In addition to the preparation for the 4 years anniversary of the Friday demonstration in Bil'in, AAtW activists "visited" Ni'ilin on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. On Friday more than a hundred Israelis of the coalition against the separation fence came with the anarchists against the wall initiative, and joined international activists and hundreds Palestinians from the village and other regions (including a delegation from Ni'ilin). The march from the center of the village to the route of the separation fence was lively. However, when we tried to enter the route of the separation fence the Israeli state force showered us with tear gas. We retreated for awhile and tried again and again. At last, we succeeded to enter the route and persisted there for about half an hour before retreating.
Jaayus 13-2-09 - video by ISMPalestine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M_jh1Xt3LE&feature=channel_page
Bil'in invaded - video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rGnjNM25Y4
Bil'in friday 20.2.09 video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgIIP-ug27k
Ni'lin invaded and olive trees uprooted by the Israeli Army
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjLGeZ2q6Ac&feature=email
Army Uproots Trees in Ni'ilin, 16/2/09 - 7 Injured in Clashes
http://awalls.org/army_uproots_trees_in_niilin_7_injured_in_clashes
----------------------
Following are links to detailed reports on the Friday and Saturday actions, in the web site of the Anarchists Against the Wall http://awalls.org/
Protest and Resistance in Bil’in and Ni’ilin 20/02/2009
http://awalls.org/protest_and_resistance_in_bil_in_and_ni_ilin
Activists Demonstrate Outside Jalameh Detention Center 21/02/2009
http://awalls.org/activists_demonstrate_outside_jalameh_detention_center
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Palestine-Israel, The war is "over" and the joint struggle of the AAtW with the Palestinian partners continue
The war is over... but not for the victims in Gaza. Also not over for the people arrested in Israel (mostly Palestinian citizens) who are on bail, waiting for the call to appear in courts for bogus accusations. Fund rising all over the world is done for the covering of lawyers fees and bails for the Anarchists Against the Wall activists and our Palestinian partners in the joint demonstrations and actions. Friday we participated as usual in the demonstrations against the separation fence and occupation in Ni'ilin, Jaayus, Bil'in, and Um Salmuna. Ni'ilin - 13-2-09 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abl8i8Sh0KI
Friday 13.2.09 Bil'in video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g2Qvoy_IlA
JAAYUS
"Yesterday [Friday] Ben got arrested yesterday in Jaayus. It was a bit before the demonstration, when the army was invading a house in the village.
As far as I know they are accusing him of assault.
He will be brought to trial today (Saturday), probably in the evening."
Saturday late afternoon, comrades of the AAtW went after a group meeting in a solidarity mission to the court where he appeared before a judge. In spite of police prosecutor demands, he was released, as usual, on bail after one day in prison.
BIL'IN
"...The popular committee is inviting all Palestinians and solidarity groups to join a central protest next Friday Feb. 20th marking the fourth anniversary of Bil’in’s popular resistance against the Wall and settlement building."
Mass demonstration to mark 4 years of joint popular struggle in Bilin Next Friday, Feb 20.
The village of Bilin has long ago become a worldwide symbol of popular struggle against occupation, land theft and racial segregation. Next Friday Feb 20 it will mark four years of continuous popular struggle.
For four years the people of Bilin have been courageously resisting the expansion of settlements on their lands. They refuse to surrender in spite of violent repression which resulted in hundreds of injuries and arrests.
For four years we have been together in Bilin. Palestinians Israelis and internationals. Together we say no to Apartheid, No to occupation and no to the wall.
Next Friday we will demonstrate in Bilin against the wall and for a common future. We hope that many of the thousands of Israelis who took part in the struggle will attend.
Please save the date Feb 20
Details about transportation from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem will follow.
The Coalition against the Wall
Friday 13.2.09 Bil'in video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g2Qvoy_IlA
JAAYUS
"Yesterday [Friday] Ben got arrested yesterday in Jaayus. It was a bit before the demonstration, when the army was invading a house in the village.
As far as I know they are accusing him of assault.
He will be brought to trial today (Saturday), probably in the evening."
Saturday late afternoon, comrades of the AAtW went after a group meeting in a solidarity mission to the court where he appeared before a judge. In spite of police prosecutor demands, he was released, as usual, on bail after one day in prison.
