Tag: statements - Page 2 - International Solidarity Movement

Farihan Farah’s painful separation from her son is nothing new for Palestinian mothers

22nd November 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Kafr Aqab, occupied Palestine

Nearly three years after being locked up in a detention center in Northern Israel, Shadi Farah, currently the youngest child imprisoned by Israel, is finally going home. “I feel that this month has been the longest month of my life.” Farihan Farah is the mother of five, including Shadi, and is representative of over 400 other mothers in Palestine who desperately wait for their children’s return. “My feelings are mixed. My son is finally coming out after three years… I will finally get to hug him and kiss him. He’ll finally get to be with his siblings. At the same time, I fear for him… That if he’s released he’ll become a target, and I may lose him forever.”

The horrific attacks of the Dawabsheh family, where an 18-month-old was burned alive, and young Mohammed Khudair, also burnt alive, had all of Palestine in an uproar. While walking from school, Shadi expressed anger to his friend, Ahmed, over the incidents. “He was talking about the necessity of taking action against the Israeli soldiers… It was just kids talking!” The self-proclaimed “only democracy” in the Middle East, would have an observer puzzled by her imperative to make this point. “A settler overheard them and called the police,” she affirms. They were picked up shortly after, and were in custody by 11 in the morning (though she didn’t know his whereabouts until 10 at night). The first twenty four hours were traumatic enough; his interrogation without a lawyer, being brought to court in cuffs the next day, and being restrained by seven soldiers who struck him when he tried to run to his weeping mother. “I thought he would be released (the night before), especially because he’s a child, and didn’t commit a crime.” Israeli Police allegedly found knives on the boys, though no evidence was brought forth. The judge ordered that the Farah family pay 5,000 shekels for bail, and they did so, only to be notified that the case had been transferred to Central Court at Salah-Al-Deen Street; The judge, jury, and DA were all changed.

The next time young Shadi was brought into court, his mother was shocked at the site of his shaved head. “They found out that he loved his hair, so they shaved it!” For one year, each trial ended in no verdict, which lead to more time in confinement, and more torture. “They kept him for 6 days in room No. 4- which is known to have a very cold AC. He was also stripped from his clothing, and remained in his underwear, kept in darkness,” she recalls from their infrequent talks. He was finally sentenced for attempted murder and possession of a knife.

It’s been almost three years for Shadi behind bars. While his freedom is being celebrated, the likely fallout from such a traumatic experience is something Farihan Darafhmeh Farah knows all too well. “It’s not easy for a child to be away from his family for three years. I have to know him all over again. He was taken away at the most critical time of his life. I have to learn how he changed. His thoughts. What does he like now? What doesn’t he like? A lot of things. His childhood was taken away from him… He was enforced to transfer into a man, not grow into one.”A recent report documented the mental, educational, and social effects of Israel’s treatment of children during detention. DCIP found bed-wetting, trouble sleeping, and self-restricting movement to be but some of the symptoms of post-trauma. This does not take into account the legal problems that young, Palestinian convicts face when they are released. “He has a 5-year probation, and they can very simply just stop him and re-arrest him… He could be passing by a protest, or someone throwing a rock, and he can be arrested without reason.”

However, life goes on for the Farah family, and Shadi’s release is beyond a spectacle of rejoice. “I think to myself, what does Shadi love? Should I bring him Shawerma? ShouldI make him dolma? Should I bring him his little cars and toys? But Shadi’s a young man now. If I take him his toys, he’ll probably not want it. He’ll probably be embarrassed. I don’t know, I think everyday, what can I do for him? I’m fixing the house, I’m fixing his room. I have so many ideas and I’m overwhelmed. Should I take him to the pool where he used to swim? Or should I take him to ride a horse? He rode horses as a child. There’s a lot that he was denied, and I want to compensate him for everything. I want to cook him the food he loves. I want to bring his old friends to see him. I don’t know…” Farihan Farah takes a moment as tears begin to well up in her eyes, managing to say- “My father died while Shadi was in prison. I want to take him to his grandfather’s grave. A lot has happened when he was in prison.”

