Coming into the village of An Nabi Salih, rows of bright red-roofed white homes of the illegal Israeli settlement (also named An Nabi Salih) are clearly visible on the opposite hill.
Friday, May 7, 2010, the villagers began their protest trying to walk to a spring at the edge of their land, close to the settlement. This spring is kept off limits by the Israeli army. The villagers were only able to walk a few blocks from the mosque where they had been praying when they were met by 5 Israeli jeeps with perhaps 30-40 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) soldiers. The soldiers fired huge amounts of tear gas forcing the villagers to halt.
The protest lasted roughly from 1:00 to 5:00, when the IOF jeeps left. The shabah, village teenage boys, responded to the tear gas by throwing stones at the jeeps which seems not dented in anyway, and at soldiers. The stone throwers have to stay a distance from the soldiers to be safe from being hit or caught, so very few stones accurately reach near a soldier. The IOF responded to the stones with tear gas. The shabab kept moving to avoid the jeeps and soldiers.
One of the villagers said that the Israeli soldiers entered the village nightly. It may be that they will look for the youth that forced them off the side of the hill, which may have wounded their pride enough for them to want revenge.
Comment:
At the weekly Iraq Burin protest, Saturday, May 8, 2010, villagers and internationals including MPT , remembered the two young men who were shot to death by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) a month ago in a village protest. (There was international media attention after the 2 youth were killed and a week later, 2 more youth were shot to death in the nearby village of Awarta.) Iraq Burin has frequent incursions of settlers, armed with rocks and sling shots and Israeli soldiers shooting tear gas canisters that shatter windows in home where young children are present. http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-11-26T06:57:00%2B02:00&max-results=10
http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-10-03T22:05:00%2B02:00&max-results=10
This Saturday, after midday prayers, villagers gathered in a central place and then walked across one hillside, through a ravine and up the other hillside into Palestinian land which has become part of the settlement "barrier/security land." This hillside "barrier/security land" has a large village drinking-water well, where settlers skinny dipped and a village grazing area which the IOF prohibits villagers from entering.
The villagers used a siren-like instrument to announce their assent to the hilltop. Once they neared the top, about 10 Israeli soldiers appeared and immediately shot several tear gas canisters at the villagers. Gas clouds filled the hilltop making it impossible to stay there. At 21-year old Palestinian man was hit in the foot with a low-shot canister and had to be helped across the ravine to an ambulance.
The other young Palestinians men moved westward away from the smoke, but the soldiers continued shooting tear gas canisters. Soon the top of the hillside was filled with smoke from the tear gas and then from smoke from the fires in the dry vegetation ignited by the hot tear gas canisters.
After about an hour the protest organizers called the youth to return to the village center. As villagers began to move down the hill, about 15 soldiers or settlers appeared on the top of the hill opposite the village, but there was no further confrontation this Saturday.
After the demonstration, MPT and other internationals went to the Nablus hospital to visit the youth wounded by the tear gas canister. He was hit above the left ankle, but sustained no broken bones and did not need stitches.May 6, 2010, two officers from the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHR) - Occupied Palestinian Territory in Ramallah came to Huwwara to interview MPT and to view the damage done to the MPT office/house when the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) invaded in March, 2010.They were concerned about a possible increase of military attacks against human rights/peace organizations.
The UN human right officers decided not to make a published statement. It is not certain whether the IOF came to the wrong house when they were hunting for several village youth, since they did very little damage, or if they were pursuing MPT related to fall MPT work with other peace activist groups. The UN Human Rights Office will keep the incident on file and MPT will report to them if there is a reoccurrence. MPT will also send the office reports on human rights violations in the area.
