Tag: Digests

1. Home Demolitions in Jabal Shamali a “Mistake”
2. “What did the shops ever do to them?”
3. International Peace Mission receives a frosty reception from Israel
4. IOF Soldiers Kidnap Family
5. Protesters Attacked in Bil’in
6. Freedom Summer 2006
7. Protestors Managed to Remove a Fence in Bethlehem

1. Home Demolitions in Jabal Shamali a “Mistake”

For photos please click here

For Photos from the last incursion into Nablus, please click here

by ISM Nablus

On Saturday the 26th of August, Israeli military invaded the Jabal Shamali area of Nablus and destroyed 22 homes [for a report, pictures and video, see the previous report on the ISM website]. The next day, Israel’s largest newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the home demolition was “a mistake,” and that the Israeli military failed to arrest two to three Fatah activists that were the target of the operation.

At the end of the incursion, five individual houses and one three-storey block of flats were destroyed. One of the six buildings demolished was a community meeting hall, the others homes belonging to the Saedi, G’name, Sa’eah and Lubaddeh families. Eight cars were also totally wrecked, five of which were dumped onto a neighboring house, causing structural damage in the form of broken base-beams in the roof and the bending of walls.

Additional houses were also damaged during the demolition. The home adjacent to the structure damaged by the demolished cars was severely burn-damaged, and three homes west of the apartment block were 80% destroyed and are now unlivable. In total, 22 homes and apartments were completely demolished, and an additional five homes were made unlivable.

About 100 people were made homeless by the Israeli military’s actions and are now evacuated to friends’ homes in surrounding neighborhoods, or forced to rent apartments around Nablus. With the help of friends and neighbors, they have removed the remains of their homes that were not completely bullet-ridden or shredded by bulldozers and are now planning on rebuilding the homes as they were.

The families have been given $15,000 collectively from the Palestinian government as aid for rebuilding their homes, and friends and neighbors collected an additional $17,000 for the same purpose. This is, however, far from enough money. The cost of rebuilding the Lubaddeh block of flats alone, as estimated by engineers, will amount to about $550,000.

The issue of home demolitions has been discussed at length by the Israeli High Court of Justice in many cases, including Janimat V. IDF Military Commander 1997. In the discussion of this case, published by the Israeli Supreme Court in “Judgments of the Israeli Supreme Court: Fighting Terrorism within in Law”, the Justices argue, “home demolitions are allowed only in light of especially serious terrorist activities, such as involvement in suicide bombings aimed at civilians… The demolitions are subject to legal principals, such as the principle of proportionality. For example, the measure may only be used if it is possible to limit it to the terrorist’s home, without demolishing adjacent dwellings. (60)” In addition, the President of the Court, A. Barak states, “[Demolitions are] implemented in stages and with care in order to prevent damage to the rest of the building. If damage is caused, it will be repaired. (62)” In the case of this incursion, the homes were demolished while searching for suspects, not “in light of especially serious terrorist activities.” In addition, 22 homes were demolished in their attempt to arrest, clearly violating the “principal of proportionality.” According to President Barak, the homes’ of the residents will be repaired, though follow through on this is unlikely.

Nizar Lubbadeh, who gave himself up to be arrested in a desperate bid to stop the demolition of his and his family’s home, was released shortly after questioning. One other man, Mohammad Ayad, was however arrested after the demolition and is still in jail.

According to the Nablus Municipality, 220 buildings have been destroyed in Nablus since the beginning of the current Intifada in September 2000. This number excludes the large number of homes destroyed in Israel’s “Operation Defensive Shield” in 2002.

Following this most recent incursion into Jabal Shamali, the number is now up to 242. This attack marks one of the largest houses to be destroyed. Other big demolitions include a 9-storey building in Rafidya Al-Makhfiyya 3 years ago, belonging to Jafar Maasri who was killed by lethal gas in the Old City, and the Al-Sudder family home in New Askar refugee camp about one and a half years ago.
Amer and Allam Lubbadeh, two brothers made homeless by the demolition, urge anyone who wishes to donate money to the rebuilding of their family home to contact the Palestinian Red Crescent in Nablus, by telephone at 09-2384151, or by fax at 09-2380215.

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2. “What did the shops ever do to them?”

For photos please click here.
by ISM Nablus

This morning between 2 and 4 o’clock Israeli military forces entered Balata Refugee Camp, south-east of Nablus city center. Soldiers traveling in two armoured bulldozers and four military jeeps proceeded to partially destroy of ten shops in the marketplace on the main street of the camp. The bulldozers pulled down whole shop awnings, crushed tiles and cement curbs lining the street, ripped a street sign from the ground, down a wall, cut an electric cable running overhead and destroyed an large arrangement of grape-vines outside a family home.

A local butcher expressed his frustration at the wanton destruction, “They do this because they know that we are all too poor to afford to rebuild our shops. The occupation is strangling our economy”. Pointing at the wrenched-up tiles of the shop porch and the ripped bits of metal sticking out above our heads in place of the bright red and white shop-front that usually greets customers, he continued: “It will take $1,000 just to repair the awning and another $500 for the porch. And I know that many other shop owners have worse damage. But there is no point in repairing any of it because we know that as soon as we fix it, they will come. They will come the next day!”

Despite this, the marketplace was this morning full of men clambering up ladders to tear down the old wrecked shop-fronts and take measurements for new ones. A team of electricians were busy replacing the cut cable and the rubble from the wreckage was neatly piled up at the sides of the street. “What did the shops ever do to them?” one of the workers exclaimed. “They are terrorists? No, this is the terror of the Israeli army.”

This sort of incursion is a regular occurrence in the refugee camps around Nablus, especially Balata. Occupation soldiers invade the camps nightly, though the use of armoured bulldozers is less common. On a ‘normal’ night, soldiers enter the camp around 2am and shoot at residents, occasionally arresting young men or invading and occupying homes. Last night’s incursion and destruction is yet another attack by the Israeli military on the impoverished residents of Palestine’s refugee camps.

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3. International Peace Mission receives a frosty reception from Israel

For photos, please click here.
After a full month of gruelling cycling, the Peace Cycle finally arrived in the West Bank tonight, September 6th. The cyclists left Damascus 3 days ago and toured the Palestinian refugee camps in the south of Syria before entering Jordan. In both Middle East countries, as in Europe, the group enjoyed courteous treatment and a warm welcome.

The climate changed dramatically, however, once they reached the border between Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian West Bank.
The cyclists arrived at the Jordanian side of the “Allenby Bridge” crossing point at 11.30 this morning local time. On the Palestinian side of the border, their coach and tour guide waited for them…and waited. The cyclists, 21 of them British, two Austrian and one Palestinian, were held at the border by the Israeli authorities and were given no information or explanation, although they were eventually given a sandwich.

Some of the Peace Cycle team as they set off from London
The Palestinian man among the group was taken away and questioned for almost 3 hours before he was allowed to enter the West Bank, where he lives with his family in a village near Ramallah. He had taken part in the Peace Cycle so that he could “tell the world about life under occupation” in his country.

At 6pm the border crossing officially closed for the night, with the remaining group of cyclists still being held in no man’s land between Jordan and Palestine, by a frustrated Israeli border staff who admitted they “just wanted to go home”. Eventually, eight hours later, and after frantic ‘phone calls between the Peace Cycle’s London office and the British Consulate in Jerusalem, the cyclists were allowed through to the Palestinian side of the border. Tired and hungry, they were relieved to finally board their coach and look forward to a meal in El Fa’raa in the north of the West Bank, where the villagers had planned a welcome dinner for them.

However, their relief was to be short lived when they encountered first hand experience of military occupation, just outside the village of El Fa’raa. As their hosts awaited them, the cyclists’ coach was stopped at an illegal Israeli checkpoint just minutes away and the group was told it could not proceed. Spurious explanations were given by the soldiers on duty, and despite ‘phone calls to the Israeli authorities from the British Consulate and an Israeli Knesset (Parliament) member, the peace group was held for 3 hours and then told they would not be permitted to cross the checkpoint, indefinitely.

The group had no choice but to divert to Jerusalem where they will spend the night before attempting to restart their tour of the West Bank tomorrow morning.

Whatever the reason behind today’s appalling treatment of the men and women of the Peace Cycle mission, they are more determined than ever to work for an end to the occupation of Palestine as being the only way to a lasting peace for all people of the Middle East.
For more information, contact Laura Abraham, founder of the Peace Cycle, on +44-(0)-794-1056616.

If you would like to arrange phone interviews with the cyclists at any point please contact TPC Press Officer Claire Ranyard (07801 263322) or Laura Abraham the founder of the Peace Cycle (07941056616) .

For more information visit their website or the following Indymedia UK stories:
http://www.thepeacecycle.org
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/347165.html
http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/09/350167.html

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4. IOF Soldiers Kidnap Family

by Shlomo Bloom

Somehow I doubt the names and faces of the father and his three teenage boys who were kidnapped by Israeli Occupation Force soldiers tonight in Ramallah will be plastered all over news tomorrow like the face of Gilad Shalit, the kidnapped Israeli soldier.

At about 2am last night we heard there were soldiers in Al Manarra square shooting and arresting people so we went to check it out. By the time we got there the soldiers had left with their four kidnap victims whose names we were unable to find out.

I’m sure once Gilad Shalit is released, there will be a movie made about him. He’ll be the boy-next-door turned national hero who spent two months holed-up in the Gaza tunnels with savage Palestinian militants. No disrespect towards his ordeal, but why are only white people the ones who are made famous and who garner the sympathy of the whole world when they are kidnapped in this region?
After the movie is made, still no one will be able to tell me the names of the dad and his three kids who were kidnapped in Ramallah tonight.

