Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Rough translation of report on the murder in Ni'ilin in the Sunday 26-12-08 shooting, written for Btselem by an AAtW member

"I wrote down the details of what happened for Btselem and thought that people on the list may be interested too... Hebrew only, sorry."
On Sunday, the 28/12/08 there was in Ni'ilin a demonstration in protest of the massacre in Gaza. Very fast the demonstration escalated into confrontations in few locations between the army & gendarmes that shoot bullets covered with rubber & tear gas and villagers that threw stones on the state force.

The biggest focus of confrontation was in the main entrance to the village, near the intersection between road 446 and road 4460, and there were concentrated lot of gendarmes. A second focus was a bit to the south-west of the 4460 in an olive plantation adjacent to the village houses. The most marginal building - a poultry, is already within the olive plantation and around it were confrontations. The soldiers were on one side of the poultry and the demonstrators - about 15-30 young villagers on the other side.

I stood near the second focus of confrontation, about 30-40 meters from the stone throwers.

For a long while the state force used tear gas and rubber coated bullets. [which are much less lethal - I.S] At a certain moment, the noise of shooting changed into that of non automatic live ammunition (based on my experience). I approached to the stone throwing people to warn them that the state force started to use live ammunition.

At that moment, the demonstrators stood behind a high pile of stones adjacent to the poultry and about 4-5 soldiers who were about 20 meter from them, were walking freely to and fro behind a low field wall ("terasa").

It was clear from their behavior they did not perceive any danger to their life*. The shooting of live ammunition (not upward in the air) continued for few minutes.

Because of the danger, after warning few of the youth there of the danger I started to retreat backwards looking all the time towards the confrontation. After about 5 meters of retreat one of the demonstrators was hit in his leg. I run to him and was the second to reach him. We carried him about 15 meters backwards, towards a team of para-medics who were there. About 30 seconds or less passed and we heard shouts about another casualty. I run back but half way I saw four people carrying a limp body - a person that was shut at his back and seemed dead. Later I learned it was Arafat Khauagha.

I looked at the location where the people were shot and I have seen another one shot at and collapsing. The people around him carried him and cried that he was shot at his head. Later I learned that his name is Muhamad Khawaga.

The fire continued. The head of the injured was covered with blood that was flowing in a big stream. The people who were carrying him were covered with his blood.

I run towards Arafat Khawaga and replaced one of these who carried him. I held his left shoulder and his head so it will not be shaken. My hand that held his shoulder and back was covered with his blood. Then, one of the youth replaced me. There was no ambulance at that place at the moment and he was evacuated in a car of one of the villagers. The ambulance arrived a minute later and evacuated the other three injured ones to the Ramallah hospital.

I will stress again that the use of live ammunition was not of short duration and was not because of any distress of the soldiers that could have been interpreted as threatening their live[**].
The duration of that shooting was along few minutes in which the soldiers were behind a cover with out retreating. In addition, a short distance from them there was a much bigger force - tens of border guard gendarmes, that had not come "to save them" - proving that no danger was felt there.

In addition, Araphat Khawaga was shot at his back, meaning his back was towards the soldiers while he was shot at - hardly any threat to them at all.

====================
** The spokesperson of the Israeli army declare each time the state forces murder a Palestinian that
"they were just protecting themselves as there was a threat on their lives..."

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Palestine-Israel, joint struggles the AAtW participated in Friday on the eave of the savage onslaught and on Saturday to protest it

This week the focus was on the Friday demonstrations against the separation fence in Bil'in - the 201st one, in Ni'ilin - the eighth month, in Um Salmuna - nearing the two years anniversary. Some of the comrades that could not come to the demonstrations in the Palestinian areas participated in that of the coalition of the radical left in Tel Aviv against the approaching Israeli onslaught on Gaza - that materialized Saturday noon. Friday noon near the road block on the outskirt of Ni'ilin, there was also another demonstration - that of the youth of the Licud party (probably the ruling one after the coming February election) which was widely promoted in the media during the week. They demonstrated against the anarchists against the wall initiative (AAtW) and the Palestinians who make troubles to the Israeli state forces in the demonstration against the separation fence.


BIL'IN

In Bil'in demo there were four main themes - one was the new year represented with a nice Santa Claus. Another was a big placard printed on it: "Salyut to the Israeli Sministim" meaning Salyut to the graduates of initiative of the high school graduates total refusenics of this year - nearly all of them also participated in the struggle against the separation fence and occupation in Bi'lin.
The other themes were expressed mainly in chants.

Following is an excerpt from report of Eyad Bornat of the Bil'in popular comity:

"Santa Clause Against The Wall in Bil'in
Friday 26\12\2008 - Bil'in residents left after the Friday prayer in a march joined by international and Israeli peace activists. Waving Palestinian flags, and banners against the Israeli occupation. The protest today was solidarity with Palestinian families inside Israeli jails especially Juma'a Muosa's family and Ahmad Sa’dat and Ofers' detainees. The Popular committee condemned the violence against the detainees inside Israeli prisons.

The protesters marched, chanting slogans of the same substance, and another calling the Israeli activists to refuse serving in the military. The protest also condemned the arrest of Israeli refuseniks and demanded their release.


UM SALMUNA

In Um Salmuna the demonstration this week excelled these of previous weeks as about 200 people from the wide region of the south of Palestine joined the usual ones.

Following is a call following the Israeli attack at noon on Gaza:


TEL AVIV

TODAY WE STOP THE WAR
CINEMATEQUE SQUARE, TEL AVIV
18:00 - PUBLIC EMERGENCY MEETING, OPEN TO ALL ACTIVISTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC
19:30 - PROTEST MARCH AND DEMONSTRATION

About thousand activists of the coalition against the occupation converged at the Cinemateque square. As hundreds of state force prevented us from going to the center of town we marched towards the compound of the war ministry. There we chanted for about three hours and few activists of the AAtW who tried to block the road were arrested.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Palestine-Israel, AAtW activists in struggle both the occupied territories and in Israel

The Friday demonstrations against the separation fence we joined were as usual: Bil'in, Um Salmuna, Ni'ilin, and the resuming village Jayyous. In Bil'in it was th 200th demo nearing the 4 years anniversary at February. On the way to Jayyous and Ni'ilin road blocked of the Israeli state force road blocks made it hard to arrive... but not too hard. In the refusnics front Yuval Oron-Ofir was sentenced on yesterday (14 Dec.) to additional 21 days in military prison for his refusal to serve, joined again Tamar Katz, and Raz Bar-David Varon, who are held in the military prison for women.
Thursday we held another demonstration in their support. Excerpt of Haaretz daily article: "About 200 demonstrated in front of the "Kirya" - the security ministry compound in solidarity with the refusnics in jail, as part of the international day of solidarity with occupation refusnics..."

And The Yediot Aharonot on-line:

Leftists urge Barak to free conscientious objectors

Leftist protesters backed by thousands of Jews worldwide demonstrate outside Defense Ministry

Dozens of people gathered outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv Thursday evening to support conscientious objectors who refuse to join the IDF.

The demonstrators sought to present Defense Minister Ehud Barak with letters written by about 20,000 supportive Jews from around the world. The rally coincided with the international day of solidarity with conscientious objectors. Meanwhile, Amnesty International again declared that jailing individuals who act on their conscience violates the United Nations' human rights convention.

Roughly 20,000 Jews residing worldwide relayed letters through Jewish groups in an effort to secure the release of the objectors. One of the protest organizers, Shimri Tzameret, said that "three occupation objectors are currently jailed in Israel."

One of the objectors, Raz Bar-David Baron, who is currently on vacation from prison, told Ynet that during her time in jail she could personally feel the "lack of freedom and helplessness of the Palestinians, who have no freedom when it comes to the smallest issues."

"The imprisonment merely served to reinforce my objection," she said.

Turning her attention to Israeli residents hit by Qassam rockets from Gaza, Bar-David Baron said she feels great empathy for Sderot residents and is fully familiar with their plight.

"We need to understand that they are suffering just like the Palestinian people are suffering," she said. "We need to understand that Sderot residents pay the price because we are unwilling to compromise and adopt the path of peace, and so the easy way is to adopt the path of war."

Video clip of the "Shminists" (high school graduates) refusnics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NVsdXH2XTM
A web site dedicated to the refusnics: www.december18th.org

JAYYOUS

Friday 12-12-08 link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz-a5O4s71M&feature=channel_page

BIL'IL

In Bil'in we had a bigger and livelier demonstration than usual. For the 200th demo joined us a big contingent from the region of the Front For Struggle with their mobile sound system. The theme of the demonstration was the Bus shoe trowing. Marchers held poles with shoes and Bus picture. Lot of old shoes were also carried in baskets. When we arrived at the gate to the route of the separation fence a kind of "negotiation" with the state force commander enabled us to enter the route and starting showering the state forces with shoes. After a while, the state force who were on the other side of the separation fence lost their tolerance and they started their usual harassment with tear gas and bullets covered with rubber. Our dedicated videographer got there his tenth bullet. (The state force do not like our videographers who often share their clips with the TV channels of Israel...)

The Israeli High Court accepted again an appeal by the residents of Bil'in two days ago against the route of the Israeli Annexation Wall which is confiscating a lot of farm lands from the village. The court ruled that the Israeli authorities should change the path of the wall according to the July 4, 2007 High Court decision - and not compromise it according to needs of enlarging the settlement as the state want. The court also ordered that the Israeli government should pay a fine of 10,000 NIS to the village representative.

Shoes Not Molotovs

Shoes Not Molotovs: a video and pictorial report from the weekly demonstration against the wall at Bilin, 19.12.08 https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9966/index.php
(Pictures also at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/activestills/ )
In Iraq they throw shoes at Bush. In Bilin they threw a similar contempt party yesterday against the aparthied wall and the servants of occupation.
To watch the video report go to the next link (by: Israel putermam)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3RWbF2B3SU

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle of the AAtW* and the Palestinians against the separation fence and occupation

The joint struggle against the separation fence this Friday was in Bil'in, Jayyous, and Ni'ilin. In Bil'in it was the 199th Friday demonstration started - with out even one miss, February 2005. In Jayyous, that was one of the first villages to struggle against the separation fence 6 years ago, seen last few weeks the resuming of the struggle. The state forces tried halfheartedly with out success to block the Israelis from arriving to the joint demonstration. At a certain point of the nonviolent demonstration the state forces broke their own rules and shoot live ammunition to the air - to frighten the demonstrators.

