Archive for the 'Betlehem District' Category
Ni’lin: Soldiers viciously attack peace activists
July 11th, 2008
On Thursday, July 10, the residents of Ni’lin demonstrated again, in defiance of the Occupation forces’ crackdown on protest.
Earlier this week, Ni’lin was subjected to a four day siege and curfew, which failed to break the ongoing popular action to stop the construction of the Wall on village land.
Palestinian, Israeli and International activists headed towards a bulldozer. Soldiers opened fire with teargas and rubber bullets, before attacking with batons. Reportedly 25 people have been injured, three of them seriously.
Activists from AATW and PSP were close to the bulldozers when they were viciously attacked with batons by IDF soldiers, your PSP correspondent personally witnessed a soldier breaking his baton while hitting an AATW activist on the leg, just below the knee. The soldiers continued to beat the three of us on the ground, breaking another baton in the process. Faced with such brutally two of us carried the most injured away, then another soldier threw tear gas canisters towards us while we retreated.
Several other activists were hit with batons and some soldiers were seen to be using sticks from the ground (perhaps after breaking their batons).
It is clear that the Occupation forces are adopting a strategy of escalating violence. However, faced with the isolation and land theft of the Wall, the people of Ni’lin will continue to resist - there is no other choice.
Two committee members arrested in Al-Maasara/Um Salamuna
July 4th, 2008
On Friday, July 4th, activists gathered in Al-Ma’asara, Bethlehem District, the Palestinians brought a huge flag with them, but unfortunately this was not an independence day celebration, but the weekly demonstration against the Annexation Barrier and continuing theft of Palestinian land.
As last week there were about 40 Palestinian activists and roughly 20 Israelis and internationals. Today there was a different group of Soldiers and a lot of border police but as last week they had put the same razor wire fence across the road and the gap between the edge of the fence and the nearest permanent structure was blocked with pallets of stone tiles.
The enormous flag was held aloft in the wind and the young Palestinian children started pulling on the razor wire while the adults were demanding access to their land, a new soldier rightfully suggested that the Palestinians should indeed be allowed to access their land. He was quickly silenced by an older soldier, however a Palestinian activist, understandably excited that for once a little bit of justice might be offered, rushed to climb over the stone tiles and go to his land.
At this point the soldiers rushed towards him, they viciously pulled him down from the tiles and took him to their vehicles, activists from Anarchists Against The Wall (AATW) and PSP managed to make it over the tiles, but could not get to him in time to stop him from being arrested. At this point an activist was also captured, another had his trousers/pants ripped open by the violent soldiers and was eventually left by soldiers to try and dress himself near the IDF vehicles.
Israeli Activist Viciously Attacked in Anti-Barrier Demonstration
June 27th, 2008
On Friday, June 27th, activists gathered in Al-Ma’asara, Betlehem District, for the weekly demonstration against the Annexation Barrier. This week, about 40 Palestinian activists were joined by about 20 Israelis and internationals.
At recent Al-Ma’asara demonstrations, activists have succeeded in partially opening the razor wire barrier. This week, a gap between the edge of the fence and the nearest permanent structure was blocked with pallets of stone tiles. The activists decided to attempt to go around the fence by climbing over the tiles.
After about 20 minutes, Israeli, international, and Palestinian protesters dashed toward the pallets and began climbing over the tiles. About a dozen soldiers and 2 police officers surrounded the group and attempted to arrest an Israeli activist. Three internationals held onto the Israeli, preventing the soldiers from dragging him away.
A few minutes later, more participants climbed over and onto the pallets shouting at the soldiers in English and Hebrew asking “where is the democracy?” Again, soldiers isolated one Israeli activist who was simply standing in the “wrong” place, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him violently to the ground. Other activists immediately piled on top of him and tried to prevent the police officers and soldiers who were viciously beating him. They then began hitting, pinching, and kicking the other activists in an attempt to pull them apart. After putting handcuffs on the Israeli activist, the soldiers managed to drag him away from the group. They then increased their ferociousness, kicking him and eventually hitting him in the back with a rifle, making him scream out in agony. He was then thrown into the side of the police jeep and eventually into the back.