The UN representatives said that the United Nations Human Rights (UNHR) organization has increased in size and mandate in Palestine. There will soon be a new office in Nablus. These representatives felt that Israel seems to be more cautious in some situations because of increased publicity of violations. UN Human Rights officers now go often to Nil'in, a village with weekly demonstrations; some resulted in shooting deaths by the IOF of several Palestinians. (Bil’in, a near neighbor of Nil’in, has also suffered deadly attacks by the IOF, but it has received more international media attention.) The officers said that their office is aware of incidents in the West Bank and Gaza, but they cannot always be at the scene immediately or even soon after an incident because of limited personnel.
These UN Human Rights Office representatives also visited the homes of the young Huwwara men taken prisoners by the IOF in home invasions in March, when the MPT office was invaded.
At about 3:00 a.m., May 4th, it is suspected that settlers from one the the three illegal settlements near Al Lubben ash Sharqija village, entered the village setting fire to the mosque. The villagers said they thought they heard noises and movement of cars before they realized the mosque had been set ablaze. A fire truck was called, but too late to prevent most of the damage. The mosque, built in 1977 in this small village of about 3000 persons, was under some reconstruction. One estimate of the repair costs due to the fire was well over $100,000.00.
MPT visited the village and mosque on May 5th. Inside the mosque it appears that settlers had stacked up 50 or so copies of the Koran and set them on fire. Layers of soot from the fire covered the white stone interior of the mosque, making it appear as if it had been painted black. Carpets were burned completely or blackened beyond use.
The Palestinian Authority will do further research on the cause of the fire, but the 50 stacked and burned Korans indicate probable settler activity. The Israeli Civil Authority blamed faulty wiring, but the electricity was shut off in the area when the fire seems to have begun, and this village has had frequent attacks from the three nearby settlements.
The Friday following the burning Tuesday burning, representatives from various villages, governmental, international and Israeli organizations, including Rabbis for Human Rights visited the village and the mosque. Rabbis for Human Rights demanded a thorough investigation.
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Harassment at the Checkpoint
On April 26th a young man came to the IWPS house in Deir Istiya to complain of harassment by Israeli police at the Zatara checkpoint. The MPTer was present and participated in the interview. The following information was taken from the International Women’s Peace Service [IWPS] Human Rights Report.
The 24-year old man from Hares village, Salfit, returning home after taking his wife and two other students to An Naja University, Nablus, reported that he was trailed from Huwarra by an unmarked car along Route 60 as far as Za’tara (Tappuah) Junction and Checkpoint. He was stopped by plain clothed men from the trailing car, who then put on police hats. He said that they threw him to the ground, handcuffing his wrists behind his back and standing with a boot on his neck. He was held like this for approximately 2 hours in the hot sun. He was not searched. A police dog was used to sniff his car and the police threatened to tear his car apart. This young man has been repeated stopped and harassed in checkpoints in the area. His only “crime” is being a young Palestinian man.
House Invasions and Arrests in Deir Istiya
On 29 April 2010, between 2am to 4am, soldiers of the Israeli army invaded the Deir Istiya village of the Salfit district, arresting 5 young men. In all cases as of afternnoon May lst, there has been no information concerning their whereabouts. The families requested International Women’s Peace Service [IWPS] intervention. IWPS has a presence in the Salfit district.
All families suffered harrowing experiences. It was surmised that about 70 soldiers were involved in the home invasions and arrests. Two families were forced to stand outside in the cold night air for 45 minutes. One 16-year old had been detained for a total of 10 hours when he was 11 years old. Another 20 year old young man had been arrested last year and spent 2 weeks in jail. The soldiers said they would take him outside for only 5 -10 minutes, but he was not returned to the family.
The 19 year old son of one family had medical issues, an injured ankle because of being beaten by Israeli soldiers previously and an eye problem for which he had appointment with an eye doctor. He has been detained two times before at ages 15 and 17.
A 22-year old was taken out in his night clothes and slippers and handcuffed in front of his family. This young man had a severe tooth problem and had a dental appointment for the following day.
