Tag: Beit Ummar - Page 3 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli army attacks four family homes in Beit Ummar arresting an activist and three teenagers

by Team Khalil

2 January 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

A Palestinian activist and three teenagers were arrested by Israeli occupation forces this morning during an early morning raid on the village of Beit Ummar in the West Bank.

Soldiers entered the village at around 1 am to capture Yousef Abu Maria, the coordinator of the recently formed Popular Movement Against the Wall and a father of three children. He was arrested because of his presence in a military zone during a demonstration in June 2012.

Yousef was made to stand outside the police station in the illegal Israel settlement of Karmei Tzur from the time of his arrest until 10 am. He was released on a charge of 1000 shekels (270 USD) and made to sign an agreement not to go near the illegal settlement, some of which is built on Yousef’s farmland.

In separate family homes, three teenagers, Eyad Omer Sbarna, 17, Ehab Omer Awad, 18, and Mohammad Hussain Ade, 17, were arrested for an unsubstantiated charge of throwing stones at Isreali army vehicles. The incident was supposed to have happened during a recent demonstration. As of this afternoon, the teenagers were still imprisoned.

Beit Ummar, like many villages and towns in the West Bank, receives constant violent harassment from the illegal Israeli settlers. Early on Tuesday morning settlers set fire to a Palestinian car and a tractor and painted “The only good Arab is a dead Arab” on a wall.

Team Khalil is a group of volunteers of International Solidarity Movement based in Hebron (al Khalil)

Israeli settlers burn two vehicles and spray paint racist slogans on a Palestinian home in Beit Ummar

by Team Khalil

2 January 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Israeli settlers from the illegal Beit Eyen settlement, which borders the Palestinian town of Beit Ummar, attacked a family home located in area C on the outskirts of Beit Ummar in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

At around 1 am on Tuesday 1 January 2013, Sohel Mohammed Hussein Briget was awoken by the sound of his car engine exploding. Briget gathered some of his family members and went outside to find his car and tractor on fire and his walls vandalized by graffiti.

The family were unable to extinguish the car fire as it was already out of control, however, they managed to salvage the tractor before it was destroyed.

The walls of the property were covered with the star of David and racist slogans in Hebrew that translate to, “The only good Arab is a dead Arab”.

Shortly after 1 am Israeli occupation forces arrived at the Briget home and the soldiers apologized for the actions of the settlers but have yet to make any arrests, even though there is a surveillance camera positioned between the settlement and the house.

This is the second time the residents of the illegal Beit Eyen settlement have targeted the Palestinian home with mindless and violent actions. The same humiliating tactics were used in 2011 when they burnt two other vehicles and spray painted similar hate slogans on the property.

DSCN1096-small — Remains of the burned car

DSCN1097-small — Racist slogans in Hebrew on Briget’s house

Team Khalil is a group of volunteers of International Solidarity Movement based in Hebron (al Khalil)

Israeli soldier kicks 12 year old Palestinian boy, after peaceful demonstration in Beit Ummar

By Ellie

9 September 2012 | International Solidaity Movement, West Bank

Israeli soldiers and young Palestinian boy

Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists gathered in Beit Ummar for the village’s regular Saturday demonstration against the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Karmei Tsur, which has annexed village land. The demonstration focused on the August 27 destruction of a new Beit Ummar greenhouse by settlers, which occurred as the Israeli military stood by. The demonstration culminated in a young boy being kicked to the ground by an Israeli soldier.

Activists from the USA, UK, Japan, and Norway joined the villagers in taking a different route to the usual Saturday demonstration, surprising the Israeli soldiers, who had assembled elsewhere. Their route as they reached the Apartheid Wall was immediately blocked by 3 soldiers with riot shields. As more soldiers arrived, this number swiftly increased to around 45 – easily outnumbering the unarmed protesters.

The Israeli military formed a line, shoulder-to-shoulder, holding large riot shields. They harassed and targeted individuals, pushing and shoving Palestinians who were attempting to walk on their own land, including young children. The demonstrators retaliated peacefully by chanting and questioning the soldiers about their decision not to take action during the settler attack on the greenhouse. Soldiers also took pictures of individuals present – pictures taken at peaceful demonstrations have in the past been used to justify arrest of Palestinians and deportation or denial of entry to internationals.

