Israel-Palestine, Media, As in Tiennamen square (On yassin assasination) by Tanya Reinhart 31/03/04

An extensive discussion has already taken place in Israel regarding the cost-benefit ratio of Yassin's assassination. But the question of justice has hardly been raised. According to international law, the execution of any person in an occupied territory is not allowed. The Geneva convention, born out of the horrifying experience of the second World War, sets limitations on the use of force even in times of war. The convention distinguishes between war and a state of occupation. Its fundamentals are, first, that occupied people are "protected", and that the occupier is responsible for their safety. Second, it determines that the occupied people have the right to fight for their liberation. International conventions are one of the means people have developed for self-preservation. Without them, there is a danger that the human race would annihilate itself - first the strong would wipe out the weak, and then each other.

During its 37 years of occupation, Israel has already violated every article of the Geneva convention. But what it did now is unprecedented. As Robert Fisk stated it in the British Independent, "for years, there has been an unwritten rule in the cruel war of government-versus-guerrilla. You can kill the men on the street, the bomb makers and gunmen. But the leadership on both sides - government ministers, spiritual leaders were allowed to survive." Even when the leader advocates violence and terror, the norm has been that he may be imprisoned, but not killed.

Ahmed Yassin viewed himself as struggling against the occupation. As reported in Yediot Aharonot, his demand was a full withdrawal of the Israeli army from the occupied territories, back to the borders of 1967. In 1993, Hamas agreed to the principles of the Oslo accords, but did not believe that Rabin would translate these principles into action, and urged the Palestinian people to remember that the occupation was not yet over. During the iron-fist period of Barak and Sharon, Yassin proposed a long term 'hudna' (cease fire), but he also believed that Israel would never end the occupation of its own will. "The enemy understands only the language of war, bombs and explosives" - he preached to his followers, and declared that "every Israeli is a target for us".

The Geneva convention recognizes the right of the occupied people to carry out armed struggle against the occupying army, but not to use terror against civilians. Terror has no moral justification, and is not defended by international law. But it is necessary that we Israelis examine ourselves in this regard as well. What other way do we leave open for the Palestinian people to struggle for their liberation? Along the route of the wall in the West Bank, a new form of popular resistance has been formed in the last few months. Palestinian farmers whose land is being robbed sit on the ground in front of the bulldozers, accompanied by the Israeli opponents of the wall - the veterans of the Mas'ha camp. What could be more non-violent than this? But the Israeli army shoots at sitting demonstrators, like in Tiennamen square.

The Israeli army blocks all options of non-violent resistance from the Palestinians. With the arrogant elimination of a leader and a symbol, as he was leaving a mosque, the army knowingly created a new wave of violence and terror. It is hard not to get the impression that terror is convenient for Sharon and the army. It enables them to convince the world that the Geneva protections do not apply to the Palestiians, because they have terrorists in their midst, and that, therefore, it is permitted to do anything to them.

Since September 11th, as part of its “war against terror,” the U.S. has Been pushing to destroy all defences provided by International law. But even the U.S. has not yet dared to publicly execute a spiritual-religious leader (of, for example, the Taliban in Afghanistan). Now Israel has determined, with the U.S. blessing, that even this is permitted. Under the military rule, Israel has become a leading force in the destruction of the very protections that humankind has established, out of World War Two, for its own preservation, protections that we too may need one day, as history has already shown us.

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* Ed. Note: Tanya Reinhart define herself as anarchist. She is a life long activist in the Israeli left. She is a linguist and proffesor in Tel Aviv university. have a regular "corner" in the Israeli main daily Yediot Aharonot, most Israelis read.
In previous elections she openly opposed the supporting of the lesser evil....
The article was printed March 30, 2004. Translated from Hebrew by Netta Van Vliet

Israel-Palestine, The common struggle against the apartheid wall continue 18/03/04

It is reported daily in the media about the struggle of the Palestinian villagers against the Israeli apartheid wall that confiscate their fields and put many of them into a Geto like conditions. In many of the confrontations between the vilagers and the Israeli army which "protect" the wall builders participate internationals and Israeli activists. Just now, the main public radio channel reported about such struggle near the village Harbata. They also inteviewd live from that action Raz from the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative. Raz say the army throw on them shock and gas grenades but refrain from shooting. He add that the army act in contradiction with a stay orders issued by the high justice court of Israel.

