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Nakba Day demonstration in Al Walaja: “Al Walaja is one of the symbols of the past and present displacement”

16th May 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Al Walaja, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday 15^th May, villages from Al Walaja marched for their right of return, on a day marking the 66^th anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe in Arabic). The demonstration was met with violent repression from Israeli forces with many tear gas canisters fired at the protesters.

In 1948, 70% of the population of Al Walaja was displaced and forced away from their land, as a result of the ethnic cleansing carried out by Israeli forces. After the six day war in 1967, half of the remaining land was occupied by the illegal settlements of Har Gilo and Gilo, leaving the village with only 15% of its original land.

66 years since the Nakba and the land in Al Walaja is in the so called “seam zone”. The seam zone is a term used to describe the land between the Green Line and the Apartheid wall. The seam zone is a closed area for Palestinians and is regulated by a permit system. Palestinians who live, work, and visit the area are forced to apply for a permit to enter the zone, controlled by Israeli authorities. The permit system in the seam zone consists of 12 different types of permits which, need to be renewed frequently and can easily be denied by the Israeli authorities. The apartheid wall (declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004) is also planned to surround the entire village, which will leave the residents with one entry and exit point.

For the Nakba day this year, over 64 associations called for a demonstration in Al Walaja, calling for the right of the Palestinians to reclaim and return to their own land.

“Al Walaja is one of the symbols of the past and present displacement,” said one of the speakers at the demonstration.

Many protesters arrived from different areas in the West Bank, including children the nearby Aida refugee camp

The demonstrators gathered in a large tent at the end of the village, speeches were made, and then the head of the demonstration went downhill to where a metal fence separated an area of the village from the main road.

When the people attempted to pass over this “border”, approximately 20 Israeli Border police officers arrived and tried to stop this action, proceeding to throw stun grenades and fire tear gas canisters at the protesters. Palestinian youths then began to throw stones as several military jeeps arrived, along with approximately 100 Israeli soldiers and border police officers

The Israeli forces climbed up the hill, firing tear gas inside the tent, which was mainly filled with children and elderly men and women. The military forced the occupants out and proceeded to destroy the tent.

Fortunately there were no serious injuries, two journalists and two Palestinian youths were shot with tear gas canisters and received treatment from Red Crescent medics in from Al Walaja, and many demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

PHOTO STORY: Israeli soldiers continue harassment of schoolchildren in Hebron

15th May 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

This morning in al-Khalil (Hebron), one young child threw one stone towards the checkpoint. Four Israeli soldiers then entered through checkpoint 29, provoking the children who were gathered to go to school. Several children then threw approximately four stones towards the soldiers, who then threw one stun grenade.

One of the Israeli soldiers repeatedly aimed his gun at the passing children, some as young as four-years-old.

'I want peace' photo by ISM — ‘I want peace’ photo by ISM

One of the Israeli soldiers drew the Star of David (symbol of Judaism) and a crescent moon (possibly symbolizing Islam), and then wrote, ‘I want peace’.

Then same soldier who wrote ‘I want peace’, then threw a stun grenade at the children as they gathered to go to school.

The Israeli military regularly uses their weapons against school children in al-Khalil (Hebron), especially in the mornings. Yesterday, 14th May, the same Israeli soldiers at the same checkpoint [checkpoint 29] threw two stun grenades and fired one tear gas grenade at the children at approximately 7:30 am. Children are also targeted for detentions and arrests, which ISM has previously documented, some as young as six-years-old.

Video: Protest on World Press Freedom Day: “They don’t consider Palestinian journalists to be journalists.”

3rd May 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team| Occupied Palestine

Yesterday, Saturday 3^rd of May was the United Nations World Press Freedom Day. Yesterday, journalists celebrated, remembered, and protested, on a date commemorated worldwide since 1992.

In Palestine, the 3^rd of May calls for a protest by members of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), and yesterday this was at the Beit El military checkpoint.

We witnessed approximately 70 journalists gather in the city of Ramallah, driving towards the Bet El checkpoint, before leaving their cars and attempting to walk through the military gate.

The journalists carried nothing but signs and cameras, chanting for freedom from the Israeli occupation. It was a completely non-violent demonstration.

On arrival to the checkpoint, Israeli Border Police first closed the gate, and then called many more soldiers to the area, who proceeded to watch and film the demonstrators with their private smart phones.

The journalists then tried to open the gate, which is when Israeli Border Police started to throw stun grenades at the demonstrators. More than eight stun grenades were thrown, seemingly directly at the legs of the protesters. One stun grenade hit my ISM colleague in the foot, she was lucky to be wearing thick running shoes and jeans, so did not receive an injury.

The level of aggression was surprising to me, I commented upon this to a demonstrator, a Palestine journalist, causing him to turn to me and smile.

“Maybe they don’t know we’re journalists.”

“Sorry?” I asked.

“If they did, they wouldn’t throw them [the stun grenades] at us.”

He laughed, and walked back toward the gate.

Several times during the protest, the journalists tried to open the gate, each time it was swiftly closed by Israeli forces. After approximately 40 minutes, it seemed the demonstration was ending, and a large group of the journalists began to walk away from the gate.