Young Palestinian boy after being kicked by Israeli soldiers

After a prolonged face-off, the end of the demonstration was announced, and the protesters turned to leave. It was at this point that a 12-year-old Palestinian boy from Beit Ummar was kicked in the leg by an Israeli soldier, knocking him to the ground. The remaining soldiers immediately tightened their line around the activists and villagers, effectively preventing them from leaving, as well as shoving many with riot shields in the process. Concerned about the child, the protesters gathered around him and he was carried away from the soldiers, where he recovered with no major physical damage. The Commander of the Israeli forces in the village refused to comment on the kicking of the boy when questioned.

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

Karmei Tsur: Poisoning the vine with Zionism

by Joseph

7 May 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

When Ali Awad visited his orchard on Friday morning before the midday prayer he noticed nothing out of the usual. But eight hours later, when he returned to his land in order to gather grape leaves to sell in the local market, he was shocked to find that his trees had been poisoned. The grape leaves, which Ali depends on substantially for income, had died and shriveled up, making them impossible to sell. Twelve peach trees belonging to Ali’s neighbor were also destroyed.

Ali’s three dunums of farm land, where 28 grape trees have been growing for over 30 years, are directly adjacent to the barbed wire fence which separates the Palestinian village of Beit Ummar from the illegal Zionist settlement of Karmei Tsur.

Horrified and dismayed, Ali called his brother, Muhammad, to come and take pictures of the destruction. Before Muhammad could take any pictures, Israeli Occupation Forces and two older settlers arrived and began to hassle the two brothers, threatening to confiscate Muhammad’s camera. The settlers, one of whom is the mayor of Karmei Tsur, told Ali that his plants were accidentally sprayed with pesticides when Karmei Tsur farmers attempted to destroy the weeds on their land earlier in the day. Ali’s grape trees are located at least ten meters away from the settler’s field, opposite a fence and settlement road.

Ali, whose wheat crop was burned during the night by settlers last year just before harvest time, does not believe that the destruction of his trees was an accident.

“Its not unintentional, like they say, they mean to do this,” he said. “They want me to leave my land. My presence is an obstacle to the expansion of the settlement.”

But Ali, whose family has already lost several dunums of their ancestral land to the illegal settlement, steadfastly refuses to leave.

“I have deeds going back to Turkish times, why should I leave? The land is for me, for my family, not for the settlers.”

According to the Israeli organization Peace Now, Karmei Tsur is built on 27% privately owned Palestinian land. The Fourth Geneva Convention forbids the construction of settlements in occupied territory.

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

West Bank activists remember the life of ISM justice Activist Vittorio Arrigoni

by Sydney

16 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Palestinians and International activists celebrated with the spirit of Vittorio Arrigoni this week across Palestine. Memorial events were held to mark the one year anniversary of his murder: two in Al-Khalil (Hebron) with members of the Hebron Defense Committee and Youth Against Settlements and a week of events including a mural creation, video conference with Italy, and a demonstration concluded yesterday in Gaza.

The International Solidarity Movement continues to mourn the loss of such an amazing colleague and was a grateful participant in these memorial events.

Arriogoni was a close friend to ISM coordinator Hisham Jamjoun. Hisham’s stories about Vik’s dedication to the Palestinian struggle for human rights brought many to tears at the Hebron Defense Committee memorial. The work of the International Solidarity Movement in Al Khalil where ISM maintains a full-time presence was honored as well. Members of the Beit Ummar dabke troupe performed traditional Palestinian dance, and the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, one of Vik’s favorite authors, was recited. ISM participated in the memorial by creating a slideshow of Vik’s work in Palestine and speaking to the mission of ISM and how the life and work of Vik lives on with us each day.

After sundown, ISM joined Youth Against Settlements for a candlelight vigil and video conference with Vik’s family and supporters at a simultaneous memorial in Rome. The Youth Against Settlement center is located 5 meters from an Israeli settlement and soldier guard station; Italian ISM activists lead the group in rounds of Bella Ciao as settlers and soldiers looked on.

The memorial in Gaza wrapped up a week of activities to honor, remember, and continue the work of Vittorio. Events included the dedication of the weekly protest against the agricultural no-go-zone in Beit Hannoun, a performance by Palestinian children on the day of Vik’s court hearing, a mural creation and candle light vigil at the Gaza Harbor, and finally a reading from Stay Human and video conference with Italy.

Activists from the International Solidarity Movement are honored to have received such great outpouring of support from across Palestine and around the world.

We continue to keep Vik’s spirit close to our hearts and alive in our work for a freePalestine.

“We must remain human, even in the most difficult times …
Because, despite everything, there must always be humanity within us. We have to bring it to others.”

-Vittorio Arrigoni 1979-April 15, 2011