France: Debate in Paris - "Libertarian struggles in the Middle East?" [fr] 19 Jun 2007

LIBERTARIAN STRUGGLES IN THE MIDDLE EAST - the experiences of anarchist militants in Lebanon and in Israel There will be a debate organized by Alternative Libertaire in Paris on Wednesday June 27 at 8.00pm, at 92 Rue d'Aubervilliers, Paris 19ème, Métro Stalingrad or Riquet. The countries of the Middle East are not only synonymous with occupation, wars, internal struggles and imperialist chess moves. There are there struggles, resistance and alternative movement which go beyond the dominant political poles and borders both real and symbolic. Who do not avoid touching the social relations issues by hiding behind religous and ethnic motives. Who attempt, create, invent modes of direct action and social and political intervention.
RASH-Lebanon and Anarchists Against the Wall (Israel) are among these.
Militants from both of these, as well as a Palestinian activist, will share their objectives and experiences of struggle during the debate, describing them in their national and regional contexts and as part of the struggle against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. At a time when international solidarity with these movements is more than ever necessary, we will discuss with them the prospects for reinforcing political currents and a progressive, class-struggle and internationalist social movement in the Middle East.

Alternative Libertaire 18 June 2007

http://www.alternativelibertaire.org relations.exterieures@alternativelibertaire.org

Britain-Israel, Make Humous Not War visits Bristol 13 Oct 2007

Check out the latest direct action films by Israeli anarchists and Palestinians resisting the occupation, get your latest diy patches and badges, and raise funds for the anarchist infoshop in Tel Aviv.
http://bristol.indymedia.org/attachments/sep2007/salonbenefit4web.gif With the non-stop bombing of Gaza, the Apartheid Wall closing in on the palestinians from all sides, the constant threats of war, and continuing racism and hatred- Israelis and Palestinians are still standing side by side fighting the evil forces of zionism, the army, the bulldozers and militaristic patriarchal society. Join us at an event including recent films of resistance in israel-palestine, a discussion with Israeli and UK anti-occupation activists, and lots of lovely mediterranean food!

Thursday 13th of September - 7pm @ Kebele Social Centre, 14 Robertson Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 6JY

To support the continuing efforts of the anarchist infoshop in Tel Aviv, Salon Mazal, we are requesting a donation of £4.

www.salonmazal.org/zope/english

Salon Mazal was established in 2001, in Tel Aviv, Israel, by a group of social-environmental activists. It serves as an information distribution centre for social, environmental and political change including anti-militarism, animal rights, feminism and gender, anarchism, anti-racism, ecological issues etc.

The place functions as a store (including books, magazines and fair-trade products), a radical lending library, an artist gallery, a vegan bar and a community centre. Also hosting movie screenings, lectures, workshops and meetings for groups such as Anarchists Against The Wall, Green Action, Indymedia, New Profile, Women Coalition for Peace, Queeruption.

Palestine-Israel, Friday joint struggle against separation fence and occupation continue - Bil'in, Um Salmuna, Wadi Nis, Artas 13 Jul 2007

This Friday we had the 127th demonstration in Bil'in. It was also the 30th week of persistent demonstrations and other actions in the south of Bethlehem (There are few villages that are involved in the struggle there and there are usually some actions and demonstrations each week.) As usual the activists of the anarchists against the wall participated this week in both Bil'in, south Bethlehem, Hebron, and within Israel (the single parents camp in Jerusalem, the resistance to expulsion of tenants in Tel Aviv, and the Darfur refugees. The demonstration in Bil'in was much more interesting than the usual ones of the last two months or so. Before the demonstration was a short meeting as we had bigger than the usual contingent of international activist and a bigger contingent of Palestinians from Ramalla.

After the meeting we choose the road and the unpaved paths towards the separation fence on the south side of the village. The state forces who expected us on the norther road to the route of the separation fence were not prepared.

After our change of road was seen by the state force they started to converge on the south side, but they were not fast enough. Many of us run the last few hundreds meters. We dispersed between the olive trees located near the route of the separation fence. This Friday the wind was favorable to us - frequently changing directions. The state force could not shower us freely with tear gas as many of us were too near to them and some times the wind even carried the gas towards them.

Part of the time few of us even stayed for a while just near the route of the separation fence exchanging non friendly verbal communication with the state forces.

Due to the shooting of the tear gas canisters, the dry grass and shrubs were ignited and demonstrators worked hard to prevent the fire from caching the olive trees. After about two hours of protracted action most of the demonstrators left the "battle field".

------------------- South of Bethlehem -------------------------

This Friday, there were two demonstrations in the region. The first one was late morning, at Wadi Nis near Um Salmuna. This week the state force at the region were more belligerent than usual. they prevented the demonstrators from marching along the route of the separation fence in building. They also arrested a Palestinian comrade - member of the popular comity of the struggle against the fence.

The second one was early afternoon at the part of the route of the fence on the lands of the village Artas. Here too the state forces prevented the march along the route of the separation fence in building.

