http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJXawL9lEQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JitcxoDZ_w
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
The joint struggle of the Israeli anarchists against the wall and the Palestinians in Bil'in and Um Salmuna. 05 Oct 2007
In Bil'in, the Friday demonstration has in the back ground the last night army intrusion into the village, the arrest of one, the shooting and grenades throwing, and the stone throwing that injured the nose of an Israeli officer. Surprisingly, the state force were holding fire when we arrived at the barbed wire spool marking the closed military zone of the hill the gate in the separation fence is on it. They even held the fire when the camera persons and few comrades crossed the spool of barbed wire and set two meters in front of it. However, when one of the comrade started to walk forward, they started to shower us with tear gas grenades. When this was a sign for the stone throwers to start their confrontation with the soldiers, the state force released all their pent anger and advanced up to the fringe of the built area of the village.
---------------------------Um Salmuna---------------
This Friday, the demonstration against the separation fence and occupation in the Bethlehem region was near the village Um Salmuna. In the late morning the demonstrators marched to the road, crossed it, and even crossed the route of the separation fence in building. However, when they advanced "too fare" towards the colonialist settlement Efratah, the Israeli state force stopped them, and the demonstration ended. The Israelis of the AATW continued from there to the early afternoon demonstration in Bil'in. ("Two in the price of one" as we call it in Israel....)
---------------------------Um Salmuna---------------
This Friday, the demonstration against the separation fence and occupation in the Bethlehem region was near the village Um Salmuna. In the late morning the demonstrators marched to the road, crossed it, and even crossed the route of the separation fence in building. However, when they advanced "too fare" towards the colonialist settlement Efratah, the Israeli state force stopped them, and the demonstration ended. The Israelis of the AATW continued from there to the early afternoon demonstration in Bil'in. ("Two in the price of one" as we call it in Israel....)
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Israel, Tel Aviv, Alt. Media, Somebody has to start shouting 02 Oct 2007
September 27. Evening. Here we are again standing outside the Defence Ministry and protesting the army's deadly actions in Gaza. In fact, we could have demonstrated nearly every other day, because every day brings its own ration of nasty news from Gaza. And it had become markedly worse since Ehud Barak became Israeli Labour Party leader, and Defence Minister, and with considerable energy is establishing his credentials as the toughest of hawks. Hardly a week passes without Barak making yet another threat of "a major military operation into the Gaza Strip". Meanwhile, he is authorizing daily "minor incursions" into the Strip, with an increasing death toll. And also meanwhile, the economic siege and blockade of the Gaza Strip becomes ever more tight.
The brilliant idea of cutting off the supply of water and electricity to the Gaza Strip's 1,500,000 poverty-stricken inhabitants brought on a sharp protest from UN Secretary General Ban, and a more muted one from the US-led diplomatic "Quartet".
So, the government (so far?) did not cut off the water and electricity. But they did make a legally binding legal declaration that "Gaza is a Hostile Zone". This had the practical effect of making Bank Hapoalim, Israel's largest, cut off all contacts with the Palestinian banks in Gaza, with devastating results (among other things, making it impossible to transfer money to those Gazans who still get some support from their former bosses). Sherri Arison, multi-millionaire owner of the bank and an eager devotee of "New Age" mysticism, has just a short time ago spent a lot of money on an advertising campaign on the theme that "Peace Begins Inside Yourself"...)
For those who want to, it is not difficult to know what is happening in Gaza. Plenty of detailed of reports are available online. But very little gets to the Israeli public by the commonly used media outlets. (With a few honourable exceptions, such as the Channel 10 TV News, which featured items on critically ill patients desperately waiting for permission to get treatment in Israel, and on the new wing of Gaza's Shifa Hospital whose construction was stopped since building materials are not allowed in through the border passes).
Anyway, most Israelis have little sympathy for Gazans, even if and when happening to hear of their plight. Since Sharon's "Disengagement", official Israel has taken a pose of injured innocence, massively disseminated by politicians and columnists and editorial writers and taken up implicitly by most of the public: Israel has withdrawn from the strip and dismantled its settlements, and the perfidious Palestinians responded with the shooting of Qassam missiles. Therefore, "they brought it upon themselves". Full stop.
Complicating factors are hardly ever mentioned, such as the direct casual relations between the killing of Palestinians (some 700 in the past year, according to the recent proud boasting of PM Olmert) and the retaliatory shooting of missiles (which cause destruction and panic but only rarely kill).
Everybody who listens to Israeli news broadcasts would unavoidably know of the anguish of the inhabitants of Sderot, especially the town's children - who never know a moment of true rest, ever ready to rush to shelter when the dreaded alarm sounds.