BIL'IN
"...The popular committee is inviting all Palestinians and solidarity groups to join a central protest next Friday Feb. 20th marking the fourth anniversary of Bil’in’s popular resistance against the Wall and settlement building."
Mass demonstration to mark 4 years of joint popular struggle in Bilin Next Friday, Feb 20.
The village of Bilin has long ago become a worldwide symbol of popular struggle against occupation, land theft and racial segregation. Next Friday Feb 20 it will mark four years of continuous popular struggle.
For four years the people of Bilin have been courageously resisting the expansion of settlements on their lands. They refuse to surrender in spite of violent repression which resulted in hundreds of injuries and arrests.
For four years we have been together in Bilin. Palestinians Israelis and internationals. Together we say no to Apartheid, No to occupation and no to the wall.
Next Friday we will demonstrate in Bilin against the wall and for a common future. We hope that many of the thousands of Israelis who took part in the struggle will attend.
Please save the date Feb 20
Details about transportation from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem will follow.
The Coalition against the Wall
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Palestine-Israel, 73 years, 60 years, 40 years... and 4 years of joint actions in Bil'in, and the struggle continue
It is about 73 years since the first Palestinian uprising of 1936-9 against the plot to allocate the two sides of the Jordan for the Zionist project. It is already 60 years since 75% of the Palestinian lands west of the Jordan were "allocated" to the Israeli state. It is around 41 years after the 1967 war in which Israel conquered the remaining 25% of Palestine... but the tide seems to change. On the end of the fourth year of the joined struggle in Bil'in against the separation fence - which was supposed to ensure the robbery of at least half of the 25% taken in 1967, it seems the Israelian Zionists start to accept that they will never take all Palestine for themselves. ... And the joint struggle in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, and Um Salmuna continue.
BIL'IN
Bil'in Friday 6.2.09 demonstration video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag81d2MXD-c
During the Friday demonstration the state forces remained on the other side of the route of the separation fence... just showered us with tear gas. However, after the demonstrators retreated to the village, military armored cars entered the outskirts of the village in a show of force.
Excerpt of report of member of Bil'in village popular comity:
" the army fired tear gas canisters to disturb the crowd, causing dozens to suffer gas inhalation and two were injured. The two Adib Aburahma and Abdullah Aburahma.
The Israeli army has been raiding the village at night almost on a daily basis. There have been clashes between the army and residents of the village. Some residents have been kidnapped. These Israeli actions are collective punishment which aims to create fear among people and get them to stop resisting the occupation. The popular Committee against the wall is still encouraging people to continue resisting the wall and the occupation despite these threats.
For more information:
Abdallah Abu Rahmah- Bil’in Popular Committee.
e-mail – lumalayan@yahoo. com"
www.bilin-ffj.org
UM SALMUNA
The Friday demonstrations in Um Salmuna are relatively very quite. The participants are few tens of activists from the village and the region, internationals, and contingent of the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall. Usually, they march from the village till they arrive at the entrance from the high way. There they encounter a spool of barbed wire the Israeli state force put in advance to prevent their approach to the high way and stop.
The most belligerent action happen when children play with the barbed wire and the soldiers shout on them to stop. A new officer arrived this Friday and anounced that as punishment to for the touching of the barbed wire, the next week it will be posited 200 meter into the village. After that, each time the barbed wire spool will be touched, it will be moved the next week another 200 meters towards the center of the village. A border gendarme officer joined this and said: "I could not care less if each of you will demonstrate at your houses."
The state forces tried but failed to detain a member of the village popular comity and a member of the AAtW contingent, but their commander warned that in the future more serious arrests will be carried.
BIL'IN
Bil'in Friday 6.2.09 demonstration video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag81d2MXD-c
During the Friday demonstration the state forces remained on the other side of the route of the separation fence... just showered us with tear gas. However, after the demonstrators retreated to the village, military armored cars entered the outskirts of the village in a show of force.
Excerpt of report of member of Bil'in village popular comity:
" the army fired tear gas canisters to disturb the crowd, causing dozens to suffer gas inhalation and two were injured. The two Adib Aburahma and Abdullah Aburahma.
The Israeli army has been raiding the village at night almost on a daily basis. There have been clashes between the army and residents of the village. Some residents have been kidnapped. These Israeli actions are collective punishment which aims to create fear among people and get them to stop resisting the occupation. The popular Committee against the wall is still encouraging people to continue resisting the wall and the occupation despite these threats.
