Israel-Palestine, Just one day texts reffering to the Anarchists Against The Wall from the daily haaretz.com English edition 14/04/04

How not to disperse demonstrators - By Arnon Regular During demonstrations last weekend at Biddu village, northwest of Jerusalem, it appeared that protesters objecting to the separation fence and Israeli security forces had adopted clear "rules of the game." A few hundred residents from the village, along with left-wing demonstrators in the Anarchists Against the Wall group (some of them from overseas) came out day after day to protest the construction of the fence. Well-equipped Border Police units surrounded the village, and a few hundred meters from where the security forces were deployed, six or seven bulldozers plowed away areas where the fence is to be built, sometimes ruining agricultural areas.

A number of groups of protesters, each one comprising of a few dozen demonstrators, hassled the Border Police units, throwing rocks at them, and sometimes using slingshots to hurl the projectiles. Playing its part, the Border Police fired tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Then there was one Border Policeman, or IDF soldier, who shot rubber-coated bullets at the protesters from a distance of 70-80 meters. About every 30 minutes, one of the demonstrators was injured, and dragged by fellow protesters a few dozen meters back, to a pick-up point where a Red Crescent ambulance was waiting to bring them to the village's health clinic.

These well-defined roles in the recent Biddu demonstrations come as responses to events in the village last February, in which three Palestinians were killed, and over 50 were injured. The recent demonstrations have been a kind of ceremony, play-acting in which the two sides follow newly established codes that prevent the conflict from becoming too violent.

The problem is that these Biddu confrontations are the exception, and not the rule in the West Bank. In Biddu, it appears the sides have come prepared to the recent, much publicized, conflict: the anarchist protesters, and the Israeli security forces, are organized and coached in ways that prevent lethal violence. Yet a Haaretz investigation reveals that confrontation realities are very different in other West Bank Palestinian villages that border the Green Line - these include Beit Lahia, Bitunya and Herbata.

Examination of video and still photograph footage of events, along with eyewitness accounts from participants in anti-fence demonstrations since the start of March, reveals a disturbing pattern of behavior on the part of IDF, Border Police and civilian security personnel who help the IDF disperse crowds.

Also, in various West Bank locales, some of the left-wing demonstrators, such as the brothers Yonatan and Shai Polak, behave in a far more militant and provocative fashion than what has been in display recently in the Anarchists Against the Wall protests in Biddu. Yonatan Polak taunts the soldiers, telling them to refuse orders related to the fence. The demonstrators mock and jeer the soldiers, chanting out sexual innuendo and relying on other forms of verbal provocation that has not been witnessed before in political protests in the territories.

While the protesters sometimes cross the line, the most troubling aspect of the protests is the lack of a clear code of behavior for the IDF soldiers. If in Biddu the soldiers seem to have drawn conclusions from past tragedies, troops in other locales appear to behave in a far less disciplined fashion, and do not appear obligated to clearly defined rules of engagement.

On April 1, no work was done on the separation fence in Bitunya, but a protest group nonetheless staged a demonstration in an area where IDF bulldozers were parked. A group of 50 protesters arrived at an area guarded by what appear on film to be mostly IDF reservists. Originally, there were from five to eight soldiers, and a few jeeps. The demonstrators approached to within a few meters of the soldiers, who seemed confused and at a loss as to how to respond. For 90 minutes, the demonstrators chanted slogans, taunted and cursed the soldiers; as the protest finally ended, and while the demonstrators dispersed, soldiers in a jeep decided to ride toward them. Yonatan Polak and two fellow demonstrators stood in the jeep's path; the army vehicle accelerated.

The two protesters jumped out of the way; Polak jumped onto the front of the jeep. For reasons that are unclear, the jeep continued to charge forward; Polak came within a whisker of suffering serious injury. At this stage, the scene became ugly: the soldiers can be seen firing rubber bullets at Polak and other demonstrators, who took cover behind some boulders about 50 meters from the soldiers. The demonstrators, at this stage, posed absolutely no threat to the soldiers; the film captures the soldiers firing rubber bullets for no apparent reason. After Polak and other demonstrators sustained injuries, the soldiers appeared not to know what they should do next. One soldier proposed that IDF medics should be summoned; another shouts "the Palestinians will evacuate them."