This never-ending anxiety in Sderot is all too real, even if there are very few actual casualties. Yet the same media which covers it in heart-rending full-page articles makes hardly any mention of Palestinian children, who live in at least as much fear and who stand a far greater risk of being blown to bits. The 16-year old boy crushed last week under the threads of an Israeli bulldozer, which was engaged in "removing" orchards which "may give cover to Quassam-shooting squads", got a bare laconic remark from the army - "unfortunate collateral damage, he should not have been there".
On the eve of the Jewish New Year, two weeks ago, there was a surprise from Ismail Haniyeh - Gaza-based Hamas leader and Prime Minister of one of the two rival Palestinian governments. Through international mediators, Haniyeh proposed to discuss with the Olmert Government the instituting of an immediate and bilateral ceasefire, and offered to impose such a ceasefire on the smaller groups such as the Islamic Jihad (which do most of the shooting).
Haniyeh's offer was not so much rejected as brushed aside. Indeed, there was an immediate, noticeable notching up of both the military offensive on the ground and the economic offensive through the banking boardrooms (simultaneously with the continuing talks with Abu Mazen and his team).
At least, the group of mainstream dovish writers headed by Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua was aroused to action, prominently publishing a call for an immediate ceasefire with Hamas.
And so we come to this day, Thursday, September 27, at noon, in the lazy midst of the Sukkot Holiday, when some of us were tempted to put off the radio and cut ourselves off from the world for a bit. But the urgent phones broke in: "Did you hear? Eleven dead in Gaza! Eleven! We must do something!"
And the sickeningly familiar routine was on once again: hasty consultations between peace groups, to determine place and time, and then hours of phone calls, composing and sending of email action alerts and press releases, placing of announcements on relevant websites and online forums, drawing of signs and placards, and then off to downtown Tel-Aviv. (At some moment during these hours the number of dead Gazans rose to twelve.) And there we are - the activists of Gush Shalom which initiated the action, and Anarchists Against Fences, and Women's Coalition for Peace, and Hadash Young Communists, and the veteran Latif Dori of Meretz, and quite a few people with no specific organizational allegiance. Altogether, some 120 people turned up.
On the one side, the new Defence Ministry Tower with the distinctive helicopter landing "saucer" on its roof - built at considerable expanse and inaugurated in a festive ceremony last year. On the other side, the Azrielli Twin Towers with their giant shopping mall, Tel Aviv's pride, the very symbol and acme of the rich, uncaring, corporate Israel which emerged in the past two decades. In between, the Begin Road, a major artery through which thousands of cars speed at all hours, and us waving signs and flags and banners and chanting in unison at the top of our voices and some making wild hand gestures at the passing cars and pedestrians: "Blockade - NO! Ceasefire - YES!" - "No Tanks and No Qassams - Ceasefire Now!" - "End the Bloodshed - Ceasefire Now!" - "The Blockade on Gaza is a War Crime!" - "End the Economic Strangulation of Gaza!" - "There is No Military Solution in Gaza!" - "Ceasefire in Gaza and Sderot!" - "Hamass Is a Partner for a Ceasefire!" - "I Am a Gazan, Too!" - "In Gaza and Sderot, Children Want to Live!" - "Barak, Barak, hey hey hey, How Many Kids Did You Kill Today?" - "Israel and Palestine, Two States for Two Peoples!" - "Israel and Palestine, a Brotherhood of Peoples!" - "All the Ministers are War Criminals" - "Ehud, Ehud, You Are Expected at the Hague!" - "Ehud, Ehud, Both of You Are Expected at the Hague!" - "The Occupation is a Disaster, Peace is the Solution!"
Two motorcycle riders who passed at great speed tried to grab a Gush Shalom Two-States flag from a demonstrator. A few minutes later, a young woman was rather dangerously leaning out of an open car window to call "Good luck, I am with you!".
The police which appeared soon afterwards - one patrol car, followed by another two - held short negotiations, and were satisfied with the promise that we would go away after an hour. The parked patrol cars actually created a traffic-free zone beside the pavement, in which press and activist photographers could stand and take photos of the straggling line of protesters. And the police did politely lead away the middle aged man who shouted, his face contorted "Why are you allowing these traitors..."
Towards the end, a short dialogue with a bypassing older couple:
The man: What are you demonstrating about?
Activist: Did you not hear? Eleven people killed today in Gaza.
The woman: Eleven? Of ours?
Activist: We are the ones to blame.
[A short silence.]
The man: Yes, the government, but this will not help.
Activist: Probably not, but somebody has to start shouting.
