The winter arrived with cold and stormy whether for few days. It did not stop the joint struggle but the urge to report was low. Bilin, the flag holding, is the only detailed reported on struggles. ---- Bil'in ---- Israelis: ~50. Internationals ~ 50. Palestinians: hundreds of men, women, politicians ---- Flags: (in decreasing order) Mubadara, Jabha, Fatah, Palestine, Argentina ---- Soldiers: deployed on the road leading from the wall into the village's built area ---- Gas: came before the demonstrators even got near the soldiers ---- Wind: in the demonstrators' faces; small avant-garde held their stance near the soldiers ---- Injuries: gas, gas and more gas ---- Arrests: 1 German + 1 Palestinian (who was threatened with arrest if he didn't leave in one minute; in reaction, said he didn't need a minute, and was willing to be arrested immediately) ---- Releases: Palestinian - at the end of the demo; German - a couple of hours later.
Abdullah, Ashraf: Still in jail - Adeeb released only on Sunday evening.
Human rights: celebrated their day, haven't made it to Palestine.
Remembering the First Intifada, International Human Rights Day, and the Imprisonment of Abdallah Abu Rahme. Today, December 10, 2010, Bil'in celebrated International Human Rights Day with a larger than normal demonstration through the village. Hundreds of supporters came from outside Bil'in to support the village's struggle for human rights, to mark the one-year anniversary of Abdallah Abu Rahme's imprisonment, and to commemorate the First Intifada.
The demonstration was immediately fired upon with large amounts of tear gas from soldiers on several sides. The army had entered through the gate and were waiting in advance of the demonstrators. One Palestinian demonstrator was injured from tear gas, dozens suffered tear gas inhalation, and two were arrested – one Palestinian, Abd al-Fattah Burnat and one German citizen. The demonstrators marched with flags from Palestinian movements and sang numerous songs calling for an end to occupation and settlements and Palestinian national unity.
Haitham Al Katib http://www.youtube.com/user/haithmkatib#p/a/u/1/U5DOam-yiGo
Israel Putermam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0L0P7qgwUI
David Reeb video at http://www.youtube.com/user/davidreeb#p/a/u/0/fJYT_0fd6QU
Sunday
"Adeeb Abu-Rahme will be released from Ofer military prison today.
He will celebrate his release upon arrival to Bil'in and we have also been invited...."
We participated Sunday evening in the celebration, hugged and kissed Adeeb.
Bil'in's Adeeb Abu Rahmah Freed from Prison of Ofer 12\12\2010
Occupation activist released Adeeb Abu Rahma, after the arrest of an 18-month Ramallah, 12/12/2010 Israeli occupation authorities released on Sunday, from Ofer prison near Ramallah, on the activist against the wall Adeeb Abu Rahma (40 years) from the village of Bil'in. The Court of occupation sentenced Abu Rahma actual imprisonment for a period of 18 months, actually, in addition to 12 months suspended for a period of four years, and a fine of 6 thousand shekels, on charges of incitement and impeding the work of the army of occupation, and participation of peaceful demonstrations against the Wall in Bil'in. The military court in Ofer has sentenced the activist Abu Rahma, on 08/30/2010 sentenced to 12 months in effect, with 12 months suspended for four years with a fine of 6 thousand shekels, but the prosecution has appealed the verdict and added 6 months on it. It is noteworthy that Abu Rahma was arrested on 10.7.2009 during his participation in Bilin weekly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi6YdDHsK2g
Al Ma'asara
An Nabi Saleh
Ni'lin
Beit Ommar
Together to resist settlement and Annexation Wall
The National Committee for Resisting Settlement and Annexation Wall in Beit Ommar invites you to participate in our weekly demonstration
“The March of Hope”
It’s Time for Peace! Not for Settlement and Annexation Wall
From Tel Aviv to Sheikh Jarrah!
On Friday, December 10th, we will join the dozens of organizations and thousands of marchers in the Human Rights March in Tel Aviv.
South Hebron (Al Halil) mountains
Activists versus settler colonialists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GNasEzdkB8
East Jerusalem - Al Kuds
The Sheikh Jarrah coalition still hold the Friday demo in Sheikh Jarrah. This week after mobilizing to the Tel Aviv Human Rights demo.
December 12, 2010
Before the first heavy rains hit Israel yesterday, thousands people gathered in central ------- Tel Aviv ------ to mark international Human Rights Day. The occasion brought together various Israeli NGO’s and thousands of concerned citizens in the spirit of presenting a face of Israel that supports human rights and progressive values. Placards were carried through the streets supporting gay rights, woman’s rights, African refugees rights and, also, coexistence between Jews and Arabs. Police lined the streets of the demonstration to ensure the safety of the protesters and keep confrontation with the right wing counter protesters at bay (one has to hand it to the right in Israel, a counter protest to human rights?!). If the Tel Aviv Human Rights Day march wanted to have more authenticity in terms of Palestinian/Israeli coexistence, it should have had more connection with the human rights struggle happening simultaneously in the West Bank.
