Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle in Bil'in and Ni'ilin against the separation and occupation is still in the focus.

Bil'in,

Over 25 Israelis and 20 internationals joined local Palestinians and a contingent from the village Karyat Bani Zeid - the focus of struggle for watter. The weekly demonstration against the Israeli annexation continued in spite of nightly terror campaign in the village of Bil'in and persecution of the members of the village popular comity. The demonstration, slightly smaller than usual due to the Ramadan, marched from the village center to the separation wall with Palestinian flags and signs supporting the struggle of the village Karyat Bani Zeid for access to the water denied them by the Israeli civil administration. The shabab concentrated between the fence and the road leading to the gate, getting gassed and throwing stones, while the main demo congregated peacefully at the gate. The soldiers refused the organizers' orders to disperse, so they sent a small unarmed team of demonstrators into the area between the fences to explain to the soldiers that they must stop violating the law and evacuate the premises immediately.

Unfortunately, the soldiers responded with tear gas. The demonstrators continued suffering sporadic gas attacks, as did the Al Jezeera van parked next to the house adjacent to the gate in the wall. Abdullah invited us all to join the Ramadan dinner later that evening, and the demonstration slowly dwindled away with occasional relatively moderate showers of gas.

Bil'in demo 4-9-09 - link to video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlRnMdRdvQc

Ni'ilin,

The weekly demonstration started with a march towards the route of the separation fence. tens of Palestinians, internationals and Israelis of the AAtW went around to the west of the location where the Israeli state forces put a high concrete wall. They expressed there their protest where 20 soldiers and gendarmes responded with tear gas grenades and spray of the stinking water used lately for dispersing the demonstrators.

Towards the evening, few jeeps and two groups of soldiers crossed the separation fence and chased the demonstrators towards the village.

At a certain point, about 20 youngsters were up the hill and stoned the soldiers below. Those responded with the addition of 20 rounds of live ammunition.

On another location demonstrators confronted the soldiers in the jeeps who added too few rounds of live ammunition. As a result, two photographers including one of the AAtW activists were injured from ricochets of these rounds.


Media, Haaretz on Bil'in http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1112501.html

IDF filmed aiming tear gas at Al-Jazeera reporter in West Bank

Jacky Rowland was reporting Friday from the West Bank village of Bil'in, explaining to viewers about the separation fence and the weekly protests that take place there, when Israeli troops began firing tear gas at the protesters and then directly at her.
Video footage that aired Friday shows an Al-Jazeera reporter covering an anti-separation fence rally in the West Bank dodging a tear gas grenade fired by Israel Defense Forces troops. http://www.youtube.com/v/34jPNN0qdF8&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34jPNN0qdF8
The footage shows Rowland, wearing a helmet, exclaiming "We're under attack!" as a tear gas grenade flies past her.
She continues reporting, telling viewers that the Israeli soldiers are "obviously trying to take us off the air."

Ni'ilin

Media, Haaretz printed edition of Sunday in English report on Ni'ilin
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1112567.html

Two photographers hurt in Na'alin protests By Anshel Pfeffer

Two photographers were lightly injured during a demonstration on Friday against the separation fence near the West Bank village of Na'alin. One of the injured was noted Israeli artist David Reeb. The other was Palestinian photographer Muhammad Amira.

About 250 Israelis and Palestinians attended the Na'alin demonstration. A smaller protest was held in the nearby village of Bilin.

Protesters began throwing rocks at Israel Defense Forces soldiers and Border Police forces, who responded by firing rubber-tipped bullets and teargas grenades. Protesters said yesterday the IDF used live munitions as well.

Reeb, who has attended the protests since they began, four years ago, had surgery to remove shrapnel from his leg and was set to be discharged from hospital today. He said yesterday he did not believe the soldiers were targeting him.

"I think I was hit by a bullet that ricocheted off the ground," he said. "They shot much more than usual this Friday, and sometimes aimed directly at people."

Reeb has been hurt in the protests twice before but this was the first time his injuries were serious enough to require hospitalization and surgery.

Reeb said he will return to the village next Friday. "These villages' land is being robbed, and it's important to keep reporting this and supporting them," he said.

Also yesterday, al-Jazeera aired footage of its reporter at the scene coming under tear gas fire from a Border Police unit.