By Adam Keller
The brilliant idea of cutting off the supply of water and electricity to the Gaza Strip's 1,500,000 poverty-stricken inhabitants brought on a sharp protest from UN Secretary General Ban, and a more muted one from the US-led diplomatic "Quartet".
So, the government (so far?) did not cut off the water and electricity. But they did make a legally binding legal declaration that "Gaza is a Hostile Zone". This had the practical effect of making Bank Hapoalim, Israel's largest, cut off all contacts with the Palestinian banks in Gaza, with devastating results (among other things, making it impossible to transfer money to those Gazans who still get some support from their former bosses). Sherri Arison, multi-millionaire owner of the bank and an eager devotee of "New Age" mysticism, has just a short time ago spent a lot of money on an advertising campaign on the theme that "Peace Begins Inside Yourself"...)
For those who want to, it is not difficult to know what is happening in Gaza. Plenty of detailed of reports are available online. But very little gets to the Israeli public by the commonly used media outlets. (With a few honourable exceptions, such as the Channel 10 TV News, which featured items on critically ill patients desperately waiting for permission to get treatment in Israel, and on the new wing of Gaza's Shifa Hospital whose construction was stopped since building materials are not allowed in through the border passes).
Anyway, most Israelis have little sympathy for Gazans, even if and when happening to hear of their plight. Since Sharon's "Disengagement", official Israel has taken a pose of injured innocence, massively disseminated by politicians and columnists and editorial writers and taken up implicitly by most of the public: Israel has withdrawn from the strip and dismantled its settlements, and the perfidious Palestinians responded with the shooting of Qassam missiles. Therefore, "they brought it upon themselves". Full stop.
Complicating factors are hardly ever mentioned, such as the direct casual relations between the killing of Palestinians (some 700 in the past year, according to the recent proud boasting of PM Olmert) and the retaliatory shooting of missiles (which cause destruction and panic but only rarely kill).
Everybody who listens to Israeli news broadcasts would unavoidably know of the anguish of the inhabitants of Sderot, especially the town's children - who never know a moment of true rest, ever ready to rush to shelter when the dreaded alarm sounds.
This never-ending anxiety in Sderot is all too real, even if there are very few actual casualties. Yet the same media which covers it in heart-rending full-page articles makes hardly any mention of Palestinian children, who live in at least as much fear and who stand a far greater risk of being blown to bits. The 16-year old boy crushed last week under the threads of an Israeli bulldozer, which was engaged in "removing" orchards which "may give cover to Quassam-shooting squads", got a bare laconic remark from the army - "unfortunate collateral damage, he should not have been there".
On the eve of the Jewish New Year, two weeks ago, there was a surprise from Ismail Haniyeh - Gaza-based Hamas leader and Prime Minister of one of the two rival Palestinian governments. Through international mediators, Haniyeh proposed to discuss with the Olmert Government the instituting of an immediate and bilateral ceasefire, and offered to impose such a ceasefire on the smaller groups such as the Islamic Jihad (which do most of the shooting).
Haniyeh's offer was not so much rejected as brushed aside. Indeed, there was an immediate, noticeable notching up of both the military offensive on the ground and the economic offensive through the banking boardrooms (simultaneously with the continuing talks with Abu Mazen and his team).
At least, the group of mainstream dovish writers headed by Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua was aroused to action, prominently publishing a call for an immediate ceasefire with Hamas.
And so we come to this day, Thursday, September 27, at noon, in the lazy midst of the Sukkot Holiday, when some of us were tempted to put off the radio and cut ourselves off from the world for a bit. But the urgent phones broke in: "Did you hear? Eleven dead in Gaza! Eleven! We must do something!"
And the sickeningly familiar routine was on once again: hasty consultations between peace groups, to determine place and time, and then hours of phone calls, composing and sending of email action alerts and press releases, placing of announcements on relevant websites and online forums, drawing of signs and placards, and then off to downtown Tel-Aviv. (At some moment during these hours the number of dead Gazans rose to twelve.) And there we are - the activists of Gush Shalom which initiated the action, and Anarchists Against Fences, and Women's Coalition for Peace, and Hadash Young Communists, and the veteran Latif Dori of Meretz, and quite a few people with no specific organizational allegiance. Altogether, some 120 people turned up.
