Tag: Gaza - Page 7 - International Solidarity Movement

Remembering Rachel Corrie

16th March 2019 | International Solidarity Movement, occupied Palestine

Today marks the sixteenth anniversary since the passing of ISM activist Rachel Corrie. She was 23 at the time of her passing. Rachel was tragically crushed to death under the front blade of an Israeli military Caterpillar bulldozer near Rafah, in the southern region of the Gaza Strip. Rachel died whilst placing herself in the path of a bulldozer to protect a Palestinian family whose home was about to be demolished. Rachel was killed during a three-hour peaceful demonstration between occupying Israeli forces operating two armoured bulldozers and eight ISM activists courageously trying to stop them.

Rachel had come to Gaza during part of her senior-year college assignment that connected her home town of Olympia with Rafah In Palestine, Rachel had engaged with other International Solidarity Movement activists in efforts to prevent continued demolition of Palestinian homes in operations that the Israeli military claimed were aimed at eliminating weapons smuggling tunnels.

In 2005, Corrie’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the state of Israel. The lawsuit charged Israel with not conducting a full and credible investigation into Rachel’s death and with the responsibility for her death. In August 2012, an Israeli court rejected their suit and upheld the claims made in the 2003 military investigation, ruling that the Israeli government was not responsible for Corrie’s death. The ruling was met with criticism by several human rights organisations and the international public. An appeal against the August 2012 ruling was heard on May 21, 2014, and on February 14, 2015, the Supreme Court of Israel rejected the appeal.

Sixteen years after her death, Gaza remains besieged by continuous military operations and bombing by the occupying Israeli forces. The International Solidarity Movement continues to strive for freedom and justice for Palestine, just as Rachel did during her time here. Remembering Rachel Corrie through her words and actions means continuing our solidarity with the Palestinian people.

In this interview you can listen Rachel explain and give insight to the situation in Gaza just two days before her death.

2 realities

29st October 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Gaza, occupied Palestine

Last Friday, nearly fifty Israeli and ISM protestors demonstrated at the Gaza Border in solidarity with nearly 15,000 Gaza protestors heading toward the border. This action was in conjunction with the weekly Right of Return March.

As the activists were confronted by a couple of Zionists counter-protestors and the Israeli Occupation Forces on the 48 border side, the IOF opened fire on the Gazan protestors marching to the border. The Palestinian and Israeli activists spoke on the phone via a loudspeaker from opposite sides of the border. During the conversation, a Gazan protestor was shot in the leg.

There were so many mixed emotions going through my head. This was my first trip to the Gaza Border and it was totally different from how I imagined. The area is beautiful despite the circumstances. I’d always thought Gaza was a desert area. This assumption was totally wrong. Everyday that I’m in the Occupied Territories, the more I’m seeing:

Most Israelis are living in a false reality. This was hammered in my head from the ride to the boarder. The Zionists have made an effort to “green” inside the 48 borders thus why they call the border the ”green” line. They’ve planted European landscape that is foreign to the Middle Eastern terrain. This effort has wasted valuable water resources, while there are daily water shortages inside the Occupied Territories.

Once we reached the military zone and park yards from the Gaza border. It was smoke in the air caused by the burned tires and missile strikes coming from Gaza. I noticed hundreds of crows flying in the air. Not sure what this was about, maybe the smoke threw them off path.

Gunfire and smoke in the background, I couldn’t believe that people were walking their dogs and a family of 4 was coming to the park like nothing was going on. Mind-blowing!!!!! These are the two realities: Palestinian and Zionists.

Later, i would find out, 5 people killed and close to a hundred killed in a non-violent protest. Palestinians resist occupation with violence, they’re met with heavy handed military force. Palestinians resist occupation with non-violence, they’re met with heavy handed military force. It’s a no-win situation.

