The joint struggle of Palestinian villagers with the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative against the separation wall, the robbery of villages lands and the occupation collected momentum. In addition to the holding of the two "out posts" of Bil'in during the week, three joint struggles were done jointly this Friday. The small number of the activists recruited by the Anarchist Against The Wall initiative was distributed to day three ways. About 20 to Bil'in, and about ten to each of the other two villages who held the Friday demos in parallel. As usual, the state forces invested some symbolic efforts to block the way of the Israelis to Bil'in and detained two of them who were not fast enough to evade the few soldiers allocated to the mission.
In Bil'in, about 20 internationals who came to participate in the Bil'in international conference due 20th-21st February joined the 70 Palestinians and the 20 Israelis in the traditional Friday demo going on for a whole year already.
We started the demo as usual at noon with a march towards the route of the separation fence. When we arrived there we tried first to pass through the olive orchard towards the part of fence not yet finished but today, the soldiers were ready to stop us among the olive trees... so we diverted back to the road leading to the open gate in the fence - now "blessed" by the highest court of justice as opened always for passage though the armed forces make exception in the time around the Friday demo.
There we were blocked by the border police unit about 20 meters from the passage. During the usual confrontation we advanced about 2 meters - an insult to the commander at the point who took it personally. Few shock grenades and physical pushing gained the lost two meters for the state forces and the low intensity stand still continued for a while.
After a while, people tried to get down from the road to the olive orchard in order to go around the blocking border police and get nearer to the fence. Surprisingly, the police border force did not try as usual to force our people back to the road and few dozens of them did reach the fence route and started to bang with stones on the low fence of rails bordering it. A small unit of soldiers who rushed there try to disperse the people with tear gas grenades which one of them was even thrown back to them. However, it was half hearted effort that ended without success. So the banging continued for a while till the bangers got bored and returned to the main body of the demonstration.
And then the nonviolent demonstration was declared ended, with many of the people staying near by - observing the usual confrontation between the stone throwing youngsters and the tear gas shooting state forces.
Late afternoon, the Israelis of the three parallel demonstrations met again in the busses to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Friday, February 10, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, One year for the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation - Friday 10-02-06
The activity of the week end started already Thursday evening (in parallel to the preparation for the international conference in Bil'in due at 20th to 21st of February). That evening, activists of the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative joined international activists and people from Bil'in to keep alive the Bil'in center for joint struggle for peace, and the new post adjacent to the piece of land confiscated for the building of a tower in service of the separation fence - both on the west side of it.
Next day, Friday morning, we marched to the village - taking advantage of the free passage through an opening in the already built part of the fence, as ordered by the highest court of "justice" to be available till the end of the deliberation about the legitimacy of the route of the fence in Bil'in area.
In the village, we joined others and prepared placards for the Friday demonstration, marking the completion of a year for the joint struggle and Friday demonstrations in Bil'in. As usual, we prepared placards in Arabic, English, and Hebrew to join previous placards and banners that survived previous Friday demonstrations.
At noon, in a shiny and worm weather - compensation for the previous Friday storming rain, we started the march from the center of the village towards the route of the separation fence with a hope to pass to the new outpost on the other side of it.
It was really a small one in comparison to the big thousand strong demo of three weeks ago, but still a respectable one. We were about hundred people. 70 palestinians, 20 Israelis, and 15 internationals. On the way, we were joined by a female villager who took with her two branches of olive tree and a hoe, for a symbolic planting them in the middle of the route of the separation fence in building (which she really did later with protection of the other demonstrators who blocked the objection of the armed forces).
When we approached the route of the fence, we turned through the olive groves toward the part of the fence not already completed. The state forces blocked our way in the middle of the route - preventing us from passing to the new outpost on the West side of the route. After half an hour of low intensity "nonviolent" confrontation - if you can call the brutal pushes of the state forces as "nonviolent"... part of us along the route hoping to go around to the block. Just as we arrived in a place where there was building equipment and a way to climb to the other side of the route, an armored car with soldiers arrived. They tried to force us back up the hill to where we came, and we tried to go around them. Forces were quite equal so we could not go as we wished, but they could not force us back either.
