Tag: Bethlehem - Page 11 - International Solidarity Movement

CPT: Netanyahu statement on Ibrahimi Mosque leads to unrest in Hebron

22 February 2010

On 21 February 2010 Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced the Israeli government’s intention to designate as Jewish heritage sites Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. Netanyahu’s statement has led to considerable concern and outrage in the Palestinian community. The Ibrahimi Mosque is one of the most important Muslim sites, and is the one most accessible to West Bank Palestinians. The prospect of these sites becoming closed to Muslim worshipers has been particularly keenly felt in Hebron, where the Ibrahimi Mosque regularly draws large numbers of Muslim worshipers and was the site on 25 February 1994 of the massacre of 29 Muslim worshipers by Dr. Baruch Goldstein, an extremist Jewish settler.

Israeli soldier fires tear gas in Yatta Road

Israeli soldier with tear gas gun in Yatta Road

There is international concern too. In a statement, Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said he was concerned by Israel’s announcement regarding the Hebron holy site. ‘I call on Israel not to take any steps on the ground which undermine trust or could prejudice negotiations, the resumption of which should be the highest shared priority of all who seek peace,’ Serry said.

In protest at Netanyahu’s statement there was a general strike on 22 February 2010 in Hebron, as a result of which most children were not at school. Around 08:30, Palestinian boys made their own response to the statement by throwing stones near the Qitoun checkpoint in the Yatta Road, while other Palestinians threw stones at soldiers between Bab il Baledeyya and Bab iZaweyya. Press reports have suggested that bottles were also thrown, but CPTers saw nothing thrown apart from stones. The Israeli military’s response was to shoot repeated rounds of tear gas at the Palestinians, causing alarm and discomfort to people on the street and in their homes and shops. At Yatta Road a group of small children huddled together as they got into a bus to take them home. In the Bab iZaweyya area (by the H1/H2 border) CPTers Gainey and Nichols observed Palestinian policemen work to move the crowd away. The incident there was over by 10:45. CPTers Chiba and Jack were at the incident near the Qitoun checkpoint, which lasted until 11:30.

On Thursday 25 February 2010 Hebron residents, supported by Israeli and international friends, will mark the anniversary of the mosque massacre with a non-violent demonstration calling for the opening of Shuhada Street to Palestinians. At 05:00 that same day, Hebron residents will worship in the Ibrahimi Mosque in memory of those who died in the massacre.

Peaceful Al Ma’sara Demonstration Faces Continued Aggression

International Solidarity Movement

19 February 2010

The peaceful demonstration in the Occupied West Bank village of Al Ma’sara by Palestinians and Internationals was aggressively dispersed using tear gas & sound bombs, today, by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). This is the second week that the IOF have been using increasingly violent methods to repress non-violent demonstrations in Al Ma’sara, a reflection of their tactics across the villages of the West Bank.

Approximately 70 Palestinians and 14 Internationals, including 3 Israelis, gathered to protest against the construction of the Israeli apartheid wall which is illegal under international law. The wall runs through the land of the village, the completion of which will block the residents from their farmland; they have already lost more than 350 hectares of land to a nearby Israeli settlement.

Men and women of all ages assembled after the Friday prayer, marching through the main road of the village where they were addressed by the organisers of the demonstration, the Popular Committee Against the Wall. This was followed by an address by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who participated in the demonstration as part of their 41st anniversary.

Barbed wire was laid across the road and the procession descended towards their farmland onto a parallel road used by Israeli Settlers, at which point an IOF jeep approached. Soldiers exited and began firing tear gas and throwing sound grenades into the group. Some local youths responded by throwing rocks at the IOF as the whole group fled back to the village. Soldiers pursued into the village whilst continuing to fire tear gas and sound grenades at the group. Many residents suffered from the effects of the tear-gas in their homes and an eighteen-year old participant was injured by a tear-gas shell.

Sound grenades were used at very close range by the IOF to displace the press and international activists, and physical aggression was used against both an ISM member and a Palestinian man. An ISM member also filmed a soldier firing tear-gas canisters directly into the crowd at head level, which included young children.

Peaceful Protest in Al Masara Halted

International Solidarity Movement

12 February 2010

Peaceful Protest in Al Masara Halted with Tear Gas and Sound Bombs

Yesterday around 1pm, a peaceful demonstration at Al Masara was stopped by the Israeli army when tear gas and sound bombs were unexpectedly thrown into the crowd.

The protest comprised of around 20 Palestinians, 8 internationals and 7 Israeli activists. Three mini busses of approximately 75 Palestinians from neighboring villages were stopped at a nearby checkpoint and prohibited from attending the protest.

Palestinian demonstrators at this protest were completely nonviolent, both verbally and physically. The crowd at once obeyed the orders from the commander of the army to move off the spontaneously demarcated closed military zone.

