checkpoints, not allowing anyone who was not here for the festival (that is a colonial settler) to go through.
Young soldiers leading the eventIsraeli Occupation Forces preparing for the “Settler Tour” with their guns and dogs
On Saturday “security” was at its peak. Every Saturday afternoon there is a tour of the Palestinian Old City by settlers from the illegal settlements. This usually consists of around 20 to 150 settlers. With about as many Israeli occupation force soldiers to “protect” them. This weekend the tour consisted of nearly 2700 settlers. This obviously meant more soldiers, on roof tops, police dogs sniffing out the route before the tour began, soldiers positioned approximately every 50 meters along the entire route and at the beginning and end of the group. Many shop owners closed early for fear of trouble by the settlers parading through the Old City.
Sniffing for bombs on the parade route before it starts.Soldiers and settlers parading through the Palestinian market where some shops closed early
The settlers who participated were singing, dancing, acting provocatively aggressive towards the Palestinians and internationals who were trying to mind their own business or observing the events. There were many “shouts of “welcome to Israel “ by the settlers as well as “f*ck you’s” and “this is our home not yours, we will never leave” at the Palestinians. An observer witnessed a number of incidents of harassment by the settlers toward anyone who was not Jewish and part of the group.
An obvious “welcome” from one of the settler youth
One Palestinian family in the Tel Rumeida area had their home invaded for approximately 10 hours by soldiers who set up observation on the roof and using their bathroom and kitchen as if it were their own place to do as they wished. An international who was invited to the home by the family to observe the goings on was forced to leave after an hour by the soldiers. The family was frightened by these events, but to the best of this writers knowledge there was no real damage done in the home by the soldiers.
An observer witnessed at least two Palestinian youth who were detained by the Israeli occupation forces for one reason or another. A third Palestinian was detained for trying to defend himself after a settler spit on him.
This is life in illegally settler occupied al-Khalil. The Israeli’s pretty much do as they wish and the Palestinians residents pay the consequences.
