Tag: Checkpoint - Page 5 - International Solidarity Movement

Newborn baby – a security-threat?

14th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Imagine coming to a checkpoint, manned by a relentless occupying army, on your way home from hospital, holding your new baby who is less than a month old. At the checkpoint, the occupying army refuses to let you pass – insisting that you put your baby on the dirty table, so they can force you through ‘security’ checks. They have no regard for your tiny baby: any Palestinian is considered a threat.

That’s exactly what happened on Friday night at Shuhada checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). This is the same checkpoint where, just two days before, Israeli forces denied passage to Palestinians trying to reach their homes, as they were sleeping inside the checkpoint. Israeli forces show no mercy or humanity, no regard for life. Whether it’s a old woman hardly able to walk, or a 20-day old baby, ‘security’ is the word used to excuse the occupying army from treating Palestinians with respect and dignity. Palestinians are collectively considered a population that is a threat to the “Jewish Democratic State.” The state neglects, marginalizes and abuses this exact civilian population in the name of security.

With this mindset, even a 20-day old baby, wrapped up in blankets against the cold and freezing winds is just that – a ‘threat’, stripped of all humanity, not regarded as a human being. Occupying forces demanded that the man put the baby on a table in order to go through normal ‘security’ checks. The baby was treated just like anything else a Palestinian may attempt to bring through a checkpoint: a plastic bag of vegetables, a school-bag filled with books, all a potential threat. The baby had to be kept on a table next to the metal detector, like a bag of vegetables, while the man passes through the metal detector. The metal detector is yet another opportunity for the soldiers to harass Palestinians. Regardless of whether the detector indicates that there’s any metal, a person cannot continue through the checkpoint until the occupying army decides that the person is fine to pass. Maybe they will force them to lift up their shirts for a little extra humiliation. Then the plastic-bags have to be opened one by one, so the occupying army can inspect the contents.

In the midst of this humiliating procedure, the Israeli soldiers forced a man to put the tiny, fragile 20-day old baby on the table like any other possession. There was no respect for the baby’s wellbeing. No consideration of the freezing temperatures, or the possibility of bodily injury. After precariously leaving the baby on the table, the soldiers then forced the Palestinian man to bring the baby through the metal detector, with the baby in his arms. Any arguments appealing to the humanity of the occupying army were ignored.

The absurdity and cruelty of this situation demonstrate how even the youngest Palestinians – babies – are treated like potential terrorists by the occupying army. This child, who has been alive less than a month, has already been forced to feel the full brunt of the continuous illegal occupation that is attempting to ethnically cleanse Palestine of any Palestinian presence. Every Palestinian is a threat. This dangerous ideology is perpetuating a culture of remorseless ethnic cleansing by Israeli forces.

Sleeping on duty – occupation soldiers in Hebron

12th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On January 12th, 2017, Shuhada checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) stayed closed for over half an hour, while–as it appears–soldiers were sleeping. In the meantime, long queues of Palestinians trying to reach their homes formed outside the closed checkpoint.

The Shuhada checkpoint connects the H1-area, supposedly under full Palestinian control, with the H2-area, under full Israeli military control. It leads straight onto the tiny strip of Shuhada Street that has not (yet) been ethnically cleansed of Palestinian presence. For the majority of Palestinian families living in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood, this checkpoint is the only way to reach their homes. On Thursday morning however, the checkpoint remained closed. The soldiers ignored all requests to open the gates, and the two available bells at the checkpoint were switched off. Palestinians leaving the area through a turnstile at the checkpoint repeatedly confirmed that there were no soldiers to be seen inside the checkpoint.

In the meantime, many Palestinians gathered outside the locked checkpoint-gate, waiting to reach their homes. Amongst them were many school-children that had just received their certificates for the end of the school-year.

