Monday, October 25, 2010

Palestine-Israel, 140 years, 63 years, 43 years, and the recent 7 years of joint struggle of the AAtW against suppression and transfer of Palestinians

The Zionist settler colonialist project dream of taking the whole Palestinian lands was frustrated again and again. The illusions of "two banks of the Jordan this and the others are ours" was already" long gone and forgotten. Even the smaller dream of taking all the west bank of the Jordan and cleansing it from Palestinians evaporated from the minds of most Zionists. The majority are resigned to accept a big Palestinian minority within their "Jewish state" but the Israeli elite and its followers still hope that hard bargaining may increase their share of the "holly land" and decrease the number of the Palestinians that will be in it. The joint struggle of the Jewish Israeli radicals with our Palestinian partners seems to bring to an end the support of the international elite to the expansion of the Zionist settler colonialist project.

Beit Ommar

Beit Ommar Committee Threatened Overnight by military, Need Israelis for Demo TODAY (Saturday October 23, 2010).

At 3am, popular committee members Ahmed Abu Hashem and Mousa Abu Maria were each visited by 15 soldiers, including a high-ranking officer, and threatened with arrest if they continued the demonstrations. Mousa and wife were both threatened with arrest and visits every night if we continued to participate in the demonstrations. The house was also trashed.

We would like a larger presence of Israelis today at the demonstration, with the anticipation that the military may indeed try to arrest Ahmed or Mousa. We meet at 12:30 to begin the demo at 1.

Saturday, "only one youngster age 15 was arrested in relative quit demonstration.
Beit Ula

Invitation for participation in joint action with Palestinians, from village grass root committees and initiative keep coming...

"Hi all,

we have been invited to a demonstration in Beit Ula this Friday. it is not far from beit Umar. if you can make it please let me know."

Bil'in

Thursday, court solidarity with Adeeb Abu Rahmah. "The military court of appeals will rule on Adeeb Abu Rahmah's appeal this Thursday.
Adeeb Abu Rahmah, a leading activist and organizer from the village of Bil’in, has been held in prison for 15 months, since his arrest during a demonstration against the wall on 10 July 2009.
The Israeli military court has convicted Adeeb of incitement, and sentenced him to 12 months in prison. The prosecution has appealed for a tougher sentence of 2 years imprisonment."
In spite of the solidarity action and international press presence, the prison term was prolonged to 18 months.

Friday, about 25 internationals and Dozen Israelis joined the weekly Palestinian demonstration in Bil'in against the wall and against the desperately fascist imprisonment of the leaders of the popular struggle for "incitement". The demonstrators marched to the wall's gate, which was left open, but hardly even got there before they were bombarded with tear gas. The demonstrators retreated to the northern part of the wall for a while, until they were gassed away again, and then returned to the gate. They protested peacefully for a while, and eventually decided to end the demonstration. On their way back to the village they were escorted with large doses of gas, while the local shabab attempted to stone the soldiers into order. The massive gassing caused one child to faint, but (no thanks to the soldiers who kept shooting), he quickly recovered.

(As usual, most of the Israelis, who come with the AAtW, continued to the afternoon demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah.)

Hebron - Al-Halil
16-10-2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJlVV9El9CY

Quite Saturday demonstration.

Al Ma’asara – Four Years and Going Strong

"October 2006 saw the beginning of regular demonstrations against the fence in the South Bethlehem region: women and kids from the villages most harmed by the fence stood in front of bulldozers and stopped the construction, and Palestinians and Israelis joined hands in a popular non-violent struggle to defend the land and stop the settlements.

Now, after four years of constant popular resistance in the face of on going military oppression, violence and arrests, we unite in a larger demonstration than usual, and tell the occupation forces that our message still stands:
No to the fence, no to settlements and the occupation –

Yes to partnership, peace, freedom and equality!"

Friday:
The demonstration held today in Al Ma’asara marked four years of weekly protests as part of the popular struggle against the Israeli occupation, the confiscation of land through construction of settlements and the Apartheid wall. Hundreds of participants from France, Italy, Spain, England and other countries stood alongside Palestinians peacefully protesting Israel’s failure to comply with international law. Also present was Luisa Morgantini, former vice President of European Parliament. About 30 Israeli activists with the Anarchists Against the Wall initiative, as well as other Israelis from Active Stills and Ta’ayush (who as usual continued after the demo to the Sheikh-Jarrah weekly Friday afternoon demonstration).

