Villages popular comities against the separation fence cooperation with Israeli anarchists against the wall expanded from Bil'in to the south of Bethlehem. For about 4 years since the camp for join Israeli-Palestinian struggle against the separation fence at Masha, there were many joint actions between the Israeli AATW and village comities. Since the joint direct action against the fence at Zabuba three and a half year ago, many joint demonstrations and direct actions occurred at villages along the route of separation fences. The longest and most famous one is the struggle in Bil'in, the newest (for the last few months is in the region south of Bethlehem in which few villages are involved together (Um Salmuna, Artas, Beit Umar, and others).
In Bil'in, this Friday, the belligerence of the Israeli forces intensify. The new policy of not allowing the nonviolent demonstration to approach the route of the fence intensified. They returned to the policy they had the first half year or so of demonstrations where the Friday demonstrations were blocked from coming near the route.
(The first time we overcome it was in the big demonstration at the day the state forces tried to force curfew on the village, brought lot of forces to occupy the village, and tried to enforce the claim of the regional commander that there will not be any more demonstrations in Bil'in. After a about eleven hours of attrition struggle in the roads leading to the village and its streets, the state forces yielded, retreated from the village and the near by route of the separation fence... and we marched to the route... and we walked along it with out interference of the few state forces present.)
To day, when the demonstration of Palestinians, internationals, and Israelis of the AATW initiative just came near the foot of the hill the route is on its top, the barrage of tear gas canister was started.
Only very few of us who were in the front succeeded to come nearer to the soldiers who blocked the road and two of them (one Israeli and one of the village comity) were detained and released only hours later. The rest of us dispersed among the olive trees on the two sides of the road, trying to evade the tear gas grenades and approach the fence where it was possible - even for a short period.
The state forces tried to make the demonstration shorter so they showered us with plenty of gas grenades and added some shooting of metal bullets covered with rubber. One of them hit the ambulance while I was for a short time behind it...
Frustrated as they could not disperse us completely and confronted with stone throwing kids, teams of the state forces advanced to the fringe of the built area of the village and showered us with huge amount of tear gas. In non of the 110 demonstrations in Bil'in I participated the quantity of the tear gas was so high.
A house near the road - few of us were guests in, got a special treatment and after the attackers went away it was like a fortress an army tried to conquer with grenades...
For some twisted logic and demagogic purposes, the army spoke person issued a fabricated announcement that "the demonstration in Bil'in was very calm due to the absence of the Israeli activists who usually incite the Palestinians..." The fact is we were the usual number of Israeli activists, lately, as we divide between Bil'in and other Friday demonstrations against the fence.
A comrade responded in a post to our mailing list to that announcement:
"Funny, cause after most of the Israelis left...
Two shabab got lightly injured, the last houses of the village were surrounded by tear gas for close to an hour, including children suffering from gas, and a bit of contamination of farming plots that were otherwise organic.
One of the houses was especially hard hit by gas, with visible burn marks from the canisters on the door (that also lost it's handle), and a visit from the soldiers that reportedly included denying the residents (and an Israeli activist that got a gas canister thrown at her feet during negotiations) to get them to stop shooting so one of the injured could be transported outside for treatment.
From next door it seemed like a bad rock concert. And just like that, after the show, the band of soldiers magically retreated backstage into the valley then out the back door.
'Cause it's Friday, and there's nothing else to do.' ". R.
South of Bethlehem - the new focus of the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation.
First, the text of the invitation to participate distributed in the radical activists mailing lists:
"This coming Friday, May 25th the residents of the south of Bethlehem area will hold a large demonstration against the wall which separates them from Bethlehem and steals their lands.
This week the struggle reached the village of Artas, near Al Hader. It happened when the construction crews reached the fertile lands of the village. The reason for the planned route of the wall is the planned construction of two new neighborhoods in the settlement stretching from it's current border to the route of the wall.
Early Sunday morning the bulldozers destroyed an entire orchard of apricot trees in spite of attempts by villagers and other activists who slept on the land. IDF soldiers continued their work as farmers wept at the site of their ancestral land being torn up.
Naturally, the next day, the villagers responded by holding a demonstration on the land where the trees stood. Just as naturally, in the context of the Israeli occupation, the private security guards employed at the site by the Ministry of defense shot live ammunition at demonstrators and journalists. Likewise, it was just as natural for the soldiers who arrived later to befriend the shooters and arrest 3 Palestinians including the owner of the land on trumped up charges of assault.
The popular committee against the wall and the settlement of the south Bethlehem area invites you to join the protest march against the wall of racist separation and of theft. The demonstration will begin at Um Salamuna, with a soccer game on the path of the wall, and will conclude at the village of Artas.
Please register in advance for the demonstration
From Jerusalem: S. 054-XXXXXXX
From Tel Aviv: I. 052-XXXXXXX"
Following is a report of an activist of the ISM:
"Greek human rights worker arrested at demonstration against land destruction in Artas, Bethlehem
Today, May 25th, the residents of the south of Bethlehem area held a large demonstration against Israel's Apartheid Wall which separates them from Bethlehem and steals their lands. The demonstration started in the village of Umm Salamuna, where Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals held a soccer game on the path of the Wall.