BIL'IN

In Bil'in,
Excerpt from member of the village popular comity:

"Bil'in residents left after Friday prayers in a massive march in which a group of international and Israeli peace activists and a delegation from the Bethlehem district for the Committee for Solidarity with the owners of confiscated land and areas affected by the wall, waving Palestinian flags, and banners glorifying the first Intifada - the popular uprising that started twenty years ago."

As usual the last few weeks, when we approached the gate to the route of the separation fence the state forces started to shower us with tear gas grenades. However, as the wind was changing frequently it often blew the tear gas away from us and even some times towards the state forces. As usual lately, few of us succeeded to reach the laundry of the route of the separation fence. We stayed there for a while and then regrouped and approached the route of the separation fence on another point. There we stayed for a while chanting and challenging the few soldiers present there till the state force reinforcement arrived and started to shower us again with tear gas.

At that point the popular comity activists declared the demonstration as ended, and we held a meeting circle with the contingent of activists from the Bethlehem district.
===================================
* The Anarchist Against the Wall initiative

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Palestine-Israel, An interesting week of joint struggle the AAtW initiative involvement

In addition to the Friday demonstrations against the separation fence in Bil'in, Ni'ilin and Um Salmuna we were involved a lot in the South. Due to the settler colonialists assaults after the state destruction of one illegal space near Hebron and the evacuation of the occupied house on the fringe of Hebron, we were invited to join the threatened Palestinians. For that we were invited to the Bethlehem region on Saturday and to Funduq on the north on Sunday. Tuesday, we participated in a demo at Deir Al Sharaf, against a settlers garbage dump in the old quarry. On Saturday evening, we and our drumming circle participated in a demo of a wide coalition in front of the war ministry compound in Tel Aviv.

BIL'IN

Excerpt from report of Iyad Burnat - Head of the Popular Committee in Bil'in:
"The Friday demonstration in Bilin, against the Israeli Apartheid Wall today, was in solidarity with the people of Hebron who have endured the violent attacks of Israeli settlers in revenge for their removal from a Palestinian owned house in the old city earlier in the week.

Over 100 protesters including internationals, Israelis, and Palestinians marched from Bilin village after Friday prayers. Chanting “No to the settlers in Hebron – No to the wall” the demonstration got within twenty meters of the wall when the Israelis occupation soldiers started to fire rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd."

The Israeli authorities are still trying to put end to the Bil'in Friday demonstrations. Following Shai latest report:

"tonight around 21:30, few jeeps of the army entered the village and started to provoke clashes. they arrested 3 shabab youngsters and took them beyond the fence. many people tried to prevent it and followed them up to the fence. the soldiers used tear gas, sound grenades and maybe even live bullets. the situation near the fence became very dangerous and about 22:30 an army officer came and the 3 were released.
I can also testify that about a week ago, when I was visiting the village, the same thing happened. around 19:00, 3 or 4 army jeeps entered the village without any reason and started to shoot tear gas and rubber bullets. it took them something like half an hour. a child about 12 was also arrested and later released. I was calling the news channels both today and last week, but this things are not "news" enough.
in these days when the settlers are being accused of doing "pogroms" against the Palestinians, we must not forget that the army is just the same and maybe even worst."


OUR REFUSNICS

Mia Tamarin was sentenced on Tuesday, 2 Dec., to 14 more days in military prison. However, as was the case in her previous term, the military authorities seem to prefer not to send her actually to prison (possibly due to legal pressure in her case). She is again confined to base instead (sentence due to expire on 15 Dec.)

Tamar Katz and Raz Bar-David Varon have been sent to a another prison term yesterday (1 Dec.). Both have been sentenced to 21 days in prison and are due to be released on 19 Dec. Tamar Katz refused to wear a uniform and is now held in the Isolation Ward of the military prison, where conditions hare harsh, and various forms of mistreatment have been documented in the past.

Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send your letters of support and encouragement to the imprisoned objectors via e-mail to shministim@gmail. com, and they will be printed out and delivered to them during visits.

Saar is out of jail in a process that may result in her exempt from the compulsory army service.

Yuval was released for the week end at the end of his first jail verdict. Will probably will be tried again for another term in jail at the beginning of the new week.

BETHLEHEM

This Saturday there will be an action with farmers to get to their lands and work it in areas where they have not been able to get to for a while. The organizers are not expecting too much trouble but still the presence of Israelis is important to support the farmers. The community in the area is just getting introduced to the idea of working with Israelis and the first activities are important to encourage the cooperation even if they are modest.

FUNDUQ

"I saw in the settler paper "BeSheva" that the settlers intend to
arrive on Sunday December 7 at 1.00 pm at the entrance to Funduq Village
to hold a "memorial" for the settler who was killed there last year,
and afterwards they are going to march by foot all the way to Kdumim.
Considering what they have done in Funduq last year and what they
are doing in Hebron and elsewhere, there is a reason to worry."

A number of international and Israeli groups will be heading to Al Funduq on Sunday to have a presence in the village while this memorial takes place.

Due to the fact that last year Qedumim settlers demonstrated in Funduq during the day, but then came back and rioted in the night, stoning cars and houses, some groups have decided to stay in the village on Sunday night - at the request of villagers.

LATEST NEWS FROM THE AWARD

Today, our "permanent delegate" in Germany and a special delegate represented us in the award to the Bil'in popular comity and the Anarchists Against the Wall initiative. Following is the content of the speech of our comrade Adi:

"Hello,
I would like to be honest – I am standing here, over on this podium, though as an anarchist this situation raises very mixed feelings in me, and my comrades/partners.
We are reluctant to receive prizes for political activism. We would prefer not to be singled out for glory, and receive gratitude for doing what is our duty. However, we are aware of our position not only as anarchists, but also as Israelis - beneficiaries of our country's unjust deeds toward Palestinians.
Despite our reservations, we are very thankful for the support you have vested in the struggle against Israeli apartheid.
Here on this podium, just as in the olive groves of the West Bank, our primary moral duty is not to maintain ideological purity, but rather to stand with Palestinians in their resistance to oppression.
We recognize the importance of garnering international support for the ongoing struggle, and the major contribution of this award to this end. We feel that standing here, in the current situation, is a direct continuation of the blocking of bulldozers, standing side by side with the stone throwers, or running away from teargas along with elderly protesters.
Here, as in the olive groves, I would like to stress that we are not equal partners, but rather occupiers who join the occupied in THEIR struggle. We are aware of the fact that for many, the participation of Israelis in a Palestinian struggle serves as a stamp of approval, but in our eyes, this partnership is not about granting legitimacy to the Palestinian struggle - it is legitimate with or without us - but rather an opportunity for us to cross, in action rather than words, the barriers of national allegiance.
For the past four years, and through over 200 demonstrations, Bil'in has grown to become a symbol and focal point for the movement against Israel's wall – a movement that for the past six years **has** mobilized thousands of people in grassroots popular resistance, and forged an unprecedented on-the-ground, joint Paelestinian-Israeli struggle.
The fact that the movement is a civilian and unarmed one, only serves to accentuate the army’s excessive and unjust violence.
Thousands have been injured, hundreds jailed and imprisoned for lengthy periods and 15 have been killed, 10 of them minors.
We would like to dedicate this medal to the two most recent casualties of the struggle, ten year old Ahmad Mousa and seventeen year old Youssef Amirah, who were murdered by border policemen in the village of Ni'ilin four months ago, as part of the attempt to militarily suppress the wall-related insurrection in the village.
Thank you again for supporting the joint popular struggle,
Anarchists Against the Wall"

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle at Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Um Salmuna, Jayyous, and recruiting center too.

Monday we accompanied Yuval - refusnic of the High-school graduates initiative to the recruiting center, and demonstrated there. (He received two weeks in jail as a beginner.) Friday we had the usual joint demonstrations of local villagers, internationals, and Israeli anarchists against the wall initiative at Bil'in, Ni'ilin, and Um Salmuna. Jayyous seems to join this tradition. Israelis arrived there in spite of road blocks of Israeli state forces.
Ni'ilin Friday 28-11-08 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dRuC2b8e_Q
Bil'in 28.11.2008 video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2kXCHDdpas

YUVAL

Yuval Oron-Ofir, a signatory of the 2008 high school seniors refusal letter, was sentenced on Monday, 24 Nov., to 14 days in military prison for his refusal to serve in the Israeli military. Yuval is 19 years of age. He lives in the Arab-Jewish village of Neve shalom / Wahat al-Salaam.
Yuval refuses to join the Israeli military as it is an occupying force. He is due out of first period in prison on 5 Dec. His prison address is:

Yuval Oron-Ofir
ID number 201205580
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580


BIL'IN

At noon, we marched as usual from the village center to the route of the separation fence. Like they do often, state force started to shoot us with tear gas grenades even before we reached the route causing us to regroup. As often, they tested on us this Friday a new kind of weapons. It was a tear gas grenades of the kind used to be thrown by hands which was adjusted to be shot by a special gun. This "experiment" resulted with a serious damage to the eye of a Japanese activist. After they finished the "experiment" they minimalized the amount of shooting and the more experienced of us succeeded to enter the route of the separation fence. In spite of threats and some grenades we tayed there till we decided to end the demonstration.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Weekly report on the main struggles the AAtW* was involved in

This week, the village Jayyous which was one of the first to involve with the joint struggle against the separation fence 2002, resumed the struggle (Sunday and Friday). Ni'ilin was intense too (Thursday and Friday). Tuesday we participated in a demo against the Gaza closer with the coalition of the radical left, in front of the war ministry compound in Tel Aviv. One of us was brutalized and two others spend the night in jail for disrespecting police power. During the week and Saturday comrades involved in support of Palestinians in Hebron and around it. Comrades supported also Israeli Bedouins facing demolition order of a "green" structure of
mosque/cultural center. And of course the Bil'in and Um Salmuna Friday demos.