Israel-Palestine, Israelis needed to support popular resistance 15/03/04

Israelis needed to support popular resistance Construction of the wall continues around many villages (Deir Qadis, Beit Duku, Nialin and more), in some cases in violation of the supreme court injunction.
The impressive popular resistance also continues every day but the army responds with violence and attacks the demonstrators.
the presence of Israelis* greatly reduces the level of violence and increases the amount of attention given by the press. the current number of Israelis who come to demonstration is not adequate to support the amount of demonstrations happening these days. The people of the villages are doing their part, it is up to us to do our part and support them.
anyone who can make it to demonstrations in Palestine in the next few weeks please call:
In the http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mashacamp/
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*[Ed. Note: Anarchists Agaainst The Wall and others]

Israel, Tel-Aviv, A year to the Iraq war a Carnival day action 07/03/04

The Purim carnival day was "celebrated" by 50 anarchist with a more than an hour parade in downtown Tel-Aviv. After converging and leafleting at the entrance to the open market the parade started. With two big puppets at the front, with drums, whistles, slogan shouting, and leaflets distribution we progressed slowly along the King George street and around the Dizengof mall.
The leaflet header: Ki Bush Justified? (pun - ki bush = as Bush/occupation) DO NOT TOUCH MY AMBAH, CARNIVAL OF PROTEST AND SAMBA! So you assume that every thing ended fine in Iraq? They caught the bad guys (mainly the cruel dictator), shaved his beard and now enforcing a democratic and fair rule.

So, it is clear to all that USA motivation are not pure. Even from the center of Tel-Aviv you can smell the petroleum. It is quite clear that the well being of the Iraq population is not at the center of importance for those responsible to the murder of tens of thousands of Iraqis.
These days, the Israeli state use huge and excessive force in the effort to stop the Palestinian uprising against the 37 years old Israeli occupation. The assumption that ruling another people in all aspects of its life - freedom of travel, access to hospitals and schools, livelihood, cultivation the fields, and even flag and nationality, can suppress the yearning for self rule and independence, is based on twisted reasoning. It take all of us into a whirl of blood without escape. This is a belligerent mode of thinking of patronizing, and power-drunk whose roots are in the Western colonialist thinking.

Here too you can identify the stamp of USA: huge amount of money allocated to ensure the continuation of the rule of its Israeli alley in the occupied territories, and thus to remain a significant factor in the Middle East, to enrich its own arms industry and to have its heands in the sick economies of our region.
I.

Israel-Palestine, Tel Aviv, NOT IN OUR NAME! - a Critical Mass against the apartheid wall 05/03/04

About 20 people - anarchists and others did a whistling mini critical mass in downtown Tel Aviv. Half of us where on wheels with various placards and half on feet - distributing leaflets on the route - which at its end we joined the Friday vigil of women in black. The leaflet:
Not in our name! Not from our money! - How much this occupation cost us?
From October 2000 till the end of January 2004 were killed 2,376 Palestinians amongst them 445 minors, and 600 Israelis amongst them 74 minors.
In the last 3 years more than 500 kids below age 18 were killed in the region. The violent Israeli occupation, the illegal settlers project (paid for by the Israeli government from the taxes), and the atrocities against the civil population in the occupied Palestinian territories, brought about harm to the [Israeli] civilian society within the Green Line [1967 borders]. The harsh conditions cause despair, frustration, and to taking extreme steps.

The Israeli government found a "solution": Building a twisting wall of 8 meters and barbed wired fence supposedly partition between the Palestinian and Israeli populations, but in reality the fence not just separate between us and our neighbors... The fence, which is more than double in length than the Green Line and been built deep in the occupied territories, separate many villages from the near-by towns and other villages and separate also between the villagers and hospitals, children from their schools, and between the villagers and their fields and work places.

Within the green line the building of the wall [because the taxes money is wasted on the wall] also separate between old people and appropriate care, between children and food and proper education, and between us and our security... because of "budget deficit". More than all, The wall separate between us and peace, justice and security.

Lack of budget??
Third of Israel children are below the poverty line. more than half a million people are hungry. More than 13% of the population of Gaza strip suffer from malnutrition. More than 50% unemployment among the Palestinian population of the West bank and Gaza strip.

