Tag: Bil’in

Arson at the Outpost in Bil’in

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

At 5pm today, May 28, 2006, Palestinian workers from the nearby settlement of Modi’in Illit called Abdullah Abu Rahme, from Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements of Bil’in, to tell him there was huge fire at the outpost. Abdullah went quickly to the outpost and found the army, the police, ambulance, and a fire truck there. He found one of the structures at the outpost burned down.

The outpost is two structures built by the people of Bil’in on their land that is separated from them by the Annexation Barrier and is near the settlement of Matityahu Mizrakh. It 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 have maintained a 24 hour presence at the outpost for the past few months. Today while Palestinian and international activists went to get food, the outpost was attacked.

The workers did not see who started the fire, but people in Bil’in suspect that settlers started it because last week people of Bil’in were harassed as they attempted to talk with settlers. The settlers were moving in to Matityahu Mizrakh settlement despite the Supreme Court injunction forbidding it. And three months ago, settlers attacked people with stones when they attempted a conversation with the settlers about the illegality of their presence in the settlement.

The police filed a report of the arson and said they will begin an investigation.

For more information please call:
Abdullah Abu Rahme : 0547 258 210
ISM media office: 02 297 45 41

Non-Violent Demonstration in Bil’in Deliberately Targeted by Israeli Soldiers

by ISM Media office volunteers


People of Bil’in carry flags representing the different Palestinian political parties and call for unity to oppose the occupation

At today’s demonstration in Bil’in, on May 26th, Israeli soldiers once again deliberately targeted peaceful demonstrators. As demonstrators attempted to cross razor wire, heading for the Bil’in village land annexed by the Israeli barrier, the soldiers threw sound bombs and tear gas grenades directly at them, causing several injuries. This violence was unprovoked by any stone throwing.

The demonstration had started with about 100 Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters singing and chanting. They headed towards the gate the Israeli military has installed in the annexation barrier. The theme of the demonstration was a call for unity between the Palestinian factions. A banner carrying the flags of the main Palestinian political factions was carried, with a large Palestinian flag above them all as a message that unity against the Israeli occupation is above political differences. When we go there, the way was blocked by two of the soldier’s jeeps, and a large group of soldiers in riot-gear. Attempts were made to pass, but the soldiers prevented this with their clubs and the jeeps.


Abdullah flies the flag near the occupation fence

After about 10 minutes of trying to get past in this way, the demonstrators started to walk along the fence. When they got to a section in the barbed wire that was less thick than the rest, they started to calmly lay rocks and scrap metal on in so they could pass onto the military road that the military have ripped-up from the land of Bil’in to install. The demonstrators intended to pass to access the stolen village land. This was prevented by several soldiers in riot-gear who arrived quickly. The demonstrators did not have the numbers for another attempt at crossing which may have been successful while the soldiers were busy with the first attempt.


The Arrest of Akram. Credit: Tess Scheflan

After about 5 minutes of attempting to cross in this way, the soldiers got fed up and started bombarding the demonstrators with sound bombs and tear gas. They were aimed directly at the peaceful protesters, hitting several and causing injuries. They threw so many that it seemed they were going to continue throwing sound bombs and tear gas at the demonstrators until they all left. One Palestinian had been arrested though, so the demonstrators stood firm until he was released.


Soldiers Throwing Tear Gas on Journalists

Three international activists from Germany, Sweden, and the US were injured by soldiers who threw tear-gas canisters directly at them. One was admitted to hospital in Ramallah. At least two Palestinians were shot with rubber bullets – one 17-year old was hit in the head.


Credit: Tess Scheflan


Credit: Tess Scheflan

Bil’in Calls for Palestinian National Unity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tomorrow after the midday prayer, the villagers of Bil’in village, west of Ramallah, will be joined by international and Israeli supporters for their weekly demonstration against the illegal annexation barrier the Israeli state is building on their land. At tomorrow’s demonstration, they will be calling for national unity and to protest against Israel’s “convergence” plan.

Bil’in villagers from all political factions and their Israeli and international supporters will try to reach land stolen from them by Israel’s annexation barrier. Bil’in’s land is ear-marked for the expansion of the illegal settlement of Metityahu Mizrah.

The villagers of Bil’in have three pending petitions in the Israeli Supreme Court. The first against the Mattiyahu East settlement built on their land. The second petition is against the route of the wall that is designed to allow the settlement expansion. The most recent, filed on May 14th, demanding that the designation of Bil’in lands as “state land” in order to benefit real estate companies be removed.

