Resistance and empowerment in al-Khalil’s women’s cooperative

ISM met with the founder of al-Khalil’s largest women’s cooperative to discuss business, the occupation and women’s empowerment.

Idhna is a small town to the west of al-Khalil, located less than a kilometre from the separation wall that divides Israelis from Palestinians. It is also home to the main workshop of Women in Hebron, a women’s cooperative which provides an independent source of income to 150 women in nearby villages.

The workshop is a simple four-room ground-floor apartment, with traditional weaving machines as well as modern sowing machines. The walls are lined with examples of the women’s work; patterned rugs and delicately designed dresses sit alongside hand-made wallets and pillowcases. There is even a room just for children’s clothing, which includes a crèche for the women’s children to sleep in as they work.

Nawaal is the founder of the cooperative, a middle-aged Palestinian woman from the area. Her gentle voice belies an energetic and determined temperament. Not content with her role in helping to coordinate the women’s work, Nawaal takes it upon herself to travel Europe and east Asia in order to spread awareness of the occupation, and to find a market for the women’s products.

Tourism in Palestine declined sharply after the Second Intifada ended in 2005. The construction of the apartheid wall discouraged both domestic and international tourism, and those that do continue to visit are more likely to come on short day-trips, giving little to the local economy.

The decline in tourism is just one part of the economic sabotage Palestinians have been subject to by the occupying power. Roadblocks and checkpoints impede freedom of movement, while settlers vandalise Palestinian farms and the Israeli government deliberately restricts access to basic services like water.

It was in this context that Nawaal chose to set up Women in Hebron to provide an independent source of income to local women, most of whom would not be able to find employment otherwise. ‘They don’t have university degrees, but all the women in the villages know embroidery – it’s traditional here’, she explains. It took three years until other women began to join, but now there are over 150 women producing items for their store in central Hebron.

Working in a cooperative rather than a traditional business allows the women to retain the full product of their labour. By contrast, many factories in the West Bank are owned by Israelis, with workers sacrificing a significant portion of their work to the profits of the, usually male, owner or shareholders. These profits are then sucked out of the Palestinian economy, contributing to a state of neo-colonial dependence which would threaten even an independent Palestinian state.

While the cooperative only employs 150 women so far, it has a significance far beyond the villages of the al-Khalil area. By integrating women who would otherwise remain unemployed into the labour market, the cooperative helps to liberate them from financial dependence within the family. By giving these women full ownership of their product, the cooperative helps to liberate them from financial dependence on factory-owners, who might hire or fire them at a whim. By dividing profits amongst the workforce, the cooperative keeps the money in the Palestinian economy, helping to build a viable Palestinian economy that serves as much more than a source of cheap labour for Israeli factory-owners and a market for Israeli products.

Nawaal recognises this wider importance of the cooperative, and has been in contact with feminist and socialist organisations in Europe. Though she is grateful for the steadfast support of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, she is hoping to find broader support among the European left. Nawaal plans to speak at Feminism in London this October, and is considering a visit to the Durham Miners’ Gala in July.

She hopes that bringing along Palestinian children to speak alongside her will help awaken her European audience to the reality of growing up under occupation. Women in Hebron’s main store is in al-Khalil’s Old City, run by Nawaal’s friend Leila. Even at the best of times, al-Khalil is not an easy place to grow up.

Israeli forces watch as two Palestinian children herd goats outside the Ibrahimi mosque

The city is home to 300-500 settlers, who are protected by 1,200-2,000 soldiers and border police at any one time. Twelve checkpoints dotted throughout the city put children in daily contact with soldiers, while routine armed patrols and frequent raids and manhunts see them frequently harassed, beaten and detained. The settlers are no better, with Palestinians suffering harassment, intimidation and sometimes violence. A local settler who murdered 29 Palestinian worshippers, including children, in 1994 is buried in the town, and his grave is still visited by settlers who consider him a martyr. The former leader of the fascist Kach party, which supported the massacre, is a local resident.

Unlike other cooperatives, Women in Hebron do not receive sponsorship from the Palestinian Authority, as they are based in the villages rather than the city. Nawaal is not concerned about this, however, and says that the women are proud of their independence.

Israeli soldiers interrogate a young Palestinian boy in al-Khalil

What is more of a concern to her is local corruption. Tour guides, including both locals and Europeans, have been demanding a 30% tribute from vendors in the Old City, with the threat that they will keep tourists away from shops that do not pay the fee. Nawaal says that the pressure from this form of corruption is causing great financial troubles for the cooperative.

The combination of financial pressure and the need to spread awareness of Palestinian experiences of occupation and methods of resistance have led to Nawaal’s decision to tour the UK this summer. If she can get a visa, she hopes that her visit can bring some much needed outside support to al-Khalil’s largest women’s cooperative.

You can visit Women in Hebron in al-Khalil’s Old City, or online at https://womeninhebron.com/

Soldiers detain 12-year old child in al-Khalil [VIDEO]

A 12-year old Palestinian boy was detained by Israeli armed forces this afternoon in Hebron’s Bab al-Baladiyya military base. The boy was apparently targeted by the soldiers, who were interrogating passers-by on his whereabouts. When he was identified, the heavily-armed soldiers quickly surrounded the boy and his father before forcing them into the military base.

Despite onlookers objecting that the boy had not thrown any stones at the gate of the base, soldiers argued that it seemed he was preparing to do so. Officials from the Palestinian Authority attempted to intervene but were not successful, while a Palestinian who agreed to be interviewed by ISM after the incident was subject to deliberate intimidation by Israeli forces.

