Tag: Burin

Celebrating Resilience: The Burin Kite Festival

June 19 – Once a year, the skies of Burin come alive with a dazzling display of color and resilience. The Kite Festival, organized by residents and activists, brings the community together in a joyful celebration of resistance and steadfast joy. Against the backdrop of occupation, this festival has become a powerful symbol of the daily struggles and unwavering spirit of the people of Burin.

Since 2008, the village of Burin has hosted the Kite Festival almost every year. This small village, nestled among the rolling hills of the northern West Bank, is home to nearly three thousand residents who have cherished this land for centuries. Surrounded by three illegal and oppressive Israeli settlements, the people of Burin face constant challenges and aggressions, yet they remain steadfast in their connection to their home and the children of this town.

They are challenged to find smiles and happiness against the brutality of occupation, but with ice cream and toys and the gift of song they are triumphant. This statement may seem exaggerated to some, but for the people of Burin, it reflects their harsh reality. The Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) regularly invade the village, ransacking homes, arresting residents without charge, and instilling fear among families. The settlers from the surrounding hilltops also pose a constant threat, attacking villagers, burning olive trees, and disrupting daily life. The streets are often blocked arbitrarily in an efforts to psychologically torture this town.

In the face of such adversity, the Kite Festival is a beacon of hope and wonder. Children and families gather on the soil their ancestors have farmed for generations, flying kites that symbolize freedom and defiance. The sight of kites soaring high above the settlements and beyond barbed wire is a powerful reminder that Burin remains resilient and unbroken.

The festival is organized by The Bureen Club and Ghassan Najjar, a resident who refuses to give up on his land or his people. As the festival marks its 16th year, residents reflects on its significance: “While Israeli and settlers are trying to prevent us from going to our lands and they steal it, it is good to see volunteers from around the world who come every time to give us their solidarity with us the Palestinians who are struggling from this occupation, and to reflect the image of the Palestinians that we are a welcoming people and we love life also,” said Ammar an engineer and resident of Burin

The festival’s simplicity belies its profound impact. Each kite, adorned with the Palestinian flag, using recycled plastic or simply yellow like the sun, sends a clear message to the occupiers: this land is Palestinian, and the spirit of its people will not be extinguished. Despite threats and intimidation from the IOF, Ghassan and his fellow organizers remain defiant. There is no intimidation in the beauty and dreaming of kites however, the absurdity of the occupation’s attempts to quash even the most innocent acts of joy is ever present.

This year, the festival also acts as a show of solidarity for the children of Gaza and a memorial for 3 children murdered by the IOF:
Muataz Eid (12) – 22/11/2023
Amer Najjar (9) – 5/3/2024
Mohammed Eid (19) – 6/3/2024

Members of their community and family were present as the entire festival also calls for Palestinian unity. Coordinated with residents all over the world, kites will be flown simultaneously in a show of solidarity. Children and families from all over the West Bank will join the festival, flying their kites above the settlements, reclaiming the sky with hundreds of Palestinian flags.

The Burin Kite Festival is a testament to the resilience and determination of the Palestinian people. Amidst music, some subtle dancing, and the joyous laughter of children, the festival conveys a simple yet profound message: the right to smile, to have fun, to be happy, and to live freely. As the kites soar high above Burin, they carry with them the hopes and dreams of a people who refuse to be silenced.

Long live Palestine.

The olive harvest: Struggle, resistance and oppression

 

December 31 | International Solidarity Movement | Olive Harvest journal 

The olive harvest in Palestine (October – November) represents much more than simply picking olives. While it is an important contributor for the income of thousands of families in the West Bank – with a revenue between $160m and $190m in 2021 according to Aljazeera – it is also a symbol of resistance and defiance towards the occupation. Families come together in the fields and endure and resist systematic harassment by Israeli soldiers and settlers. Settlers notoriously insist on watching olive pickers, throwing stones at them and often attacking them and their vehicles. The IOF regularly allows this behaviour, protecting settlers during these actions, and being an aggressor itself.