When another 22 year old was not in his home, soldiers damaged furniture and threatened and used abusive language with the family. Soldiers photographed the home, pinned down the mother, who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, and they temporarily handcuffed the eldest son. Under threat of further destruction of the house and holding an uncle’s Israeli work permit, the captain demanded that their son give himself up to the Israeli army in Qalqiliya the following day. Their son did report to the army office there that afternoon, but there is no subsequent news of his whereabouts. This young man has stomach problems. This was his third arrest and detention, one of which he spent in the Negev prison.
No charges against these men were ever stated. IWPS called Israeli army central offices, the Israeli army humanitarian office, the Palestinian governmental office, the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the Center for Defence of Children [Israeli] trying to locate the young men. As of noon May lst there has been no further information of the whereabouts of these young men. The families will take further action with the Red Cross in order to locate their sons.
No pictures were taken by IWPS as a point of security for the young men. The report on the arrests in Deir Istiya was taken from IWPS Human Rights Reports. MPT was present in Deir Istiya, working with IWPS.
At noon, April 29th, more than 50 settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzar entered the hilltop edge of the Huwwara village. The family, whose home settlers terrorized, stoning and destroying four window panes, told MPT that the settlers were present in the area about twenty to thirty minutes.
After stoning the beautiful huge family home, the settlers moved over to the village hillside park area. This wonderful children’s park was built with USA AID money.Settler broke street lamps and a lamp at the entrance. They stole the loud speaker and lights.Many villagers and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrived at the park at about the same time as the settlers, which may have saved the park from any serious damage. The IOF only watched as the settlers moved through the park and then back over the hill. The family stated that olive trees near the settlement had also been burned. [There are some news reports of arrests of settlers afterwards, however.]
The village of Huwwara just over the hill from Yitzar, the illegal Israeli settlement, has had fairly recent incursions of settlers who burned two cars and disfigured the mosque. The IOF has invaded homes at night and arrested several youth in the past month. [See previous blogs] The Palestinian media reports on the incidents, but there is no legal recourse against the terror inflicted on the Huwwara villagers.
The Bil’in Conference ended midday with the usual Friday demonstration against the wall. The wall cut off more than half of the village of Bil’in land. Although a 2007 Israeli High Court decision mandated that the wall be moved back a considerable distance, but the wall has not been moved one inch. Palestinians, Israelis and internationals, chanting slogans against the wall and the occupation, walked to the wall toward heavily armed Israeli soldiers and jeeps that were behind concrete barricades. Members of the popular committee have been forbidden to be in the march. The man who led some of the chants has a brother and other relatives who have been in prison for months.
The demonstrators moved up toward the gate and moved it a little. Tear gas was fired by the Israeli soldiers throughout the demonstration. It seemed to the MPTer that the gas was more powerful than usual. Tear gas came in clouds from the front, but also from the sides, so that the demonstrators were at times enveloped in a cloud of tear gas.
Suddenly there was a cry that someone had been hurt. A young Israeli-Palestinian (a Palestinian who lives in the 1948 Israeli borders) had been hit in the head by a tear gas canister. Many demonstrators saw the gash in his forehead and blood streaming all over his face. The ambulance quickly took him to the hospital in Ramallah.
A group of about 10 Israeli soldiers passed through the gate and started down the hill toward the demonstrators. With this the majority of the demonstrators began to move back up the hill, but several people stayed behind fearful that some young Palestinians at back of the group would be captured. Two women moving up the hill behind the MPTer moved quickly, but not quickly enough and one was taken and detained for about ten hours. With her were 4 young Israelis – 3 women and one man – and a Palestinian man.
During the detention process the Israeli women were very well informed and helpful. All were held in the jeep area and then in the middle of the night, they taken to a settlement jail. There they were questioned and then released after signing an agreement saying that they would not go to Bil’in or Nil’in for 15 days. If they violate the agreement they face a very large fine.
The Israeli –Palestinian youth hit by the tear gas canister suffered a skull fracture, but did not lose consciousness. He will probably need a steel plate placed in his head.