JAYYOUS

Jayyous 16-11-08 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXb_2zoqxFU

21s Nov 05:10 PM URGENT CALL FOR ACTION !!!

HELP NEEDED IN THE VILLAGE OF JAYYOUS WHERE OCCUPATION FORCES ARE
UPHOLDING A CURFEW AND CONDUCTING INTERROGATIONS AT THIS VERY MOMENT!!!

MANY PALESTINIANS AND THREE INTERNATIONAL WERE ARRESTED SO FAR AND ARE
BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY THE MILITARY!!!

THE OCCUPATION FORCES HAVE POSITIONED SNIPERS ON THE ROOFS AND HAVE
POSITIONED HEAVILY ARMED TROOPS ON GUARD IN ALL PARTS OF THE VILLAGE!!

This is a call upon all activists to come to the village as soon as
possible in order to sleep with the locals. The Stop the Wall Campaign
representatives have a house to accommodate those who come, and
critically need your support!!! This is up to be a long and
unpredictable night with the occupation forces.

For further information on Jayyous or how to reach the village, please
contact:

Mohammad: 0599649815
Waleed: 0599669927
Fadi (also for footage, video and still): 0599314478

Background information:

A massive demonstration was held in Jayyous today to protest the
rerouting of the Wall and the permanent isolation of 5,582 dunums of
village land for the expansion of Zufim settlement. Villagers
destroyed sections of the Wall, sparking confrontations with the
Occupation military and the invasion of the village.

Following the Friday prayer, more than 500 protesters advanced on the
Wall's gate in the south of the village. The army was not present, and
villagers proceeded to destroy the gate and the surrounding Wall.

Occupation forces arrived on the scene after the Wall was destroyed,
firing on the crowd indiscriminately with tear gas, sound bombs and
rubber bullets. Upon pushing the villagers away from the Wall, the
army forced its way into the village, where the demonstration
continued. Jeeps entered from all directions and imposed a curfew on
the village.

Today's demonstration saw five injuries; three were shot with rubber
bullets in the legs and back, while two were hit in the face. Clashes
have slowed down, but the army is presently maintaining a strong
presence in the village, imposing a curfew. Numerous groups of heavily
armed soldiers and armored jeeps, are undertaking house-to-house
searches targeting the village youth and conducting interrogations
with the support of General Secret Service (GSS) forces.

http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/1785.shtml


HEBRON

"This Saturday, 22/11/2008, we'll go again to South Hebron and Hebron area in
order to escort farmers who are suffering from on going Settlers violence.

These days, more than ever, the Palestinians in the area need our presence,
solidarity and support. Last Saturday two violent incidents occurred, in one a
donkey was killed and another was injured during settlers attack. "

However, as the settler colonialists were engaged in the confrontation with the state forces at the new illegal hose occupation in Hebron, they had not enough bastards to harass the Palestinian farmers....

NI'ILIN

Thursday was a children day and the demonstration was organized mainly by high school pupils. In the demonstration participated also a contingent of female pupils of the local high school. TV channel evening news of Friday, included - as they often do, a clip of a demo in Ni'ilin against the separation fence and the tear gas clouds...
============================================
* AAtW = Anarchists Against the Wall initiative

Monday, November 17, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Update on the AAtW activities last week.

The divergence of activities included additions to the "regular" joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation at Bil'in, Um Salmuna, and Ni'ilin.
This week activists of the Anarchists Against the Wall initiative participated in the struggle against the Israeli state forces and the colonial settlers in Hebron region in relation to the olive picking (12,14/11/08). Friday there was a road blocks removal action near Deir Ibzi organized by Ras Karka comity. On Saturday was another action related to the 5 refusnics high-school in the women army jail. Sunday was the day the Jayyous village, which was most active 2002 when the construction of the separation fence was started, resumed the struggle.


RAS KARKA

10:30, 14th November - Palestinian residents of villages North-West of
Ramallah, joined by international and Israeli solidarity activists,
successfully removed an Israeli imposed road-block close
to the village of Deir Ibzi'. However, Israeli forces have since replaced the road-block.

Residents and activists gathered in Deir Ibzi before moving to remove the road-block.

The action was organized by Ras Karka village council and the popular Committee and is supported by the Popular Committees of the west of Ramalla region.

The road-block prevents 14 villages, with around 35,000 people, from traveling directly to Ramallah. The road leading from Ni'lin and Bil'in to Ramallah is unable to be accessed directly by 14 villages including Ras Karkar, Al Janiya, Deir Ammar, Deir Ammar camp, Jammala, Ni'lin, Al Midiya, Budrus, Shuqba, and qibya Instead these villages either have to travel on an agricultural road that links Ras Karkar with Kafr Ni'ma or travel a much longer route to Beir Zeit or through Ni'lin.

BIL'IN

The Friday demonstration had this week a contingent of the popular front of the west bank with people of all the main cities.

NI'ILIN

The struggle continue with already 40 activists of the village already in jail with state force sieging the village for months already.

ARMY WOMEN JAIL.

On Saturday, more than 100 came to an open space near the fence of army jail 400 for females. They had a solidarity party with voices and music reaching the already 5 jailed total refusnics. Some of them already third term of few weeks in jail for repeating their refusing to serve in the army of occupation.

JAYYOUS

It seems the regional commander still had not made his mind how to treat the resuming of struggle against the separation fence and the change of the route forced on it by the highest court of "justice". There were temporary road blocks for preventing the Israeli activists from joining. However, some were allowed to come while others were allowed to pass one road block but stopped at another.
Ten of us blocked on a round about road, but after a while allowed to reach the village.

When the demonstration started to march on the road towards the separation fence, while still in the village, 6 state cars with lot of state force blocked our way with their bodies. However, as they were not firm enough, after half an hour half of the demonstrators filtrated gradually to the other side of the block. We started again to march towards the separation fence, but the state force blocked our way at the end of the built area of the village.

There we held a long meeting with speeches by both males and females villagers.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Palestine-Israel, weekly report on some of the AAtW* involvement in the struggle against the separation fence and occupation.

The struggles are not only against the occupation and the separation fence on
the west bank. The last wave of high school refusnics collect momentum with
fifth female join the jail population. The struggle against the separation fence
in Bil'in, Um Salmuna and Ni'ilin continue, with expansion to the Hebron region
and other places in connection with the olive picking season and the terror of
settler colonialists against Palestinian neighbors. In Bil'in [West of
Ramallah], it was the 194th Friday demonstration since February 2005. With Rani*
Burnet on his wheel chair again in its front. In Ni'ilin's Friday it was full
confrontation again after the end of olive picking "truce". In Um Salmuna [south
of Bethlehem] this Friday was with low confrontation level as usual.

BIL'IN: link to video Friday 7-11-08 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KokxMq_WiAE


HIGH SCHOOL REFUSNICS

This Monday, as we do with other high school refusnics in contact with the last
wave of refusnics initiative, we escorted our comrade Raz with our usual lively
demonstration at the entrance of the central recruiting base of the Israeli
army. (And also escorting Sahar - coming for another term of prison for
insisting on her refusals.)

We were about 70 participants (Most of them take part time and again in the
Friday joint demonstrations against the separation fence in Bil'in), with a
small rhythm band, banners and placards. Leaflets were distributed to the in and
out base passers by people. Refusnics of previous waves were seen in the crowd.

Following are excerpts from a distribution.

Raz Bar-David Varon, a signatory of the 2008 high school seniors refusal
letter, Reported yesterday (3 Nov.) at the Induction Base, declared her refusal
to serve in the Israeli military and was sentenced to 21 days in military
prison. CO Sahar Vardi, who reported at the induction base together with her,
was sentenced to a third prison term, also of 21 days.

In a brief statement made on the day of her arrest, Raz said:

Today I am about to refuse serving in the Israeli army. I have witnessed
this army demolishing, shooting and humiliating people whom I did not know, but
have learnt to respect for their ability to go on dealing with these horrors on
a daily basis. Reality is complex, of course. There's history, politics,
politicians, boarders, flags. There's supposed to be a good reason for all of
this. This reason is supposed to be my defense. I feel like screaming: 'This
does not defend me! It hurts me!' It hurts me when people, Palestinians, are
being so brutally assaulted, and it hurts me when they later turn their hatred
towards me because of it. I wasn't born to serve as a soldier who occupies
another, and the struggle against the occupation is mine too. It is a struggle
for hope, for a reality that sometimes feels so far away. I have a
responsibility for this society. My responsibility is to refuse.

The two COs were escorted to the Induction Base some 70 protesters, carrying
signs and chanting in support.

We Refuse to Be Occupiers - at the demonstration The two objectors' prison
addresses are:

Sahar Vardi
Military ID 6055780
Military Prison No. 400
Military Postal Code 02447, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-9579389



Raz Bar-David Varon
Military ID 6000383
Military Prison No. 400
Military Postal Code 02447, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-9579389

Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned
objectors, we also recommend you to send your letters of support and
encouragement to the imprisoned objectors via e-mail to shministim@gmail. com,
and they will be printed out and delivered to them during visits.

In addition, you may want to follow some of our recommendations for action below.

Raz is the fifth woman CO of the signatories of the 2008 high school seniors
letter to be imprisoned over the recent three months. Omer Goldman, Tamar Katz
and Mia Tamarin have finished their second prison terms and await the army's
decision in their case.

Raz and Sahar are due to be released on 21 Nov. 2008, but are likely to be
imprisoned again soon afterwards.



MEDIA HAARETZ.com ON Shin Bet [secret service] and the AAtW*

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1035176.html

IDF asks police, Shin Bet for info on left-wing figures active in W. Bank

The Israel Defense Forces has asked the Shin Bet security service and the police
to provide it with information on left-wing figures active in the West Bank so
it will be easier to issue restraining orders against them, Haaretz has learned.

Since the IDF does not gather intelligence on Israeli citizens, the GOC Central
Command depends on evaluations by the Shin Bet prior to signing restraining orders.

So far, such orders have only been issued against extreme right-wing activists
suspected of subversive activities. This time, the army has focused on a number
of activists protesting the security fence, those who help Palestinians harvest
their olives, and others.