On the one side, the new Defence Ministry Tower with the distinctive helicopter landing "saucer" on its roof - built at considerable expanse and inaugurated in a festive ceremony last year. On the other side, the Azrielli Twin Towers with their giant shopping mall, Tel Aviv's pride, the very symbol and acme of the rich, uncaring, corporate Israel which emerged in the past two decades. In between, the Begin Road, a major artery through which thousands of cars speed at all hours, and us waving signs and flags and banners and chanting in unison at the top of our voices and some making wild hand gestures at the passing cars and pedestrians: "Blockade - NO! Ceasefire - YES!" - "No Tanks and No Qassams - Ceasefire Now!" - "End the Bloodshed - Ceasefire Now!" - "The Blockade on Gaza is a War Crime!" - "End the Economic Strangulation of Gaza!" - "There is No Military Solution in Gaza!" - "Ceasefire in Gaza and Sderot!" - "Hamass Is a Partner for a Ceasefire!" - "I Am a Gazan, Too!" - "In Gaza and Sderot, Children Want to Live!" - "Barak, Barak, hey hey hey, How Many Kids Did You Kill Today?" - "Israel and Palestine, Two States for Two Peoples!" - "Israel and Palestine, a Brotherhood of Peoples!" - "All the Ministers are War Criminals" - "Ehud, Ehud, You Are Expected at the Hague!" - "Ehud, Ehud, Both of You Are Expected at the Hague!" - "The Occupation is a Disaster, Peace is the Solution!"
Two motorcycle riders who passed at great speed tried to grab a Gush Shalom Two-States flag from a demonstrator. A few minutes later, a young woman was rather dangerously leaning out of an open car window to call "Good luck, I am with you!".
The police which appeared soon afterwards - one patrol car, followed by another two - held short negotiations, and were satisfied with the promise that we would go away after an hour. The parked patrol cars actually created a traffic-free zone beside the pavement, in which press and activist photographers could stand and take photos of the straggling line of protesters. And the police did politely lead away the middle aged man who shouted, his face contorted "Why are you allowing these traitors..."
Towards the end, a short dialogue with a bypassing older couple:
The man: What are you demonstrating about?
Activist: Did you not hear? Eleven people killed today in Gaza.
The woman: Eleven? Of ours?
Activist: We are the ones to blame.
[A short silence.]
The man: Yes, the government, but this will not help.
Activist: Probably not, but somebody has to start shouting.
By Adam Keller
Friday, September 28, 2007
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, Wallage, The joint struggle continue 28 Sep 2007
The 138th Friday demonstration was as usual the last few weeks with small variation. It followed the previous Friday spontaneous demonstration. Last week, the Israeli anarchists against the wall activists, were supposed to mainly participate with delegation of activists of Bil'in in the Kutsin Friday demo. Though not a big crowd of villagers and Israelis, with few internationals and Palestinians from the region, it was a happy demonstration. The chanting and sporadic dancing were colored by the recent victory in the partial at the highest court that ordered to move the fence to the west and exclude the cultivated lands of Bil'in. When we arrived at the foot of the hill the gate to the other side of the fence is located, there was the usual barbed wire spool across the road, the declaration of the near by state force commander about the area beyond the barbed wire a closed military zone, and the usually threats.
As usual when we arrived at the block most of us dispersed among the olive trees and advanced towards the near by separation fence. The state force threw the tear gas and shock grenades, but failed to disperse us. Many of us came two near to the soldiers so their grenades became useless, and they were forced to start physical confrontation. The legs of about 6 of us were injured but we refused to leave them to the army treatment and the commander there gave in and ordered the stopping of brutal harassment. After a while, the demonstration was declared finished and we retreated few hundred meters - living the battle ground to the stone throwing youth, observing it for a while before going back to the village.
------------------------------
The Friday demonstration in Wallage - south of Jerusalem.
The Ramadan period had its effect. The less than 50 participants decided to avoid arrests and physical confrontation with the Israeli state forces. The demonstrators marched along the present fence of the colonial settlement, in a peacefull procession.
As usual when we arrived at the block most of us dispersed among the olive trees and advanced towards the near by separation fence. The state force threw the tear gas and shock grenades, but failed to disperse us. Many of us came two near to the soldiers so their grenades became useless, and they were forced to start physical confrontation. The legs of about 6 of us were injured but we refused to leave them to the army treatment and the commander there gave in and ordered the stopping of brutal harassment. After a while, the demonstration was declared finished and we retreated few hundred meters - living the battle ground to the stone throwing youth, observing it for a while before going back to the village.
------------------------------
The Friday demonstration in Wallage - south of Jerusalem.