The boy’s mother attempted to join her husband, but was forbidden. The boy’s much younger brother was seen crying in confusion, tugging on his mother’s leg as the 12-year old and his father were led into the compound. Sources tell ISM that this was the 12-year old’s first experience of military detention.

14-year old detained in al-Khalil as tensions run high

A 14-year old Palestinian boy was detained yesterday afternoon as Israeli forces conducted a search in Hebron’s Old City. The boy was riding his bike when four heavily armed soldiers began interrogating him. Shortly after, he was taken to Bab al-Baladiyya military base.

14-year old Palestinian is detained by Israeli soldiers

Prior to the search, soldiers had stopped several men outside the base. With their IDs confiscated, they were questioned for 20 minutes on suspicion of throwing stones. One soldier attempted to intimidate ISM activists and nearby tourists by taking photos of them.

Palestinian men stopped and questioned by Israeli soldiers, IDs confiscated

After letting the men go, the soldiers entered the Old City in an apparent manhunt. They again harassed ISM activists, threatening to arrest them if they continued to take photos and illegally declaring a closed military zone in the area. One soldier then threatened an activist, saying that he had already killed one boy on that road. After ISM activists challenged them, they ran away and forced their way into a Palestinian home, taking positions on the rooftop.

Israeli soldiers run away from ISM activists
Israeli soldiers enter a Palestinian home against the will of the occupant
Soldier takes position on the rooftop

After 5 minutes, the Israelis came down and began the search again. They soon found the 14-year old sitting on his bike, and began to interrogate him. The heavily armed soldiers then escorted the boy down to the base, refusing to comment on the reason for his detention.

Soldier interrogates 14-year old Palestinian

The boy has reportedly been a repeated target for Israeli forces, having been detained 5 times already. According to a local source, the soldiers had originally sought the boy for having knowledge of who was throwing stones, but now accuse him of throwing stones himself.

Soldiers order ISM activist to stop taking photos as they detain 14-year old boy

A day earlier, the same soldiers had been filmed harassing another young Palestinian boy for no apparent reason.

Major clashes as hundreds demonstrate in solidarity with prisoners’ hunger strike

Clashes broke out yesterday in the centre of Hebron as a peaceful demonstration was met with heavy armed resistance from Israeli soldiers and border police.

 

 Demonstrators run from tear gas during today’s march in Hebron

 

Hundreds gathered outside Hebron’s football stadium at 1pm before marching down Ein Sarah street towards Ibn Rushd square, where a tent has been set up to honour the 1,500 prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli prisons.

 

Hundreds gathered to march in solidarity with the prisoners’ hunger strike

 

Shortly after arriving at the square, which is in nominally Palestinian-controlled H1, demonstrators were met by dozens of heavily armed Israeli soldiers and border police. Soldiers on the rooftops fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, while Palestinian teenagers responded with stones.

 

 Israeli occupation forces await the demonstrators on their route

 

When the tear gas failed to deter the protestors, an Israeli ‘skunk trunk’ sprayed the crowd with putrid-smelling chemically-treated water.

 

 Israeli army spray demonstrators with putrid-smelling ‘skunk’ water

 

 Demonstrators flee an Israeli Jeep

 

In the end, the Israeli assault failed to disperse the crowd, with the demonstration only thinning out to under a hundred people after 4pm.

 

 Israeli soldiers advance on the demonstrators

 

Tensions were high throughout the day. Armed patrols in the morning saw four soldiers harass a child in the market and several ISM activists in the Old City, while others watched from nearby rooftops.

 

Israeli soldiers patrol Hebron this morning

 

Israeli soldiers question a young Palestinian boy

 

 Israeli soldiers conduct armed patrol in Hebron’s market this morning

 

In the evening, Palestinian youths shouted at soldiers who were in the market, and soldiers responded with four rounds of tear gas and aggressive military manoeuvres intended to scare the children.

 

Teenager beaten and dragged off the street by soldiers in Hebron

17th May 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | al-Khalil (Hebron), occupied Palestine

Two young Palestinian boys detained by Israeli forces in Hebron during today’s incident

A Palestinian teenager was attacked in the street today by Israeli forces as he made his way through Hebron’s Old City. While talking with an NGO worker, the 18-year old was rushed by soldiers and beaten in broad daylight. Bleeding, he was taken into the nearby Bab Al-Baladiyeh military base where is he is currently detained. It is not yet known whether he will be arrested, but he can be held without charge for 7 days.

In the immediate aftermath, friends of the boy threw stones at the base’s gates in protest. Soldiers emerged from the base firing volleys of tear gas and stun grenades. The boys ran, but after a manhunt through the Old City two were found and detained in the base. Soldiers refused to explain their actions when questioned by ISM activists.

Israeli soldiers have beaten and detained a teenager in Hebron’s Bab al-Baladiyeh military base

A manhunt continued through the tunnels of the Old City, with conflicting reports suggesting another boy may have been detained. The soldiers eventually passed through the Ibrahimi mosque checkpoint towards Shahuda street, where ISM activists were harassed and spat on by Israeli forces.

Two Palestinian boys are detained by Israeli occupation forces after a brief manhunt

The two young boys were eventually released from detention, but the 18-year old is still being held, along with possibly another boy. The 18-year old has reportedly been harassed repeatedly by soldiers in recent days. Last week, he was cut on the wrists by Israeli interrogators after they accused him of lying to them. His relatives have apparently also received harassment from soldiers this past week.

Palestinian teenager’s cut wrist after being detained and interrogated by the Israeli Occupation Forces in Khalil on the 8th of May