Tag: Bethlehem

Um Salamuna: Defending the Land

July 6th, 2007. At around 11:00, 60 Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists gathered in the trees in Um Salamuna above the place where the apartheid wall is to be built. There were Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on the hill across from us, watching while we happily wasted their weekend time. Palestinians and internationals gathered to pray, and afterwards we walked down chanting to where they were building the wall.

We arrived to where the soldiers and border police were waiting and they tried to stop us from moving. We pushed forward and they pushed us back with their shields. We then sat down and chanted and clapped. The soldiers surrounded us and the mayor of the settlement on the hill watched us, smiling. One speaker said that the land they were on was his, and that his face was like stone, whereas the face of the mayor, from Russia, was like snow.

We stood up and the police again formed a line, preparing to use their shields against us, but we walked the other way. As they stood in the dust we created, we walked across the road and began picking the grape leaves and almonds that belong to the Palestinians. After some time soldiers were making their way towards us, we heard sirens, saw dogs and the rest of the group on the road told us to come back as jeeps were approaching.

We came off the Palestinian land on to the road and the site of the apartheid walls construction as a jeep was being blocked by our group in the road. We surrounded the jeep much to the dismay of the soldiers inside who at times tried to go through us but could not. Then we began to decorate the jeep with the grape leaves we collected by means of the netting on top. This unfortunately did not cover the jeep in beauty, but in shame.

The other soldiers then approached, surrounded the jeep and pushed us away. We marched back to the top of the hill. No one was hurt, no one arrested, and we showed that people from Palestine, Israel, and all over the world will not stand by as Israel, illegally steals more and more land.

Artas: Solidarity With a Local Farmer

By the ISM Media Team

June 29th, 2007. At approximately 11.00 am a group of about 40 Palestinians, Israelis and internationals gathered in the fields of the Palestinian village of Artas to protest against the construction of the, according to international law, illegal Israeli Apartheid-Wall and to support a local farmer in entering his land.

His fields are going to be ruined by the construction of a sewage-system for the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Efrat, as well by the construction of the Apartheid-Wall. Approximately one month ago, Israeli military and bulldozers, uprooted about 40 apricot trees and forbid the owner to enter his area.

When the demonstrators were about to proceed to the uprooted area, where a part of the sewage-system has already been constructed, the way was immediately blocked by about 15 soldiers, preventing the demonstration of going further. After a couple of minutes and several attempts to negotiate with the soldiers, the Israeli military surprisingly allowed the Palestinian farmer and his supporters to enter his land.

The next 30 minutes were spent, by an impassioned and moving speech. The land owner and some other Palestinians explained their miserable situation to the present media, as well as to the international activists, and asked them not to stay silent in the face of the injustice and oppression they have seen, but to spread their messages all over the world.

Despite one incident of unprovoked violence against a Palestinian, the demonstration in Artas was a successful and enjoyable time for all of the demonstrators present. Since it was the first time in 40 days, that the farmer has been allowed to enter his field, the demonstrators reached their aim in a peaceful way, without any people being arrested or injured. The demonstration concluded by the farmers offering to all the activists, to get fruit from his trees, which everybody was happy to do.

Um Salamona: Tree Planting met with violence by IOF

By the ISM media team

At approximately 10.30 am a group of about 60 Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals gathered near the Palestinian village of Um Salamona to support Palestinian farmers in their protest against Israeli Apartheid Policy and to help them plant olive trees inside the nearby olive groves. Although these olive groves are part of Palestinian farm land, the farmers are not allowed to enter them since this area is supposed to be separated by the illegal Israeli Apartheid Wall.

As the group of peace activists and Palestinians approached the area of the upcoming Apartheid Wall, about 40 soldiers and border policemen came down the hill to prevent them from going further. The Palestinian land owners asked the soldiers to let them go on to their land. The soldiers either ignored or refused their requests and kept blocking the way. Some Palestinians then started to plant about 20 olive trees on the side of the road, while the rest of the group unsuccessfully negotiated with the border police and soldiers and chanted against the construction of the Apartheid Wall.

On several occasions, the soldiers and border policemen used unprovoked violence against the peaceful demonstrators. Numerous people were pushed to the ground, kicked and beaten. A group of three settlers, standing behind the soldiers, were watching the proceedings and seemed to enjoy the humiliating actions directed at the demonstrators. One border policeman stole the pick of a Palestinian farmer and refused to hand out his property until the end of the demonstration.

