Palestine Solidarity Project » Beit Ommar

Israeli Forces Continue Assaults with Sound Grenades in Beit Ommar

PSP — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:33:21 +0000

Last week, July 17, an Associated Press photographer was seriously injured in Beit Ommar during the weekly demonstration against the settlement when a sound grenade exploded near his head, blowing out his eardrum. A strong statement by the Foreign Press Association was made and Israeli and international media reported on the incident. Yet all of this attention to the misuse of these dangerous weapons did not deter the large group of soldiers present at this week’s demonstration from again launching sound grenades, as well as tear gas, directly at demonstrators, particularly aiming at their heads.
As the group of approximately 50 demonstrators, including several women from the village for the third week in a row, were met by the Israeli soldiers who demanded they leave the privately-owned Palestinian land or risk arrest, the soldiers again injured a journalist, this time from Reuters, who was knocked unconscious after having two sound grenades explode on his head and back while the soldiers were attempting to push the group out of the area. The journalist was assisted at the scene and no arrests were made.

Two Journalists Injured, One Arrested At Demonstration in Beit Ommar

PSP — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:16:17 +0000

Updated: Video Added

In their weekly demonstration against the expropriation of their land for the expansion of the Karmei Tsur settlement, Palestinians, joined by Israeli and international activists, gathered next to the fence surrounding the settlement on Saturday, July 17th. Established in 1984, the settlement was constructed on Beit Ommar land, destroying the life-supporting agricultural land of the Palestinian residents. Even recently, in 2006, 600 more dunums of land were confiscated as part of the settlement, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to make a living.

Within minutes of gathering at the fence, Israeli soldiers quickly arrived to force the group to leave the area. After ripping off the Palestinian flags that had been placed on the razor wire fence, the soldiers began forcefully pushing the Palestinian organizers off of their own land. The five clearly disorganized soldiers yelled and pushed erratically at the crowd and attempted to arrest an international activist multiple times before giving up when she resisted. Obviously frustrated by their own ineffectiveness and lack of cohesion, the soldiers threw sound bombs and tear gas, injuring 2 journalists. One of the journalists, working for the UK based Reuters news service, sustained serious injury to his eardrum when a sound grenade exploded next to his head. Another, working for DFA, was examined for possible facial fractures after being hit in the face with a club. A third journalist, working for the American news agency Associated Press was arrested during the demonstration.

The Foreign Press Association issued a statement condemning the attacks on the journalists, saying,

“Over the past months journalists covering these events have been harassed, arrested and attacked by the various on site forces before these forces turn their attention to the activists or demonstrators,” the statement read.

“We would appreciate it were the authorities to remind the various forces involved, that open, unhindered coverage of news events is a widely acknowledged part of the essence of democracy.”

“Generally speaking this would not include smashing the face of a clearly marked photographer working for a known and accredited news organization with a stick, or for that matter aiming a stun grenade at the head of a clearly marked news photographer or summarily arresting cameramen, photographers and/or journalists.”

1 Arrested, 3 Injured in Beit Ommar International Court of Justice Demonstration

PSP — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:42:57 +0000

On Saturday, July 10, approximately 50 Palestinian, international and Israeli activists marched towards the fence of the Karmei Tsur settlement for their weekly demonstration against the illegal settlements and the continued confiscation of Palestinian land through settlement expansion and the Annexation Barrier. This week, the participants planned to hold their own session of the International Court of Justice, in honor of the 6 year anniversary of the ICJ court decision that declared the Annexation Wall illegal. The group approached the settlement and began reading statements as witnesses and the prosecution, condemning the confiscation of land, demanding reparations for land and lives lost, as well as injuries to internationals during peaceful protest, and an end to the construction of illegal structures of the Occupation. Almost immediately, however, the Israeli soldiers present, who were waiting for the group outside the fence, announced that the area was a closed military zone and the demonstration had two minutes to disperse. Local residents insisted on their right to remain on their privately-owned land undisturbed. When one Israeli activist attempted to argue with the soldiers, he was arrested. He was then blindfolded and held in a jeep on location before being taken to Kiryat Arba settlement and police station; he was released later in the day.
The military then violently attacked the crowd, pushing them back towards the Palestinian homes of Beit Ommar and throwing sound grenades and tear gas canisters. Sound grenades were thrown deliberately so that they would explode very close to participants, resulting in the head injuries of a twelve year-old boy and a journalist as well as another teenage boy. An ambulance and medic team treated all three on the spot.