This clumsy and dangerous scene from Bitunya resembles a number of incidents that occurred over the past month in the West Bank. Some events involved trained policemen; others involved regular IDF solders and reservists. The incidents involving soldiers are typically characterized by chaos - the soldiers utilize improvised solutions, and it is clear they lack training in crowd dispersal. In several cases, the soldiers appear ill-acquainted with crowd dispersal equipment in their own possession - as the events unfold, officers instruct them as to how to use the rubber bullets or tear gas canisters. In many cases, an IDF soldier can be seen firing several rubber bullets in succession, without taking aim.

There are also cases of hand-to-hand combat in which soldiers appear not to know how to act. For instance, in one incident on March 8 at Beit Lahia, protesters moved to within a few meters of the soldiers, who fired bullets haplessly into the air, or flailed with clubs. In this demonstration, soldiers fired rubber bullets from a number of different positions and distances - from 20 to 50 to 100 meters from protesters; sometimes, the soldiers took aim with the rubber bullets, and on other occasions they fired indiscriminately at the protesters. At one stage, a guard from a private security company appears to be hysterical, and fires shots from a rifle at the ground, in front of the group of demonstrators. His behavior clearly violates all established rules of engagement.

Apart from the recent demonstrations at Biddu, aspects of these chaotic scenes from Bitunya and Beit Lahia can be observed in all anti-fence demonstrations staged around the West Bank.

Analysis / Ongoing nightmare for the military - By Amos Harel

When the political leadership decided after a delay of two years to accelerate construction of the separation fence, it's doubtful it considered the barrier's repercussions on the Israel Defense Forces.
An artillery unit the size of a brigade was originally deployed to guard construction of the fence from Elkana to the Jerusalem region. But as protests against the fence expanded in size and intensity, larger deployments of IDF troops were needed to constrain these demonstrations.

It turns out that guarding the work-in-progress fence in the field has turned out to be a taxing military challenge for IDF commanders.

Today, no less than five companies are deployed regularly to handle the protests. A few infantry battalions will soon be needed to evacuate five settlement outposts in the West Bank. With so much manpower allocated to deal with the fence and the outposts, it's a wonder the IDF has time for anti-terror operations in the West Bank.

The "Anarchists Against the Wall" protesters are objectionable types. They are crude and provocative, and resort to violence to rattle the soldiers. When Yonatan Polak, the most strident and vocal member of the group, hurled himself onto a moving IDF jeep, he was clearly trying to create a provocation that would win media attention. Nor does Polak put much stock in trifling matters like court decisions: Yesterday, he explained that efforts to disrupt the bulldozers would continue, even though court petitions protesting the work were rejected.

Just as surely, the (edited) film clips that members of the group disseminate do not not protect them against palpable dangers - in other words, though the protesters circulated the footage to win sympathy for their cause, the only sure thing that can be said after viewing the films is that the protesters' lives are at risk.

"Dispersal of a civilian demonstration never looks good," bemoans a senior IDF officer. Such laments relate to an objective truth: what the first Palestinian intifada revealed holds true 16 years later. The IDF, which excels in high precision offensive operations, stumbles with the thankless task of dealing with civilians, some of whom resort to violent methods. The same army that gained control (without causing injuries to either side) of a psychiatric hospital in Bethlehem housing terror suspects finds it difficult to obtain the same results when confronting women, youths and elderly civilians who protest the separation fence.

Last Update: 14/04/2004 16:52 12 protesters hurt during protest against West Bank fence By Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and AP

Some 12 people were wounded Wednesday during during clashes between Border Police officers and protesters demonstrating against the West Bank separation fence under construction between the villages of Biddu and Beit Ajaza, west of Jerusalem. Security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters.