The damage that has been done is undeniable, and the only way forward for the Farah family is resilience and courage. From here, the path forward is uncertain, happiness not guaranteed, and in fact the obstacles may only increase. “I will have to move him to a school that’s closer to the house. He’ll always have trouble at checkpoints. He won’t be allowed to practice a normal daily life. We will be living in the horror of what might happen. And this is the way many Palestinian families live… We try to make hope. We try to be optimistic.” Ten year-old Nawal, Shadi’s sister, is a gymnast and Dabke dancer, and was being taught how to swim by Shadi before he was taken. “I’m happy that he’s coming back,” she says, “I was seven when he was taken.”

It’s hard to understand the evil nature of Shadi’s treatment without knowing the systematic degradation of Palestinian minors in the state of Israel; only one function that embodies the nature of the occupation, internationally recognized to be illegal. “People only view darkness. They are pessimistic and depressed. There’s no hope for us, in Jerusalem, Gaza, or The WestBank. Everyday passes in horror… We eat, drink, and live day by day. We don’t know what’s going to hit us- capture or murder. A worker heads to his job in the morning and you hear in the news that he was shot, claiming that he attempted to stab someone. I never imagined that a little boy like Shadi would be captured. I always fear that when we’re driving to Al-Khalil, a road that is filled with checkpoints and obstacles, if by God’s will the car was broken mid-way, that they’d shoot everyone inside and murder us, claiming that we are up to no good. I cannot even imagine stepping a foot in a place like Zaatara, where they would see my hijab and immediately think that I am up to no good, and just shoot me. They deny us and our children the right to live a normal life. To play, study, grow. Like Shadi, there a lot more children.”

Shadi Farah is set to be released the 29^th of November, 2018.

A statement from the Norwegian ISM volunteer targeted and shot by an Israeli soldier in Kafr Qaddum, video included

18th August 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah team | Kafr Qaddum, occupied Palestine

A description of the events of Saturday, 18th of August, from the Norwegian ISM volunteer targeted and shot by a soldier in Kafr Qaddum

I, Kristin Foss (43) work as a volunteer for ISM (International Solidarity Movement). ISM is a non-violent, Palestinian lead organisation that responds to requests for assistance from Palestinians, who for various reason need international witnesses and/or protection. This can be for demonstrators, when houses get broken into by soliders or colonialist settlers on a daily/nightly bases, children needing to be walked to school as a result of being harassed by colonialist settlers, that they have been told their house or village is about to be demolished, that their access to water has been closed or broken etc.

I am fully aware that this job carries risk and that I will be exposed to dangerous situations, but this does not release Israel from their responsibilities with regards to international law. Israel portrays itself as a democratic state, with “The world`s most moral army”—as such, the minimum that could be expected from them, is that they adhere to international law.

On Saturday, 18.08, an Icelandic colleague, Anna, and I travelled to Kafr Qaddum, a village close to Nablus, West Bank. The inhabitants had asked for our presence due to violence from Israeli soldiers every Friday and Saturday.

The main road to Kafar Qaddum was closed for inhabitants, by Israeli soliders 7 years ago. The road was built and kept by the ethnic population to the region, throughout generations. Today the road is only open to Israeli colonizers, in the illegal settlements.

The local population of Kafr Qaddum now has to drive 14 km, instead of a couple, to arrive to Nablus, where many of the inhabitants study and work. The inhabitants have been protesting the closure of the road every Friday for 7 years—now also on Saturdays. Pre- or during demonstrations the village is invaded by soldiers who fire live ammunition, rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas at demonstrators. They have also sprayed skunk water (raw sewage) into the houses of inhabitants. Several inhabitants have been shot with live ammunition, including children and elderly. The inhabitants do not have any weapons themselves (!)—they want to be able to demonstrate in peace, and they want their road to be open for them to use.

