Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Palestine-Israel, Our joint struggle to block the transfer and settler colonialist expansion

The separation fence is the focus of struggle but not the only one. The struggle within Israel of the Bedouins of the arid south, the struggle against expulsion and harassment of refugees and children of "guest workers" continued.... and so are the struggles in the occupied east Jerusalem, these of the farmers of the occupied territories - and more so these whose lands are near settlers settlement, or on the nearly forbidden western side of the separation fence. Plethora of road blocks and water deprivation are means for suppression all, but also subject for joint direct actions. And of course, the flag of persistence held high in the weekly demonstrations on Fridays in the nearly legendary Bil'in, Ni'ilin, and Ma'asara region south of Bethlehem.

The more than hundred years project of Zionist settler colonialism continue in plethora of locations and means, and so is the present joint struggle to block it and undo past "facts".

"We are asked to support the farmers in Saffa and Beit Omar on several days this coming week. If you can make it on Sunday please let me know. More info will follow about other days."

BIL"IN

The nights invasions of the Israeli state forces for arresting members of the village popular comity and others continued during the week, and so the presence at nights of internationals and Anarchists Against the Wall activists who try to confront them continued.

"We have a car coming from Haifa today (Thursday), so we won't need more people to be present in the village tonight. go Haifa. however, we do need people for Friday and Saturday nights. for obvious reasons, Friday evening was problematic in the pat few weeks so your presence is extra crucial. call me or text if you can go - email is OK too. thanks."

Meeting of Shministim members with , Bil'in Popular Committee on 13 October 2009

"Today, two members of Shministim, the Israeli organization of teenagers who refuse to serve in the Israeli Army, Or Ben David and Emelia Marcovich, met with the Head of the Bil'in Popular Committee, Iyad Bornat. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ideas for the Friday demonstration of 23 October 2009, which will be dedicated to the Shministim, to salute them and to continue to work together with the people of Bil'in.

Or mentions that she, together with other members of Shministim, have been coming to Bil'in many times on Fridays to protest against the Apartheid Wall alongside Palestinians and international and Israeli activists. She says that the Shministim members feel that they and the Palestinians are friends. Bil'in makes them feel like home and shows them that they can really talk to Palestinians contrary to the common belief among Israeli society that all Palestinians are terrorists and must be feared. Instead, Palestinians are human beings who are leading normal lives like the Israeli people.

For this reason, Or and Emelia decided to come today to meet with Iyad to brainstorm the planned demonstration of 23 October 2009. While Or will have to go to prison this coming Thursday for refusing to serve in the Army and will not be able to physically be at the demo, Emelia, on the other hand, will be joining the demonstration. Her prison term will start somewhat later.

Or and Emelia will also be sending out an email to all young people in Israel calling on them that they have the choice to refuse to serve in the occupation forces.

Both said that they feel good being in the West Bank in the company of Palestinians

Call to the supporters - come to Bil'in http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=202&Itemid=1

At our demonstration next week, Friday, 23 October 2009, we will be joined by members of Shministim (meaning "12th graders" in Hebrew), the Israeli organization of teenagers who refuse to join the occupation army, and who accept prison sentences for their refusal.

We are sending out this call to all of you who are supporting our struggle against the military occupation asking you to join us for this important demonstration to salute the Shministim, to show our support for their cause, and to continue our work together against the Israeli occupation.

We hope to see you in large numbers and thank you in advance for your solidarity.

Friday demonstration


1. Gathering: 30 Israelis, 40+ internationals, more Palestinians than in last few weeks
2. Procession: chanting in three languages
3. Special effects: Funeral procession to international law, symbolized by giant scales in a coffin, with scales tipped to the Israel side; French delegation carrying a banner of people-holding-hands against occupation and for human rights
4. Army encounters: new troops, gas, gas and more gas, with a load of the multi canister cannon right at the end of the demo.
5. Shabab: increased army aggressiveness was met with increased shabab retaliation. In acts of good non-citizenship, quite a few unexploded gas grenades were returned to their rightful owners, who got a taste of their own medicine.
6. Casualties: gas inhalation injuries.

Friday 16.10.09 Bil'in video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeNjo_hwMH0

HEBRON

Activists, demonstrate in Hebron

pictures and text at: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/10/12/18625235.php

On Saturday, October 10, Palestinians, international activists, and Israelis took to the streets of Hebron to protest the settlements in Hebron and in Palestine. The settlements divide Hebron and give the excuse to the Israeli military to establish many checkpoints that restrict the movements of Palestinians in Hebron.
many signs were held, among them those calling for the opening of Shohada st.-Hebron main street closed for Palestinian because of its near location to the settlers neighborhood.

MA'ASARA

"Friday 16.10.09 we marched 50 Palestinian together with Israelis and internationals towards the adjacent section of the separation fence used to rob lands of 4 villages of the region. Like in previous Fridays of the last two years, Israeli soldiers waited for us in a line behind a stretched spool of barbed wire at the border of the village.

Facing that line, speeches were carried in Arabic, Hebrew, and English, against the the continuous atrocities... and kids faced the soldiers and asked why they are there.

The mainly kept quite, but when some started to respond, the officer in charge ordered them to stop listening and not to respond.

After the end of the speeches and the chanting of slogans we returned to the village with the fresh news on the adoption of the Goldston report on the infringement on the human rights in the last Gaza attack of Israel, rising a bit our moral."

Raz

NI"ILIN

A short report from Ni'lin:

The weekly protest against the wall in Ni'lin began by marching to the area looking over one of the bends in the wall route. The protest then continued west, to the section of the wall where the concrete wall has not been erected (yet..) Soldiers fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and the stinking "skunk" while some of the protesters threw stones and others protested in other ways. Border police crossed the wall twice, triggering temporary withdrawals, and a group of soldiers entered the wadi in which a group of youth was operating. The protesters then returned to the wall, continued the protest until the afternoon, and then dispersed. No injuries were recorded among the demonstrators, other than tear gas damage.

As usual, media reported all afternoon and evening on the violent demonstrators in Ni'ilin (and Bil'in), and on a poor Israeli Gendarme whose foot was injured by a stone.

This Friday in Ni'ilin - video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0yvceuI5B0

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