Tag: Bil’in - Page 94 - International Solidarity Movement

Remembering Rachel, 4 Years and Still No Justice. Dispatch #2

It’s been a week since I returned home here to Palestine.

And it has been four years since a twenty-three year old American peace activist, named Rachel Corrie, was killed by an Israeli Occupation Forces bulldozer in the Gaza Strip.

I never met Rachel. But I can feel what drove her to this place. The people and the land and the history melds into the tastiest brew. But it goes stale as you witness the harassment around every corner. A concrete wall separates a Palestinian town from Palestinian town. A 22 year old Israeli soldier screams at a 60 year old farmer trying to access his farmland. How can this be? Most of my folks back home would not even believe it. It’s hard to keep the blood from boiling. The Palestinians are in a constant state of being pushed from their Land.

The balfour declaration of 1917. Al Nakba (the Catastrophe)of 1948 when Israel was created on top of Palestinian land. Then 1967 brought the illegal Israeli Occupation of what remained of historic Palestine–the West bank and Gaza. Imagine 40…60…90 years of this! All these years of deportation from your home, fear, house demolitions, harassment, destruction of farmland, collective punishment…and the list goes on and on…

And Rachel saw this four years ago in Gaza. Writing through e-mail she said,

“I have been in Palestine for two weeks and one hour now, and I still have very few words to describe what I see. It is most difficult for me to think about what’s going on here when I sit down to write back to the United States. Something about the virtual portal into luxury.”

“I have bad nightmares about tanks and bulldozers outside our house and you and me inside. Sometimes the adrenaline acts as an anesthetic for weeks and then in the evening or at night it just hits me again – a little bit of the reality of the situation. I am really scared for the people here.”

And then Israel came to bulldoze a house in Rafah, the town where Rachel was staying. Unfortunatley, the house of the civilian Palestinian stood in the zone of Israel’s Wall. Israel claimed that under the house, Palestinian militants were using tunnels to smuggle weapons from Egypt. No tunnels have been found.

So, Rachel, with her bullhorn and bright orange jacket stood affront the house. And chills go through me every time I think about what was going through her mind at that time.

“You’re gonna stop… This bulldozer is going to stop!”

But the bulldozer didn’t stop. Instead, the bulldozer, manufactured and distributed by the American corporation “Caterpillar,” moved forward. The Israeli driver did not stop for her screams. He did not stop for her bright orange jacket or when the other human rights volunteers rushed forward, flailing their arms. No, the driver buried her underneath tons of steel and earth, and then wheeled the monstrous Caterpillar back over her, crushing her for a second time.

Yesterday, in the village of Bil’in in the West Bank, there was a small vigil for her in commemoration of her life and resistance. Bil’in has a wall running thourgh it, separating Palestinians from their farmland. 60% of the farmland has been annexed into Israel due to this Wall. For over two years, Palestinians, Israelis, and international non-violent activists have demonstrated in solidarity against this Wall.

Banners in honor of Rachel were seen scattered throughout the demonstration.

We marched to the wall where the Israeli Occupation Forces were waiting for us, as they usually are. The tactics they use to our non-violent demonstrations vary. Some walked past the razor wire to get closer to the farmland on the other side of the Wall. Others stayed back.

The IOF responded by beating people with their batons and pushing demonstrators to the ground or dragging them along it.

After the fog from the tear gas, sound bombs and rubber bullets cleared, it was realized that four people had been arrested, including Palestinian and Israeli demonstrators, and 7 were injured, including a Palestinian journalist.

Another peaceful demonstration achieving a violent response from what Israel calls their Israeli “Defense” Forces. But those who are living under Occupation and those who come to witness see their true colors.

Rachel saw this in Rafah four years ago. And those of us here now, continuing non-violent resistance to the longest-standing Occupation of our time, see these crimes. And many wonder when the rest of the world will realize that their luxury comes at a heavy price to others across the world.

There has been no justice for Rachel to date. And the crimes against the Palestinians continue to multiply as the international community turns its back.