Demonstrators Attacked As They Open Razor Wire Fence in Al-Ma’asara
June 22nd, 2008
On Friday, June 20th, about 50 Palestinian activists and 15 Israelis and internationals gathered in Al-Ma’asara for the weekly demonstration against the Annexation Barrier. The group marched up the road to the temporary razor wire fence, erected to prevent activists from approaching the construction site. Several young boys led the march, carrying Palestinian flags.
When the group reached the barrier, a few of the young Palestinians began to pull on the razor wire. About a dozen soldiers stationed on the opposite side of the fence pulled the fence back, threatening the young activists. After about 15 minutes of arguing with the soldiers and chanting slogans, the protesters decided to attempt to open the fence.
Israeli activists and internationals with PSP sprinted to the edge of the fence and pulled it open. They managed to pull the fence about halfway across the road before being tackled by soldiers. Three more Israelis and internationals grabbed onto the activists, preventing the soldiers from dragging them away. The group sat down in the middle of the road and linked arms and legs. The activists were quickly surrounded by soldiers. One Israeli activist who had been filming the skirmish ran into the fray to help.
The soldiers struggled to disentangle the activists by violently pulling on their limbs and hair. They threw a sound grenade, but the activists were unfazed. Approximately 10 more soldiers arrived on the scene. However, the 2 police officers present hung back and did not call for support.
Invasion in Dheisheh Refugee Camp Leaves Home in Ruins
June 15th, 2008A Journal Entry from Nora, Friend of PSP, Yesterday, June 14
On the table next to me as I write this are two steel bullets, one encased in hard black rubber, and the other a naked, dull silver. They were picked up from the street in Dheisheh this afternoon, fired from US-made and financed Israeli weapons.
At about 2pm, over two dozen Israeli armored jeeps and APCs and bulldozers and secret service rolled into the main street right outside of Ibdaa center, cut traffic off, and began firing sound grenades, tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition. Israeli snipers kicked people out of their homes on the other side of the street and used the top floors as sniper posts.
My friend H. and i were up north in Nablus, catching up with old friends and planning/researching a few stories for later next week, and my friend M. called my phone with the news. We immediately headed back to Bethlehem, and were receiving updates throughout the whole two-hour, three-taxi, five-checkpoint ride. Two people shot. then three. half an hour later, five people shot and injured, one of them a woman. the count is now at 15 people injured. i felt horrible that i wasn’t there as the invasion began.
1 Activist Detained at Peaceful Al-Ma’asara Demonstration
June 15th, 2008At noon on Friday, June 13th, about 50 Palestinians and 15 Israelis and internationals gathered in Al-Ma’asara to demonstrate against the construction of the Annexation Barrier. The group approached the triple-layered razor wire fence (erected to prevent protesters from reaching the site of the Wall), carrying a 15′ x 45′ Palestinian flag. Community members lead chants (”The Wall fell in Berlin / It will fall in Palestine!”) and made speeches through a megaphone. Behind the razor wire barrier, a group of 15 soldiers and border police blocked the road.
After a few speeches were made, Israeli and international activists were asked to attempt to break open the corner of the razor wire fence. One of the Israelis was arrested and detained in a military jeep. Soldiers attempted to arrest an international activist from PSP but other activists held onto her, preventing the soldiers from dragging her away. Soldiers then created an opening in the razor wire fence and chased after a Palestinian man but solidarity activists
blocked their path and the man escaped arrest. The soldiers then chased
after the same woman from PSP and made another attempt to arrest her. Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists all held on to her and prevented her arrest. The soldiers eventually gave up, after disagreement within their own troops on whether or not to arrest anyone.
Threatened by Solidarity Activists, Israeli Forces Put Up Checkpoints in South Betlehem
June 8th, 2008This Friday, June 6, like every previous Friday for nearly a year and a half was a day for demonstrations in the Betlehem District against the construction of the Annexation Barrier. Though demonstrations have been relatively small and totally non-confrontational in the region, the Israeli military still goes to extreme lengths to prevent internationals and Israelis from attending the demonstrations. This Friday, the demonstration in Al-Ma’asara/Um Salamuna was planned for 10:30am. By 9 am that morning, the Israeli military had set up checkpoints on the road to the area from 2 directions, preventing any Palestinian taxis from accessing the area.