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5. Protesters Attacked in Bil’in

for photos, please click here.
To see a video of the demonstration, please click here.

by an ISM Media office volunteer

At the weekly demo in Bil’in today Occupation forces once again lashed out at peaceful protesters. As the 100-strong march from the mosque reached the edge of the village the IOF blocked the road and, after announcing the area was a closed military zone on a megaphone, proceeded to beat those who didn’t withdraw with batons. It is the habitual practice of the Israeli military to declare as “closed military zones” areas that Palestinian non-violent demonstrations are taking place.
Undeterred by such violence the villagers tried to continue on their way to the illegal Wall but the IOF brought up reinforcements who chased and beat protesters on the arms and legs. They also fired large amounts of tear gas today. Several people were injured with some needing treatment from the ambulance for arm and leg injuries:

Abdullah Abu Rahme, Popular Committee Member from Bil’in – hand and wrist, needed bandage.
Abid Abu Rahme
Yusef Karaje
Eyal Birnat
Abdul Fateh
Mansour Mansour
Israeli activist injuries – Koby, Neil, Jonathan, Aaron, Sahar, Joval and Nir Shalev whose arm was broken.
Chris – UK
Lina – Germany
Sean – Austria
Iman – US

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6. Freedom Summer 2006

Freedom Summer 2006 in Palestine was a success! We had just under 100 internationals join Palestinians in solidarity to resist the occupation in places all over the West Bank.
The ISM continued its support for Bil’in village in its weekly
demonstrations against the wall and settlements as well as having a continued presence in the village and “outpost”, which is a structure on Palestinian farmland that is separated from the village by the Apartheid Wall.
In Beit Ummar village, south of Bethlehem, internationals joined farmers and villagers in their demonstrations against the expansion of settlement outposts near the village and in documenting human rights violations and accompanying farmers to their land near settlements in Beit Ummar and nearby villages.
Internationals also continued their support in Tel Rumeida, Hebron,
consistently documenting and intervening in attacks against Palestinians by settlers and military.
ISM has formed a permanent presence in Nablus, in order to continue working at checkpoints: monitoring and intervening in aggression against Palestinians by the Israeli military. Internationals have also meet with victims of Israeli violence to document and voice their support for the Palestinian people.
ISM volunteers stayed in the village of Ezbat al-Tabib, outside of
Qalqilia, providing support for the community and assisting in removing a roadblock that isolates the village.
Internationals visited and stayed in villages of South Hebron, such as
Suseya and Qawawis to participate show support for their struggles
against the settlements and document attacks by settlers on Palestinians.
Internationals participated in building a house that was demolished by the Israeli army in Anata, outside of Jerusalem, and also worked with people Farkha village near Salfeet in a summer festival.
In Ramallah internationals attended many demonstrations against Israeli aggression in Lebanon and Palestine and against US interference in the Middle East, and also documented Israeli military invasions in the city.
Finally volunteers traveled to: Al Khader, Bethlehem for demonstrations against the wall surrounding Bethlehem, Jericho to meet with farmers in the Jordan valley, and Tulkarem to show solidarity with their continued resistance to the occupation.

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7. Protestors Managed to Remove a Fence in Bethlehem

For photos, please click here.

Today, September 1, 2006, in the village of al-Khadr, in the Bethlehem region, Palestinian and international solidarity workers removed a razor wire barrier serving as a preliminary basis for the Apartheid Wall. During the action, approximately 100 Palestinian and international demonstrators led a non-violent march and were stopped by Israeli Occupation soldiers on their way towards the Apartheid Wall.
The residents of the village left Friday prayers at the mosque and joined with international solidarity activists in a march through the village. The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and carried a banner reading, “This Wall Imprisons Palestinians in a Ghetto,” written in Arabic and English. After approximately fifteen minutes of marching, the demonstrators were stopped by a large force of Israeli Occupation soldiers. The soldiers took up positions on an earth mound road block and prevented the Palestinians and internationals from reaching the Apartheid Wall. At this site, armed Occupation forces assembled with armored military jeeps as well as border police jeeps.
While the Palestinians and internationals were demonstrating in front of the soldiers, five international activists and two Palestinian activists separated from the group and traveled to the site of a razor wire barrier. Once the activists reached the fence, they removed many metal stakes which secured the barrier, and rolled a section of the barrier, approximately 150 meters in length, down a hill towards route 60. The activists were able to complete this task as Israeli Occupation forces arrived, and were able to avoid confrontation or arrest.
The razor wire is used in conjunction with a series of road blocks and checkpoints to separate the Palestinian communities from neighboring Israeli settler-colonies. The barriers and road blocks bisect Palestinian communities and create a “buffer” zone for the future construction of the Israeli Apartheid Wall. In contrast to the northern area of the West Bank where the Apartheid Wall is nearly completed, there is ongoing construction in the south that had been continually met with Palestinian non-violent resistance. The demonstration in al-Khadr today is but one example of this resistance, as are weekly demonstrations in Bil’in and other communities in the north, central and southern West Bank.

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For more reports, journals and action alerts visit the ISM website at www.palsolidarity.org

Please consider supporting the International Solidarity Movement’s work with a financial contribution. You may donate securely through our website at www.palsolidarity.org/main/donations/

1. Partial Demolition of Israeli Colony in Bil’in
2. Israeli Company Blockaded in Britan For the Second Time in Bid to Gain Ruling on Illegality of Settlement Products
3. 12 Year Old Boy Shot by Settler While Playing Near His Home
4. Palestinian Activists with International and Israeli Supporters Picket Kofi Annan’s Visit
5. Settler Children Burn Down Palestinian Olive Tree in Hebron, Israeli Soliders Block Firefighters
6. Israeli Army Destroying Olive Trees in Jenin
7. Israeli Army Harrassment in Hebron Continues
8. Israeli Army Kills 15 year old Demonstrator, Injures 12, and Demolishes Houses.

1- Partial Demolition of Israeli Colony in Bil’in

On Monday, August 28th, two structures were demolished in the illegal Israeli settlement of Matityahu East, on the land of Bil’in village. Construction of the settler colonies had continued until an Israeli court issued a stop work order pending a decision on the status of the colony. The demolition was carried out by the construction company responsible for expanding the colony. This reversal is in response to an Israeli Supreme Court order on July 20th, instructing the company to demolish the two partial structures. The court also decided that a Palestinian road must be built in order to give the villages access to their land. This latter ruling has so far not been enforced.

As well as demanding the demolition of the two structures in the Matityahu East enclave, the court instructed the company to restore the land to its previous pre-colonial state, wherein the land was a flourishing olive grove. Previously the whole of the illegal colonies of Matityahu and Mod’in Elit was agricultural land belonging to Bil’in and other villages in the area.

Occupation authorities annexed 1,100 dunums (275 acres) of the land of Bil’in in 1991. At the time, the confiscation was justified by reference to an old Ottoman-era law allowing for confiscation of unused land. Much later, it was revealed that in order to demonstrate that the coveted land was “unused,” the State made use of photos of seasonal crop farm land taken when the crops were not yet in season. More than a decade after the confiscation, Israeli colonial settlements began to be built, following a typical pattern of settlement expansion, whereby first, Palestinian land is declared State property and then eventually distributed to Israelis. As a reaction to the theft of the land, weekly non-violent demonstrations have been held in Bil’in village for the past 17 months.

These demonstrations, in existence weekly since January 2005, garnered international attention and support, making a protracted legal campaign challenging the settlement’s legality a possibility. Yesterday’s demolition is a major step in the struggle of Bil’in village to restore their land to its pre-colonial state. The village plans to continue to challenge plans to gain retrospective permission for other parts of the colony already constructed or under construction.

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2. Israeli Company Blockaded in Britan For the Second Time in Bid to Gain Ruling on Illegality of Settlement Products

URGENT! As of the last update at 1:30pm, Thursday the 30th, this blockade action is still ongoing and needs support! If you are reading this from the UK, the blockaders have requested your support. If you are able, get down there and support them, the address is on Indymedia UK. Get the latest on updates Indymedia UK.

Early Wednesday morning Palestine solidarity activists blockaded the Israeli company Carmel Agrexco’s British headquarters. This was part of a non-violent protest against recurrent breaches of human rights and international law in the Israeli occupied territories of Palestine.

Carmel is complicit in war crimes under the International Criminal Court Act 2001 (ICC Act). They import fresh produce originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories.
The action follows a legal warning letter to Carmel stating clearly why they are in breach of the law.

The action took place at Agrexco UK, Swallowfield Way, Hayes, Middlesex, Israel’s largest importer of agricultural produce into the European Union. It is 50% Israeli state owned.
Protestors used wire fencing and bicycle D-Locks in a well planned blockade at the two entrances to the building.
Before taking part in the blockade, many of the protesters had witnessed first hand the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli military occupation.

This follows on from an action of 11th November 2004, when seven Palestine-Solidarity protesters from London and Brighton were arrested after taking part in a non-violent blockade outside the same company.

Last September a Judge ruled that Agrexco (UK) must prove that their business is lawful. The acquittal of the seven activists before they were able to present their defence meant that the court did not have to rule on the legalityof Agrexco-Carmel’s involvement in the supply of produce from illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
Today’s blockade aims to draw attention to this company’s complicity, in murder, theft and damage of occupied land, collective punishment, apartheid and ethnic cleansing, and other breaches of International Law.

Links:
Text of letter sent to Carmel Agrexco
Report on Carmel’s Involvemnt in the Jordan Valley
Press release from previous trial
War on Want’s Report –”Profiting from the Occupation”

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3. 12 Year Old Boy Shot by Settler While Playing Near His Home

On August 27, 2006, Hakim Ersan, a 12 year old boy from the village of Beit Fourik near Nablus, was shot by an Israeli colonist from the Aitmar settlement near his home. Hakim was playing with two friends, ages 8-9, when the boys spotted 3 Israeli colonists approaching them. The boys began to run away, and Hakim tripped and fell; when he stood up, the colonist man, aged approximately 40, shot him through his lower back. The bullet exited through his upper groin area, and the younger boys carried him to his home. Hakim is currently in critical condition and awaiting surgery at Raffidia Hospital in Nablus; the extent of damage to his internal organs is yet undetermined.

Colonist violence is nothing new for Beit Fourik; four years ago, an elderly man was farming his land when colonists attacked him and beat him to death with a stone.

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4. Palestinian Activists with International and Israeli Supporters Picket Kofi Annan’s Visit

by ISM Media Office volunteers

This afternoon, peace activists from the International Solidarity Movement joined Palestinians, Israelis, and international supporters from other organizations to picket the visit to Ramallah of Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations. Mr Annan was in the West Bank today to meet Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The demonstration began at 1.30pm at the Muqata, headquarters of the PA. Activists brought banners and placards, written in Arabic, Hebrew and English, with slogans including “Stop Land Theft”, “Scotland Against The Wall” and “Enforce Resolution 242″. A large banner included illustrations of the illegal partition wall, currently under construction in the West Bank, and the ongoing destruction of olive trees (by the Israeli Government) which provide livelihoods for many Palestinians.

The central purpose of the picket was to emphasize the impact of the Israeli Government’s policies upon the lives of people living in the occupied West Bank, with particular reference to the partition wall, which is preventing ordinary Palestinians from accessing their farmland, jobs and schools, and has divided families. Amongst the demonstrators were people from Bil’in, a village to the West of Ramallah, where 60% of the villager’s farmland has been cut off from the village by the wall, and where regular non-violent demonstrations are held in protest at the erection of the wall.

Activists hoped to remind Mr Annan that the Israeli Government has still not complied with a raft of UN resolutions, nor has it moved following last year’s ruling, by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which confirmed that the erection of the partition wall is illegal under international law.