After a long draw, we decided to go back up the hill, to where the rest of the demo people remind. When we arrived we got an unpleasant surprise - the band of village youth who do not respect the nonviolent mode of struggle of the village popular comity for struggle against the fence, start their usual stones throwing on the soldiers, but also on us who were still near the soldiers. So, we had to depart fast to evade the shower of stones and the shower of tear gas and rubber bullets that came in response.
Few of us marched to the usual place of demonstration where the gate in the already built fence is located. However, the state forces did not welcome them there and detained few Israelis - to be released there some time later.
As usual, the confrontation between the youngsters and the state forces continued for another two hours - including pursue of the state forces into the village they have not done for long. Many of the Israeli activist remind near by till the confrontation ended, to ensure the state forces (who have order to be careful when Israelis are around) will not use live ammunition and other lethal activities.
Rumors say that during that confrontation, few of the soldiers were hit by stones.
Next day, Friday morning, we marched to the village - taking advantage of the free passage through an opening in the already built part of the fence, as ordered by the highest court of "justice" to be available till the end of the deliberation about the legitimacy of the route of the fence in Bil'in area.
In the village, we joined others and prepared placards for the Friday demonstration, marking the completion of a year for the joint struggle and Friday demonstrations in Bil'in. As usual, we prepared placards in Arabic, English, and Hebrew to join previous placards and banners that survived previous Friday demonstrations.
At noon, in a shiny and worm weather - compensation for the previous Friday storming rain, we started the march from the center of the village towards the route of the separation fence with a hope to pass to the new outpost on the other side of it.
It was really a small one in comparison to the big thousand strong demo of three weeks ago, but still a respectable one. We were about hundred people. 70 palestinians, 20 Israelis, and 15 internationals. On the way, we were joined by a female villager who took with her two branches of olive tree and a hoe, for a symbolic planting them in the middle of the route of the separation fence in building (which she really did later with protection of the other demonstrators who blocked the objection of the armed forces).
When we approached the route of the fence, we turned through the olive groves toward the part of the fence not already completed. The state forces blocked our way in the middle of the route - preventing us from passing to the new outpost on the West side of the route. After half an hour of low intensity "nonviolent" confrontation - if you can call the brutal pushes of the state forces as "nonviolent"... part of us along the route hoping to go around to the block. Just as we arrived in a place where there was building equipment and a way to climb to the other side of the route, an armored car with soldiers arrived. They tried to force us back up the hill to where we came, and we tried to go around them. Forces were quite equal so we could not go as we wished, but they could not force us back either.
After a long draw, we decided to go back up the hill, to where the rest of the demo people remind. When we arrived we got an unpleasant surprise - the band of village youth who do not respect the nonviolent mode of struggle of the village popular comity for struggle against the fence, start their usual stones throwing on the soldiers, but also on us who were still near the soldiers. So, we had to depart fast to evade the shower of stones and the shower of tear gas and rubber bullets that came in response.
Few of us marched to the usual place of demonstration where the gate in the already built fence is located. However, the state forces did not welcome them there and detained few Israelis - to be released there some time later.
As usual, the confrontation between the youngsters and the state forces continued for another two hours - including pursue of the state forces into the village they have not done for long. Many of the Israeli activist remind near by till the confrontation ended, to ensure the state forces (who have order to be careful when Israelis are around) will not use live ammunition and other lethal activities.
Rumors say that during that confrontation, few of the soldiers were hit by stones.