For more information call:

Muhammed: 0545 573 285
Abdullah: 0547 258 210
ISM Media office 02 297 1924

Ha’aretz: “Despite High Court ban, settlers occupy Matityahu East homes”

By Dan Keidar and Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondents, 24th May 2006

At least two settler families moved on Tuesday into apartments in a neighborhood of the West Bank settlement of Upper Modi’in that was built illegally on land belonging to the neighboring Palestinian village of Bil’in.

The move came in flagrant disregard of a Supreme Court injunction forbidding the occupation, transfer of ownership, or use of structures in the Matityahu East neigborhood.

Palestinian farmers reported on Tuesday afternoon that they witnessed from their fields two families in the neighborhood unloading their belongings from moving trucks.

“We were working on our land when we saw moving trucks enter the neighborhood,” said Mohammed Hatib, a Bil’in resident. “We approached the area and saw families enter the apartments. We asked them not to enter, because the court made their entrance illegal.”

According to the Bil’in residents, their request was ignored, after which they attempted to physically stand in the way of the settlers.

Attorney Michael Sfard, who represents Bil’in residents, called the police, who arrived after he threatened to a file motion charging the them with contempt of court unless they stopped the settlers. However, their arrival did not prevent the settlers from moving in.

Last December, Haaretz exposed the construction of Matityahu East, which was acquired from Bil’in residents through suspected fraudulent land purchases. The affidavit affirming the transfer of ownership was signed by an attorney representing the settlers, instead of by the head of Bil’in, as is customary.

The separation fence under construction runs through Bil’in, and separates the village from substantial parts of its land, including the portion on which Matityahu East was built.

According to the Palestinians and Israeli activists, the construction of the neighborhood helped determine the route of the fence. They say that the settlers appropriated the private land and it leased to building contractors run by settler leaders, which helped, along with the separation fence, create facts on the ground.

Pictures from the original Hebrew version.

Sunbula’s journal: “Farmers in Bil’in successfully plow their land behind the Wall”

Today there was some plowing of the land around the outpost in Bil’n and as always and international presence was needed to help ensure soldiers didn’t attack Palestinians (the Popular Committee in the village decided to build this outpost at the end of last year in order to “counter-settle” the land being taken from the village. See this article).

Trying to cross the fence in order to get there has become harder since I was last there in January. There is now a guard tower on the “security” road with soldiers in it. They can’t really stop us or Palestinians from going to the outpost because of a court order permitting the residents from reaching their land but they can harass plenty as they do. There still hasn’t been a response to the village’s petition to stop the building of wall on grounds of illegality, but instead a court order permitting the residents to pass through a gate in the fence. In addition to the army, there is also the Border Police and civilian security for the settlers.

Another ISM-er and I had to get to the outpost in near-dark with one of the village shebab (youth) and we were stopped by one of the Israeli patrol cars, and between their lack of English, my broken ‘ammiyya (colloquial Arabic) and Ashraf’s broken Hebrew, there was some awkward communication which I think eventually frustrated the guy enough for him to indicate to us to buzz off.

I was eager to know what had been going on since the last time I was there. The outpost has expanded a tiny bit and there are a few more places to sleep outdoors. However, my friend told me he is usually the only one from the village who is there regularly, all the time, because the other shebab are afraid to come to the outpost now. The police have been turning up to their homes and either arresting them or confiscating their IDs for allegedly throwing stones at the Friday demonstrations against the wall. His brother is among these and he just got out of jail two months. So, basically, internationals are needed more than ever to be permanently at the outpost. There was only one visit from the army that night, one of their more routine stops for no particular reason other than to scare the Palestinians. I was more disturbed by the mosquitoes buzzing around my head all night.

On Tuesday, for the planting and plowing, we were joined by a group of older Israeli peace activists and some more internationals. Some of the Popular Committee leaders came along with youth and some of the farmers.

Plowing some of the land took place successfully, along with some sheep grazing (they were adorable) and we started digging a hole in the ground for an eventual bathroom. Everyone took their turns at digging and scooping up earth in a pail. There’s something about the earth that gave it a really nice texture – Palestinian earth that has so many stones in it and is so fertile.
There was just one visit by an army jeep that seemed more curious than anything else to check out what was going on. It’s somewhat upsetting to think that farming your own land needs to be a planned “action” with international presence, and that despite an order from the court of the occupying country saying you have the right to do.


Graffiti inside the outpost: “we are staying and will not leave”