Palestine-Israel, The AAtW within the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation 21-22 February

My weekly report on the involvement of the Anarchists against the wall involvement in the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation

The weekend started a day earlier. On Thursday we participated in two demonstrations: One at Bidu region - west of Givat Zeev. Bidu and the villages in the region were in the focus of the struggle against the separation fence four years ago. Now, in connection with lands robbery for the expansion of Givat Zeev the struggle is restarting. The other was at Azzoun in the Kalkilia region - demonstration against the intended demolition of children play garden: see below. Friday we participated in additional three actions: One at the morning in Silwan: see below, One on the three years anniversary Bil'in struggle, and one at El Khader - a new front of struggle against the separation fence - see below. In Bil'in were about 2000 people. Palestinians from the village and from other places of the west bank; Israelis of the coalition against the separation fence; Internationals; and lot of media workers of all kinds of local and international media.

After convergence along the late morning at Friday noon participants attended a meeting in which speeches were delivered. Then, we marched with sound system at the head and the drummers band in the middle towards the separation fence. Though the Israeli highest court order half year ago the moving of the fence to the west to exclude part of the land of the village intended to be robbed, nothing was done yet and this was the theme of the demo.

When we arrived at the gate to the route of the fence we continued with the chanting for a while, till the unruly youth started to throw stones - inviting the retaliation by the state force by shooting teat gas and rubber coated bullets.

Most of the demonstrators retreated a bit and left the arena for the kids and the state force, while we were mainly onlookers from a safe distance.

During an hour and a half, about 20 kids and some of the onlookers were injured - 6 were rushed to hospital, one of them severely injured.

News programs of the main radio Channels reported about the demonstration along the afternoon and TV channel included it in the late evening main news program.



SILWAN
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Last Saturday (16/2/2008), 31 olive trees were uprooted by people of Elad association from a private owned piece of land. The policemen, that came after about one hour since they got a call, brutally ignored the fact that the criminals are at site even that they had all the details given to them by Silwan's residents.

The residents risk themselves and protest, we must stand along side them and show them our support! On Friday, February 15, at 9.00am, Israeli residents of Jerusalem will show solidarity and protest in front of the entrance to the "City of David" visitor center . We will wait for the tourists with signs and flayers, explaining to them who really stands behind the tours in "City of David".

Background:

Elad association has been working to cleanse the neighborhood of Wadi Hilwe in Silwan from it's Palestinian inhabitants for over a decade. The association uses different means for its objectives: buying out houses legally or by forgery and deceit, utilizing a network of collaborators which destroys the community from within, and mainly using the archaeological excavations and growing tourism as means to oust the local residents.

The state of Israel has given the full responsibility and control over the archaeological sites in Silwan to Elad, which in turn created a method of expelling citizens from their properties, appropriating public areas, enclosing these lands with fences and guards, and banning the entrance of the local residents. Elad monitors and executes aggressive archaeological excavations which are conducted secretly and illicitly, while violating international codes of ethic and under the protection of a private security force. Elad has managed to put its foothold in all the authorities and committees that are relevant to its cause: the Jerusalem municipality, national state committees, the antiquities authority, the nature & national parks protection authority, and the custodian for absentee property. Any attempt by the local residents to stand up against Elad, is met by a swift operation of the Israeli police and security services (shin-bet).

Hundreds of thousands of visitors a year are led through the excavation site in Silwan, and are brainwashed with a biased narrative told by Elad, under the charm of the national parks and antiquities authorities. The distortion of facts and the oppression of the local residents must come to light, and especially to those who visit the site.

AZZOUN
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A little Oasis for children in the middle of hopelessness

The playground, just off the Road between Azzoun and Jayyous attracts many children of both, and of the surrounding villages, being the only of its kind in the region. It's built in Area C on private Palestinian Land. But because the building permit is lacking, the Israeli Defense force demolished half of the area on the 22nd of February 2006. The other half will be destroyed on the 15th of March 2008.

The children's park was built with financial support of USAID and YMCA and the construction was nearly finished in February 2006. Building permits for Area C are almost impossible to get. An Israeli Lawyer is working on the case and is now planning to move to the Supreme Court as it is about private land.

Let us support the playground between Azzoun and Jayyous as it brings a glimpse of joy to the children in an area where they have not a lot to laugh about. On February 21st, almost two years after the partial deconstruction, at 10 am, there will be a demonstration held on the playground.

AL KHADER
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THE INVITATION FROM AL KHADER

Friday, February 22nd 2008: Al-Khader Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements with Al-Khader community invite you to join us in the weekly demonstration that will take place at the southern side of the village near the bypass, route 60.

The motto of this demo is: Keep pursuing non-violent resistance to end the Israeli occupation

We will gather at 11:45 am by the southern entrance of Al-Khader village, near the gas station. The demo will start after prayers have taken place on the threatened land where the wall will be constructed to separate 20 thousand dunums (5 thousand acres) of land from their farmers.

Join us; Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals to end this black page of human history.

For more information, please contact Samer Jaber

Palestine-Israel, Three years of persistent joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation 15-2-08

It was like previous 156 Fridays - 36 months - three years, without missing even one week, with other direct actions in other days, people of the village Bil'in, around the local popular comity, together with Israelis of the anarchists against the wall initiative, with internationals and media. We started at noon from the center of the village, marching on the road leading to the western lands of the village - cut by the separation fence, in the process of being robbed for the settlers town Modi'in Illit. More than half of the village 1000 acres are beyond the fence. Part of them already was taken and built on a new neighborhood of the settler town. Because of the joint struggle, the support it got, and the world wide media exposer, the Israeli Highest court of Justice intervened.

