Palestine Solidarity Project » Apartheid Wall

Palestinian, Israeli and International Activists Beaten During Beit Ommar Weekly Demonstration

PSP — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:57:46 +0000

On Saturday, April 07, 2012, Palestinian, Israeli and international activists joined the weekly demonstration in Beit Ommar, by the separation fence between Beit Ommar and the settlement Karmei Tsur. Karmei Tsur settlement was built on stolen Palestinian land, and many Beit Ommar farmers can no longer access their land due to the settlement and the separation fence.

At today’s demonstration, Israeli soldiers started throwing sound bombs and beating demonstrators with clubs as soon as they arrived. The soldiers attacked children, and beat Hamza Ahmad Khalil Abu Hashim, age 14, with clubs and rifle butts. An American activist had difficulty walking after a soldier beat her ankle with a club and a sound bomb exploded on her leg, leaving burn marks. An Israeli activist was beaten while trying to talk to the soldiers, and a Swedish activist was beaten repeatedly while shouting “Free Palestine.”

Demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and a sign saying “All Settlements Are Illegal.” The demonstration was against the apartheid wall, against the illegal Israeli settlements, and in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.

PSP Activists Join Farmers in Surif to Plant Olive Trees

PSP — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:53:14 +0000

On Sunday, April 1, 2012, PSP volunteers joined farmer Arsalon Abu Ikhdair in Surif to plant olive trees. Volunteers planted around twenty trees in an area called Al-Deir, which is close to the Darit settlement. An Israeli-only road and separation fence prevents Abu Ikhdair from accessing the land that used to belong to his family before 1948.

On Tuesday, April 3, 2012, activists from the Hebron district and Beit Ommar joined the municipality from Surif to assist farmer Yousef Hamad in planting olive trees on his land. Activists planted olive trees on six dunams of land in an area called Wad Assour. Wad Assour is very close to the Israeli settlements, and the separation fence is only 200 meters from Hamad’s farmland. The gate separating Wad Assour from the rest of the land, which originally belonged to Palestinian farmers before the fence was built, has been closed to Palestinians for ten years. The Israeli military frequently enters Surif through this gate to stop Palestinian farmers from working, claiming that they are working on Israeli land. Wad Assour is under Area C, which means it is under complete Israeli control. After planting trees, activists hung a Palestinian flag on the separation fence, which was taken down by Israeli soldiers within minutes.

Marking Land Day in Beit Ommar, 30 March 2012

PSP — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:59:46 +0000

Today, March 30th, 2012, demonstrations took place all over Palestine commemorating Land Day. On March 30, 1976, thousands of Palestinians gathered to protest Israeli government plans to confiscate 60,000 dunams of Arab-owned land in the Galilee. Israeli forces killed six Palestinians that day, and wounded and jailed hundreds. Palestinians continue to mark this day to protest the ongoing expropriation of Palestinian land.

In Beit Ommar, a peaceful demonstration took place at the entrance of the town, which is located on Route 60. Before reaching the gates of the town, which were closed by the Israeli military to keep people from entering and exiting the town, about a dozen Israeli soldiers attacked the peaceful demonstration with teargas and metal bullets coated in rubber, frequently referred to as rubber bullets. The soldiers threw teargas in every direction, and many people were injured by inhaling the gas. Three activists were injured by rubber bullets.

About 150 activists joined today’s demonstration in Beit Ommar. During the demonstration, Israeli soldiers occupied two Palestinian houses and shot at activists from the rooftops. When soldiers occupy a home, it frightens the family, especially the children, and the soldiers lock the family members in one room while they occupy the house.

Soldiers shot about six teargas cans towards the Center for Freedom and Justice, where PSP activists were watching and filming from the roof, and several activists were injured. After a while, the military jeeps entered further into the town, numbering eight in total, and started shooting more rubber bullets and teargas at demonstrators and people’s homes. Demonstrators threw stones at the jeeps, and eventually forced them to return to the watchtower at the entrance of Beit Ommar. One Israeli soldier was injured during the demonstration. Israeli forces injured roughly 340 Palestinians in the West Bank and killed a 20 year old Palestinian man in Gaza during today’s demonstrations.

The weekly nonviolent protest in Beit Ommar will take place tomorrow, March 31st. It will be used to mark Land Day, and to show solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strikes.

Beit Ommar Weekly Demonstration Against the Occupation

PSP — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:45:51 +0000

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, Palestinian, Israeli and international activists held a demonstration in Beit Ommar against the Karmei Tsur settlement. Karmei Tsur is built on stolen Palestinian land and makes it impossible for the farmers of Beit Ommar to access parts of their land. The settlement is highly secured by military forces and fences. Today’s demonstration was against the settlement, and against any further encroachments on Palestinian land. It also marked the 38th day of Hana Shalabi’s hunger strike in protest of her administrative detention. Additionally, demonstrators protested the recent arrests of 8 minors from Beit Ommar, to be followed up in Ofer Military Court tomorrow.

Demonstrators today were unable to reach the fence separating Beit Ommar from the settlement due to Israeli forces. Soldiers pushed a couple activists to the ground and would not let them get to the olive tree saplings which had been damaged during the demonstration. There were no arrests and only minor injuries.

