Features
8 Mar 2010
Sarah Abu Maria, 2, whose home was raided Monday morning

Just before 1 am Monday, March 8, 6 Israeli military jeeps with over 2 dozen soldiers surrounded the homes of Mousa Abu Maria (and his wife, Bekah Wolf) and Mousa’s father, Abdelhamid Abu Maria, 78, who lives with his wife, adult daughter, and two small children, Sarah, 2, and Hamze, 1 month.

The soldiers broke down the doors of Mousa and Abdelhamid’s houses and ordered the adults, along with the small children, outside. Mousa, Palestine Solidarity Project co-founder and well-known activist in Beit Ommar, was forcefully searched. The soldiers then made a cursory search of Abdelhamid’s home and demanded to see the ID’s of the adults present. The two small children, particularly Sarah who was awakened by the invading soldiers and well aware of their guns and shouting, were terrified. The soldiers left after about 20 minutes, with … Continue reading

Apartheid Wall, East Jerusalem, Ni'lin, settlement expansion »

7 Mar 2010

On Friday March 5, 14 year old Ehab Barghouthi was critically injured during a demonstration in Nabi Saleh against the theft of agricultural land by the Israeli settlement Halamish. Witnesses say he was shot from less than 30 meters away in the forehead with a rubber-coated steel bullet, which entered his skull just above the right eye. He underwent surgery in a hospital in Ramallah, his prognosis is still unknown. Several youth have been killed with these so-called “non-lethal” weapons, when shot from short range by the regular-issue M-16s the Israeli military uses to fire both live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets.

In Jerusalem on Friday, approximately 3,000 Jews and Palestinians gathered in a soccer field near the entrance … Continue reading

Apartheid Wall, Ni'lin, Settler Violence »

27 Feb 2010

Though pouring rain and even hail fell throughout the West Bank yesterday, demonstrations against land confiscation, the Annexation Barrier, and settler expansion in East Jerusalem continued on Friday.

In Nabi Saleh, which has been demonstrating for several weeks against a move by settlers from the nearby Halamish settlement to take over a a spring and other privately-owned Palestinian agricultural land, several dozen residents, along with Israeli and international solidarity activists, again marched from the village towards the land being annexed by the right-wing settlers. They were confronted by Israeli forces, who used tear gas, sound grenades, and rubber-coated steel bullets to deter the crowd. The army then invaded the village, using a jeep-mounted tear-gas launcher that shoots … Continue reading

Saffa »

22 Feb 2010
Military Invasion of Saffa Leads to Child's Hospitalization

On Saturday, February 20, several jeeps of the Israeli Military entered Saffa, near Beit Ommar, in the middle of the day. While some youth began throwing stones at the jeeps, Israeli soldiers inexplicably began throwing and shooting tear gas canisters inside the nearby homes, breaking windows in the process and punishing the people who were remaining in their homes during the incursion, particularly women and children. One small child, who had a preexisting heart condition had to be rushed to a hospital by ambulance after having severe breathing problems due to the … Continue reading

BDS »

21 Feb 2010

From Indymedia

Human rights activists from Vermont, New York and Israel interrupted a performance of the Israel Ballet at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, VT calling attention to the dance company’s complicity in Israeli war crimes.

Using two banners that read “No Tutu is Big Enough to Cover Up War Crimes” and “Sponsored by Apartheid Israel”, the activists, who had purchased tickets to the show, positioned themselves in front of the stage during the opening scenes of the performance. Two audience members attempted to pull the banners down but the activists managed to hold onto them for about 30 seconds before being asked to leave by ushers.

Former Israeli soldier and human rights activist Yonatan Shapira, who took part in the … Continue reading

Hebron District »

20 Feb 2010

From Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove

AT-TUWANI – The past two weeks have seen a marked rise in settler activity outside the illegal settlements* of Ma’on and the Havat Ma’on (Hill 833) outpost. This has varied from settlers crossing Palestinian grazing land, to grazing their sheep while shooting rocks from slingshots at nearby Palestinian shepherds, to abducting young Palestinian shepherds with the aid of the Israeli military and police.

On Friday afternoon, 19 February, 2010, Israeli settlers, soldiers and
police detained a 12-year-old boy from the Palestinian village of Saadet
Tha’lah, located near the Israeli settlement of Carmel in the South Hebron Hills. The boy had been grazing his family’s flock alone in their regular grazing area, just above Umm Zeitouna … Continue reading