Tag: Route 90

For immediate release: Cyclists attacked by soldier in the Jordan Valley seek legal action

17 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

For Immediate Release

April 17, 2012: Cyclists attacked by soldier in the Jordan Valley seek legal action

Danish activist Andreas was attacked by Israeli commander Lt.-Col. Shalom Eisner during an unarmed demonstration in the Jordan Valley on April 14th. (See video). Dutch activist Mira and a Palestinian man also suffered injuries following an assault by Eisner,  Swedish activist Alex was handcuffed and detained for over one hour during the incident. The action involved some two hundred people riding bikes along Route-90 which connects Israeli settlements, which are recognized as illegal by the International Court of Justice. Organized by the Sharek Youth Forum, the cycling event was to raise awareness of the restrictions on Palestinian movement and the human rights violations of Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley. According to the organization, Palestinian cars are frequently detained, searched, or refused entry on Route-90 where the event was held.

Andreas, Mira, Alex, and the Palestinian man are working with attorney Meissa Irshaid from the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel to ensure that the testimony of these bike tour participants is represented in the assault case against Lt.-Col Eisner.

“Israeli soldiers blocked the road for all of the cyclists and quickly resorted to violent force to intimidate us from cycling on Route 90. Lt-Col Eisner beat me with his M-16 without provocation,” Andreas stated. Mira was also struck in the face by Eisner’s gun. The two were evacuated to hospital and Andreas received stitches in his lip.

The attack on the cyclists was publicly condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an April 15th news article published in Haaretz. In response to this public action taken by Netanyahu, Andreas says, “this is widespread phenomena across the West Bank. Dozens of protesters have been killed or violently injured for participating in peaceful protests against the theft of their land and the ongoing military occupation.”

Furthermore, Andreas argues, “it isn’t just internationals that deserve human rights in Palestine, all attacks by Israel should be condemned equally.”

The activists will continue work with the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank while pursuing legal action against the April 14th incident with the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel.

 

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Palestinians and internationals attacked during biking trip in Jordan Valley

by Joseph and Emiliano

15 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

For more photos click here

Palestinian and international cyclists were brutally attacked by the Israeli occupation forces on Saturday as they attempted to bike up Route 90, the main North-South highway running through the Jordan Valley. The cyclists were demonstrating against Israeli apartheid policies in the Jordan Valley, which limit Palestinian access to roadways as part of an ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing against the indigenous Bedouin communities of the Valley.

One Palestinian woman and two international activists from Denmark and Holland were evacuated to the hospital with injuries after being struck in the head with an M-16 rifle, and one international activist was handcuffed and detained for over an hour before being released without charges.

Over one hundred activists from Palestine and around the world participated in the bike protest, organized by Sharek Youth Forum. Participants rode approximately 5 kilometers before being blocked by Israeli occupation soldiers and jeeps at the entrance to Route 90. Soldiers informed the bikers that they would not be allowed to continue “for their own safety.” When activists peacefully attempted to continue on their way, the local commander of the occupation forces swung his rifle at the head of multiple activists, resulting in the hospitalizations of the three activists and the detention of a man from Sweden.

Palestinian drivers on Route 90, the Jordan Valley’s main north-south route, face regular harassment and attacks from Israeli settlers and soldiers. Palestinian drivers and cyclists are frequently pulled over and searched for no reason, and in some places Palestinians are even prevented from turning across the road at places Israelis have free access to.

The Jordan Valley faces a concerted Israeli campaign of ethnic cleansing towards the Palestinians living there. Demolitions of homes occur with frequency, and the Israelis are currently stealing the vast majority of the valley’s land and water. The majority of the fruit and vegetables produced on this stolen land are exported to Europe and North America. The bike demonstration was part of a day of demonstrations and festivities that included visits to villages, a youth dubke performance, and speeches. The events aim to send the message to the world and the occupying forces that the people of the Jordan Valley and Palestine refuse to cede their land to the illegal occupation and will continue to resist and remain on their land.

 Joseph and Emiliano are volunteers with International Solidarity Movement (names have been changed).