This is apparently the first time left-wing activists have been the possible
target of such orders.

A document formulated by the IDF Central Command, entitled "Means of Operation
Against Leftist Activists in the Area of Judea and Samaria" states, among other
things, that the goal was to issue restraining orders against Israelis and
foreigners "who disturb the peace" and "lead violent activity."

To obtain the intelligence information it needs to back up the request for a
restraining order, the Central Command approached the Shin Bet and the Judea and
Samaria police districts requesting material that had been gathered on the
activists.

The police were also asked to present all information they had on these
individuals, including cases that had been closed.

The army further asked the police and the Shin Bet to keep their work on the
matter secret.

Among the activists the intelligence services were asked to provide information
about is Yonatan Pollack of Anarchists Against the Fence.

Pollack said he was not surprised the army was seeking a restraining order
against him. "On Sunday two weeks ago the Shin Bet called and summoned me to the
police station on Dizengoff Street. They said they had had enough of my
activities and if I kept it up they would take steps, either criminal or
administrative ones. I told them that all my activities were open and if there
was anything illegal, they were a matter for the police."

Pollack also said he presumed that "since there's a lot of talk now about
restraining orders against right-wingers, they would use that against us to show
balance, although there has almost never been a case of a left-wing activists
suspected of violence and certainly not of violence like that of the right-wing
activists."

The IDF spokesman's office said it works with the police to enforce law and
order in the West Bank and that "the law is enforced without reference to this
or that political affiliation." The police spokesman for the West Bank district,
Danny Poleg, said the police were "cooperating fully with the Central Command to
enforce the law in Judea and Samaria."

The Shin Bet said it does not release information on its operations.
=================================
* Anarchists Against the Wall initiative

** Rani is a Bi'lin villager in his late 20s. He was shot at by a live
ammunition in a demonstration against the occupation at 2000 in Ramallah. He is
nearly always at the head of the demonstrations in Bil'in.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Another week of joint struggle the AAtW activists were involved with

This week even more than previous ones Ni'ilin was in the front center and in the media focus as well. Daily confrontation with the Israeli state forces and the construction works of the separation fence. The other focus was Wednesday - in which many Palestinian localities including Ni'ilin and Um Salmuna invite us to "celebrate" the international court verdict stating that the building of the separation fence is against the international law of war. During the week, the AAtW declined invitation to visit session of the Israeli parliament sub-comity of security and foreign relation about our bad conduct as we refused to come without our Palestinian partners. And of course Friday demo in Bil'in the 177th.

Links to video clips of some of the demonstrations:

Bil'in Friday 4-7-08 link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orrlVTZCusg

Ni'ilin curfew 6.7.08 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHs0ESbHRbA

Ni'lin 9.7.08 link to walla-ynet http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/22/1310584

http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3566049,00.html


Ni'lin demo 9-7-08 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjAvZNu_sJ4

Ni'ilin 10-7-08 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSLoVbmVTW8

Anuther Ni'ilin video of 10.7.08 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKZEcDkiKdY

Following some texts about Ni'ilin struggle this week:

07/08/2008 05:37 PM ---- At around 6 PM about 100 Palestinians, Israelies and internationals left Budrus towards Ni'lin in order to break the curfew and bring food to the people of Ni'lin. Army forces were waiting near the first houses of Nilin backed up with a road block which prevented the movement of vehicles in and out of the village. the soldiers open fire using tear gas and rubber coated bullets.
Villagers from Ni'lin took advantage of the fact that most Israeli forces went to the village's outskirts and went out for a spotaneous demonstration at the town's center, while breaking the curfew.
3 were hurt by the army's shooting, but were evicted to Ramalla hospital in 2 hours delay, as ambulances could not get into the village due to the road blocks and the curfew.
notwithstanding the brutal oppression, today's action was successful - most of the villagers in Ni'lin witnessed the demonstrations and the solidarity action.
Budrus to Ni'lin 7-7-08 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8R9vcH8yAQ

Invitation

The Popular Committees of West Ramallah invite you to participate in a demonstration to break the siege of Nilin to take place this Wednesday July 9, 2008. This demonstration is also being held to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the decision of the International Court of Justice on the Israeli Apartheid Wall.

We will gather at the same time - 11:00 am - at two different locations: Budrus Village and Deir Qadis Village.

Together we will break the siege of Nilin.

A mass demonstration in Ni'ilin

An especially big demonstration will be held in the village of Ni'ilin on the morning of the coming Thursday, commemorating the anniversary of The Hague ruling which defined the Apartheid Wall a crime.

----------------AAtW--------------

A contingent of 60 Israelis came with the AAtW to that demonstration.

-----------------------------------

The village of Ni'ilin, which is located in the Ramallah district, has for more than a month now been leading an intense struggle against the de-facto appropriation of 2,500 of its 7,000 dunams of land by the "separation fence". The route of the fence in this area, much like the famous case of Bil'in, has been planned in such a way that would allow the near by illegal settlement of Hashmonaim to expand on lands that will be "left behind" the fence.

The villagers, who refuse to accept this, hold three-four demonstrations a week, marching towards the construction site and the settlement, in many cases successfully forcing a halt of construction.

The army, however, is responding with growing ferocity. According to the army spokesperson, an entire regiment was relocated to guard the construction, and these soldiers use brutal force against the unarmed demonstrators. On Friday the village was put under a ten-day siege, and residents were informed it was a punishment for the demonstrations. During the weekend an attempt was made to enforce a curfew on the village, but the villagers' active resistance changed the army's plans. Today, Sunday, a curfew is declared again.

Yet the villagers' do not intend to give up, and have struggling against the curfew and siege. The Thursday demonstration will be held in spite of the siege and as a challenge towards it, as the villagers are still interested to cooperate with the Israelis and internationals, who are coming to the village in support of the struggle.

We feel that it is worth mentioning the popular struggles against the fence/wall have been going on throughout the West Bank for more than four years now. The fact that a new village chooses to enter the cycle of resistance in spite of the harsh oppression used against these struggles is yet another important reason to come and support Ni'ilin this week.

We will leave for the Thursday demonstration together from Tel Aviv in the morning. We assume that the army will try to prevent us from getting there, but will try and break the siege so as to join our partners. This attempt might include a long walk on difficult terrain, but those who would want to avoid such a walk and hold a demonstration outside the checkpoints surrounding the village will be able to do so.
---------------------

The army did not try to prevent us from getting there... but instead used intensively batons and injured lot of demonstrators - targeting on the AAtW activists.

The public TV channel evening news included an item showing the clash and AAtW injured people carried from there - bringing the claim of ours side that the route of the fence is used to robe big stretch of Ni'ilin land for use as a cometary of the near by settler colonialist town Modi'in Ilit.

(During the week both radio channels and TV reported on the intense struggle in Ni'ilin.


Media:

A border policeman was lightly wounded Thursday by a rock thrown by anti-security fence demonstrators in the West Bank town of Ni'ilin, north of Modi'in.

Hundreds of Palestinians and Israeli protesters clashed with the policemen and several of the demonstrators were also reportedly hurt.

The army said that the protesters were demonstrating in a closed military zone and that security forces were trying to disperse them using crowd control measures.

Approved: Manuelen

The Ni’lin Popular Committee would like to draw attention to the following facts regarding the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli army and Border Police since the beginning of the construction of the Wall (May 2008):

* 160 people were injured by rubber coated steel bullets during the protests, including children
* Hundreds of non-violent protesters were brutally beaten by the Israeli army during the protests
* 26 people were arrested
* A Palestinian Medical Relief Society ambulance was shot at. The driver counted 18 bullet marks on the outside of the van and two of the ambulance windows were shattered, with several bullets found inside the van
* Many people in the protests suffered severe respiratory problems due to the heavy use of tear gas
* Tear gas canisters were shot directly into the crowds, aiming at people and injuring dozens
* The Israeli army started using a new tear gas machine, shooting 30 tear gas canisters at the same time
* The Israeli army used live ammunition on several occasions
* There were numerous incidents where the Israeli army invaded the village in the middle of the night after a protest, shooting tear gas and rubber coated steal bullets at and into homes where families were sleeping, and also arresting several people during these military incursions into the village

------------------------- AAtW ----------------

This Friday the inured comrades of Thursday splat between those who needed a day of rest and these who insisted to come to both the Ni'ilin and Bil'in demonstrations (some limping and one with crutches).

At Bil'in demonstration we had today a small satisfaction. When we arrived at the separation fence, the state forces started to shower us with tear gas canisters. After the unseasoned participants dispersed the old timers stayed. We evaded most of the tear gas clouds... and one of us returned a gas canister to its owners. These, who were in a convoy of three armored cars "enjoyed" the tear gas and decided to escape from the location.

See also http://awalls.org/

Palestine-Israel, Sun and rain... the joint struggle against occupation and the separation fence continue.

This week the Anarchists Against the Wall (AAtW) were involved during the week and Friday in the south and the center of the west bank. In the Hebron area it was mainly in confronting the atrocities of the colonialist settlers around the olive picking near colonial settlements. At the Bethlehem region it was demonstrations against the separation fence and other occupation atrocities. In the region west of Ramallah there were the Ni'ilin protracted struggle along the week and the Bil'in 193th Friday demonstration. The Friday demonstration in Bil'in was "flooded" for the second week by international supporters. This week, mainly from Belgium and France, but also a band of Musicians from the USA.

The band marched at the head of the demonstration - playing 3 accordions and a guitar all the way to the route of the separation fence and the march within the route. The state force threatened us a lot while we marched along the electronic fence... and after a while started to attack the people with tear gas mainly - as usual using as pretext the stone throwing by kids in a near by location.

See the video clip from Bi'lin demo at 31-10-2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QixZug7AkZ4&feature=channel

Following excerpts from a report of member of the Bil'in popular comity for the struggle against the separation fence and occupation.

