2 Roadblocks Removed in 1 Day

October 23, 2006, members of the Palestine Solidarity Project joined with Israeli peace groups Ta’ayush and Anarchists Againt The Wall to challenge the validity of the illegally created road blocks that have been forced upon many Palestinian villages, severly limiting their freedom of movement and access to essentials such as schools, hospitals, and economic centers.

They began their work in the village of Al-Jab’a where they have tried several times to remove a roadblock blocking the path from Surif to Al-Jab’a (please see previous report for more information on this situation). As they waited for more demonstrators to join them, an Israeli military hummer pulled up and was parked in front of the roadblock. Fearing an early confrontation here might influence the success of their other planned actions, the activists proceeded to move onto the village of Zif.

Once in Zif, Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists immediately moved to attach ropes to the large cement blocks. Upon realizing the demonstrators’ intentions, nearby Palestinians quickly joined them and took their spots on the rope. They pulled and pushed together until finally they were able to remove 2 blocks. The army did not see the activists nor did they come to interfere in the action. The activists returned to the cars and moved on to the village of Beit Ommar, leaving the Palestinians of Zif with a semi-open road and with more ease in transportation.

When the activists arrived in Beit Ommar they again began to attach the ropes to the blocks. This would be PSP’s second attempt at opening this road (please see previous report). Palestinians from Beit Ommar, along with the traveling International and Israeli activists quickly removed 2 more concrete blocks from the road. As They were finishing with the second stone, the army arrived. During the first attempt to open this roadblock, the army violently attacked demonstrators, causing several severe injuries. Because of this, the activists decided to disperse, as the road had already been successfully opened.

As of 2 days after the actions, both roads remain open.

Settlers Occupy More Land, Destroy Olive Groves

Today, October 21, soldiers and settlers from Susiya settlement came with army- issued bulldozers and proceeded to destroy 150 Dunums (1 Dunum=1/4 acre) of olive groves belonging to the Palestinians. The groves belong to the families of Ashmasti, Abu Sopea and Asha Bin who live in Susiya bedouin camp. The families had planned to harvest these olives at the end of Ramadan, when they would be finished fasting and have more energy to work. Because of the economic crisis throughout Palestine, and the particularly difficult situation for small farming communities in this area which is the beginning of the Negev desert, the demolition of this land will have unbelievably devastating consequences for the people of Susiya, and their ability to survive through the winter, when they will have little or no income.

Susiya settlement is not more than 40 Dunums away from the camp. It started as a trailer camp over 10 years ago and, like many settlements, they were not at first supported by Israel. A group of Israelis decided they would go there and make new houses on this land, and eventually, when they brought enough people, the army would have no choice but to support and protect them. Today, Susiya settlement consists of many permanent houses which are protected by a constant military presence. Often times, when settlers go to attack the Palestinians, they do so with the accompaniment of one of these soldiers. They are currently constructing tents outside of this settlement to watch the Palestinian families and to annex more land for this illegal settlement.

In the past, these settlers have destroyed many crops belonging to the people of Susiya. A little over 1 year ago, settlers and soldiers came to demolish an olive grove, only to plant new olive trees on this same land they had just stolen. Recently, a group of settlers from the camp made bread from poisonous water and fed it to a flock of sheep belonging to the Palestinians. They have stolen trees, fruits, vegetables and animals. They attack these families on a regular basis. The families have tried calling lawyers, police, and the Israeli army, but no action has ever been taken on their behalf. When Abu Khalil was stabbed one month ago, no one was charged with the incident. This story continues.

The olives that were destroyed today were ripe, plump and ready to be picked. Now, the crops these families were depending on are gone, and with it, any possibility of future harvests as this land is now stolen by the settlers, who will, with the support of the Israeli army, claim it as their own and prevent Palestinians from going on it. We believe they will use this as some type of farming land for themselves, as is customary when settlements use this strategy to annex more land. Once they have occupied the land, the Israeli government rarely orders them to return it, and it usually is seen as an extension of the settlement.

PSP will continue to follow this situation.

PSP Destroys Illegal Barriers in Al-Khalil Region

 

On September 15, 2006, Palestinian and international activists, at request of local residents, removed and destroyed large sections of a razor wire barrier erected on Palestinian land in the Hebron region.  The fence, which is designed to isolate and bisect a village, was repeatedly cut, metal stakes removed, and the razor wire ripped to be rendered unusable. The activists worked in teams, sabotaging the fence in many strategic areas. By the end of the action, the activists had destroyed large tracts of the barrier, and created more than six entry and exit points in the fence, allowing the residents of this village to move more freely. Each entry/exit point created spanned more than seven meters. Having accomplished their goal of opening the crossings, the activists returned safely without being observed by IOF soldiers.