The Israeli forces stopped the demonstration long before reaching its destination and immediately made use of sound bombs and tear gas in an attempt to disperse the activists, despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration. An older French activist was injured when a high velocity tear gas canister shot into the air by the Israeli forces struck him in the head.

Two Israeli activists were detained after crossing the line formed by the soldiers. The demonstrators held fast and refused to leave for another hour until the two activists were released.

The residents of Al Ma’asara together with international supporters declared their intentions to continue the struggle to defend their rights.

Israel Puterman video Al-Ma'asara - 4 years struggle anniversary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0T-TdMX-8A

Pictures:
http://awalls.org/files/images/IMG_6356.preview.JPG
http://awalls.org/files/images/IMG_6400.preview.JPG
http://awalls.org/files/images/IMG_6423.preview.JPG

http://awalls.org/files/images/IMG_6573.preview.JPG


Nabi Saleh

Israeli Border Police Seized, Attacked and Burned Nabi Saleh Homes During Demo; 2 Palestinians Arrested

October 22, 2010

House burnt by tear gas canisters attack; houses invaded and used as military outposts; soldiers shooting on sight whomever in their range; making arrests; collectively punishing a population by mass tear gas attacks; snipers shooting rubber bullets; and live ammunition shot towards protesters - another long Friday of harsh Israeli army repression was the share of Nabi Saleh residents, bravely standing up for their freedom against the strangulating occupation and the Halamish settlement, built itself on the village's lands.

The demonstration's initial march was even shorter than usual as it met with an immediate unprovoked attack by Israeli border police, shooting tear gas canisters directly at the protesters, a conduct which persisted throughout the demonstration and which violates even the army's own regulations.

This attack was soon followed by an army break-in and takeover of several houses within the village, using them and especially their roofs as military outposts. During the second Intifada the Israeli army took over houses for months in a row, and now residents say the houses taken over during the demonstration are likely to be repeatedly taken over in the coming Fridays. The army soldiers took the liberty (with, in many cases, twisted pleasure) to shoot on sight whomever was in their range. Only in few cases stones were thrown back to ward off the army's incursion. Snipers used rubber bullets and close to the end of the army's incursion into the village, soldiers also shot live ammunition towards the protesters. Several protesters sustained non-serious injuries, mostly from tear gas canisters shot directly at them.

Within the army's unprovoked and cruel attacks inside a populated area, two houses were hit by tear gas canisters. In one of the houses a fire erupted as a result . The fire consumed some of the family property (mostly mattresses and the internal walls paint). Protesters came to put out the fire, and later own Palestinian fire department tracks arrived.

In a separate incident two Palestinian protesters were arrested for no justified reason.

On Thursday night, prior to the day of the demo, as is the case on many nights since the demos has started – the Israeli army has invaded the village and patrolled it. No arrests were made. Some 10 army jeeps were involved in this Friday's army incursion into Nabi Saleh.

The three village's youth who were arrested during last Friday were released on Tuesday and Thursday to the joy of their families, friends and supporters.


Ni'ilin

Around 50 demonstrators marched from the village to the apartheid wall
the cutting through the village land, even though it is the olive
harvest season many are not allowed to go and work on there land.
Few minutes after the demonstration reached the wall the army started
to shoot many tear gas canisters. Moments later the armed forces open
the gate a crossed to the other side of the wall shooting and chasing
the demonstrators, few of the demonstrators responded with stones to
slow down the soldiers. not like the last few months soldiers came
from different directions trying to surprised the demonstrators. The
soldiers attack was stopped few times by tear canisters that were
thrown back on them. after almost 3 hours when both sides went
back.There were no injures or arrests during the demo.
David Reeb Ni'ilin video and fragments from An Nabi Salih (with faulty battery) at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUBPdK8rr8U


Jerusalem

Silwan

The struggle against transfer continue with participation of the Israeli activists of the Sheikh Jarah coalition the Anarchists Against the Wall are part of/

Video from Sunday 17-10-10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_oTNvPI6Lg&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_83FObuk_Vc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgVPTDxmWHo&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deFFwPK_-hs&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spaua64vlG4

Sheikh-Jarrah

Israel Puterman video ex-President Jimmy carter in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snC_krTBaYQ


Walaje

Instead of the usual demonstration against the separation fence: "The community of al-walaje and it's popular committee for the struggle against the wall

invites all supporters to join olive harvest in one of the plots that the wall will run through at Friday 22.10.10 12:00
---------------------------
See http://awals.org of the Anarchists Against the Wall, and my Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com

Monday, October 18, 2010

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle continue in spite of the end of Summer blues.