Wednesday, February 8, 2006
Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle continue - Another outpost established in Bil'in 08 Feb 2006
Just distributed in the mailing list of the Anarchists Against The Wall (againstwall@yahoogroups.com): Another outpost is built on the the lands of Bil'in, West side of the separation fence (in addition to the one of the Bil'in Center For Joint Struggle For Peace - also on the West side of the separation fence in adjacent place to the illegal settler town neighborhood in construction). The building of this outpost was as protest to a new confiscation of land of Bil'in villagers for construction of a military post. > After being told by the civil administration today (Tuesday) that some 6.5 > dunams will be confiscated to build on the West side of the separation fence > a watch tower near the isolated house [of the village Bil'in - few meters on the > East side of the fence], a new outpost was build [by the Palestinian and the Israeli > activists - AATW], on a lot of land adjacent to the to-be confiscated lands. > It is extremely important that people come tomorrow, as the army was > pretty insistent, already today, on trying to prevent the construction. > Call Elad for more details: 052xxxxxxxx
Monday, February 6, 2006
Palestin-Israel, Invitation to a conference in Bilin 06 Feb 2006
The joint struggle and the nonviolent struggle against the wall and the occupation. an international conference in Bil'ín, Palestine, Monday Tuesday Feb 20-21 2006. This conference will bring together people who support the popular non violent Palestinian movement to take part in workshops about the history and methods of non violent resistance in Palestine. It will focus on the practical aspects of the struggle by sharing the experiences and lessons of such struggles at different locations in Palestine. The organizers are inviting Palestinians, Israelis and internationals to the conference which will be held on February 20 and 21 at the public school in the village of Bilín. The meeting will consist of a few opening presentations which will lead into workshops focusing on the the struggles at different locations. The workshops are the main part of the meeting and are where the experiences of activists will be shared and new ideas will be proposed and discussed. The focus of the discussion will be practical and the workshops should lead to a joint action being initiated by the participants in the conference.
To register please email the Bilín popular committee against the wall and the settlements.
bel3en@yahoo.com
or call Yuval
or Muhamad
More details will follow soon in the conference program. ' Sponsoring organizations (partial list)
BIlín popular committee against the wall and the settlements,
Anarchists against the wall,
Gush Shalom,
Coalition of women for peace,
Alternative Information center.
Rabbis for human rights.
To register please email the Bilín popular committee against the wall and the settlements.
bel3en@yahoo.com
or call Yuval
or Muhamad
More details will follow soon in the conference program. ' Sponsoring organizations (partial list)
BIlín popular committee against the wall and the settlements,
Anarchists against the wall,
Gush Shalom,
Coalition of women for peace,
Alternative Information center.
Rabbis for human rights.
Sunday, February 5, 2006
Israel-Palestine, Media, High Court: State must explain why it won't move separation fence in Bil'in 05 Feb 2006
Note: The years long struggle against the route of the separation fence that used to grab Palestinians lands in the false pretence of security for Jewish settlers got some successes. The year long of persistant joint struggle of the Anarchists Against The Wall with the Bil'in village popular commity contributed too. The folowing report in the media is one sample of the smal victories along the road. Ilan (see also http://www.ainfos.ca/06/feb/ainfos00009.html) "The High Court of Justice on Thursday ordered the state prosecutor to explain why Israel won't alter the route of the separation fence where it passes over land belonging to the West Bank Palestinian village of Bil'in.
The state was given three weeks to explain why the fence can't be moved west, toward the Upper Modi'in settlement, so that it won't pass over Bil'in agricultural lands.
The High Court issued the preliminary injunction at the request of Bil'in residents, who are petitioning the court to order the state to alter the fence route in the area.
On Wednesday, lawyer Michael Sfard told the court the current fence route was not determined by security considerations, as the state maintains. Sfard said the fence route was designed to allow the eastward expansion of Upper Modi'in.
He also said the fence route allows the building of the new Matityahu East neighborhood. As was first published in Haaretz, illegal construction, without any building permits or legal building plan, is currently underway on the neighborhood.
"We had thought that the fence administration was building a fence," Sfard said. "But now it is clear that the fence administration is building new illegal neighborhoods in settlements."
The fence separates the village of Bil'in from a large portion of its agricultural lands.
The Matityahu East neighborhood has 750 housing units and another 2,000 are planned. The lands on which the neighborhood is being constructed belong to Bil'in residents. Portions of the land were obtained using documents suspected to have been forged.
The state was given three weeks to explain why the fence can't be moved west, toward the Upper Modi'in settlement, so that it won't pass over Bil'in agricultural lands.
