commentary from Israel & the West Bank
Posts tagged hebron
Settlers Throw Stones and the Army Arrests Children- Video from Hebron 15 May 2010
May 19th
Below is video from the (now) weekly peace march to Open Shuhada Street in Hebron. While the video is not subtitled, one can get the feeling of the atmosphere during these marches and the behaviour of the IDF and the settlers.
What you see here is nothing short of breath taking… the settlers, in plain view, throw stones onto the peaceful protesters. The army responds by trying to arrest Palestinian children. The fiction of Kafka comes again to mind yet even Kafka could not think of something so bizarre. Hebron is a city without rules. It is the wild west of Israel and, in a profound way, the face of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
Another Demo in Hebron Against Occupation and Settlements
May 2nd
Yesterday, Open Shuhada Street along with Ta’ayush and the Anarchists Against the Walls held a protest in the old city (cashbah) of Hebron against continued Israeli occupation and settlements in the city. The protest was peaceful unlike last week. Youth Against the Settlements, the nonviolent direct action peace organization based in Tel Rumeida plans to hold weekly protests every Saturday.
Report from Demonstration against Policy of Separation in Hebron 24 April 2010
Apr 26th
The day starts off as all of them do with an early meeting in Jerusalem. As I walk to our meeting place, religiously observant Jews are walking to shul for the Shabbat morning prayers. They often look me in the eye and affectionately say “Shabbat Shalom”. I wonder if they would behave the same way if they knew where I was headed for the day.
Our group is large. We have multipe vehicles and groups of three to ten people go to different farming areas throughout the south West Bank. Our plan is to assist Palestinian farmers and document any settler violence or IDF harassment. The farming work goes as planned and we have no problems with the settlers or the IDF on this day. Eventually all of the Ta’ayush groups meet outside of Susya.. At this point, there is a decsion to be made at this point. Some can continue to the heart of Hebron where there will be a protest against a weekly settler tour that takes place in the old city (the Cashbah) of Hebron or return to Jerusalem. I choose Hebron.
The situation in Hebron is one of the worst in the west bank. The old city lies in the heart of the city and is one of the most depressing examples of Israeli occupation. The main street running through the Palestinian part of the old city is called Shuhdah Street and it has been closed by Israeli authories and continued settler violence. The once thriving commercial center of the city now looks like a ghost town. The shops are boarded up and made have graffiti from the settlers. One can experience the occupation with all five senses in Hebron.
Youth Against Settlements is a national Palestinian non-partisan activist group which seeks to end Israeli colonial activistes in Palestine (building and expanding settlements) through non-violent popular struggle and civil disobedience which is based in the Tel Rumida neighboorhood of Hebron. Ta’ayush has done many joint actions with YAS including building a protest outpost just outside of Kiryat Arba. They decided that it is time to take non violent direct action to the Shuhadah Street.
Their idea was simple. Protest the closure of Shuhada Street to Palestinians and the illegal settlements in Hebron. The idea was to cross paths with one of the normal “Jewish settler tours” that take place on Saturdays. We would form a human barrier and block the tour. As we traveled to Hebron, the mood among Ta’ayush members was a little tense. Hebron is a serious area and in order to arrive at the protest destision we would have to travel through the H1 section of Hebron which is technically off limits to Israeli nationals. It was a risk that everyone was willing to take.
The protest started calmly with protesters standing in front of the gate where the tour usually enters, holding signs and chanting slogans in Arabic, English, and Hebrew; this continued for some time without any disturbance. Soldiers and Israeli police looked onto and videotaped the protest from pillboxes and rooftops nearby. Eventually the protest was declared over, but was then suddenly reignited with news that the settlers had managed to enter the Casbah through another entrance. The protestors then began to advance through the marketplace alleyways to where the tour was said to be but they were met by a line of soldiers who blocked their path. Protestors continued chanting and tried to push past the soldiers claiming that it should not be a crime to walk through their own city. Protestors tried several times to run around to different entrances into the market to prevent the tour from progressing, but each time they were met by a chain of soldiers and the face-off /pushing began again. Amidst the chaos of running back and forth, one Israeli activist was arrested for no apparent reason.
When the protesters re-grouped at the original location alongside the checkpoint gate, they formed a human wall in front of the soldiers by linking arms. The soldiers stood in front of the protestors, blocking them, in order to create a clear path for the settlers to exit the Casbah and pass through the gate back to Shuhada Street. The police then arrived and arrested two more Israeli activists as well as a Palestinian activist and resident of Tel Rumeida, Hebron. One of the arrests was particularly violent as the protestor was pushed to the ground and then dragged/carried away. The protest ended shortly afterwards. At 0200 in the morning all three of the Israeli arrestees were relased with no crime being charged. The Palestine arrestee is sitting in the Ofer military prison. The police are claiming that he assaulted an officer. It is unclear when he will be released and yet another example of how two sets of law govern the West Bank; one for Palestinians and one for Israelis.