PSP activists take part in International Women’s Day

PSP — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:55:28 +0000

Yesterday, Thursday, March 8th, 2012, people from the Palestine Solidarity Project took part in two demonstrations in solidarity with women’s day.

water level can be seen from recent flooding

The first activity was in Al-Walaja. The town of Al Walaja is a town on the 1967 ceasefire border. In 1948, most of Al-Walaja was annexed by Israel, and depopulated. A small portion of Al-Walaja remained on the Palestinian side. Currently, the Israelis want to build a wall, and a family’s house will be separated from the Palestinian side, so the army dug a tunnel for the family to be able access their house. This caused the house to have a serious flood. About fifteen people came to visit the area and the house that will be separated from Al-Walaja by the wall, as Sherinne Alaraj one of the leaders of the Popular resistance committee in Al Walaja. Border police and police came trying to break up the tour, and asked prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh to come near to them. Mazin went in the background and picked flowers fearing arrest. Later, he gave a flower to the border police.

Sherinne Alaraj explaining the family's situation

In Qalandiya, near Qaladiya check-point, (the main checkpoint to Ramallah) a demonstration took place in honor of women’s day, there were about 100 hundred people, Palestinians, internationals and Israelis. Soldiers fired tear-gas, and sprayed skunk (an organic material that makes people nauseous). Also soldiers used LRAD a very high pitched noise meant to confuse demonstrators, as well as noise bombs. Many people just walking by breathed tear-gas, as soldiers fired in a main road, including families with small children and babies.

Soldiers at the demonstration for International Women's Day fired tear gas and sound bombs

Demolition Order in Surif – 12 dunums land will be taken

PSP — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:24:08 +0000

Surif November 29th.2011.
Today Israeli soldiers appeared in Jamal and Ibrahim Mohammad Abed Al Khadi`s land to inform them that 12 dunums of their land will be confiscated within two weeks. There is a well on this land. The farmers were told that the well will be demolished along with the fence, and that the land with young olive trees will be bulldozed.

The Israeli government want the land for their own use. The land is 4-5 kilometers from the Green line, which means the occupant is annexing a lot more land from the Palestinians.
When the apartheid fence is completed, the land will be outside the wall and lost for the Palestinians. Another case about land grab was published by PSP earlier this afternoon in the Beit Ommar area. Report here.

The farmers are not allowed to work on the land they own close to the wall. When the farmers loose their land, they loose the resources needed to support their families. This – needless to say – causes very serious problems for the individual family and for the community as a whole.

Farmer Arrested close to the Apartheid Wall

PSP — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:31:26 +0000

November 29.th 2011, Maroan Ahmad Khamis Saharna was working on his fields in Hatta behind Beit Ula. Saharna was working with his tractor just outside the apartheid wall in area C. Suddenly soldiers arrived. Both the farmer and his tractor were arrested because the soldiers claimed that the fields are in a closed military zone.

Often farmers that own land in area C need special permits to harvest and work in their land. Many of them experience lot of harassment from both settlers and soldiers.

PSP Accompanies Farmers for Olive Harvest in Surif

PSP — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:25:06 +0000

October 19th, 2011, PSP, members from The Popular Committees of Beit Ommar and Surif, several international volunteers, and boy shouts from the area supported Palestinian farmers from Abu Shook in Surif while they harvested their olive trees.

The olive grove is in area C, only a few kilometers from to the segregation wall, and the farmers prefer to be accompanied, due to earlier harassment from Israeli settlers or the army.

Several farmers from Surif, Beit Ommar and the nearby villages face continual harassment from settlers. Report here

This time the harvest passed peacefully. After some nice hours in the fields, the representatives from PSP were happy to visit the olive factory and watch the processing of the olives.

PSP has started to give tours in the West Bank

PSP — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:54:51 +0000

Palestine Solidarity Project has now started to give tours.

The Solidarity tour programme offers an introduction to the different geographical and cultural regions of the West Bank. The tour is providing its participants with in-depth social, political and historical insights on Palestinian life. Read the full program here. (the program is also available in French, Italian, Spanish and Norwegian).

Watch a short introduction from the Beit Ommar area:

Justice?
Human rights?
Freedom?

Come and see for yourself.

Use the important and unique possibilty:
Visit Palestine!

For further questions or information. Do not hesitate to contact us.
center4freedom@gmail.com

Take a look at other recently published documentaries by PSP:

Watch a summary of a French groups`s experiences in Beit Ommar here:

”For what reason? House demolished in Al Jab`a …

”Land grab” a documentary about the Israeli occupation and a new bypass road.

Tear Gas Fired and Israeli Army Followed Residents of Beit Ula into their fields

PSP — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:46:01 +0000

Beit Ula 14.th October 2011: For the Friday prayer a large number of people gathered by the demolished house and fields of Abdul Jabar Ahtal.
After the prayer the crowd walked about and looked at the damage.

A military jeep appeared on the patrol road connected to the apartheid fence built on Beit Ula land. After some time more jeeps turned up and soldiers appeared in the distance on foot.

The soldiers started to shoot tear gas, and the whole situation escalated. The main part of the crowd withdrew and left in cars and by foot. The soldiers followed all the way back to the cars.