Tag: Bil’in

Israeli Soldier in Bil’in: “This is Lebanon!”

Israeli activists have uploaded a video of the shooting of Lymor and the initial violence of the Israeli military in Bil’in on Friday, August 11th. To view it click here. Higher quality for broadcast is also available from the ISM media office

The video clearly shows the Border Police unit firing on the demonstrators from close range. There is no evidence that the soldiers were in danger. Typically, the military spokesperson has claimed that “activists threw stones” and Haaretz’s article yesterday reiterating the same false information. The video also clearly shows the commander of the unit saying, “This is Lebanon!” as he orders his force to fire on retreating demonstrators, and “I will not allow a demonstration during wartime!”

The commander, Majdei, made this decision despite a military court decision in August 2005 that people in Bil’in have the right to protest on their land on the village-side of the apartheid wall. Every week since the wall was finished in March 2006, the Israeli military has also denied them the right to protest on their farmland on the other side of the wall. The wall separates villagers from 60% of their farmland, half of which has already been annexed and developed by Jewish settlements.

In addition many villagers have been arrested in the night during army raids for participating in the demonstrations in Bil’in. Two villagers are still in prison: Esaam Matar, 29, has been imprisoned eight months and the military has ruled he is to be deported to Jordan; and Muhammad Burnat, 19, has been imprisoned for 3 months and has not yet had a trial for his alleged crimes.

According to official military regulations, which were reported in the Hebrew version of Haaretz today, soldiers are not allowed to fire from a distance closer than 40 meters. They are instructed not to fire at vital areas of the body and only to fire when they are in immediate danger. Each week during demonstrations in Bil’in, many non-violent demonstrators are injured in the head, neck and chest.

The Israeli who was shot in the head and a Danish woman beaten with a gun on Friday are the most serious injuries the army has caused since Ramzi Yassin, who was shot in the head with a plastic-coated steel bullet. Ramzi, from Bil’in, was handing out water during a demonstration in Bil’in on July 8th 2005, when he was shot in the side of the head. The bullet caused severe bleeding of his brain and he was left unconscious for 7 days and with permanent brain damage. Haitham al Khateeb of Bil’in, Yonathan Pollack, an Israeli, BJ from Denmark, and Phil of Austrailia were hospitalized at different times all for rubber bullets injuries to their heads at close range at Bil’in demonstrations, except for Haitham who was hit by a tear gas canister fired at his head.

Lymor, who was shot on Friday, is currently in a stable condition at Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv. It took the ambulances about an hour to get from the site where he was shot to the hospital. He was taken in for immediate surgery which took 3 hours, and a rubber bullet as well as shards of bone and damaged brain tissue were removed from his head and an internal heomorage was stopped. Before the surgery he was totally clear and aware even though he was in a lot of pain. After the surgery he was moving his arms and legs while he was under sedation. He was taken off sedation around 7pm yesterday evening. He can move his limbs and can talk but is having trouble with his vision.

Rina, from Denmark, is also currently in the hospital in Hebron, suffering from severe concussion caused by an Israeli soldier beating her with his gun. She is stable, but is still having trouble walking on her own.

Israeli Army Causes Two Serious Head Injuries to Protestors in Bil’in

To view a video of the initial violence of the Israeli military and shooting of Lymor click here. Higher quality for broadcast is also available from the ISM media office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today, August 11, the Israeli army and Border Police brutally prevented Bil’in’s weekly non-violent demonstration, by firing rubber bullets and sound grenades on protestors as they marched through the village on their way to the Apartheid wall. Fourteen people from Bil’in, Israelis and internationals, have been injured, including an Israeli, Lymar, in critical condition who was shot on neck and just above his right ear with 3 rubber bullets at close range. He has had surgery at Tel Hashomer hospital to remove a rubber bullet that was lodged in his skull. Currently he is in a medical induced coma in moderate but stable condition, but has sustained brain damaged of unknown severity.

Another demonstrator from Denmark, Rina, has suffered a fracture in her skull and brain contusion after a soldier beat her with the butt of his gun. She is currently hospitalized in Hebron, West Bank and is conscious but unable to walk. She was also beaten on her legs and sustained minor injuries.

The demonstrators marched through the village carrying 5 fake bodies symbolizing an entire family killed by the Israeli army in order to protest their “New Style of Killing” in which the whole family is targetted. The border police and army were stationed along the route of the march that leads to the Apartheid Wall, where the demonstrations usually take place. The military began firing when the protestors were less than 50 meters away, immediately causing many injuries.

The violence began so early that the ambulance (usually present at the demonstrations in case of injuries) had not yet arrived. At first the Israeli army would not let the protestors evacuate the Israeli who was shot in the head, and was suffering from blood loss. Eventually the soldiers took him in an army ambulance to Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv.

The soldiers then chased after the protestors and beat them as they were retreating, causing more injuries. Soldiers detained Jonathon Pollack, a prominent Israeli supporter and later released him. The army claimed that it was an “illegal demonstration” despite the fact that the Israeli Court ruled that Bil’in has a right to hold demonstrations.

This is a list of those injured at the Bil’in demonstration today, Friday 11th Aug.