When we arrived Saturday, there were already clashes. Soldiers were present at 2 points in the village. From both points they were shooting with rubber coated bullets, at a group of mostly very young boys, who were throwing rocks back at them. Anna and I were present at one of the points, observing and making sure our presence was known to the soliders.

The shooting was going for about one and a half hour, before it started to calm down. Apart from some tear gas inhalation there had been no injuries at this point.

When things were calm, I was approached by a senior citizen, asking if we could please help him. He had gone out to his drive way earlier as he was going to get in his car to pick up his wife. He did not notice that his drive way was full of soliders. The soldiers stole/confiscated his car and the keys, and parked it in the middle out the road as an economical shield. As it was calm, we agreed to accompany him to speak to the soliders and to ask for his car back. There was no shooting, nor stones being thrown at this point. Him, Anna and I started walking towards the soldiers, with our hands in the air. I had my camera phone in one hand. The man walked surprisingly fast and was soon with the soldiers, whilst Anna and I stopped some 20 metres behind, still with our hands up. I am filming at this point.

One of the soliders shouts something at me in Hebrew, I don’t understand, but I shout back that the man just wants his car back. Then he shouts that it is dangerous. I shout back that it is only dangerous because he is pointing a machine gun at me. Those far behind me posed no danger to the soldier, nor to me. One shot is fired as I am shouting, then another shot is directed at me, and hits me in the abdomen. I would say from approximately 20-30 metres. It is absolutely no doubt I was targeted and shot deliberately.

It was extremely painful and I was in a state of shock, but quickly managed to withdraw to behind a brick wall. I was then helped by Palestinians who led me to the nearby Red Crescent ambulance. I received immediate treatment to my wound, the bullet had pierced some skin, so there was some blood, a massive bump and I was already black and blue. The ambulance staff was incredibly professional and calm.

After 5 minutes or so I wanted to go back to confront the person who had shot me—from a safe distance. I was angry about being shot, whilst unarmed, after having declared our mission—and whilst posing absolutely no threat. However, Anna then had to retire to the ambulance as she was suffering badly from teargas inhalation. We did join the protest a bit after this, but then decided to retire to the back as I felt very vulnerable and I was scared they would shoot me again.

I would like to add, that I know I am, and was, very lucky. I am Norwegian and have be shielded from this kind of violence my whole life. I do not have to be here and I can choose to go home at any given moment. This incident however, has only strengthen my resolve to keep fighting, in solidarity, with the Palestinians —who unlike me have no choice. Thousands of Palestinians have been shot this year alone. By rubber coated steel bullets and by live ammunition. Palestinians get shot for the crime of demonstrating for their basic human rights—or simply for the ‘crime of being born Palestinian’. Whilst my case have been blown up in media, theirs go unnoticed.

It is an unnerving feeling, the knowledge that a stranger has aimed his gun at me, perhaps discussed shooting me with his colleagues —and then made the choice to shoot me. That someone wanted to inflict pain on me, without knowing anything about me —to shoot me in the knowledge that it has no repercussions for themselves. Palestinians have to live with this everyday. The knowledge that at any moment an Israeli sniper might have them in their scope—and will shoot to kill or maim. Shoot them, shoot their kids, their parents, their friend, their loved ones. Violence. Because I am Norwegian, I can and will use my story to highlight what is happening here in the Norwegian media. But I do not, not even for one second, forget that what happened to me, is only a small taste, a minuscule taste of what life under Israel occupation is like. Free Palestine!

In solidarity!

Kristin Foss, activist with the International Solidarity movement

Bruises and a wound where the bullet pierced the skin

ISM speaks to ‘Aref Jaber about the increase of raids by Israeli forces in his neighborhood

23rd June 2018 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

‘Aref Jaber lives in the Jaber neighbourhood in the H2 area of occupied Hebron, under Israeli control. He is a local activist and works with Human Rights Defenders filming and publicising the violations of international law committed by Israeli forces in his city.