Israel-Palestine, Media, Jewish democracy for Jews , Officer who beat protesters resigns 11 Jul 2007

An Israel Defense Forces company commander in the reserves is resigning his post after he was videotaped two months ago using what appears to be excessive Violence against Israeli anarchist protesters removing an IDF roadblock in the West Bank. --- The decision to resign was part of a deal with his battalion commander, who agreed not to dismiss him if the company commander quit. The company commander will be placed in a different reserve battalion. --- The incident took place in early May, when the protesters removed a cement roadblock near Route 60, the main road to Hebron, to allow Palestinians to travel along the road. The reservists called to the scene were recorded using violence and the company commander was taped pushing and kicking protesters and putting the barrel of a loaded gun to the body of one of the protesters.

The video footage which was screened in all Israeli TV channels again and again for nearly a week speaks for itself even when some times - like in this screening was accompanied with apologetic words. http://news.walla.co.il/?w=//1104277

Palestine-Israel, Bil'in and south Bethlehem, the joint struggle against occupation and the separation fence persist 07 Jul 2007

The 126th Friday demonstration in Bilin and the about 30th in the south of Bethlehem were mainly the expression of the persistence of the joint struggle of Palestinians, internationals, and Israelis of the anarchists against the wall initiative. In Bil'in the only difference from the demos of the last few Fridays was the less friendly wind... It was changing direction very often but mostly it carried the clouds of tear gas Eastwards forcing us - forcing us to retreat faster and farther from the line marking the forbidden military zone. Many of us suffered from tear gas. Few were hit by rubber coated bullets and one was taken to hospital for leg injury.

In Um Salmuna (south Bethlehem) the Friday demonstration started at noon from the groove near the route of the separation fence towards the near by route. In spite of physical harassment by Israeli state force, the people marched for a while on the route and then went beyond it to the village lands and plantations. There some activist gave speeches before returning to the village.

Palestine-Israel, the persistence joint struggle against occupation and the separation fence - Bil'in + south Bethlehem 01 Jul 2007

The 125th Friday demonstration in Bil'in had no innovation. Palestinians, internationals and Israelis from the anarchists against the fence initiative, marched at noon towards the gate of the separation fence used to rob more than half the lands of the village. As usual last weeks, the Israeli state forces took position half the way up the hill the gate to the west of the fence is located on. When we approached the foot of the hill the commander declared the area beyond a spool of barbed wire crossing there the road as closed military zone. The commander threatened to attack any one crossing that mark but just when the head of the demonstration arrived near the spool of the barbed wire the state forces started to shower us with canisters of tear gas and detained two Israelis who tried to extinguish a fire ignited by it in the near by olive wood.

After the hundred or two retreat of the nonviolent demonstrators, the stone throwers engaged the state force and got in response tear gas and rubber coated bullets.

For about two hours, when there was a break in the tear gas shooting, the non violent demonstrators tried again to march on the road towards the gate in the separation fence... and got in response a shower of tear gas forcing us to retreat again.

After we left the confrontation zone, the two Israeli detainees were released.

-------------- South of Bethlehem ------------

In south of Bethlehem region the activists "celebrated" the completion of six months of persistent joint struggle there against the Israeli atrocities by Palestinians, internationals, and Israelis of the AATW. This Friday, there were planed 3 joint actions but only that of Artas did occur.

The aim of the action in Artas was to reach the lands where the trees were cut in order to enable a passage of a sewage pipe of the near by colonialist settlers village. When the demonstrators approached, there were lot of Israeli state force personnel already present - more than the number of demonstrators. However, due to the presence of a delegation of activists from abroad, and wise commander, after some communication the people were allowed to get to the destroyed orchard, after long weeks it was prevented.

Palestine-Israel, the persistence joint struggle against occupation and the separation fence - Bil'in + south Bethlehem 22 Jun 2007

The 124th consecutive Friday demonstration in Bil'in had no innovation. Palestinians, internationals and Israeli from the anarchists against the fence initiative, marched at noon towards the gate of the separation fence used to rob more than half the lands of the village. As usual last weeks, the Israeli state forces took position half the way up the hill the gate to the west of the fence is located. When we approached the foot of the hill the commander declared the area as closed military zone. A spool of barbed wire crossing the road near the foot of the hill marked the forbidden zone. The commander threatened to attack any one crossing that mark. The head of the demonstration converged near the spool of the barbed wire and told the state force our opinion about them.

After few minutes few comrades started to cross the demarcation line. In response, the state force showered us with tear gas and arrested two members of the Bil'in village popular comity for nonviolent struggle against the separation fence. At that point the village youth started the fight of stones against grenades (shock and tear gas) and rubber coated bullets.

The commander of the state force sent teams to confront the stone throwers and demonstrators who remained in the area, who even entered the outskirts of the village.

When we were on our way to Tel Aviv we heard that one arrestee was released, while the second one falsely accused as stone thrower was taken to the near by concentration camp Ofer.

-------------- South of Bethlehem ----------

In south of Bethlehem region there was an action at Wady Nis. People from the region, internationals and Israelis of the AATW initiative converged at the route of the separation fence in building. Speeches were carried and one of them gave support and honer to an international volunteer who was arrested for participation in the struggle in the region. After the speeches participants planted trees on the route of the separation fence to replace these which were uprooted to clear the route for the fence.
Two participants were detained and released only after the action ended.