Tag: Bethlehem

Israeli Apartheid deepens as building continues in Har Homa

Today a group of Palestinian, Israeli and international peace activists gathered at the entrance to the illegal settlement Har Homa, not far from Bethlehem, to protest against Israel’s ongoing expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The demonstrators lined up at the settler road with banners, flags and speeches about peace, justice and a settlement freeze. Settlers passing by answered the demonstrators with verbal abuses and obscene gestures.

Israel is planning to build over 300 new residences in Har Homa despite it’s obligations under the 2003 Roadmap to Peace. The Israeli government defend their acts by stating that Har Homa is an integral part of annexed greater Jerusalem, and therefore should be seen as a part of Israel and not the occupied West Bank. The truth is that the international community has never recognized these borders, which were established unilaterally by Israel after the 1967 war. The world agrees that Har Homa is situated in the occupied West Bank and has to be included in the settlement freeze.

One of the banners on today’s demonstration read “Leviev turns these rocks of apartheid into diamonds”, referring to the diamond mogul Lev Leviev. Leviev earns his fortune on an exploitive diamond business in Angola, and blood-ruby trade with the Burmese military junta. He then invests his profits in building illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. In addition to Har Homa, Leviev undertakes the building of illegal colonies in the villages of Bil’in and Jayyous and in the sprawling illegal settlement Ma’ale Adumim, which stretches from Jericho near to Jerusalem.

Since Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 war, some 470 000 settlers have moved to the occupied territories, of whom 200 000 have settled in annexed east Jerusalem. This is a clear violation of article 49 in the fourth Geneva convention which says: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies”. There is also UN resolution 242 which demands all Israeli troops to be withdrawn from the occupied territories, emphasizing that Israel has to respect the internationally recognized borders and to stop territorial demands outside its own borders.

Today’s demands for a settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank is a minor demand compared to what international laws and agreements tell Israel to do; a total military withdrawal from the occupied West Bank and the eviction all 470 000 settlers illegally living in the occupied West Bank.

FFJ: Injuries and arrests at demonstrations across the West Bank on Friday

Four injured and two arrested in Bil’in anti-Wall protest

After the weekly Friday prayers, residents of the West Bank village of Bil’in, near Ramallah and a group of international and Israeli peace activists took to the streets of the village. The protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the first Intifada. They chanted slogans which called for the dismantling of the separation wall and the settlements, the removal of military checkpoints and the release of Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.

The Israeli army installed a barbed-wire roadblock to try and prevent the protesters reaching the construction sight. However, the protesters managed to pass the road block and staged a one hour protest at the site. When the protesters were returning, the army showered them with tear gas and sound bombs; they also fired rubber coated bullets at the crowd. Some protesters were pursued by military forces back to their homes and bombs were fired at the home of Na’eem and ‘Auni Burnat.

Many protesters, including young children, suffered from tear gas inhalation. Four protesters were beaten harshly by the soldiers including a female peace activist, a journalist and an elderly local man. An Israeli journalist identified as David Reep and an Israeli peace activist who was identified as Shmuel, were detained during the event and released shortly after.

Three injured in peaceful protest near Ramallah

For the second week running, residents of villages located west of the city of Ramallah, including Beit U’r al Tahta and Beit U’r al Fouqa, Beit Seera, Beit Liqia, al Teerah, and Safa were joined by international and Israeli peace activists in their peaceful demonstration.

They were protesting against the closure of the Latrun-Ramallah road (443) to them. The road passes through their lands and connects them with the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The protest began after the Friday weekly prayers. Protesters carried with them flags and banners calling for an end to discrimination and the cessation of checkpoints and roadblocks. They also called for the end to settlement construction and the demolition of the Separation Wall.

When they reached the road, soldiers attacked the protesters with gas and sound bombs and fired rubber coated bullets. Dozens suffered after inhaling gas and three children were hit by the rubber coated bullets.