Prior to beginning formal talks, both Mr Annan and Mr Abbas came outside to briefly meet demonstrators. Mr Annan listened to the concerns of the gathered villagers and activists, and confirmed that these matters would be discussed in talks today.

for pictures, please click here

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5- Settler Children Burn Down Palestinian Olive Tree in Hebron, Israeli Soliders Block Firefighters

by ISM Hebron

On Saturday August 26th, at approximately 12 noon, a Palestinian family in Tel Rumeida, (in the Israeli controlled H2 district of Hebron) noticed a group of settler boys setting fire to the dry grass in front of their home.

This land contains many olive trees and settlers have attempted to burn down these trees on many occasions by starting grass fires. The family put the fire out with water but the kids returned and started a fire which spread to the center of a large olive tree. By the time the family noticed, the fire was so hot that they could not put it out by themselves. Phone requests to the DCO (District Command Office of the military) to allow firefighters from the Palestinian municipality of Hebron to enter into H2 to put the fire out were denied.

The family tried to solicit the help of soldiers who poured a white, firefighting powder on the burning tree. This attempt at putting the fire out was not successful and eventually the whole tree was destroyed. Soldiers attempted to charge the family 600 shekels ($135) for the firefighting powder and the family refused. The soldiers threatened to come back and confiscate the family’s television is they refused to pay.
In addition, settlers set the ground on fire in another location next to this same family’s house. No olive trees were destroyed in this fire.

for pictures, please click here

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6- Israeli Army Destroying Olive Trees in Jenin

August 29th, 2006 in the town of Zububa in the Jenin region, Israeli soldiers are currently destroying large swaths of Palestinian olive groves. The attacks began around 7:00 in the morning with American-made Caterpillar armoured bulldozers, and is currently ongoing.

According to Mohammad, a resident of Zububa, the tress being destroyed are in an area, 2km in length and 100km in width. This land amounts to the total area owned by the town. The farmers who have repeatedly tried to access their fields have been beaten and fired upon by Israeli forces. The residents of Zububa have argued that the destruction of their fields serves no security purposes, because the land is on the Palestinian side of the Annexation Wall.

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7- Israeli Army Harrassment in Hebron Continues

Soldiers violently attack Palestinian man in his home: August 25th, 2006

To watch video of this event, click here. To download it, click here.
There were two cameras filming most, if not all, of the following incident. A few soldiers are easily recognizable by Human Rights Workers (HRW) given the number of times they have been present while soldiers have been invading numerous Palestinian homes.

At approximately 5:15 PM, an HRW posted at the Tel Rumeida checkpoint heard yelling and screaming coming from up the hill. The HRW moved up the hill, and a Palestinian woman was able to point out the house and medical facility from which the screams were issuing. The HRW asked Israeli soldiers immediately inside the building’s door what was going on. They refused to answer, and the soldiers physically prevented the HRW from entering the house. At this point, Dr. Taysir, the building’s owner, broke free from the soldier who was holding him, and pulled on the HRW’s arm while begging him to enter. The HRW managed to enter the door, and saw two, elongated contusions high on Dr. Taysir’s left arm. While being pushed out once again, the HRW negotiated with the soldiers to leave the door open on the condition that he remain outside.

Shortly thereafter three more HRWs arrived. The HRWs managed to enter the building. Three HRWs demanded access to Dr. Taysir, who was now out of sight, while a fourth video taped the encounter. Dr. Taysir could be heard yelling and crying out in pain from a room further in the house. The HRWs attempted to move past the soldiers in order to prevent further injury to Dr. Taysir, but were repeatedly forced back. The soldiers refused to explain why the doctor’s home had been entered, why he had been struck, or why the HRWs could not see him. Throughout this time, the soldiers were physically and verbally aggressive towards the HRWs, repeatedly shoving them towards the door, and yelling at them to get out, shut up, etc.
At this point, an Israeli major arrived with approximately six more soldiers. The major entered the building and began speaking with Dr. Taysir’s brother, who had observed some, but not all, of the incident; this conversation is filmed almost entirely. The major spoke briefly to the soldiers already on site, who quickly became considerably less aggressive toward the HRWs. After approximately ten minutes, the major and all soldiers departed the house without speaking to anyone else. The HRWs then videotaped interviews with both Dr. Taysir and his brother regarding the incident.
Dr. Taysir told the HRWs that he gone to open the door for the soldiers when almost immediately they began shoving him around and pinned him against a wall by pressing on his chest. The doctor told the soldier not to push him, and the soldier responded by punching him in the temple. Other soldiers joined in, and Dr. Taysir received blows to his arms, legs, and torso. At least two blows, those to his left arm, were strikes with the butt of a rifle; these injuries are documented with video.
Seeing that Dr. Taysir was being attacked, a female patient who was present attempted to intervene, putting herself between the doctor and the soldiers. She was struck by a soldier, and fell unconscious. The patient was later placed on a medical exam table with an oxygen feed to help her recover, where she was videotaped (with permission) by the HRWs. Dr. Taysir’s adult
daughter was also beaten at some point during the encounter, though the events are not clear to us what happened. Dr. Taysir and his brother both stated repeatedly that soldiers used and regularly use foul language towards him and his family, including his wife and small children.
Later that evening, before sunset, soldiers could be seen on the roof of Dr. Taysir’s house. HRWs were standing on their own roof, and when they looked in the direction of the soldiers, the soldiers used their arms in a gesture to say ‘fuck you’ to the HRWs. The soldiers were laughing the entire time. The HRWs did not respond.

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Soldiers invade yet another home in Tel Rumeida, Hebron : August 20th, 2006

At approximately 12 PM HRWs arrived at a house being invaded by IDF soldiers. HRWs found the the door blocked by two soldiers, who refused to let them in the house; these soldiers did not tell the HRWs to not film them. After a few minutes of attempting to negotiate our way into the house, HRWs walked around the soldiers, and were met with little resistance. One HRW went to the family and asked if they were OK; the family appeared to be nervous but unharmed. Other HRWs proceeded to come into the house and look around, seeing if anything was disrupted or broken. None of us could see evidence that the soldiers had done this, unlike the previous week, in which the neighbor’s house was destroyed from the inside.

An HRW approached the commander of the unit with her camera on and asked him what they were doing; his face is clearly seen on film. The commander told the HRW that if she and her friends wanted to stay in the house, she should turn the camera off. The HRW told the commander that she could film and that if the soldiers weren’t doing anything wrong, it shouldn’t bother them. The commander then stepped closer to the HRW and said, “Look, i’m in control of this house now. If you want to stay and watch us search, then turn the camera off. If you don’t do that, then I will make all of you go outside, lock the doors, and you can wait for us to finish outside.” The HRW put her camera down and proceeded to follow the soldiers through the house. They did not break or take anything that was obvious. The soldiers left about ten minutes after HRWs had arrived. As the soldiers were leaving, one HRW said to the commander, “Hey, see you later, Yosi.” The soldier then replied, “You have a lot of guts saying that to me.”

The family told the HRWs afterwards that the soldiers come frequently to their house. The soldiers always tell them they’re looking for weapons, but have never found any. An HRW asked the family if the soldiers ever break or steal things, and one of the women replied, “Sometimes yes, sometimes no; we are always at their mercy. Today they behaved very well, and I think it was because all of you came.” The family thanked the HRWs repeatedly as we sat and drank tea with them.

for pictures, please click here
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8- Israeli Army Kills 15 year old Demonstrator, Injures 12, and Demolishes Houses

Nablus, Palestine–Today, August 26, 2006, in the Jabal Shamali neighborhood of Nablus, soldiers of the Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) launched a 16 and a half hour incursion, wherein they killed one young boy, hospitalized at least twelve with many more injured, and destroyed twenty homes and apartments. The IOF entered the area around 2:00am, with over 26 military vehicles including armoured jeeps, hummers, border police jeeps, a Caterpillar D9 armoured bulldozer and Caterpillar “excavator” wrecking machines.
Upon entering the area, the army went to the Labbada house, a three-story building, built in 1927, and home to over seventeen families, including eights flats housing members of the Labbada family. Immediately after entering the area, the soldiers used loudspeakers to order the residents of the building to leave within one minute. At this time, seventeen families exited the building, and were detained on the street, from 2:00-4:00am, while IOF soldiers fired live ammunition over their heads.

Upon seeing the bulldozers, the families of the Labbada house made repeated offers to act as shields for the soldiers in order to allow them to enter the building to search for the target of the raid, but the soldiers refused, and soon began to demolish the homes. At 4:00am most of theresidents were released and allowed to enter the home of a neighbor, but one elderly man, approximately eighty years old, was further detained until around 9:00am when he was released.
At 3:00am, with the residents still detained in the street, IOF bulldozers and “excavators” began to demolish small homes surrounding the Labbada complex, in an attempt to reach the three-story building. Once the building around the Labbada house had been completely demolished, the army began to demolish the three-story building from three sides. At this time, soldiers entered the At Tamimi building, a two-story home adjacent to the Labbada complex, and used the top floor as a sniper position. At 9:30am, five men were kidnapped from the neighboring house and forced to enter the apartment being used as a sniper nest to act as human shields for the army.

These men were held from 9:30am-11:45am. The men are named Shadi, age 23, Majdi, age 35, Tamer, age 19, Rami, age 17, Mohammad, age 21 and Walid, age 64.

The army proceeded to demolish at least three homes bordering the Labbada complex, and an additional eleven flats within the complex. While they demolished the homes, the army fired almost constantly into the building, while also firing at demonstrators with live ammunition, tear gas and concussion grenades. During this assault, the soldiers repeatedly fired explosive grenades from M-16 assault rifles into the building’s windows.

While demolishing the homes, the army crushed at least eight automobiles, and utilizing a bulldozer, dropped three of them on a neighboring house. Also during the attack, IOF soldiers entered the adjacent children’s’ school and after knocking out the windows, used the area as a firing position to shoot at demonstrators. In addition, Palestinian medical volunteers reported that around 5:00pm, a large fire was seen blazing in the Labbada house, the result of repeated IOF grenade fire.

During the demolition, young Palestinian demonstrators gathered on and around Amman street, and were fired upon repeatedly. Rafidia hospital has confirmed that during these clashes, Muntasir Sulaiman Muhammad Ukah, 15 from Askar refugee camp, was shot in the back and killed. Rafidia has also confirmed treating an additional 12 persons for injuries, they are:

Issam Fathi Joma’a, 27 years old, with shrapnel in his right shoulder.
Ammar Nizar Saed, 16 years old, shot in the hand.
Jaber Naser Abd-Alrahman, 16 years old, shrapnel in an unknown location.
Ayman Abed Al-kareem Al-Khayat, 17 years old, shot in left leg.
Rani Mohammad Al-akhbar, 18 years old, shot in the leg.
Mahdi Atif Shrooti, 13 years old, shot in the hip.
Abed Al-latif Tahseen Agha, 9 years old, with shrapnel in the neck.
Abed Al-aziz Khalel Jebril, 18 years old, shot with a rubber bullet in the right hand.
Fathi Mohammad, 80 years old, shot in the right leg.
Ramadan Husam Al-ajori, 13 years old, shot in the right leg.
Fadi Ahmad, 18 years old, show with a rubber bullet in the head.
Ahamd Zayad Solayman, 15 years old, shot in the back.