After the demonstration I headed down to Hebron. My eyes were stained with tear gas residue and the smell seeped from my clothes. But I wanted to end this day on a happier note, for Rachel, and for the kids in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron who are living under Israeli military control, and whose neighbors happen to be the most right wing, extremist Israeli colonialists in all of the West Bank.

So I met up with Katie to have our first TRCDP Reunion.

The Tel Rumeida Circus for Detained Palestinians is a circus group that Katie and I co-founded last summer in response to the abuse and harassment placed upon the Palestinians in Tel Rumeida.

More about TRCDP can be found at: http://trcdp.livejournal.com

The kids were so excited to see us back there to do our weekly Friday fire performances. Unfortunately, Palestine is squeezing out the last of its snow and rain and the show wsa postponed due to weather. Kinda’ hard to do fire performance in the rain.

But we will be back, and invite all of you to come and see us, coming to a checkpoint near you!

But for now, time for us to get to work. To continue the work of non-violent resistance, be it through writing, photographing, protesting, videotaping, circus performing, interviewing…

_____________________________________________________________________________

I wrote this poem for Rachel Corrie and for Palestine,
may we soon celebrate their justice…

Palindrome

Echoing through my dreams I hear the voices of the peaceful masses
As the Tanks shoot tear gasses
and rubber bullets.

And echoing through the televison
I hear the same old lies
As our non-elected president stares coolly at the lens of this tele-prompter.

The strings grew tighter between Bush and Sharon
But Bush only condoned the evils of that Bastard,
While money,
Faster and Faster
and faster
Was shipped to the Rascist State
as hungry people right outside on our streets
Met their fate
with no food…No healthcare…No money….

Ain’t that funny…

Cause echoing through my mouth I say the same old words and I wonder…
Whats that word?
Repition…Repition…
Repetition…

If I say it enough will I reach you?
If I say it enough will I teach you?
If I say it enough, if I preach to you
Will you take what I say and Repeat it?

This tactic semms to have worked for the Administration,
Example:
9-11. 9-11.
9-11.
11th September, 11th September,
11th September…

Remember!…
Remember!…
Remember!…

Remember so I can justify my illegal wars!
Remember so I can pre-empt terror!
Remember so I can be emporer of this planer with
Right hand up to god and
Left hand up to Empire, with
Fingers crossed on Both, I
Pledge allegiance to Umpire
Each and Every Nation on the PLanet ’cause that’s how
HE planned it…

Well,… All for one
And one for all…
I for one can’t stand it!

‘Cause echoing through each and every cell in my body
I feel the desparation caused by Occupation.
Tax dollars manifesting themselves into Caterpillar bulldozers,
D-9 Model,
Specially designed in the United States to
Kill 23 Year Old PEACE Activists
and to Rip through Palestinian Homes,
While a Mother groans,
A Brother phones to tell of his 10-year old sister shot in the head by an Israeli soldier…

Tax dollars transcending themselves into Apache helicopters,
Dropping tons of missiles onto the crowded streets of Gaza.

“Collatoral Damage,” they call it.
I call it “A Shame!”
I call it, “Punishable under International Law
and Conventions of Geneva!”
While a Father grieves, a’
D-9 leaves ANOTHER field of Olive Trees Uprooted!

But violence is rooted in these actions.
Can’t have a fraction of one without the other.
Can’t reach an understanding
When you’re standing on the Landing Zone of and F-16 Bomber,
Branded with the words:
“Made in U- S- A-”

Ain’t no other way to end this viscous cycle…
Ain;t no other day ‘cept for the one in which we are right now…
See, fighting ain’t our pride,
But how can’t we when our kids are dying?
How can’t we when the sounds of all this Crying
Seep into each coming morning?

How can’t we when storming through the streets of:
Nablus
Jenin
Hebron
Qalqilya
Tulkarem
Come tons of tanks and bloodshed?

Fighting ain’t our pride
But being on this Ride, down the road of Genocide,
Is not going to cut it!

It’s not going to cut it the way we cut down these fences!
‘Cause let’s face it…

Echoing from the distance, I hear from out persistence:
Freedom.
Justice.
Resistance can only bring about this.