On September 17, 2006, for the third time in approximately two weeks, Palestinian and international activists carried out a successful direct action to remove illegal fence and razor wire barriers in the Hebron region. The activists were able to open at least six entry and exit points in this barrier. The sections of the barrier targeted were very near to an Israeli Army checkpoint which is often closed and severly limits the ability of the Palestinians in the area to travel between villages and to the city of Hebron.  The activists again succeeded in cutting this other fence and leaving before the IOF spotted them.

The route of the fence (soon to be Wall) has isolated some families by placing them on the ‘Israeli’ side of the barrier, seprating them from their villages.  Many farmers in the villages have similarly had their land annexed; the barrier making their land inaccessible. Now, by destroying the fence in several locations, PSP was able to create access points for farmers and other travelers to enter and exit the area, accessing their land during this harvest season.  This action was also designed to slow the progress of the construction of the Apartheid Wall which is has begun in many places in the south Betlehem and Hebron regions.

PSP is a newly developed, Palestinian-led, non-violent movement to resist the Israeli occupation which focuses on the specific conditions of the South.

For more information on the Palestine Solidarity Project, please contact palestine_project@yahoo.com

 

Stolen Land in Idhna for Israel’s Apartheid Wall

In the town Idhna, a couple of kilometers from Tarqumia, seventeen thousand from a total of thirty-six thousand dunums have already been confiscated. Twenty-one hundred people live in Idhna and they are completely dependent on their land to survive. In 2005 three thousand dunums were stolen from the village when Israel stated to build the wall. On the other side of the wall there are seven thousand olive trees that belong to the citizens of Idhna. They can’t get to their land. Fifty wells have been either destroyed or made inaccessible at the same time as the wall was being built. The wells are on land behind the wall.

Five thousand dunums have already been stolen to establish a “buffer zone” in front of the wall. Buffer zones are established to make sure Palestinians will not be able to get close to the wall. The remaining nine thousand dunums are behind the wall.

“Missiles have not been stopped by the wall. We are no fools. We know the wall is being built by Israel because they want to steal our land and transfer the people that live here,” says Jamal, the mayor of Idhna. Twenty families have ended up on the other side of the wall. Contact with the village is difficult. “It will get worse when the wall is finished. To get to their houses, they have to ride on donkeys. There are no roads to where they live anymore. They have been destroyed by Israel,” Jamal continues. The families are being threatened with house demolitions if they refuse to move off their land.

There have been one hundred deaths in Idhna since 1956, as a result of attacks by both the Israeli army and settlers. Many people have been injured, but despite the difficult situation, Jamal only wants the occupation to end and for Palestinians to be able to live in freedom.

“We want peace between Palestinians and Israelis. We don’t want people to die.”

Palestinian “Freedom” of Movement?

Six hours. This is how long Palestinians have to wait and submit to control before they can pass the terminal at in the West Bank, which leads either into Israel or further on to the Gaza Strip. The soldiers at the terminal deny this. “All they need is a permission from the District Coordination Office (DCO) and ID-papers and they’ll get through in one minute,” says Schlomo, who is the commander at the terminal.

By three o’clock in the morning the Palestinian workers have already arrived at the terminal. In the best conditions they can pass at nine into Israel with their goods, or on to Gaza via Erez or Karni, the two possible crossings into the Strip.

Those who want to visit family members who are imprisoned in Israel also come to the terminal. Most of Israel’s prisons are in the south and no matter where you live in the West Bank, you have to pass through the terminal in Tarqumia to reach them. At five in the morning the visitors arrive. It is not until twelve midday that they can continue to visit their loved ones after submitting to humiliating security procedures and routine strip searches.

Schlomo, one of the soldiers, says, “All that’s necessary is permission from DCO and ID-papers and they’ll get through in one minute.” “It’s a lie,” says Hasan, another soldier, but changes his mind as soon as he sees us writing. Symbolically he holds his hand in front of his mouth and then says that it’s not a lie at all, and that he cannot speak about this matter.

Permission is needed from the DCO, to be able to visit the prisons. The families have to wait several months before permission is granted. The information given to us by Palestinians about their experience at the terminal conflicts with the soldiers version.

“Two days ago I saw a man who had been handcuffed, both hands and feet. They forced him to lay with his head on the ground and with his mouth open and then forced a gun in his mouth,” says Asam, who owns a car repair shop nearby.

The terminal was built ten years ago and was at that point a checkpoint. It was expanded two years ago and now Israelhas new ideas for how the terminal should function, which in practice means Palestinians will have to wait at the terminal for three days before they can go through. Because this terminal is used (in theory) to transport produce from farmers in the south to the markets in Israel, a system like this would be devastating for the Palestinian economy, which already is almost non-existent.