Local news sources report an additional ten injuries but only those named were transfered to Rafidia hospital. On at least two occasions, IOF soldiers prevented Palestinian ambulances from reaching injured persons in a timely manner.

The target of the incursion is unclear, but IOF soldiers arrested Nizar Labbada, 30 years old, before leaving the scene at 6:30pm. This is not the first time the 79 year old building was raided. In 2004, IOF soldiers attacked the building on four separate occasions in search of Firaz Labbada, now 34. Firaz was arrested in 2004 and is currently imprisoned until at least 2008.

***

* Israeli Assault on Balata
This morning, two Palestinian resistance fighters were killed by Israeli military during an incursion into Balata refugee camp just outside of Nablus. Another young man was shot in the stomach and is, according to sources at Rafidia hospital, in critical condition. Hani Al-Hashash, 22, and Ibrahim Neba, 23, were chased up on the roof by Israeli special forces who broke the door and entered their home at about five o’clock this morning. As the military opened fire, one of the men attempted to defend himself and shot two soldiers, injuring them slightly.
The two resistance fighters attempted to escape by climbing up to the roof. An Apache helicopter then backed them up against a wall before firing several rounds of bullets into their bodies. Hani Al-Hashash died from a bullet to his brain and Ibrahim Neba incurred several fatal wounds to the neck, stomach and chest. Five to six missiles were also fired from the helicopter, breaking two water tanks and making several large holes in the roof of the building.
* Palestinian Children Assaulted by Israeli Army
On Sunday August 27th, two HRWs were on Shuhada Street in front of the military post which watches the Beit Hadassa settlement in Hebron. At around 5 p.m. a group of six Palestinian kids between approximately 10 and 12 years of age, who had been around the area for a few hours, went towards the checkpoint and started a conversation with the soldier in the military post. After a couple of minutes, the group of kids sat down on the steps in opposite of the post and started obviously joking with the soldier, so that it was not clear if the kids were detained, or if they were just joking around with the soldier. The HRWs wanted to clarify the situation and asked the soldier what the kids are doing there. The soldier responded that the kids were detained because they tried to steal a bicycle from the settlement and that he called the police to deal with this case. The HRW asked the soldier to let the kids leave, but he refused to do so. A short time later, some Palestinian residents started talking to the soldier.
At about 5.30 p.m. one police officer and four Border policemen arrived at the military post and started questioning the boys and talking to a Palestinian woman who was still around. After about 15 minutes, three boys were allowed to leave and the Palestinian woman left with them, giving each a cuff on the head. The other three boys were still there, and the police officer told the HRW, who tried to intervene, that he should leave because they were “taking the kids back home”. The HRWs moved back several yards and saw the border police and the police officer take one boy after another into the military post, behind the camouflage netting, where the HRWs couldn’t see what was being done. When the first boy came out again (after about 15 seconds), the HRW saw that he was holding his head, so they suspected that those boys were taken in there to beat them. The HRW went quickly towards the military post while asking the soldiers and the police, if they would beat the kids in there. Being closer to the post, the HRW was able to hear slaps and see obvious moves. The Border Police came quickly towards the HRWs and tried to intimidate them while asking them questions and demanding their passports. Meanwhile, the three boys left.

for pictures, please clickhere

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1. AP: Gazans Protest Journalists’ Abduction
2. Palestinian Companies Forced to Buy Israeli Products
3. Bil’in Demonstration Against the Wall Turns Blue
4. Teenage Settlers Hurl Glass Bottles at Human Rights Workers
5. Resistance and Collective Punishment in Beit Furik and Salim
6. Bil’in Continues Struggle Despite Soldier Brutality
7. Unstable Soldier Harasses Palestinians and Internationals
8. Soldiers Detain Palestinian Kids for getting hit with Settlers’ Rocks

1. AP: Gazans Protest Journalists’ Abduction

By Associated Press, JPOST

Palestinian journalists in Gaza protested on Saturday against the kidnapping of a Fox News correspondent and cameraman, as concern about the men’s safety grew.

Cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, of New Zealand, and American correspondent Steve Centanni, 60, were snatched Monday from their TV van near the Palestinian security services headquarters in Gaza City.

More than two dozen foreigners have been abducted by Palestinian gunmen, usually in an attempt to settle personal scores, but almost all have been released within hours. This is the longest that foreigners have been held. Security officials are especially concerned because all the armed groups have denied involvement and no demands have been put forth.

About 30 members of the Palestinian Journalists’ Union gathered outside the parliamentary building in Gaza, holding up signs demanding the men be freed. Other signs called for security in Gaza, where armed men wander the streets freely.

Jennifer Griffen, chief Fox News correspondent for the Middle East, called the kidnapping a “test for the Palestinian people.”
“We don’t care who kidnapped them, we want them returned unharmed. This is a very serious case for the Palestinians, for the Palestinian Authority,” Griffen said.

Khaled Batch, a leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group, said kidnapping members of the media “silenced the voice of freedom and justice.”

“We…have experienced oppression and denial. We don’t want to practice this pain and suffering on others, on other wives and people,” Batch said.

2. Palestinian Companies Forced to Buy Israeli Products

Israel is constantly inventing new ways of making life in the occupied Palestinian territories ever more difficult and humiliating and several companies in the Nablus region have recently been subject to one of these policies. ISM Nablus visited but one of the affected companies – a small enterprise started in 1995, employing only three people.

They receive tenders from various private and public medical institutions in Nablus, and import supplies directly from abroad – mainly from Turkey, Italy and China. The majority of their shipments are based on inquiry and most items are low-cost such as syringes, casts, stethoscopes, gloves and IV-bags. Occasionally, larger and more expensive items such as infant incubators and electrically powered beds are needed and imported. In the past year, the price to import and process shipments has drastically risen, although it is only recently that companies in Nablus have been affected. One particular order got stuck in Israeli customs for more than 2 months and the company was forced to pay an additional import fee of 25,000 NIS (about $5,000 dollars) to access the order.

The fee was officially required for covering the cost of a so-called CB (Certification Body) Test Report. The CB scheme originated in Europe, where nations were moving toward adopting a common set of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. It was originally intended to provide a common test format to be used by all participating certifying agencies, but manufacturers are increasingly using the CB test report as final proof of compliance to a specific international standard. Although the goal of the CB scheme is to provide a harmonized international environment, manufacturers must still comply with local electrical installation codes and practices. This creates deviations for many countries, which greatly decreases the value of the scheme.

Despite these difficulties, Israeli authorities claim that these new fees are designed to ensure quality. It is, however, clear that the addition of these fees to the regular costs of foreign imports, has a prohibitive effect on small companies such as that described above. On average, this new policy means that each item will be 10 times more expensive to import.

The only way to circumvent the CBTR and related costs, is to buy directly from Israel. By adding these fees for foreign imports, Israel is in fact forcing Palestinian companies to buy Israeli. This is, apart from politically unappealing, also much more expensive than importing directly from foreign manufacturers.

The interviewed company and its client institutions are not the only ones to suffer from this unprecedented offensive on foreign imports. The proprietor of one Nablus company was unable to meet the costs and consequently had to send back a large shipment to China and buy the same items from Israel. Several other company owners are now, reluctantly, considering doing the same.

3.Bil’in Demonstration Against the Wall Turns Blue

Today, August 18, the Israeli army and Border Police tried to prevent the weekly non-violent demonstration of Palestinians, Israelis and internationals in Bil’in against the illegal confiscation of their farmland by the Apartheid Wall and settlements. They used brute force to prevent the demonstration from reaching the site of the wall, despite an Israeli military court decision that people in Bil’in have the right of freedom of speech through “legitimate resistance”. In the morning of the demonstration a member of the Popular Committee of Bil’in received a call from the military threatening to use force to prevent the demonsratators from reaching the intended goal of the Wall.

Before the demonstration even began, the army and Border Police were already positioned within the village with armored Jeeps and a water canon. Bright blue water was fired from the canon at the demonstrators, totally unprovoked, as soon as they were within range of the massive white tank. Many demonstrators were soaked by the blue liquid, dying their hair, clothes and skin, and most of them reported subsequent burning and irritation of the skin that lasted into the night. Tear gas was also used against the demonstrators as soon as the water canon was engaged, so it is unclear whether the burning was from gas being absorbed into the wet skin and clothing, or whether the water itself contained a chemical. Regardless, the message from the Israeli army was clear: non-violent protest will not be tolerated and will be met by increasing displays of force.

As usual, the soldiers continued to use sound grenades, rubber bullets, and also the water canon as the protestors and journalists were retreating. There were seven people injured by rubber bullets and gas, including one photographer with Associated Press and several people had skin irritation and a hard time breathing from the tear gas.

The theme of this week’s demonstration was the continuity of the resistance in Bil’in, and the villagers and activists carried the message “You Cannot Break Our Spirit.” The Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements has organized weekly demonstrations since January 2005 against the wall and against the illegal confiscation of 60% of their farmland, and will steadfastly continue with their weekly demonstrations despite the army’s apparent intent to brutally repress them. The army’s behaviour at last week’s and this week’s demonstrations clearly show that they are trying to terrorize the villagers, internationals, and Israelis into not holding this demonstration anymore.

A representative of the national Islamic forces gave a speech at the beginning of the demonstration encouraging Bil’in and their supporters to continue struggling together despite the many forces that want the joint struggle to fail. On behalf of Bil’in’s Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, members added that they hope for the speedy recovery of supporters, Lymor Goldstein and Rina Klauman, who are still in the hospital for injuries incurred from last week’s demonstration.

Lymor, an Israeli lawyer, who was shot in the neck and head by rubber-coated metal bullet at close range last Friday, underwent immediate surgery to remove the bullet and shards of his skull, which was successful. He was put back in intensive care today, however, due to a severe infection in his brain and is undergoing surgery today.

Rina, from Denmark who suffered from a severe concussion, after a soldier beat her with the butt of his gun last Friday, is still hospitalized and awaiting the results from her MRI. However, she is beginning to feel better and is finally able to walk on her own today.