From there, at least 150 Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists made their way to the village of Artas to protest Israel's land destruction. This was a non-violent demonstration, aimed at reaching the land of the Abu Swai family, which soldiers claimed today was a “closed military zone. After Friday prayers on the land, the non-violent demonstrators attempted to cross the barricade of Israeli soldiers. The army responded with force. George, an activist from Greece, was arrested and is currently being held in an Israeli jail in Hebron.
Martinez described the incident: “The demonstrators were completely non-violent. Not a single stone was thrown. But the soldiers started to beat and kick people. I saw at least two people being choked by soldiers. Then they went after George. He wasn't doing anything but they arrested him anyways.
An Israeli activist heard one of the detaining officers say that George was being arrested for “assault.
After half an hour, the demonstrators sat on the ground affront the soldiers, refusing to leave the area. The demonstrators all then began shouting, “We want George! We want George!
The army, however, placed George in a police jeep and escorted him to the police station in Hebron.
According to Gaby Lasky, George's lawyer, George will be taken to court tomorrow afternoon or evening in Jerusalem. The judge will hear the charges brought against George, including assaulting soldiers and disrupting soldiers' work. Video footage disproving the charges has been obtained and will soon be in the hands of George's lawyer and also the Greek consulate, to be used in George's favor at the trial tomorrow.
Earlier this week, the struggle reached the village of Artas, near Al Hader. It happened when Israeli construction crews reached the fertile lands of the village. The reason for the planned route of the wall is for the construction of two new neighborhoods in the illegal settlement of Efrata, stretching from it's current border to the route of the wall.
Early Sunday morning, an Israeli bulldozer destroyed an entire orchard of apricot trees in spite of attempts by villagers and other activists who slept on the land to stop it. Occupation soldiers continued their work and ate sandwiches as farmers wept at the site of their ancestral land being ripped apart. Three Palestinians were arrested the following day for continuing to protest the land destruction. They have all recently been released.
(Video and photos of land destruction here: http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2007/05/21/in-the-belly-of-the-wailing-democracy-called-israel/)
Video of today's action available upon request.
For more information, contact: ISM Media Office, 0599-943-157, 0542-103-657"
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation - Bil'in and Um Salmuna 19 May 2007
This Friday the theme of the demonstration in Bil'in was the Nacba. This week there was 99 years to the formal robbery of most of the Palestinian lands by the Israeli settler colonialists with blessing of the United Nation and the big imperial powers. We marched at noon on the road leading to the route of the separation fence - Palestinians from the village and the region; international activists; Israelis organized by the anarchists against the wall (AATW) initiative; and media workers of all kinds. Among the participants from Ramalla, were people of the Popular Democratic Front (of Naif Hawatme). One of them was old enough to remember the exchanging of texts between their journals and the Israeli antiauthoritarian anti capitalist (anti Zionist) journal Matspen....
Most of the marchers carried small placards - each with the name of one of the about 500 villages destroyed in 1948 by the Israeli expansionist forces.
When we arrived at the foot of the hill on its top is located the gate to the robed lands on the other side of the separation fence, we encountered a line of barbed wire and lot of soldiers half the way up the hill. Their commander declared with the loudspeaker that there is a military closed space just behind the barbed wire. He warned with retaliation and arrest people who will cross the line.
The people at the head moved aside the barbed wire spool and continued to advance - and got immediately a shower of tear gas canisters.
The tear gas deter most of the people who retreated a hundred meters and dispersed among the olive trees on the side of the road. A small group of comrades who succeeded to march up the hill got a special sower of tear gas and was forced to join the rest of us.
For more than two hours there were waves of people regrouping and advancing a bit, and showers of tear gas forcing us to retreat. At some point, olive trees in the groove were set on fire by the shooting of tear gas grenades, and demonstrators worked to extinguish the fire in spite of the tear gas.
In their efforts to disperse the demonstration soldiers even invaded the fringe of the built area of the village.
After the fires were extinguished the demonstration was ended. I could see one comrade carrying a 20 liter bucket full of tear gas canisters as a kind of trophy - a small part of the hundreds fired on us this day.
======================
Um Salmuna - Report of a Participant:
"We met around 12:30 near the village Um Salmuna - about 20 Israelis of the AATW and others, 20 internationals and about 50 Palestinians. The Israeli army "delegation" was accompanied by police and border gendarmes - at least 100 of these.
At about 1:00 the Palestinian had there the midday prayer, and at its end we marched towards the village lands confiscated for the building of the separation fence. The state forces blocked our way. We tried to advance in spit of their resistance, and they detained two of the Israeli activists.
The demonstration continued there till the state forces went away. Then, the demonstrators took another way toward the route of the separation fence is in built there. We succeeded to fell down part of the infrastructure of the separation fence already constructed.
The Israeli activists were released later from Kiriat Arba (occupied Hebron) police station on third side bail after formally accused of attacking soldiers and dis obeying the decry of closed military Zone."
Most of the marchers carried small placards - each with the name of one of the about 500 villages destroyed in 1948 by the Israeli expansionist forces.
