Tag: Bil’in

Maariv: “There are some who understand that Palestinians are human”

Translation from original Hebrew by Rann Bar-on

Waji Burnat, whose son was injured six years ago from Israeli army fire and has since been confined to a wheelchair, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision. Now he’s considering suing for compensation. “Any amount of money will help the recovery”.

by Itamar Inbari, December 12th

“The Supreme Court’s decision proves that there are people who understand that Palestinians are human beings like any others.” – said Waji Burnat, a resident of the Palestinian village of Bil’in, this afternoon to NRG/Ma’ariv. His son Ranni, 26, was injured at the start of the Intifada and has since been confined to a wheelchair. Burnat added that any amount of money his son will receive from the Israeli state would help in his recovery.

Ranni Burnat was seriously injured from Israeli live fire soon after the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000, a few days after the former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount. Burnat, who was participating in a non-violent demonstration in Ramallah at the time, was hit with live ammunition. The bullet that penetrated his neck paralyzed him, and since then he has been confined to a wheelchair.

Ranni’s father says that he has previously tried to sue the Israeli army and even contacted a lawyer. When the latter did not return his calls, he understood that the probability of the case reaching the courts was small due to the “Intifada law”.

Today, after he heard about the Supreme Court decision, Waji Burnat said that he hopes to sue the state. “My son is the most precious thing I have and what has happened is in the past already. Any amount of money Ranni will get will help his recovery,” he said. The father praised the Supreme Court judges for their decision. “I feel that there are people who understand that Palestinians are human, just like everybody else,” he said with satisfaction.

“Comprehensive Damage”

Today, an expanded panel of Supreme Court judges decided unanimously that Palestinians injured during Israeli army operations in the last six years can sue the state for damages. Nine judges, headed by the former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak, canceled the amendment to the compensation law that removed the right of Palestinians to sue and ruled it unconstitutional. Despite that, the Supreme Court left as written the part of the law barring members of terrorist organizations and subjects of enemy states from suing the state.

The Supreme Court partially accepted an appeal filed by nine human rights organizations, including Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights and canceled an amendment to the damages law that was approved by the Knesset 18 months ago. According to the amendment, the Minister of Defense can declare areas in the Occupied Territories to be “zones of conflict”, even if no combat activity took place in them. The amendment to the law was approved in July 2005, but was applied retroactively to damages caused to Palestinians from the end of September 2000.

Since then thousands of claims for damages were submitted by Palestinians to various courts around the country. According to estimates, their total monetary value is tens, or even hundreds of millions of shekels. The amendment to the law gave the state immunity from such claims and and de facto removed the right of Palestinians from the Occupied Territories to sue for damages. In the verdict, the judges stated that the removal of responsibility from the side of the state for damage caused to Palestinians contradicts the rights set forth in “Basic Law: Human Dignity and Freedom.”

“We must remember that the territories of Judea and Samaria, as well as Gaza until August 2005, were subject to combat status for almost forty years”, wrote Barak in the verdict. “The security forces maintain a permanent and continuous presence in those areas. This kind of blanket immunity given to the state means that the state gets a pardon from responsibility for damages with regard to a wide range of activities unrelated to combat. It means that many victims, who were never involved in any hostile activities, are left with no compensation for the damage caused to their lives, their bodies and their property. Such comprehensive disregard for their rights does not align with the duties of the Israeli state.”

Bil’in village land out of bounds for internationals

by the ISM media team, December 9th

Internationals have been banned by the IOF from visiting the land of Bil’in village that lies on the other side of the illegal apartheid wall. In recent days internationals have been told by soldiers stationed at the checkpoint at the wall cutting through the village, that orders have been given forbidding access to this land. For the past year internationals have been able to cross the wall to visit and stay at the outpost built on village land and to help work the agricultural land. Settler-colonists from the illegal colony of Matityahu East have in the past set fire to the outpost, making the need for a permanent presence at the outpost essential.

In the past year the outpost has served as a meeting place for villagers and friends, has been a focus for the enjoyment of the World Cup and internationals helped with the olive harvest on the other side of the wall. All these displays of friendship and international solidarity have now been brought to an end in this latest attempt to ghettoize the village. Half of the village land has been annexed by the Israeli colony of Matityahu East and now the village is being denied their right to use the remaining land across the wall as they wish.