With some persistence, international and Israeli supporters were able to reach the demonstration, and join the 20 Palestinians from the area as they marched from the entrance of the village to a triple-layered razor-wire barrier put up across the road by the Israeli military to prevent the demonstrators from approaching the site of the Annexation Barrier, which snakes through Palestinian agricultural land. After speeches by members of the regional Popular Committee, the demonstration peacefully dispersed, and it was on to the next location.
In nearby Al-Khadr, on the outskirts of Betlehem, residents are fighting a suffocating combination of the Annexation Barrier, an enormous wall, a settler by-pass road and tunnel, all being built on their land, leading to the theft of 90% of their privately-owned land. Scores of locals met on the road near the entrance to the settlement and village and held the Friday midday prayers on a stretch of road that they may soon be prevented from using.
2 Detained as Soldiers Attack Demonstration at Al-Ma’asara
May 31st, 2008Approximately 40 people participated in this week’s Friday demonstration in South Betlehem, organized by the people of Al-Ma’asara and joined by international and Israeli activists. Participants gathered at the entrance to Al-Ma’asara and attempted to march towards the site of the construction of the Annexation Barrier. As in the past several weeks, the Israeli military strung barbed wire across the road, preventing the demonstrators from moving out of the village. Young Palestinians began to move the barbed wire, with some help from supporters, including members of PSP and Anarchists Against the Wall. After a small gap was made in the barbed wire and Israeli and international activists began to move through it, soldiers attacked them, grabbing one Israeli man and viciously dragging him, first by his backpack, and then by the collar of his shirt until both tore and his glasses were broken. He was taken and put in the back of the police jeep. An international activist with PSP was also detained after police put handcuffs on one of her wrists and then pulled her by the handcuff to the police jeep. She was released after less than 15 minutes. Palestinian participants then negotiated the release of the Israeli activist who also released after the demonstrators moved back towards the village.
10 Activists Arrested at Demonstration in Solidarity with Mousa Abu Maria
May 24th, 2008
The weekly Friday demonstration in South Betlehem included the theme “We Are All Mousa Abu Maria” in solidarity with Mousa, co-founder of PSP and now political prisoner being held in the Ketziot prison in Israel. Israeli and international activists joined Palestinians from al Ma’asara and Beit Ommar in wearing signs saying, “I am Mousa Abu Maria” in several different languages. Mousa has been a key organizer and supporter of demonstrations in the area and has been attending the demonstrations in the Um Salamuna/Al Ma’asara region since their inception in early 2007. Partcipants met at the entrance to Um Salamuna and Al-Ma’asara and marched down the road where they were soon stopped by the Israeli military. The head of the regional Popular Committee, Mahmoud Zahre, and Yousef Abu Maria, member of PSP and Mousa’s brother, both spoke about Mousa’s importance to the non-violence movement in the area and the fact that he was being targetted by the Israeli military for his leadership in the popular resistance. Some activists then crossed the barbed wire that had been laid across the road to move towards the site of the construction of the Annexation Fence. When they refused to leave and sat down in front of the military jeeps, 10 were arrested and carted off. When asked their names by the Israeli Police, they all replied, “Mousa Abu Maria”. They were later released into an Israeli settlement near Jerusalem.
Hundreds March in South Betlehem in Support of Workers
May 2nd, 2008Friday, May 2, nearly 300 Palestinian, international and Israeli activists gathered in the village of Al-Ma’asara, South of Betlehem, to demonstrate against the construction of the Annexation Barrier in the region. The demonstration today was in honor of International Workers Day (May Day) and Dr. Moustafa Bargouthi was in attendance and spoke at length about the damage the construction of the Barrier and settlement expansion was having on Palestinian workers. As a case in point, if the Annexation Barrier is completed in the South Betlehem district, it will cut off many Palestinians in the villages from Betlehem itself, the economic, educational, and social center of the district. Farmers in regions where the Annexation Barrier has been completed for years now have been devastated economically by its construction; not able to access their agricultural lands and not able to reach jobs in the cities.
