Tag: Apartheid Wall

Bil’in leading demonstrator imprisoned by Israeli forces

For Immediate Release:

Tuesday July 21, Ofer military base, Occupied West Bank: In a new escalation in the military’s campaign targeting the popular protests in Bil’in against the Annexation barrier, a military appeals judge ruled that non-violent Bil’in activist Adeeb Abu Rahme be held until the end of proceedings against him. This could mean months or a year in military prison for Adeeb who was arrested from the demonstration against the annexation barrier that took place in Bil’in village on 10 of July. Adeeb, a leading non-violent activist in Bil’in’s ongoing struggle against the Wall and settlements on their land, is being charged with incitement to violence and rioting.He is the sole provider for his family of 9 children, wife and mother.

Bil’in residents have been holding weekly demonstrations for the last 5 years. In a celebrated decision, the Israeli Supreme court ruled on the 4th of September 2007 that the current route of the wall in Bil’in was illegal and needs to be dismantled; the ruling however has not been implemented. Israeli forces have been conducting night arrest raids on the village since 29 June 2009.

Since the renewed campaign against Bil’in demonstrators, 17 have been arrested. Of the 17 arrested, 13, mostly children are still in detention.

Kamel Alkhatib (16), Khalil Yassen (16), Mohammed Abu Rahmah (23), Motasem Alkhatib (17), Hamwda Yassen (17), Mohsen Alkhatib (17), Suliman Alwalydi (17), Oda Abu Rahmah (20), Mahmud Yassen, Majdi Abu Rahmah, Adeeb Abu Rahmah , Ronnie Barken (Israeli activist), Charlie (American activist), Basel Bornat (20), Mohammad Bornat (19), Emad Bornat and Tamer Alkhatib.

Abdullah Abu Rahme coordinator of the popular committee stated, “Adib has been injured dozens of times over the course the last five years and as all the video footage and thousand and witness can attest he has never responded with violence. The recent arrests of activists against the wall , like all previous attempts to criminalize and intimidate non-violent Palestinian resistance, is doomed to failure. The fact is the Apartheid Wall and the settlements built on Palestinian land are illegal under international law, in the case of our village even the biased Israeli court declared the route illegal. Yet instead of prosecuting the constructors of the Apartheid Wall and settlements Israel is prosecuting us for struggling nonviolently for our freedom.”

A military judge had ruled that Adib Abu Rahme be released with the condition of staying 100 meters from the Wall on Thursday, 16 July. But the military prosecution appealed then at 5:00 am on Sunday, 19 July, Israeli soldiers surrounded the home of journalist and film maker Imad Burnat, 37, pulling him from his home in front of his wife and four children, and pushing him into one of their vehicles. Imad was questioned by the Israeli secret service about his filming of the demonstrations in Bil’in and about Adib who frequently appears in his footage.The footage can be seen on http://www.bilin-village.org/english/videos/3090-Bilin-againts-the-Wall-a-film-by-Emad-Bornat. Clips from this “incriminating” footage was shown to the appeals Military appealls judge later that day. and the decision of the previous military judge was reversed.

In response, the Bil’in popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements is organizing a demonstration on Wednesday, 22 July 2009.

Activists respond to cellular phone campaign

Anat Shalev | YNet News

21 July 2009

Palestinians protestors and left-wing activists came up with an original response to a television ad for a local cellular phone company that angered and offended many in Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

At television commercial by Cellcom showed Israelis soldiers playing soccer with unseen Palestinians over the separation wall. Critics claimed that the ad reflected Israel’s total disregard for harsh reality in West Bank.

Last Friday, during their weekly demonstration in Bilin, the protestors passed soccer balls to the soldiers, in an attempt to reenact the highly controversial ad. However, instead of getting the balls back, the soldiers responded with tear gas and high-pressure water hoses.

One of the activists, Abdullah told Ynet: “We wanted to show everyone how the soldiers really behave, contrary to what was shown in the ad. This is a message from the protestors on what really goes on at the separation fence – this is what we get from the soldiers, tear gas.”

Hagai Matar, an Israeli activist, said that the violent atmosphere near the fence was far from resembling the pastoral, pleasant atmosphere reflected in the Cellcom advert.

“While the people of Bilin suffer from frequent and repeated harassments by the army, while the residents are subjected to nightly arrests, violence and tear gas, not only during rallies but also in their yards, the people of Bilin continue to use amusing and creative ways to protest the separation fence,” he said.

Israeli forces raid Bil’in, arrest member of Popular Committee

19 July 2009

At 5:30am, shortly after the Palestinian and international solidarity activists returned to their houses after patrolling the village all night, villagers gave the alert that four Israeli military jeeps were driving toward the village. Shortly thereafter, Israeli soldiers raided the house of Abd Al Fatah Bornat whose son, Muhammed Abd Al Fatah Bornat (age 21), they had arrested at 2am on July 17, 2009. His brother is also wanted by the occupation forces, but he was not at home this morning. The army left that home without making any arrests.

A few minutes later, they reached the house of Emad Bornat whom they arrested. Palestinian residents and international activists tried to block the path to the jeep where the soldiers were about to take the victim. They were pushed back violently by the army so that any attempt to de-arrest Emad was futile. As the jeep was about to drive off, the activists marched in a chain in front of it, preventing its escape. Soldiers in a second jeep then threw sound bombs and tear gas at the activists which made them disperse allowing the jeep to escape. The three remaining jeeps followed under a rain of rocks thrown by the villagers. They drove through the village while activists followed. After stopping at an intersection, soldiers took extensive video footage of all the activists. All the Jeeps then turned back and left the village with the victim.

The situation is extremely serious for Emad Bornat. He is currently undergoing medical treatment after a very bad tractor accident; which was caused because he had to pass a steep hill on the way to his land because he was forced to go through the Apartheid Wall. It is vital for him to continue receiving this treatment.