Close to the end of the peaceful protest against the robbing of Palestinian farmland and the building of the Apartheid Wall, the Israeli soldiers arrested two Israeli activists and used physical violence to take them to the police car.

Home Rebuilding Camp in Bethlehem

Holy Land Trust in Partnership with The Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD)

    1 July 2007 – 15 July 2007

Purpose of the Camp:

The main activity of the camp is to rebuild a home demolished by the Israeli military in a Palestinian area; this is one of the most important issues facing Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. In addition to working on rebuilding the house, Holy Land Trust will,

– Provide nonviolence training courses for the participants.
– Political tours in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Israel.
– Discussions and presentations by Israeli and Palestinians NGOs.
– Field trips to historical and religious sites.
– Weekend excursions and cultural evenings.

During this experience, participants will learn more of the culture, food and lifestyle of those who live here as they will work hand in hand with the local community.

Participants will be staying at a local Palestinian guest house in Bethlehem and should plan to arrive no later than July 1st 2007 and can plan to return to their homes after July 15th 2007.

It is our hope that you will return to your homes carrying the messages of peace, justice and hope.

History of the family and the house where you will be working:

The Salim Family from Walija, a village near Bethlehem owned a plot of land that was 800 square meters in size, inherited from the mother’s side of the family. In 2004 Mr. Munther Salim, who continues to work as a laborer, began building a house approximately 100 square meters for his five family members. On July 2005, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli police came to the location and gave the family the first home demolition warning. Mr. Munther refused to take the warning and tore the papers claiming that this is his land an that Israeli had nothing to do there and not even the right to give him any warnings, the IDF forces left and he summoned to go to the Israeli court.

Mr. Munther went to court several times; the first time Israeli government asked him to pay a penalty of 6,000 shekel (almost $1,500 USD) because he refused to accept the demolition warning. He was told in court that the land belongs to the Jerusalem municipal district and he should get permission to build from the Jerusalem Municipality. It is important to note that other houses in the same area received their permits from the Walajeh Village council. The lawyer succeeded in postponing the demolition orders.

On January 31st 2006 an Israeli demolition crew, accompanied by bulldozers and dozens of soldiers and police, suddenly arrived to the location. Within an hour the house was reduced to rubble after they the family was forced out. The family did not give up; a month later they began building the house for the second time. The Israeli demolition crew came back eight months later and on the 12th of December 2006 demolished the house for the second time.

While they were living in a relative’s house after their first and second house demolition in January 2006, the Israeli demolition crew came and demolished that house as well.

The Salim family continues to live through hope. Mr. Salim would like to rebuild his destroyed house once again, although it is very certain to be destroyed once again, Should he attempt to do so. What would you do if you were in his place?

The Salim family is looking to get international and local support to prevent the Israeli demolition of their house and confiscation of their land.

For more info, click HERE

Taking it to the street in Um Salamona

by ISM Hebron, 9 June 2007

At approximately 1:00 pm, about 200 Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals gathered at a home in the village of Um Salamona to demonstrate against the 40 year brutal Occupation of the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights, and against the construction of the Israeli apartheid wall. On their way to the demonstration, two Palestinian men were arrested by Israeli forces for unknown reasons.

Following the village members’ Friday sermon and prayer, the non-violent demonstrators made their way to the gate of the home in an attempt to march in the street. As they approached the gate, they chanted for the cessation of the development of the apartheid wall and for the liberation of Palestine. The border police blocking the way responded with unprovoked violence.

Several peace activists were kicked, shoved, and thrown. Simultaneously, one Palestinian man in his 60s was plucked from the crowd, thrown to the ground, and kicked repeatedly before being arrested. Three Israeli activists attempted to reach the street by climbing over the fence, but they were immediately arrested. A nearby gate was then discovered to be open, so approximately half of the demonstrators ran through to the street, while the remaining half were blocked by border police who had reached this second gate. The demonstrators still inside the gate made their way to a third open gate and succeeded in reaching the street. The Israeli border police and soldiers then maintained a presence in the street, prohibiting the activists from going toward Hebron.