Echoing from my worldwide audience I hear a silent revolution…
But this silence is tragic…
Think of the magic of noise pollution…
Raise your voices and
SCREAM!

‘Cause echoing from the distance I hear from our persistence:
Freedom.
Justice.
Repeat.
Freedom.
Justice.
Repeat.
Freedom.
Justice.
Repeat!

—-Salamaat
from Palestine

Four peaceful protestors arrested in Bil’in on Rachel Corrie anniversary

by the ISM media team, March 16th

UPDATE March 18 Kobi Snitz was released in court yesterday after the the judge denied the police’s request to extend his arrest by 48 hours. He is however banned from the territories for 15 days, and had to deposit 3,500 shekels

UPDATE March 17th Kobi Snitz was held overnight and has been charged with assault. He will be brought in front of a judge today.

Two Palestinians from Bil’in and two Israeli peace activists were arrested today at Bil’in as the IOF stepped up their crackdown on peaceful protest in the village.

Members of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in Ratib Abu Rahme and Mohammed Katib, who has just returned from a speaking tour in the US, were taken to the police station with Israeli activists Kobi Snitz and Shai Pollack, who directed the film about the village’s campaign of non-violent resistance ‘Bil’in Habibti’. They were all released three hours later.

Today’s demo marked the four year anniversary of the murder of American peace activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an IOF bulldozer in Rafah, Gaza, whilst protecting the homes of Palestinians from demolition. Banners commemorated the anniversary.

The marchers were prevented from reaching the gate in the Wall as the IOF erected razor wire around 200 metres in front of the gate. When the protesters walked around the wire soldiers pushed them back with their shields and batons. Eventually most of the protesters passed through and were grabbed and dragged along the ground just for being there. Despite this aggression not a stone had been directed at the IOF by this stage.

When the crowd dispersed some stones were thrown at the soldiers, resulting in the indiscriminate firing of tear gas cannisters and rubber bullets. Journalist Fadi Hamad from the Ramattan news agency was hit with a tear gas cannister in the eye and was treated by medics. Journalists are injured most weeks at Bil’in. Tear gas was fired at the returning crowd even in the built-up part of the village. Altogether seven protesters were injured, with three hospitalised. They were later discharged.

This week the Shabbak (Shin Bet – the Israeli internal ‘intelligence’ agency) made phone calls to to members of the Popular Committee in Bil’in threatening to arrest, shoot or kill them unless the weekly anti-Wall protests stopped. They were also ordered to attend interrogations at a nearby military base. Leaflets were distributed in the village trying to dissuade villagers from attending the demos by dismissing the two-year long campaign against the Wall as ineffective and threatening to arrest those who invite Israeli and international peace activists to the demos. Villagers see this as merely the latest futile attempt to stifle peaceful protest to the theft of 60% of the village land for the illegal settlements.

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اصابة سبعة متظاهرين واعتقال أربعة أخرين في مسيرة بلعين الأسبوعية
المتظاهرون احيوا الذكرى السنوية الرابعة لاستشهاد رتشيل كوري
الجمعة 16\3\2007
بلعين

انطلقت مسيرة حاشدة بعد صلاة الجمعة اليوم في قرية بلعين ، شارك فيها أهالي القرية ومتضامنون دوليون وإسرائيليون،وقد رفع المتظاهرون الاعلام الوطنية واليافطات التي تمجد الذكرى الرابعة لاستشهاد المتضامنة الدولية رتشيل كوري ،التي استشهدت اثناء مقاومتها لجرافات الاحتلال التي كانت تهدم البيوت في رفح ،وقد هتف المتظاهرون باللغات الثلاثة العربية والإنجليزية والعبرية بالشعارات التي تخلد ذكرى الشهيدة والمنددة بالاحتلال ،وأخرى تعبر عن الاستمرار في مواصلة التظاهرات الشعبية في بلعين التي يحاول الاحتلال احباطها يوما بعد يوم ،وقد جاب المتظاهرون شوارع القرية حتى وصلوا إلى الجدار ،حيث أن الجيش المتمركز هناك منعهم من العبور من البوابة ،مما أدى إلى حدوث مشادات بين الطرفين اطلق خلالها الجيش قنابل الصوت والغاز والرصاص المعدني المغلف بالمطاط ،ورد المتظاهرون بالقاء الحجارة عليهم .