When we arrived at the foot of the hill on its top is located the gate to the robed lands on the other side of the separation fence, we encountered a line of barbed wire and lot of soldiers half the way up the hill. Their commander declared with the loudspeaker that there is a military closed space just behind the barbed wire. He warned with retaliation and arrest people who will cross the line.
The people at the head moved aside the barbed wire spool and continued to advance - and got immediately a shower of tear gas canisters.
The tear gas deter most of the people who retreated a hundred meters and dispersed among the olive trees on the side of the road. A small group of comrades who succeeded to march up the hill got a special sower of tear gas and was forced to join the rest of us.
For more than two hours there were waves of people regrouping and advancing a bit, and showers of tear gas forcing us to retreat. At some point, olive trees in the groove were set on fire by the shooting of tear gas grenades, and demonstrators worked to extinguish the fire in spite of the tear gas.
In their efforts to disperse the demonstration soldiers even invaded the fringe of the built area of the village.
After the fires were extinguished the demonstration was ended. I could see one comrade carrying a 20 liter bucket full of tear gas canisters as a kind of trophy - a small part of the hundreds fired on us this day.
======================
Um Salmuna - Report of a Participant:
"We met around 12:30 near the village Um Salmuna - about 20 Israelis of the AATW and others, 20 internationals and about 50 Palestinians. The Israeli army "delegation" was accompanied by police and border gendarmes - at least 100 of these.
At about 1:00 the Palestinian had there the midday prayer, and at its end we marched towards the village lands confiscated for the building of the separation fence. The state forces blocked our way. We tried to advance in spit of their resistance, and they detained two of the Israeli activists.
The demonstration continued there till the state forces went away. Then, the demonstrators took another way toward the route of the separation fence is in built there. We succeeded to fell down part of the infrastructure of the separation fence already constructed.
The Israeli activists were released later from Kiriat Arba (occupied Hebron) police station on third side bail after formally accused of attacking soldiers and dis obeying the decry of closed military Zone."
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Palestine-Israel, Friday joint struggles against the separation fence and occupation. 12 May 2007
In Bil'in the brutality of state force escalate. It is on the background of a storm in the media last few days about the assault of military Captain and his unit on activist of the the anarchists against the wall (AATW) and other participant in an action of removing a road block and demo at Dhaharriya (Near Hebron). The theme of the Friday demo of 11th May in Bil'in (the 118th) was the protesting of the Israeli state persecution of the Israeli Palestinian member of parliament Azmi Bashara. The demonstration of the usual participants - Palestinians from the village and the region, internationals, and Israeli of AATW - marched on the road leading to the gate in the separation fence used to rob more than half of the lands of the village. The march and the chanting was peacefully till we arrived at the bottom of the hill the gate is on its top.
As in the last few weeks since the new Israeli occupation regional commander was replaced, we found there a spool of razor wire blocking the road and Israeli state forces half the way up the hill. The commander shouted in his lowed speaker that the wire mark a closed military zone and threatened to punish us if any one will try to cross it.
As usual the ones in the head of the demonstration crossed that line and in spite of shower of tear gas shooting advanced up the hill, while the rest of us retreated a bit. When the bolder member reached the soldiers they were warned that they will be arrested if not going away. As they refused, the state force detained 10 activists - 6 Palestinians and 4 Israelis, all released after the end of the demonstration.
While the comrades were near the soldiers they could not use against them tear gas, so they used other means instead.... Adib Abu Rahme - Palestinian activist from Bil'in, was shot with rubber bullets from about 3 meters distance today during the demo in Bil'in. He was shot for no apparent reason. (It was also against the Israeli law about the range and body part "legitimate" for such act.) He is of course Palestinian so it didn't make as much noise as the Dhaharriya incident. Anyway, since he was shot from such a close range, the two bullets that hit him, one in each thigh, penetrated, and he had to be operated. He is hospitalized in the Sheikh Zayed hospital in Ramallah, and will have to remain in the hospital for at least two days.
When the state force were in it, they continue to shoot tear gas canisters and rubber coated bullets to force the rest of the participants to retreat all the way back to the outskirts of the village.
=======================
In the other two Friday joint demonstrations - in Yata and Um Salmuna, things were quieter. In the demo near Um Salmuna, it was just a mild pushing and pushing back with Israeli soldiers who blocked the way of the demonstration.
As in the last few weeks since the new Israeli occupation regional commander was replaced, we found there a spool of razor wire blocking the road and Israeli state forces half the way up the hill. The commander shouted in his lowed speaker that the wire mark a closed military zone and threatened to punish us if any one will try to cross it.
As usual the ones in the head of the demonstration crossed that line and in spite of shower of tear gas shooting advanced up the hill, while the rest of us retreated a bit. When the bolder member reached the soldiers they were warned that they will be arrested if not going away. As they refused, the state force detained 10 activists - 6 Palestinians and 4 Israelis, all released after the end of the demonstration.