Anarchists Against the Wall (awalls.org) have a facebook presence though most of the texts are in Hebrew: "As every Friday, this weekend too we will demonstrate together with hundreds of Palestinians and internationals in villages of the west bank - want to join? - Send us a message to the inbox and join to a demo in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Nabi Saleh, Ma'asara, Wad Rahal, Walaje, Beit Umar, and Hebron. Want to join or to get friendly information about the experience of non-violent demonstrations in confrontation with the occupation forces and tear gas? At http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001023133341
Of course we are involved significantly with struggles of the wider radical scene related to Bedouin Arakiv, Sheikh Jarrah, south of Hebron and more...


Arakiv

The struggle against the Israeli state efforts to rob lands of Bedouins of the south of 1948 Israel. In addition to activities in the region, the entrance to the offices of the land possession agency KKL in Tel Aviv was treated early hours Tuesday. Doors were locked and signs were put for all to see.
On Wednesday the village was demolished the sixth time...

Beit Omar

There will be a demo in Beit Omar tomorrow (Saturday 16-10-10) and we ask that people will attend the demo to support the right struggle of the people of Beit Omar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1hIpG6hZSk&feature=feedu

Bil'in

Court solidarity for Abdallah:

"Just left Ofer. Abdallah got a 12 months and 6 months suspended sentence if he is convicted of another act of demonstrating/organizing and 5000 nis fine.

There were diplomats from many EU countries and media coverage from CNN, al jazerra, ap, reuters.

It is unclear if the persecution will appeal but it looks like they will."


In this Friday demonstration against the separation and robbery fence in Bil'in participated about dozen Israelis, dozen internationals and 30 Bil'iners.

Along the march from the center of the village towards the gate people chanted the usual calls focusing on the demand to free Addib and Abdalla Abu Rahme who got a year in prison for participation in the weekly demonstrations.

Many marchers held high the photos of Abdallah and Addib.

Like in previous Friday the gate of the route was left open and demonstrators entered th route, converged along the electronic fence and demanded to let us pass and pick the olives on the other side of the fence.

After a while tension escalated and the Israeli state forces showered us with the usual doze of tear gas.

David Reeb video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZmQ6gPEmEw


Letter from Mohammed Khatib

These are hard but important days for us in Palestine. Just yesterday, my friend and coordinator of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, Abdallah Abu Rahmah, was sentenced to a year in prison by an Israeli military court. His sole crime was being an instrumental part in our village's campaign against the construction of the wall on our lands.

However, we mustn't allow our sadness about Abdallah's incarceration to stop our work. While Abdallah worked to highlight the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, Israel also constructs illegal infrastructure in East Jerusalem.

Between the 20th and 22nd of October, almost a week from today, the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) plans to hold its bi-annual tourism conference in Jerusalem - a city whose indigenous Palestinian residents suffer from systemic discrimination and expulsion. There is not a moment to lose if we want to change this decision.

Despite Israel’s persistent violations of human rights and disregard for International law, the OECD – whose member countries include the majority of the world richest countries – granted Israel membership on May 27th of this year.

Tourism plays an important role in Israel’s colonization of occupied East Jerusalem. The state and right wing settler organizations cooperate in expelling Palestinians residents from East Jerusalem neighborhoods such as Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah for the creation of colonies and biblically theme parks for tourists.

Join us in calling on the OECD to cancel its tourism conference in Jerusalem. Please follow this link to send an email to Angel GurrĂ­a, the Secretary General of the OECD, and demand that his organization respect International law by canceling the planned OECD tourism conference in Jerusalem.

Help us highlight this injustice and voice your concern.

