Young Israeli mothers from Tel Aviv and Jaffa and their children joined the Palestinian families for creative workshops and joint games in a public park. The mixed group of almost 80 Israelis and Palestinian women and children enjoyed a delicious picnic meal based on Palestinian cooking. Many Palestinian women activists from Beit Ommar have taken the led in organizing these actions to challenge the occupation.

Asked by a correspondent how they feel about this action and the risks involved, as well as the idea of cooperating with Israelis, one of the Palestinian organizers said: “Our life is hard. We and our children need a break, this is a good opportunity to feel free and happy. Just like the Israeli women, our goal is to make a political statement against the occupation of Palestine. We defy the illegal, inhuman, Israeli system that constantly oppresses us”.

The group issued a statement helping to contextualize the political implications of these actions which read:

“We hereby, publicly reassert, that we do break and shall continue to break the laws and orders that limit the right to freedom of movement of the civilian population in the West Bank. We challenge the wisdom, morality and legality of such decrees. We seek the path of civil disobedience against an arbitrary system that, for the past 44 years, has deprived millions of people of their human and civil rights, placing them under a military regime and behind walls, barriers and checkpoints.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

Volunteers from PSP today joined residents of Ni’lin in their weekly demonstration against the apartheid wall. Around twenty protesters marched from the village to the illegal wall, and a short speech was given, denouncing the theft of Ni’lin’s land.

The Israeli military stationed in a guardtower behind the wall responded with several dozen volleys of teargas, which left some protesters suffering from teargas inhalation. One of the cannisters also set light to an area of the olive grove. Thankfully, protesters managed to extinguish the blaze.

This week’s demonstration is part of Ni’lin’s ongoing stuggle against the apartheid wall, which confiscated much of the village’s olive groves. Since 2008,the Israeli military have killed five residents of Ni’lin during unarmed demonstrations against the wall. Despite this, the village’s protests were successful in diverting the wall’s route, saving substantial areas of their land. Their struggle against the illegal apartheid wall continues to this day.

This past Saturday, Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists peacefully demonstrated in Al Walaja protesting the Israeli High Court’s decision to allow the construction of the separation barrier that would annex half of Al Walaja’s land to Israel.

Al Walaja is an agricultural village and most of the families there depend on these fields for their income. The annexation of Al Walaja land will therefore be devastating to its residents.

The demonstrators marched peacefully holding signs condemning the occupation and the apartheid system. Israeli soldiers presented a closed military zone order to the activists, but the order was outdated. They then presented a closed military zone order for August 28, which was a day after the demonstration.

As the demonstrators continued to march towards the illegal settlement of Har Gilo, the Israeli soldiers responded with force, assaulting Palestinian activists and arresting one Palestinian, two internationals, and four Israelis. The Israeli and international activists were later released at two am that night.

Protesters turned out in Ni’lin for the weekly protest against the Apartheid Wall. Around ten Palestinians, accompanied by 2 Israelis and 7 international activists, marked the 3rd anniversary of the death of 17 year old Ni’lin resident Yousef Amira. Yousef was fatally injured after he was shot twice in the head by Israeli soldiers following the funeral of a 10 year old Palestinian child who had died from similar injuries.

During the protest, a speech was delivered in Arabic and English. Afterwards, some of the protesters set fire to tires and burned them at the gate of the Apartheid Wall. Stones were also thrown at and over the fence. This was followed by a bombardment of teargas from Israeli soldiers. Two protesters were treated for teargas inhalation by the Red Crescent.

Ni’lin has seen many martyrs in the past three years during its resistance to the Occupation and construction of the Apartheid Wall. Besides Yousef, 10 year old Ahmed Ussam Yousef Mousa died from from his injuries after he was left braindead by plastic-coated steel bullets shot at him by Israeli soldiers. 20 year-old Popular Committee member Mohammed Khawaje and 22 year-old Arafat Khawaje were killed at the same protest in January of 2009. Later that year, 36 year-old Akeel Srour was killed by the Israeli military at a protest. Ni’lin is also where International Solidarity Movement activist Tristan Anderson was shot in the face by the Israeli military using a high-speed teargas canister, seriously injuring him and leaving him physically and mentally handicapped.

Doctors at the Ramallah hospital fought for Jawaher Abu Rahmah’s life all night at the Ramallah Hospital, but were unable to save her life. Abu Rahmah suffered from severe asphyxiation caused by tear-gas inhalation yesterday in Bil’in, and was evacuated to the Ramallah hospital unconscious. She was diagnosed as suffering from poisoning caused by the active ingredient in the tear-gas, and did not respond to treatment.
Jawaher Abu Rahmah was the sister of Bil’in activist, Bassem Abu Rahmah, who was shot dead with a high velocity tear-gas projectile during a demonstration in the village on April 17th, 2009.