"For the past four years, the village of Bil’in has been protesting against the
wall and settlement building. Today, another protest marched after the Friday
prayer joined by international and Israeli activists. The protest marked the
52nd anniversary of the massacre of Kifr Qasem and 91st of the Balfour
Agreement. The protesters condemned these events and the Israeli occupation
police. They also held the world, especially the US and Britain, accountable
for the conditions that Palestinians live in and for their support of Israel in
their colonialist plans in Palestine."

"A French delegation of the International Civil Campaign for the Protection of
the Palestinian People (CCIPPP), another group from Belgium, Enseignants pour
une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient (EPJPO), as well as a group from Nanterre,
France, joined the protest today and also listened to a presentation by the
Bil’in committee about the village’s struggle against the wall."

"A music band from the USA, called Olive Trees Circus, played guitar, accordion,
and sung for peace in the middle of the action."

"For more information, Please call Abdellah Abu Rahamah, the coordinator of the
Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in. 972-547258210 or 972-599107069
e-mail – lumalayan-A-yahoo.com


NI'ILIN

The village is still in intense struggle against the separation fence - and more so after the end of the olive picking, both along the year and Friday. In spite of the obstacles on the way to the village, the contingents of activists of the AAtW succeed to come to the center of the village in time. Following is a link to video clip of this Friday demo in Ni'ilin (31-10-08):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0Ax6nedU34


HEBRON

In addition to the olive picking tasks there are progressive harassments of Palestinian houses located near the settlers houses. Following is an excerpt of a call distributed in the AAtW mailing list:

"Hey all,
As a response to the increasing tension in Hebron, people were staying in the city trying to observe the situation. During Saturday no special events were noticed, but we afraid that the tension will rise when the weekend will be over.
We would like to have some people staying over the night to respond and document any event that might happen.

Please contact Assaf at pafush-A-yahoo.com if you can make it."

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Palestine-Israel, a new year of joint struggle against the occupation fence and occupation

Autumn first rains started the olive picking season. Joining the picking hindered by the separation fence and colonial settlers colored the actions the anarchists against the wall activists were involved with. In Ni'ilin it was the resuming of the usual struggle after the lower profile during the picking. At the Hebron region and the other areas the picking continued. Activists were detained and released. Tuesday we had a successful benefit in Tel Aviv. In Bil'in, Friday had the usual noon demo, and the evening wedding hafla of Rani Burnet who is usually at the head of the Friday demos on his wheel-chair. In Um Salmuna the demo was merged with olive picking. Saturday evening exhibitions.

THE BENEFIT

The Haaretz the third important daily which is the liberal capitalist voice report in the cultural section:

Benefit party in Tel Aviv against the separation fence by Noia Kochavi

On Tuesday, there will be at the Barzilay club in Tel Aviv a party with the name "Musical-Radical" aimed to collect money for the legal expenses of the ongoing activity against the separation fence Israel build on the west bank. In the party with entrance fee of 30 shekel will play the music some of the prominent local D.J.s among them Radiotrip, Uri Lichtic, Sensy Sound, Skilaton, Nasty Habit, and Abuya sound. At the gig will be a table for selling shirts and CDs the income of which will be contributed to the same cause. The organizers of the party ask to regard it as a source of inspiration and enhancement of the activists and not as an escapist happening.

NI'ILIN

On Monday evening we had to shout for nearly an hour standing on the route of the separation fence in building till an Israeli state force car "came to receive our protest..." As big stones were arranged across the route and youngsters threw stones on them, they just shoot few tear gas canisters and went away...

Wednesday was a demo while works were still done on the route and state force succeeded to block our way. after the works finished for the day and machine went to their night compound - state force went away and some comrades approached the route and did things to the equipment.

At night state force arrested for of the activists of the village popular comity and Thursday the struggle continued while general strike was declared in the village. And of course a demo and a confrontation on Friday too where the state forces prevented a mass prayer near the route of the separation fence or even at an open space in the village.

BIL'IN

After it was anounced by the state system that they will yield to the highest court verdict that the separation fence will be moved to return some of the village land (but still bargain how much) - the confrontations at the gate of the separation fence eased a bit. The last Fridays they do not try too hard to prevent us from entering the route of the separation fence. A few symbolic tear grenades and some shock grenade that do not deter the more experienced participant. Last Friday we took with us when we returned to the village one wing of the gate (which the state force did not bother to take back or punish us for that). This Friday, we arrived at an agreement they will not try to make us go as long as we will refrain from touching the electronic fence...

Following is excerpt of a report of member of the village popular comity against the separation fence:

"... protest was lunched today after the Friday prayer in Bil’in and was joined by international and Israeli activists to allow Palestinians to pick olives from the trees on their land. A delegation of journalists and students from Belgium joined the demonstration in solidarity with the village in their struggle against the Wall and settlement building, their name: Students for a just peace in the Middle East. and another group from the Ireland solidarity movement with the Palestinian people. in addition to this, a group from Denmark and another one from England.

The demonstrators marched in the village chanting against the discriminatory policies of the occupation [with a women of the village leading the chants].


EXHIBITIONS

This evening there was an opening of two politically oriented art exhibitions at the "house of the art people - Beit Ha'omanim" in Tel Aviv. One of them was a group exhibition in which the active stills collective activists of AAtW had their space. The other one was an exhibition of an established painter who is one of the activists that document with his video camera the demonstrations of the AAtW. (Most of them are on Utube - part of some find their way to TV news.)

His exhibition included some drawings of scenes of the struggle - including the gate to the separation fence in Bil'in. In the courtyard of the building, there was an happening with some talks and music - lot of the radical left of the metropolis attended.

In the fringe of the crowd a nonformal get together included total high school refusnics of "three generations". One, the first political total refusnik (of the first Israeli libertarian communist organization Matspen), one of the famous refusnic 5 group that served two years in jail few years ago, and one of the new refusnic group members of which are now in struggle and serving time.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Palestine-Israel, olive picking, Road blocks removal, and challenging the separation fence in the joint struggle against occupation.

Ni'iln was still in the focus of struggle, with big mobilization from Israel on Tuesday. Wednesday olive picking at Turmus-Ayah near an unauthorized colonialist settler outpost took an interesting direction when two prefabricated dwellings were ignited. Thursday, Road blocks were dismantled by joined forces of locals and solidarity activists at Almazra’a Alsharqiya. Friday, had the usual demonstrations against the separation fence at Um Salmune (Thous of Bethlehem), Bil'in - where we took a wing of the gate to the route of the separation fence and brought it to the village center, and Ni'ilin. The Anarchists against the wall joined the Israeli olive picking coalition including Hebron on Saturday (Tel Rumeida).

TURMUS-AYAH

The state force who missed the hot part, vended their anger by arresting the five AAtW activists who were released hours later with two weeks restriction from entering the 1967 occupied Palestinian areas. The enraged settler colonialists reported on their web page the following:

"... The police then notified Chursha's residents that officers and soldiers were escorting the Arabs to pick olives*. This apparently caused the neighborhood's residents to leave their homes without guards - except for their dogs - and go off to guard a nearby olive grove planted by Jews several years ago, which Arabs claim is on their land.

The attack took place at around 8 a.m., under the cover of fog. Karo estimates that the attackers numbered at least 20 Arabs and a few Israeli anarchists. The perpetrators parked their car in the nearby village of Turmus-Ayah, north of Jerusalem, and reached Chursha by foot. They then proceeded to burn and destroy the living quarters and meager furnishings..."

ALMAZRA'A ALSHARQYA

Hundreds of villagers, accompanied by solidarity activists including delegation from Bil'in village, Internationals, and AAtW people, dismantled six road blocks the older put there 17 years ago near A’in Al-haramiya area on the road between Nablus and Ramallah.

NI'ILIN

Friday, the olive picking on the other side of the route of the separation fence was was refused. In addition, the participants of protest prayer near the route of the fence were harassed after the prayer - resulted in protracted confrontation. It eased towards afternoon and a protest was demonstrated while a counter demonstration of Israelis supporting the suppression forces on the other side of the narrow valley.

BIL'IN

Excerpts from report of member of the village popular comity:

"... After the Friday prayer, the residents of Bili’n gathered in a protest along with Israeli and international activists. A group from France called French people to support Palestinian People and another group from Norway joined the demonstration in solidarity with the village in their struggle against the Wall and settlement building. The protesters raised Palestinian flags and banners to allow Palestinian farmers to pick olive trees from their land. The protest called to remove the illegal wall and settlements, stop land confiscations, remove checkpoints and road blocks, and the release of all the Palestinian detainees....."

"... When the protest reached the gate, protesters tried to access the land to pick olives, but they were stopped by sound grenades and teargas canisters. And the Demonstrators managed to damage and take off [half] the gate to bring it to the village, near the monument of Yassir Arafat in the center of the village......"

=====================================
* After lot of media reports on the harassment of settler colonialist on neighboring Palestinian villagers - especially during olive picking, and some high courts intervention, Israeli state forces do some steps to restrict settlers harassments.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle against the occupation and the separation fence (AAtW)

The struggle this week was "colored" with the olive picking season. Israelis of the wider coalition of opponents of the occupation which include the anarchists against the wall initiative were invited by villages who were usually harassed by Israeli state forces and neighboring colonialist settlers. In Bil'in, soldiers objected to the combining of the weekly demonstration against the separation fence with picking olive on the other side of the fence. In Ni'ilin, a big crowd of Israelis and Palestinians faced the regular harassment in spite of previous permit. In Um Salmuna, after the usual Friday demonstration the AAtW contingent joined the struggle in Beit Umar. Saturday, olive picking at Asira alQibliya (nabuls region).

BIL'IN
The Friday demonstration of Bil'in got a reinforcement, as the usual locals, Internationals ,and Israelis, were joined by a contingent from the northern part of the occupied west bank, and the French Farmer Union of north France).

"The demonstrators chanted against the discriminatory policies of the occupation and called for a national unity among the Palestinians, while they were carried ladders and tools to pick olives. When the protest reached the gate, protesters tried to access the land to pick olives, but they were stopped by sound grenades and teargas canisters. Dozens suffered inhalation and around 14 volunteers were shot with rubber coated bullets when the IOF attack the weekly protest. Most of the injuries are from the popular struggle people known among them: Sameeh Fawzy, Baker Suliemnan Baker and Naseem Aljabaritie was sent to Alshiesk Zayed hospital in Ramallah city. The other injured are Azzmi Alnabali, Omar Saleh, Basem Ibraheem, Kamal Aljhaj, Mohammad Sadeq, Mohammad Abo Rumi, Samer Awwajneh, Khamees Abo Rahmah, Adeeb Abo Rahmad and Abdullah Abo Rahmeh the coordinator of Bilin popular committee."