Israeli and International Activists Join Gazan Protestors in the Great Return March

October 10 2018 | Wafa Aludini, International Solidarity Movement | Gaza, occupied Palestine

On the morning of October 10, 2018, ten activists from around the world delivered messages of support to the Great March of Return in the Eastern Gaza Strip via Skype, as a part of a ‘virtual rally’ entitled “Words Over Walls.”

The speakers hailed from countries as diverse as the US, UK, Brazil, South Africa and Norway. They included authors Mike Peled, Denny Cormier, Robert Martin, Mike Farah, and Peter Cohen and International Solidarity Movement volunteer Kristin Foss. Participants expressed their solidarity with the Marchers, their tactics and their goals. Musician and composer Mike Farah then sang an original song about the Palestinian’s Right of Return.

“All people of conscience, all people who have a heart, regardless of nationality or religion, must stand with the brave people of Gaza and support their demand to be free and to return to their land and homes in Palestine. The siege on Gaza must be broken and the prison walls that surround Gaza must come down. Palestine must be free,” said author Mike Peled.

“[I’m] just an Australian man who wanted to see the truth, so I went to Palestine and was struck by the blatant abuse of Palestinians by Israel and the loving and welcoming by the Palestinian people,” said activist Robert Martin: “Everything I had read was wrong, the media had lied and I was embarrassed that I had believed [it].”

Additionally, group of anti-Zionist Israelis went near the fence to show solidarity with the Great Return March. They met and spoke with Palestinians activists but were separated by the Israeli siege fence and the Israeli Occupation Forces, who forced them to leave.

The Palestinian Media Youth Group, also known as the “16th October Group,” wishes to thank all of the speakers and hopes to see them soon in a free Palestine. 16th October is a youth Group from Gaza that works with internationals to reveal what is happening in Occupied Palestine, and to expose the brutality of the occupation.

Video: Activists stand in solidarity with Gaza, are arrested by Israeli military and police

3rd August 2018 | Close to the Gaza fence

Israeli and international protesters demonstrated at Gaza fence in solidarity with The Great Return March

On Friday August 3rd, “Return”, a group of Israeli and international anti-Zionist activists, including activists from the International Solidarity movement, protested on the east side of the Gaza fence in solidarity with the Great March of Return.

They raised the Palestinian flag so that demonstrators in besieged Gaza could see it. They also carried a banner in Arabic reading “Jews for Return”. The Israeli and international demonstrators were assaulted and arrested by the Israeli military and police. Hours later they were released from the Netivot police station.

At the same time, one Palestinian demonstrator was reported to have been killed by the Israeli military and 220 injured, many from live ammunition. According to health officials in Gaza, this brings the number of slain protestors to at least 153 and injured to more than 16,000 since the weekly protests began on March 30.

“”We were beaten and abused by the Israeli military today but it is nothing compared to the violence Gazans face on a daily basis,” said Omer upon his release from police custody. “We will continue to do whatever we can to subvert this violent and horrific siege, and work for justice.”

Israeli and international protesters demonstrated at Gaza fence in solidarity with The Great Return March

20th July 2018 | Close to the Gaza fence

Israeli and international protesters demonstrated at Gaza fence in solidarity with The Great Return March

On the 20th of July, Friday afternoon, a group of anti-zionist Israeli and international solidarity activists approached the Gaza siege fence at the same time that Gazans gathered by the fence on the other side during the weekly ‘Great Return March’, calling for the right to return to their land and for an end to the decade-long siege.

The activists carried a large banner saying ‘Liberate the Gaza ghetto’ along with flying the Palestinian flag. Additionally, the protesters held posters depicting the faces of Gazan protesters, journalists and medics who have lost their lives to Israeli soldiers since March 30th this year.

Protesters on both sides of the fence were visible to each other and interacted.

The activists read short biographies of the slain Gazans to Israeli soldiers who were trying to get them to leave the area. Finally, the solidarity activists were forcibly removed from the site and briefly detained by police before they were released.

A sister action was held in New York City the same day