Protest in Hebron 25 February 2010
Feb 26th
On the afternoon of February 25, 2010 about 300 Palestinian, Israeli, and International activists met at the Hebron municipality where they made posters, distributed t-shirts and hats, and spoke with media personnel before they began the march towards Shuhada Street in Hebron. The protesters marched in the rain waving flags, linking arms, and chanting slogans in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. The protesters remained true to their commitment to nonviolence, yet they were met by a very heavy army presence which was quick to deploy harsh crowd dispersal techniques that included a heavy amount of tear gas and stunt grenades. The tear gas canisters were fired from all directions, often coming very close to hitting people. A few elderly protesters fainted and were evacuated by ambulance. Protestors scattered and rain in all directions to avoid the tear gas, but the army appeared to be surrounding the protest and shooting from all sides. The army continually tried to push the protesters further back by creating a human wall and physically pushing the protesters who, in response, formed their own wall to withstand the pressure. Three Israelis were picked out the crowd at random, taken away by the police and detained temporarily. One international activist was arrested and then released several hours later. The clashes between the military, police, protesters, and a few notorious settlers continued for about an hour and 45 minutes until a final barrage of tear gas caused everyone to retreat.
What it Means to re-Open Shuhada Street
Feb 24th
a Letter from Zleikha Muhtaseb, resident of Shuhada Street:
What it means to re-open Shuhada Street..
Many people migh think why do we need to have Shuhada Street open.. it’s one of the most important streets in Hebron, as it connects the northern part of the city to the south. Not only this, it also connects people.. many people have lost their social life when the Street was closed, because their relatives and friends do not like to be stopped at the check-points or in the streets when they come to visit. And when they visited in the past, it used to be a walking distance, but now they need to take a detour around the city to get to the house they desire. People now think ten times when they plan a visit to house at Shuhada Street. First, they have to consider the time that they will take for the visit, and the money they will spend. Many people lost their businesses when Shuhada Street was closed and the job opportunities are less available these day than before, so they have to think money wise.
Personally, I live at Shuhada Street but I can’t use my front door because I am Palestinian. My neighbours made an opening in their wall to make me a passage so that I don’t become a hostage in my house. In fact I live like a prisoner in my house.. I have installed some wire fence on my balconies to be protected from the stones “gifts” that the settlers always throw at the house. Before the fence, I could not open my shutters. If by mistake I left the shutters open, I would immediately recieve the “gifts” from these settlers. I still recieve these “gifts” but they do not hit me like before. I collected these “gifts” and used them to decorate my garden and wrote the word “peace” in Arabic.
It’s really hard to live where I am because everything is closed, I used to go shopping nearby, but now if I go shopping, I need to walk a distance and carry my shopping because I can’t bring my shopping home in a car. One time I had a sever kidney pain, I could not have the ambulance in front of my door to go to the hospital. My brother’s house is 2 minutes walk from Shuhada, but I need to walk about 20 minutes to get to his house.
The Israeli army and police always tell us that they are in the area for the protection of both Palestinians and Israelis, but in fact, they stormed my house 3 times in one week to check about a complaint from a soldier that some children threw stones at the street from my house, although I live only with my mother and have no children. Many times the settler children and youth threw stones at my house and I filed complaints to the soldiers and police, and they did nothing to stop it.
Opening Shuhada Street is a big need for peace and humanity.
Zleikha Muhtaseb
Shuhada Street
For More Information Click
Open Shuhada Street in Hebron
Jan 17th
Open Shuhada Street! February 25, 2010 International Day of Action from Open Shuhada Street on Vimeo.
This is a call to action for everyone who stands in solidarity with Palestinians fighting for their human rights. On February 25, 2010 activitsts around the world will participate in an international day of action to raise awareness about the issue of lack of freedom of movement in the Palestinian city of Hebron. The closure of Shuhada Street to Palestinians is just one prominent example of the policy of separation that affects the lives of Palestinians all across the occupied Palestinian territories.
Join the struggle to end the occupation and organize a demonstration in your city on February 25, 2010!!
For more information:
openshuhadastreet.org
openshuhadastreet@gmail.com
Who Benefits?
Jun 17th
Visiting the city of Hebron is a jarring experience. The center of the city has the eerie feeling of a ghost town yet there are people walking the streets. As if the city had been deserted and suddenly a small group of residents took over the whole place. The once thriving Arab shops are now boarded up and have graffiti of Jewish ownership on the doors (Stars of David spray painted on every shop door). Every 200 meters is an IDF checkpoint manned by two or three helpless Israeli boys not over the age of nineteen. It is grim.
How could anyone have a feeling of happiness in such a place? One can say that the Jews have a special relationship with Hebron but the situation of the ground there should make that person cringe. If you believe that Hebron has a special place in Jewish religious and historical perspective, like me, the current situation there should have you in tears. Yet, there are settlers who walk the streets of the city with pride and accomplishment written on their confused, violent faces.