The Ramadan period had its effect. The less than 50 participants decided to avoid arrests and physical confrontation with the Israeli state forces. The demonstrators marched along the present fence of the colonial settlement, in a peacefull procession.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Palestine-Israel, The Friday joint actions against occupation, roadblocks, and separation fence: Kutsin + Wallage 21 Sep 2007
This Friday we had two actions - One in Kutsin, and one in Wallage. The Kutsin one have shown the serious regard of the state secret services for the "awful" anarchists against the wall initiative and the efforts they make to evade confrontation. As we warned people who registered to the Friday demonstration that there are high probability for arrest (based on last Saturday experience) the secret services miss understood and concluded that we are planning for a very high profile activity.. They prepared a regional commander decree that the area near Kutsin is a closed military zone. they put an armored car on the local road to intercept us. They ordered us to return to Israel, and black mailed us to accept that by threatening the Israeli Palestinian minibus driver with administrative problems. To be sure we will not digress on the way to Israel, we were followed by a police car, secret service car and army armored car too for a while.
At the same Time, a delegation of Palestinian activists from Bil'in, and villagers of Kutsin demonstrated and marched on the road we took together on last Saturday action - the so called "forbidden road" leading to the road block and the military camp near it. (Last Saturday the state force arrested 13 of us, injured 5 and hit people harshly for marching on the forbidden road.) Surprise surprise, though no Israeli was among the demonstrators, the state forces did not interfere with the march, and when they arrived at the road block they found it open.....
---------------------------------
The Friday demonstration in the village Wallage - near Bethlehem, was a variation on previous Fridays' actions.
The main point of the demonstration was the combining of the struggle against the separation fence in building, with the road blocks - the older means of restriction of freedom of the Palestinians in the occupied territories. (with the usual success... as the policy of the state forces is to allow the removal of road blocks during the demonstration and restore them soon afterwards.
Following is the report of a comrade who participated in the demo. The article in Hebrew with pictures is at:
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7504/index.php "Like in every Friday of the last few months, this Friday too, tens of Palestinian peace activists, Israelis* and internationals, arrived for the demonstration against the separation fence which is being built in the Wallage village near Har Gilo.
As the previous demonstration that was at the route of the separation fence was dispersed with high level of violence - with nine injured demonstrators, this week the people choose the way to the main entrance road to the village. With joint efforts, they succeeded to remove the road block and enabled free traffic to the neighboring Palestinian village.
The separation fence which is built on the lands of the village to separate between it ind the colonialist settlement Har Gilo, will encircle the village completely leaving only one entrance under control of the Israeli soldiers. The passage through that entrance will be allowed only inhabitants of the village and will isolate the people of Wallage from the rest of the west bank.
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7504/index.php
==========================
* Mostly organized by the anarchists against the fence initiative.
At the same Time, a delegation of Palestinian activists from Bil'in, and villagers of Kutsin demonstrated and marched on the road we took together on last Saturday action - the so called "forbidden road" leading to the road block and the military camp near it. (Last Saturday the state force arrested 13 of us, injured 5 and hit people harshly for marching on the forbidden road.) Surprise surprise, though no Israeli was among the demonstrators, the state forces did not interfere with the march, and when they arrived at the road block they found it open.....
---------------------------------
The Friday demonstration in the village Wallage - near Bethlehem, was a variation on previous Fridays' actions.
The main point of the demonstration was the combining of the struggle against the separation fence in building, with the road blocks - the older means of restriction of freedom of the Palestinians in the occupied territories. (with the usual success... as the policy of the state forces is to allow the removal of road blocks during the demonstration and restore them soon afterwards.
Following is the report of a comrade who participated in the demo. The article in Hebrew with pictures is at:
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7504/index.php "Like in every Friday of the last few months, this Friday too, tens of Palestinian peace activists, Israelis* and internationals, arrived for the demonstration against the separation fence which is being built in the Wallage village near Har Gilo.
As the previous demonstration that was at the route of the separation fence was dispersed with high level of violence - with nine injured demonstrators, this week the people choose the way to the main entrance road to the village. With joint efforts, they succeeded to remove the road block and enabled free traffic to the neighboring Palestinian village.
The separation fence which is built on the lands of the village to separate between it ind the colonialist settlement Har Gilo, will encircle the village completely leaving only one entrance under control of the Israeli soldiers. The passage through that entrance will be allowed only inhabitants of the village and will isolate the people of Wallage from the rest of the west bank.