Civilians gather as the checkpoint-gate remains closed

After more than 30 minutes, soldiers finally unlocked the turnstile allowing the people waiting to enter one by one. When passing through the checkpoint, behind the bullet-prof-glass, one soldier could clearly be seen lying on the ground with his backpack as a pillow, fast asleep. The other soldier, with his eyes barely open, waved people through.

Denied permission to go to the mosque to pray

13th July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | al-Khalil, occupied Palestine

During one of our walks today, we came across a sight that very unfortunately is all too common in this city. A group of men and women were queuing up to go to the Ibrahimi Mosque – believed by both Jews and Muslims in Hebron to contain the tomb of Abraham – to pray.

Palestinians who come from the Souq need to go through a gate that is controlled electronically. Today, one of the border police officers manning it, for whatever reason, decided to make this a difficult and humiliating ordeal for a Palestinian.

A man, his wife, and his mother were going to the mosque to pray.The border police officer controlling the gate let the man’s wife through.When it was the man’s turn, he closed the gate, and told the guy he will not get through. No reason was provided. The man unbuckled and took off his belt and showed he was unarmed, but the officer didn’t care. The man then got upset and began yelling at the officer, who just ignored him and told him he will not be letting him through. Then he refused to open the gate that would let the man leave, effectively leaving him trapped between two gates. Exasperated, the Palestinian man climbed over the gate and started his way back home. The soldiers threatened to chase him and he ran. His wife went back with him.

What security or moral purpose can be achieved by denying a man the right to go to his place of worship, and humiliating him in front of everyone else? He was not trying to start a fight, he was trying to go and pray, along with his wife and mother.

There was no reason for such behaviour on the part of the soldier, other than a cruel display of power. Sadly, these types of things happen again and again in this city. Another aspect of the reality faced by the Palestinians living under Israeli military rule.

The man takes off his belt to show to the Border Police officer that he is unarmed.

As others watch, the man tries to plead with the Border Police officer manning the gate for the permission to go the mosque to pray.

The impossibility to know – navigating the (psychological) siege of Hebron

8th July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Israeli forces during the last week of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan have increased and stepped up restrictions for Palestinians in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). Thus they are severely limiting Palestinians possibilities to exercise their religion during this most important month in the Muslim calendar, and on a large scale to celebrate the second most important feast, Id il-Fiter, marking the end of Ramadan.

Despite most of the checkpoints in the old city of al-Khalil a maze of restrictions, harassment and intimidation by Israeli forces on daily basis, the restrictions were stepped up even more at the end of Ramadan, enforcing age limit barring any Palestinian between 15-30 from accessing the area around the Ibrahimi Mosque. But it is not just the actual physical occupation, but even more the psychological occupation imposed by the Israeli forces. Whereas the age-restriction in theory is implemented at all three checkpoints allowing to access the Ibrahimi Mosque area, it was only implemented on some days, at some hours, by some soldiers. Thus, trying to reach the mosque for prayer during Ramadan, or visiting family during Eid, no Palestinian would ever be able to tell whether or not they would be allowed. Is the trip to the checkpoint even worth trying, or would Israeli forces deny a person in that age-group anyways? Or would they let a youth within this age-group pass anyways, but then arbitrarily decide to deny another person? Even worse, as a Palestinian, one can never tell whether, even if just on the way to quickly buy groceries from the store close-by, one would ever come back home, as arbitrary arrests are common, as are attacks by settlers. Due to this arbitrariness and the Israeli forces’ complete impunity, one would never be able to tell, whether or not one is be allowed to pass one single checkpoint – and coming from most directions to reach Ibrahimi Mosque at least three different checkpoints have to be navigated.

Similarly, the complete closure of most of the entries and exits of al-Khalil, has been arbitrarily imposed in the first place, and then arbitrarily managed, opening some of the checkpoints for maybe a few hours, but then closing it again, denying anyone from passing. South Hebron suddenly, the last night of Ramadan, and thus the beginning of the 3-day festival of Eid, was declared a ‘closed military zone’, denying any Palestinian to leave or access the area. This happened on the night, where most people were out, celebrating the start of Eid after 30 days of fasting during Ramadan, doing shopping.