An Israeli, shot with 3 rubber bullets at close range, with injuries to head and neck. He is currently undergoing surgery.
Two villagers, El Haj Wa’el Fahene and Nimer Mustafa Abu Rahma were both shot with rubber bullets to their backs and legs.
Gavin from UK, beaten
Martin from Sweden, beaten
Rina from Denmark, hit with a rifle butt on side of head
Jonathon from Israel, shot with rubber bullet
Uri a 20 year old from Israel, struck by rubber bullet
Rojo Didier from France (43 years old), shot with rubber bullet in back and leg
Jonas from USA, struck with rubber bullets on hip and leg
Cheryl aged 45 from USA, struck with rubber bullet to the back
Margaret from UK, struck by exploding sound grenade
Yoshki, a 22 year old journalist from Japan, shot by rubber bullet
Abudullah Abu Rahma, beaten

It is likely that an official complaint will be made to the Israeli authorities about the violent behaviour of the soldiers.

For more information:
Abudullah Abu Rahma: 054 725 8210
Mohammed Khatib 054 557 3285
ISM Media Office 02 297 1824

Bil’in to Protest Israel’s New Style of Killing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tomorrow, August 11, 2006, at 1pm the people of Bil’in will conduct another demonstration against the wall and war crimes Israel is committing daily in Lebanon and Gaza. With the support of Israelis and internationals they will carry five coffins with fake, bloodied bodies inside representing a family of one mother, one father and three children. The coffins will read: “The New Style of Killing, but the Israeli Way”, referring to how the Israeli army not only kills the fathers, but the mothers and children as well.

The Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements has organized weekly demonstrations since January 2005. Throughout their struggle Israelis and internationals have been supportive in resisting army incursions into the village, imposed curfew, and the wall that has estranged them from 60% of their farmland.

For more information:
Mohammed Katib 054 557 3285
Abudullah Abu Rahma 054 725 8210

Soldiers Steal Palestinian Flags from the Outpost


Shelter at the outpost (foreground), roadblock (middle) and settlement outpost (background)

Internationals were disturbed at the Palestinian outpost* in Bil’in by Israeli military vehicles both during daytime and in the middle of the night. On the night of July 31st at 11:30 pm, the IOF (Israeli Occupation Force) drove a military vehicle directly into the shelter where internationals were sleeping, revved their engines and shone their headlights into it. They did this on a number of other occasions during the days before this incident. In response, the internationals consulted the popular committee of Bil’in about the idea of constructing a “roadblock” with large stones to prevent the Israeli military vehicles coming too close to the outpost. The committee agreed with this idea and so five internationals moved a large number of rocks across the approach road to the shelter. Since then, the army vehicles have been kept away from the outpost.


The roadblock (foreground) and the outpost (background)

On the afternoon of August 4th, a few hours after the weekly demonstration, four soldiers came to the outpost and entered the shelter. The soldiers then attempted to tear down the Palestinian flags that where adorning the outpost. They succeeded in snatching two of the flags, while verbally abusing the one International present. This harassment has occurred over a number of days when the Israeli soldiers, who controlled the gate between Bil’in village and the outpost, had several times refused access to Internationals.

On August 5th, two internationals were not allowed to pass the gate with flags which were brought to replace the stolen ones. The internationals were told that they were not allowed to bring Palestinian flags across the barrier as it was “Israeli land” beyond.

*The outpost is two structures built by the people of Bil’in on land they own, which is separated from them by the Annexation Barrier. It is near the settlement of Matityahu Mizrakh and is an important site for the non-violent joint struggle between Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals. The people of Bil’in with Israeli and international peace activists maintain a 24 hour presence at the outpost. There is a demolition order issued on the two small structures that make up the outpost, while the extensive and much larger buildings that make up the settlement housing complexes, which were also built illegally under Israeli law, have no such order threatening them. All Israeli settlement structures are illegal under international law.

Bil’in Mourns 1,000 Dead in Lebanon and Gaza

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today on Friday August 4, the people of Bil’in joined by Israeli and international supporters marched to the apartheid wall and attempted to cross the gate which separates villagers from their land. They bore Palestinian and Lebanese flags alongside black flags of mourning in memory of over 1,000 people who have been murdered in Gaza and Lebanon, including the horrific massacre in Qana this past week. They delivered words and posters bearing photos and messages rejecting the Israeli aggression which has caused one of the bloodiest months for the region. The demonstrators were pushed back by Israeli military violence: sound grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas.

Demonstrators showed peaceful, but defiant, displays of the flags despite the cadre of armed military personnel, now able to hide behind newly constructed reinforcement fences. The occupation forces immediately advanced through the gate to take strategic positions overlooking the activists. At a distance of hundreds of meters, the soldiers began lobbed grenade-launched tear gas canisters, throwing concussion grenades, and firing rubber bullets. In the ensuing attack: Margaret, a 52 year-old participant from Scotland was shot in the back with a rubber bullet; Yasir, a participant from Spain was shot in the back with a rubber bullet; and John, a 53 year-old participant also from Scotland sustained facial injuries from a concussion grenade thrown directly at him.

Two large brush fires were ignited by grenade-launched tear gas. When villagers and activists attempted to return to put the fire out, the army advanced and renewed their attack of tear gas and rubber bullets on those who were clearly attempting to stop the rapidly spreading blaze. Nearly totally blinded and inhaling thick smoke, those attempting to extinguish the fire endured continued long-range bombardment of tear gas and rubber bullets by the soldiers hidden behind the fence. The fires were successfully extinguished in the end after 40 minutes, despite the attack.

Since the onset of the recent violence in Gaza and Lebanon, the people of Bil’in have maintained a weekly protest in support of those enduring continued Israeli attacks.