On November 15th, 2011, six Palestinian activists were arrested for boarding Israeli settlement buses in the West Bank district of Ramallah. The activists, calling themselves the Freedom Riders, drew inspiration from the 1961 Freedom Rides in the United States, in which young black and white civil rights activists challenged the segregated transportation system across southern states.
Settler buses run by the companies Egged and Veolia, connect Israeli settlements which are built on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank, and deemed illegal under International Law, with cities within Israel proper. Palestinians are not allowed to ride these buses, one of many separate … Continue reading
Thaer Ahamd Abu Hashem, a 23-year-old Palestinian resident of Beit Ommar was arrested by Israeli Forces on his way back from work at around 12:30pm on November 12th. Thaer was arrested by soldiers near the entrance of the village, near the military watchtower. The main road of Beit Ommar has been closed by the military since yesterday evening, and it has remained shut for almost 36 hours, preventing Palestinian vehicles from entering or leaving the village.
Thaer’s brother, Yousef Ahmad Halil Abu Hashem, was arrested from his home on October 11, 2011. Report here Yousef … Continue reading
At 2:30am on the morning of November 12, 2011, PSP activist Iyad al-Alami was arrested from his residence in Beit Ommar by Israeli Forces.
Iyad is 23-years-old, and is an active member of the National Committee in Beit Ommar, as well as the Palestine Solidarity Project. In recent years, Iyad has been arrested two times before. Eyewitnesses saw 5 jeeps of Israeli soldiers conduct the early morning raid. Iyad was seen blindfolded and handcuffed as he was being led to an army jeep.
Iyad is studying engineering at Hebron’s Polytechnic University. A … Continue reading
On November 9th, 2011 at around 1:30pm, Palestinian residents of Beit Ommar were harassed by a group of settlers accompanied by Israeli soldiers. The attack occurred in an area of the village not far from the illegal settlement of Bat Ayn, one of the most ideologically colonialist and dangerous settlements in the West Bank.
The Israeli soldiers accompanied the settlers on the back roads towards Beit Ommar, only a few kilometers from the settlement. The settlers then proceeded to set fire to three Palestinian cars, and two of them were totally … Continue reading
This week PSP, along with many international volunteers, joined farmers from Surif in the olive harvest.
The olive harvest is a busy season and many hands are required to do the job. Several traditions and rituals are related to the olive harvest, and it is also an important social event. The internationals were glad to help and enjoyed picking the olives in beautiful surroundings, but their presence is not only for fun. International presence and attention can be of great importance because of the continual harassment the farmers face from settlers. Report … Continue reading