For more information:
Abudullah Abu Rahma: 054 725 8210
Mohammed Khatib 054 557 3285
ISM Media Office 02 297 1824

4. Teenage Settlers Hurl Glass Bottles at Human Rights Workers

By Missy and Giuseppe

At approximately 1:00 PM on August 17th, settler boys were throwing rocks at Palestinian people descending the Qurtaba School stairs. One international human rights worker approached the area quickly, but was told by the soldier to get away. The soldier then came yelling out of his post, and threw his chair at the settler boys nearby. He then grabbed one of the boys and yelled at him, in Hebrew. The Palestinians who were coming down the stairs continued on their way, but were very frightened of the situation, and left quickly down Shuhada Street.

At around 1:30, while three internationals were talking on Shuhada Street, one female settler teenager and two younger boys walked past. The settlers stared and suddenly threw a large glass bottle at the human rights workers, which landed at their feet. The settlers took off running towards the checkpoint, where the soldier at the post began yelling and running after them. One of the settlers attempted to hit the soldier and took off running. One international attempted to talk to the soldier, but he said to her, “Go away! This isn’t for you, it’s for myself!” Palestinians were walking down the road at this point, and had seen the settler kids throw the glass bottle at the internationals. One Palestinian man was very concerned and called the police, telling them what happened; the police never came.

About five minutes later, an human rights worker stationed at the checkpoint, came to Shuhada Street to report that settler kids had thrown a glass bottle at her. It was verified that they were the same settlers who had just thrown the bottle at other human rights workers.

5. Resistance and Collective Punishment in Beit Furik and Salim

by Michael

Today, August 12th 2006, in the village of Salim, near the city of Nablus, Palestinians joined one another in solidarity to resist soldiers of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) who were attempting to prevent a villager from farming his land. Later that day, a Palestinian woman with Israeli citizenship was detained at Beit Furik checkpoint because her husband was “wanted.”

In the village of Salem, a Palestinian farmer attempted to travel up a mountain to farm olive trees planted on his land. On his way up the mountain, he was detained by Israeli soldiers who told the man that he was not allowed to travel to his land without permission from the Israeli D.C.O. (District Coordination Office).

Furthermore, because of his attempt to farm his land, the farmer was being detained. In an act of resistance and solidarity, the villagers of Salem, came to the aid of the farmer, when they arrived, they stood with the man and collectively negotiated his release. Because of their joint efforts, the man was released from detention, though he was still prevented from farming his land.

Salem village is surrounded by a number of Israeli settlements. The settlers of one particular colony recently attacked the village of Salim, cutting down hundreds of trees.

Later in the same day, as internationals were crossing Beit Furik checkpoint, they encountered a woman being held in detention. The woman, approximately 35 years old, was at the checkpoint with her two children, one of which a newborn, while the other was about 3 years old. The soldiers of the IOF explained that while the Palestinian woman had a valid Israeli passport, she was being detained because her husband was “wanted.” She had been at the checkpoint, with her children, for over 4 hours. The IOF told the woman that she was waiting for a police transport, then changed their story telling the woman that she was waiting on the D.C.O. Despite these claims, after over 4 hours of military detention, the woman and her children were released without charge.

During conversation with the soldiers, one proudly explained that while the woman’s Israeli passport helped her “case” she was still an Arab-Israeli and said, “I can detain whoever I want, but if she was Jewish, she would be let go.” When asked why the police had not arrived to transport the woman after 4 hours, the soldier responded, “The police, they do this, they take a longtime because she is Arab.”

This type of harassment and collective punishment is a regular occurrence in the villages of Palestine, especially those around Nablus.

6. Bil’in Continues Struggle Despite Soldier Brutality

Tomorrow, August 18, 2006, at 9am Palestinians from the village of Bil’in will gather in the local playground at a school in Bil’in to hold a football game under the banner “Stop The Wall.” In the midst of the Occupation, the football game is a joyous act of resistance.

After the game, at 1pm Palestinian players will join together with internationals and Israeli activists for the weekly demonstration against the Apartheid wall and the illegal confiscation of village land for use by Israeli settlers. At last Friday’s demonstration, the Israeli army met the nonviolent demonstrators with an unprovoked display of brutatility and violence, causing two serious head injuries and at least twelve other injuries. One Israeli and one international still remain in the hospital for the head injuries incurred last Friday. Choosing to steadfastly continue with their weekly demonstrations despite the army’s brutality, at tomorrow’s demonstration the villagers and activists will carry the message “You Cannot Break Our Spirit.”

The Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements has organized weekly demonstrations since January 2005.
Throughout their struggle Israelis and internationals have been supportive in resisting army incursions into the village, imposed curfew, and the wall that has estranged the villagers from 60% of their farmland.

For more information:
Mohammed Katib 054 557 3285
Abudullah Abu Rahma 054 725 8210

7. Unstable Soldier Harasses Palestinians and Internationals

By Missy, Giuseppe, Gary and Sebastian

At approximately 9 PM August 14th, human rights workers (HRW) living in Tel Rumeida went to the checkpoint to investigate a rumor of abuse of a Palestinian man by the soldiers there. They noticed at the checkpoint a small man crouching in the corner of an impromptu soldier’s post to the right of the checkpoint. He had his T-shirt pulled up over his head.

The human rights workers asked the soldier standing near the entrance/exit of the checkpoint to check on the condition of the man in the corner. They called to him in Arabic and the man had pulled his shirt from his face before I spoke to him, but then pulled his shirt up again, appearing afraid. The soldier told them to shut up and then told the Palestinian man, inches from his face, several times in Arabic, “Uskot! Uskot!”, which means “shut up”. A HRW then told the soldier he wanted to offer the guy a cigarette, and the soldier agreed. The HRW was able to look at the man quickly and see that he was having a difficult time breathing. The other soldier inside the checkpoint room came out and told the HRW to leave the guy alone and go away from him. The HRW calmly walked away and reported the man’s condition to us.

This situation went on for about half an hour. During this time, one human rights worker called the Humanitarian Office of the DCO (an adminstrative branch of the Israeli military) twice, to report that the man was possibly injured and might need medical attention. I also told the DCO that the soldier appeared to be under the influence of some substance or was acting mentally unstable. The soldier had been going from being hyperactive and talking about his past history of doing “crystal, meth, cocaine, marijuana, alcohol…” to taking his helmet off and hanging his head with a blank stare on his face. The soldier had also offered me pizza several times, walking close to me with box open; he also asked if I wanted to drink vodka. He offered the same to other HRWs, who refused.

The soldier then became agitated and said that he hated all Arabs and wanted to shoot or kill them. He said that terrorists had killed his family when he was a small child, and that he spent many years before the military doing drugs. He went on to talk about doing methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and alcohol, and said that when his family was killed, his brain was dead. He said that since joining the Israeli army he was a new man. He also commented that he had been in the Army for two years now. The soldier then moved the detained man, who appeared to be autistic, behind the door to the right of the checkpoint and said that he could go and beat the man if we wanted, and then asked us repeatedly if we wanted him to beat the man. The HRWs calmly replied, ‘No’.

Another HRW then got water and asked if he could offer water to the man; the soldier took the bottle and said he’d give it to the man. The HRW followed the soldier and attempted to assess the man’s condition again. He asked the Palestinian man to lift up his shirt, but could see no injuries. The man still appeared to be having a difficult time breathing. At the one hour mark, the unstable soldier went to the Palestinian man and said in Arabic, “Tayib, halas?” which means, roughly translated, “Ok, enough?” The Palestinian man was rocking back and forth and said ‘yes’. The soldier let the man get up and he began to walk away.

At this point, another soldier’s jeep with four soldiers inside appeared from Shuhada Street. They stopped the Palestinian man and began checking his ID again. The unstable soldier went to the jeep, and then about five more soldiers arrived from the hill. The autistic man stood near them, rocking back and forth. The unstable soldier then approached two of the human rights workers standing nearby, “What? What’s the problem? You are gay, and your friend is a bitch,” he said. The soldier was holding his gun in a downward but forward position. He then swung his gun towards his back and put his hands forward, as if to push or hit the HRW. The HRW put his hands up in the air as if to block a possible blow. Another soldier came to the unstable soldier and pushed him away.

The unstable soldier became aggressive and from about ten feet away, he put his gun up and pointed it at an HRW’s head with the flashlight lit. The unstable soldier then took his gun and pulled it up over his head. He then took the barrel end in his hands and swung the butt of the gun at her head. The HRW ducked and four soldiers surrounded the unstable soldier and led him to the military jeep. The other soldiers had removed his gun, vest and helmet from him. He attempted to come up the hill, but was stopped; he then went yelling and screaming towards the checkpoint. All the HRWs left at this point.

8. Soldiers Detain Palestinian Kids for getting hit with Settlers’ Rocks

By Missy

At approximately 4:00 PM August 14th, while sitting at Checkpoint #56 in Tel Rumeida, Hebron, three Israeli soldiers escorted two Palestinian boys who appeared to be around ten years of age to the police station. The boys were holding a kite and nothing else. They looked very nervous and scared, staring mostly at each other and the ground. Three human rights workers (HRW) followed the soldiers and boys; the soldiers said nothing. At the top of the hill, the soldiers then began physically blocking the HRWs by walking in front of them. Another soldier came down the hill from the direction of the Tel Rumeida settlement and started shouting at one HRW, “You can’t go here. Fucking bitch!” They told the soldier to stop cursing, and he replied, “I don’t give a fuck!”

The soldier claimed that the boys were throwing rocks at the settler boys. He said they were taking them to the military base for about an hour. The soldier replied to a human rights worker, “Don’t worry. We’ll keep them for about an hour. We’re going to punish them.” The soldiers then walked away quickly with the boys.

An HRW called the District Coordination Office (an administrative wing of the Israeli military) and told them the situation. They said they would find out immediately what the soldiers were doing with two young boys. About three minutes later, two men from B’tselem pulled up in their Jeep Cherokee, and said they were immediately going to the military base to check on the welfare of the boys. The police arrived about ten minutes later, and went directly to the military base.

About half an hour later, the boys were released. B’tselem reported that the Palestinian boys were walking down the steps near Shuhada Street, and settler boys were throwing rocks at them. The settler boys then told the soldier that the Palestinian boys were throwing rocks at them, so the soldier at the post near the settlement called for another soldier near the checkpoint. He then detained them. The man from B’tselem said the police told the boys they could file a complaint, but would have to come to the police station and identify them from their collection of mug shots.
The boys then went home.