While the comrades were near the soldiers they could not use against them tear gas, so they used other means instead.... Adib Abu Rahme - Palestinian activist from Bil'in, was shot with rubber bullets from about 3 meters distance today during the demo in Bil'in. He was shot for no apparent reason. (It was also against the Israeli law about the range and body part "legitimate" for such act.) He is of course Palestinian so it didn't make as much noise as the Dhaharriya incident. Anyway, since he was shot from such a close range, the two bullets that hit him, one in each thigh, penetrated, and he had to be operated. He is hospitalized in the Sheikh Zayed hospital in Ramallah, and will have to remain in the hospital for at least two days.
When the state force were in it, they continue to shoot tear gas canisters and rubber coated bullets to force the rest of the participants to retreat all the way back to the outskirts of the village.
=======================
In the other two Friday joint demonstrations - in Yata and Um Salmuna, things were quieter. In the demo near Um Salmuna, it was just a mild pushing and pushing back with Israeli soldiers who blocked the way of the demonstration.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Israeli Forces Attack Activists After They Open Roadblock in Palestine near Daharya Israeli Media raged. 10 May 2007
Today for the second time this week internationals from Palestine Solidarity Project and Israeli activists of the anarchists against the wall initiative joined the people of Dhahariya to open the roadblock that prohibits them from accessing the main road to Hebron and the rest of Palestine. The same people first opened the roadblock on May 3rd, but after two days it was closed by the Israeli Occupation Forces. Today, the people were determined to open it again. Nearly 100 Palestinians and 10 Israeli and international activists pushed, pulled, and rolled 4 large cement blocks out of the path of the road, which has been blocked since the early 1990's.
Activists cheered as the first taxi drove through walked down the road with it towards the highway where one Israeli military jeep was waiting. Though the taxi was forced at that time to turn around, the people stayed in the street, chanting 'la, la, ichtilal' ('no, no, occupation').
When two more jeeps arrived the demonstrators all sat on the ground, illustrating that the action was completely non-violent. As they stood up to leave, still chanting, the Israeli soldiers attacked.
Today, a army car with 5 reservists soldiers with a captain commander arrived where the people dismantled the road block. They attacked brutally the activists who have not retreated. The officer in charge brutally attacked one Israeli activist, B, ramming the muzzle of his gun into the activist's chest, knocking him to the ground and immediately causing a large bruise on his chest. Soldiers then shot in the air with live ammunition and chased the Palestinians, beating them from behind as they moved back behind the newly opened roadblock. The Israeli and international activists attempted to make a buffer between the soldiers and the Palestinians and were successful; the soldiers then turned on them.
The soldiers never gave any particular orders, they simply went on a rampage. One Israeli activist, M, was repeatedly kicked and chased around the area by a soldier. An international activist was choked, by the same commanding officer who attacked B, as she was filming and another Israeli activist was thrown against a car and also choked.
After kicking, punching and beating the Israeli and international activists with their guns, they focused on M. Once again, the commanding officer grabbed him and threw him to the ground where he was viciously kicked and beaten. As other Israeli and international activists attempted to protect him, they, too, were punched and pushed to the ground. The soldiers then grabbed M by his throat, twisted his arm behind his back, slammed him into the side of the jeep and then threw him into the back of the jeep, kidnapping him. Israeli soldiers have no jurisdiction over other Israeli citizens, it was completely illegal for them to take the Israeli activist. Afraid of what the soldiers intended to do with M, some Israeli activists followed the jeep in their car. M was taken to the nearby settlement Bet Haggai. The soldiers told the guards not to let the trailing Israeli car in, and drove M into the settlement. He was then let go and the soldiers sped away.
Meanwhile, the soldiers prevented a Red Crescent Ambulance from approaching the activists who had been injured. Basem 'Teed, 23, and Nidal Fasfoos, 15, were injured by being rammed in the chest and kidneys with the soldiers' rifles. People present were forced to carry them to the medics. The newly opened roadblock was immediately put to good use when another ambulance was able to approach the injured people from the other side. Both men were taken to the hospital in Hebron. The Israeli activist, B, was also treated and potentially has cracked ribs and internal bleeding. He went to the hospital in Tel Aviv. In all, 5 Palestinians, were injured and 2 Israeli activists were injured. Though the soldiers were excessively violent, the people left with high spirits, having successfully re-opened the roadblock.
Palestine Solidarity Project is a non-hierarchical Palestinian project with international volunteers that is dedicated to confronting the Israeli Occupation. Join us this summer!
http://Palestinesolidarityproject.org
The opening of the road block today differed from the previously three opened last week or so, where no physical confrontation with state force occurred. It was also in parallel to the demand of the US to dismantle most of the road blocks (Israel already promised to do along the last months.... It was also when the brutality of police against students on strike demonstrated was infuriating the media... and the brutality of the officer and soldiers against Israeli activists was without precedent. Thus, all the main media channels including the TV ones included it in their news programs.
This forced the authorities to promise that there will be investigation.
Activists cheered as the first taxi drove through walked down the road with it towards the highway where one Israeli military jeep was waiting. Though the taxi was forced at that time to turn around, the people stayed in the street, chanting 'la, la, ichtilal' ('no, no, occupation').