Most of the olive trees are situated in Area C of the West Bank, which is under full Israeli control. Some private Palestinian lands are inside the apartheid wall or inside illegal settlements, or they are very close to Israeli military areas or settlements. In these cases, farmers need a permit issued by the Israel administration to access their land and harvest. Farmers are normally given 2- or 3-day access permit which is not enough to finish harvesting all the olive trees. In the rest of the areas, there is a coordination programme through the Israeli-Palestinian district coordination offices (DCO) for farmers to ask for a permit. These permits are sometimes refused even on lands far from settlements.

International activists joined Faz3a, a Palestinian youth-led campaign that supports Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest, other organizations and Palestinian families to show solidarity and support during this season. Their presence is a reminder that the international community is aware and documenting the disgraceful treatment of Palestinians.

ISM activists joined farmers in many locations across the West Bank for the 2022 olive harvest. This is what they witnessed:

Al-Janiya, west Ramallah

More than 30 Palestinians, Israelis and international activists joined the Faza3 campaign on their first day in the fields this year in Al-Janiya village, west of Ramallah.

We were there to support the farmer Abu Mohammed who hasn’t been able to access his land since the first intifada. His land is at the edge of three settlements surrounding his village from east, north and south.

Abu Mohammed told activists that every time he tried to reach his land the settlers would attack him and prevent him from entering. His cousin also said that one day Abu Mohammed’s father was attacked by settlers throwing stones, hitting him in his head. He was seriously injured and died a few months after the settlers’ attack.

All day ISM activists on the ground were followed by a drone from a nearby settlement filming their work and movements. Despite this, activists managed to harvest a good part of Abu Mohammed’s land without settlers interfering or attacking, which proves how important international solidarity and campaigns like Faza3 are.

Burin, near Nablus

ISM activists joined Faz3a, with Palestinian and Israeli activists, in the village of Burin, near Nablus, to help the farmer Abu Jamal, a young owner of a olive field attacked several times by Ytzar settlers who also burned his house. We had a successful harvest day and enjoyed the food Abu Jamal’s wife prepared for us. We also met his child, a two-year-old boy who was recently terrorized by settlers. Abu was able to rescue his child, but the settlers attacked and set fire to his car.

Hares, near Salfit

In Hares, near the West Bank town of Salfit, activists joined Faz3a to harvest. The farm was near the illegal settlement of Rivava. The farmer asked for help as he had not received his permit yet, but he believed it is still his right to go and harvest his land.

IOF arrived soon after we started and tried to chase people away. They inspected documents, took pictures, told the farmer where we could and could not go, giving us “only 5 minutes” to finish harvesting olives from this tree or that tree. We worked hard trying to ignore them and we had a very successful harvest under the constant watch of the army.

Husan, near Bethlem

ISM activists joined Palestinian farmer Shireen for the olive harvest in Husan, 19 km from Bethlehem, up on a hill several times besieged by the army. The field has already been burned 6 times (Shireen has lost more than 100 trees) by the illegal settlers of Beitar Illit, who also stole many donums of land. This year, settlers protected by the army stole more land and dumped earth and boulders over olive trees in order to build an Israeli security control station. While the land already taken is becoming a large road to connect Better Eleet with another illegal settlement.

On the second day, we found a big tree had been cut down and big stones thrown at her property. This time there were no physical assaults, but nonetheless, settlers caused deep suffering and frustration. Shireen will file a complaint, but to whom if the prime offender is the Israeli government?

At-Tuwani, Massafer Yatta

IOF threw tear gas and violently disrupted the olive harvest in at-Tuwani, a small village in the Massafer Yatta region in the south of the West Bank. More than 50 Palestinians, internationals and Israeli volunteers took part in an olive harvest event organised by Faz3a and the Ministry against the Wall and Settlements in the valley of Humra, near at-Tuwani.

Farmers from the village are exposed to settler violence and harassment neighbouring the 1981 illegal settlement Ma’on and its early 2000’s expansion, the illegal outpost Havat Ma’on.

Not long after arriving at Humra and starting to pick olives, the first settlers showed up, quickly followed by Israeli army and police. Five army jeeps with around 20 soldiers and around 15 settlers were there. Palestinian activists went to the edge of the field facing the army and settlers, raising Palestinian flags and chanting their right to be on their land and in Palestine.