For more information:
Abdallah Abu Rahmah- Bil’in Popular Committee.
e-mail – lumalayan@yahoo. com"
www.bilin-ffj.org
UM SALMUNA
The Friday demonstrations in Um Salmuna are relatively very quite. The participants are few tens of activists from the village and the region, internationals, and contingent of the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall. Usually, they march from the village till they arrive at the entrance from the high way. There they encounter a spool of barbed wire the Israeli state force put in advance to prevent their approach to the high way and stop.
The most belligerent action happen when children play with the barbed wire and the soldiers shout on them to stop. A new officer arrived this Friday and anounced that as punishment to for the touching of the barbed wire, the next week it will be posited 200 meter into the village. After that, each time the barbed wire spool will be touched, it will be moved the next week another 200 meters towards the center of the village. A border gendarme officer joined this and said: "I could not care less if each of you will demonstrate at your houses."
The state forces tried but failed to detain a member of the village popular comity and a member of the AAtW contingent, but their commander warned that in the future more serious arrests will be carried.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Palestine-Israel, Just another week of AAtW struggle against the separation fence and occupation
Wednesday we participated in the demonstration against the separation fence in Ni'ilon and visited there the Holocaust exhibition http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3662608,00.html in the municipality building. On Friday we participated in the usual demonstrations against the separation fence in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, and Um Salmuna. In Bil'in we had a reinforcement support from the leftist Palestinian Front of struggle. We also had a second wave headed by three local women that brought us up to the electronic fence. In Um Salmuna the local comity dared to lead the demonstration to the local highway - going around the unprepared state force road block. A high ranking commander detained a member of the village comity and the I.D.s of participants confiscated. However, after a 10 minute stay, the demonstration declared finished and both the detainee and I.D.s were released.
On Saturday, January 31st 2009, at 15:00, we will hold a protest event in Gan Hashnaim (Yefet st. corner of Dr. Erlich), with projections of testimonies from Gaza, art installations and performances.
Ja'ayus 23-1-2009 - link to video http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=nxnhDdMeQxg
BIL'IN
Friday 23-1-09 demonstration video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUdhNq2Na1c
Friday 30-1-09 demonstration video at http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=NibvpvDgiH8
As it happen often the last few weeks, when two demonstrators hung flags on the gate to the route of the separation fence, the Israeli state force showered us with tear gas. After regrouping, three Palestinian women marched towards the gate and entered the route and even shake the electronic fence, while shouting on the state force. The state force shamed by the women refrained for few minutes from resuming shooting, and others of us joined the women.
After a wile the state force started to shower us again with tear gas and gradually forcing us to retreat to the village.
Following are excerpts from the report of Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Committee in Bil'in:
"Dozens suffered ["only"] from teargas inhalation during the Bil'in Weekly Demonstration
Friday, 30 \ 1 \ 2008
"The march drew a crowd of cadres and members and supporters of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front [from the west bank], hoisting banners and chanting slogans calling for unity and the removal of settlements and the wall and lifting the siege on Gaza."
"Khamis Fathi Abu Rahma left the hospital yesterday after being injured by Israeli soldiers on Friday in the head with a new type of gas, corrected by the Israeli soldiers, causing a fracture and severe bleeding in his skull, where the Israeli soldiers deliberately pointed their guns at the heads of the demonstrators especially when firing tear gas."
NI'ILIN
Ni'ilin demonstration 21-1-2009 - link to video
Report of Professor Uriel Prokachia on a previous Friday demonstration against the separation fence
Come to Ni'ilin - Personal experience on what happens on Fridays in the village, will enable you too to decide on morally related questions
Every Friday protest actions happen in the Palestinian village Ni'ilin with its 5,000 inhabitants, against the separation fence, that cut between the village and its fields.
The protest activities initiate confrontations between the villagers and the security forces, that already cost a high price of life of villagers, serious injuries on both sides and destruction. Naturally, such violence rise a serious ethical question. We "consume" every week contradicted reports of the villagers and of the security forces, where each side blame the other side for the responsibility to the tragedy.
Last Friday, I decided to enter the village without prejudice to witness with my own eyes what happens, without biased reports. May be what I have seen is only one piece of a more complex picture I failed to decipher its full meaning, but even this piece rise in me a serious worry.