وقد أصيب سبعة متظاهرين وهم الصحفي فادي حمد الذي يعمل في وكالة رمتان ،وعبدالله محمود أبورحمة ،وكايد خليل أبورحمة ،والطفل مصطفى جميل أبورحمة ، ونقل كل من أديب أحمد أبورحمة ، وأحمد محمد حسن حمد،وفادي محمد علي ناصر الذي أصيب في رأسه إلى مستشفى الشيخ زايد في رام الله لتلقي العلاج .وقد أعتقل أربعة أخرون بينهم متضامنان إسرائيليان وهم شاي بولاك وكوبي وكل من راتب محمود أبورحمة ،ومحمد عبدالكريم الخطيب ،وقد نقل أربعتهم إلى مركز الشرطة في جفعات زئيف للتحقيق معهم.

من ناحية أخرى تسعى المخابرات الإسرائيلية جاهدة ومن خلال استخدامها العديد من الوسائل لمنع التظاهرات الأسبوعية في بلعين ،حيث تقوم بالاتصال هاتفيا على النشطاء في القرية وتهديدهم بالسجن والتصفية إذا ما استمروا في هذا النهج ، وإجبار البعض الأخر على مراجعة المخابرات والمكوث لعدة ساعات بعد التهديد والوعيد ، وتوزيع البيانات المشبوهة التي تقلل من شأن المقاومة الشعبية وتحط من دور المتضامنين الدوليين والإسرائيليين وتهدد من يقومون بتنظيم هذه الفعاليات ومن يستقبلون المتضامنين الدوليين والإسرائيليين بالتصفية والقتل ، وتبث الإشاعات والأكاذيب التي تعمل على زرع الفتنة بين المواطنين في القرية ،لينشغلوا في أمور بعيدة عن مقاومة الاحتلال . وقد اعتبرت اللجنة الشعبية لمقاومة الجدار كل هذه المحاولات دليلا على فشل المخابرات في وقف المسيرات في بلعين ،وإنها استخدمت قبل ذلك وسائل متعددة ولكنها فشلت ،وإن العمل الشعبي والمقاومة الشعبية مستمرة حتى تحقيق الغاية وهدم الجدار والمستوطنات المحيطة به.

ومن جانب أخر عاد إلى أرض الوطن عضو اللجنة الشعبية محمد الخطيب ، بعد قيامه بجولة إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية زار خلالها اثنين وعشرين ولاية ،عمل فيها اربعين لقاء استعرض فيها نضال القرية خلال العامين المنصرمين مبينا مخاطر الجدار واضراره ، ناقلا الصورة الحقيقية للاحتلال ،كاشفا عن المعاناة التي يتعرض لها الشعب الفلسطيني بسبب هذا الاحتلال.

لمزيد من المعلومات مراجعة :
منسق اللجنة الشعبية لمقاومة الجدار – عبدالله أبورحمة
0599107069 أو0547258210 أؤ022489043

Two hospitalised at Bil’in as IOF lash out

by the ISM media team, March 9th

Two peaceful protesters today paid the price for standing in solidarity with the villagers of Bilin to protest the theft of their land when they were attacked and had to be carried to an ambulance for evacuation. Ben received a blow to the forehead from a rifle butt whilst a sound bomb was thrown at Jonathan’s foot, which exploded on his shoe leaving him unable to walk.

After the last two large demos, today’s march to the wall could be seen as an anti-climax, but the villagers of Bil’in were determined to maintain the momentum of their struggle and were not disheartened by the turn-out of around a hundred.

As has been the pattern in recent weeks soldiers reacted aggressively to the peaceful chanting and flag waving, and when a few stray stones came their way were quick to try and disperse the crowd with tear gas and sound grenades.

Large numbers of soldiers poured through the gate to remove those who remained and many were grabbed, pushed over and dragged along the ground merely for standing there.

