A-Infos (en) Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle get international ripples

This week the joint struggle against the occupation and the separation fence got lot of 
media space. Especially the bank-rot of a building company in Modi'in Ilit where the 
success to get a verdict to move the route to the west put it out of business. The BDS our 
comrades involved in got huge exposer as an Israeli academian published an article on it 
in US media, and the rightists attached him out of proportion. In addition to the Friday 
demonstrations against the separation fence and occupation in Bil'in and Ni'ilin, we were 
involved also in the demonstration in Bidu & Beit Surik, that may become weekly too. A new 
site of joint struggle? "A meeting in Qarawat is scheduled for this Thursday (27.8) at 
17:00. There aren't yet too many concrete ideas for action in the area..."


Bidu & Beit Surik

The village Bidu who was involved in an intense struggle against the separation fence six 
and five years ago regain the struggle again. This time the focus is the restriction of 
the passage of villagers to cultivate their land on the "Israeli" side of the electronic 
fence.

This Sunday (30.08.09), 10 activists of the Anarchists Against the Wall (AAtW) joined few 
international activists an few dozens of villagers of Bidu & Beit.

After we converged, the gate to the route and the gate of the electronic fence were forced 
open. When the Israeli state forces rushed to the place people set down in the middle of 
the route. After a while and negotiations, the demonstrators moved back to the side of the 
village and a long and hot "discussion" started between the Israeli authority personnel 
and the village activists.

This week, in spite of threats by the commander of the state force, no one was detained 
and we returned safely home.


Bil'in

"Thursday, 27 August 2009: The Bil’in popular committee and their friends - including 
Israeli activists [of the AAtW], welcomed the delegation of the “Elders”, including Jimmy 
Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu who visited the Apartheid wall in Bil’in. The “Elders” 
placed symbolic stones on the monument commemorating Bassem Abu Rahme, a non-violent 
activist who was shot dead on 17th April 2009 while attempting to speak with Israeli 
soldiers during a Friday non-violent demonstration. (A video can be seen on 
http://palsolidarity.org/2009/04/6185)"

Friday 28.8

The demonstration started at the center of the village directly after the Friday prayers, 
with participation of hundreds of Palestinians of the PFLP (including two groups from 
Lebanon and Syria), and from Bil'in, 20 international and 30 Israeli activists of the AAtW 
initiative. Demonstrators walked chanting in the village streets and in the road leading 
to the gate to the west of the fence.

Like in previous Friday, while marching on the road - long before we reached the gate of 
the route of the separation fence, a unit of the Israeli state force located beyond the 
fence threw tear gas grenades which did not deter us.

As the protesters reached the Apartheid Wall, Israeli activists dressed up as construction 
workers with yellow helmets holding up road signs such as "Illegal Wall ahead," "Wall 
Removal in Progress," and "Construction work  ahead" cordoned off the barbed-wire fence 
and gate inside the Wall. One of the activists hit the steel fence with a huge hammer in a 
symbolic action of dismantling of the fence. It was a way to call the attention to the 
need to remove the separation fence and to not yet implemented verdict/resolution issued 
by the Israeli Supreme Court to move the route of the fence eastward.

The Israeli state force at the gate area were nearly out of site beyond their 
fortification and passive for nearly half and hour. When the demonstration started to 
march back to the village, the state forces got active and showered us with a cloud of 
tear gas and spray of stinking water. Three protesters were lightly wounded - including 
the wheel chaired Rani Burnat who nearly never miss his place at the head of the Friday 
demonstration. (He was shot at his neck in a demonstration in 2000 by Israeli sharpshooter 
of the state forces 2000 and only one of his hands is in good condition). He was scorched 
by a tear gas grenade thrown to his lap. Dozens others were suffocated with tear gas.

Friday 28.8.2009 Bil'in demonstration at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPwWMYU-ex0

Ni'ilin

This week's demonstration in Ni'ilin was longer than usual, anticipating the coming 
Ramadan month, with its daily fast.
The 100 demonstrators marched to the route of the fence to view the concrete wall under 
construction parallel to the existing fence. Israel has built the wall farthest it could 
from the settlement Chashmonaim trying to satisfy its appetite for Palestinian land, thus 
locating the fence in a topographically low area – allowing the village youth to through 
heavy stones on it, and so inflicting it with heavy damages. The military now erects the 
concrete 8 meter high wall to defend the wire fence...
The demonstrators faced various weapons used by the soldiers, including tear-gas grenades 
shooting, rubber bullets, the smelly "skunk" and live ammunition to the air. After having 
an eating & drinking intermission, and after the Israeli demonstrators had already left 
the village, the youth once again took to the fields, succeeding in crossing the gate to 
the route of the fence. The soldiers shot rubber bullets, and apparently some extended 
range tear gas canisters.

Ni'ilin Friday 21.8.2008 video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di7VL4DyVic
  Ni'ilin 28-8-09 - link to video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUVJP-JfKcI
http://www.youtube.com/v/Di7VL4DyVic

OFER (concentration camp)

Video of the August the 24th demo outside Israeli military prison Ofer calling for release 
of political prisoners http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/08/25/18619243.php
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