Ni'ilin is a picturesque village adjacent to the hills scene north of Modi'in. Most of its lands were expropriated after the Six Days war [1967] for "security reasons" and were built on a string of settlements, among them Modi'in Illit, Hashmonaim, Kiriat Sefer, and Nili. The security fence will bite wide area from the small remaining area - though the High Court of Justice, the less cruel for the villages from the alternatives the security forces brought before it. However, it is hard for the villagers to accept this alternative that will result the loss of means of livelihood for many families and intensify the feeling of economic and emotional strangulation forced on them from the beginning of the occupation.
Friday, 10:00 in the morning, the village seems to be calm and serene. Merchant stand in front of their meager shops, people are conversing in the small alleys and small herds of sheep and goats are lead by teenagers to the near by pasture lands.
Gradually, started a converging of about 200 people on a high hill facing the far away separation fence that separate between the village on one side and Modi'in Illit and Hashmonaim on the other.
Most of the people are from the village including women and children. I counted about a dozen of participants from out of the village, who express support to the struggle against the separation fence. Already at that time, jeeps of the border gendarmes are seen among the olive trees, about a kilometer or two from the converging people.
After a while, the people are forming a procession for the march. The soldiers and the policemen are spread out near by. Five minutes later, with no sign of violence from the side of the converging people - even before the starting of the march towards the far away fence, the state force started to spray the whole region with tear gas.
The youth start to throw stones, but only for a short period, as the teargas do its job. It is impossible to stay within the cloud of tear gas. The gas blind the eyes and choke your breath.
The people, and me too, escape into the houses. The people in the house that took me in shut all the doors and windows so it will not be flooded by the gas. The security forces continue their bold and ordered march into the village and invade its central square. From there, they continue to shoot tear gas into the houses. All the village houses are wrapped by the gas. The house I hide in is wrapped by gas from outside but significant amount penetrate in due to incomplete sealing of the doors and windows.
Me and my courteous hosts, I was not acquainted before, shed tears like the Mississippi... but as we were healthy we got over eventually with no harm. I am less sure about the fate of babies, old folk, and people with problematic respiration system.
At that stage I assumed that the Friday program was fulfilled and I may resume business as usual. However, the security forces thought otherwise. The shooting continued and continued. All the villagers were hiding at their homes. The village is covered with a disgusting cloud tear gas. The time pass, one and a half, two, two and a half, three... and the shooting continues. I know what happened afterwards only from rumors as my host that worried about me found a way to smuggle me out of the village to the near by high way using side way that bypass the shooting area.
May be some readers will doubt the authenticity of the report, or that will say that it is all in the eyes of the one who look at it.... But, the ethical question presented here is important. Every one of us must equip himself with a real personal narrative that will shade light on his road. There is only one ethical way to do that: sacrifice the pleasures of one Friday and come for direct experience in the village. It worth the sacrifice. The village is friendly to its guests, the view is wonderful, at least in the minutes of grace you can look at it with tear-less eyes.
------------------------------------------
Professor Uriel Prokchia is the head of the M.A. program in law of the interdisciplinary center of Hertzelia collage
On Saturday, January 31st 2009, at 15:00, we will hold a protest event in Gan Hashnaim (Yefet st. corner of Dr. Erlich), with projections of testimonies from Gaza, art installations and performances.
Ja'ayus 23-1-2009 - link to video http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=nxnhDdMeQxg
BIL'IN
Friday 23-1-09 demonstration video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUdhNq2Na1c
Friday 30-1-09 demonstration video at http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=NibvpvDgiH8
As it happen often the last few weeks, when two demonstrators hung flags on the gate to the route of the separation fence, the Israeli state force showered us with tear gas. After regrouping, three Palestinian women marched towards the gate and entered the route and even shake the electronic fence, while shouting on the state force. The state force shamed by the women refrained for few minutes from resuming shooting, and others of us joined the women.
After a wile the state force started to shower us again with tear gas and gradually forcing us to retreat to the village.
Following are excerpts from the report of Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Committee in Bil'in:
"Dozens suffered ["only"] from teargas inhalation during the Bil'in Weekly Demonstration
Friday, 30 \ 1 \ 2008
"The march drew a crowd of cadres and members and supporters of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front [from the west bank], hoisting banners and chanting slogans calling for unity and the removal of settlements and the wall and lifting the siege on Gaza."