It was at this point that the Israeli forces present began to throw more stun grenades, roughly six, and one tear gas grenade. Ironically this caused the demonstration to last longer, as after this attack the journalists decided to continue the protest for a further 30 minutes.

After the demonstration ended, in which there were fortunately no injuries or arrests, we had the opportunity to speak to Omar Nazzal, a board member on the steering committee of the PJS.

Omar has been active in journalism for 30 years, and a member of the PJS for the last 18. The PJS was created in Jerusalem in 1978; it was originally named the ‘Arab Journalists League’ as they were not allowed to use ‘Palestinian’ in the title. This changed in 1994, after the Oslo Accords the organization could be renamed.

The PJS has approximately 1300 members, 800 in the West Bank and 500 in the Gaza Strip. It is a member of the Arab Journalists Union and of the International Federation of Journalists.

An issue that is impacting the journalism profession in Palestine, as it does with many workers worldwide, is the impact of globalization. As multinational companies buy out smaller media outlets, individual journalists are loosing their jobs. Or, forcing journalists to move towards shorter-term contracts, loosing their rights, leading to lower wages and little or no insurance.

Omar explained that there are many problems of being a journalist in Palestine, and one huge issue is their treatment by the Israeli authorities.

“They don’t consider Palestinian journalists to be journalists.”

Horrifying statistics echo this statement.

Since the year 2000, approximately 300 journalists have been imprisoned, over 500 have been injured, and 21 Palestinian journalists have been killed by the Israeli military.

Omar continued: “Sometimes they beat journalists, arrest them, shoot them, they’re forbidden to move freely.”

Currently there are nine Palestinian journalists in Israeli military prisons.

Muhammed Muna, one of the imprisoned nine, is a West Bank correspondent of the UK-based Quds Press International News Agency. He was arrested in August 2013. He was sentenced to six months in administrative detention, which essentially means that the Israeli government can hold a person indefinitely without charge. Muhammed’s detention was renewed for a further six months earlier this year, with no release date in sight.

Daily brutality towards Palestinians in occupied Al-Khalil

2 December 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Israeli forces regularly exercise brutal and irrational behaviour in the H2 area of Khalil (Hebron), which is under military control.

Israeli soldiers marching a Palestinian to Tel Rumeida military base (photo by ISM)

An example of this treatment took place on Saturday 30^th November, when 7 Israeli soldiers reacted to a group of Palestinian youth throwing stones at an illegal settlement by launching stun grenades through the souk (market). International activists witnessed the Israeli soldiers running into the market and indiscriminately throwing stun grenades, causing panic and distress amongst people in the street.

When questioned by internationals, Israeli soldiers admitted that it was a “mistake” to use their weapons in this way and said they do not “enjoy” their actions. However this does not alter the reality for Palestinians living in Khalil, who are subjected to these excessive reactions on a regular basis.

This behaviour is consistent with other recent events, for example the treatment Palestinians often experience on arrest. On Friday 29^th November two Palestinians were arrested, supposedly accused of throwing stones. They were held at a checkpoint, blindfolded, handcuffed and marched to Tel Rumeida military base. It is understood that the two men have yet to be released.

Conversely, when Israeli Border Police witness settler violence they readily ignore it. This was highlighted by an incident on Saturday 30^th November when a police officer looked on as an international activist was kicked by an illegal settler.

The regularity of this unjust behaviour towards Palestinians by Israeli forces serves to intensify the daily impact of the Occupation.

Palestinian boy beaten at checkpoint leads to clashes in Hebron

24th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

On Tuesday 22nd October in Khalil, a15-year-old Palestinian was beaten for not having identification (ID) that the Israeli government does not issue until the age of 16.

At approximately 2:30pm on Tuesday, Mahmod from Tel Rumeida (not his real name) was attempting to pass through checkpoint 56 on his way home. When asked to produce his ID, he explained to the soldiers that he was only 15-years-old so had therefore not yet been issued an ID. The soldiers did not believe this and pushed him against a wall, whilst in this position a soldier struck him three times, twice in the abdomen with the butt of his rifle and once on the back of his head with his fist.

Mahmod then collapsed to the ground and started to have a bout of violent seizures. These seizures lasted for over 15 minutes before he was taken to an ambulance on the H1 (Palestinian) side of the checkpoint. By this time his family arrived and was able to accompany him to hospital.

Upon seeing the injuries of Mahmod some local Palestinian youth proceeded to throw stones at the building that was in front of the checkpoint. This proceeded for 15 minutes before a group of Israeli soldiers occupied two local Palestinian buildings overlooking the checkpoint. The Israeli forces began by throwing stun grenades at the youth and sporadically firing rubber coated steel bullets at the gathering crowd.

The clashes continued this way until Israeli forces began to move forward, forcing the Palestinian youth back, allowing Israeli soldiers to occupy a building in this Palestinian “controlled” area. Upon entry to this building the army took control of the roof before having to withdraw one level as rocks were thrown towards there position. It seemed that as the soldiers were unable to clearly see the gathering crowd, they blew a small hole in the side of the occupied building to allow them to fire rubber-coated steel bullets. This indiscriminate fire blew out the back window of a passing Palestinian vehicle. The clashes lasted for around three hours, with many stun grenades thrown by the Israeli army, though no more injuries were reported.