The High Court issued the preliminary injunction at the request of Bil'in residents, who are petitioning the court to order the state to alter the fence route in the area.
On Wednesday, lawyer Michael Sfard told the court the current fence route was not determined by security considerations, as the state maintains. Sfard said the fence route was designed to allow the eastward expansion of Upper Modi'in.
He also said the fence route allows the building of the new Matityahu East neighborhood. As was first published in Haaretz, illegal construction, without any building permits or legal building plan, is currently underway on the neighborhood.
"We had thought that the fence administration was building a fence," Sfard said. "But now it is clear that the fence administration is building new illegal neighborhoods in settlements."
The fence separates the village of Bil'in from a large portion of its agricultural lands.
The Matityahu East neighborhood has 750 housing units and another 2,000 are planned. The lands on which the neighborhood is being constructed belong to Bil'in residents. Portions of the land were obtained using documents suspected to have been forged.
Friday, February 3, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, Is the joint struggle nearing its end? Friday demo of 3-2-06
When the "theme" of the last Friday demo in Bil'in turned to be the denouncing of the Danish media for its insulting of the prophet Mohamad, few questions are alerting. Till few weeks ago, each of the Friday joint demonstrations on going for the last 12 months was around a common subject against the separation fence and occupation. The creative materialization of the theme was usually done together by people of the Bil'in popular comity and Israeli activists. The most prominent expression of the joint struggle was one of the meeting in Bil'in between the local comity and activists of The Anarchists Against The Wall initiative, that was held about a month ago, in which were decided on the activities leading towards the hearing of the case of Bil'in in the Israeli Highest court of "justice" at the 1st of february.
It is amazing how the results overtook the most optimist expectation: the wide coverage in the Israeli media of the use of the fence as a tool to rob lands of Bil'in for the high profit of the construction companies who build the settler town Modi'in Illit; the building of the Bil'in center for joint struggle for peace on the West side of the separation fence adjacent to the illegal construction site of the settler town - a structure the Israeli state found too complicated to destroy or block the activity around it...; even the intervention of the highest court that suspended the continuation of the building of the settler town district till final decision was part of achievements; and there was the huge thousand strong demonstration planed and carried out just few days before the election of Palestinian parliament and the hearing in the highest court in which 400 Israelis took part.
However, at the midst of delight, doubt starts to nag.... and more so after the religious subject that had nothing in relevance to the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation turned to be the theme of last Friday demonstration. Doubts increase as it happened on the background of the absence of the creative theme in the joint demos of the last few weeks, and the suggestion of people of the local comity to refrain in the last big demo from placards in Hebrew against the separation fence, and regard the election propaganda as sufficient.
In spite of all and the heavy rain, at noon, after the "belligerent speech" against the Danish media and the burning of Danish flags, we started towards the route of the separation fence. The heavy rain destroyed the islamic placards in arabic and extinguish the burning flags, thus saving us from the embarrassment of being seen as anarchists against the wall protesting against the insulting of Mohamad. We were about 100 of us protected by umbrellas or in cars - about 50 palestinians, 30 Israelis, and 20 internationals, persistently marching and jumping rain pools on the road till we approached the fence. When we neared the fence we turned from the road and with swift march succeeded to enter the route of construction, and many of us even crossed it to the other side.
For about an hour in which the rain gradually stooped we were in the usual push and pull struggle with the Israeli state forces who limited our movement around - though in less intense level than previous demos. The state forces missed the confrontation of tear gas with the stone throwers youngsters. Thus, when the peaceful non violent demo was declared ended, they mixed with the demonstrators who were marching back to the village to provoke the stone throwers... (with people hearing their talk among themselves that they hope the stones thrown will also hit the returning demonstrators). In order to ignite the process, they started to shoot tear gas canisters even before the first stones were thrown...
Few of the returning Israeli demonstrators tried to block the tear gas shooting. As reprisal the state forces grabbed few but only one was not unasserted, and taken for a night in jail till he will be brought before magistrate Saturday evening. One of the Israelis was even hit in the forehead with a tear gas canister and she was taken to hospital.