When two more jeeps arrived the demonstrators all sat on the ground, illustrating that the action was completely non-violent. As they stood up to leave, still chanting, the Israeli soldiers attacked.
Today, a army car with 5 reservists soldiers with a captain commander arrived where the people dismantled the road block. They attacked brutally the activists who have not retreated. The officer in charge brutally attacked one Israeli activist, B, ramming the muzzle of his gun into the activist's chest, knocking him to the ground and immediately causing a large bruise on his chest. Soldiers then shot in the air with live ammunition and chased the Palestinians, beating them from behind as they moved back behind the newly opened roadblock. The Israeli and international activists attempted to make a buffer between the soldiers and the Palestinians and were successful; the soldiers then turned on them.
The soldiers never gave any particular orders, they simply went on a rampage. One Israeli activist, M, was repeatedly kicked and chased around the area by a soldier. An international activist was choked, by the same commanding officer who attacked B, as she was filming and another Israeli activist was thrown against a car and also choked.
After kicking, punching and beating the Israeli and international activists with their guns, they focused on M. Once again, the commanding officer grabbed him and threw him to the ground where he was viciously kicked and beaten. As other Israeli and international activists attempted to protect him, they, too, were punched and pushed to the ground. The soldiers then grabbed M by his throat, twisted his arm behind his back, slammed him into the side of the jeep and then threw him into the back of the jeep, kidnapping him. Israeli soldiers have no jurisdiction over other Israeli citizens, it was completely illegal for them to take the Israeli activist. Afraid of what the soldiers intended to do with M, some Israeli activists followed the jeep in their car. M was taken to the nearby settlement Bet Haggai. The soldiers told the guards not to let the trailing Israeli car in, and drove M into the settlement. He was then let go and the soldiers sped away.
Meanwhile, the soldiers prevented a Red Crescent Ambulance from approaching the activists who had been injured. Basem 'Teed, 23, and Nidal Fasfoos, 15, were injured by being rammed in the chest and kidneys with the soldiers' rifles. People present were forced to carry them to the medics. The newly opened roadblock was immediately put to good use when another ambulance was able to approach the injured people from the other side. Both men were taken to the hospital in Hebron. The Israeli activist, B, was also treated and potentially has cracked ribs and internal bleeding. He went to the hospital in Tel Aviv. In all, 5 Palestinians, were injured and 2 Israeli activists were injured. Though the soldiers were excessively violent, the people left with high spirits, having successfully re-opened the roadblock.
Palestine Solidarity Project is a non-hierarchical Palestinian project with international volunteers that is dedicated to confronting the Israeli Occupation. Join us this summer!
http://Palestinesolidarityproject.org
The opening of the road block today differed from the previously three opened last week or so, where no physical confrontation with state force occurred. It was also in parallel to the demand of the US to dismantle most of the road blocks (Israel already promised to do along the last months.... It was also when the brutality of police against students on strike demonstrated was infuriating the media... and the brutality of the officer and soldiers against Israeli activists was without precedent. Thus, all the main media channels including the TV ones included it in their news programs.
This forced the authorities to promise that there will be investigation.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Israel, 40 Years is Enough! Six Days of Action against the Occupation of Palestine - June 6 1967 - Global Day of Action - June 2-12 ; 06 May 2007
The second week of June will mark forty years since the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Six Day war. This is now the longest enduring military occupation in the world. While the Israeli government evades negotiations that would end the occupation and lead to a just peace, the lives of Palestinians continue to be crushed daily by closures and economic strangulation, their land confiscated for settlements and their communities made into prisons by the Segregation Wall. --- At the same time, violence in the region continues to supply ideological fuel for the G8 governments in their War on Terror', explicitly declared as a never-ending, pre-emptive global war which justifies erasing civil liberties, supporting oppressive regimes, and attacking refugees and migrants. We are all victims of this war: in Palestine and Israel, in Iraq and in Colombia, in Germany and in the U.S.A.
With the occupation at forty it should be clear to all that its forceful hegemony cannot be resisted by established political means alone. This is both morally insufficient and doomed to practical failure. As a strategic and practical alternative, the "Occupation 40" coalition is calling for six days of actions to mark forty years of occupation, on June 6 to 12 2007. A Global Day of Action has also been called on June 9.
The coalition is a democratic and non-hierarchical action platform of grassroots Israeli groups and organizations. Peace organizations, artists, students' groups, internal refugees, anarchists, animal rights activists, communists* and individuals participate in this initiative. The six-day convergence in Israel will include demonstrations, direct actions, discussions and cultural events.
This is a call-out for international direct actions against the occupation on June 6-12. We call in particular for actions against corporations profiting directly from the occupation that publicly shame them and/or cause them economic damage. Information on corporations involved with the occupation is available from http://www.boycottisrael.co.uk and many other sources, including a recent report by War on Want available at http://www.waronwant.org/download.php?id=443.