NI'ILIN

After coordination meeting in the village and advertising during the week we were ready.
"Friday early morning, people of the village, accompanied by about 100 Israelis, Internationals, and a delegation from Bilin popular committee walked towards olive orchards located on the other side of the route of the separation fence in construction. Though there is no fence there yet, the occupation authorities demand from the villagers to apply for permits if they want to access these locations for cultivation or olive picking.

The village popular comity decided not to accept this demand and not to apply for permits to access the land owned by the village people, but in spite of that the army authorities were informed that a big olive picking works will be done that Friday. (Organizers of the Israeli coalition who contacted the army authorities were ensured the area is open for all as long as no confrontation will be initiated by the villagers.)

In spite of that, when the people approached the route of the separation fence, they found there tens of border police gendarmes who blocked their way and tried to disperse them using shock grenades and direct shooting of tear gas canisters towards body of people. At that stage, one Israeli was hit in his belly and injured and the foot of one of the photographers was injured by a shock grenade.

During the confrontation, as the people refused to retreat, three of the AAtW were detained and two of them arrested and taken to the near by road block there they were held till afternoon in spite the police order (after an hour) to release them as the olive picking was "legal".

After a negotiation, the occupation authority ordered the forces guarding the construction of the separation fence to allow the picking of the olives located on the other side of the separation fence in construction.

At noon, many of the villagers converged at the area adjacent to the fence for the Friday noon prayer... and just as it ended the Israeli forces attacked them with tear gas - including women and children who picked olives near the location of the prayer.

Afterwards, the gendarmes advanced towards the village while massively shooting tear gas canisters. One of the olive pickers of the village escaped - leaving his van among the trees. the gendarmes ignited the car, driven it towards the roadblock where they left it... not before they smashed its windows,punctured its wheels, scattered the olive sacs that were on it, and stole a case with tins of cold drinks of the pickers".


UM SALMUNA - BEIT OMAR

The usual Friday demonstration against the separation fence was quiet like most of the demonstrations there along the las year. After it, the AAtW contingent traveled to the near by Beit Umar village. Following is description of the situation in the village:

"For some of you this is old news but Beit Ommar has been under a relatively bizarre and massive incursion for the past 24 hours. Bizarre for Beit Ommar, at least. Soldiers have taken over two houses and put up some pretty substantial structures, they look like they'll be here a while. They are also blocking all other streets in the village as of 7 am (pal time) this morning, and yesterday declared a closed military zone to internationals and Israelis for the entire village (don't know when that's gonna be up). They also broke into the international house (Mousa's house*) last night, though didn't come in. The soldiers have been pretty violent, arrested at least 10 people last night, keeping 5 of them for some period of time in the house that they had taken over before taking them to the police stations in Karmi Tsur or Gush Etzion."

ASIRA ALQIBLIA

Today and request for tomorrow
today the Palestinians of the village of Asira alQibliya (nabuls region) were joint by Israelis activists and international activists in their olive harvest, the village has suffered allot lately from attacks of the near by settlement of Yetzhar and today also the settlers arrived and attacked the families resulting in two Palestinians injured, the families of the village asked if any Israelis could join them tomorrow in order to finish the harvest in the more dangerous areas.

========================
* Mousa Abu Maria is one of the leading activists in the non violent (joint) struggle against the separation fence and occupation. He is already in jail for the last half year under an administrative order.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Palestine-Israel, 72 years since the beginning of mass struggle against Zionist settler colonialism, and the joint struggle continue

This week the Joint struggle against occupation and the separation fence AAtW people participated in Ni'ilin all the week (video of Friday 3.10.08 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfOsuJCCR34 Friday in Bil'in (link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gqk7iv3eBoand). Comrades participated also in the picking of olives south of Hebron. In spite of competing subjects TV Friday news of the main channels reported on these. (Um Salmuna Friday demo was not mentioned this week). Saturday comrades participated in a hundred strong demo near the military prison two of the female refusnics of the new wave of high school graduates are serving two weeks already of the first 21 days term.

SOUTH OF HEBRON - first olive harvest of the season

today, Friday 3.10 a group of a 30 Israeli and international activists arrived to the city of Hebron in order to support the al-jaber family in their first olive harvest of the season, the situation of the family is extremely difficult due to it's location : just next to the settlement of Hazon David, in the past two months, especially on Saturday's the hebron and kirait arba settlers attacked the family in their house on several occasions .
we arrived, joined the family and neighbor's and started harvesting the trees, in just a few minuets we were surrounded by a group of about 30 settlers(some of them armed with guns and some of them armed with baby's...), police, border police and army, the settlers tried provoking us and preventing us from harvesting the trees and on several occasions used violence and tried to steal the olives, one activists was detained by the police for allegedly "assaulting" one settler although the video and stills material that was shot clearly shows that he was the one that was attacked by the settlers, he was taken to the police, gave a statement and released after 2 hours.
Our day finished successfully after we managed to harvest all the family trees .

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Ni'iln, Bil'in, the joint struggle against the separation fence continue

During the week, the struggle in Ni'ilin of the villagers joined by internationals and the Israeli anarchists against the wall continued. The Israeli state force continue the harassment of the village(rs) and partial sage on its the entrances. In Bi'lin we had the 188th Friday demonstration. We marched up to the blocked gate of the route of the separation fence. After waves of approaches and retreated because of tear gas grenades comrades succeeded to break the gate and approach the separation fence... before retreating from intensive shooting of tear gas canisters. Some suffered temporary tear gas flooding, three were shot at by tear gas canisters, one of them hospitalized.

Bil'in video for Friday 26.9.08 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff3Jf2sm4Rw

Three Objectors Sentenced for Refusal to Enlist - article and pictures:
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9619/index.php

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation on Tuesday - Ni'ilin - Tel Aviv

At 08:30 a buss load of activists traveled from Tel Aviv to the recruiting center and demonstrated in support of additional three high-school graduates refusing mandatory service in the army. They are part of the new wave of refusnics. Young activists of the Anarchists Against the Wall participate in it and the older ones support it. In this Tuesday AAtW people demonstrated in the village of Ni’ilin - some after the demo at the recruiting center. Following are excerpts of posts of comrades on these actions.

Demonstration in Support of the Conscientious Objectors Omer Goldman, Tamar Katz & Miya Tamrin

This Tuesday,September 23rd, Tamar, Miya & Omer, signers of the Seniors Letter, will present themselves at the Army's central Recruitment Base - where they will declare their refusal to serve in the army of occupation, be court-marshaled and sent to the stockade. Omer, Miya & Omer are to be the fourth, fifth & sixth signers of the seniors letter to enter the stockade for their refusal to participate in the horrors of the occupation, and their decision to protest against the violent measures carried out by the IDF against the civilian population in the territories.

The demonstration will take place at 08:30, Tuesday the 23rd of September at the entrance to the army's central recruitment base at Tel Hashomer

Info: tamar_katz@walla.co.il

Demon in Support of the Conscientious Objectors 23-9-08 - link to video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTDAPjEptMI

NI'ILIN

Demon against the separation fence
See pictures of the demon against the separation fence at: https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9610/index.php

On Tuesday the 23rd of September 2008 approximately 50 Palestinians, Israelis and international solidarity activists marched in protest towards the construction site of the annexation barrier being built on the farmland of the west bank village of Ni’lin

Border police fired teargas rubber coated steel bullets and sound bombs at the protesters to prevent them from approaching the fence construction site.

Although this time the protesters did not managed to reach the construction site due to unrelenting aggression by the Israeli military, they did prevent the army from entering the village by building a make shift road blocks out of rocks on one of the main access roads.
A number of people were treated for the affects of tear gas.
The regular demonstrations against the apartheid wall will continue in Ni'lin, as the barrier when finished will annex over 25% of the village’s agricultural land.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation do not stop

The activists of the Anarchists Against the Wall were involved this week in the struggle against the separation fence in Ni'ilin and Bil'in, and in the new wave of the graduates of high schooler refusnics. In Bil'in it was the 187 Friday demonstration with the usual harassment of state force who respond with tear gas mainly to the "infringement" of the route of the separation fence. In Ni'ilin, the efforts of state forces to prevent us from arriving to the joint demonstrations failed so far... but we had to make more and more efforts to overcome them. Last Friday the whole 60 of us arrived in time, including a contingent of anti Zionist orthodox Jews from Jerusalem.

Video of Wednesday 17.9.2008 big demo in Ni'ilin commemoration Sabra and Shatela day at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtkO6OiM-0Q

BIL'IN

Text about the Friday demonstration and the struggle against the separation fence:

Teargas injures dozens at weekly Bil’in Protest Occupation army sprays water mixed with teargas

Friday, September 19, 2008 FFJ-Bilin-.The residents of Bilin joined by international and Israeli peace activists gathered to demonstrate against the Wall and settlement building. Today is the 26th anniversary of Sabra and Shatela massacre. The protesters raised the Palestinian flag and condemned the massacres against the Palestinian people.
The demo left after the Friday prayer and called for an end to the Israeli racist policy and settlement building, closures, kidnappings, and the siege on cities and villages. The protesters marched towards the wall to reach the confiscated land behind it. As a usual procedure, the gate was closed and Israeli soldiers standing behind concrete blocks. When protesters tried to get closer to the gate, the army fired sound grenades and teargas canisters which caused dozens to suffer teargas inhalation. Occupation army sprays blue water mixed with teargas resulting in skin absorption of teargas thus increasing the painful effects of the teargas.