International Solidarity Movement Digest
7-24-2006 to 7-26-2006

1) Palestinians Open Checkpoint by Laying down on Settler Road
2) Qalqilya: Palestinian Grandfather Killed by Israeli Checkpoint
3) Maria Nikiforou Was Illegaly Deported
4) Court Victory for Bil’in
5) Rice Not Welcome in Ramallah!
6) Settlers Burn Farmer’s Roof; ISM Rebuilds Despite Intimidation
7) Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals Rebuild Homes Demolished by the
Occupation Forces
8) Tel Rumeida Birthday Circus
9) Israeli Incursions to Ramallah Continue

________________

1) Palestinians Open Checkpoint by Laying down on Settler Road

by Ali Omar and Raad

Today, July 26th, at 5pm, the IOF closed Yesthar checkpoint (west of Nablus) in all directions for all Palestinian and settlers passing on the road. They re-opened it at 7pm for just the settlers, while there were dozens of Palestinians waiting to go back to their homes.

Previously the road was only for settler use, but was opened for Palestinians in 2004 after it was closed since the beginning of the Intifada.

Opening the checkpoint just for the settlers made the Palestinians very angry and they responded by having a completely non-violent direct action by lying down on the road and closing it with their bodies. The army responded with excessive violence by beating the people and throwing sound grenades at the crowd. This violence wasn’t helpful to evacuate the crowd who continued chanting songs of the Intifada and refusing to move.

After the failure of the IOF troops to open the way for the settlers who were stuck waiting, the settlers began threatening the Palestinians with their machine guns, waving them at their faces. The soldiers did nothing to stop the settler’s threats.

The army failed to evacuate the Palestinians who occupied the checkpoint from 7pm until 9pm and so the army was forced to open the checkpoint for all.

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2) Qalqilya: Palestinian Grandfather Killed by Israeli Checkpoint

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today, July 26th at 8:30pm at Azzun checkpoint near Qalqilya, Palestinian Grandfather Mahmood Ahmed Sumha, 68 years old from the village of Jayyous died from complications resulting from heart disease. He was on his way to hospital when the ambulance he was in was stopped by the Israeli army at one of their checkpoints. Contrary to international law, soldiers at the checkpoint refused to let the ambulance pass.

According to official Israeli army policy, “the checkpoint commander will allow a person to cross the checkpoint (including entry into Israel) to obtain medical treatment, even if the individual does not have the requisite approval, if an urgent medical emergency is involved.” See B’Tselem website, “Infringement of the Right to Medical Treatment” (1) Mahmood’s ID number was 929535110.

Mahmood was placed on a stretcher and those with him attempted to cross the checkpoint on foot. Once again, they were blocked from doing so by soldiers.

Mahmood died shortly afterwards.

Notes
(1) www.btselem.org/english/Medical_Treatment

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3) Maria Nikiforou Was Illegaly Deported

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On 24th July 2006, Maria Nikiforou was forcibly sent back to Greece from Tel Aviv airport, despite the decision of the appeal court.

The judge had intialy issued a stay on her deportation order. After reviewing secret evidence provided by the Israeli “General Security Services” (Shabak/Shin Beit), he then reversed his previous decision without explanation. Upon hearing of the reversal, Maria’s lawyer Leah Tsemel immediately filed an appeal. The appeal judge then granted an indefinate stay of deportation. When Tsemel came to see her client on July 26th, she was stunned to find that she had been deported anyway, against the orders of the appeal court.

The right to a fair trial is guaranteed by international law. Israel’s use of secret evidence in cases involving Palestinian and international activists contravenes international legal standards. In the name of ‘security’, Israel regularly imprisons and deports Palestinian and international activists without a fair hearing, on the basis of ‘secret evidence’ provided by the Shabak, which the defense does not get a chance to review.

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4) Court Victory for Bil’in

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A victory for the Palestinian villagers of Bil’in came down from the Israeli High Court of Justice yesterday. In HCJ 143/06 the Court ruled that while the Court is considering the legality of the Matityahu East settlement, being constructed on Bil’in land, the ban on new construction and new residents moving in must remain in effect. This decision, by fully enforcing the ban, solidifies the remarkable status of Bil’in activists, who have now successfully prevented planned settlement construction for 7 months – a singular feat in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank.

Furthermore, the Court ruled that demolition of settlement constructions can proceed in certain enclaves of Matityahu East in an attempt to return the land to its pre-settlement, vegetated state. This is significant because not only have Bil’in activists succeeded in halting the settlement construction, but, even more, they have forced the state of Israel to demolish structures in recognition of the fact that the land on which the settlement is built was illegally annexed.

This victory is the result of years of dedicated non-violent activism on the part of the villagers of Bil’in and their international and Israeli allies. Resistance to the Israeli confiscation of Bil’in land began when in 1991 the State of Israel appropriated around 1100 dunums (275 acres) of Bil’in farmers’ land. At the time, the confiscation was justified by reference to an old Ottoman-era law allowing for confiscation of unused land. Much later, it was revealed that in order to demonstrate that the coveted land was “unused,” the State made use of photos of seasonal crop farm land taken when the crops were not yet in season. More than a decade after the confiscation, settlements began to be built, following a typical pattern of settlement expansion, whereby, first, Palestinian land is declared State property and then eventually given out to Israelis. As a consequence, weekly non-violent demonstrations began in Bil’in. These demonstrations, in existence weekly since January 2005, garnered international attention and support, making a protracted legal campaign challenging the settlement’s legality a possibility. Tuesday’s decision, while by no means the end of the struggle for justice in Bil’in or countless places elsewhere in the West Bank, is a testament to the power of this creative direct action.

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5) Rice Not Welcome in Ramallah!

by Signifier
For photos see the ISM website:
https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/26/rice-in-ramallah/

July 26th: Taking part in a national day of protest against the West Bank arrival of US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, residents of Ramallah, the site of Ms. Rice’s visit, shut down shop and took to the streets yesterday. The usually bustling downtown lay dormant, as store owners heeded the call for a one day strike across the Israeli-Occupied Palestinian Territories, the second in as many weeks.

At noon, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the city center to voice their opposition to American political and military support for Israel’s bombing of Gaza and Lebanon and the continued Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. On July 13th, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate halt to Israel’s bombing of Gaza and the killing of civilians. On Saturday, the New York Times reported that, per Israeli request, the US is rushing a shipment of precision-guided bombs to Israel as it expands its aerial assault on the population of Lebanon. Groups representing the spectrum of Palestinian political parties and resistance took part in the Ramallah protest. Joining them was a group of forty internationals in Palestine, including ISM activists and students from nearby Ber Zeit University, who came to show their disgust with the West’s sanction of Israel’s actions.

Conflict erupted as demonstrators marched to the Muqkatah Compound, where Ms. Rice was in meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. En route, a cordon of a hundred-plus armed Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces blocked the demonstrators. The PA security forces were charged with the unenviable task of protecting Ms. Rice in Ramallah, a woman who garners near universal Palestinian animosity and whom the PA men themselves likely despise, but whose security, if endangered, would spell grave consequences for all of Palestine. As the demonstrators attempted to push their way closer to the Muqkatah, the security forces reacted violently, beating demonstrators with truncheons and forcing a fearful stampede in retreat.

Shortly thereafter, demonstrators massed up again at the police line. A group of Palestinian women made it past the PA cordon and got to the Muqkatah doors. One woman carried a framed photo of four of her loved ones killed by Israel which she wanted to show to Ms. Rice. “What are you doing in that uniform?” another woman asked a PA security force man. “You should take it off and go join us over there. How can you hit your brothers like that? You should be ashamed!” When she sat down in front of the Muqkatah gates, security officials asked her to move. “What do you think,” she demanded “that Ms. Rice has more right to be here than me, a Palestinian?”

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6) Settlers Burn Farmer’s Roof; ISM Rebuilds Despite Intimidation

by Harry Pockets

For photos see the ISM website:
https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/24/suseya/

On 22nd July, ISM activists and Israeli activists joined locals from Suseya to rebuild the roof of a farmer’s home that had been burned by neighbouring Israeli colonists. Suseya, an agricultural village located in the South Hebron hills, repeatedly has come under attack by Israeli colonists in the nearby settlement of the same name.

Following the arson, the family living there temporarily moved out of fear of continued harassment and physical attacks by the colonists. ISM and international human rights workers gathered with the villagers to replace the burnt roof with plastic sheets in order to return the home to a liveable condition. As the group began to lay the tarp over the home, fully-masked settlers approached the group demanding that the internationals leave settler “Holy Land” (picture above). The colonists engaged in physical and verbal intimidation, characteristic of settler interactions with Palestinians and internationals in the West Bank. In the ensuing encounter the colonists, who would not identify themselves, assaulted a female ISM member who was videotaping the incident.

Shortly thereafter the IOF arrived, called by the settlers who frequently enlist the help of the army because of the tacit and active support they receive from them. Following a dialogue led by Israeli activists, the situation calmed. The group of villagers and internationals were able to successfully replace the roof with the tarp, clear away charred remains of the house interior, and assist in watering the farmers’ plants.

At the request of the farmers in the area, ISM activists are now living with the families who fear further attacks, including arson and assault.

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7) Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals Rebuild Homes Demolished by the Occupation Forces

by Ernesto

For photos see the ISM website:
https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/27/icahd-report/

July 27th: The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) has been instrumental in challenging one of the most nefarious features of the Israeli occupation of Palestine – the demolition of Palestinian homes. ISM’ers have begun to pitch in and lend a helping hand with ICAHD’s summer rebuilding camps when not supporting non-violent direct action against the occupation in other regions of the West Bank. ICAHD is currently constructing a home in the Anata community, which nebulously falls under East Jerusalem and West Bank designations. This is the fourth summer in a row that ICAHD has organized a house construction summer work camp for internationals volunteers.

As bombs and rockets are launched on Gaza and Lebanon, internationals and Palestinians are working under the radar to reconstruct a Palestinian home that was demolished by the Israeli Army. What Israel destroys, Palestinians rebuild with the help of allies. Many Palestinian homes are subjected to military demolition every year. Four main reasons guide this destructive activity: Palestinian homes are demolished to assassinate alleged terrorists, as collective punishment for family members of alleged terrorists, to clear a path for the Apartheid Wall, or because the houses are deemed illegal under Israel’s Apartheid laws.

The reality is that many homes have been demolished for these or apparently no reasons by the Israeli military and dozens others have been destroyed by settlers in an effort to terrorize Palestinians into leaving their homes, community, and land.

In order to struggle against this injustice ICAHD organizes direct action to block the demolition of homes and it also take on the task of rebuilding, not just homes but also relationships between Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals through shared work. This is a form of active non-violent direct action against the occupation; the very act of building homes for Palestinians is illegal in this racist power structure.

In the Anata community, entire sections have been demolished as part of the ethnic cleansing of “Greater Jerusalem”. The ICAHD project currently underway is a challenge to this institutional violence. In just a few days a Palestinian family will receive keys to their newly rebuilt home. The community council has selected this family among dozens to receive this gift of solidarity and as the work camps continue, more families will be able to reclaim their homes.