We hope that actions will be organized to be decentralized and trust them to the initiative and self-organization of affinity groups around the world.These days of action fit well into this summer's international action calendar:
* June 5 - An international day of action against militarization, wars and occupations, in the run-up to the G8 summit in Germany. * June 6-8 - Protests against the G8, with the participation of Palestinian and Israeli activists and Palestine Solidarity groups from around Europe. * June 6-12 - 6 days of action against the Occupation, in Palestine/Israel and Internationally * June 9 - Rally in London, Global Day of Action Against the Occupation * June 10-11 - Protest, teach-in and lobby in Washington DC
Please distribute this call widely, and please organise for action with your groups and networks. We can use this symbolic moment to hit out at those who benefit and profit from the pain and despair in Palestine, and to send the Israeli and G8 governments a message they cannot ignore.
Kibush 40 Coalition:
Anarchists Against the Wall - http://awalls.org
Coalition of Women for Peace - http://coalitionofwomen.org
Gush Shalom - http://gush-shalom.org
Indymedia Israel - http://israel.indymedia.org
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions - http://icahd.org/
Machsom Watch - http://machsomwatch.org
Ta'ayush - http://taayush.org
Zochrot - http://nakbainhebrew.org
International links:
Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (USA) - http://endtheoccupation.org
Campaign Against Israeli Apartheid (Canada) - http://caiaweb.org
Enough Coalition (UK) - http://www.enoughoccupation.org
Kibush 40 coalition - http://www.kibush40.org
===================================
* In Israel, lot of anomalies occur day in and day out. The Israeli communist party that was following blindly the Russian Bolsheviks dictates, blessed the 1947 United Nation resolution that allocated half of Palestine to the Jewish minority of Zionist settler colonialist project in Palestine. As the Stalinist USSR recognized the state of Israel who took 75% of Palestine, land (their part and in addition half of what was allocated to the Palestinian state) the Israeli CP accepted that too.
After the dismantling of the Eastern block the ICP lost its economic backing and diminished quickly till it became nearly extinct in the Jewish population of Israel.
Last 10 years or so, have seen the ICP trying to be friendly towards the Israeli anarchists. They let them use the ICP place in Tel Aviv for punk gigs and other activities. When about 7 years ago the total refusnic activities collected momentum with anarchist activists involvement, they did not prevent their youth from participation (in contradiction to what they did 30 years ago to the first political refusnic initiative influenced by antiauthoritarians of the left).
When the Israeli Anarchists Against The wall started to collect momentum, the ICP joined the other initiatives who formed the coalition against the fence, in which the AATW is at the core.
By joining the "40 Years is Enough!" initiated by activists of the AATW they accepted the common base of non-hierarchical action platform, and a banner that does not call for two states. [I. S.]
With the occupation at forty it should be clear to all that its forceful hegemony cannot be resisted by established political means alone. This is both morally insufficient and doomed to practical failure. As a strategic and practical alternative, the "Occupation 40" coalition is calling for six days of actions to mark forty years of occupation, on June 6 to 12 2007. A Global Day of Action has also been called on June 9.
The coalition is a democratic and non-hierarchical action platform of grassroots Israeli groups and organizations. Peace organizations, artists, students' groups, internal refugees, anarchists, animal rights activists, communists* and individuals participate in this initiative. The six-day convergence in Israel will include demonstrations, direct actions, discussions and cultural events.
This is a call-out for international direct actions against the occupation on June 6-12. We call in particular for actions against corporations profiting directly from the occupation that publicly shame them and/or cause them economic damage. Information on corporations involved with the occupation is available from http://www.boycottisrael.co.uk and many other sources, including a recent report by War on Want available at http://www.waronwant.org/download.php?id=443.
We hope that actions will be organized to be decentralized and trust them to the initiative and self-organization of affinity groups around the world.These days of action fit well into this summer's international action calendar:
* June 5 - An international day of action against militarization, wars and occupations, in the run-up to the G8 summit in Germany. * June 6-8 - Protests against the G8, with the participation of Palestinian and Israeli activists and Palestine Solidarity groups from around Europe. * June 6-12 - 6 days of action against the Occupation, in Palestine/Israel and Internationally * June 9 - Rally in London, Global Day of Action Against the Occupation * June 10-11 - Protest, teach-in and lobby in Washington DC
Please distribute this call widely, and please organise for action with your groups and networks. We can use this symbolic moment to hit out at those who benefit and profit from the pain and despair in Palestine, and to send the Israeli and G8 governments a message they cannot ignore.
Kibush 40 Coalition:
Anarchists Against the Wall - http://awalls.org
Coalition of Women for Peace - http://coalitionofwomen.org
Gush Shalom - http://gush-shalom.org
Indymedia Israel - http://israel.indymedia.org
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions - http://icahd.org/
Machsom Watch - http://machsomwatch.org
Ta'ayush - http://taayush.org
Zochrot - http://nakbainhebrew.org
International links:
Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (USA) - http://endtheoccupation.org
Campaign Against Israeli Apartheid (Canada) - http://caiaweb.org
Enough Coalition (UK) - http://www.enoughoccupation.org
Kibush 40 coalition - http://www.kibush40.org
===================================
* In Israel, lot of anomalies occur day in and day out. The Israeli communist party that was following blindly the Russian Bolsheviks dictates, blessed the 1947 United Nation resolution that allocated half of Palestine to the Jewish minority of Zionist settler colonialist project in Palestine. As the Stalinist USSR recognized the state of Israel who took 75% of Palestine, land (their part and in addition half of what was allocated to the Palestinian state) the Israeli CP accepted that too.