Yesterday, the Israeli Occupation army presented the first new suggested plan to change the path of the wall in Bilin according to what so called "the Israeli high court" which stated one year ago to remove the wall and change its path. Two months ago, the Israeli army submitted a plan for changing the route of the wall, this plan was to return only 120 dunums to the farmers. It was rejected from village and the Israeli court. Two days ago, The Israeli army submitted again another plan but it's still doesn't comply with the decision from the court and wasn't accepted by the residents of Bilin. The Popular Committee Against The Wall requested their lawyer to refuse the new plan at the court.
http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87&Itemid=1
Thank you for you continued support,

Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Commitee in Bilin

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation continue - Bil'in, Um Salmuna, Ni'ilin, Asiara Al Qiblia

This week the intensive struggle in Ni'ilin continue. The week ended with the big village assembly Friday afternoon to commemorate Ahmed Mousa's murder. In it, the AAtW activist participated together with activists from Bil'in and the region in the marking of 40 days for the murder, and later in the public Iftar - breaking of the fast meal near the path of the separation fence. In Bil'in, we participated in the 186th Friday demonstration, with the usual harassment of the nonviolent demonstration by the Israeli state forces. It took 4 rounds of shooting tear gas grenades, retreating to reorganize and advancing again to the fence, till the declaration of the end to the demonstration by the comity.


Ni'lin 8-9-08 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Sh-IEGmeA
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A comrade of the AAtW wrote:
Yesterday (Saturday) 4 went to the village of asiara al qiblia in the nablus region, we went there to support the Palestinian residents after their village was under attack the same morning by couple of dozens of settlers from the near by settlement of Itzhar, the settlers arrived to the village on Saturday morning in what they called an act of revenge to a stabbing incident that happened the same morning inside the settlement, they entered undisturbed to the village, some of the armed with guns and some of them with stones and started terrorizing the local residents, an army unite that followed them didn't do anything to prevent their acts of violence and even helped them by firing rounds of live and plastic bullets an act that left 7 Palestinian injured .
during the night while staying in the village we witness the army invade the village and destruct property in a few houses, after we left the village the settlers came back and made an attempt to build an illegal outpost on the land of the village .
due to the short notice on Saturday we were not able to publish it on the list but we intend to stay in touch we the people of the village support their struggle against the army and settler daily terrorizing .

for update on the situation please call ben on 054xxxxx
---------------------------------------

During the week we started to organize the 17-9-08 big demonstration in Ni'ilin:
Mass Demo against the wall and in commemoration of Sabra and Shatila

Ni'ilin, Wednesday 17.9


In the past four months, the people of Nil'in have been struggling against the construction of the separation wall that is being built on their lands. Since the very beginning of the struggle, the army has used mortal violent in an attempt to oppress this popular uprising. As a result, hundreds have been wounded, dozens have been arrested and two people from the village have been murdered - Ahmad Musa, 11 years old and Yusef Amireh, 17 years old.

Despite the army's oppression, the people of the village of Nil'in continue their struggle and invite us to join them in their struggle against the wall and the violent oppression.

On Wednesday, September 17th, we will join the village in a mass demonstration, in which we will mark the continued resistance against the wall, and commemorate 26 years of the Sabra and Shatillah massacre.

To register to the demo, please call Ilan at: 03xxxxxxx or 052xxxxxxx

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, Ni'ilin - the joint struggle continue

This week the AAtW people joined Palestinians from the villages and the region and internationals in the struggle against the separation fence and occupation.
At Bil'in - we joined the 185th Friday demonstration, with mild "retaliation" of state forces - tear gas the wind often carry towards them, and harmless blue colored water. See video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4CSmE8iorU
In Ni'ilin, few demos during the week with a bit toned down repression during demonstrations but harassments villagers at nights, and increased efforts to block the way of the Israeli AAtW from arriving to the village. Israeli Media
still cover the struggle in Bil'in and Ni'ilin but much less than previous weeks.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Palestine-Israel, The struggle continue, with old and new waves - AAtW in Ni'ilin, Bil'in, Um Salmuna and the refusnics front

The struggle in Bil'in continues in spite of the harassments - the usual Friday demonstration and the ongoing maintaining of the outpost on the west side of the separation fence. In Ni'ilin, the nearly daily demonstrations against the separation fence in build continue - though in a lower intensity, as the youth returned to school and the olive picking season is nearing. The army efforts to block the Israeli anarchists against the wall initiative fluctuates - reaching a pick on Thursday. In Um Salmuna, During the Friday demonstration, the gate to the route of the separation fence was forced open... "inviting" retaliation against the village activists. On Monday comrades accompanied a refusnic to the recruiting center where she got a week in jail for refusing enlisting.


About Media, Democracy, Violence, and Occupation
http://www.tv.social.org.il/eng/stv-nialin-19-8-08-eng.htm

Supporting demo for the objector Sahar Vardi -25-8-08 - link to video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wbI-cXFF9I

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Palestine-Israel, AAtW and the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation - Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Tel-Aviv, Um Salmuna

Ni'ilin was the focus of our struggle this week too. Israeli activists joined the Anarchists Against the Wall initiative for 4 demonstrations and one meeting. The Israeli state restrict a bit the "super democracy for Jews" and put more efforts in blocking our way to Ni'ilin - preventing us from passing road blocks or "only" detaining us up to an hour before letting go. One comrade was even arrested for the bogus "trying to run over a soldier"... but released at a far away police station for "now guilt". In Bil'in and Um Salmuna we participated in the Friday demonstrations. On Thursday, a solidarity demo in front of the war ministry compound in solidarity with a jailed total refusenic of the new wave.

NI'ILIN

After a media focus on Ni'ilin following shooting in the foot of an arrested, blindfolded, and handcuffed Palestinian, border police gendarmes replaced the army in protecting the works on the route of the separation fence. May be the change in state force was the reason for our failure to stop the works for even a short time. However, again and again we came very near to the works and had clashes with the gendarmes while retreating to the village.

On Friday the state forces did a special efforts (that failed) to block the way of activists to the demonstration in Ni'ilin. Comrades who were on the way to the Friday demonstration in the near by Bil'in were detained for a while before released to continue our way to Bil'in.

Thursday 14.8.08 Ni'ilin video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBoFW0qZFP4
Thursday 21.8.08 Ni'ilin video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Begm9fSQMwM


BIL'IN

After experimenting with the "Skunk stink" water canon the two previous Fridays they used this Friday "only" colored water... and the usual tear gas shock grenades and some rubber coated bullets.

Following is the video clip of the previous Friday demonstration. You may even smell the stinking water that hit the photographer...
Friday's 15.8.08 Bil'in demo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cpl62Y0ZhA


TEL AVIV

Thursday was the first public action of the new wave of high school graduates total refusenics. AAtW activists are involved with it and they are involved with our struggles.

Udi Nir, 19, from the Tel-Aviv suburb of Hertzlia, has been sentenced yesterday (20 Aug. ) to 21 days in military prison.

Udi Nir is the first conscientious objector to be imprisoned among a new group of high school seniors, who signed a collective declaration of refusal to serve in the Israeli army of occupation. He has been called up to enlist this Monday, 18 Aug., but planned to delay his imprisonment (technically - by going AWOL) to join other signatories of the letter. This intention, however, was noted by the press (Udi appeared in a TV feature and a negative newspaper feature over the weekend). This resulted in what was arguably the quickest operation of its sort in Israel's history. On Tuesday, one day after he has not showed up at the Induction Base, Udi Nir was arrested by civilian police (itself an unprecedented move), and was subsequently given a conditional sentence of 6 days in prison. The following day he was again tried, this time for refusing an order to enlist, and was sentenced to 21 days in prison.

A small demonstration to protest Udi's imprisonment was organized by other members of the high school seniors group (see images on the right), and has received some media coverage.

A demonstration in support of Udi Nir In a brief statement made on the day of his arrest, Udi Nir said:

I cannot take part in the activities of an occupying army, which constantly violates human rights. As an Israeli citizen and as an adolescent liable for enlistment I feel a sense of extensive responsibility for the cycle of violence and for all the choices I am making. It is out of this sense of responsibility that I refuse to enter the cycle of bloodshed and to add fuel to the fire of hatred raging here. I refuse to enlist into an occupying army so that I will not lend my own hand to the occupation and to acts that contradict my most basic values: human rights, democracy and the personal responsibility each and every human being bears towards fellow human beings.

Udi's full declaration of refusal, sent in a letter to the Minister of Defense, can be read here.

A demonstration in support of Udi Nir Udi's intention is to refuse to wear a military uniform in prison, which means he would be, or has already been, transferred to the Isolation Ward of the prison. He is due to be released from prison on 7 Sept. and is very likely to be imprisoned again several times after his release. His prison address is:

Udi Nir
Military ID 6022372
Military Prison No. 400
Military Postal Code 02447, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580

Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send your letters of support and encouragement to Udi via e-mail to shministim@gmail. com, and they will be printed out and delivered to him during visits.
----------------

supporting demo for our third objector Sahar Vardi

This coming Monday, August 25th, Sahar Vardi will arrive to the recruiting station where she will declare her objection to serve in the occupying military. Sahar will be detained to the military prison.

In her letter Sahar explains the human responsibility to not hurt another human. She says that "The cycle of death is forever perpetuated by the choices of both sides to act with violence; this is a choice I refuse to take part of".

On Monday the 25th at 8 am, with Sahar's entrance to jail, we will stand outside the recruiting station in Tel Hashomer and call the government to end the injustice of the occupation.

For details, Tali: XXXXX

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Ni'ilin, Bil'in, Um Salmuna - AAtW* and the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation

During the week we participated "only" in two demonstrations in Ni'ilin. On Friday, there were the usual Ni'ilin, Bil'in (West of Ramallah) and Um Salmuna (south of Bethlehem). At Um Salmuna it is the quietest location due to topography and local considerations of both the local comity and the state forces.

BIL'IN

In Bil'in, the test field of demonstrations control weapons for Israeli state had another session of the "Skunk Spray" which backfired. Following a detailed report on the 182nd demo since February 2005: While marching with chanting, dancing, flags, and pictures of the late Palestinian poet Muhammad Darwish, we could see the water canon with the Skunk spray waiting at the gate in the separation fence leading to the western lands of the village.