Unable to control themselves the soldiers continued to use sound bombs and batons against the protesters. Iyad Burnat, a member of the popular committee in Bil’in who was hospitalised at the demo two weeks ago, was again targetted and beaten on his body. Eleven other protesters were shot with rubber bullets.

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اصابة ستة عشر متظاهرا في مسيرة بلعين الأسبوعية

الجمعة \9\3\2007

خرج المتظاهرون اليوم في قرية بلعين بعد صلاة الجمعة في مسيرة حاشدة توجهوا فيها نحو جدار الفصل العنصري ،وقد تزامنت هذه الفعالية مع مناسبة يوم المرأة العالمي ،مما دفع الى مشاركة نساء القرية فيها تعبيرا عن رفضهن للجدار والإستيطان والاحتلال ،وقد رفعن اليافطات التي تعبر عن ذلك ،بالاضافة إلى يافطات أخرى تعبر عن انهن أكثر الفئات تضررا ، فأبناؤهن وأزواجهن وإخوانهن من يتعرضون للقتل والجرح والإعتقال ،أضف إلى أنهن يعرضن أنفسهن لنفس الخطر أثناء مشاركتهن ، وهن اللواتي يعملن في الحقول والزراعة بالدرجة الأولى ، وبناء الجدار الذي يفصل بينهن وبين أرضهن يحرمهن من أبسط حقوقهن في العمل فيها .

وقد شارك في هذه المظاهرة مجموعة من المتضامنين الدوليين والإسرائيليين بالإضافة الى وفد من التوجيه السياسي والوطني وعلى رأسهم نايف سويطات مفوض التوجيه الوطني في الضفة الغربية ومحمد الفقيه مسؤول ملف الجدار في التوجيه الوطني،وقد كانت هذه المشاركة بناء على دعوة العميد بلال النتشة المفوض السياسي للمحافظات الشمالية ، من ناحية أخرى شاركت مجموعة من طلبة بير زيت في هذه المسيرة .

وقد جاب المتظاهرون شوارع القرية وهم يهتفون الهتافات المنددة بالاحتلال حتى وصلوا إلى بوابة الجدار في الجهة الغربية من القرية حيث يتمركز الجيش ،الذي حال دون السماح لهم بالعبور من البوابة ،مما أدى إلى نشوب مشادات بينهم ،استخدم خلالها الجيش قنابل الصوت والغاز والرصاص المعدني المغلف بالمطاط ،مما أدى إلى اصابة ستة عشر متظاهرا بينهم متضامنان إسرائيليان وهم :جونثان بولاك ،بن رونين ،أديب أحمد حسن أبو رحمة ، اياد محمد ياسين برناط ، وئام محمدعلي ناصر وشقيقه فادي ، حمزة عبد الهادي سمارة ، عمرو هشام ناصر ، سليمان خالد خطاب ، سمير سليمان ياسين ،أدهم محمود عيسى أبو رحمة ، عمر عادل الخطيب ، يوسف حسن، باسل منصور،نايف غازي الخطيب ،جاسر ماهر اشعل .

لمزيد من المعلومات مراجعة:

عبدالله أبورحمة – منسق اللجنة الشعبية لمقاومة الجدار والإستيطان في بلعين

0599107069 أو0547258210 أو022489043

AP: “Reporters hurt as Israeli security forces break up Palestinian demonstrations”

Associated Press

Crowd-control devices like stun grenades and tear gas have injured a number of journalists in recent weeks, including two television crewmen covering a women’s protest Thursday — and reporters are charging they’ve been targeted by Israeli security forces.

Over the last three months, at least five journalists were injured — including an AP photographer whose leg was broken by a stun grenade — while covering protests or Israeli military operations. In one incident, an AP photographer said a stun grenade was thrown at reporters as they talked to soldiers.

The army denied any targeting of journalists, and said it would investigate the incidents.

The military “does not intentionally harm journalists, and any such claims on this matter are baseless,” a military statement said, adding that there are “inherent risks to journalists” covering combat operations.

The casualties were caused by non-lethal means the Israelis use to break up demonstrations and riots. However, stun grenades, which make a loud noise can cause serious injuries when their canisters fly through the air, and tear gas can also cause injury in high concentrations.