The cost of the separation wall is about 2.2 million US$ for kilometer- about 1.4 milliard dollars for the whole fence. Every shekel for the building of the fence and the settlement means one shekel less for food, education, health care and development. THE FENCE IS NOT SECURITY! it is aimed to annex territory and expanding the settlement project! NOT IN OUR NAME!
We demand live with dignity and security - for us and for our Palestinian neighbors!

It is important to stress that there is a continuos nonviolent of Palestinian people against the occupation and the prolonged lack of justice. We have to cooperate with them in the struggle against the atrocities WITHOUT HARMING THE INNOCENTS and with no walls! Just in the last week, in the village Bidu, Israeli soldiers killed 4 demonstrators and tens were wounded when Israeli-Palestinan joint protest activity against the building of the wall on their land!

Israel-Palestine, Alt. Media, [Friends of NEFAC] Catalyzed by the Anarchists Against the Wall [EXCERPTS] 28/02/04

I apologize for the length of this posting, but I find it very moviing. It is a report of some protests against the Apartheid Wall that Israel is building in the West Bank. I thought that members of this particular list might be especially interested in it because it seems that the Israeli group "Anarchists Against the Wall" is playing an important role in these protests.
J. R.
GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - www.gush-shalom.org/ [Ed. Note: Gush Shalom is a coalition of radical Zionists and some non zionist leftists. Holding the banner of "Two States For Two People". They got radiclized during the last Intifada, till they even support the refusnics.]

International release Feb. 28, Tel-Aviv

# Racism & the Knesset # Eyewitness report of killings in Bidou # Israelis joining anti-wall protest in Budrus - in spite of army blockades # Against the Wall - in downtown Tel-Aviv

# Racism & the Knesset

# Eyewitness report of killings in Bidou

26/02/04

"It was hell. Soldiers shot without a stop. I saw a Palestinian demonstrator get killed In front of my eyes." Said Israeli Peace activists Who took part in the demonstrations in Bidou.

"It was horror. Hell. The soldiers were shooting incessantly. I saw a Palestinian demonstrator get hit in the forehead and fall down, bleeding. He died several minutes later" told Jonathan Polak, an activist in the Anarchists Against Walls movement, who was amongst the activists who arrived today at the village of Bidou, in order

To take part in the protest against the fence that was organized by the people of Bidou. The fence in Bidou, as in many other places, will cut off a large part of the village?s land.

Other activists said: "We have never seen such brutality. In the morning, thousands of the people of the village went and sat in the path of the bulldozers, where their olive groves are about to be uprooted. Then these huge bulldozers came. Each one was accompanied by 50 soldiers. They attacked the villagers and beat them brutally, driving them into the streets of the village. Inside the village a real battle started. The youngsters of the village threw stones, and the army responded with gas bombs, but very soon moved to using live munitions. They occupied a building in the center of the village and snipers shot at people from it?s roof.

We ran to the clinic to try and help,. Wounded people kept coming, at least Seventy or Eighty people. In addition to the two who were killed by live ammunition, another elderly man died from a heart attack caused by a gas bomb that entered his home, and a young boy who is severely wounded in the head.

The only sin of these people is that they tried to protect the land which is theirs for generations and their olive trees which are their only source of income.

The army brutality, the brute oppression and the shooting ? all these confirm all claims brought against the fence in Hague. It is absolutely clear now that the fence, built deep in Palestinian territory, is another means of oppression and occupation, and has nothing to do with security."

At the time of this release some activists are in the police station in the settlement of Givat Ze'ev, trying to release the many activists arrested during the demonstration.

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# Israelis joining anti-wall protest in Budrus - in spite of army blockades Friday, 27/02

"The army's rampage in Bidou was not an accident. They feel threatened. For the first time, there is a widespread popular opposition of Palestinian villagers to the building of the wall. That is far more diffucult for the army to confront. They know how to use tanks and Apache helicopters, how to drop one-ton bombs. In a purely armed struggle they have an enormous advantage. Face them with a crowd of unarmed civilians who are detemined to resist, and they have a big problem" said Dr. Gadi Elgazi, historian and peace activist, at the rendezvous point in Kufr Qasem.