Thus, instead of marching to the gate, we turned to the right through the olive trees to another section of the fence. There, the state force refrained from using the usual tear gas and rubber coated bullets to enable the experiment. However, the heavy car with the cannon took time to arrive, so the activists had the time to cut the external fence of the route of the separation fence and to converge near the electronic fence.

When the water cannon started spraying, most of the activist were already on the move towards the gate in the fence where the cannon was waiting for us... but no more there.

So, we converged there for a while till the water cannon returned, and then, just keeping 30 meter distance from it so it will not made the clothes and hairs smelly for few days. The plastic sheets some of us used for protection were redundant. The boasting of the state forces spokesperson during the week since its first use the previous Friday, that they developed the ultimate weapon to disperse the demonstrations against the separation fence, were found ridiculous again.

NI'ILIN

Ni'ilin - The cruelest choice by kobi snitz - a text by an AAtW* activist:
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9456/index.php

Activities against the separation fence and their suppression continued every day with joint demonstrations on Monday Thursday and Friday. On Monday http://awalls.org reports:

Live ammunition used again in Ni'ilin 11/08/2008

A private security guard, hired by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, opened fire on unarmed Palestinian, Israeli and international demonstrators in Ni'ilin. No one was hit by the bullets, but a number of demonstrators were hit by bits of stones that ricocheted as a result of the bullets' impact.

Picture: http://awalls.org/files/images/After.jpg
Border policemen pushing back demonstrators moments after the shooting. The guards can still be seen in the back

The shooting began only several minutes into the demonstration, as demonstrators got close to the heavy machinery, and despite the fact that some of the protesters held their hands over their heads. There was absolutely no threat posed to the guards or work crew. The shooting was not preceded by stone throwing or any other form of violence by the demonstrators. A border police force arrived at the scene very quickly and started using teargas and rubber-coated bullets. Eight were injured, including a seven year old who was hit in the back by a rubber-coated bullet and a French demonstrator who was shot in the head with a teargas projectile.

Picture: http://awalls.org/files/images/Border.Police.jpg
Border policemen shooting teargas at the crowd



See media report on Thursday demonstration at: http://www.ainfos.ca/en/ainfos21255.html
=============================
* The Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall initiative

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Two Youth Murdered As Israel Tries To Suppress Ni'ilin Uprising

For almost 4 months residents of Ni'ilin Village in the occupied West Bank, along with their Israeli and international supporters, have been trying to defend their lands through grassroots popular resistance, which includes almost daily demonstrations, attempts to block bulldozers and clashes. After losing much of its land in 1948 and due to the massive construction of settlements on its lands since 1967, Ni'ilin is now left with merely 7,000 dunams (1,700 acres). 2,500 dunams (about 620 acres) of these lands are expected to be left isolated and effectively confiscated behind Israel's illegal segregation wall http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?pr=71&code=mwp&p1=3&p2=4&p3=6&case=131&k=5a according to the current trajectory.

The Israeli army has employed severe and brutal violence in its attempt to suppress the Ni'ilin uprising, that has so far caused hundreds of injuries and has included arrests, the imposing of siege and curfew http://www.awalls.org/niilin_days_and_nights_of_siege_and_curfew as collective punishment, the the shooting of a cuffed and blindfolded detainee, http://www.awalls.org/a_cuffed_and_blindfolded_demonstrator_shot_with_a_rubber_bullet_from_pointblank_in_niilin and most recently the cold blooded murders of ten year old Ahmed Mousa http://www.awalls.org/10_year_old_murdered_in_niilin and 17 year old Ahmed Amireh http://www.awalls.org/niilin_youssef_amierehs_funeral_attacked_with_teargas_and_rubber_coated_bullets who was mortaly injured http://www.awalls.org/niilin_second_mortal_casualty_in_two_days on the eve of Mousa's funeral, and succumbed to his wounds five days later.

The village of Ni'ilin remains undeterred, and after three days of grieving over Ahmed Mousa, struggle has already resumed http://www.awalls.org/niilin_razor_wire_barricade_dismantled_in_ahmed_mousas_memory_7_injured Villagers vowed to continue the struggle against the theft of their lands and their livelihood.

As Anarchists Against the Wall wrote: "A monument erected in the memory of Ahmed Mousa where he was murdered, from stones stained by his blood".

For the first time since the murder and mortal injury that shocked Ni'ilin this week, about 600 villagers marched to their lands accompanied by Israeli and international supporters. Villagers prayed on their lands, only a few hundred meters away from where Ahmed Mousa was murdered, and as soon as they were done, loudspeakers went on announcing in Hebrew and Arabic that the area is a closed military zone, and threatened everyone present that force will be used if people will not disperse. A large border police force was present on the overlooking hill, with a valley separating them from the villagers.

On hearing the border police message, demonstrators grew more and more angry, and their rage over the past days could be felt very strongly. At first, shouts were called towards the officers, denouncing them as murderers and calling them to go back to their homes. Very quickly however, demonstrators lost interest in the border police's provocation and turned towards the wall's construction site. There were no bulldozers at work, but everyone knew that the razor wire barricade that was erected to try and prevent protesters from disrupting construction still stands. The same razor wire Ahmed Mousa was trying to take apart before he was murdered on Tuesday.

The border policemen started firing teargas at the demonstrators, but there was no stopping them. The protesters' resolved, fueled by their outrage of the last few days' events was greater than the pain caused by the teargas. When a group of a few dozen border policemen came nearer to the crowd and started firing rubber-coated bullets, collective ire erupted into a hail of stones.

Clashes continued for about four hours. After two hours, the demonstrators were pushed away from the groves, and into the first houses of the village, but at around 17:00, the army retreated, and demonstrators went back to finish what they had started - dismantling the razor wire barricade in Ahmed Mousa's memory, and blocking the path of the wall with it. An hour later it all lied on the path of the wall, about 300 meters of it.

Five Palestinians and two international activists were injured by rubber-coated bullets."

More info: http://www.awalls.org/niilin_razor_wire_barricade_dismantled_in_ahmed_mousas_memory_7_injured

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Palestine-Israel, Weekly report on the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation - AAtW involvement

During the week and in the weekend Ni'ilin was the focus of the anarchists against the wall initiative (and people who joined us). Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday demonstrations in Ni'ilin and Tuesday demonstration in Zichron Ya'acov (where 23 of us were arrested.) Other Friday demonstrations were in Um Salmuna, and Bil'in (181th) where we were again subjects in another experiment of "nonlethal dispersing tools" of the Israeli state forces. This test was not painful at all, but very stinking. After we converged near the gate of route of the separation fence they used a water cannon that was welcomed the first second at the hot noon, but repulsing after the smell was felt.

NI'ILIN

Friday 1-8-08 video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INOEryW70Tc&feature=user
Yusuf Ahmad Amira's funeral - ni'lin 4-8-08 link to video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzqc0lr_qTY
Thursday 7-8-08 Israel video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG7t8NpdU18
Thursday 7.8.08 David video at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QGQE2NlxtGA



> Call for the AAtW for a demo in front of colonel - commanding Ni'ilin region

17 year old Yusef Amira who was shot in the head last week died this morning.

A demonstration against the murderous policies of the army towards to popular resistance to the wall

Tomorrow, Tuesday, in front of the home of Brigadier General Aviv Reshef

Yusef Ahmad Yunes Amira, 17 years old, was shot by a border police officer last Wednesday in Nilin and died of his injuries today. After the end of the funeral procession of Ahmad Mousa, the 10 year old who was murdered the previous day at a demonstration against the wall, border police troops invaded the center of the village shooting rubber coated metal bullets everywhere. A border police officer shot Amira in the head with two bullets from a distance of less than 10 meters while he was in his driveway. Amira was pronounced brain dead when he reached the hospital and died this morning.

Yusef Amira is the 13th casualty of the popular struggle against the wall which has also included thousands of injured. This struggle has been met from its beginning with unprecedented repression which keeps escalating every day. The soldiers use lethal means to attack demonstrations of Women Men and children who protest together the theft of their lands.

The escalation by the army in Nilin is the direct responsibility of Brigadier General Aviv Reshef. All war criminals from policy makers to those who carry it out should be held responsible. Tomorrow we take that message to Reshef's home.

Aviv Reshef and his neighbors ought to know:

There is no immunity for murderers in uniform.
Resisting the occupation does not end at the green line
The responsibility does not end when the green uniforms are shed.
The demonstration will leave tel aviv at around 16:00
If you can make it Please call Keren today at 052-xxxxxxx
From Haifa please call Uri 052-xxxxxxx

Please call tonight and not tomorrow so we can arrange for transportation.
The success of the demo depends on it.
******
The 23 people that were arrested in that demo were released the next day. (10 were in solidarity jail night with the others as they refused to accept releasing terms while the others stayed in for the night). They were released on the condition that they stay away from Zichron for the next 14 days.
(TV channels 10 and 2 competed for the video clip of our documenting team... With dirty trick channel 10 got it and screened part in the news program.)

--------------------------

UM SALMUNA

A call for solidarity with mousa abu maria who was administratively arrested for organizing the demonstrations against the separation fence in the region.

Hello, sorry for the late notice but tomorrow at 11:30 there would be a hearing in the supreme court in Jerusalem regarding the administrative arrest of mousa abu maria. This hearing, unlike the previous ones in the military courts, would be open to the public and it's very important to come to see mousa and show him support. [AAtW activists witnessed the sham hearing of the "highest court of justice" which as expected ratified the the previous decisions of the military "judges".]

People who are interested in going together from tel aviv - meet at 9:50 near the service to Jerusalem.

Mousa, 30 years old from beit ommar, is a co-founder of the Palestine solidarity project and dedicates his time to unarmed popular activity together with many other Palestinians, Israeli and international activists. He was arrested in the middle of the night almost 4 months ago and since then was only interrogated once, for about 10 minutes, and only about previous felonies which he was already sentenced for. The administrative detention warrant was given for the period of 6 months, but can be extended unlimited times.

About 800 administrative detainees are being held in Israeli jails without an indictment or a trial.

http://www.tv.social.org.il/medini/free-mousa-abu-maria-eng.htm
http://palestinesolidarityproject.org/

BIL'IN

David video of Friday's demo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NctSjPsSMhE