On Thursday, paramilitary border police fired stun grenades from a distance of about 10 meters to break up a demonstration of women at the Qalandia checkpoint between the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Associated Press Television cameraman Eyad Moghrabi was hit on the leg by a flying piece of metal. TV footage showed a stun grenade exploding among the reporters, who were several meters away from the demonstrators. The pictures show the reporters scattering, with one clutching her leg.

“This was not the first time they fire where the journalists are located,” Moghrabi said.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the officers warned everyone, including journalists, that their presence was illegal, before firing the stun grenades, denying that reporters were targeted.

In its statement, the military said it “strives to ensure that the press is not hindered,” but said that when soldiers declare an area closed, reporters are expected to leave.

While agreeing that the military did not have a deliberate policy, Daniel Blumenthal, vice chairman of the Foreign Press Association, said there are numerous complaints. “We assume some soldiers act on their own initiative because of their idea about where a journalist should be (during) an event.”

Thursday’s casualties were only the most recent.

On Wednesday, Al-Jazeera technician Maamoun Othman was wounded when Israeli soldiers fired stun grenades during the arrest of a radical Islamic leader.

“A stun grenade was fired at me directly. It landed on my stomach,” Othman said.

On Feb. 27, journalists say they were hit as they talked to soldiers about covering an army operation in Nablus.

AP photographer Emilio Morenatti said soldiers approached them in jeeps, asking them to leave.

As they were talking with the soldiers “one hand appeared from the (army) car, and threw a stun grenade at us,” he said. No one was hurt.

The FPA protested the Nablus incident, calling it “obstruction and ill treatment of journalists.” Morenatti suffered a broken leg from a fragment of a stun grenade, thrown from a distance of about two meters while he was covering a protest in the West Bank village of Bilin in January.

On Feb. 16, AP photographer Nasser Shiyoukhi was hurt when soldiers fired a tear gas grenade that exploded next to a group of reporters near Hebron.

Second Annual Conference in Bil’in 18 – 20 April 2007

February 2007 marks the second anniversary of the weekly non-violent protests in opposition to the “work-site of shame” for the Apartheid Wall that has annexed almost 60% of the land of Bil’in village in the West Bank. Bil’in has become a symbol both of the theft of land across Palestine and of the power of non-violent grassroots movements in building local and international resistance to Occupation.

The International Conference will follow upon a Palestinian conference to be held in March to extend the Popular Non-Violent Struggle across Palestine and offers Israelis and Internationals opportunity to join their Palestinian partners in spreading non-violent resistance to the injustice suffered by Palestinians: land confiscation, home demolitions, checkpoints, and imprisonment behind the Wall.

The year between June 2007 and May 2008 provides an effective framework for highlighting the ongoing Palestinian catastrophe: 90 years since the Balfour Declaration, 60 years since the Nakba, 40 years of Occupation, 25 years since Sabra/Shatila, 20 years since the First Intifada, 5 years of building the Apartheid Wall. Join us in strategizing effective, concerted non-violent action in Palestine and across the globe!

WHEN: 18 – 20 APRIL, 2007 with a major non-violent action on the final day
WHERE: Bil’in Village near Ramallah, Palestine (http://www.bilin-village.org)

SPEAKERS:

Dr. Azmi Bishara, Palestinian Israeli Knesset member
Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Irish Nobel Peace Prize recipient
Dr. Ilan Pappe, author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
Luisa Morgantini, Italian EU Parliament member and Peace Activist
Stéphane Hessel, former French Ambassador
Jean-Claude Lefort, French parliament member
Amira Hass, author and journalist, Ha’aretz
Sam Bahour, Palestinian activist and entrepreneur
Representatives of the Bil’in Popular Committee

WORKSHOPS: NON-VIOLENT STRATEGIES TO OPPOSE OPPRESSION

Boycott, divestment, and sanctions
Building economic independence
Media & Advocacy
Direct Action

COST: Accommodation per night, 20 Euros plus Conference Registration, 20 Euros per day (April 18 -19)

TO REGISTER and for information on options for pre-and-post conference activities see: www.bilin-village.org