We were on the way to Budrus. The people there decided two months ago to resist the creation of the Wall on their land. which was to cut them off from much of their land and also from the rest of the West Bank. The army used very much violence there: demonstrations were broken up, curfews were imposed, the main organizers picked up at night and placed under administrative detention. But some military judges refused to confirm these detention orders, and the detainess went home! Now, the people of Budrus hold every Friday a protest march, and they asked Israelis to join this week.
Some two hundred activists traveled in four buses. The Ta'ayush

[Ed. Note: Ta'ayush is a wide spectrum movement of the radical left. Mostly of the perifery of the reformist A-Zionist Comunist Party, but include also more radical people. The Anarchists Against The Wall started their own initiative as they were fedup with the Ta'ayush nondemocracy and luckworm activity mode.]

movement chose to organize this action in its own name rather than through the anti-Wall Coalition, but as usual members of other groups joined in. As the buses moved towards the nearby border with the occupied West Bank, organizers gave last-minute briefings: "Today we don't expect extreme violence. But the army will almost certainly try to stop us. As soon as we are stopped at a roadblock, get out of the buses and start walking. We will get there, by hook or by crook!".

The Rantis Checkpoint, the first point where the convoy might have been stopped, was passed with no incident. A bored sentry peered sleepily at the buses from behind a massive concrete barrier bearing the regimental slogan: "Empire of Fire". It seems the army prefered not to stop the activists on a road which serves several settlements. The special barrier appeared several kilomters further ahead - when the buses turned to the right, off the well-maintained settler road. Several jeeps blocked the road completely.
The buses moved off to the side, and demonstrators piled out and swarmed up the hillside - the most direct route to Budrus. From behind, a police loudspeaker blared forlornly: "Stop! Come back! You are entering a closed miltary zone! Anyone proceeding is liable to arrest and prosecution! Stop!". Shortly afterwards, a welcome surprise: at the bottom of the hill, a convoy of large yellow Palestinian taxis arrived, to offer the Israelis a lift. Activists scrambled back down the hill and crowded in, ten to a taxi. A few kilimetres ahead, at the outskirts of Shukba Village, a new army roadblock. The soldiers demanded the taxi ignition keys and the drivers' ID's. Tight-lipped, the drivers handed them over, and then urged the Israelis "Go on, go on, don't worry about us! They are waiting for you in Budrus!". Several of the Ta'ayush organisers stayed behind, to help the drivers haggle with the soldiers (keys and IDs being returned after an hour). The demonstrators passed through the main streets of Shukba, returning the waves of grinning Palestinian children.
After several kilometres' walking, a new convoy of Palestinian taxis. This time, the taxis managed to stop just short of the third checkpoint. By now, we were at Kibiya Village, where in 1953 a young major named Ariel Sharon led a commando raid in which 62 civilians were killed.
Present-day Kibya seems dominated by the Palestinian left-wing. Most of the graffiti on the walls was in red, as were the flags of the local anti-Wall demonstrators - from such Palestinian factions as the People's Party and the Democratic Front. A short walk ahead, and we were in Budrus. A sizeable crowd was already waiting in the main sqaure. A fence at the side was made into a podium, from which short stirring speeches were delivered by Ronen of Ta'ayush ("We have come here to struggle for our future and your future, in this bleeding land") and Eyad of the Budrus branch of Fatah ("You are most welcome in Budrus, together we will pull down the Wall"). Both speakers alternated between Hebrew and Arabic and ended with the exhortation: "Mix up, mix up! Let the army meet a single block of Israelis and Palestinians, marching together!"
The long column stretched through the narrow village streets and out to the open fields. There was a medley of signs in Hebrew, Arabic and English, with a smattering of other languagues brought along by contingents of internationals - notably the IWPS women, based at Khares Village to the north.

"Fence - Annexation"; "Build trust - not walls!"; "Enough of the bloodshed!"; "Destroy the Wall, not olive trees"; "U.S. Farmers against the Wall"; "The wall - starvation"; "Free Palestine - Now"; "No to enclaves, no to ghettos, no to the occupation"; "Detruire le mur raciste" "Destruir el moro racista"; "Sharon - we have not forgotten the Kibiya Massacre", "Arab-Jewish Partnership", "Dismantle the Wall, dismantle the settlements!".

At the front, there were Palestinian national flags on which was superimposed the Islamic credo "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet". The bearers smiled broadly at the Israelis and Americans marching at their side, as did the group of young women with Islamic headscarves further back.
"Sharon, Sharon, the Hague is waiting for you!" a veteran slogan gained additional this week. From it the Hebrew and Arabic chanting shifted to "Peace - Yes! Occupation - No! Peace -Yes! Fences - No!" and then "From Budrus to Beit Surik - the people are steadfast!", "Sharon, Sharon - we defend our olive trees!" "Budrus is strong, Budrus is free!", "Neither Sharon nor Bush - down with the occupation!"; "Sharon Sharon, we are not afraid of your tanks!"

