8 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Yesterday, several hundred people traveled from around the West Bank to the village of Bruqin to mark the occasion of International Women’s Day and protest against Israel’s continued imprisonment and confinement of hunger striker Hana Shalabi.
Bruqin is Shalabi’s home village, and the demonstration centered around the Shalabi family home. The demonstration was organized by the Union of Palestinian Women Committees and representatives from the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society and political parties ranging from Islamic Jihad to the DFLP were present.
Hana Shalabi was arrested February 16 and is currently imprisoned under the illegal Israeli practice of administrative detention. She has not been informed of a charge against her, given neither a trial no a sentence, nor has been allowed to see the evidence against her. Shalabi was released from a previous two year long administrative detention term last year as part of the Gilad Shalit deal.
She has refused food for the last 22 days, and has vowed to continue her hunger strike until her release.
Jeff is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
13 February 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Villagers of Bruqin and supporters went out today to plant trees in the field by the factory. While trees were planted alongside pictures of Khader Adnan, two young men sneaked over to the fence of the factory and put up Palestinian flags.
In the outskirts of Bruqin, a small village in the Salfit area, there is a field where old Roman ruins slumber amongst the olive trees. The field would be a peaceful place if it was not for the huge Israeli factories built on stolen land right next door. The Israeli factories have caused pollution in the area, contaminating crops and pastures. The rapid settler expansion in the Salfit area is stirring up distress among the residents in Bruqin who worry that even more of their land will be stolen.
Being attacked for harvesting resistance - Click here for more photos
In the Salfit area, 19 Palestinian villages are surrounded by 22 illegal settlements. It is a cluster of stolen land that is threatening to cut the West Bank in two if expansion is allowed to continue. Israel plans to build train tracks from Tel Aviv to the illegal settlement of Ariel, which would speed up this divide.
As the land repairing villagers came closer to the factory, they drew on the attention of the illegal settler security, and a man with a rifle demanding for volunteers to leave. Since the tree planting was taking place on Palestinian soil these calls where not heard by the villagers. A few minutes later the first Israeli soldiers started showing up asking the tree planters to move back from the factory. As some men decided to plant yet another tree at the edge of the factory area, they were surrounded by soldiers and one man was pulled away from the group.
ISM activists tried to get a straight answer as to the reason of the man’s arrest, but it was of no avail. Instead the soldiers surrounded yet another group of men and started tugging at them.
When questioned why they were attempting to arrest Palestinians, the only answer offered by the soldiers was that the area had been declared a closed military zone and that the man had been bothering the soldiers. However the soldiers could not produce any document proving the declaration of the area beeing a military zone.
ISM activists demanded to see relevant paperwork in support of the military’s claims, else they must release the man since there were no substantial suspicions against him. After apoximately 20 minutes of avoiding the stares of upset activists and villagers, the soldiers retreated, and after some further negotiations back and forth the Palestinian man was successfully de-arrested and released.
Though this particular case ended with nothing worse than a pair of sore wrists, it is a clear example of the lawlessness suffered by Palestinians under Israeli military law.
Jonas Weber is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
8 December 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
The smell of fire and sorrow was evident in Bruqin today, which is located to the west of Salfit in the northern area of the West Bank. Even eight hours later the feeling of loss populated the air. At approximately 2:30 AM a group of settlers entered the village and set fire to a mosque, a bulldozer, and a car.
The toll on Bruqin – Click here for more images
Israeli police and soldiers documented the attack, but claimed that they did not know who committed it. Many people are skeptical due to the fact that the roads coming into Bruqin are secured and monitored by soldiers and cameras. This was another attack to make life miserable for the Bruqin people. It has been targeted by settlers and Israeli soldiers many times, so the people are certain that this attack will not be the last.
The mosque was saved by the villagers. They came out in time to stop the fire as it reached the front door. The settlers did not leave the mosque in flames, but also marked it with words in Hebrew showing their loyalty to the illegal Ariel settlement. Unfortunately, Bruqin is surrounded by four major illegal settlements.
The criminals managed to completely destroy a brand new bulldozer. The owner, Ali Sabar, purchased the bulldozer last week with a down payment of 19,000 NIS. Ali will spend the next 12 months trying to pay the remaining balance of 60,000 NIS. This violent act not only violated the Sabar family’s human rights, but has devastated any hope of prosperity for them. Ali stated that insurance will not cover the damages because “this is an attack and not an accident.”
The state of the Samara family’s car is immobile just like Ali’s bulldozer. The car is totally useless, just another casualty of the Israeli Occupation. The only thing that was not ruined in the car was a copy of the Quran.
Bruqin is in Israeli controlled Area C. Israeli Apartheid laws allow for any construction in Area C to be demolished if the Israeli Army orders it. The odds are against the people of Bruqin, yet hope was still present today. The Mosque still continued the call for prayer, and although they could not pray inside they still gathered together with hope.
Many commented that the Quran was only spared due to the binding of it, while others will credit their faith. Nonetheless, the Bruqin people are using this to increase their hope and strengthen their resilience.
Amal is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).
