Tag: Bil’in

West Bank villagers to show the faces of Bush

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT — A nonviolent protest against the building of the illegal separation barrier near Bil’in is set for Friday, July 22 at 1 p.m.

Residents of Bil’in will be joined by Israeli and International peace activists in the latest of a series of creative protests against the building of the illegal barrier that has occurred near Bil’in.

The protests are famous for their nonviolence and dramatic themes. Tomorrow, a group of villagers plan to dress as U.S. President George W. Bush, with his eyes covered by orange ribbons, as they head the demonstration and carry a cardboard version of the illegal wall. Orange ribbons are the symbol brandished by Israelis opposed to Gaza disengagement. The imagery is to illustrate how U.S. foreign policy has been blinded by plans in Gaza and ignores the ever expanding wall built on seized Palestinian land.

A military appeals judge ruled today to extend the detention of non-violent community organizer Abdullah Abu Rahme of Bil’in until Sunday at 11:00 AM when the military prosecution’s appeal against Abdullah’s release on bail will be heard.

Earlier today a different military judge ruled to release Abdullah and Akram Al Khatib on bail. The two were arrested during a nonviolent protest in Bil’in last Friday. Akram was released onthe condition that he remain 500 meters away from the Annexation Fence in Bil’in except in areas that are built up areas within the village. But the prosecution appealed Abdullah’s release.

Abdullah has yet to be charged with anything, but the prosecution claimed that he assaulted a soldier during his arrest and tried to grab his weapon. Witnesses’ statements, pictures and video of the event that were presented to the judge tell a different story of a peaceful protest violently attacked by the Israeli military forces.

Another resident of Bil’in, Tamer al Khatib, is being detained at Ofer Military Base. Tamer was arrested yesterday along with six other non-violent activists who had locked themselves into a metal cylinder on the route of the annexation Barrier. The activists were initially charged with attacking Israeli soldiers. But upon viewing video of the event, an Israeli judged said that, on the contrary, the peaceful activists were attacked by Israeli soldiers.

Despite having been arrested at the same event and accused of the same charge, the Israeli and international activists were offered immediate release on the condition that they stay away from the wall’s route in Bil’in for 15 days. But Tamer was transferred to a military detention center and will probably spend six days there before he sees a judge.

In protest of this racist treatment three of the activists, Alison Brim of North Carolina, Nina Olsen of Denmark, and ISM cofounder Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American from Michigan, refused to be released and spent the night in detention only to return before a judge the next day. The activists’ lawyer, Yael Berda, added a statement to their conditions of release document that explained that the women regard their being offered conditional release while Tamer remains in detention as racist and unjust. Huwaida Arraf informed the judge that they refuse to stop protesting the Illegal annnexation Wall. All three were released on conditions.

The Israeli government continues its policy of attacking, arresting and fabricating charges against non-violent Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who are protesting against the construction of the Annexation Wall on Palestinian land. The Wall has been declared illegal by the International Court of Justice, the world’s highest legal institution.

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT — Three international activists are refusing to sign release papers after being arrested alongside a Palestinian protester. The arrests occurred during a nonviolent action against the Illegal barrier in the West Bank village of Bil’in. The three women, one Danish and two U.S. citizens, say they won’t accept conditional releases so long as the Palestinian they were arrested with is not offered the same treatment. The three go before a civil judge Thursday July 21. The Palestinian awaits a military trial.

The arrestees were among a group of Palestinians, internationals and Israelis at a nonviolent action against construction of the barrier on Palestinian land.

Alison Brim of North Carolina, Nina Olsen of Denmark, and ISM cofounder Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American of Michigan, were taken in front of a judge and offered release with the condition that they stay 500 meters away from the path the wall in Bil’in. Meanwhile, Bil’in resident Tamer Al Khatib was taken to Ofer Military Base where he awaits military trial. In solidarity with their Palestinian friend, the international activists refused. They are being held in Givaat Zeev police station, awaiting a court appointment set for 12 p.m. Thursday at the Peace Court in the Russian Compound.

The four were among seven activists arrested Wednesday morning in Bil’in. Also arrested were Pel’e Minddal of Denmark and Israelis Avi Mugrabhi and Moshe Berger. Minddal signed papers for immediate release in order to get medical treatment for his arm, which was injured amid the arrest. Berger and Mugrabhi also signed for their release.

The protest Wednesday involved several activists. The seven who were arrested had locked themselves inside a large metal cylinder decorated with symbols of the Palestinian political factions and a Palestinian flag which was placed in the path bulldozers use to build the wall on Palestinian land in Bil’in. Only their heads and feet poking out of port holes and they were chained to one another inside.

