Monday, November 22, 2010

Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle focused on Bil'in, Beit Umar, and Nabi Saleh

This week, the media reports on the joint struggle of Palestinians, Internationals, and Israelis focused on Nabi Saleh and Beit Umar where the on going struggle is in confrontation with colonialist settlers who gradually expand the robbery of land and resources of neighboring Palestinian villages with protection of Israeli state forces. It seems that the struggle against the separation fence and the struggle against its use for robbery of Palestinian lands expanded to the other fronts of struggle against the 1967 occupation and the efforts to grab Palestinian lands and transfer out Palestinians. The direct actions and persistent confrontation with the Israeli forces mode - promoted by the anarchists against the wall initiative, succeeded to recruit wider circles of Israeli radicals and grass root Palestinian activists.

Al-Arakiv

The struggle against transfer of the Bedouins of the south focused lately in Arakiv continue even when not in the head-lines

Beit Umar & Saffa

"Hi all, The Beit Umar committee has asked for our help escorting Saffa farmers to their lands on Thursday morning. They have been having a hard time getting to work lately and could use some help. if you can come please let me know."

Comrades did come and during the action the burning of the wild grass and planting olive trees was accused as arson... comrades were arrested and Israeli media reported a twisted description of the facts.

Thursday report:

"13 Israeli, international and Palestinian activists were arrested at 10 am this morning while accompanying farmers to their land in the Saffa region of Beit Ommar. A group of nearly 30 activists accompanied Sheik Mohammad Aady to his land near the Bat Ayn settlement, which is marked for annexation by the Israeli military. After working on the land for half an hour, soldiers emerged from the Bat Ayn settlement and surrounding hills and detained the group.

A number of sound bombs were shot at those working on the land before the arrests. Amongst those arrested was Biet Ommar National Committee member and cameraman Mohammed Ayyad. As of 1 pm the group is still being detained in the police station in the Gush Ezion settlement.

Upon leaving the nearby village of Beit Ommar, soldiers fired from their military vehicles around 25 canisters of tear gas at a group of children who were throwing rocks. The tear gas spread throughout the residential area.

In the past two weeks there have been 33 detentions of farmers and activists in Saffa. The military claims that the land is “state land,” indicating their unequivocal intention to annex it to the Bat Ayn settlement.

Settlers frequently attack the farmers and land in Saffa. Two nights ago settlers set fire to 70 olive trees on the hillside near Bat Ayn, and three Palestinians were arrested as they tried to extinguish the fire. Three more Palestinian activists who went to take pictures the next day were also detained."

Media reported the settler claim that the action involved burning of settlers are but the video show it was clearing wild weeds in preparation of planting of olive trees...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc-mM2_7uAo

Israel Puterman Beit Omar-saffa 18th action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR77-dhtV_c

Saturday
"There will be a demonstration tomorrow [Saturday] at beit Omar and more people are needed".

"hi all,

6 were arrested at the weekly demo in beit Omar today. one 14 year old Palestinian 3 Israelis and 2 internationals. they are currently being interrogated in kiryat Arab. more details later."
An 14 year-old Palestinian, two internationals and three Israeli activists were arrested by soldiers during a peaceful demonstration against the illegal Israeli settlement of Karmei Tsur, which is built on Beit Ummar’s land.



14 year-old Mohammed Awad arrested by an Israeli soldier. Picture credit: Anne Paq/ActiveStills
http://josephdana.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/beit-ummar-boy-20.11.2010.preview.jpg

The weekly demonstration started at 1:00 pm, when some 30 Palestinians, along with many International and Israeli supporters, marched toward the fence surrounding the settlement.

Around two dozen Israeli soldiers and Border Police officers blocked the march from advancing into villager’s lands isolated inside the settlement, without any access to farmers. The demonstrators then sat on the ground, chanted slogans and made speeches on the injustice of denying Palestinians access to their own land.

Protesters marching towards villagers' lands isolated inside the Karmei Tzur settlement. Picture credit: Anne Paq/ActiveStills.org http://josephdana.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/beit-ummar-march.20.11.2010.preview.jpg

After half an hour of peaceful demonstrating, a small group of youth moved closer to the soldiers, who responded by firing sound bombs and attempting to arrest a member of the Beit Ummar National Committee. As he evaded arrest, a boy of 14 and five other activists were taken in his place.


An Israeli activist arrested by soldiers. Picture credit: Ann Paq/ActiveStills

Activists returned to face the soldiers and stand in solidarity with those arrested. They were then repeatedly attacked by volleys of tear gas and chased up the road to the village.

