Palestine-Israel, olive picking, Road blocks removal, and challenging the separation fence

mashriq / arabia / iraq | community struggles | news report Sunday October 19, 2008 06:23 by Ilan S. - AAtW ainfos Tel Aviv

in the joint struggle against occupation.

Ni'ilin was still in the focus of struggle, with a big mobilization from Israel on Tuesday. Wednesday's olive picking at Turmus-Ayah near an unauthorized colonialist settler outpost took an interesting direction when two prefabricated dwellings were ignited. Thursday, roadblocks were dismantled by joined forces of locals and solidarity activists at Almazra’a Alsharqiya. Friday had the usual demonstrations against the separation fence at Umm Salamuna (south of Bethlehem), Bil'in - where we took a wing of the gate to the route of the separation fence and brought it to the village center, and Ni'ilin. The Anarchists Against the Wall joined the Israeli olive picking coalition including Hebron on Saturday (Tel Rumeida).

TURMUS-AYAH

The state forces, who missed the hot part, vented their anger by arresting the five AAtW activists who were released hours later with two-week restrictions from entering the 1967 occupied Palestinian areas. The enraged settler colonialists reported on their web page the following:

"... The police then notified Chursha's residents that officers and soldiers were escorting the Arabs to pick olives*. This apparently caused the neighborhood's residents to leave their homes without guards - except for their dogs - and go off to guard a nearby olive grove planted by Jews several years ago, which Arabs claim is on their land.

The attack took place at around 8 a.m., under the cover of fog. Karo estimates that the attackers numbered at least 20 Arabs and a few Israeli anarchists. The perpetrators parked their car in the nearby village of Turmus-Ayah, north of Jerusalem, and reached Chursha by foot. They then proceeded to burn and destroy the living quarters and meager furnishings..."

ALMAZRA'A ALSHARQYA

Hundreds of villagers, accompanied by solidarity activists including delegation from Bil'in village, Internationals, and AAtW people, dismantled six road blocks the older put there 17 years ago near A’in Al-haramiya area on the road between Nablus and Ramallah.

NI'ILIN

Friday, the olive picking on the other side of the route of the separation fence was refused. In addition, the participants of protest prayer near the route of the fence were harassed after the prayer - resulting in protracted confrontation. It eased towards afternoon and a protest was demonstrated with a counter demonstration of Israelis supporting the suppression forces on the other side of the narrow valley.

BIL'IN

Excerpts from report of member of the village popular committee:

"... After the Friday prayer, the residents of Bili’n gathered in a protest along with Israeli and international activists. A group from France called French people to support Palestinian People and another group from Norway joined the demonstration in solidarity with the village in their struggle against the Wall and settlement building. The protesters raised Palestinian flags and banners to allow Palestinian farmers to pick olive trees from their land. The protest called to remove the illegal wall and settlements, stop land confiscations, remove checkpoints and road blocks, and the release of all the Palestinian detainees....."

"... When the protest reached the gate, protesters tried to access the land to pick olives, but they were stopped by sound grenades and teargas canisters. And the Demonstrators managed to damage and take off [half] the gate to bring it to the village, near the monument of Yassir Arafat in the center of the village......"

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* After a lot of media reports on the harassment of settler colonialist on neighboring Palestinian villagers - especially during olive picking, and some high court intervention, Israeli state forces take some steps to restrict settlers harassments.