Ten Palestinians were hurt, including a 12-year-old Palestinian boy who was seriously injured after being hit in the head by a rubber-coated bullet.

Two Israeli protesters were also lightly hurt in their legs.

There are almost daily protests near this section of the fence, which is close to the Israeli town of Mevasseret Zion. Hundreds of Biddu residents, as well as five to ten members of the Anarchists Against the Wall groups and foreign left-wing protesters participate in the demonstrations.

Israel-Palestine, Bidu, As nearly daily, main radio channel reports on Anarchists Against The Wall 13/04/04

The main Israeli radio channel reports today again (as usual) about the joint Israeli and Palestinian struggle against the apartheid wall. To day, the report is about the demonstration near Bidu - North of Jerusalem. The works there renewed lately after the "highest court of justice" approved of continuation of the works in Bidu region and removed its "stay order". The reporter interviewed live a person he presented as "the spoke person of The Anarchists Against The Wall". In the interview, the spoke described to day demo and clash with the Israeli forces. He added that for us, the verdict of the "highest court of justice" is NOT legitimizing even a bit the apartheid wall and the atrocities involved, and we will not stop the struggle against it.

Israel/Palestine, an anarchist analysis & articles from an anarchist perspective and of other radicals* 10/04/04

Palestine and the International Solidarity Movement The ISM has had a good deal of success in helping out in some of the day to day situations faced by ordinary Palestinians http://struggle.ws/wsm/ws/2003/ws78/ism.html
* Israel - Palestine, Tel Aviv - Zububa, 20m fence removed Tel Aviv-based "One Struggle"* anarchist collective initiative of "Anarchists Against Fences" action with the Zabuba people http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=03/11/12/3960548
* Israel/Palestine: Roots of the conflict
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=03/11/12/3960548 The historical roots of the current conflict in the Middle East
* Israel / Palestine is not a nice place to live in - it is a war zoneAn Israeli anarchist looks at the growing opposition to the occupation and why it has developed. In Italian as Israele/Palestina non è un bel posto in cui viverci - è zona di guerra http://struggle.ws/issues/war/afghan/pamwt/wt2/israel.html
* Interview with anarchist refusenik http://struggle.ws/issues/war/palestine/refuenik.html An interview with an anarchist jailed for refusing service in the IDF
* Five Convicted For Refusing to Serve in Israeli Military The five - Hagai Matar, Shimri Zameret, Adam Maor, Noam Bahat and Matan Kaminer - had claimed conscientious objector status on the grounds that they oppose serving in "an army of occupation." http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=03/12/16/2889888
* Rachels War http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,916299,00.html Letters from US activist murdered by IDF to her parents
* The occupation continues, the occupation will continue, is there any solution http://struggle.ws/issues/war/afghan/pamwt/wt2/israel.html#continues
* Courage to Refuse - Combatant's Letter http://www.seruv.org.il/ o international supporters of the Israeli Refusers
* Ta'ayush - Arab-Jewish Partnership http://taayush.tripod.com/
* Gush Shalom - Israeli Peace Bloc http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html
* The Electronic Infitada http://www.electronicintifada.com produced by a small network of pro- Palestinian activists with a history of Internet and media activism
* Indymedia Jersualem http://jerusalem.indymedia.org/
* Indymedia Israel http://israel.indymedia.org.
* Pogroms in Palestine http://struggle.ws/ws/61/emac.html An Israeli anarchist on Jewish resistance to the Israeli state
* Anarchism and nationalism http://struggle.ws/ws/2002/ws70/nation.html Almost all of our present nations, and the very idea of the modern nation itself, are relatively modern inventions. With the rise of the bourgeois state in the nineteenth century, ruling classes needed an ideology to make their subjects identify with the state in which they lived
* Protests against Israeli occupation in Dublin [with photos] http://struggle.ws/wsm/news/2002/occupationAPRIL9.html
* Second Palestinian solidarity march in Dublin [with photos] http://struggle.ws/wsm/news/2002/palestineAPR.html