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7504/index.php
==========================
* Mostly organized by the anarchists against the fence initiative.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Palestine-Israel, the week end joint struggle against the separation fence and occupation 15 Sep 2007
On Friday we had two joint demonstrations against the separation fence. one was a continuation of the celebration in Bil'in the partial victory against the route of the separation fence - the Israeli highest court was forced to partially accept the petition of Bil'in against the present route. About 100 Palestinians from Jericho (including the mayor) arrived a bit late for the original plan as they were stopped time and again in road blocks on their way. Thus, after the noon prayer, they joined the Bil'in villager, the internationals, and a small team of the Israeli anarchists against the wall (AATW) in a march on the road to the route of the separation fence. When we were still a long way from the usual point of confrontation with the Israeli state force, we heard their threat to assault us if we come too near... As the 100 guests included also women, and kids, the popular comity decided to stop earlier than usual and have the public meeting there.
When all the participants arrived, speeched and explanations were given. After it ended, the nonviolent demonstrators and the guests returned to the apartment we always meet in and more explanation were given to the guests.
---------------------------------
The other Friday demonstration was at the village Wallage. There at noon, 100 of the villagers together with 25 Israelis of the AATW initiative, and about the same number of internationals, approached the area the separation fence is built on. After the mid day prayer of the villages, the demonstrators invaded the route of the fence holding hands and defying the state forces who try to drive them away. There were lot of pushing and pushing back, throwing of tear gas grenades and shooting where they fell to prevent the throwing these back on the soldiers. The gendarmes complained why the reservist soldiers were nearly not active and got one of them to start throwing stones confrontation. After the border gendarmes were issued batons and their starting to use it, the demonstrators dispersed. When the state force drove away they passed near the anarchist car and vent their frustration from the confrontation by breaking its rear window.
========================
On Saturday we had a sample of another joint struggle against the occupation - demonstrations and temporary removal of road blocks that force Palestinians of the occupied West bank to use round about roads and paths instead of the main roads. A planed demonstration and action in the village Sarra was canceled, so the contingent of the AATW who used round about path up the hill to arrive at Sarra had to use another round about rote to get to the demonstration and action in the village Qusin.
Arriving there, we marched together up the road leading to the locked gate on the main and easy road to the near by Nablus. Though there is a military camp near the locked gate, located near a sign forbidding Israeli from passing as it mark Palestinian area A. people succeeded to break the chain locking the gate. After a short celebration all the people started to return to the village.
The state force of the near by camp got organizes a bit late. They came in few cars and tried to block the way of the demonstrators to the village and to punish us on using the road near the camp.
In their efforts they shoot us with tear gas grenade and tried to destroy cameras and video equipment..... but were prevented from doing it. Most of the village people use the hill paths to escape from the state force harassment but two of them, 5 internationals and 6 of the Israeli AATW were detained.
After using round about path the 4 of us who were not arrested arrived at our car and started to participate in the publicity of the action and the support of the people detained. At a certain point we were informed the detained were arrested and will be taken to the regional Ariel police station.
We traveled there and were in time to say hallo to the comrades when they were taken from the military car into the police station for procession.
There we could see the harsh treatment of the two Palestinian comrades who were with tied hands and covered eyes - treatment the others were not suffering.
Gradually, the Israeli and the internationals were released subject to accepting the restriction not to enter closed military zone during the following 15 days signing self bail of 3000 shekel each.
When all the participants arrived, speeched and explanations were given. After it ended, the nonviolent demonstrators and the guests returned to the apartment we always meet in and more explanation were given to the guests.
---------------------------------
The other Friday demonstration was at the village Wallage. There at noon, 100 of the villagers together with 25 Israelis of the AATW initiative, and about the same number of internationals, approached the area the separation fence is built on. After the mid day prayer of the villages, the demonstrators invaded the route of the fence holding hands and defying the state forces who try to drive them away. There were lot of pushing and pushing back, throwing of tear gas grenades and shooting where they fell to prevent the throwing these back on the soldiers. The gendarmes complained why the reservist soldiers were nearly not active and got one of them to start throwing stones confrontation. After the border gendarmes were issued batons and their starting to use it, the demonstrators dispersed. When the state force drove away they passed near the anarchist car and vent their frustration from the confrontation by breaking its rear window.
========================
On Saturday we had a sample of another joint struggle against the occupation - demonstrations and temporary removal of road blocks that force Palestinians of the occupied West bank to use round about roads and paths instead of the main roads. A planed demonstration and action in the village Sarra was canceled, so the contingent of the AATW who used round about path up the hill to arrive at Sarra had to use another round about rote to get to the demonstration and action in the village Qusin.
Arriving there, we marched together up the road leading to the locked gate on the main and easy road to the near by Nablus. Though there is a military camp near the locked gate, located near a sign forbidding Israeli from passing as it mark Palestinian area A. people succeeded to break the chain locking the gate. After a short celebration all the people started to return to the village.