In a rare piece of ‘good news’ for the village, Emad Burnat, the Reuters cameraman fitted up, assaulted by soldiers, denied medical treatment and slung in jail for 3 weeks has been released from house arrest and can now return home to his family in Bil’in.
Press watchdog Reporters without Borders drew attention to Emad’s arrest and the trumped-up charges brought against him for his role in documenting IOF violence and intimidation in Bil’in.

IOF target Bilin non-violent activist

by the ISM media team, December 8th

UPDATE 7pm Ahmed has been taken from the police station to Ofer military detention centre. He has been accused of damaging the illegal apartheid wall, resisting arrest and being in a Closed Military Zone.

At today’s peaceful demo against the illegal apartheid wall in Bil’in the IOF assaulted and abducted Bil’in peace activist Ahmed Abu Hasssan, 34. Ahmed was attacked by 10 soldiers as he pulled at a razor wire fence that forms part of the illegal wall regime in Bil’in. Female activists who came to his aid were beaten and had their hair pulled by the soldiers. Ahmed was dragged away by soldiers holding him by the scruff of the neck and was then blindfolded. Bil’in residents are targeted every week for arrest due to their role in highlighting the apartheid Israeli occupation.

As protesters marched to the gate in the wall soldiers were occupying the house of a Bilin resident and standing on the roof. After singing and chanting at the gate, some demonstrators protested with banners and flags along the route of the wall whilst others pulled on the razor wire. This led to an immediate display of military force and Ahmed’s arrest.

UN observers and the director of Amnesty International Irene Khan were present in the village during the demonstration and did interviews with villagers and non-violent activists about the Occupation land theft in Bil’in and repression of local residents. Ahmed is only the latest in a long line of Bil’in residents to be abducted and held by the IOF.

Protesters get a mauling in Bil’in

by the ISM media team, December 1st

At today’s peaceful protest against the apartheid wall in Bil’in the IOF lashed out at activists with fists and batons, and arrested one Israeli activist. One activist had blood streaming down his face from the assault and had to have his head bandaged by medics on the scene.

Soon after the start of the smaller than average march the intentions of the IOF were clear. Soldiers had positioned themselves on the roof of a house at a junction inside the village, and were visible in large numbers lining the route of the march.

When the villagers reached the gate in the wall with their tractor, they demanded access to their land on the other side. Being denied access, the protesters set about dismantling the razor wire in front of the gate. Despite a barrage of sound bombs and some tear gas much of the wire was removed. Unable to disperse the small but determined crowd, the soldiers called in reinforcements and escalated their military violence. They climbed over the gate to target one protester, whilst ruthlessly dealing with anyone in their way.

Several people suffered cuts and torn clothes, as well as the head injuries suffered by a villager and an Israeli activist. The arrested Israeli was badly beaten and had his shirt torn off. He is still in detention.

Back in the village soldiers were shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at the village children. Two children were shot, one in the head and the other in the back and legs. The brutality shown by the IOF and their large presence inside Bilin today, marks another escalation in their efforts to quash the village’s non-violent resistance that has captured the imagination of peace activists from all over the world.

Non-violent Bil’in activist Ayad Burnat, released on bail

by the ISM media team, November 28th


from a demonstration on 8th September this year

Bil’in peace activist Ayad Burnat, who was arrested at a peaceful demonstration in Bil’in last Friday has been released from Ofer military prison on NIS 4,000 bail. He was detained for four days on the false charges of violating a military order, causing property damage to the apartheid wall and assaulting a military officer. The IOF has yet to issue an indictment or any evidence of these charges.

During the almost two-year long campaign of weekly protests against the apartheid wall cutting though their land, countless villagers from Bil’in have been targetted for arrest by the IOF. Last week four non-violent activists were seized from their homes in the middle of the night by the IOF and held for nearly 24 hours ‘for a chat’ about their role in the weekly protests. Despite this campaign of intimidation the spirit of resistance in Bil’in refuses to die.