The first tear gas was fired soon after two youths waved Palestinian flags in front of a military vehicle as the crowd was moving back according to the orders from the commander. The assault was followed by two more hand thrown tear gas grenades and two sound bombs, one of which was thrown directly at a crowd of press after most of the demonstrators had left the area.

Local Palestinians were protesting for the right to access their land in the region where the separation barrier is currently being constructed. Similar nonviolent protests occur every Friday in Al Masara, which provokes frequent night raids by the IDF into the homes of the organizers.

New Year in al-Ma’asara marked with another weekly demonstration against the Apartheid Wall

Al-Ma’asara Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements

1 January 2010

Over 150 local activists protested today in al-Ma’asara and the neighboring villages against the construction of the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements on the lands of the nine intertwined villages to the South of Bethlehem. Protestors walked through the villages towards the construction site of the wall, but as every Friday for the past few years, they were intercepted by dozens of soldiers who had again cut off the main road with a barb wire fence.

Protestors waved flags and chanted slogans through a mobile sound system, while some accompanied the demonstration on horses in an expression of pride of the ongoing popular resistance in the face of increasing crack downs.

Women from the villages held posters of their imprisoned sons and detained activist from the Bethlehem district and lead in chants demanding the release of all political prisoners. Senior Palestinian officials, including Minister Maher Ghneim, gave speeches expressing their support for the Popular Committees commitment to resisting Israels colonial policies and its success in mobilizing continuous support from local, international, and Israeli activists.

Todays demonstration, which commemorated the foundation of the Fatah movement, comes following threats issued two days ago to the Popular Committee warning that its members would be blacklisted and arrested if the protests in al-Ma’asara continued in 2010. Therefore, the soldiers, who had taken position behind the barb wire, appeared more tense than usual. One soldier repeatedly aimed his weapon at the protestors from a hill overlooking the street. At one point, soldiers pushed into the crowd, when children attempted to remove the barb wire.

As the aggression increased, the Israeli army fired tear gas and sound bombs at the crowd and five military vehicles entered deep into the village of al-Ma’asara. Soldiers continued to shoot teargas for an hour and remained at the entrance of the village until 15pm.

One child was hit by a sound bomb and had to be carried away while soldiers were still shooting. Several protestors suffered gas inhalation, and other injuries were reported.

Candle-light vigil held in Manger Square, Bethlehem to commemorate Gaza

Nathan Stokes | IMEMC

31 December 2009

Residents of the Bethlehem area, West Bank, gather to commemorate those lost in last years Gaza War and stand in solidarity with those still living under seige.

Children from Bethlehem read the names of the children killed last year in Gaza during the massacre and hung their names from a tree.

Children sang and danced with the Palestinian key of return.

Approximately 100 people attended the demonstration in solidarity with Gaza today.

At 4:30 this afternoon residents of Bethlehem and the surrounding towns gathered to commemorate the 1,500 Palestinians that lost their lives this time last year, and stand in solidarity with the residents of Gaza, who continue to live under siege from the Israeli military; a situation that has continued since June 2006. The vigil was held in Manger Square, bordered with The Church of the Nativity.

After a brief introduction given by a young girl from the town, those in attendance received a call from Dr. Haidar Eid, from inside the Gaza Strip. Dr. Eid is an associate professor in the Department of English Literature, AL-Aqsa University, Gaza Strip and also works as a grass roots activist. Dr. Eid spoke of the necessity of the ending of the siege on Gaza, and thanked those in attendance, both local residents of the Bethlehem municipality and internationals alike.

Following Dr. Eid was Dr. Victor Batarseh, mayor of Bethlehem. Dr. Batarseh spoke in a similar vein, endorsing the support of the Gazans and reminding all to keep the plight of their plight in their thoughts.

Today was a day to commiserate the loss of vast numbers of children in Gaza, but also to celebrate the beauty of youth and be hopeful for their future. Children from Al-Ruwad Centre located in Aida refugee camp treated the crowd to a performance, and then followed by a speech by spokesman for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, Awad Abu Swai.

It was again the turn of the children to take centre stage. As a local boy, no more than 11 years old read the names of those children killed by the Israeli military during the Gaza War last December and January, more children were assisted in climbing the small trees in the square, decorated still will lights from the Christmas festivities, to hang BDS movement stickers bearing the names that were simultaneously read out.

Four of the children from the earlier performance piece sang songs, as others walked amongst the crowd handing out stickers and candles for the vigil.

Dr. Abdul Fattah Abu Saror, director of Al-Ruwad Centre, gave the final speech, once again thanking all in attendance and wishing everyone a happy new year. As the music started to play five young men spontaneously broke out in dabka dancing to mark the end of the vigil.