On June 2nd, ‘Aref witnessed and filmed the murder of Rami Sabarneh, a 37 year old construction worker and a father of three, by Israeli forces just outside his house. The Israeli army said in a statement that Sabarneh had attempted to ram his vehicle into Israeli forces.

Straight after the murder, a commander who had been part of the group that killed Sabarneh, along with seven other soldiers who were present, confronted ‘Aref, telling him to delete the video and pointing their rifles at him. When he refused, the commander violently assaulted him whilst saying, “you recorded the soldier who shot the terrorist. If you continue recording or taking photos of the army, I will put a bullet in your head. Do you understand me?”

Soon after, a group of Israeli intelligence officers came to speak with ‘Aref, trying to intimidate him into changing his statement to say that Sabarneh had been under the influence of alcohol when he was shot. ‘Aref refused. That night, his home was violently raided by Israeli forces, ending in both ‘Aref and his wife being rushed to hospital after being physically assaulted.

‘Aref in hospital after he was attacked by Israeli forces (photo: Human Rights Defenders)

Before Sabarneh’s murder, the Jaber family home had recently been raided, in an attempt to threaten ‘Aref to stop his non-violent activism work. Israeli forces threw sound grenades inside the house, and the family were forced to replace the windows and doors. ‘Aref and his wife have five children, some of whom are very young.

On the 23rd of June in the early hours of the morning, ‘Arefs family home was raided yet again. Later that morning, ‘Aref told International Solidarity Movement activists about the experience and the affects on him and his family. (Aref’s statement was translated for ISM by Badee Dwaik, another local activist and member of Human Rights Defenders).

“At a little past 2.30am, I was woken by a knock at the door, so I went to see who it was. Suddenly, around twenty five heavily-armed soldiers pushed inside without explaining the reason for their invasion or giving me and my family time to get dressed. They immediately separated us into different rooms, and the commander told me to wake up one of my younger sons, who was sleeping on the sofa in the living room. They then told me to wake up the remaining members of my family who were still asleep.

“The soldiers then forced us into the living room whilst they collected all of our cameras and phones. They kept them hidden for the whole time they were present, making it impossible to call for help or document the raid. Luckily, they didn’t take them when they left. After this, the soldiers began ‘searching’ my home room by room, turning furniture upside down, destroying several parts in the process, and throwing out clothes from cupboards.

“Dozens of Israeli soldiers storm the house of the activist of the group of human rights defenders, Aref Jaber, at one o’clock in the morning. They search the house and damage some of his furniture. They raise an atmosphere of terror among the children and the entire family.” – Human Rights Defenders

“It was obvious that they weren’t searching for anything – they were just trying to make a mess and ruin parts of our home. It’s a form of collective punishment against me, my family and other activists for filming the soldiers.

“When the Israeli forces left my home, they blindfolded and handcuffed my 16 year old son Baraa, and took him with them. I asked why they were kidnapping my son, but the commander just answered, “you will know later”. Then they left, and we had no idea where they were taking Baraa.

“Later this morning an investigator called. He disclosed no information about the reason for my son’s abduction, his wellbeing or his whereabouts. Instead, he told me, “if you want your son to be free, you must pay a thousand shekel.” [Read more about child arrests and bail here.]

“I don’t have this kind of money at the moment. Two of my sons are getting married in mid July so most of our income is going towards preparing for the weddings. We managed to borrow the money from friends and family, and my son was released earlier today.

“When Baraa arrived home, he told me that he was beaten, humiliated and taken from place to place whilst still blindfolded and handcuffed during the 10 or 11 hour period he was away from us. They never took him to a specific place, just dragged him around throughout the night as part of their torturing policy.”

This was the seventeenth time that Baraa had been arrested by Israeli forces, the first time being when he was just eight years old, and ‘Aref says that most of his children have been arrested at least once. His wife also spent four nights in jail for filming the soldiers.