Beit Ommar Demonstration Makes Noise at Settlement

PSP — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 07:41:21 +0000

In an action organised by the National committee of Beit Ommar and the Palestine Solidarity Project a group of Palestinians joined by Israeli and International activists marched to the gate of Karmei Tsur Settlement and protested the expropriation of local farmers’ land Saturday, July 3. Making noise with world-cup inspired vuvuzelas, the demonstrators were confronted at the gate by Israeli soldiers and private security of the illegal settlement.

Israeli forces broke their way through the gate and pushed the protesters, including children. The settler security spat several times in the direction of the Palestinian demonstrators. After the area was declared a closed military area the demonstrators slowly dispersed, with Israeli forces shooting tear gas in their direction.

Karmei Tsur is one of a number of illegal settlements surrounding Beit Ommar. It was established in 1984 and has resulted in the continual theft of private Palestinian farmland.

Beit Ommar’s Children Face Harassment, Detention

PSP — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:41:53 +0000

Since the middle of June, over a dozen youth from Beit Ommar under the age of 18 have been arrested, most of whom live near the illegal Israeli settlement, Karmei Tsur. In one instance, a 7 year old boy was also given a summons to present himself to Israeli security in the Etzion settlement, an incident the Israeli military reportedly now says was a “mistake” and that the summons was meant for another, older boy of the same age. This week a 12 year old boy will also be attending a military court hearing after being arrested last month.

As a campaign of harassment and intimidation, all of these arrests occur in the middle of the night, when often-masked commandos raid homes, forcing everyone out into the street, including women and small children, sometimes for several hours, while the search the home and detain the male youth. Parents are often faced with the awful choice of turning their sons in or risk having their young children terrorized during these night raids. The younger siblings of these boys often suffer lasting symptoms of trauma, including sleeplessness, bed-wetting and extreme anxiety.

Yousef Abu Hashem, 18, was arrested at a flying checkpoint in a northern district of the West Bank where he was working. He is the son of National Committee member and PSP member Ahmed Abu Hashem (Abu Maria). His older brother, Tha’er, was then arrested from his home early Thursday morning along with 3 other boys from the village. They have 5 younger siblings and one 2-week old niece who were all in the home at the time Tha’er was arrested.

‘Amar Abu Maria, 17, nephew of popular resistance leaders in Beit Ommar Mousa and Yousef Abu Maria, was summoned to present himself for “investigation” at the Etzion military base two weeks ago. After Israeli soldiers came to his home several times in the middle of the night looking for him, and told his mother they would “come in shooting” the next time, his father drove him to the military base where he turned himself in. He has been detained ever since.

As an attempt to respond to the extensive adverse affects these arrests have had on the community, the Beit Ommar city council, in cooperation with several NGO’s including the Addameer center for prisoner rights and Save the Children, are holding a series of events for the families of previously detained youth to provide information on how families can support their traumatized children and advocate for their rights while they are in occupation prisons.

Israeli Forces Demolish Fruit Stalls in Beit Ommar

PSP — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:19:10 +0000

Thursday, July 1, Israeli forces raided and destroyed several Palestinian structures along Route 60 in the West Bank. Privately owned greenhouses and fruit and vegetable stalls were among those demolished.

Three army Jeeps, in addition to police and private security were involved in the demolition.

Route 60 is one of the few highways in the West Bank which is used by both Palestinian residents and illegal Jewish settlers. The route is part of Area C, under full Israeli control, and Palestinians are therefore continually refused permission to build in the area.
This, while a massive new shopping mall was built just up the road, also on Route 60, at the entrance to Etzion settlement. The mall, which partially opened last month, was built during the so-called settlement freeze.

Settlers Attack Saffa in “Price Tag” Campaign

PSP — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:20:52 +0000

On the morning of June 23rd, 2010 Jewish settlers rioted and attacked Palestinian property in the neighbourhood of Saffa, Beit Ommar. On the most recent example of the so-called ‘price tag’ policy, dozens of residents of the illegal settlement of Bat Ayn attempted to set fire to private Palestinian land before throwing stones and bottles at nearby houses.

Israeli soldiers began firing tear-gas canisters and stun grenades after awoken Saffa residents had gathered around dawn, lightly injuring a number of Palestinians. Members of the Beit Ommar National Committee and Palestine Solidarity Project arrived in Saffa shortly after and recorded the incident.