Yesterday, Ta’ayush along with Breaking the Silence had a social gathering at the house of Issa Amro, the director of Youth Against Settlements and field member of Btselem. Issa’s house is nestled in a quiet grove in the center of the city surrounded by Jewish settlers. As we walked to his house we were stopped by two IDF units demanding to see a ‘permit’ to be in the area. For you see, if you are an Israeli Jew and not a settler, your freedom of movement in Hebron is limited. The Israeli government does not want anyone to see the reality of life in Hebron not even its own population. Solider after solider stopped us and told us that we could not be there and droves of young settler children surrounded us yelling, ‘you are not allowed to be here! You are not allowed to be here!” We just kept walking and finally made it to the house and the party.
The party was wonderful. We were Israelis and Palestinians together in the heart of the occupation having a barbeque and enjoying each other’s company. A more impossible situation I cannot imagine but we pulled it off. Despite the group of settlers who came to videotape what we were doing (Arabs and Jews socially eating together? What?). As well as a brief visit by Police officers who were sent to harass Ezra, the evening was a smashing success. We ended the night with a speech of two South African volunteers about their experience volunteering in the West Bank. They talked about their experience with nonviolence in South Africa and the hope that they have for us.
Earlier in the day, Mairav and I went with Ezra Nawi to the land of the Maharik family who were under threat of house demolition. The Maharik family are farmers and live in two places throughout the year depending on the season, a common practice among groups of farmers in the Southern West Bank. The IDF often harasses these types of people usually with little official permission. When we arrived to their land two International Red Cross workers were interviewing the land owner. The clearly marked Red Cross car was like a shield in front of the remaining tent.
The area where the family lives is between the settlement of Susya and Asahel right next to the IDF base Shani. According to the Red Cross members, the IDF had come, without a permit for house demolition, and destroyed two tents in the middle of the night. They informed the land owner that they would return and destroy the final structure but were not clear as to when. His entire family, almost thirteen children, was now living in one tent. Our goal and purpose was to be a presence when and if the IDF returned. We spent a calm afternoon with them in their remaining tent. Some internationals arrived in the early evening with plans to spend the night. As it stands now, the internationals are still there. Patiently acting like a presence.
The afternoon was spent playing with the children of the Maharik family who were happy for the strange visitors. They were dancing, laughing, and smiling like kids do. I was struck that they could, at any minute, be left without a home. It was encouraging to see their smiles and feel the resilience of children but I left them with a feeling of such deep sadness.
How these children must be scared when, in the middle of the night, the IDF comes to destroy their home? How this experience must affect the poor soldiers who are commanded to carry out the deed? Who wins in this situation? Who benefits from this?
Max Blumenthal Covers Ta'ayush
Jun 1st
Max Blumenthal, the cutting edge American journalist, has been covering Israel from the inside over the past month. Three weeks ago, he accompanied Ta’ayush to the village of Safa and the illegal outpost of hilltop 26 (18). Below is his video report from the day. I am interviewed from the fifth minute forward.
Israel Continues to Violently Repress Unarmed Demonstrations Against the Occupation
Jul 25th
Posted by Joseph Dana in Unarmed Resistance
1 comment
This past weekend, just like the past weekends of recent years gone by, various unarmed demonstrations against the occupation took place throughout the West Bank. Palestinians joined by Israelis and International supporters held demonstrations in Wad Rahel, Masara, Nabi Salih, Ni’ilin, Bi’ilin, Hebron, Beit Umar and Beit Jala. The Israeli response to these demos has been violent repression using crowd dispersal methods. In Hebron, about 100 Palestinians and their international and Israeli supporters gathered next to the closed gates of the Israeli army blockade on Shuhada street in the Saturday demonstration of the “Open Shuhada Street” campaign in Hebron. After some chanting and speeches against the occupation and settlements and for freedom of movement in Hebron, the protesters headed towards one of the old city allies, blocked by Israeli soldiers. The soldiers violently attacked the demonstration and in the commotion that erupted have managed to grab into arrest 4 internationals and one Israeli protester. Due to the Israeli army’s determination to end the demo, the protesters sat on the ground in front of the soldiers, continuing the demo while sitting. After a while the demo was declared over and participants started going away from the soldiers, who kept going after the retrieting crowd. At a certain point one of the soldiers threw out a sound bomb. Below video by fil kaler.
David Reeb has uploaded a video of the demo in Nabi Salih this Friday in which one can clearly see IDF soldiers using tear gas projectiles as bullets. Towards the end of the video pay close attention to the angle of the tear gas as the soldiers discharge the projectile. Instead of firing at an arch in order to spread out the tear gas, which is IDF protocol in these demos, the soldiers fire them directly at Palestinian youth in the village. This has resulted in countless injuries and in some cases, deaths of Palestinian protesters.