The army reacted violently by throwing tear gas at the crowd, making it impossible for people to stay. Most people were forced to stop and only a small group remained to harvest.

Jibya, north Ramallah

A Palestinian activist was injured and over 12 cars were smashed by settlers in Jibya, north of Ramallah.

ISM and Faz3a activists, joined by international journalists, went harvesting near an outpost of the Israeli settlement of Halamish. The farmer appealed for help because he faces systematic attack from Israeli settlers. He tried to harvest his land a couple of days earlier but was harassed by settlers.

Soon after we started, a group of settlers with M16 arrived, taking pictures of everyone to provoke us. Army and more settlers also joined. Settlers were asking where everyone was from and why we were there, and army tried to remove us saying the area was a closed military zone. People then heard women crying and shouting: settlers had gone down the hill and threw stones and smashed the parked cars’ windows. One of the activists who was on the scene filming and telling the settlers to stop attacking, was injured as he fell on a piece of metal that cut his leg while trying to reach security and he needed 15 stitches.

Khalet, a Faz3a activist, said: “This happened under the watch of the Israeli army. The settlers were armed. We were peacefully activists and volunteers who came there just to help the farmers picking olives.”

Bidu, south-west of Ramallah

Around 40 volunteers, Palestinians and internationals, joined a harvest organised by Right to Movement in the village of Bidu, near Ramallah. We had a successful day with plenty of olives harvested.

The farmer is suffering as two of his sons are unjustly imprisoned by the Israeli occupation and the family in general face difficulties due to the occupation.

Kafr Qalil, south of Nablus

ISM activists joined the Suleiman al-Quni family in Kafr Qalil, south of Nablus, to assist in harvesting their land. The Israeli government granted them permits to harvest on 2 days.

The land is on a hill and valley overlooking the main road into Nablus, near the settlement of Bracha. During the harvest the pickers were watched constantly by a small number of settlers and 6 IOF soldiers, but the day went well without incidents, in an area that is often on the receiving end of harassment.

Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit

We joined Ali Nassar, a Palestinian farmer from the town of Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit, who has an olive field near the settlement of Alie Zahav. Kafr al-Dik’s land was confiscated for building Alei Zahav. Ali has around 120 olive trees. We harvested close to the settlement without any issues.

Burin, near Nablus

ISM activists joined Faz3a in the village of Burin, near the Yitsahar settlement. The elderly farmers we were there to help had been attacked and chased off their land the previous day by settlers, and the elderly woman was limping as a result. In the end, the couple were too afraid to take us harvesting because they were threatened by settlers not to return, especially with international support, unless they’d coordinated with the military.

Atara, north of Ramallah

We harvested in Atara Spring, very close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Ateret, which is currently being expanded.

ISM members were helping to harvest on behalf of the land owners who were attacked on multiple occasions last year whilst harvesting, so were afraid to harvest this year.

On multiple occasions, the settlement security stopped to ask what we were doing, if it was our land, and told the Palestinian farmer not to make a mess and to keep the road clear. At one point two settlers stopped their car to get out and watch us.

‘Our kites fly over the invisible borders and reach what we cannot’: ISM speaks to Yasmeen Najjar at the annual kite festival in Burin

29th June 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Burin, occupied Nablus

Burin is a small village located seven kilometres to the southwest of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, and is home to around 3000 people. The village is surrounded by multiple illegal Israeli settlements, and is subjected to constant violent settler attacks and raids by Israeli forces.

For the past nine years, the village has been hosting an annual kite festival for its residents and their friends and families. The festival is one of the biggest yearly events in the village and is looked forward to by children and adults alike.

Residents of Burin gather on top of the hill outside the village to fly their kites (photo: ISM)

With burning kites being flown by demonstrators from Gaza into Israel as part of the Great Return March, this years display in Burin was particularly poignant. The Great Return March has been protesting the 11 year siege of the strip by Israel.

International Solidarity Movement activists spoke to 21 year old Yasmeen Mustafa Waleed Najjar, the first Arab amputee to climb the highest peak in Africa and one of the organisers of the festival, about what the annual celebration means to the local community.

