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The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil,    but because of the people who don't do anything about it

Occupation magazine - Activism Home page  back Print  Send To friend Ni’lin and Bil`in - the struggle intensifies Eran Cohen/Ali Waked ISM/Y-net/Againstwall email network May 24-27, 2008 http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3548491,00.html http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/05/26/3132/ Eran Cohen message sent by email, from to http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/05/26/palestinian-arrested-and-activists-assaulted-as-settlement-expands-further-onto-bilins-land/ ================================================================ Hi all, On Friday [May 24] I was at Ni’lin and we had what I felt was a very successful demo. There were about 130 people altogether, with 20 or so internationals and three of our lot. First we met with some of the organisers in the village and they gave us a short presentation about the village (they went from 78,000 dunum in `48 to 7500 now) and then we marched towards the `disputed` land, right underneath the fence of Hashmonaim settlement. After a lengthy prayer the majority of the village youth and several internationals went down the hill and towards the settlement and the soldiers. The soldiers opened fire with rubber-coated steel bullets and the villagers responded with rocks. After about half an hour of victimless exchange the soldiers fired lots and lots of tear gas towards the more active half of the stone-throwers. During all this the rest of the villagers and the internationals were on the opposite hill, shouting support. After about an hour of running around and hiding behind rocks (unfortunately the soldiers never got close enough for us to address them properly) we left and went back to the village. The only casualty I know of is one guy who got a slightly bruised hand from a rubber bullet. This may seem like a pretty average demo, but the sense of optimism, enthusiasm and sheer anger (at least in the numerous village youth) was inspiring and we all came back feeling exhilarated (though tired) and talking about what a successful action it was. There will be another demo tomorrow (Sunday May 26) at 11am and on Tuesday at 11 again. Tomorrow`s demo is a smaller one for the landowners, and on Tuesday they would like a big gathering. We are invited to both. In solidarity, Eran ========================================================================== Original ISM title: `Activists block bulldozers in Ni’lin` On Sunday 25 May 2008, local villagers, estimated at well over 100 people, accompanied by international and Israeli observers, representatives of the media and human rights workers converged this morning on the village of Ni’lin, west of Ramallah, to demonstrate at the theft of yet more village land by settlers from two nearby illegal Israeli settlements. They attempted to block the path of two bulldozers which were at work marking the new boundary of the Nili and Nala settlements. When completed the encroaching settlements and expected road closures will totally isolate the Palestinian villages of Ni’lin, Mediya, Shookba, Shabteen and Budrus. Residents will then be forced to exit and enter their villages via one strictly controlled access tunnel, making their lives even more difficult than they are today. The construction underway will serve as the course of the illegal apartheid/separation wall which will further isolate villagers not only from their own land but also access to surrounding cities. The protesters were dispersed by armed border police and members of the Israeli army who resorted to the use of force, including tear gas and sound grenades. A young Scottish woman working for the Palestinian Medical Support Team was slightly injured when struck by a tear gas canister detonated at close range. A number of arrests were made and a local man was taken to hospital by ambulance. The extent of his injuries are not yet known. The villagers’ determination to resist the continuing theft of their lands seems to be undaunted and further protests are planned. ================================================================= Original Y-net title: `Palestinians say 10 wounded in protest against security fence near Modi`in` Ten Palestinians were wounded in a demonstration against the security fence in the village of Na`alin, near Modi`in on Tuesday [May 27] afternoon. Protestors told Ynet that IDF and Border Police troops fired rubber-coated steel bullets at them and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. The IDF has yet to respond to the report. (Ali Waked) ========================================================== Original ISM title: `Ashraf abu Rahme arrested and activists assaulted as settlement expands onto Bil’in’s land` On Monday 26th May, Israeli settlers from the Matityahu East settlement, protected by the Israeli army, started construction work looking to expand their settlement further onto the village of Bil’in’s land. Bil’in residents, joined by international and Israeli activists, attempted to block this construction. Ashraf Abu Rahme of Bil’in known to many as Dabaa, managed to scale one of the settler cranes, holding a Palestinian flag. He remained there and succeeded in stopping the work for six hours before being forced down and arrested by Israeli police. Ashraf has been transferred to a military facility. In Israel’s military system Palestinians can be held for 8 days before a military judge approves prolonging their detention. (Israelis on the other hand can only be heals for 24 hours before being brought in front of a judge.) Despite the fact that Despite the the first Phase of the roadmap requires the Government of Israel freeze all settlement activity the Government, including natural growth, the Israeli civil administration (the administrative wing of the occupation) granted permits for the expansion of the outpost of Matityahu East. Six new caravans have been placed on Bil’in land. Eight months after the High Court of Justice ordered the state to dismantle the segment of the separation fence near the Palestinian village of Bil’in within “a reasonable amount of time,” the Defense Ministry has yet to do so. It has not even begun to plan an alternative route there, in accordance with the court’s instruction. See The day after this ruling on the wall the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the outpost of Matityahu East which was built illegally according to Israeli law was retrospectively legalized. Needless to say, the Israeli authorities are not delaying the implementation of this decision. The Israeli authorities consider Matityahu East a “neighborhood” of the Modiin elite settlement and it’s legalization paved the way for granting this ” settlement bloc” the status of a city. See Settlers assaulted the Al Jazeera film crew, and the international and Israeli activists who came to protest the construction. One of the settlers was arrested by the Israeli Police after attempting to bash an international activist head with a rock. When settlers attempted a similar action on the 1st January 2008, two of the Bil’in Popular Committee were hospitalised as settlers attacked them for attempting to block the illegal construction A.K. 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