Bil'in

After a frequent night invasions of the village the previous week, we were invited to renew the presence at nights of activists of the AAtW.
" Hey all, Tonight we'll also join our friends in Bil'in Contact me to sign up"

Friday

Some 10 internationals and 25 Israelis joined the Palestinian demonstration in Bil'in against the wall, land grab and the Israeli "justice" system that keeps popular resistance leader Abdullah Abu Rahme in prison even after having completed serving his sentence. Demonstrators marched to the wall, opened the gate, and were immediately bombarded with gas. A strong wind from the south enabled demonstrators to maintain their stance despite the repeated assaults, and one Israeli demonstrator took advantage of the friendly wind to give a long speech in Hebrew to the soldiers, urging them to stop repressing the peaceful protest and protecting land thieves. Along the northern stretch of the fence, where a few cunning kids threw stones at the soldiers, provoking them to shoot gas that the wind blew back in their faces, rubber bullets were shot that wounded one youth. After about an hour most demonstrators were half way into the village, but the soldiers apparently hadn't had enough, so they kept gassing the retreating demonstrators and eventually invaded the village. Their provocation didn't get much attention, so after a few more rounds of gas, the soldiers retreated.

In the last couple of weeks some of the longer range gas canisters didn't make the typical hissing noise that warns against their approach. If you're around please make sure to watch out and look up, so that a silent canister won't surprise you and crack your head open.

Israel Puterman video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bj7kJCm9_M

Gal Lugasy tour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r41CvMzWKHQ&feature=player_embedded#at=41
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r41CvMzWKHQ
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEOQ50jHPjM
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwQ9lgo4JJQ
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbn4aGbNB_Q
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upuBIm4pQBk

Jerusalem

The Sheikh Jarakh coalition continue fighting starting the second year. The Friday demo is still the main focus.

Al-Ma'sara

After Friday prayers, dozens of Palestinian and international activists marched on the streets of Al-Ma’sara carrying Palestinian flags. The Occupation Army blocked the road and prevented them from reaching their confiscated lands. As soon as the non-violent demonstration reached the entrance of the village, the Israeli soldiers throw sound bombs.The peace activists were not intimidated and didn’t leave their ground continuing demanding their right to access their lands. After a while, the soldiers dispersed the crowd using tear gas. No one was arrested or injured but many suffered from inhaling tear gas.The solders continue inside the village following the protesters deeply in the village This demonstration come in the 22n anniversary of the announcement of the Palestinian state


Ni'ilin

Media, "Dozens join protests at Nil'in, Bil'in By JPOST.COM STAFF 11/19/2010 14:13

Police and IDF forces dispersed dozens of Israeli and international left-wing as well as Palestinian protesters on Friday at demonstrations held in at the West Bank villages of Nil'in and Bil'in near the West Bank security barrier.

The West Bank protests were dispersed with tear gas after the protesters began to throw stones at IDF forces."

Nabi Salih

This Friday in Nabi Saleh the Israeli border police used its stink water tank in the center of the village, as a clear and gross collective punishment measure against the entire village for Friday demonstrations.

The stink water is a foul-smelling liquid that makes it unbearable to live in the place where it is squirted on for at least one week. It is not officially intended for use inside a populated area, but that has been its use against Nabi Saleh residents and demonstration in the past, and this gross attack is now being retained.

The demonstration in Nabi Saleh against the creeping annexation of land by the Halamish settlement started with an immediate unprovoked attack by Israeli border police on a peaceful and non-violent march. Following this attack, clashes erupted, with some stone-throwers attempting to ward off the army incursion. Nevertheless the army manage to position itself just outside the village's built area and shot its tear gas canisters towards the village, repressing also non-protesting civilians.

Throughout the demonstration the Israeli army has shot tear gas canisters directly at the protesters, a dangerous conduct which violates even the army's own regulations. Rubber-coated still bullets were also widely used by the army. As a result at least 10 protesters suffered from non-serious injuries.

David Ribbvideo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol6KlUPr1M0


Tel Aviv

A "Flash Mob" of the AAtW in front of the opera house in the evening when the South African troupe presented Forgy and Bes.

A modified version of it was presented by the activists: Debut/Primary of Forgy and Bess by the Opartheid troupe and a flier denouncing Israeli apartheid was distributed to the opera goers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wElyrFOnKPk

Haaretz
http://www.mouse.co.il/CM.articles_item,410,209,56844,.aspx

Haokets
http://www.haokets.org/2010/11/15/%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A9/

ynet
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3985088,00.html

activestills photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/activestills/

South of Hebron mountains

Colonial settlers attack on Palestinian villagers and activists:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk8gG0IUs5Q

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