Half an hour's march - and we were at the spot. The ugly long gash cutting through the countryside, where fields and olive groves had been, has become all too familiar. Here is stopped just before a terrace, bearing the signs of long and painstaking care of an arid soil; any further extension of the work on the Wall would necessitate its utter demolition.
"This is how far they got during the last big confrontation, a month ago. Since then they did not try to go on. We don't know how long the respite will last - some say until the court in the Hague is over. But we keep ready" a villager told the Israelis.

Opposite us, a clump of some twenty soldiers and grey-clad riot police. Behind them, a single silent bulldozer. With the very clear mountain air it was possible to see on a ridge, a few kilometres away, the demonstrators from another village confronting another clump of army and police.
An hour of stand-off, chanting of slogans, waving of placards, some talking between Israelis and Palestinians. Then, the distant cramp of teargas grenades. Some of the distant figures on the ridge were stooping down, apparently picking and throwing stones. Then the distant soldiers were scambling up the ridge.

Many of the Israelis were for rushing over and interevening in that struggle. "It's too far, you won't get there in time" a Palestinian organiser cautioned. "Anyway, don't worry about them. The soldiers will never catch them among the crags". Our sector remained quiet until the very end of the hours-long vigil. Only when the column turned back to the village center did the soldiers suddenly launch a parting salvo of tear gas grenades. The Palestinians were unperturbed, quickly handing to the Israelis slices of onion - the traditional antidote to tear gas. On the way back, again in the yellow Palestinian taxis - but, again, the army had its roadblocks, and the weary Israelis had to walk some four kilometres back through the hilly countryside. Then, upon arriving at the buses at last, the police suddenly pounced and arrested two randomly chosen activists "on susupicion of entering a closed military zone". One bus followed them to the Giv'at Ze'ev Polic Station, activists keeping vigil outside until they were released at 9pm.

What remained of this long day: the memory of the final scene at Budrus - hundreds upon hundreds of smiling villagers lining the street, waving at the departing Israelis, calling out in Hebrew "Goodby, and see you!" [AK].

***

# Against the Wall - in downtown Tel-Aviv

Also Friday, at noon some forty colorful young people stood at the entrance of the Carmel Market in Tel-Aviv holding improvised signs and chanting: "Mom, your son is cannon fodder!" / "Let's have peace - and the generals be unemployed!" / Occupation is terrorism - no wall is to change that!"

Having been beaten-up by police a week earlier at the end of a similar vigil had not prevented the Anarchists Against the Wall from returning to the same spot, only brought them the support of others. This time, after half an hour the group started marching, chanting, whistling - leaving the three policemen posted nearby puzzled- faced. The unusual sidewalk parade passed all along the down-town street of King George, halting a minute at every crossroads - receiving comments of the people busily shopping for the weekend: "Go home! Haven't you got something else to do?" but also "Good for you, and don't give up!"

At 1pm, they reached the corner of BenTzion Boulevard, where the Women in Black's weekly anti-occupation vigil was just starting, with among them still some grey-haired who made it their habit for the past 18 years. For some ten minutes the two groups stood together, and then the young anarchists continued their walk, leaving behind some, among them your reporter. [BZ]

Israel-Palestine, Media, Four left-wing* activists detained in Budrus 28/02/04

The police detained four left-wing Israeli activists Friday afternoon during a demonstration of Palestinian and Israelis in the West Bank village of Budrus, where part of the security fence is being constructed. The four were detained for entering an area declared "closed military zone". It is expected that the four would be released with restrictions. Budrus has been the scene of violent clashes between IDF forces and locals and protesters due to the preparations under way for the building of the security fence. Budrus, located near the city of Modi'in and eight kilometers from Ben-Gurion Airport, has become the hub of anti-fence activity over the past few months.

The West Bank security fence runs along the western edge of the village, cutting some farmers off from their land.
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* [Ed. Notes: Nationalists on both sides prefer to hide the fact That the Israeli activists involved with the Palestinian vilagers are mostly anarchists of the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative]