Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle change every week with lot of surprises to both sides

mashriq / arabia / iraq | community struggles | news report Monday May 24, 2010 03:23 by Ilan Shalif - AAtW, ainfos, Matzpen

Beit Jala, Bil'in, Court solidarity, Hebron, Ma'sara, Nabi Salih, Ni'ilin, Walaja, Sheikh Jarrah, Tel Aviv. In spite of the expanding of the joint struggle of the Israeli radical left and the Palestinian people, the anarchists against the wall, still have the leading role on the ground and in the media of the Israeli side. [Italiano]

BEIT JALA

Media: (including public radio channel) - Soldiers clash with Palestinian protestors in Beit Jala

Some 40 Palestinians and left-wing protestors gathered near the separation fence in the West Bank town of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem. Israel Defense Forces soldiers stationed in the area said the protestors hurled stones at them, and that the force responded with tear gas.

The IDF declared the area a closed military zone and arrested six of the rioters. The Palestinians reported that three protestors were injured and eight others were arrested. They said the troops used shock grenades against them and attacked them with clubs.

BIL'IN

Two children injured, three Israelis who refused to run away when the soldiers came to intimidate the retreating demonstrators were arrested (released on conditional bail 7 hours later), and dozens suffer tear gas inhalation in Bil’in’s demonstration against the Wall http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_content&t...mid=1
Friday-21-5-2010

(And I had to run fast till breathless to evade the arresting spree.)

Today’s weekly demonstration in Bil’in was conducted in solidarity with the Palestinian initiative to boycott Israeli settlement. Palestinians, Israelis and internationals gathered to protest not only the Wall, but also to promote the boycott of goods produced in West Bank Israeli settlements. Participants were given literature detailing the dozens of products that are produced on Palestinian land and billed as Israeli products for global markets.
Demonstrators marched to the Wall and attached boycott posters on the fence before Israeli soldiers entered the gate and aggressively fired tear gas into the crowd. Two children, including a mentally disabled boy, were injured as a result.

Available: A Galway activist protests against the Israeli "Apartheid" wall built on occupied Palestinian Land. This short documentary explains his relationship with the village of Bil'in in the West Bank where the wall cuts off large areas of land from the villagers. Look at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABwswgLAUJo&feature=play...edded

Video of Israel Puterman (long long time activist, aged 73), who was arrested at the end of the demonstration for refusing to run away, and falsely accused of trying to bite a soldier that arrested him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-4Cj_y0Ffk
Haethm Al-Kateeb video clip at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9gytcSHr88

COURT SOLIDARITY

Monday 10 17-5-10 in front of Petah Tikva court another demo in protest of the continuation of arrest of two Israeli Palestinian activists: Amir Machul and Omar Said.

Ofer military court this Thursday 20-5-10 In support to Abdallah Abu Rahme (Bil'in) and others who are on trial there that day.

HEBRON (Al Halil)

Hebron Demonstration and March report of previous Saturday 15.05.2010

Approximately 150 Palestinians and 50 Israelis/Internationals held the weekly Friday demonstration for the opening of the Shuhada st., this time also commemorating Al-Nakba day. Protesters held signs, flags and balloons, spoke, sang and chanted slogans. Two soldiers aimed their rifles directly at the crowd throughout the demonstration, despite the fact that there was no violence at all on behalf of the protesters. The army did storm and beat a protester who spray painted an "Open Shuhada Street" sign on an ugly cement army post. Afterwards soldiers crossed again to our side numerous times, only creating conflict. At some point these "brave" men tried to catch a young boy. http://media.nj.com/star-ledger/photo/-8917bd2a50d35ad0...o.jpg A Palestinian who attempted rescuing him was arrested. Protesters proceeded with marching in the old city, this time to the busier side, which attracted more attention from local Hebronites. Again the march was attacked by settlers throwing water, a few stones and a wooden stick from rooftops, all under the army's supervision.
About previous Saturday's demonstrations in Hebron and the tour of settlers:
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1398
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqXK5Vi_NXE

Invitation we got for this Saturday:

"Join together to resist settlements and to open Shuhada Street!

Youth Against Settlements invite you to participate in our weekly
demonstration, demanding the reopening of Shuhada Street and freedom of
movement for Palestinians in the Old City of Hebron. The Israeli military
has forced the closure of more than 1800 shops and has sealed the
entrances to Palestinian houses, forcing people to lose their homes and
their livelihoods. We must come together to demand an end to this.

An additional focus of this week's demonstration will be the boycott of
Israeli products.

The demonstration takes place at 3pm every Saturday. We will meet before
at the Hebron municipality at 2.30pm.

We will march from the municipality to the Old City, and the demonstration
will take place in "Freedom & Independence Square," near Osama bin Monqeth
school.

"To light a candle is a thousand times better than to curse the darkness"

Join us and show your support for the freedom of movement for all
Palestinians, and your rejection of the Israeli occupation.

For more details, contact our media co-coordinator or e-mail
info-A-youthagainstsettlements.org.

MA'SARA

"The people of Al Ma'sara participated in the weekly demonstration today. Last week we had a very successful cultural event in the presence of occupation soldiers. That week villagers and internationals were even allowed to reach their lands. Instead, this week, on the way to the land they were ambushed and were met with a hail of tear gas, stun grenades and high velocity projectiles.

Almost 120 persons including Palestinians, internationals and Israelis participated this morning in a pacifist march in Al-Ma'sara village, close to Bethlehem. The objective, as every Friday, was to protest the construction of the apartheid wall which upon completion will annex 350 hectares of the Palestinian land of this area.

Participants sang songs, panels and cameras were carried by many of the participants who nearly arrived at the main road where they sat down in front of the Israeli soldiers in a peaceful way of responding to the show of guns and tanks.

According to Mohammad Breijieh reporting from the hospital, his brother Hassan Breijieh has a critical head injury. Another injured was Jawad Zawahra, hit in his leg. There were also reports of two arrests: Mahmoud Abdel Karim Zawahra and Iyad Mohamed Ali, both 23 years old. For more information on this situation please call Mahmoud Zawahra (English) and Mohammed Braijieh (Arabic).

NABI SALIH

Protester hit in his head by tear gas projectile; Israeli army launched multiple incursions into Nabi Salih May 21, 2010

Around 80 Nabi Salih residents, other Palestinians and international and Israeli supporters participated in this week's demonstration against the strangulating occupation and the Halamish settlement. This time the peaceful march was not attacked at first by the Israeli army. The soldiers though did take control of the main village's junction, shutting traffic and threatening to use violence if approached. Chanting and dancing all the way, protesters did approach slowly towards the nervous army position, breaking any distance the soldiers wished to maintain. A few young people peacefully observing the scene from above was apparently too much for the army to bear, and their pursue after the youngsters signaled the end of the peaceful demonstration. Soon enough tear gas and stun grenades were thrown at the retreating protesters, while stones were thrown back at the army position.

During the long hours of the demo, army soldiers often fired tear gas projectiles aiming directly at body height, instead of firing them arched as their own regulations require. One Palestinian protester was injured by a tear gas projectile shot directly below his eye, and was evacuated to a nearby hospital. About a dozen others suffered from less serious injuries caused by the army aggression.

At a certain point the army launched coordinated multiple incursions into the village from various directions, chasing after protesters to make arrests. Two internationals who were taking pictures were arrested. They were held for 6 hours in a military facility, handcuffed, with their eyes covered. One Palestinian youth who was during the whole demo inside his home was randomly chosen by the army to be arrested for “throwing stones”. After much negotiations, while tens of children and women are filling the street under the eyes of helpless armed-to-the-top soldiers – the youth was released in celebration that marked the end of the demo with the army retreat.

NI'ILIN

Friday, the usual joint demonstration against the separation fence, theft of village lands, and occupation.

David Reeb video: Friday 21.5.2010 Ni'ilin at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0M_ahA18Zs

SHEIKH JARRAH (Jerusalem-Al-Kuds)

Nissim Mossek: Police brutality at SJ may 14th http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYgKrWdjVTk
marching in support of 12 SJ detainees http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cYDdjPIYqk

"On Jerusalem Day hundreds of settlers entered Sheikh Jarrah. They sang hateful songs and danced on the street and in the yards of the houses. Though in court hearings the police claim that political activity in the site of the evicted houses is a provocation, the police forces allowed them to continue. They also declared the Sheikh Jarrah struggle protests to be illegal gatherings, so as to ease the settlers’ celebrations. During the Friday demonstration tens of protesters crossed Nablus road and demanded to protest exactly where the police allowed hundreds of settlers to protest two days before. In an act of non-violent civil disobedience, they sat on the road in protest until they were violently dispersed by the police. Ten demonstrators were arrested and spent the weekend under arrest.

Let us continue to protest against enforcement of the law that grants only Jews the right of return and only settlers the right to protest in the neighborhood.

The demonstration will take place on Friday at 16:00 in the neighborhood

We meet on Nablus Road, near the American Colony Hotel"

During the week Israeli activists were involved with local Palestinian and their persistent struggle against the transfer.

This Friday too some 300 demonstrators gathered in Sheikh Jarrah to protest the banishing of Palestinian families from their homes and their replacement by Jewish settlers. Many demonstrators came to fill the places of those activists who were badly beaten or barred from returning to the demonstration following last week's demonstration.

This week the protest stayed in the park opposite the neighborhood, where the police usually allows it to take place, and no confrontations took place. Several activists who crossed the road and handed out leaflets to the police, explaining why it was wrong to support the Apartheid policies in the neighborhood and to beat and arrest demonstrators, were frowned upon and sent back to join the rest of the demonstration.

This week too a group of few dozen Israeli activists marched from old city Nablus gate to Sheikh Jarrah demo with drums, flags, and chants and were warmly greeted by the big crowd already there.

TEL AVIV

"This Friday we will also hold a protest vigil about Sheikh Jarrah in Tel Aviv at 16:00 on the corner of King George and Ben Zion The vigil will be joined those who are restrained from the neighborhood, the Tel Aviv drummers and supporters. We will stand at the same hour in Tel Aviv and Sheikh Jarrah and cry “You cannot kill popular resistance”. For further information: D.

21.05.2010 - Report from Tel Aviv - Protest in solidarity with Sheikh Jarach

Approximately 100 Israeli protestors gathered in the corner of Ben-Zion Boulevard and King George street, among them about 10 of the regular Sheikh Jarrah protesters who are under restriction from last week. With a small speaker and loud chants we reminded Tel Avivians that just a 45 minutes drive away, elders, men, women and children are thrown out from their homes to the street, while those who speak out for them are thrown into prison. Those of us who stood closer to the road got the pleasure of being cursed occasionally by drivers. A bit later some teenagers started singing "Jerusalem of Gold" from a bus towards the demonstration, and were silenced by the protestors chanting "You have no shame? an occupied city is not holy" (in Hebrew it rhymes). I was lightly attacked by a motorcyclist who tried to tear my sign which read "Sheikh Jarrah is Palestine". After about an hour the demonstration was over, and a march idea came up, but was turned down in favor of a short meeting to make plans for following weeks. An angry policeman didn't care and continued to threaten us not to hold a march. Following his excitement, we will seriously consider marching next time.

Videos:

http://www.tv.social.org.il/medini/stv-sheich-jarach-tl...0.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p9AYJnbTxQ
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1437252860561...ef=mf Friday Tel Aviv demo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwXsusMLkZ8

WAD RAHAL (near Ma'sara)

"We have been invited to a meeting in Wad Rahal (near Ma'sara) on Thursday 20-5-10. They got new confiscation orders for their lands and have had a few demonstrations".

WALAJA

"This Friday 21-5-10 we will go to al wallaje for a tour by the local committee followed by the weekly demo. We will leave from the bell park in Jerusalem at 10:00 and return after the demo to Sheikh Jarrah at about 15:00. To join for either/both tour and demo contact....

This Friday, about 20 Israelis and internationals joined a few dozen Palestinians for a demonstration in Walaja against the wall that is going to enclose the village and turn it into an enclave/open air prison. After a brief march speeches were held in Hebrew, English and Arabic. The army didn't approach the demo. Then we went to the protest tent set up on the village's lands that are to be confiscated for constructing the wall, where the local elders gave the visitors a first hand account of the history of the village since the 1948 war. The organizers reported that the legal case against the local section of the wall is to be reopened on July 25, but the authorities are not freezing the construction. The local organizers are therefore trying to bring the legal proceedings forward, and invite activists to join the villagers on Sunday 9:00 to resist the bulldozers.

------------------------
See Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com