Salim is a member of ICAHD and an example of Palestinian summoud, steadfastness; his family’s home has been demolished four times by the Israeli military and each time ICAHD has rebuilt. Now, in its fifth reconstruction, Salim has named the home Beit Arabeia and dedicated it as a center in memoriam to Rachel Corrie and Noha Sweeden. This is the base camp for internationals who work arduous hours building. This is also where folks convene to sharpen their analysis of the occupation and meet other activists involved in local struggles such as Ta’ayush, Anarchists Against the Wall, Bustan, Active Stills, and the Bio-Falha Budrus Project.

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8) Tel Rumeida Birthday Circus

by Shlomo Bloom

For photos see the ISM website:
https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/25/birthday-circus/

July 24th: Today was the 16th birthday of two girls in the Abu Haykal family who live at the end of Tel Rumeida street, surrounded by the extremist Jewish settlers of Hebron. This Palestinian family is constantly under attack either by the settlers directly or though intimidation by Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) soldiers. The family was recently informed that they are not allowed to use the paved road to their house, instead they must walk up a long, rocky dirt path that leads to the back of their home.

A birthday party was organized by members of CPT (Christian Peacemaker Teams) and Breaking the Silence (a group of Israeli ex-soldiers) which included members of ISM, ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions) and other Israeli and international activists. Altogether, there were over 30 activists and with Yehuda of Breaking the Silence leading them up Tel Rumeida hill, the marchers proceeded past the soldiers’ station, through the Tel Rumeida settlement to the Abu Haykal house at the end of the road. The soldiers panicked and attempted to stop the group. Yehuda, with a balloon in hand, explained the purpose of the visit, and refuted the soldiers in Hebrew when they tried to prevent the group from passing. There were just too many people to stop, and while the soldiers scrambled, the activists made it all the way to the Abu Haykal’s gate where they came upon a disgusting barrier blocking the way.

Settlers had piled a large heap of random garbage and razor wire in front of the gate to the house, preventing safe passage. The activists had to move some of it aside, and climb over the rest in order to pass though.

Over 12 IOF soldiers, 10 police, and 6 military police eventually arrived, and although they had no invitation to the birthday party(!), they entered the family’s porch where they had what appeared to be a discussion on whether or not this birthday party was legal. Some of the activists made it though the gate and into the house but the rest were forced by the police to turn around and walk over a quarter of a mile down the street and around Tel Rumeida hill to enter the house through the back entrance (about a 10 minute walk).

Once all of the guests were inside, Hani, the father, thanked everyone and shared his story about last Saturday, when settlers attacked his home with rocks and he called the police but they never came. Last week, not one police officer came when the house was under attack, but this week they showed up in full force when friends and activists, invited to the party, used the most convenient road which has been designated a closed military zone. Only settlers are allowed to use this road because use by anyone else is said to be a provocation to the settlers.

Cake and punch was served to all, and gifts were given to the girls. Hani said his home was open to anyone, Muslim, Christian, Jew, whatever their religion or color, as long as they respected human rights for all, and harm no one. Hani’s sister gave a speech saying that “my family sheltered Jews in 1929 and we want to do the same now. If anyone from the North [of Israel, where the threat of rocket attacks continue now], wants to come here now for shelter I will welcome you again, this is a house of peace.” A man from Haifa said he was afraid to return to his home at the moment, and that he was glad to be here.

So there we were, Muslims, Christians, and Jews having a birthday party together for two young women with their whole lives ahead of them. With tears in their eyes, the family apologized for the difficult entrance to their home and said they hope we can all return in the future – for another party, this time without having to go through any gate, and with no soldiers or police trying to prevent us.

After the party was over and people were filing out, the police were still waiting outside the house. They escorted the guests down the rocky path (through the back way this time) and Hani explained that the reason the police remained was in order to provide protection for the Israelis activists who the police felt were in danger of being kidnapped by Palestinians!

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9) Israeli Incursions to Ramallah Continue

by Rann

For photos see the ISM website:
https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/26/ramallah-invasion-2/

Around 10:15pm on Tuesday, July 25th 2006, ISM activists were alerted to a large army operation taking place in the Ein Omesharayet neighborhood of Ramallah. Four activists arrived at the scene around 15 minutes later to act as eyewitnesses to the assault.

Israeli special forces had taken position near a six-storey building. Several jeeps, humvees and an army prison truck were also at the scene (20 vehicles according to press reports). Local youth were throwing stones at jeeps, who were intimidating them by driving up and down surrounding streets. The soldiers did not seem particularly interested in the international activists.

Spotlight from the Israeli jeep illuminates the windows the soldiers concentrated their fire on

To the best of the activists’ knowledge, the army had told families living in the building to leave and later put them in a ‘safe space’ nearby. The target of the operation, a Gazan owner of an apartment on the fourth floor of the building, had not left.

Israeli special forces fired at the building using live ammunition. When this did not seem to affect the situation, they used larger projectile explosives. From the outside, we could see two windows of the apartment on the fourth floor blown out. Following a few of these high-explosive projectiles exploding against or in the building, and a little further small-arms fire, the area became quieter, save for the revving jeeps still running youths up and down the streets. At one point, soldiers entered the building.

Shortly afterwards, the army evacuated the area and activists went into the building to take pictures and talk to Palestinians in the area. There were bullet holes all over the apartment’s kitchen, furniture scattered and blown around, remnants of food covered in dust from the walls and so on, the aftermath of a huge attack on a single person. On the way back downstairs, activists noted streaks of blood on the wall and the floor. Presumably the army captured the man they were looking for, though in what condition is hard to tell.

Additionally, there are reports of at least two injured youth, aged 14 and 15 who were taken to hospital with light to medium injuries.

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For more reports, journals and action alerts visit the ISM website at www.palsolidarity.org

Please consider supporting the International Solidarity Movement’s work with a financial contribution. You may donate securely through our website at www.palsolidarity.org/main/donations/

International Solidarity Movement Digest
7-19 to 7-23-2006

1.) A Flying Start to Freedom Summer 2006
2.) Israel Declares Greek Human Rights Worker a Security Threat
3.) Settlers in Hebron Continue Campaign of Harassment and Violence
4.) Bil’in Mourns Hundreds of Civilian Deaths
5.) US State Dept.: You’re on Your Own
6.) Israeli Soldiers Contaminate Water Tanks of Human Rights Workers
7.) Home Destruction Threat in Bir Nabala village

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1.) A Flying Start to Freedom Summer 2006

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/23/fs-flying-start

Three weeks in, and the International Solidarity Movement’s “Freedom Summer 2006″ has gotten off to a flying start. More and more activists are coming to the West Bank every week, participating in two days of training before heading out to the regions of the West Bank that ISM is working in. Led by these Palestinian communities, the international volunteers, mainly from the USA and Europe, are supporting Palestinians in their non-violent resistance to the Israeli Occupation.

One example of this is the village of Bil’in, where every Friday international and Israeli supporters are joining the local Palestinians as they march against the apartheid wall that is annexing their land to Israel. Because of the presence of international observers, the Israeli army is extremely reluctant to use live ammunition at any of the demonstrations in Bil’in, and no one has ever been killed at a demonstration there. This is in stark contrast to non-violent Palestinian demonstrations that have no international or Israeli supporters, during which 11 Palestinians have been killed. There is also a constant international presence maintained in the village to protect against incursions from the Israeli occupying forces, and some people spend their nights helping to protect a small outpost of the village on the Israeli side of the wall.

Similar solidarity work is being carried out in the village of Beit Ummar in the Hebron region. Beit Ummar has recently started to carry out demonstrations against the expansion of Israeli settlements in their area, and the villagers there have invited internationals from ISM to maintain a constant presence in order to document and reduce the violence from Israeli military incursions to the village, as well as from Israeli settlers.

In the city of Hebron itself, human rights workers from ISM and the Tel Rumeida project work together to maintain a presence in the community in order to non-violently intervene and document to stop violence from Israeli Jewish fundamentalists who live in settlements protected by the Israeli military. Other volunteers work in the ISM Media office in Ramallah.

This very successful start to ‘Freedom Summer’ is in spite of rumors published in the Israeli press that Israeli forces would start operating a “zero-tolerance” policy towards ISM activists. Articles published in the Israeli newspapers Ha’aretz and Ma’ariv warned that anyone suspected of connection to ISM would be stopped from entering the country, and those that did make it through into the West bank would be picked up at the numerous Israeli checkpoints and deported back to their home countries. Although this appears to be in the most part empty rhetoric, ISM and other human rights organizations still face plenty of harassment, both from the Israeli military and from Israeli settlers. The article published in Ha’aretz was nothing short of slanderous, accusing unnamed ISM peace activists of assaulting Israeli police and military. ISM members have never assaulted anyone, or even been charged with doing so.

Our numbers have increased dramatically since the beginning of Freedom Summer. We have had at least 10 new volunteers at each weekly training for the past several week. But we still need a lot more long term and experienced activists to put in place the infrastructure, and build the relationships and networks that will provide for more successful campaigns in the future. Now, more than ever, international volunteers are needed in Palestine. The Olive Harvest Campaign is coming up in October/November. Will you join us? Between our campaigns the occupation, of course, continues and international solidarity workers are needed here even more. ISM needs long term volunteers to be able to build up and maintain our structures and our work. We need your presence! Please join us.
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2.) Israel Declares Greek Human Rights Worker a Security Threat

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/23/mariadeport/

July 22nd, an Israeli judge decided today in administrative court to deport Maria Nikiforou, a 34 year old human rights worker, without a hearing. The security has informed Maria that they will put her on the next available flight, tomorrow morning to Olympia, Greece. Maria’s case is indicative of a pattern by the Israeli government of preventing international human rights workers from aiding the Palestinian people, and denying international activists the right to due process in court.

Maria’s lawyers, Leah Tsemel and Yoni Lerman, filed an appeal against her denial of entry, but the judge has refused to examine it. Instead he is complying with the charges, claiming that Maria is a threat to the state of Israel, a charge backed by completely secret evidence.

Maria was denied entry into Israel on Friday July 14th and has been in detention, mostly in isolated confinement, since her arrival as she awaits her hearing. The Israeli authorities claimed that she is denied entry because she is a “security threat to the state of Israel,” and that she is a part of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which they called an “illegal organization.” In fact, the Israeli courts have ruled that being a member of ISM is not reason enough to deport foreign nationals, and that the group has never been deemed illegal. ISM is a Palestinian-led, non-violent resistance movement that works to support local Palestinians in their non-violent struggle against the occupation.

