Update on Bil'in Arrestees

A military appeals judge ruled today to extend the detention of non-violent community organizer Abdullah Abu Rahme of Bil'in until Sunday at 11:00 AM when the military prosecution's appeal against Abdullah's release on bail will be heard.

Earlier today a different military judge ruled to release Abdullah and Akram Al Khatib on bail. The two were arrested during a nonviolent protest in Bil'in last Friday. Akram was released on the condition that he remain 500 meters away from the Annexation Fence in Bil'in except in areas that are built up areas within the village. But the prosecution appealed Abdullah's release.

Abdullah has yet to be charged with anything, but the prosecution claimed that he assaulted a soldier during his arrest and tried to grab his weapon. Witnesses' statements, pictures and video of the event that were presented to the judge tell a different story of a peaceful protest violently attacked by the Israeli military forces.

Another resident of Bil'in, Tamer al Khatib, is being detained at Ofer Military Base. Tamer was arrested yesterday along with six other non-violent activists who had locked themselves into a metal cylinder on the route of the annexation Barrier. The activists were initially charged with attacking Israeli soldiers. But upon viewing video of the event, an Israeli judged said that, on the contrary, the peaceful activists were attacked by Israeli soldiers.

Despite having been arrested at the same event and accused of the same charge, the Israeli and international activists were offered immediate release on the condition that they stay away from the wall's route in Bil'in for 15 days. But Tamer was transferred to a military detention center and will probably spend six days there before he sees a judge.

In protest of this racist treatment three of the activists, Alison Brim of North Carolina, Nina Olsen of Denmark, and ISM cofounder Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American from Michigan, refused to be released and spent the night in detention only to return before a judge the next day. The activists' lawyer, Yael Berda, added a statement to their conditions of release document that explained that the women regard their being offered conditional release while Tamer remains in detention as racist and unjust. Huwaida Arraf informed the judge that they refuse to stop protesting the Illegal annnexation Wall. All three were released on conditions.

The Israeli government continues its policy of attacking, arresting and fabricating charges against non-violent Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who are protesting against the construction of the Annexation Wall on Palestinian land. The Wall has been declared illegal by the International Court of Justice, the world's highest legal institution.

For more information, email ISMNC at: palestinesolidarity@gmail.com

STAYING ARRESTED TOGETHER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20/7/2005

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT — Three international activists are refusing to sign release papers after being arrested alongside a Palestinian protester. The arrests occurred during a nonviolent action against the Illegal barrier in the West Bank village of Bil'in. The three women, one Danish, two U.S. citizens, say they won't accept conditional releases so long as the Palestinian they were arrested with is not offered the same treatment. The three go before a civil judge Thursday July 21. The Palestinian awaits a military trial.

The arrestees were among a group of Palestinians, internationals and Israelis at a nonviolent action against construction of the barrier on Palestinian land.

Alison Brim of North Carolina, Nina Olsen of Denmark, and ISM cofounder Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American of Michigan, were taken in front of a judge and offered release with the condition that they stay 500 meters away from the path the wall in Bil’in. Meanwhile, Bil'in resident Tamer Al Khatib was taken to Ofer Military Base where he awaits military trial. In solidarity with their Palestinian friend, the international activists refused. They are being held in Givaat Zeev police station, awaiting a court appointment set for 12 p.m. Thursday at the Peace Court in the Russian Compound.

The four were among seven activists arrested Wednesday morning in Bil'in. Also arrested were Pel'e Minddal of Denmark and Israelis Avi Mugrabhi and Moshe Berger. Minddal signed papers for immediate release in order to get medical treatment for his arm, which was injured amid the arrest. Berger and Mugrabhi also signed for their release.

The protest Wednesday involved several activists. The seven who were arrested had locked themselves inside a large metal cylinder decorated with symbols of the Palestinian political factions and a Palestinian flag which was placed in the path bulldozers use to build the wall on Palestinian land in Bil'in. Only their heads and feet poking out of port holes and they were
chained to one another inside.

Israeli soldiers beat them with batons and cut into the cylinder, forcing the activists out.

Interestingly, the arrested activists were charged with attacking the soldiers. The charge was dismissed by a judge Wednesday who had viewed a video tape of the incident and stated that it obviously was the soldiers who had attacked the activists.

Violence, false charges and harassment are not new responses to the nonviolent resistance in Bil’in. Abdallah Abu Rahme and Akram Al Khatib, members of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall have been in detention at Ofer Military Base since their arrest during a non-violent demonstration Friday, July 15. They have a military court appearance scheduled for today at Ofer Military Base.

For more information contact:

In Israel/Palestine:
054-5892681 or
ISM Media Office, 02-2971824.

In North Carolina email ISMNC:
palestinesolidarity@gmail.com

For photographs:
freckle.blogs.com/photos/strength_in_unity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Protesters blocked the path of the Annexation Barrier

Bil'in- 6:00 AM Today
Protesters blocked the path of the Israeli bulldozers working to build the Apartheid Wall in Bil'in. They were chained together in a cylinder six meters long which allowed only their heads and legs to be visible.

The seven protesters include Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals. They were cut out of the cylinder by Israeli soldiers who hit them with batons, prodded them with wire cutters and then arrested them.

The seven include, Bili'in resident Tamer Al Khatib, Co- founder of the ISM Huwaida Arraf, Alison from North Carolina, Nina and Pel'e from Denmark and Israelis Avi Mugrabhi and Moshe Berger. They are currently being held at Givaat Zeev police station.