The state force of the near by camp got organizes a bit late. They came in few cars and tried to block the way of the demonstrators to the village and to punish us on using the road near the camp.
In their efforts they shoot us with tear gas grenade and tried to destroy cameras and video equipment..... but were prevented from doing it. Most of the village people use the hill paths to escape from the state force harassment but two of them, 5 internationals and 6 of the Israeli AATW were detained.
After using round about path the 4 of us who were not arrested arrived at our car and started to participate in the publicity of the action and the support of the people detained. At a certain point we were informed the detained were arrested and will be taken to the regional Ariel police station.
We traveled there and were in time to say hallo to the comrades when they were taken from the military car into the police station for procession.
There we could see the harsh treatment of the two Palestinian comrades who were with tied hands and covered eyes - treatment the others were not suffering.
Gradually, the Israeli and the internationals were released subject to accepting the restriction not to enter closed military zone during the following 15 days signing self bail of 3000 shekel each.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Palestine-Israel, Bil'in, Selected comments by the representative of the People's Committee in Friday victory demonstration 11 Sep 2007
THANKS TO THE ISRAELI (COWARDLY) HIGH COURT
selected comments by the representative of the People's Committee of Bil'in, Basel Mansour, to the Israeli coalition against the fence and especially to the members of the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative, that participated in the Friday demonstration in the village after the decision by the Israeli High Court] Lovers of peace, friends of freedom and justice... our partners in the struggle and in the creation of this partial victory -- I bless you in the name of our Palestinian people, in the name of the residents of Bil'in, that you came to know, and that came to know you, and that you stood by their side ever since they began their opposition to the fence and the settlement that squats on a large part of their land. You came to us without considering the consequences -- the Zionist occupational government attempts to implant the deceptive and distorted idea that the Palestinans are your enemy and want to kill you. By way of this shared journey, we proved the opposite and together we demonstrated the truth -- that Israelis can stand beside Palestinians and live with them in peace and security, and even struggle with them against injustice and occupation, on the fundamental basis that this occupation is an enemy of humanity.
You succeeded in overcoming the army's roadblocks in order to arrive here through a difficult mountanous path and were vulnerable to its shooting attacks. In this way many of you were wounded by bullets that originated from the unmerciful occupation army -- and not from Palestinians, that the occupation attempts to distort and portray as a vicious animal that wants to devour Israelis or throw them into the sea.
You were braver than your fearful government. You participated in the struggle actively and in every way -- morally, physically, in the courts and in the media. In the battlefield, you were on the frontlines, calling with us for freedom, in your belief that only the manifestation of justice will guarantee the creation of peace and security for our two peoples, and not the building of walls and the expanding of weapons warehouses.
You have been real partners -- awake with us late at night, in confronting the almost daily invasions of village homes by the army; together with us you opposed many attempts to arrest, and you yourselves were injured and arrested -- and you conveyed the true picture to the Israeli society. You disputed the positions of the government and the army in every arena -- until the entire world was a witness to this special connection that was created on the land of Bil'in, that united the conversation and the meeting between cultures, creeds and religions. A connection like this must be victorious, history must immortalize it.
Honourable audience, one of the biggest difficulties in this campaign was how to organize and manage the connection with the Israelis in solidarity, after our Palestinians people have always suffered injustice from the Zionist occupation. This was done while Palestinians aspire to lives of freedom, respect, and culture, and the mobilization of the most amount of Israelis possible and international representatives to stand up to the injustice. Once the Israelis in solidarity understood all of this, they became dedicated to the work and became real warriors that earned the trust of all. They contributed much by revealing the true face of the occupation -- its tactics, its lies and its organized terror against Palestinians -- in opposition to those that attempt to normalize and whitewash the occupation.
These people were always willing to take upon itself whatever was asked of it by the People's Committee, and more than this, often took the initiative, offering ideas and suggestions. In this way, they demonstrated that they were true fighters -- not only fans or friends, or cogs in the machine of the occupation. They are heroes in the non-violent campaign of the brave.
Honourable audience, recently a decision was taken by the body called the Israeli High Court of Justice, to cancel sections of the fence in Bil'in and to return a small amount of the stolen lands. This decision was taken after a long campaign with the participation of peace workers from every land, and the shooting injuries of almost a thousand demonstrators, in addition to tens of arrests and many more assaults.
We went to this occupational court not out of faith in it, but to prove that these courts are nothing but tools of the occupation. They are like a soldier that shoots you in the head and kills you, and then wraps your head in a white cloth, to be portrayed as a first aid worker. In its decision, this court proved to be cowardly and causes injustice, and we turn your attention to the fact that our campaign was against the principle of the wall and not opposition to its route.