From Indymedia: Collective punishment during Um Salamona Demonstration

Tens of Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals gathered today at the junction near Um-Salamona. The demonstrators marched on the road leading to the Jewish settlement of Efrat, protesting against the Apartheid wall that is being built on the land of Palestinian villages.

While anti-occupation slogans were chanted, the march went on for some ten minutes, without blocking traffic. Tens of Israeli soldiers, later joined by Israeli police and riot police, stopped the march just before reaching the entrance to Efrat, and very close to were the wall is being built. Soldiers announced the area a “closed military zone”, and violently pushed demonstrators of the road.

Once the road was already cleared, and demonstrators surrounded on its side, the army declared it would stop all Palestinian traffic on the road as penalty – which it did. Army jeeps and soldiers stopped all Palestinian cars on the road for a fair half an hour, while Israeli cars drove by undisturbed.

For the next hour soldiers kept redefining the invisible parameters of the “closed zone”, forcibly pushing demonstrators away. Several Palestinian photographers were arrested, but as far as we know were later released.

For more information:
The Bilin Friends of Freedom and Justice society
Email: majdarmajdar@yahoo.com
Tel: 972 547 847 942
http://www. Ffj-bilin.org
ffj.bilin@yahoo.com

Three Nonviolent Protests in the West Bank

Nov. 30

Palestinian villagers protest on Road-443, Israel prevent them from using it

Residents of a number of villages in the Ramallah area organized a protest joined by a number of International and Israeli peace activists at Highway 443, on Friday after the noon prayer.

Protesters carried anti-racism signs and Palestinian flags, and demanded that the Israeli authorities allow them to use this road that passes through the villagers’ land.

Troops installed barbed wire in an attempt to prevent the protesters from reaching the highway. However, the villagers insisted and managed to reach the road. Troops fired several rounds of rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at the protesters, however no injuries were reported.

For seven years in a row, Israel prohibits Palestinians from using this 200-mile road which is built on the land of Palestinian villages, and allows only Jewish settlers to use it.

Six wounded, five detained in Bil’in’s Anti-wall protest

Residents of the village of Bil’in near the West Bank city of Ramallah organized their weekly Anti-Wall nonviolent protest this Friday, and were joined by a number of international and Israeli peace activists.

Protesters marched through the village carrying banners demanding the dismantling of the wall and calling for national unity. Israeli troops intercepted the protest and prevented them from reaching the construction site of the wall by installing additional layers of barbed wire.

As the protesters approached the wire, troops showered them with tear gas and rubber-coated-steel bullets. Dozens were treated for gas inhalation, while five were wounded by the rubber bullets. The five were identified as, Nasser, Adeeb, Rateb and Ayed Abu Rahme from Bilin and Yanni from Israel.

Adeeb Abu Rahme, was struck in the head by a police baton, resulting in a wound that required stitches.

Five including two American protesters, two Palestinians and an Israeli protester were detained by the soldiers.

Another international, who was not detained, was struck in the temple by a rubber bullet, which left him disoriented.

Meanwhile, troops assaulted and arrested an Israeli journalist identified as David. They released him and all the other detainees an hour later.

Israeli army attacks a peaceful demonstration in a Bethlehem village

Dozens of residents of al Me’sarah village near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem were joined by a group of Israeli and International peace activists on Friday at noon to protest the confiscation of their land.

The Israeli army installed road blocks to prevent the peace activists from reaching the village.

The protesters marched to the lands that will be annexed for the expansion of a nearby settlement and the construction of the Separation Wall. After the Friday prayers some protesters delivered speeches in Arabic and English stressing the need to resist the land confiscation labeling it as “land theft.”

The Israeli troops who were at the scene attacked the demonstrators and prevented them from reaching the settlement road known as road 60. One resident identified as Bassam Ibrahim, 22, suffered light injuries.

Apartheid Masked: Demonstrations for the protection the fundamental rights of Palestinians turned ugly

On Tuesday, the 27th of November, non-violent demonstrations calling to uphold the fundamental rights of Palestinians turned ugly. In demonstrations across the West Bank, from Ramallah, to Bethlehem, to Hebron, protesters were set upon by Palestinian police for stating their opinions.