It is amazing how the results overtook the most optimist expectation: the wide coverage in the Israeli media of the use of the fence as a tool to rob lands of Bil'in for the high profit of the construction companies who build the settler town Modi'in Illit; the building of the Bil'in center for joint struggle for peace on the West side of the separation fence adjacent to the illegal construction site of the settler town - a structure the Israeli state found too complicated to destroy or block the activity around it...; even the intervention of the highest court that suspended the continuation of the building of the settler town district till final decision was part of achievements; and there was the huge thousand strong demonstration planed and carried out just few days before the election of Palestinian parliament and the hearing in the highest court in which 400 Israelis took part.
However, at the midst of delight, doubt starts to nag.... and more so after the religious subject that had nothing in relevance to the joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation turned to be the theme of last Friday demonstration. Doubts increase as it happened on the background of the absence of the creative theme in the joint demos of the last few weeks, and the suggestion of people of the local comity to refrain in the last big demo from placards in Hebrew against the separation fence, and regard the election propaganda as sufficient.
In spite of all and the heavy rain, at noon, after the "belligerent speech" against the Danish media and the burning of Danish flags, we started towards the route of the separation fence. The heavy rain destroyed the islamic placards in arabic and extinguish the burning flags, thus saving us from the embarrassment of being seen as anarchists against the wall protesting against the insulting of Mohamad. We were about 100 of us protected by umbrellas or in cars - about 50 palestinians, 30 Israelis, and 20 internationals, persistently marching and jumping rain pools on the road till we approached the fence. When we neared the fence we turned from the road and with swift march succeeded to enter the route of construction, and many of us even crossed it to the other side.
For about an hour in which the rain gradually stooped we were in the usual push and pull struggle with the Israeli state forces who limited our movement around - though in less intense level than previous demos. The state forces missed the confrontation of tear gas with the stone throwers youngsters. Thus, when the peaceful non violent demo was declared ended, they mixed with the demonstrators who were marching back to the village to provoke the stone throwers... (with people hearing their talk among themselves that they hope the stones thrown will also hit the returning demonstrators). In order to ignite the process, they started to shoot tear gas canisters even before the first stones were thrown...
Few of the returning Israeli demonstrators tried to block the tear gas shooting. As reprisal the state forces grabbed few but only one was not unasserted, and taken for a night in jail till he will be brought before magistrate Saturday evening. One of the Israelis was even hit in the forehead with a tear gas canister and she was taken to hospital.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in-Jerusalem, The joint struggle against the separation fence hearing at the highest court of "justice". 01 Feb 2006
Wednesday morning, about 30 Israeli activists of the Israeli Anarchists Against The Wall initiative took a bus the highest court of Israeli "justice" in Jerusalem, for the hearing of the petition of Bil'in villagers against the separation fence that is used to rob most of their land. On the way, we passed near Bil'in and joined by 20 Palestinian activists from the village Bil'in - we usually meet every Friday demonstration against the fence, who got special permit to enter to day the occupying Israel.
When we arrived at the entrance road to the court building we found there local activist and others and put up banners and placard against the robbery of lands using the separation fence, in a short vigil till the time of the hearing. When the announced time of the hearing arrived, we put down the placards and banners, but the security personal and police restricted our entrance. The last of us allowed in only just when the other hearing finished and the hearing of Bil'in petition started.
After a long hearing of the case of Bil'in the three judges said they need to ponder about it and will announce few days later if they put a temporary stay on the continuance of the building of the fence till the final verdict.
When we arrived at the entrance road to the court building we found there local activist and others and put up banners and placard against the robbery of lands using the separation fence, in a short vigil till the time of the hearing. When the announced time of the hearing arrived, we put down the placards and banners, but the security personal and police restricted our entrance. The last of us allowed in only just when the other hearing finished and the hearing of Bil'in petition started.
After a long hearing of the case of Bil'in the three judges said they need to ponder about it and will announce few days later if they put a temporary stay on the continuance of the building of the fence till the final verdict.
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