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Report from Silwan – September 24, 2010--a Palestinian Perspective
Marwan Ghoul, Resident of Silwan--September 24, 2010--
It all started on Wednesday early morning the 22nd of August 2010 when a 32 year old Palestinian man, who was leaving for work, was shot by a security guard for the Israeli settlers for reasons that are still unknown. We only know that the Palestinian was killed by this killing settler. The Palestinian, Samer Sirhan, was murdered in a cold blood because he was shot more than once from four different directions and he crawled about 200 meters on ground bleeding. The people of Silwan woke up to this terrible news and they sadly and angrily buried their martyr. While they were doing this, the Israeli soldiers started throwing tear gas bombs at the people who participated in the funeral.
When the funeral ended, people of Silwan started to react to this unjust, meaningless and provocative killing by throwing rocks, but this time it was the soldiers who came in a hurry to protect the killers, because this is how it goes in the occupier government - the settler killer always gets protection. The Israeli forces started to separate the protestors using tear gas bombs in different directions. Many women, children and old men were suffocated by the gas and many had to go to Palestinian hospitals to receive immediate care.
Despite what happened and despite the presence of the Israeli forces, settlers kept on using their guns to shoot at the Palestinians, but this time under the supervision of these forces.
On the 23rd of September, things kept on going in the same way: Palestinians throwing rocks with soldiers and settlers replying with rubber bullets, life bullets, tear gas and light grenades. On this day more Palestinians were sent to the hospitals for many different reasons. There were many cases of suffocation because when Israeli soldiers threw these bombs they threw it toward areas which are inhabited by Palestinians, and these areas have children and women who are inside their houses. They can`t bear the smell of these bombs, and believe me, no one would ever be able to bear this smell.....
Today, Friday the 24th of September, Palestinians under the age of fifty were forbidden from going to pray at the Al-Aqsa mosque and this for sure helped in increasing the tension. The situation became even more and worse but this time the thing spread throughout Jerusalem, Isawieh, Al-Tur and of course Silwan which couldn`t have a peaceful night since Samer was murdered. This morning the Israeli injustice forces spread all over Silwan and arrested a number of Palestinians without any justified reason. In the meantime the one who committed the murder was out on bail, by a court order. A complete irony but no one can say anything because this is how killers are treated in this unjust occupying state.....

Anyway I write this brief report and I still can smell the gas from outside and I can still hear the boys shouting and throwing rocks toward the Israeli soldiers, and I pray to God that things could calm down as soon as possible before any more Palestinians get killed. I say Palestinians because with such force the only side that is going to be harmed and treated bad is our side (the Palestinian)....
You, who are going to read this report, should know that words can never capture the real story, and being here is VERY different from reading a report....

[DN]
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