PDF file of End the Occupation: Support Israeli Refuseniks poster In English, Hebrew and Arabic http://struggle.ws/pdf/posters/refusniks.html =============================== * This page provided as part of the Struggle collection http://struggle.ws/stw/palestine.html

Israel-Palestine, The latest from Biddu: army attacks nonviolent protesters 07/04/04

ISRAELI ARMY ATTACKS NONVIOLENT PROTESTERS IN BIDDU
Two Palestinian community leaders arrested and dozens villagers injured.
Israeli media report about the Israeli anarchists involvement - two of them anong the 15 injured to day. Police deny using rubber coated bullets blamed the army for this act. The Palestinian nationnalists and the ISM people - as printed below, try to hide the identity of Israeli activists who are mostly from the Anarchists against the wall initiative.
"[Biddu, NW Jerusalem] Before 6am this morning, Israeli army bulldozers started the construction of the wall in the outskirts of Biddu village again. They were confronted by villagers, Internationals and Israeli activists who tried to reach the worksite and stop the work. Israeli soldiers opened fire directly at the line of nonviolent protesters, shooting tear gas and concussion grenades and then rubber-coated metal bullets. Dozens of Palestinians are reportedly injured by eyewitnesses.

At 7:30am, the Israeli army arrested two Biddu community leaders, Mohamed Mansour and Ibrahim Saleh Bedwan, as they were protesting nonviolently the construction of the Wall through the village farmlands. They have been taken away to an unknown location.

The protesters are now completely surrounded by over 80 soldiers who are firing tear gas canisters, concussion grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets, targeting upper parts of the body.

The Popular Committee against the Wall and the activists are now trying to protect a house located at the outskirts of the village which is about to be demolished by the Israeli army. Some villagers are staying in the house to prevent its destruction while other are staying outside and are currently targeted with tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets.

For more information, please contact:"

Biddu Village Council: +972.22.47.12.20

Israel-Palestine, Urgent: protest tonight at jerusalem shalom court! 03/04/04

Dearest activists, The Jerusalem police are still holding Leila Mosinzon*, an Israeli activist arrested two days in a row at non-violent demonstrations, Friday in Budrus and Thursday in Hirbata. They have not offered release conditions and are demanding that these be determined by a (right-leaning) judge tonight, who might very well follow their recommendation for a 3 month entry prohibition to all the territories. Another example of the blatant escalation of their attempt to clamp down on our non-violent resistance to their crimes. Please, protest tonight at the Shalom court house in Jerusalem, the hearing takes place an hour or two after sundown.

For more details From: Ivy Sichel To: mashacamp@yahoogroups.com
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* [Ed. Note: Leila is affiliated to the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative.]

Israel, Palestine, Media (Walla), Just another day of ongoing struggle with Anarchists Against the apartheid Wall 02/04/04

Yonatan Polak, member of the Anarchists Against The Wall was injured with rubber wrapped metal bullet. Another Israeli protester described how 5 soldiers fell him on the ground and hit him with the bats of their weapons. The army spoke person justified it because there were disturbances. Few demonstrators were "slightly" wounded in a demonstration late morning at the building site of the "wrapping Jerusalem wall" at Bitunia in the Ramalla region. At noon, about 150 Palestinians and few dozen Israelis and internationals to the building site in order to have a peaceful demonstration. When they were 2 kilometers from the place the bulldozers the soldiers ordered to stop. The demonstrators set down and the soldiers started to disperse them by force - through on them shock grenades and shoot them with rubber wrapped metal bullets.

... An internationalist activist was injured in the feet and back by bullets. Eye witness said the soldiers shoot the demonstrators while they held their hands above their heads and asked to let them return to the village they came from. Among the injured internationalist "street medics" and Palestinian villagers.

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