Recently, he has been working on making two apartments for his sons who are getting married and their new families, but Israeli forces came to stop the work for months at a time.

A representative from the UN high commission visited ‘Aref after the raid to discuss the possibility of putting CCTV cameras around his house, and have said that they will support him. ‘Aref told International Solidarity Movement activists, “the raids and attacks are about putting pressure on me and my family to stop us filming the occupation. This is not random work. Usually when these attacks happens it’s not just soldiers, but commanders in higher positions. They are ‘warning’ us to stop our work with the camera.

“Without the support of the international and local communities we won’t be able to continue this work. I accept the worst is to yet to come, and can still happen. I’m scared they will do something before or during my children’s weddings.”

‘Aref in his home in the Jaber neighborhood of occupied Hebron (photo: ISM)

In the early hours of the 23rd June, the houses of Mohammed Jabari and Behaa Jabari were also violently raided.

“The occupation army storms the house of Mohammed Jabari, the secretary of the old town of Fatah movement, and destroys the contents of the house.” – Human Rights Defenders

Sign the petition calling on the Knesset to oppose the law criminalizing the documentation of soldiers here.

Human Rights Defenders Statement June 2018

9th July 2018 | Human Rights Defenders | Hebron, occupied Palestine

We condemn the recent fierce attacks carried out by the Israeli occupation soldiers, who have notably begun to target all activists working with Human Rights Defenders (HRD) to document the crimes of the occupation. The Defenders’ association has documented many of the cold-blooded murders in the city of Hebron, most recently the killing of 35 year old road construction worker Rami Sabarneh who was shot by the IOF.

There have been many other instances, for example the physical assault of one of our members in Hebron. Human Rights Defenders co-founder and activist Badea Dwaik was prevented from getting to his destination and assaulted by not only the Israeli soldiers but also an extremist settler.

Badia Dwaik being arrested by Israeli soldiers (photo by HRD)

We also condemn the constant, routine attacks and harassment as well as death threats to both founders of HRD, Badea Dwaik and Imad Abu-Shamsiya, by ‘Hebron’s infamous extremist settler’, Oder Ohanna. Another activist, Fayez Abu-Shamsiya, was beaten by settlers, and activist Zidan Shirbati was also assaulted by occupation soldiers.

Activist Aref Jaber was assaulted in his own home where he and his wife were savagely beaten by the IOF and had to be rushed to the hospital. After they were attacked, the soldiers took their cameras, photos, computers, and many other personal belongings.

Aref Jaber in hospital after he was attacked by Israeli forces (photo by HRD)

Tamara Abu-Laban, co-coordinator of Human Rights Defenders in the states, has received a constant stream of death threats through facebook, as well as on her personal phone, by Israeli occupation soldiers who also frequent our page to harass us.

The high level of human rights violations and violence against activists of HRD clearly confirms that there is a policy being aimed at all members, inside and outside of Palestine, who belong to our organisation and document/publish the crimes of the IOF and settlers. We have succeeded in shedding light on the IOF’s lies about being a ‘moral army’.

Accordingly, as a result of the increased direct targeting of activists of the Human Rights Defenders group, we hold full responsibility to the Israeli government in the event that any activist is harmed by the occupation soldiers and settlers. We ask The Human Rights Representative of the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other human rights organisations, alongside Human Rights Defenders, to continue lobbying Israel and campaigning to support activists of the Human Rights Caucus.

We also call for the continued support of the believers of human rights and justice, and would like to request the donation of additional video cameras to HRD due to the exposure and destruction (by the IOF and settlers) of many of our cameras and other tools. There is a large presence of families in Hebron who are need of cameras, which are peaceful weapons that effectively expose and draw attention to the crimes of the occupation.

Finally, we commit to the continuation of our humanitarian and national mission to publish the violations of international law by the occupation, despite the vicious attacks and continuing death threats on the majority of our members by the occupation soldiers and Zionist settlers.