21 year old Yasmeen Mustafa Waleed Najjar, one of the organisers of the festival (photo: ISM)

“Our village is surrounded by settlements from all angles, as you can see. We fly our kites every year to prove that this is our land. Even if we can’t go there ourselves, our kites fly over the invisible borders and reach what we cannot. We have been organising this festival for nine years, to resist the occupation and show Israel that we are strong inside and out. We can still have fun days in the mountains under their occupation, with music, food and games, bringing joy to our children.

Palestinians fly home made kites at the festival (photo: ISM)

“The idea started as a form of peaceful resistance. Zionist settlers and occupation forces regularly come inside my village to attack us or cause problems. Settlers killed one of my classmates when I was at school, and they come into our houses at night – I remember many times that they entered my house when my family was asleep. They also kill our animals and do a lot of terrible things.

“There is a checkpoint near the village school that my brother and sister study at. The settlers entered the school, protected by soldiers, pushing the students into the classrooms and locking the doors. The occupation has put up watchtowers and fences in close proximity to the school. I remember my younger brother telling me one day, ‘I don’t want to go to school anymore because they always come. I don’t want to go.’

A young girl watches a kite as her father looks on (photo: ISM)

“The village comes together to organise the kite festival to make joy for the children and have fun all together. We stand in solidarity with our community and the Palestinians everywhere who live under this occupation. I volunteer with many organisations, and we do everything to support our people and show the world what is happening here. We are showing the beauty of Palestine to the hearts of others, regardless of the occupation. We invite people from all around, including national groups from my university.

“All the boys in the village make their kites together in the week before the festival. It’s a skill that’s passed down through the generations – their older brothers teach them, and when they are older they teach their younger brothers. It’s become a really easy thing for our kids, and a fun activity to do together and a way to enjoy time with friends and family. It’s a game all of us play – everyone can fly a kite here.

Women watch the festivities from the top of the hill (photo: ISM)

“I was young when the festival started. I remember one year, lots of solders came when we started flying kites on the mountain. They stopped the festival and sent us all back home. We waited for an hour, then all came back and continued to fly our kites! I came with my brothers and sisters and we flew a kite that we had made. It was amazing.

“I can’t remember exactly when I started to get involved with arranging the festival. It was a long time ago. From the age of 11 or 12, the children of our community participate in everything that can bring positivity to our village.”

Read about last’s year’s kite festival here

To keep updated about the village of Burin, visit their Facebook page All for Burin

Palestinian and International activists plant olive saplings on village land ordered for confiscation by Israel in Burin

17/03/2018| International Solidarity Movement

Palestinians and International activists successfully planted dozens of olive saplings in the north of West Bank in the village of Burin near Nablus. Palestinians and Internationals together laid pictures of prominent activists in front of the planted saplings, some of these activists were killed by the Israeli army others are Palestinian political Prisoners.

 


Activists acknowledged and remembered are:
Bilal Al Najjar Martyr from Burin
Munther Amira Political Prisoner
Tom Hurndall ISM Activist
Khalida Jarrar Political Prisoner
Ahed Tamimi Political Prisoner
Rachel Corrie ISM Activist
Vittorio Arrigoni ISM Activist

The action was organized by The Popular Struggle Committee but was also attended by Yahia Kadous the head of the municipal council in Burin, activists from Arab Group For The Protection Of Nature, International Solidarity Movement, Stop The Wall and The Enlightenment Forum Tanwer.

The meeting point for today’s action was at the secondary school in Burin, the same school that was attacked three days in a row last week by the Israeli army. The Israeli army fired tear gas and stun grenades at school children on these days and many children and teachers suffered from tear gas inhalation. The army also filmed the children with a surveillance drone before entering the school on the last day of attack to issue a land confiscation order for around 26 dunums, which belongs to the school; this was the same area of land where the olive sapling action happened today. It is also worth mentioning that the Israeli army has seized 1,000 dunums of land belonging to the school in the past. Israel issued the school with a confiscation of land order for the development of a ‘security wall.’ A wall is often constructed so that more Palestinian land can be taken behind the wall by the Israeli state.