Half a year ago there was a verdict that tell the Israeli state to move the separation fence westward, and give back about half of the land now on the west of the fence.

As in other cases, the state (though bound by the law) is not too diligent in following the verdict - some times just refuse, other time it drag feet and need repeated "nagging" verdicts from the court.

As we reached the gate in the separation fence leading to the land on its west we found that the state force are just west of the rote of the separation fence. A situation hard to get used to after 35 months of bitter struggle in which the state forces tried to stop the Friday demonstrations, or at least prevent us from approaching the route of the fence, or if allowed - harassed by state force "guarding" the gate to the route the fence run in its middle.

When people opened the external gate as we did the two previous weeks, we got "punished". a volley of 4 rubber coated bullet was shot at the Imad Burnat, the video photographer of the village popular comity. One bullet destroy his camera and another bullet cut his flesh near the ear.

We retreated few meters and continue the demonstration. after a while, we started to return to the village - leaving the arena for the traditional war of attrition between the stone throwing youth and the state force which use bullets coated with rubber and tear gas.

Videos of the previous Friday demonstrations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-St2hn_qPwE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQSJIloSR0

Palestine-Israel, My subjective report on the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation 8-2-08

This Friday the anarchists against the wall participated in two demonstrations: one, in the traditional of Bil'in (Ramallah region) - the 156th, and the other in Al Khader (Bethlehem region). In Bil'in, the new Israeli regional commander continued with the deescalation. This Friday he even let us open the double gates leading to the route of the separation fence without retaliation. When the youngsters started to throw stones after the demonstration ended the state force did not use it as excuse to shower the nonviolent demonstrators with tear gas. Even in the confrontation with the youngsters, though the state force did use rubber coated bullets and tear gas, it was clear the new policy was to de-escalate.

Al Khader is a new site of persistent joint demonstrations of Palestinian villagers, international activists, and Israelis of the anarchists against the wall initiative, against the separation fence and occupation. Following is a call for joining the demonstration:

Nonviolent Anti-Wall Protest in Al-Khader near Bethlehem

Bethlehem – Palestine / Friday February 8th, 2008 - The Popular Committee against the Wall and Colonization in Al-Khader is organizing a nonviolent demonstration to protest the construction of the annexation wall in the town of Al-Khader, located south of Bethlehem. The protestors will also call for an end to the killing of children, thousands of whom have fallen victim to the 40 year old Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

The construction of the wall in this town will expropriate more than 20000 dunams (5000 acres) of the town's land, which will make life intolerable for this predominantly agricultural community.

The demonstration will start Friday February 8, 2008 at 11:30 in the main road (Jerusalem-Hebron road). The Friday Prayer will take place on the main street, and the march will continue on to the construction site near bypass road 60.

We invite you to join us in this joint struggle for peace and justice.

For more information, please contact, for English; Samer Jaber, For Arabic; Bassam Ghneim

Note: if the weather become rainy, the demonstration postpone to next Friday.

In the demonstration, when hundreds of people marched after the prayer and arrived at the barbed wire spool the state force put to block them, tear gas and shock grenades with rubber coated bullets were used to deter the people.

Palestine-Israel, My weekly report on the AAtW and other Israeli anarchists 2-2-08

The Tel Aviv anarchist bookshop "Saloon Mazal" is moving to a cheaper location - Salame 50 due to fundings problems. It will be closed all February. --- The monthly critical mass against the occupation (and the siege of Gaza) occurred on the last Thursday of January. Due to the cold and stormy whether, less than 30 people converged at the city square. During the cycling, police jumped on Jonathan Polak who is their target lately and arrested him. After spending the night at jail, the morning judge "released" him to two days of house arrest. ---- Local conflicts, and snowy whether in the south of Palestine(Bethlehem region) caused the canceling of the weekend joint demonstrations. The joint struggle of the anarchists against the wall with the grass roots Palestinian activists culminated in the traditional Friday demonstration in Bil'in.

As usual, we marched from the center of the village on the road towards the separation fence and half of the village lands in the west of it that are in the gradual process of being robbed. The demonstration had two Ad Hok themas: The mourning of the death of the late PLO leader George Habash, and the solidarity with the sieged Gaza.

When we approached the hill the gate to the west is on we had a nice surprise. The block on the foot of the hill and the Israeli state force there who were prevented us from reaching the gate in the fence the last 6 months were absent. When we climbed the hill we had even a bigger surprise. The state force was not "protecting" the gate to the route of the separation fence in the usual belligerent mode (of the year and a half they "allowed" us to come near it) and were located behind the route of the separation fence - declaring as usual that the area is a closed military zone. Even when few bold demonstrators overcome the barbed wire block and entered the route and even touched the separating fence itself, nothing happened but warnings.

After the speeches ended and just as the demonstration declared ended, the youngsters who were impatiently yielding to the pressure not to throw stones during the nonviolent demonstration, started their ritual of confronting the state force. The other demonstrators regrouped toward the village keeping a safe distance from the tear gas and bullets rubbed with rubber of the state force who crossed the route of separation fence and start to pursue the youngsters.

On Sunday, we will accompany one of our comrades summoned for interrogation to the police station for undisclosed reason, and demonstrate there against the increased police suppression of our demonstrations in Tel Aviv.