The non-violent protesters came from all walks of life. One of the Ramallah demonstrations that was organized by the Grass Roots Anti-Aparthied Wall Campaign and dozens of Palestinian civil society organizations from throughout the West Bank, Gaza, and inside Israel.

The demonstration called for a process of negotiation “aimed at the implementation of the rights of our people, and the establishment of a timeline for such implementation, not negotiation on the rights themselves.” The people present, as well as the things they chanted, were consistent in supporting a just peace and national unity.

In Ramallah 200 people were detained, and 30 people were injured. Police began attacking and arresting people for holding signs, and speaking their mind. Signs and banners were confiscated, and journalists, or even people filming with their cellphones, were particularly targeted for violent oppression by the police. Live fire was used to threaten the demonstration, and police drove by with machine guns raised.

In Bethlehem 50 people were detained, and the police used water cannons to subdue the crowd. Here, like elsewhere, journalists were specifically targeted. In Hebron 37 year old protestor Hisham Barad’i was killed. According to Palestinian news agency Maan medical sources said that Palestinian security forces shot Barad’i in the heart during a 2500 strong demonstration organized by the Islamic group Hizeb Ut-Tahrir.

Click here for the orinigal document:
http://www.apartheidmasked.org/?p=303

Day of Violence at Nonviolent Demonstrations Accross the West Bank

Today at around 12 pm, in the village of kheirbet al musbah, 200 non-violent Palestinian activists, joined by Israelis and internationals, gathered from the surrounding villages to demonstrate against the closure of route 443. The demonstrators marched towards what was once the access route to route 443, but which has been blocked as part of Israel’s apartheid policies. 443 has been designated a pass road for Israelis only, in contradiction to the Supreme Court’s ruling. The demonstrators chanted against the occupation and against the closure. On the access road, blocked by cement, there were a few soldiers who tried to prevent the demonstrators from moving forward. They beat several youth who were among the demonstrators. The march continued, however, despite these efforts. The march stopped at the 443 road and the demonstrators stood in front of a line of police and soldiers, continuing to chant and to wave Palestinian flags. Some of the youth, after the demonstration dispersed, threw stones at the assembled soldiers and police. A few jeeps carrying border police and soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets towards the demonstrators the village and surrounding olive groves. The organizers of the demonstration invited Israeli and international demonstrators to continue to attend the protest, now regularly scheduled for once a week.

At the demonstration today in Bil’in, three demonstrators, two Palestinians and one Israeli, were seriously hurt. The first wounded demonstrator was a 40 year old resident of Bil’in and was shot in the hand and chest with a teargas canister which burned through his coat and shirt, broke the palm of his hand and injured his chest. The teargas canister was fired directly at the protester from short range. The Israeli who was wounded was hit in the head with a rubber coated steel bullet. The Israeli who was hit with the rubber bullet was standing at the side of the road leading to the wall. When he was hit he fell unconscious and was evacuated with the injured Palestinian. He is bruised and in pain and shock. Another Bil’in resident, Adib Abu Rahme, was arrested and beaten in the head. He was near the wall and was caught by the soldiers, who battered his head and threw him to the side of the road while he was still bleeding. Abu Rahme, after coming to, identified the soldier who had beaten him to a photographer. At this stage, the soldiers arrested him again and held him for two hours, even though he required urgent medical care. All three were taken to the Ramallah hospital. The Israeli was sent to a hospital in Israel and has been released. The two Palestinians were released and are recuperating.

60 Palestinians and 5 Israelis converged on Road 60 near Umm Salamuna today to nonviolently protest the theft of 30 Dunums of Palestinian land for the expansion of the road to Efrat settlement. The army set up checkpoints around the protest and denied many Palestinains and Israelis access. Soldiers made regular incursions into the protest to beat demonstrators, one Palestinian man was seriously wounded.