The village of Burin is surrounded by Jewish only settlements and is directly overlooked by the illegal settlement of Yitzar and numerous illegal settler outposts. Historically these outposts are first recognized by the Israeli state and then developed into permanent illegal settlements. The colonialist settlers from Yitzar are notoriously violent and have attacked the Palestinian villagers and property in Burin countless times often with the backing of the Israeli army.

Everyone gathered at the school in Burin at 11 am, A commemorative plaque was gifted to International Solidarity Movement from the Popular Struggle Committee honoring and in remembrance of Rachel Corrie. Rachel Corrie was killed fifteen years ago on the 16th of March whilst volunteering with International Solidarity Movement in Rafah Gaza attempting to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes when an Israeli bulldozer ran her over.

The army gathered at the top of the hill as the community and activists sang and chanted anti-occupation slogans whilst digging and planting olive saplings. Towards the end of the action, settlers also gathered at outposts but surprisingly the activists were not prevented from planting over a dozen olive saplings. Today’s action was hugely successful.

Wael Al Faqih who was present at the action today is active in the popular resistance and also a member of The Enlightenment Forum Tanwer.

Wael stated ” This Land was defended by the blood of the martyrs of the Palestinian people and the martyrs of International Solidarity Movement activists Rachel Corrie, Tom Hurdell and Vittorio Arrigoni In order to protect human rights and justice against imperialism, Zionism and colonialism.”

Those lost and politically imprisoned will forever be remembered as the struggle against occupation continues until Palestine is free.

Settlers of Yitzhar set fire to olive fields and attack farmers the next day

15th November 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Huwarra, Occupied Palestine

Israeli settlers of Yitzhar, set fires in two places in Palestinian olive fields around their illegal outposts, and attacked a group of farmers a day later, under the eyes of around 30 border police, present at the site.

On Sunday 5 November, at about 10 o’clock in the morning, ISM activists saw smoke coming from olive fields on both hillsides underneath an outpost of Yitzhar, the illegal settlement south of Nablus, built on the Hill between the Palestinian villages Huwarra and Burin.

It wasn’t the first time this has happened. Since the expropriation of the farmland of Huwarra, Burin and Madama, and the illegal creation and steady expansion of the Israeli settlement Yitzhar, violent settlers do anything they can to harm the Palestinian farmers and families without any risk of being punished for these crimes.

Attacked in 2016. No sign of life a year later.

A farmer from Burin, whose olive field was set on fire, explained to us that the settler group chased him and his two companions and that they managed to escape.

The Palestinian Fire-brigade of Burin waited for permission from the Israeli authority to extinguish the fire, which they apparently did not get.

Israel is authoritative for the security in Area-C, and should instead of blocking the Palestinian Fire brigade, fight any fire in Area-C themselves, which it has not done in the 25 year since this authority was agreed on in the Oslo accords.

Instead of this, we saw border police, settler security and the settlers side-by-side in the illegal Hilltop outpost, looking at the burning fields.

The next day, 6 November 2017 already at 8:30 AM, a group of nine settlers tried to attack farmers and workers who had official permission of the Israeli security authority, to harvest and cultivate the fields of the Owda family, which was partly burned down the previous day.

The large group of border police refused us entrance to the the area, which apparently was declared a closed military zone. The commander showed us the declaration on a paper, which didn’t show many details.

Instead of assisting the farmers, we could only be remotely present and filmed the situation from a distance. We again witnessed a close cooperation between the settlers, the settler-security and the border police. The threat of an instant attack was constantly felt that day.

Around 14:30, a group of around 20 settlers attacked the farmers, and most border-police did little to avoid it and arrested none of the settlers. Instead it commanded the farmers to stop their work and quickly leave their land.

Settlement outpost are illegal, even by Israeli law, although that law may change one day.

In February 2017, the Israeli Knesset passed a new law to legalize all 4000 illegal outposts. But, the High Court had concerns and postponed the implementation in August 2017.
However, if that law ever comes to reality, it would accept these 4000 outposts as new settlements ready to expand, and would give legality to the expropriation of more private Palestinian land, in a clear violation of the Oslo Agreements of 1993.