Only 25 kilometers away from this festive scene, Palestinians were holding their weekly protest against the separation wall and for human rights in the village of
------ Ni’ilin-------. The protest began as usual, with a speech about the wall and the pain that it has caused the community. This was followed by midday prayers and finally a protest march to the wall itself. Among the Palestinians were a handful of Israeli supporters from Tel Aviv.
Palestinian Child in a Cloud of Tear Gas in ----- Nabi Saleh ------- on International Human Rights Day. http://josephdana.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Nabi-Saleh-Gas.jpg
Photo Credit: Joseph Dana
Once at the wall, protesters banged on the gate with stones and sticks. For a second, the banging sounded like the drummers of ----- Sheikh Jarrah, ------ who engage in 'joy resistance’ by drumming and blowing whistles in their weekly demonstration. The army, on the other side of the wall, spoke on bullhorn informing everyone that the area was a closed military zone and we must leave. It seems that everywhere for the army is a closed military zone and one day, perhaps in the near future, I expect to hear the same bullhorn in Jaffa or Jerusalem proclaiming that the entire land of Israel is a closed military zone. A soldier continued on the bullhorn, saying that they are present to protect the wall. The wall has been built for security reasons yet it requires its own security. Just like the settlements have been said to improve Israeli security but in effect drain security resources.
Unlike the police presence in Tel Aviv, the army in Ni’ilin is present to attack, not defend. It is there to crush the spirit of unarmed resistance in the West Bank. It is there to reinforce that Palestinians are a controlled people living under constant Israeli occupation. As Naomi Chazan began her speech in Tel Aviv (I was following the updates on Twitter while tweeting my own), the army began covering the area of the protest with tear gas. Wave after wave of gas covered the area. Soldiers fired canisters directly at protesters. There was no restraint. Israel’s recognition of International Human Rights Day was starting to take full shape.
The protest ended quickly, as it often does these days in N’ilin, and the five Israelis present drove to Nabi Saleh. There was little discussion about Human Rights Day among the Israelis. They were engaged in a struggle for human rights on the ground and clearly did not have the energy/time to formulate cleaver theoretical approaches to the issue or grand visions of the future.
The village of ------ Nabi Saleh ------- was under siege by midday. Just as in the recent weeks, Israelis wanting to join the demonstration had to take an extended hike through the rugged hills of the West Bank in order to reach the village. Once in the village, the unarmed demonstration was being crushed with live bullets, rubber-coated steel bullets and clouds of tear gas.
Just as the rain hit Tel Aviv marking the end of the Human Rights march, Nabi Saleh was being invaded by IDF soldiers firing live bullets in three directions. The small village, perched on a tired hilltop, was covered in tear gas. Due to the lack of wind, the tear gas was not escaping into the air thus the entire village was walking around as if in a drunken haze with tears in their eyes.
The siege of Nabi Saleh continued until sunset when the last IDF jeeps pulled out of the village. As soon as the army left small boys were running around collecting the hundreds of spent tear gas canisters. Watching them scramble to collect them, the absurdity of human rights day in Israel sunk in. As thousands of people held signs in Tel Aviv proclaiming peace and co-existence, roughly ten Israelis made the half an hour drive to Nabi Saleh or Ni’ilin (Bil’in held a demo as well which had a number of Israelis in attendance).
Imagine if that number was not ten but fifty Israelis. If fifty people from the thousands who marched in Tel Aviv had shown up in Nabi Saleh, the reality on the ground would have been different. Even thirty would have had a profound effect on the attitude of the soldiers and on the people of Nabi Saleh who draw profound inspiration from their Israeli and international supporters.
Why is it that thousands of leftist Israelis are able to gather under a public umbrella of human rights, joint struggle and value and not think about venturing into the West Bank to struggle with Palestinians? One path of co-existence lies in these joint actions of solidarity and since Palestinians are not allowed to enter Tel Aviv it is the responsibility of Israelis to go to the West Bank.The disconnection between human rights in Tel Aviv and human rights in the Occupied Territories was on display yesterday. While the march was a necessary competent of creating a new political space in Israel, it should be only one part of a larger platform which includes Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Perhaps next year, we will see humans rights demonstrations from Nabi Saleh to Tel Aviv with more Israeli and Palestinians in both places.
------------------------
See Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment