Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Palestine-Israel, On the back ground of world economic turmoil the joint struggle here seems to get less attention.

The waves of the hunger strike struggle of the Palestinian prisoners mostly over with victory leave the urge for more. The Israeli state forces try to prevent the expansion of the third Intifada... but not by slowing the mounting efforts to transfer Palestinian villagers from area C. The joint struggle which started with the focus on the separation fence expanded so much that the other aspects are now more prominent. The weekly confrontations in Beit Ommar, Bil'in, Hebron and its southern hills region, Ma'asara, Nabi Saleh, N'ilin, Qaduum, Sheikh Jarrakh, are the core of the struggle with shifting focusing on locations in occupied east Jerusalem and area C which are targeted lately by the escalation of transfer efforts. Within Israel, The social struggle starts slowly to accumulate momentum, with more success in the periphery towns.


Beit Ommar

Saturday weekly demo
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.453910877952555.109852.136633479680298

Bil'in

Some 15 Israelis and as many internationals joined the weekly Palestinian demonstration against the occupation in Bil'in. The demonstrators marched to the barbed wire, but just as they crossed it they were attacked with gas and rubber bullets, injuring one demonstrator. The army continued gassing the demonstrators indiscriminately, leaving mostly shabab at the front to dodge the gas and skunk and improve their aim, assisted by a large mirror that reflected the scorching sun onto the soldiers. After a few photo-ops with an energetic Brazilian group, the participants declared the demo over, and left the scorched trunks of olive trees burnt over the last month's demos as silent witnesses to the cost of the ongoing struggle.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.453241781352798.109727.136633479680298



Hebron

When: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 14:00
Where: Sumood and Challenge Center, Hebron
Palestinian women, joined by Israeli and International women, will march on the segregated Shuhada Street at the heart of the Hebron city center tomorrow. The protesters will march to demand the re-opening of the street to Palestinians.
The action, organized by the Hebron-based Youth Against Settlements group, is part of the global campaign to open Shuhada Street, which has been sealed off for Palestinians, while it remains open for Israelis.

Organizers will hold a press conference prior to the protest march in the segregated street, which Palestinians are forbidden from accessing,
while Israelis are allowed to use. It will be held at the Sumood and Challenge Center in Tel Rumeideh, Hebron. The press conference will start at 2pm, and will be followed by the march.

Background
Up until its closure, Shuhada Street was considered the most important street in the city of Al-Khalil (Hebron). It was the main street connecting the central and northern neighborhoods of the city with the southern ones. For many years, the street was home to some of the city’s most vital services, such as Hebron’s central bus station, taxi stations, the central vegetable market, an ancient Turkish bath, two wheat mills, a gas station, tens of different commercial shops, as well as some of the oldest schools in the city, which are still in operation.
When Israel occupied the city of Hebron in 1967, the Israeli nationalists described it a “return to the city of the forefathers”. In the early '70s, as part of this “return”, the Israeli government permitted the establishment of Kiryat Arba settlement on the Eastern Hebron hills.

Palestinian, Israeli and international women activists dressed in traditional Palestinian garb attempted to walk down Shuhada street, Hebron’s main commercial thoroughfare. After only a few minutes, they were stopped by soldiers, and seven people were arrested in total.

A group of Israeli and international female activists joined Palestinian women on Wednesday in a direct action in Hebron to protest the ongoing ban on Palestinian freedom of movement on Shuhada street. The street, which was once the lively commercial center of Hebron, was closed off to Palestinian vehicular traffic after the 1994 massacre of 29 Muslims in the Ibrahimi Mosque by Baruch Goldstein. Since 2001, Palestinian pedestrians were barred from the street, turning it into a Jewish-only zone.
We arrived to Hebron just before 2pm, to be led by Issa Amro, a coordinator from Youth Against Settlements, to a previously undisclosed location, which would be our gathering point. We ended up at an apartment facing Shuhada Street, whose residents are forced to use a side entrance from an alley off the old city’s market. The lady of the house, an elderly woman who turned out to be a refugee from Jaffa, greeted us warmly, and led everyone to her parlor.
Already waiting there was another (female) coordinator, who laid out the plan for us: we were to dress up in traditional Palestinian women’s garb and walk out to Shuhada street through the (forbidden) front door. While she was drawing an impromptu map of the area for us, figuring out the best escape routes from potential violence from either the settlers or the soldiers. A few of us exchanged meaningful glances. We understood the danger lurking for us outside. We were aware we could get arrested or even injured.
See more at: http://972mag.com/women-challenge-segregation-of-hebron-street-in-direct-action-7-arrested/48392/
Approximately 15 Israeli and International women dressed in Palestinian traditional clothing walked through Shuhada Street in silence protesting the policy of preventing Palestinian women from accessing the street. The women were shortly stopped by Israeli soldiers and attacked by both soldiers and settlers. Five activists and one journalist were arrested during the action. Later that day, a Palestinian man was also arrested on suspicion of “conspiracy” related to the same action. All seven were released throughout the next 24 hours, three on condition of a 90 day restraining order from area A and the Hebron area.
It took six hours but all the seven people arrested in the action were released Including the one Israeli and the two internationals who were released on condition: restraining order for three months from area A and Hebron area. 5000NIS if they break the conditions. There'll probably be an appeal.