After the dismantling of the Eastern block the ICP lost its economic backing and diminished quickly till it became nearly extinct in the Jewish population of Israel.
Last 10 years or so, have seen the ICP trying to be friendly towards the Israeli anarchists. They let them use the ICP place in Tel Aviv for punk gigs and other activities. When about 7 years ago the total refusnic activities collected momentum with anarchist activists involvement, they did not prevent their youth from participation (in contradiction to what they did 30 years ago to the first political refusnic initiative influenced by antiauthoritarians of the left).
When the Israeli Anarchists Against The wall started to collect momentum, the ICP joined the other initiatives who formed the coalition against the fence, in which the AATW is at the core.
By joining the "40 Years is Enough!" initiated by activists of the AATW they accepted the common base of non-hierarchical action platform, and a banner that does not call for two states. [I. S.]
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Palestine-Israel, the joint struggle against occupation and the separation fence continue - Bil'in, Ramalla, and Hebron regions 05 May 2007
It was the 117th Friday demonstration against the separation fence in Bil'in. The construction of the separation fence in the region already completed, but the struggle still continue. As the Israeli highest court of "justice" still have not gave its verdicts on the three cases related to Bil'in lands, there is also some hope for some gains in addition to the keeping the struggle against the separation fence presence in the focus of the media. For already 26 months, villagers from the West Bank village of Bil'in, neighbors, and people from the regional city Ramalla, together with international activists, and Israelis of the anarchists against the wall initiative (AATW) have been nonviolently protesting Every Friday the Israel's Apartheid fence and land theft it is used for.
This Friday, as usual, we started at noon the march to the route of the fence. Chants, songs, and slogans were sung as we marched on the road leading to route of the fence. There were with us even two members of the Tel Rumedia Circus for Detained Palestinians who showed up to lighten up the atmosphere and try to squeeze some smiles from the otherwise grumpy soldiers.
We made our way three quarters of the way to the Wall without incident. Then, up ahead in the distance, we could see a spool of barbed wire, at the foot of the hill the gate is at its top. The Israeli state force was posited half way between it and the top ready for action. When we arrived at the foot of the hill and started to go around the barbed wire the state forces entered into action. (It is a new strategy adopted by a new regional commander who decided to prevent the Friday demonstrators to come near the separation fence.)
As usual the last few weeks, they started to shower us with lot of tear gas grenades. As the direction of the wind was from the West to East (towards us) even the more daring among us could not penetrate it - not directly through the road, nor through the olive groove on its two sides. Many of us did not gave in. comrades regrouped and took a long detour through the olive groove to a point of the separation fence far away from the gate.
Once the comrades arrived at route of the separation fence, they placed tires and branches on the barbed wire and 30 comrades were able to make their way across the barbed wire and the first fence on the East side of the route the electronic fence run in its middle.
This small march made its way between fences towards the gate in the fence and Israeli forces. At first, the soldiers did not even notice the crowd until they were just meters away. When they were spotted, however, soldiers turned their fire from the olive grove and onto the pack of 30 but due to the topography and direction of wind, they failed to disperse them.
After some negotiating with the soldiers, the Palestinians were able to get the army to agree to let the thirty demonstrators exit through the main part of the wall, without shooting them. This is the location in the fence where, every week, we have been trying to reach.
----------------------------------
The week end joint struggle started this week on Thursday with dismantling two road blocks. Early in the day, The roadblock went tumbling down the gorge near Deir Ibzia, The usual crowd of Palestinians, internationals and Israelis of the AATW initiative did the first action.
"Villagers from Ras Karkar, Budrus, Beit Likya, Bilin, Deir Ibzia and other villages marched towards an intersection on the main road to Ramallah which until 7 years ago used to serve about 15 villages in the area. The part of the road which is blocked connects the Palestinian villages of Ras Karkar and Deir Ibzia and does not lead to Israel or to a settlement. Its use is just for fragmenting the Palestinian lands into small Bantustans. Because of the obstacle, the villagers were forced to drive about 45 minutes along an alternate road instead of 15 minutes along the direct route to get to Ramallah. Two weeks ago the alternate road was also closed making the trip take and hour and a quarter and cost about 15 shekels instead of 3 - 5. In response, the villagers decided to open up the main road which has been closed by concrete slabs.
At a demonstration, along with Israelis and Internationals, the Palestinian villagers faced off against a group of soldiers who seemed eager to provoke a violent confrontation. The organizers of the demonstration decided not to grant their wishes and managed to prevent a confrontation. After asserting their right and ability to stay on the road the demonstrators decided to head back. Along the way back, when the concrete slabs blocking the road were reached, they were grabbed by the crowd which tried to push them to the side. The blocks seemed immovable at first but with some ingenuity and shouts of Allah Huw Akbar! the blocks were finally rolled away and tumbled down into the gorge.