Muhhamed Al Khatib, one of the leaders of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, a group that is committed to non-violent resistance of the Annexation Barrier was singled out from the group of non-violent protesters and detained, but was later released.

Abdallah Abu Rahme and Akram Al Khatib, also members of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall have been in detention at Ofer Military Base since their arrest during a non-violent demonstration Friday, July 15, 2005.

The cylinder was decorated with symbols of the Palestinian political factions and a Palestinian flag in the center, and carried the message our unity is our strength.

ISM North Carolina is asking for donations to help cover the legal expenses Alison's arrest will incur. You may donate online at the ISM NC blog site, http://ismnc.blogspot.com

More information will follow from ISMNC as soon as it is received. For pictures of the demonstration, go to:
http://freckle.blogs.com/photos/strength_in_unity/index.html

UPDATE (3:20 p.m. North Carolina):
Three international activists are refusing to sign release papers after being arrested alongside a Palestinian protester during a rally against the Apartheid Wall in the West Bank village of Bil'in. The three American citizens say they won't make a deal with police so long as the Palestinian they were arrested with is treated differently.

For more information contact: 054-5892681 or ISM Media Office 02-2971824

Violence against Bil'in Continues

To commemorate the one year anniversary of the International Court of Justice decision that the annexation barrier being built by Israel is illegal, hundreds of villagers, Palestinians from surrounding villages, internationals, and Israelis demonstrated in Bil'in on Friday. The people of Bil'in constructed a three-meter high scale, with Israel on one side and the rest of the world on the other side, Israel weighing much more than the world. The scale represented the symbolic scales of justice and had a US American flag at the top, giving the message that the USA sees justice as what Israel wants rather than for all peoples from all countries. Carrying the scale, as well as posters and Palestinian flags, we marched toward the route of the wall chanting in Arabic and enjoying the music from the taxi that accompanied us along our route. Hundreds of meters form the route of the wall we were met by Israeli soldiers and border police we were waiting for us behind a roadblock they had set up with concrete blocks and barbed wire. The soldiers had also posted documents near the barrier to show us that the area beyond the roadblock was a closed military zone. Upon reaching the roadblock we chanted in English, Arabic, and Hebrew, and then stopped for the midday prayer. Following the prayer there was some negotiating between the villagers and the Israeli army commander, and the demonstrators removed the barded wire that was lying across the road to the
wall. A few moments later the soldiers and police began shooting tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber bullets into the crowd of demonstrators as some of the young Palestinians began to throw stones toward the soldiers. The demonstration was dispersed into the village at this point, and the soldiers followed the demonstrators, ruthlessly continuing to shoot rubber bullets and some live ammunition. I was standing next to one young Palestinian man who was handing out water to the demonstrators when he was suddenly shot by a rubber bullet in the side of his head. He immediately collapsed, blood rushing from his head, and several people rushed to get him into an ambulance. When I saw this man shot by an Israeli soldier, my realization of how brutal the occupation is reached a new level. This man was simply offering water to his friends and guests to his village when he was wounded. Being Palestinian it seems is reason enough for the Israeli military to shoot deadly weapons at a person. At least four other Palestinians were wounded at this demonstration, and two, including the man shot in the head, had to stay overnight in the hospital. The last word I received about him, one day later, was that he was in intensive care, experiencing internal bleeding, and unconscious as a result of his injury.

Posted by Allison

Bil’in persists

We arrived early for the usual Friday demonstration in Bil’in. The ISM flat in the village was full of Palestinians villagers and Israeli and international activists busily preparing the latest of the pieces of protest display this village is so well-known around Palestine for. This time it was a series of bits of fence, to be connected by activists covered in sheets reading “the wall tears us apart” and other such slogans in English, Arabic and Hebrew.

The demonstration proceeded along an alternative route to the one the weekly marches usually take. We spotted the soldiers waiting for us on the hill opposite and many villagers laughed at our successful bit of trickery. The joy was short-lasted as the soldiers spotted us and began running across the hills. They caught up with us near the road used by the construction crews working on the annexation barrier. The commander waved around a piece of paper and declared the area a closed military zone. We demonstrators stood our ground as many more came streaming over the hill. The situation was rather tense, and after around five minutes, the soldiers began throwing sound bombs and shooting their new ’sponge’ bullets directly at demonstrators. I saw a soldier (who I recognized as one of the group who arrested me a few weeks ago) aim his weapon right at my face. I turned and ran. He fired, and hit me in the back of the neck with a ’sponge’ from a distance of twenty meters. Turned out that was the least of six injuries that were to occur during the demonstration. One person was hit near the eye with what was probably a rubber-coated steel bullet. Four Israeli demonstrators were arrested, two of whom were released towards the end of the demonstration.

The army continued to shoot tear gas as demonstrators, as the latter moved up and down the hills. Palestinian youth responded with stone-throwing, and Israeli media later reported that one soldier was injured by a stone.

As the demonstration was coming to an end and many demonstrators were preparing to leave, the army invaded the village. Villagers had blocked the road with rocks, a trash can and a bathtub. An army jeep bypassed the barricades and entered the village. Soldiers shot many rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and tear gas. One Palestinian boy was arrested. The boy apparently had not participated in the demonstration. His mother came to one of the village’s organizers in tears later on. Her boy needs medication and she was worried he would not be given access to drugs.

Bil’in is going to lose sixty percent of its land to the annexation barrier, yet every week the army exacts another toll from the villagers. This time it’s one more useless arrest, one more mother in tears among the injured. The price of non-violent resistance is huge, but Bil’in villagers persist, week after repressive week.

Posted by Rann