In solidarity,
Mohammed Khatib


Hebron - Al Halil

Video of 16-10-10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJlVV9El9CY



Ma'asara

Last Friday, a smaller than usual group of Palestinians, internationals, and Israelis marched from the center of Ma'asara towards the entrance of the village. When the demonstrators were about to reach the entrance, military jeeps instantly drove up and blocked their way. A line of soldiers began advancing towards the demonstrators and within one minute started throwing stun and tear gas grenades at the crowd who loudly chanted 'do not shoot'. When the soldiers got momentarily bored of throwing grenades, the crowd regathered to hear speeches by the village's residents and soon-after announced the conclusion of the demonstration.

Al Ma'asara Oct 15 video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a35ZcBB7nE

Four years of struggle and it is going strong. The popular struggle in Ma'asara stops the fence of annexation.

October 2006 saw the beginning of regular demonstrations against the fence in the South Bethlehem region: women and kids from the villages most harmed by the fence stood in front of bulldozers and stopped the construction, and Palestinians and Israelis joined hands in a popular non-violent struggle to defend the land and stop the settlements.

Now, after four years of constant popular resistance in the face of on going military oppression, violence and arrests, we unite in a larger demonstration than usual, and tell the occupation forces that our message still stands:

No to the fence, no to settlements and the occupation –

Yes to partnership, peace, freedom and equality!

The demonstration will leave Ma'asara village center Friday, 22.10, at 12:00 noon.

Please register for transportation: D.


Nabi Saleh

Undercover Israeli army attack Friday Nabi Saleh demonstration; 3 Palestinian youth arrested

Friday, October 15, 2010

Around 60 Nabi Saleh residents, other Palestinians and international and Israeli supporters participated in this week's demonstration against the strangulating occupation and the Halamish settlement, built itself on the village's lands. As used to be the case before, the demonstration just began with a peaceful march through the village when an unprovoked attack by tear gas, sound grenades and, later on, rubber bullets - was launched by the Israeli army. The soldiers shot tear gas canisters directly and from short distance on the demonstrators, many of them the village's children. Such a criminal conduct, which violates even the army's own regulations, persisted throughout the demonstration and resulted this time only with several non-serious injuries.

After some 3 hours of dispersed clashes within the village, a short traffic jam of cars going through the village's main road was created due to the army's presence and some rocks placed on the road to hinder the army's movement into the village. Exactly as the army retreated, one of the drivers apparently came out of his car, expressing anger towards the demonstrators for the traffic interference. A hands fight erupted, with most of the people just standing by or separating the fighting sides. Just after the original initiators of the fight apparently moved on and with them some more cars.

It was around 15:30 when the demonstration in Nabi Saleh was at its last clashes with Israeli soldiers, That the undercover soldiers used a possibly also-undercover-military-initiated commotion at the village's main road to came out of the rear of the car line and commenced their attack, using sound bombs and live-ammunition rifles to deter people from approaching. They forcibly kidnap and arrest three Palestinian demonstrators along with one Israeli who was video-taping the attack.

The army regular soldiers then joined in to take the arrestees and undercover soldiers away and continue the offense against the remaining demonstrators. At this time the army also reinstated the use of its tear gas cannon, shooting some 20 tear gas projectiles at once, through which, as through many of its single tear gas attacks within the village's populated area, it engaged in a criminal collective punishing and repressing of the entire village.

Arrests of Palestinian demonstrators typically entail prolonged detentions without charges or through a poorly-standardized military legal procedure. As usual, the Israeli of the four arrested was released after some hours but the Palestinian 3 remained in jail.

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bj9xUfkIf4


Sheikh Jarrah

Video of 15-10-10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN0LXHw7Y1o&feature=feedu

SAVE UMM HAROUN! (The new compound to become subject to "lawful" transfer.

The residents of the Umm Haroun compound are in danger of being thrown out of their homes!

The demonstration will take place on Friday, October 8 at 3PM
at the Umm Haroun compound

The demo starts at the public garden in Sheikh Jarrah,
on Nablus Road near the American Colony

Sheikh Jarah Solidarity

The residents of the "Um Harrun" compound in Sheikh Jarah are threatened by immediate eviction orders!

Representatives of the settlers have announced that eviction would begin soon, in the upcoming month!

Now is the time to shout - protest - come together, hand in hand - in solidarity!

Against all the forces used by the settlers to carry out this expulsion, we shall stand together - in non-violent civil disobedience - and we shall not let this expulsion pass!

