Tag: Hebron
Caught on Tape: Drunk settlers in Al Khalil assault two international women; Israeli military admits special relationship with violent settlers
11 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
On March 9 2012, 6 volunteers of International Solidarity Movement were walking down Shuhada Street near Checkpoint 55 at approximately 11 AM, when drunk settlers attacked the group and injured one international volunteer.
About 5 drunk male settlers began to scream at and surround the internationals, yelling “keffiyah,” the traditional Palestinian scarf, that two internationals were wearing. Settlers were visibly carrying bottles of alcohol.
The drunk settlers shoved one woman from the back and then threw wine on her.
At the point the group began filming the settlers continued to hit, shove and try to grab the cameras of all 6 people. A police car drove by and did not stop the attack. One settler, wearing a dinosaur tail costume on his back put a towel on his face before trying to grab the camera of a Canadian ISM volunteer and then punched a British ISM woman in the face. They then fled shouting.
The British woman fell to the ground and dropped her camera, and another settler picked it up. The ISM volunteers walked up to 5 or 6 Israeli soldiers sitting about 50 yards ahead and told them what happened.
They laughed and said the internationals had brought it upon themselves by wearing keffiyehs. The internationals then walked to a police car parked at the next junction. While they were explaining what happened, settler Anat Cohen came up to the internationals and police screaming in Hebrew, and then slapped a Canadian ISM woman on the arm, in front of the police. The police then sent this woman to retrieve the camera.
They told the internationals that this woman was the “head of the settlers” and that they had a “special relationship with her.” “We do her favours and she does us favours,” they said.
The camera was not returned so the internationals attempted to file a complaint at the Israeli police station near the mosque, but were told to go to the Kiryat Arba police station. When the British woman asked for a police escort they said to take the bus (motioning to the settler bus station).
A police report was filed at Kiryat Arba but was only in Hebrew so the Candian ISM woman and the British woman refused to sign these statements. The police have instructed them to bring in the film footage after Shabbat.
The attack comes following weeks of warning and aggression towards photojournalists and activists with cameras by Israeli military and police, which have stated to internationals that Israeli law forbids the photography of their operations, or rather, their breach of international law and human rights.
Activists have received these warnings for weeks now, and today’s attack comes parallel to the deliberate targeting by Israeli military of journalists and activists with cameras, by shooting tear gas canisters and bullets directly at them at most West Bank demonstrations.
About a month ago, Reporters without Borders published this statement regarding these warnings and threats.
While this attack is an escalation against internationals in the region, and while it is evident that the Israeli military and illegal settlers are collaborating in attacking Palestinians and internationals, International Solidarity Movement will not desist from bringing proof of Israeli aggression through pictures, videos, and its continued reporting.
Breaking: 2 international activists assaulted by extreme settlers in Al Khalil
9 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank
Two international activists were assaulted late this morning by extreme Zionist settlers in Al Khalil (Hebron). A female activist was assaulted by a male settler, after being punched in the face and having her camera stolen by this male settler.
Today’s attack comes following weeks of warning and aggression towards photojournalists and activists with cameras by Israeli military and police, which have stated to internationals that Israeli law forbids the photography of their operations, or rather, their breach of international law and human rights.
Activists have received these warnings for weeks now, and today’s attack comes parallel to the deliberate targeting by Israeli military of journalists and activists with cameras, by shooting tear gas canisters and bullets directly at them at most West Bank demonstrations.
About a month ago, Reporters without Borders published this statement regarding these warnings and threats.
While today’s attack is an escalation against internationals in the region, and while it is evident that the Israeli military and illegal settlers are collaborating in attacking Palestinians and internationals, International Solidarity Movement will not desist from bringing proof of Israeli aggression through pictures, videos, and our continued reporting.
We thank the international solidarity community for its continued support in the face of Israeli Zionism, colonialism, discrimination, and militarization of Palestine.
In Solidarity,
International Solidarity Movement- Palestine
Israeli troops kill a Palestinian youth; Injures and arrest another
by Ghassan Bannoura
8 March 2012 | International Middle East Media Center
Twenty-two years old Zakariay Abu Iram was killed while Mohamed Rashid, 18, was injured and arrested by Israeli troops as they attacked the southern West Bank village of Yatta on Thursday afternoon.
Residents told IMEMC that Israeli troops stormed the village and tried to arrest Khalied Makhamreh. He is a Palestinian political prisoner that got released from Israeli military detention last October as part of the Egyptian mediated swap deal between Palestinian groups and Israel.
“ Soldiers stormed the house of the released prisoner to arrest him. All the village rushed to stop the military.” Mohamed from Yatta who witnessed the attack told IMEMC.
The Israeli military said that one soldier was stabbed by youth before troops opened fire killing Abu Iram and injuring Rashid. “ I did not see anybody who even tried to stab the soldier” Mohamed told IMEMC.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced that Zakariay Abu Iram was shot in the head and died on location while Mohamed Rashid got hit with a bullet in his abdomen.
Medics added soldiers did not allow them to help Rashid at first but later troops allowed medics to give him first aid after leaving him to bleed on the ground for some time. Troops then arrested Rashid and took him to an Israeli military hospital.
International Solidarity: Photos for the liberation of Shuhada Street
5 March 2012 | International Solidarity Movement
On February 20th, International Solidarity Movement put out a call for the international community to express their solidarity with the people of Al Khalil (Hebron) and the cause to open Shuhada Street. Individuals from all over the world took part in this symbolic campaign, which came just as locals in Al Khalil launched a week of activities and rallies to invoke the resilience of Palestine and its resistance against apartheid in their communities. Marking the 18th anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, which claimed the lives of dozens of Palestinians at the hands of extremist Zionists and the Israeli Occupation Forces that protect them, Al Khalil is restless and still marching as Zionism looms in the heart of the city in illegal settlements that house malice and violence.
As Palestinians and their supporters marched through Hebron on February 24th under the fire of tear gas and bullets shot by the cowardly Israeli Occupation Forces, which arrested protestors merely for their peaceful defiance of Israeli Occupation, the steadfastness of the people united and their message to Open Shuhada Street, was not only echoed in the ancient roads of Al Khalil, but throughout the world. Thank you for your show of support for the liberation of Shuhada Street. Together may we one day walk the roads of Al Khalil, without fear of harassment by Zionist settlers, without the profiling and discrimination by so called Israeli police, and without the shadow of Israel’s hateful weaponry, staining the old stones of Al Khalil’s soul.
In Solidarity,
International Solidarity Movement