'Issa 'Amro, coordinator for Youth Against Settlements and the one who organized the action yesterday in Hebron was arrested tonight. This comes at the heels of the multiple arrests during the direct action, then the arrest of the brother of the woman who lives in the house we exited to the Shuhadaa street from, and then two more raids on her home - for the first one we were present, another one came later. The IOF sealed off her door and also destroyed furniture and personal belongings.
I felt the direct action was successful because we managed to embarrass the army and the settlers and achieved our goal, but perhaps we should also consider the consequences not just for activists involved, but for those we left behind in Hebron. Just a thought.
Women to March in Hebron for the Opening of Shuhada Street. See http://t.co/IGFK71XX


South Hebron hills

This week we will accompany Palestinians farmers and shepherds to their lands in several locations in South Hebron hills. Harassment of Palestinian farmers and shepherds in the area by both settlers and the army continues.


Ma'asara

The Israeli troops intercepted Palestinian villagers of Masarah and foreign activists as they were trying to reach the Palestinian land near the apartheid wall, and physically assaulted them.
Mahmoud Zwahre http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3576190318246.2135860.1077725778

Nabi Saleh

Tuesday evening, dozens of youths broke the chains and locks that were sealing the iron gate that was installed by the army at the entrance of their village, and managed to open it despite the Israeli army attempts to prevent them by firing rounds of live ammunition, and gas bombs. Dozens of residents were treated for the effects of teargas inhalation.
The illegally installed gate was placed by the Israeli army which is closing the main entrance to the village, was installed as punishment for the unyielding continuous struggle of the village people against their land and springs robbery by the settler colonialists near by project. The gate is depriving the residents from using the only paved road that leads to the village, forcing them to use a longer, unpaved bypass road.
Friday demo: activists in Nabi Saleh report that Israel Occupation Forces are firing large amounts of tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets.
‎15 Injured During Nabi Saleh Demo . See http://t.co/Y7vIoMX8
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.453338984676411.109742.136633479680298
The AAtW banner: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=453339278009715


N'ilin

In "preparation" for the Friday demo about 200 Israeli state force invaded the village Thursday early night hours and did a pogrom.

Activist of the village posted in Facebook early in the morning:
the soldiers left the village before a little while, i need to get some rest because we all didn't sleep all this night, then will update you all with the video and pictures from the invasion of today with a full report.
it was so crazy, they shoot live bullets at us+ tear gas grenades at the houses and sound grenades, destroyed furnitures of more than 7 houses arresting 5 people and a very hard clashes began later.

I really didn't sleep well since 2 days and i need to get rest before the next demo against the segregation wall, thanks to all our friends who kept an eye on our updates and shared and spread the word and prayed for us :) :)
we are all very sure we are not alone anymore in Ni'lin, because we have been alone for a long time (3 years) there fore we are getting much much stronger
A big hug to all of you and have a nice dreams!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.453357191341257.109749.136633479680298
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PuoNHg4hgo

Like the night before the Friday demo, a somewhat smaller invasion was carried on the 15-6-12 night
Nilinvillage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PuoNHg4hgo


Qaduum

Around 200 Palestinians, seven Israelis, ten internationals and a single donkey inhaled mass quantities of tear gas in Kufr Qaddum today.
The road wasn't easy, due to improvised military checkpoints, but a Good Samaritan leading the way through dirt roads in the mountains allowed us to get to the weakly shindig in Qaddum on time. Tires were burning, surround sound speakers were bouncing up and down the main road of the village towards the wall, and Palestinian teenagers were all over the place - with grenades and the ambulance following. Only the hideous skunk (the weapon, not to be confused with the sweet mammal) remained in one place most of the time.
The celebration was concluded with a tearing mob singing and dancing it's way back to the village in a sort of victory march

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.453352481341728.109746.136633479680298

Sheikh Jarrakh

The residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied east Jerusalem are continuing their protest vigils in the neighborhood every Friday, protesting their violent evictions from their homes,
the taking over of the neighborhood by the settlers, and the Judaization of East Jerusalem.
They call upon each and every person who supports their struggle to join them
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See http://awalls.org
See Previous reports about the joint struggles the Anarchists Against the Wall take part in at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com

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