March and vigil at Um-Harrun, Sheikh Jarah
We will leave at 14:00 from Damascus gate, for a protest vigil at the Sheikh Jarah garden, that will begin at 15:00.

Transportation from Tel-Aviv : 13:30, El-Al terminal , near "Rakevet Merkaz". No need to register.

for additional info:
justjerusalem@gmail.com


Walaje

Around Al-Walaja village, south-west to Jerusalem, the separation barrier - mostly a concrete wall - is being built, and will surround the village from all sides, cut it off from its surroundings and steal it's lands. Besides all that it will inflict critical damage to the environment and the unique natural and agricultural landscape.

For a few months a non-violent popular struggle is taking place in the village against the wall, which includes weekly demonstrations and direct actions against the construction. The people of the village appealed to the the court, demanding to change the route of the wall. The Society for Protection of Nature has also joined the appeal. The court refused to issue a temporary order to stop the construction until the appeal is settled, and it is going on in a worrisome pace. After the holidays there will be a court discussion concerning the state's reply to the appeal in a date not yet determined.


During the discussion we will have a demonstration tho support the villager's appeal in front of the supreme court

Further details will be given when the discussion's date will be determined.


In addition we will make tours in the village and the wall's route on Friday and Saturday 8-9.10. On Friday it will be possible to join the weekly demonstration after the tour.

For more information, registration for tours and help with organizing the demo: Ur -firubat@yahoo.com 0525-247285


For further information about the village and the struggle al-walaja.blogspot.com :
---------------------------
See Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle continue in spite of escalation of repression

Israeli democracy for Jews still hold. The state forces "only nearly murdered" Israelis participants in joint demonstrators - in comparison of around dozen Palestinians. (The shooting to murder of Palestinian participants was accompanied only by shooting to mime Israeli participants). We will have to see if verdict of one year prison for Adib and Aballah Abu Rahmah of Bil'in will be accompanied by verdicts of prison time (shorter for sure) for Israelis too.

Around 70 Palestinian, Israeli and International solidarity activists demonstrated in Beit Ommar against the Israeli settlement of Kamei Tsur, which is built on village land. Israeli Forces arrested four Palestinians, three international, and one Israeli solidarity activists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu0VaYgmMec

Masked Israeli commandos detain Palestinian protesters during a peaceful demonstration against Israel's settlements in the West Bank village of Beit Omar, near the city of Hebron, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5717008&id=686182483


Bil'in

17 Israelis and about 5 internationals joined the local Palestinian demonstration against the wall and occupation in Bil'in. The demonstrators marched from the village center to the fence gate, which was left wide open, demanding to cross to their land to pick their olives. The olive branch that the demonstrators carried did not persuade the soldiers to let them through, but the soldiers did convince the demonstrators to retreat with their tear gas. The wind blew in the demonstrators faces, and made it difficult for them to regroup, but the shabab found a spot along the route of the wall and away from the peaceful demo to express their anger with stones. After a while, the soldiers invaded the village using all kind of weapons, but didn't manage to stop the shabab. Then the soldiers retreated back behind the wall, but the shabab kept on stoning for quite a while, until even they had enough. All the demonstrators managed to pick during the demo was a bucketful of used tear gas grenades.

Abdallah Abu Rahma

It is a short notice, but I think it could be great and very important if we could go, as many people as possible, to make some noise outside Ofer during the hearing.
So that Abdallah can hear us and get that support, and also that the court could hear that people care about this subject and that the political persecution will not go unnoticed.
Just left Ofer concentration camp. Abdallah got a 12 months and 6 months suspended sentence if he is convicted of another act of demonstrating/organizing and 5000 nis fine.

There were diplomats from many EU countries and media coverage from CNN, al jazerra, ap, reuters.

It is unclear if the persecution will appeal but it looks like they will.

Hebron

Hebron weekly protest- 9.10.2010
www.youtube.com
Youth against settlements, international and Israeli activists march in Hebron (Al-Khalil)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DsPz04zZ20

Ma'asara

Some sixty demonstrators from across the globe marched together in the Ma'asara weekly demonstration against the Wall, which focused especially on the killing of two Palestinians in Hebron that morning as well as on the burning of a mosque by settlers earlier in the week.

Once at the edge of the village the demonstrators were met by several IDF and Boarder Police jeeps. Soldiers informed the protestors that they were in a closed military zone, but were answered that it was actually freed Palestinian land. It wasn't too many minutes before the march came under a shower of stun grenades, and physical violence by the soldiers. These stopped once the demonstrators crossed some line back into the village.

Facing each other, the demonstrators lectured the soldiers about the true meaning of their actions, and offered them the joint popular demonstrations as a peaceful alternative to their way of occupation and violence. The soldiers were apparently not convinced enough to drop their guns and refuse service, but at least gave up on their intention to throw the gas grenades they help ready in their hands. Eventually, both sides took back, and the demonstration was over.

This week in Al Ma'asara villagers , international and Israeli activists gathered to stand up against annexation wall. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzXnddIGYqg

An Nabi Salih Friday

.
... Meanwhile, at a weekly protest in An-Nabi Salih, west of Ramallah, locals said one man was hospitalized after being hit in the chest by a live bullet. He was taken to Yasser Arafat hospital in Salfit, where medics said his condition was serious.

Six others were injured by live ammunition fired by Israeli soldiers during the anti-wall demonstration, the local committee said.

David Reeb video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnL_iYwt4UM


Nil'in

Nil'in's popular committee said five were injured when Israeli forces launched tear gas canisters and rubber coated bullets at villagers and activists who were attempting to harvest olives close to the separation wall.

Sheikh Jarrah

Israel Puterman Video - 8-10-2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFwoW_XH5WI
--------------------------------
See Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com

Monday, October 4, 2010

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle during Jewish new year etc. holly-days expanded

AAtW activists participated with others of the emerging Sheikh Jarah coalition and ripples... The demo of Human Rights groups in Thursday of Jerusalem was part of it. The vigils and other forms of presence with the Silwan Sheikh Jarah harassed Palestinians was another. The confrontation with the Jerusalem mayor festivities was another form of intervention. Comrades participated in activities around The Jewish boat to Gaza which was stopped on it's way to brake the siege Thursday morning, and the activists on it were arrested. Long Live Palestine - LowKey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO5Cay6GUkM

Beit Ommar Saturday October 2

Beit Sha'an,

Tuesday, the Sheikh Jarrah coalition the anarchists against the wall are part of, initiated a demonstration against eviction of residents of the town by the national housing concern Amidar. That day, the Israeli president and the Chinese What program you use? celebrated there 18 years of friendly relation with Chine initiated by the ex-foreign minister who is a resident of that town.

Beit Surik

"There's going to be a demo in Beit Surik tomorrow (Friday 1.10.10) at 10:00 AM and the local committee and council specifically invited us and others... The demo will be held in front of the gate within the wall beyond which the land seized by the wall and Har Adar settlement."

Beit Surik residents are deprived of accessing their land, grabbed by the separation wall and settlement of Har Adar. From time to time we are invited to a demonstration of this village and the neighboring Bidu who suffer the same restriction.

Those lands as well as the lands of the settlement belong to people from Biddu, Beit Surik and Qatanna. Access has become a particularly important issue now that olive harvest begins. Before the war on Gaza farmers were placed on a list prepared by the Palestinian Authority and were all let in. At the beginning of the war the permit system which was in effect in the north was extended to the Jerusalem area. From then on farmers needed to apply for a permit in order to get to their lands. Those permits are much harder to get and are only given to the person listed as the owner of the land regardless if he is actually the one working it or if he is even able to. The people of the two villages refused to ask for permits on the grounds that if they asked for a permit to work their lands the next thing would be that they need to ask for a permit to live in their own house.
The demonstration included a prayer on the road leading up to the lands. About 150 people from Beit Surik and Biddu came. A group of women from the women's club also came. Large numbers of army and border police were waiting even before the prayer started. At the end of the prayer people marched to the gate in the fence and demanded to enter. The army officers who were at the other side of the gate were not interested in the least in these demands. After about 30 minutes the officers lost their patience and about 20 soldiers crossed the gate and attacked the demonstrators. They seemed to want the demonstrators to give them a pretext to arrest and shoot them but the demonstrators were too disciplined and did not give such an excuse in any way. After another stand off of about an hour the soldiers declared that starting Sunday, land owners who show up will receive a permit and could work their lands. It is not clear if by that they mean a return to the old system and it is even less clear that the army will actually keep its word.