The more radical of Israel’s 500,000 settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories adhere to the “price tag” policy, in which settlers seek revenge by attacking Palestinians for every outpost that is demolished. This latest attack came after the Israeli army demolished two illegal structures in Bay Ayin settlement.

The residents of Saffa have been subject to regular harassment and attack from Bat Ayn’s ideological settlers. In recent months settlers have attacked farmers, set fire to olive groves and chopped down crops. The Palestine Solidarity Project planted over 1000 olive trees recently to replace those repeatedly burnt, uprooted and destroyed by the settlers.

Arrest Campaigns Continue in Beit Ommar

PSP — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:44:05 +0000

This Saturday a group of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists were met in the vineyards of Beit Ommar by several Israeli soldiers as they attempted to make their way to the fence surrounding the illegal Israeli settlement Karmei Tsur, built on Beit Ommar land. The soldiers insisted on preventing the group from even approaching the outer fence, declaring the entire area a closed military zone and arresting two Israeli activists. Unlike the international and Palestinian activists who have been arrested in the same area in recent weeks (the Palestinian arrested last week is still in jail; the internationals were banned from the entire West Bank for the remainder of their visas, pending appeal), the Israeli activists were released a few hours later.

Beit Ommar has been conducting demonstrations at the various gates in the fence around Karmei Tsur for several months demanding their court-ordered access to privately-owned agricultural land on the settlement side of the fence. Additionally, this week’s demonstration also carried a special message of protesting the crackdown on protest around Karmei Tsur, particularly the arrest of 6 youth in the last 10 days living in the Karmei Tsur area in what appears to be a targeting of teen boys during the final exam period, causing maximum damage to their futures by prohibiting them from taking the exams needed to graduate high school and enter college.

7 Year-Old Summoned by Israeli Intelligence Services

PSP — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:58:41 +0000

Early this morning, Wednesday, June 16, 7 year-old Muhsen Yousef Awwad was handed a summons by Israeli forces ordering him to report to the Etzion settlement police station for interrogation during an arrest campaign throughout the village of Beit Ommar. Two young men were also arrested this morning, bringing the total to six arrests this week of young men from Beit Ommar, most residing near the Karmei Tsur settlement and ranging in age from 15-24.

Disturbing New Legal Precedent Set as Another International PSP Activist Arrested in Beit Ommar

PSP — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:19:15 +0000

On Saturday, June 12, a group of farmers, Palestine Solidarity Project activists, and members of the Beit Ommar National Committee held a protest at the fence around the Karmei Tsur settlement, built on Beit Ommar agricultural land. They carried Palestinian flags and chanted against the settlements and the theft of their land. There were Israeli soldiers already waiting on the other side of the fence. The demonstrators stood on their side of the fence, planted their flags in some of their own land and continued chanting. The soldiers watched for a few minutes until they came across the fence, down a hill to the ground that the demonstrators were standing on. One soldier, carrying an M16 and a tear-gas gun walked up a little hill that some children were standing on and grabbed a Palestinian flag from one of them. A man in the crowd, who could speak Hebrew, pleaded with the soldier to return the flag to the child. A few moments later one soldier tried to grab onto the child who had come down to get his flag. He held onto the child for a while as if he was going to arrest him so PSP international activist and dual American-Chilean citizen Yoel B. pulled the boy away and stood in front of the soldiers so they could not arrest the child. All of the soldiers on scene came down the hill at this point and surrounded the international as well as Fathi Sa’id, a local resident who is physically and mentally disabled. When soldiers act aggressively towards Sa’id, Yoel B. again attempted to intervene. Both were arrested. The soldiers then began to shoot cans of tear gas at the crowd of people until they were forced to disperse, with soldiers continuing to fire tear gas as they left.
In court, the Israeli prosecution compared Yoel to the activists on the Mavi Marmara (the Turkish aid ship attacked by the Israeli military who killed 9 activists on board), implying that he was not “really” a peace activist. The judge, conceding that he would like to see Yoel deported but that he could not order it, instead banned the American Jew from entering the West Bank for a period of 60 days, nearly the entirety of the remainder of his visa. This comes one week after another PSP activist, also arrested in Beit Ommar at a demonstration in support of the Gaza aid flotilla, was banned from the West Bank for 6 months, or until his visa expired.

This is setting a new precedent, banning international activists for extremely long periods of time from the entire West Bank, and seems to be in retaliation for the backlash Israel has experienced for its debacle at sea in which they killed unarmed civilian international activists in the Gaza Flotilla. Both cases are being appealed.