Ni’lin demonstrates against the Apartheid Wall

demonstrators escape tear-gas canisters in Ni'lin
demonstrators escape tear-gas canisters in Ni'lin

17 July 2009

The village of Ni’lin once again assembled for its weekly demonstration against the Israeli Apartheid Wall, which continues to cut residents off from their land and the surrounding areas.

Roughly 100 Palestinians and solidarity activists joined each other and marched towards the Wall, in the direction of the Hashmon’im settlement. The demonstrators chanted and sung but before long the main body of the protest was fired upon with large amounts of tear gas, dispersing the crowds across the adjacent fields. The Israeli armed forces entered the Palestinian land and continued with excessive amounts of tear gas, sound grenades and rubber coated steel bullets. A truck was readied to spray people with a foul smelling chemical mixture, but was not used as no one was close enough for the canons to be effective.

At various points soldiers advanced from different directions, often at speed, breaking up the protesters only for them to reconvene and begin flying flags and chanting once again.

The demonstration finished at around 3.30pm, with no serious injuries reported but with many treated for gas inhalation and one man receiving aid for a head injury after being hit with a tear gas canister.

Israeli forces commonly use tear-gas canisters, rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition against demonstrators.

To date, Israeli occupation forces have murdered 5 Palestinian residents and critically injured 1 international solidarity activist during unarmed demonstrations in Ni’lin. In total, 19 people have been killed during demonstrations against the Wall.

  • 5 June 2009: Yousef Akil Srour (36) was shot in the chest with 0.22 caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 13 March 2009: Tristan Anderson (37), an American citizen, was shot in the head with a high velocity tear gas projectile. He is currently at Tel Hashomer hospital with an unknown
  • 28 December 2008: Mohammed Khawaje (20) was shot in the head with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition. He died in a Ramallah hospital 3 days later on 31 December 2008.
  • 28 December 2008: Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22) was shot in the back with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 30 July 2008: Yousef Amira (17) was shot in the head with two rubber coated steel bullets. He died in a Ramallah hospital 5 days later on 4 August 2008.
  • 29 July 2008: Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.

In total, 38 people have been shot by Israeli forces with live ammunition in Ni’lin: 9 were shot with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and 29 were shot with 0.22 caliber live ammunition.

Since May 2008, residents of Ni’lin have been organizing and participating in unarmed demonstrations against construction of the Apartheid Wall. Despite being deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, the Occupation continues to build the Wall, further annexing Palestinian land.

Ni’lin will lose approximately 2,500 dunums of agricultural land when construction of the Wall is completed. Israel annexed 40,000 of Ni’lin’s 58,000 dunums in 1948. After the occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the illegal settlements and infrastructure of Kiryat Sefer, Mattityahu and Maccabim were built on village lands and Ni’lin lost another 8,000 dunums. Of the remaining 10,000 dunums, the Occupation will confiscate 2,500 for the Wall and 200 for a tunnel to be built under the segregated settler-only road 446. Ni’lin will be left with 7,300 dunums.

The current entrance to the village will be closed and replaced by a tunnel to be built under Road 446. This tunnel will allow for the closure of the road to Palestinian vehicles, turning road 446 into a segregated settler-only road . Ni’lin will be effectively split into 2 parts (upper Ni’lin and lower Ni’lin), as road 446 runs between the village. The tunnel is designed to give Israeli occupation forces control of movement over Ni’lin residents, as it can be blocked with a single military vehicle.

Bil’in continues demonstrations amidst Israeli arrest campaign

Bil’in Popular Committee

17 July 2009

Bil’in citizens went out after the Friday pray to participate in the weekly demonstration, were a group of international and Israeli are joining them. Demonstrators hold up the Palestinian flags and banners against the wall and the occupation, land confiscation, siege, killing people and children in addition to the night arresting.

The gathering was at the center of Bil’in toward the wall, where also members of the Palestinian popular struggle front participated in the demonstration. Thus, they are celebrating their 42nd anniversary. Mr. Ghazy Nabali a member of the front party, has expressed his support to the popular struggle, against the land confiscation, and building the wall and settlements.

The demonstrators were able to reach the wall area, shouting against the wall and the Israeli soldiers who are shooting the Palestinian and attacking the village at night. The demonstrators were dressing a plastic dresses, hats, gloves, and masks in order not to be affect by the chemical water with a very bad smell that the Israeli are using now against them.

The Israeli soldiers started to spray the dirty water by hoses, where the water mixed with chemical and biological materials, which make it smells very bad, furthermore demonstrators started to throw up because of using this stinky water. The Israeli has used this dirty water before one year, then they stopped using it after the intervention of international human rights organizations. Before that, the Israeli have used colored water mixed with gaz. In addition to new weapons such as different kinds of the tear gas, live bullets, scream, sponge, salt balls, and green beans bags, which all-new names for dangerous weapons.

On the other hand, the popular committee condemns the continuous attack against the activists through the nigh arresting, which is targeting everyone participating in the demonstration against the wall. While the Israeli soldiers attacked Bil’in village last night, to arrest Muhammad Abdel Fatah Burnat (21 years). and Basel Naeem Burnat (19 years) next to the checkpoint near Bil’in, and Tamer Omar Khateeb (23 years), on his way to Jordan. The arrested people were moved to the detention center in O’ffer close to Rammalah. Within the last three weeks, 16 were arrested including one Israeli and one American.

From the other side, the military Israeli court in O’ffer released the activist Adeeb Abu Rahma, with a condition of paying a 10, 000 NIS, while the military administrative refused the court order and asked to keep him in prison. Given that Abu Raham was arrested last Friday’s demonstration.