For the first time in 7 years, cars were able to drive up from Ras Karkar directly to Deir Ibzia and were still passing through when the demonstrators left.
Israel is working on the creation of 16 tunnels which would create an apartheid' road network for Palestinians in the West Bank. Many existing main roads are reserved for settlers and Israelis, linking settlements to each other and to Israel. This forces Palestinians into circuitous traveling routes.
For more information contact the head of the Ras Karkar village council Rezik Nofal
---------------------------------
The second road block removal was towards the end of the day, in Hebron region with a similar crowd of activists. About 80 people converged at the road block preventing the direct travel out of the small township of Daharia. Till Thursday evening people had to travel in a long detour of more than a hour when they wanted to reach any place out of their place. The action organized by the local comity and members of AATW met an abortive effort of a small team of Israel soldiers who were overwhelmed by the big crowd and failed to prevent the dismantle the old road block existing there since the first Intifada.
This Friday, as usual, we started at noon the march to the route of the fence. Chants, songs, and slogans were sung as we marched on the road leading to route of the fence. There were with us even two members of the Tel Rumedia Circus for Detained Palestinians who showed up to lighten up the atmosphere and try to squeeze some smiles from the otherwise grumpy soldiers.
We made our way three quarters of the way to the Wall without incident. Then, up ahead in the distance, we could see a spool of barbed wire, at the foot of the hill the gate is at its top. The Israeli state force was posited half way between it and the top ready for action. When we arrived at the foot of the hill and started to go around the barbed wire the state forces entered into action. (It is a new strategy adopted by a new regional commander who decided to prevent the Friday demonstrators to come near the separation fence.)
As usual the last few weeks, they started to shower us with lot of tear gas grenades. As the direction of the wind was from the West to East (towards us) even the more daring among us could not penetrate it - not directly through the road, nor through the olive groove on its two sides. Many of us did not gave in. comrades regrouped and took a long detour through the olive groove to a point of the separation fence far away from the gate.
Once the comrades arrived at route of the separation fence, they placed tires and branches on the barbed wire and 30 comrades were able to make their way across the barbed wire and the first fence on the East side of the route the electronic fence run in its middle.
This small march made its way between fences towards the gate in the fence and Israeli forces. At first, the soldiers did not even notice the crowd until they were just meters away. When they were spotted, however, soldiers turned their fire from the olive grove and onto the pack of 30 but due to the topography and direction of wind, they failed to disperse them.
After some negotiating with the soldiers, the Palestinians were able to get the army to agree to let the thirty demonstrators exit through the main part of the wall, without shooting them. This is the location in the fence where, every week, we have been trying to reach.
----------------------------------
The week end joint struggle started this week on Thursday with dismantling two road blocks. Early in the day, The roadblock went tumbling down the gorge near Deir Ibzia, The usual crowd of Palestinians, internationals and Israelis of the AATW initiative did the first action.
"Villagers from Ras Karkar, Budrus, Beit Likya, Bilin, Deir Ibzia and other villages marched towards an intersection on the main road to Ramallah which until 7 years ago used to serve about 15 villages in the area. The part of the road which is blocked connects the Palestinian villages of Ras Karkar and Deir Ibzia and does not lead to Israel or to a settlement. Its use is just for fragmenting the Palestinian lands into small Bantustans. Because of the obstacle, the villagers were forced to drive about 45 minutes along an alternate road instead of 15 minutes along the direct route to get to Ramallah. Two weeks ago the alternate road was also closed making the trip take and hour and a quarter and cost about 15 shekels instead of 3 - 5. In response, the villagers decided to open up the main road which has been closed by concrete slabs.
At a demonstration, along with Israelis and Internationals, the Palestinian villagers faced off against a group of soldiers who seemed eager to provoke a violent confrontation. The organizers of the demonstration decided not to grant their wishes and managed to prevent a confrontation. After asserting their right and ability to stay on the road the demonstrators decided to head back. Along the way back, when the concrete slabs blocking the road were reached, they were grabbed by the crowd which tried to push them to the side. The blocks seemed immovable at first but with some ingenuity and shouts of Allah Huw Akbar! the blocks were finally rolled away and tumbled down into the gorge.
For the first time in 7 years, cars were able to drive up from Ras Karkar directly to Deir Ibzia and were still passing through when the demonstrators left.
Israel is working on the creation of 16 tunnels which would create an apartheid' road network for Palestinians in the West Bank. Many existing main roads are reserved for settlers and Israelis, linking settlements to each other and to Israel. This forces Palestinians into circuitous traveling routes.
For more information contact the head of the Ras Karkar village council Rezik Nofal
---------------------------------
The second road block removal was towards the end of the day, in Hebron region with a similar crowd of activists. About 80 people converged at the road block preventing the direct travel out of the small township of Daharia. Till Thursday evening people had to travel in a long detour of more than a hour when they wanted to reach any place out of their place. The action organized by the local comity and members of AATW met an abortive effort of a small team of Israel soldiers who were overwhelmed by the big crowd and failed to prevent the dismantle the old road block existing there since the first Intifada.
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