Israeli soldiers beat them with batons and cut into the cylinder, forcing the activists out.

Interestingly, the arrested activists were charged with attacking the soldiers. The charge was dismissed by a judge Wednesday who had viewed a video tape of the incident and stated that it obviously was the soldiers who had attacked the activists.

Violence, false charges and harassment are not new responses to the nonviolent resistance in Bil’in. Abdallah Abu Rahme and Akram Al Khatib, members of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall have been in detention at Ofer Military Base since their arrest during a non-violent demonstration Friday, July 15. They have a military court appearance scheduled for today at Ofer Military Base.

For more information contact: 054-5892681 or ISM Media Office 02-2971824.

For more photographs:
freckle.blogs.com/photos/strength_in_unity

The Palestinian Gandhi, Abdullah Abu Rahme, and Akram Al Khatib, two members of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Bil’in, were arrested Friday, July 15, 2005 and are still being held at Ofer Military Base. The two were arrested during a non-violent demonstration against the Annexation Barrier in Bil’in and are being charged with assaulting a police officer.

Attorney Tamar Peleg, has filed a request with the court and the prosecutors for the immediate release of Abdullah and Akram. Peleg states that their arrest is the result of Israeli military efforts to stop legitimate, legal, non-violent political activities.

Members of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements and their families have regularly been subjected to nightly threats, harassment, arrest, and false charges in the past.

The central theme of Friday’s demonstration was that peace requires bridges, not walls, and that instead of building the Annexation Wall a better future and a bridge of peace and understanding should be constructed.

Abdullah, along with Israeli and International activists, was inside the installation with only his head sticking out. The activists inside the installation lead the march which left the center of the village toward the construction site of the Barrier. Border police and IDF soldiers were waiting for the demonstration inside the village and prevented access to the route of the Barrier which appropriates more than half of the village’s lands for the construction of new Israeli settlements.

After a few moments of debate, soldiers attacked the demonstrators with clubs, shock grenades and tear gas. Abdullah was forced out of the installation, arrested and then charged with assault. Akram who was standing nearby was suddenly grabbed by a soldier and arrested and charged with resisting arrest. Throughout the arrest which is documented by video and still photos Akram can be seen holding his hands in the air. 14 Israelis and four international activists were also arrested in the same demonstration, under the same circumstances. All but two of them were released after a few hours. The other two were released at 22:00 that night. (Video footage that proves the above is available and has been submitted to the police).

The village of Bil’in is well known for its determination and creativity in resisting the Wall. One month ago, Abdullah and his brother Rateb were arrested in identical circumstances and charged with throwing stones. Luckily, video footage which proved the charges to be false was available. In a rare move, the military judge Captain Daniel Zamir, after viewing video footage of the Bil’in demonstration that conflicted with the IDF soldier reports of the events, stated: “There was no reason for the defendant’s arrest; there was no reason for the shooting that wounded him or the blows he received from the soldier,” adding that the reality was “strangely different, to put it mildly, from the testimony of the prosecution witnesses.” Subsequently, one of the soldiers who testified against Rateb has been investigated by military police and confessed to giving false testimony.

Links to photographs from the demonstration:

Abdullah in the bridge installation, 4th from the left:
freckle.blogs.com/photos/bridges_not_walls/2.html

Image of the confrontation with the IDF:
freckle.blogs.com/photos/bridges_not_walls/5.html

Image of Akram’s arrest:
freckle.blogs.com/photos/bridges_not_walls/arrest4.html

Image of Abdullah’s arrest:
freckle.blogs.com/photos/bridges_not_walls/arrest5.html

Please call and fax the people bellow demanding Abdullah’s and Akram’s release:
From abroad, include also the Israeli embassy in your country.
for embassy email addresses:
www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.html + more on:
www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel2.html

American Consulate, Jerusalem Email: keenme@state.gov, Fax: +972-(0)2- 627-7230
European Union, Jerusalem, Email mailto@delwbg.cec.eu.int, Fax: +972- (0)2-532 6249

White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
State Department Bureau of Public Affairs Comment Line: 202-647-6575

Tzipi Livni
Ministry of Justice
29 Salah al-Din Street
Jerusalem 91010, Israel
Fax: +972 2 628 7757
E-mail: sar@justice.gov.il

Menahem Mazuz
Attorney-General/Legal
Advisor to the Government
Ministry of Justice
29 Salah al-Din Street
Jerusalem 91010, Israel
Fax: +972 2 628 5438
+972 2 627 4481

Brigadier General Avihai Mandelblit
Chief Military Attorney
6 David Elazar Street
Hakirya
Tel Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972 3 569 4370
E-mail: c/o arbel@mail.idf.il