Articles Archive for January 2008
Gaza »
Philadelphia, PA saw two days of protest against the Israeli lockdown of the Gaza Strip. On Friday, January 25, residents protested at the Israeli consulate. Saturday, demonstrators marched in downtown Philadelphia carrying posters demanding an immediate end to the Occupation of Gaza and to “allow the convoy through”, a reference to the food and supplies convoy organized by Israeli groups that was making its way to the Erez Crossing from Israel to the Gaza Strip on the same day. Participants were also connecting American support for Israel’s siege to local crises at home, chanting “I don’t know where my taxes are going, but I can’t pay my rent”. A … Continue reading
Gaza »
In London, New York, Rome, San Francisco, as well as dozens of smaller towns in the United States and Europe, people demonstrated this weekend in solidarity with the 1.5 million residents of Gaza who have been imprisoned and under siege from the Israel. One of the largest was a demonstration at Gaza itself. Hundreds of Israeli citizens, Palestinian and Jewish, joined in a convoy to the Erez checkpoint, the entrance to the Gaza Strip that has been sealed completely for several months. They came carrying Palestinian flags and truckloads of food, insisting on giving aid to the people of Gaza. On the other side of the checkpoint, out of … Continue reading
Beit Ommar, Betlehem District »
Mousa Abu Maria, co-founder of PSP, is home recuperating as of tonight, January 26. It is believed that he was in fact hit by a ricochet bullet, which did not fully penetrate his skull. He has shrapnel from the bullet remaining in his head but should make a full recovery. A piece of the bullet hit him just above his left eye, we do not yet know if his vision has been permanently damaged. Thank you to everyone for your calls and support.
PSP will be collecting donations for the Popular Committee of Beit Ommar, who are planning more demonstrations in the coming weeks in response to the attacks on … Continue reading
Apartheid Wall, Betlehem District »
Yesterday, January 25, was the second weekly demonstration near the entrance to Al-Khadr, a village adjacent to Betlehem that will lose most of its agricultural land when the Annexation Barrier is completed in the area. An Israeli-only bypass road and a tunnel is also being constructed on their land, tearing up hundreds of olive trees in the process. Over 1000 participants from villages all around Betlehem gathered this week, joined by international and Israeli solidarity activists. Demonstrators prayed in the street, and then began to march towards Route 60, the main highway connecting Betlehem with Jerusalem and Hebron, and a thoroughfare for both Palestinian and Israeli settler traffic. Their … Continue reading
Beit Ommar »
Mohammed Awwad, 18, was killed today in Beit Ommar by the Israeli Occupation Forces. At least 10 others were wounded throughout the day, including Palestine Solidarity Project co-founder Mousa Abu Maria, who was shot in the head but survived. Mohammed’s “crime” was being from Beit Ommar: the same village where two Palestinians who attacked and lightly wounded settlers in Kfar Etzion yesterday were from. The two Palestinians involved in the attack on Israeli settlers yesterday were shot and killed at the settlement. Still, Palestinian residents of Beit Ommar were waiting for the retaliation, which came with a vengeance this morning.
At approximately 11am nearly a dozen jeeps entered Beit … Continue reading
Beit Ommar, Hebron District »
This Saturday, January 12, international and Israeli activists, including those from PSP and Anarchists Against the Wall joined nearly 70 residents of Beit Ommar to demonstrate against the illegal Israeli Settlement, Karmi Tsur, home to about 700 settlers, which was built on the land of Beit Ommar and the Palestinian village of Halhul in 1984. In the past 5 years, the population of Karmi Tsur has increased nearly 7 times, and has continued to expand, stealing more and more Palestinian agricultural land. The Popular Committee or Beit Ommar, which support from PSP, agreed to a campaign of demonstrations against the settlement to highlight the conditions Palestinian residents are facing due to … Continue reading
Beit Ommar, Betlehem District, Direct Action »
Friday, January 11, PSP Palestinian and international activists joined by Israeli activists took razor wire from the fence surrounding the Karmi Tsur settlement and used it to block settler traffic on a street connecting the Etzion settlement bloc to Israel, near the Palestinian villages of Surif and Al-Jab’a. The action was to protest the continued presence of an Israeli military roadblock on the Palestinian road between Surif and Al-Jab’a. Israeli settler drivers for a short time were subjected to the same restriction on movement that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face each and every day.
Activists set up orange cones on the road so that oncoming traffic would have plenty … Continue reading
Beit Ommar, Hebron District »
Saturday, January 5, the Popular Committee of Beit Ommar along with Palestine Solidarity Project held its first in a series of demonstrations against the Karmi Tsur settlement. Karmi Tsur is an Israeli settlement built on top of Beit Ommar’s agricultural land. In the summer of 2006 the settlers built a second fence around the settlement that stole hundreds of dunums of Palestinian agricultural land. The residents of Beit Ommar, who are 95% farmers, have been slowly encircled by encroaching settlements and their by-pass roads. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has publicly announced that he would abide by his promise to end settlement expansion in the West Bank (which, he … Continue reading
Other »
Friday, January 4, 2008. Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinians on their way to Friday prayer seriously injuring Nablus resident Ahmad Mohammad Abu Hantash in the head. The incident happened at noon as worshipers were heading to Al Shuhada Mosque in the western part of Nablus. As worshipers were entering the mosque an Israeli armored vehicle opened fire hitting Mr. Abu Hantash in the back of his head with three rubber-coated metal bullets causing extensive damage to his brain and neck. He is currently undergoing surgery in Nablus Specialty Hospital located near the mosque in an effort to save his life. Several witnesses say that the shooting was unprovoked and expressed their anger and frustration for the Israeli Army … Continue reading
Apartheid Wall, Betlehem District, South Betlehem »
This Friday, international and Israeli activists joined nearly 200 Palestinian men and women from throughout the Betlehem district as they commemorated the 1 year anniversary of persistent, non-violent struggle against the construction of the Annexation Barrier through the land of Um Salamuna. The residents of the south Betlehem villages have been waging a non-violent resistance against the theft of their land every week for a year. Friday, demonstrators gathered near the entrance to three villages: Wadi An-Nis, Um Salamuna, and Ma’asara. They then marched down the street towards Route 60, the major thoroughfare for both Palestinians and Israeli settlers. Chanting “no, no Wall” and carrying banners and posters from … Continue reading