The state of Israel has made public its intentions to increase the denial of entry to international human rights workers, as well as Palestinians with foreign passports. Many fear that the complete closure and isolation of the Gaza Strip will be replicated in the West Bank.

Paul Larudee, a 60 year-old piano tuner from California, was denied entry last month, because the judge of the civil court ruled to deny him entry based completley on secret evidence provided by the Israeli General Security Service. Secret evidence is expected to form the basis of evidence against Maria as well. This sort of procedure is common in the Israeli military-legal system, through which thousands of Palestinians have been sentenced to renewable periods of “administrative detention,” based on secret charges that are in turn, based on secret evidence.

It is inevitable that democratic values in the Israeli legal system, such as an individual’s right to defend themselves in court have been eroded. The Israeli civil court system cannot respect human rights as long as there is a parallel military legal system in which the human rights of Palestinians are disregarded.

Over 15,000 people have been denied entry into Israel in the last five years. Some examples from May 2006 include: Kate Maynard, a UK Human Rights Lawyer; Raeed Tayeh, a Palestinian American former public affairs director for the Muslim American Society; and Enayeh Adel Samara, a US citizen who is married to a Palestinian and owns a business in Ramallah and has two kids born in Jerusalem.

UPDATE 7-24-06:
This morning, July 24th, Maria Nikiforou was deported from Israel. She was sent on the 7am flight to Athens without a hearing.
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3.) Settlers in Hebron Continue Campaign of Harassment & Violence:
July 19-22
by Harry and Kyle

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/23/hebronsettlers/

In Tel Rumeida, Hebron, six settler men between the age of 16 and 25 entered a Palestinian shoe manufacturing shop across the street from the ISM/TRP apartment and began throwing shoes around, disrupting the work and intimidating the workers. In response, three international human rights workers confronted the settlers verbally and with cameras. When the settlers realized they were being filmed, they left. In order to prevent settlers from entering again, the internationals blocked the entrance of the shop. Eventually, the police arrived but they did not try to prevent the settlers from harassing the Palestinian shop keepers. Later that day a female settler continued the harassment at the shop and internationals successfully blocked the entrance to the shop.

This harassment is a small incident in a pattern of settler violence that internationals have witnessed while working in the area. Two days prior, fifteen settler girls between the ages of 10 and 15, were documented once again threatening Palestinian children. The young settlers threatened a Palestinian boy saying, “I’m going to kill you”, and called them derogatory names including “donkey.” After the settler girls left, the police arrived and warned them not to go near the Jewish children. Later another police officer told the internationals to leave and if not, he world not help them even of they were ‘bleeding from the head.’ The officers blamed the internationals for the harassment and told them that by documenting the settlers, they were provoking them.

One day prior, a young settler tore up a recently completed brick path to the Qurtuba School in Tel Rumeida. When the damage was discovered, police were contacted, but when they arrived, they refused to get out of the jeep to look at the damage; they simply instructed the internationals to stay away from the construction site to avoid “provoking” the settlers – even though the attack took place when human rights workers were not present to harass. The attack at Qurturba School is the latest step in a long campaign by settlers to disrupt the project. The path was created to stop decades-old rock attacks by Jewish settlers targeting Palestinian students and teachers. In response to over 10 years of such violence, the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), agreed to fund the paving of the path with bricks and the installation of fences. Throughout the last few months of construction, settlers have attacked the workers, pulled up the bricks, and smashed much of the retaining wall built next to the path.
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4.) Bil’in Mourns Hundreds of Civilian Deaths

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/21/mourners/

Today, July 21, 2006, the people of Bil’in marched in silence to the Apartheid Wall with the support of Israelis and internationals. The weekly march turned into a mourner’s procession as two hundred and fifty demonstrators carried a 20 meter long black flag as a symbol of the over 425 Palestinians and Lebanese killed in recent weeks. They also carried posters with the message “Is this the world we want for our children?”.

To download a poster for printing and posting:
https://palsolidarity.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy/signed-poster-july20-2006-BIG.jpg

The demonstrators gathered in front of the Wall and held a moment of silence and prayer for those killed in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and the West Bank. The normal celebratory tone of the demonstration was replaced with one of somberness and grief. After the moment of silence the procession marched back to Bil’in without any violent response from the Israeli army.

Mohammed Al Khateeb of the Popular Committee of Bil’in stated, “We are protesting against the Israeli military aggression that targets innocent civilians and infrastructure”. He explained the tape that many people wore over their mouths, “We are against the Arab and International apathy and silence towards the ongoing Israeli violations of human rights”.

Al Khateeb also called on the Palestinian, Israeli, and international peace activists to continue to protest, in Palestine, in Israel, and around the world, against the Israeli attacks and violations.

After the demonstration Israelis and internationals joined people of Bil’in in a discussion about the non-violent joint struggle in Bil’in and new strategies of working together and resisting. Israelis and internationals also took posters to place in Israel and to send abroad.
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5.) US State Dept.: You’re on Your Own

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/20/us-state-dept/

The US State Department has issued a travel warning for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza that states that “those taking part in demonstrations, non-violent resistance, and “direct action,” are advised to cease such activity for their own safety.” They warn of the danger that peace workers face from Israeli soldiers and settlers just for working in “pro-Palestinian volunteer efforts”.

In the report they state, “In recent months, citizens of Western nations, including Americans, involved in pro-Palestinian volunteer efforts were assaulted and injured in the Occupied Territories by Israeli settlers and harassed by the IDF.” Fox News reported on their website (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204422,00.html), “This likely refers to a group known as the International Solidarity Movement, said political science professor Nathan Brown, a senior associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.”

Along with ISM, the US State Dept. is referring to internationals from the Tel Rumeida Project, Christian Peace Maker Team, International Women’s Peace Service and other organizations who have been attacked and beaten by settlers in Hebron and shot at by soldiers in non-violent protest across the West Bank.

Huwaida Arraf, one of the founders of ISM, expressed her disappointment towards their response. “Instead of calling on Americans to stop engaging in nonviolent protests to Israel’s occupation and human rights violations, the state department should be calling on Israel to stop using violence against unarmed civilians (which include americans), especially since the Israeli military is using US taxpayer dollars to carry out these attacks.”
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6.) Israeli Soldiers Contaminate Water Tanks of Human Rights Workers
By Joe Skillet

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/18/israeli-soldiers-contaminate-water-tanks-of-human-rights-workers/

On Saturday, July 15, 2006, human rights workers in Tel Rumeida, Hebron, discovered that Israeli soldiers had been using the Human Rights Workers’ (HRWs) four water tanks as waste bins. Though it is unsure how long the soldiers have been doing this, what is sure is that the garbage found is of IOF origin.

It is shocking what the HRWs found inside their tanks. Because there are numerous flats in the building, the land-owner was called to point out exactly which water tanks belonged to the HRWs’ apartment. Most of the roof and many of the tanks are covered with Israeli military netting, due to the fact that the roof was at one point labeled a “closed military zone”. The soldiers still regularly ascend the stairs to the roof and there are currently two military cameras recording the area mounted on the building. Some of the netting had to be cut in order to reach the four tanks belonging to the HRWs apartment.

One of the tanks was badly damaged, with a large hole in the side and half of the top unattached from the body of the tank, making the tank irreparable. Three of the tanks are easily accessible. Inside these three tanks is where the HRWs found an abundant amount of trash, intentionally placed there by the Israeli soldiers. Some of the trash includes: forks, spoons, knives, army netting, unexploded bullets, paper, plastic, glass, bricks, broken pipes, pudding containers, an extremely outdated, unopened yogurt package, and plastic trays on which soldiers’ meals are served.

Swimming in all of the tanks were what looked like thousands of little, grayish, transparent organisms. These organisms were the first clue that there was something wrong with the water supply. Recently, some of the HRWs had noticed these tiny wormlike creatures coming through the kitchen faucet.

The HRWs currently have no clean water supply to the apartment because of the bacterial – and potentially harmful – consequences of using or ingesting it. Palestinian friends and neighbors have agreed to let the HRWs fill water bottles and buckets from their own water tanks and faucets, and to use their showering facilities. Most of the water has been emptied from the tanks, but many of the organisms still remain. The tanks must be thoroughly disinfected before they can be used again.

There is a large concern that the soldiers will again contaminate the HRWs’ water supply. Currently, there are no locks for the lids of the tanks. The idea of trashing Palestinian water tanks is apparently not new. One Palestinian told the HRWs that the soldiers have contaminated his family’s water supply with their garbage many times. So, he checks his water tanks everyday. There have been other reports of soldiers urinating in water tanks.

There is a consensus among the housemates to get new water tanks with locks, or to at least replace the damaged tank. In the meantime, the HRWs will continue to borrow water from their friends, and hope that any illness from drinking the contaminated water has been prevented.
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7.) Home Destruction Threat in Bir Nabala village

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/19/home-destruction-threat-in-bir-nabala-village/

Today Bedouin houses were under threat of demolition in Bir Nabala village in the Jerusalem area. Since 1994, when forced to leave their homes in Al Ram by the Israeli military, about 100 Bedouin have been living in small shanties near the Atarot Industrial Area. The homes of these refugees are once again facing demolition due to the Israeli expansion of the annexation wall, where the Israelis claim 200 meters of free space are necessary to secure the area.

The Bedouin here are already facing numerous problems with the annexation wall. The construction of the wall has cut water pipes to their homes. In addition, the wall severely hinders their movement as they have to cross into Jerusalem to work and sell their products, but are forced to go through Ramallah and the Qalandiya Checkpoint. If they are successful in crossing, these checkpoints can cause major delays. The Bedouin children are also forced to take the same circuitous and road-blocked routes to get to their school. The soldiers guarding the wall often will not let sheep herders go out to hills for grazing. The situation with travel is compounded by the fact that Israeli factories in the industrial area are draining their sewage water next to the Bedouin homes (see photo below).

Bedouin in the West Bank are forced to move again and again by the Israeli Military and it is nearly impossible for them to get permission to stay anywhere regularly. This threatens their culture and economy which is largely dependent upon grazing. The water and air pollution from the factories as well as the wall is undermining dairy production and will make Palestinians even more dependent on Israeli products.

The Bedouin in Bir Nabala hold documents granting them permission from the Palestinian land owners to stay in the area (see above). They have taken their case to the Israeli court which today, while the Bedouins stood by fearing destruction of their homes, ruled that they could remain temporarily. Even if they court rules in their favor, the community faces a future completely surrounded by fences and soldiers effectively strangling the Bedouin way of life.

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For more reports, journals and action alerts visit the ISM website at www.palsolidarity.org.

Please consider supporting the International Solidarity Movement’s work with a financial contribution. You may donate securely through our website at www.palsolidarity.org/main/donations.