On the morning of Wednesday 6th July, the first day of Eid, where Palestinians traditionally go and visit all their family, Israeli forces set up additional checkpoints at most exits of al-Khalil and the surrounding villages, deliberately slowing down the holiday-traffic. In the Tel Rumeida neighborhood, that was entirely closed as a closed military zone for more than six months, families marked a sharp increase in visitors as Israeli forces seemed to have managed to create an atmosphere of fear that stopped Palestinians from visiting their families even during this important holiday. Especially young men – a common target of extrajudicial executions by Israeli forces during the last months – simply didn’t want to risk crossing Shuhada checkpoint, with their family stating that they don’t want yet another Palestinian, a family member, gunned down by Israeli forces without a reason, but with complete impunity.

Additionally to the physical obstacles, that with no doubt are manifold and literally create a maze at times impossible to navigate for any Palestinian, the psychological occupation, the technique of wearing people down, trying to break their will, needs to be taken into consideration. Can you imagine not ever being able to know what will happen, whether you’ll come back home, even if just out for five minutes? This daily insecurity, the inability to ever plan, or even feel safe inside one’s own home, is deliberately forced on Palestinians by the Israeli forces. Rather than a by-product of the occupation, it is a deliberate strategy that amounts to psychological torture in the every-day lives of Palestinians. Despite the ongoing and intensified attempts by Israeli forces to step up on either of these two forms of apartheid-measures and collective punishment of the Palestinian population in attempts to create a coercive environment that in the end would lead to a forced displacement of Palestinians, the Palestinians remain steadfast and defy these attempts at ethnic cleansing.

Worshippers for Ramadan prayer harassed by settlers and soldiers

1 July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On 1st July 2016, Israeli forces severly restricted access to Ibrahimi mosque in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) for noon-prayer, while settlers were demonstrating at a checkpoint nearby the mosque.

After pregnant 27-year old Sarah Tarayra was gunned down by Israeli forces at Ibrahimi mosque checkpoint in the morning, the mosque checkpoint stayed closed for more than two hours, while Palestinians intending to attend the noon-prayer of the last Friday of Ramadan, were queuing up at the checkpoint, but denied access. Upon inquiry, Israeli forces gave the information that they would open the checkpoint eventually, but refused giving a time. With all checkpoints leading to the mosque from other directions open for passage, it is unclear why the Ibrahimi mosque checkpoint was closed down for such a long time. At some point, about 150 Palestinians were gathered at the locked gates, on their way to noon-prayer.

Palestinians stuck at Ibrahimi mosque checkpoint, as Israeli forces deny to open the checkpoint — Palestinians stuck at Ibrahimi mosque checkpoint, as Israeli forces refuse to open the checkpoint

On all the other checkpoints, restrictions and checks were increased, with Palestinians only allowed to pass one-by-one, an increase in bag-searches of women and body-searches of male adults and youths. Once Ibrahimi mosque checkpoint was finally opened, all women and girls were stopped for bag-searches, considerably slowing down the process.

Israeli settlers set up a protest at a checkpoint on the other side of Ibrahimi mosque, waving huge Israeli flags. Several of them attacked Palestinians and had to be stopped by Israeli forces. The settlers were chanting and yelling, and Israeli forces moved back Palestinians ready for prayer in order to create a greater distance. Israeli forces, additionally, missappropriated a Palestinian family home to use it’s roof as a look-out over the events.

Israeli settlers with flags attacking two female Palestinians on their way to prayer

Once the prayer was finished, Israeli forces arbitrarily at some point stopped anyone on their way home, quickly leading to large groups of Palestinians gathering as they were forced to wait while settlers passed on the street.

Israeli forces stopping any Palestinian in order to allow free movement of settlers

These kind of infringements and restrictions on the basic human right of freedom of religion and to practice one’s religion in occupied al-Khalil, is rather the norm than the exception for Palestinians.