Therefore we will continue in our struggle, until the occupational government destroys the wall and the settlements in all of Palestine, and we will build together, with our bodies, real bridges of love and security and peace, in order to conquer the wall and we will crush all of the plans of the occupation until we reach the ocean that knows no border -- and on its safe shores, we will sing the song of freedom and peace, together -- far from the injustices of the occupation and its roadblocks and barriers.
Blessings and respect to all of the Israelis, each and every one individually, that believe in peace and our legitimate rights, and welcome to Bil'in.
selected comments by the representative of the People's Committee of Bil'in, Basel Mansour, to the Israeli coalition against the fence and especially to the members of the Anarchists Against The Wall initiative, that participated in the Friday demonstration in the village after the decision by the Israeli High Court] Lovers of peace, friends of freedom and justice... our partners in the struggle and in the creation of this partial victory -- I bless you in the name of our Palestinian people, in the name of the residents of Bil'in, that you came to know, and that came to know you, and that you stood by their side ever since they began their opposition to the fence and the settlement that squats on a large part of their land. You came to us without considering the consequences -- the Zionist occupational government attempts to implant the deceptive and distorted idea that the Palestinans are your enemy and want to kill you. By way of this shared journey, we proved the opposite and together we demonstrated the truth -- that Israelis can stand beside Palestinians and live with them in peace and security, and even struggle with them against injustice and occupation, on the fundamental basis that this occupation is an enemy of humanity.
You succeeded in overcoming the army's roadblocks in order to arrive here through a difficult mountanous path and were vulnerable to its shooting attacks. In this way many of you were wounded by bullets that originated from the unmerciful occupation army -- and not from Palestinians, that the occupation attempts to distort and portray as a vicious animal that wants to devour Israelis or throw them into the sea.
You were braver than your fearful government. You participated in the struggle actively and in every way -- morally, physically, in the courts and in the media. In the battlefield, you were on the frontlines, calling with us for freedom, in your belief that only the manifestation of justice will guarantee the creation of peace and security for our two peoples, and not the building of walls and the expanding of weapons warehouses.
You have been real partners -- awake with us late at night, in confronting the almost daily invasions of village homes by the army; together with us you opposed many attempts to arrest, and you yourselves were injured and arrested -- and you conveyed the true picture to the Israeli society. You disputed the positions of the government and the army in every arena -- until the entire world was a witness to this special connection that was created on the land of Bil'in, that united the conversation and the meeting between cultures, creeds and religions. A connection like this must be victorious, history must immortalize it.
Honourable audience, one of the biggest difficulties in this campaign was how to organize and manage the connection with the Israelis in solidarity, after our Palestinians people have always suffered injustice from the Zionist occupation. This was done while Palestinians aspire to lives of freedom, respect, and culture, and the mobilization of the most amount of Israelis possible and international representatives to stand up to the injustice. Once the Israelis in solidarity understood all of this, they became dedicated to the work and became real warriors that earned the trust of all. They contributed much by revealing the true face of the occupation -- its tactics, its lies and its organized terror against Palestinians -- in opposition to those that attempt to normalize and whitewash the occupation.
These people were always willing to take upon itself whatever was asked of it by the People's Committee, and more than this, often took the initiative, offering ideas and suggestions. In this way, they demonstrated that they were true fighters -- not only fans or friends, or cogs in the machine of the occupation. They are heroes in the non-violent campaign of the brave.
Honourable audience, recently a decision was taken by the body called the Israeli High Court of Justice, to cancel sections of the fence in Bil'in and to return a small amount of the stolen lands. This decision was taken after a long campaign with the participation of peace workers from every land, and the shooting injuries of almost a thousand demonstrators, in addition to tens of arrests and many more assaults.
We went to this occupational court not out of faith in it, but to prove that these courts are nothing but tools of the occupation. They are like a soldier that shoots you in the head and kills you, and then wraps your head in a white cloth, to be portrayed as a first aid worker. In its decision, this court proved to be cowardly and causes injustice, and we turn your attention to the fact that our campaign was against the principle of the wall and not opposition to its route.
Therefore we will continue in our struggle, until the occupational government destroys the wall and the settlements in all of Palestine, and we will build together, with our bodies, real bridges of love and security and peace, in order to conquer the wall and we will crush all of the plans of the occupation until we reach the ocean that knows no border -- and on its safe shores, we will sing the song of freedom and peace, together -- far from the injustices of the occupation and its roadblocks and barriers.
Blessings and respect to all of the Israelis, each and every one individually, that believe in peace and our legitimate rights, and welcome to Bil'in.
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