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 … Continue reading

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 … Continue reading

A 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 … Continue reading

At 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 … Continue reading

This 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 … Continue reading

Approximately 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 … Continue reading

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 … Continue reading

Friday, 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 … Continue reading

A larger than usual crowd gathered this Friday, April 4, in South Betlehem to protest the ongoing construction of the Annexation Barrier on the lands of Palestinians from Al-Ma’asara, Um Salamuna, Wadi Rahaal, and Wadi An-Nis. People from Um Salamuna and Al-Ma’asara were joined by international and Israeli activists this Friday with the intention of marching from the villages to the current construction site, near the Efrat settlement.
As the group gathered and prepared to move down the road, however, the Israeli Occupation Forces set up an ad hoc barrier, stringing barbed wire across the road to try to prevent the march from proceeding. … Continue reading

Today, international and Israeli activists joined more than 200 Palestinians from the village of Al-Khadr and surrounding villages in their weekly demonstration against the construction of a series of Apartheid structures, including the Annexation Barrier, a settler by-pass road, and by-pass tunnel. Today residents commemorated Land Day, traditionally observed in Palestine on March 30.
Participants gathered near the main thoroughfare, Route 60, and held their midday Friday prayer near the site where the Annexation Barrier is currently being built. The Wall in this area will cut off or destroy 90% of Al-Khadr’s land in Israel’s most recent policy of land confiscation. They then marched towards the highway where Israeli Occupation Forces … Continue reading