As part of the Bil’in Conference international groups visited various Palestinian areas, including the Jordan Valley. The Jordan Valley is mainly Area C – Oslo Accords, which means total Israeli military control. (All of Palestine is under Israeli military control, but Area C more so.) It is, therefore, much easier for Israeli settlement s or military to confiscate land and control the limited water supply in this semi-desert area.
It is easy to locate the land controlled by the illegal Israeli settlements because their fields are greener with larger plants. The water for the Jordan Valley comes from the eastern aquifer. Palestinians are only allowed to dig their wells to a certain depth, while settlements continue to dig deeper and deeper which will eventually dry up the aquifer. Most Palestinians in the area have to buy water in portable tanks even though they have wells.
Some of the largest Israeli-owned fruit and vegetable plantations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel are in the Jordan Valley and owned by Carmel Agrexco. Most of these products are sent to Europe by the Carmel Agrexco, a company targeted by the boycott campaign. The confiscation of land and reduction of water for farming has forced many Palestinian farmers away from their land into jobs on settlement plantations. Working conditions on plantations are harsh. The hours are long and the pay is low.
Some Jordan Valley Palestinian villages were denied electricity and access to running water until two years ago. (Bedouin people in the area still have neither electricity nor running water.) Villagers get water irregularly, so are forced to buy water in tanks. Where homes have been demolished, villagers are building with adobe which is labor intensive, needs ample water and skilled builders.
Growing date palms can be a very profitable enterprise, but means careful planning, skill and sufficient water. MPT visited a Palestinian date palm farmer. He has been fairly successful, even though he works as a sharecropper. His home was demolished by the Israeli army at least once. His grove had sufficient water, but an expensive water pump was stolen by the Israeli army which he will have to replace.
What is the future of this little girl in a land without water and freedom?
The Bil’in Conference ended midday with the usual Friday demonstration against the wall. The wall cut off more than half of the village of Bil’in land. Although a 2007 Israeli High Court decision mandated that the wall be moved back a considerable distance, but the wall has not been moved one inch. Palestinians, Israelis and internationals, chanting slogans against the wall and the occupation, walked to the wall toward heavily armed Israeli soldiers and jeeps that were behind concrete barricades. Members of the popular committee have been forbidden to be in the march. The man who led some of the chants has a brother and other relatives who have been in prison for months.
The demonstrators moved up toward the gate and moved it a little. Tear gas was fired by the Israeli soldiers throughout the demonstration. It seemed to the MPTer that the gas was more powerful than usual. (Photo: Journalists have gas masks.) Tear gas came in clouds from the front, but also from the sides, so that the demonstrators were at times enveloped in a cloud of tear gas.
Suddenly there was a cry that someone had been hurt. A young Israeli-Palestinian (a Palestinian who lives in the 1948 Israeli borders) had been hit in the head by a tear gas canister. Many demonstrators saw the gash in his forehead and blood streaming all over his face. The ambulance quickly took him to the hospital in Ramallah.
A group of about 10 Israeli soldiers passed through the gate and started down the hill toward the demonstrators. With this the majority of the demonstrators began to move back up the hill, but several people stayed behind fearful that some young Palestinians at back of the group would be captured. Two women moving up the hill behind the MPTer moved quickly, but not quickly enough and one was taken and detained for about ten hours. With her were 4 young Israelis – 3 women and one man – and a Palestinian man.
During the detention process the Israeli women were very well informed and helpful. All were held in the jeep area and then in the middle of the night, they taken to a settlement jail. There they were questioned and then released after signing an agreement saying that they would not go to Bil’in or Nil’in for 15 days. If they violate the agreement they face a very large fine.
The Israeli –Palestinian youth hit by the tear gas canister suffered a skull fracture, but did not lose consciousness. He will probably need a steel plate placed in his head.
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Click below to find the more up-to-date situation of the Israeli-Palestinian and a bit of analysis.