Bil'in

About 20 internationals and 20 Israelis joined the local Palestinian demo in Bil'in against the wall and occupation. The demonstration started off non violently, with demonstrators chanting, opening the gate to the route of the electronic fence, placing a banner and flags on the fence, and spending time in the area between the fences. But after a while and repeated demands by the army commander to move away from the fence which were not obeyed, the soldiers started throwing and shooting tear gas grenades. For a while the gas dosage was relatively low, and the shabab threw few stones in return. But after the shabab had managed to return two unexploded gas canisters to their rightful owners and cover the soldiers in a cloud of gas, the soldiers barged in, with the usual accompanying flood of gas driving the demonstrators away. The Irish delegation kept things lively with their singing and their long, round voweled 'shout and roar', until after some more exchanges of gas and stones (with one demonstrator getting hit in the head by a stone) the demonstration was declared over and dispersed.

Israel Putermam Bil'in 1-10-2010 video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvsbzG0v36Q

Gaza Boat

"Dozens of activists gathered on the beach near the Ashdod port, to which the Jewish Peace Ship is being towed by the Israeli Navy, to protest the capture of the ship and the continued blockade of Gaza , which has turned it into a huge prison with no entry or exit. The activists held signs with the captions: "Medicines – A Security Risk?", "Let Gaza Live," The blockade and the construction on settlements destroy us all," "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies." Later the demonstrators moved to the gates of Ashdod Port where they currently remain."

There was significant cover to the boat and the demo in the TV and other Israeli media.

Hebron (Al Khalil) Saturday October 2

Jerusalem

Sheikh Jarah

On Tuesday, the Israeli Supreme Court issued a ruling which authorizes the expulsion of 20 additional families of Palestinian refugees from their homes in Sheikh Jarah. The ruling is based, as is already well known, on a discriminatory law which allows Jews to reclaim property that belonged to the them until 1948, but does not allow Palestinian refugees, even if they are citizens of Israel, to do the same regarding their property.

"From the vigil, we will leave for a short tour of the Um-Harun area, whose inhabitants now face eviction.""

To the Friday demo converged the usual few hundreds local and western Jerusalem participants, people who participated in noon demos against the separation fence/walls, other locations and a Tel Aviv nearly full bus contingent.

As planed we marched around the threatened neighborhood and up to the highway where we demonstrated for nearly an hour.

Silwan

Various activities during the week.

Al Ma'asara

Israeli Army attack the circus: clowns and kids Sprinkle with gas by soldiers
Shai Pollak video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbfEX3C7y9c


The weekly Friday demonstration marked the International Day of non-violence. It ended with a two-clown show to the children of the village. That did not prevent the soldiers to do their usual job and attack the circus with stun grenades and tear gas.

The video clearly shows how the protesters marching on the village's main road, hoping to reach their farmland - the route of the fence transfer it to the settlement of Efrat. The soldiers blocked the non-violent demonstration and showered it with stun and tear gas grenades.
Soon after, the soldiers distanced, and the protesters stop their advance. In fact, the demonstrators declared the end of the demonstration (which did not look the video). At this point two clowns from abroad came to the fore, and raise a short performance for the children of the village, and about 15 of them gathered around them. While the show went on, the clowns fall again and again to the laughter of children, but the army charged back at the demonstration, and starts to throw the children and clowns stun and tear gas grenades. The soldiers chasing after the crowd who scattered into the village, and continue shooting even after the protesters went away.

Ma'asara 1.10.10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbfEX3C7y9c


An Nabi Saleh


Ni'lin

The Friday weekly demo in Ni'lin occurred in the end of a week which saw the acquittal of a protester who has been under a arrest for the past seven months for made up charges. Around thirty protesters braved the heavy heat to march to the wall, and show their opposition to the theft of their land for the benefit of Israel's settlement. In the village's olive groves, several families were seen harvesting their olives. It is still not known who of the villagers who own land and olive trees over the wall will be allowed by the occupation authorities to access their land. After the demonstrators voiced their protest to the soldiers guarding the fence, and a small number of the village youth threw stones over the fence and at the metal gate, a group of soldiers crossed the fence and the protesters retreated back to the village. No arrests or injuries were recorded.

David Reeb video of Ni'ilin 1.10.2010 video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js4pY4pCamg

Wad Rahhal

Works on Thursday on lands near the neighboring colonial settlement.

Al Walaje
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See Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com