"Khamis Fathi Abu Rahma left the hospital yesterday after being injured by Israeli soldiers on Friday in the head with a new type of gas, corrected by the Israeli soldiers, causing a fracture and severe bleeding in his skull, where the Israeli soldiers deliberately pointed their guns at the heads of the demonstrators especially when firing tear gas."
NI'ILIN
Ni'ilin demonstration 21-1-2009 - link to video
Report of Professor Uriel Prokachia on a previous Friday demonstration against the separation fence
Come to Ni'ilin - Personal experience on what happens on Fridays in the village, will enable you too to decide on morally related questions
Every Friday protest actions happen in the Palestinian village Ni'ilin with its 5,000 inhabitants, against the separation fence, that cut between the village and its fields.
The protest activities initiate confrontations between the villagers and the security forces, that already cost a high price of life of villagers, serious injuries on both sides and destruction. Naturally, such violence rise a serious ethical question. We "consume" every week contradicted reports of the villagers and of the security forces, where each side blame the other side for the responsibility to the tragedy.
Last Friday, I decided to enter the village without prejudice to witness with my own eyes what happens, without biased reports. May be what I have seen is only one piece of a more complex picture I failed to decipher its full meaning, but even this piece rise in me a serious worry.
Ni'ilin is a picturesque village adjacent to the hills scene north of Modi'in. Most of its lands were expropriated after the Six Days war [1967] for "security reasons" and were built on a string of settlements, among them Modi'in Illit, Hashmonaim, Kiriat Sefer, and Nili. The security fence will bite wide area from the small remaining area - though the High Court of Justice, the less cruel for the villages from the alternatives the security forces brought before it. However, it is hard for the villagers to accept this alternative that will result the loss of means of livelihood for many families and intensify the feeling of economic and emotional strangulation forced on them from the beginning of the occupation.
Friday, 10:00 in the morning, the village seems to be calm and serene. Merchant stand in front of their meager shops, people are conversing in the small alleys and small herds of sheep and goats are lead by teenagers to the near by pasture lands.
Gradually, started a converging of about 200 people on a high hill facing the far away separation fence that separate between the village on one side and Modi'in Illit and Hashmonaim on the other.
Most of the people are from the village including women and children. I counted about a dozen of participants from out of the village, who express support to the struggle against the separation fence. Already at that time, jeeps of the border gendarmes are seen among the olive trees, about a kilometer or two from the converging people.
After a while, the people are forming a procession for the march. The soldiers and the policemen are spread out near by. Five minutes later, with no sign of violence from the side of the converging people - even before the starting of the march towards the far away fence, the state force started to spray the whole region with tear gas.
The youth start to throw stones, but only for a short period, as the teargas do its job. It is impossible to stay within the cloud of tear gas. The gas blind the eyes and choke your breath.
The people, and me too, escape into the houses. The people in the house that took me in shut all the doors and windows so it will not be flooded by the gas. The security forces continue their bold and ordered march into the village and invade its central square. From there, they continue to shoot tear gas into the houses. All the village houses are wrapped by the gas. The house I hide in is wrapped by gas from outside but significant amount penetrate in due to incomplete sealing of the doors and windows.
Me and my courteous hosts, I was not acquainted before, shed tears like the Mississippi... but as we were healthy we got over eventually with no harm. I am less sure about the fate of babies, old folk, and people with problematic respiration system.
At that stage I assumed that the Friday program was fulfilled and I may resume business as usual. However, the security forces thought otherwise. The shooting continued and continued. All the villagers were hiding at their homes. The village is covered with a disgusting cloud tear gas. The time pass, one and a half, two, two and a half, three... and the shooting continues. I know what happened afterwards only from rumors as my host that worried about me found a way to smuggle me out of the village to the near by high way using side way that bypass the shooting area.
May be some readers will doubt the authenticity of the report, or that will say that it is all in the eyes of the one who look at it.... But, the ethical question presented here is important. Every one of us must equip himself with a real personal narrative that will shade light on his road. There is only one ethical way to do that: sacrifice the pleasures of one Friday and come for direct experience in the village. It worth the sacrifice. The village is friendly to its guests, the view is wonderful, at least in the minutes of grace you can look at it with tear-less eyes.
------------------------------------------
Professor Uriel Prokchia is the head of the M.A. program in law of the interdisciplinary center of Hertzelia collage
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