Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Israel-Palestine, Tel Aviv - Zububa, Twenty meters of fence removed - in joint Israeli/Palestinian action 11/11/03

Another report From cat about the Tel Aviv-based "One Struggle" anarchist collective initiative of "Anarchists Against Fences" action with the Zabuba people:
Hi A. Here is a report about yesterday's action. A bit late, I'm sorry, but I have a good excuse - I had to go to the hospital because of teargas poisening. J. We made clear that no walls would stand between the people.
Some two hundred Palestinians, 35 Israelis and a similar number of internationals gathered yesterday in the village of Zububa to mark the international day of solidarity against the wall, by tearing a portion of it down. Our day started much earlier though.

Zububa is the village located farthest north in the occupied territories, and adjacent to a village named Salem, inside the 1948 borders. In the days before the wall became a cold and hard fact it had been a matter on mere minutes walking between the two villages. Nowadays the two villages are cut from each other completely, and so was our easy route to Zububa.
We were forced to go through a military checkpoint in the wall, 10 kilometers away, where we were to switch to a Palestinian bus. 10 kilometers may not sound all that much, but in the reality of the occupation this short ride took us over an hour and a half of dirt roads and roads regarding which even former term will seem like an unreasonable euphemism.

We were very lucky. The Army is regularly patrolling these roads, but with no regularity as to when and where. Indeed, as we were slowly driving we spotted an APC taking a left at a crossroads we were about to get to five minutes later. It was creeping slowly as if insisting that we remember that the picturesque scenery isn’t really such a pleasant one.

When we finally made it to Zububa we were led to the municipality building where a short meeting took place, roles were set and our Hebrew signs were uncovered. A march formed and we were heading to the site of the fence, bolt cutters and pooling hooks in our hands, unwilling to stop. We found a white military jeep waiting for us, but proceeded nevertheless. Shouting slogans in Hebrew for the soldiers to hear, we started cutting at the barbed wire. The soldiers were shocked. Five minutes later we were already past the barbed wire and at the electronic fence. By the time more army forces arrived, the fence was already noticeably cut. We continued. It took half an hour of teargas, concussion grenades and some twenty meters of fence removed before we were pushed back. No arrests were made.

As we retreated slowly towards the village, the soldiers fired warning shots over our heads. The village Qadi [religious leader] addressed the soldiers in Hebrew asking them to leave and come back without their weapons. “How can there be any peace when we are imprisoned in ghettos?” He talked about partnership with us, the Israelis present; he spoke about freedom.

When we were already on the bus ready to leave, a strong explosion was heard followed by three military jeeps heading towards Salem military camp but provocatively taking the route through the village. Kids were throwing stones. We later found out that the explosion had been a concussion grenade thrown in the direction of the municipality. But, for the time being the people can go to their fields.

Photos and video footage available from cat-A-squat.net

Monday, November 10, 2003

Truth from the land of Israel - Palestine - Israeli anarchist group - One Struggle - initiated an internationalist action against the wall 10/11/03

An Israeli anarchist group which combine in a unique way internationalist social class struggle with animals rights - did to day a direct action against the naZionist Wall. In the context of the international day against naZionist Apartheid Wall on the day the Berlin wall collapsed, a direct action was initiated. About 30 Israelis with about 10 Internationalist Solidarity people and about 100 Palestinians destroyed a small part of the Wall near the Palestinian village Zabuba.
First thing in the morning the Israelis traveled to the Palestinian village Zabuba. There they joined the local people and the Internationalist volunteers. Together they marched to the Wall with placard on which was written: "We fell the Berlin Wall - we will fell Sharon Wall as well"; "Stop the transfer fell the fence"; and the like.
When they reached the vicinity of the fence there was already there few soldiers in a car. The activists approached the fence shouting slogans in Hebrew, Arabic and English. First about 15 activists with cutters cut the auxiliary barbered wire fence and open the way for the others to the main fence.

Two more military cars with soldiers arrived, but they only shouted with megaphone in Hebrew and Arabic.... The activists started to dismantle parts of the fence using tools and ropes. Soon came a lot of police cars and gendarmes who started to throw on the activists stoning and tear gas grenades. Few of the activists threw back some of the tear gas grenades, and the wind was on their side too so most of the tear gas gone to the soldiers... The dismantling continued in earnest and the furious soldiers kicked activists and tried to snatch their tools. The soldiers started also to shoot warning fire with live ammunition.

At that stage the activists decided to return to the village where they heard local people speeches about the suffering the fence is inflicting and about the importance of Jewish - Arab partnership.

Photographs: http://indymedia.org.il/imc/webcast/71934.html
Contacts with "One Struggle"
http://www.onestruggle.org - vegan_politics-A-yahoo.com