No Entrance Here!

December 4, 2015 | Meta Peace Teams, Phoenix Jones | Occupied Kafr Qaddum

The sounds of tear gas being fired and percussion grenades met us upon exiting the taxi and taking my first step unto Occupied Kafr Qaddum land.  The community of demonstrators were running down hill away from the tear gas.  

Street art at the end of the road where demonstrations take place.  

The weekly demos started in Occupied Kafr Qaddum when the road to Nablus was closed.  Israeli settlements on both sides of the of the road were built, thereby prohibiting any Palestinian from using it for travel.  Now, in order to go into Nablus, the community must travel completely out of the way.  This reality is a unwieldy encumbrance for most villages, towns, and cities.  Traveling to nearby towns that once took 10 minutes, now takes an hour or more.  

Since July of 2014, 60 people have been shot by live bullet rounds.  Last week alone, two men were shot on Friday and 3 were shot on Saturday.  One of the men was shot in the leg and instantly blood began spraying out of the wound.  A man tried to help the bleeding was unable to stop the blood.  The young man lost 3.5 liters of blood.  The bullet shot through an artery and vein.  Prior to surgery the young man's leg turned from red to blue.  His leg - and life - were able to be saved via emergency surgery.  He received 50 stitches.

Each Friday during the nonviolent demonstrations, the occupying Israeli army sprays skunk water (a noxious concoction that permeates everything) from a mobile tank, spraying people and homes up and down the road where the demonstrations take place.  On three separate occasions, the water was aimed at the electricity tower, destroying the transformer and leaving the community without electricity for days on end.  The city was forced to absorb the cost in replacing the transformer, which is straining on the community economically.  On September 2, 2015 a settler maliciously cut a major electrical line on a tower that resides on the colonized land that runs into the Palestinian community.  When the Israeli government replaced the tower, the bill was sent to the Palestinian mayor of Kafr Qaddum rather than the settlement that perpetrated the crime.

The occupation not only affects the travel for this community, it also affects the farmers' ability to harvest and tend to their land.  During olive harvest this year, farmers had to leave behind 30% of their olives because they were only given permits for two or three days at a time.  The farmers were forced to use that time for harvest as well as doing their plowing and pruning their trees.  This will not only affect this year's harvest but the next.  If orchards are not properly pruned and tilled, they will not produce a bountiful harvest in the next season.  The former Mayor of Kafr Qaddum made us aware that the 70% of the village depends on olive orchards for income. Farmers are also not given permits to use for the harvest seasons of figs, cactus or almonds; so these resources for the community are completely lost.

Our liberation is bound together; your solidarity is mandatory!

Anyone wishing to host a presentation on Meta Peace Team members' experience in the West Bank, please contact MetaPeaceTeam@gmail.com or MaryHanna.MPT@gmail.com

A,B, or C

December 3, 2015 | Meta Peace Teams, Phoenix Jones | Occupied Far’un

In September of 1995, the Oslo II  Accord agreements divided the West Bank into 3 sections: A, B, and C (A being Palestinian territory, B being an Israeli controlled area, and C being Israeli territory) in 1995, with the intention that all of the territory be returned to Palestine in 5 years.  It is now 2015 - twenty years later - and not only has the area not been returned to Palestine, but each day more land is being seized by the Occupying Israeli Army. 

Land marked as Area C:  Palestinian land which Palestinians cannot use

Today we visited the city of Far’in, where at least 12 homes are scheduled to be demolished.  During our tour of the city, we passed  a number of homes that have already been demolished.  We also witnessed half-built homes, where the military had halted the construction.  The owners had been told either to cease building or their home would be demolished.

Our guide told us “The military does not warn before you start building, they wait until the house is in the final stages and then they say you can’t build here.”  

While walking along side of the apartheid wall, we came to space where we were completely surrounded by land, with rich soil beneath our feet. “This land can not be used for farming or building,” our guide shared with us.  So the land remains vacant, by order of the Israeli army, with exception to one greenhouse, with only the apartheid wall as it neighbor.  Just beyond the green house is where our guide and his 2 friends had been shot, with their only offense being that they were too close to the apartheid wall.  Our guide was shot in the leg, the scar still visible.  One of his friend was shot in the chest and the bullet traveled to his lungs and the other in the chest and the bullet traveled to his heart. Both of his friends died that day.

Our Guides scar from gunshot wound

A family of  8's house is set for demolition 

I often describe marginalization in terms of a group of  people being in the middle of a sheet of paper with all resources being outside of the margins.  But oppression does not only marginalize in that way, it constructs a maze within the margins, then places that group of people in the middle of the maze, with the resources on the outside of the margins.  Before you can even get to the wall, you must find your way out of the maze in each direction.

Our liberation is bound together, and your solidarity is mandatory!

Anyone wishing to host a presentation on Meta Peace Team members' experience in the West Bank, please contact MetaPeaceTeam@gmail.com or MaryHanna.MPT@gmail.com

Israeli Industrial Zone Intentionally Poisons Palestinians in West Bank

Located between Israel's apartheid wall, the Palestine Technical University campus, and local farmers' land lies Nitzanei Shalom (Buds of Peace), an Israeli Industrial Park that was built on Palestinian land confiscated by the Israeli military in 1980. One Industry located inside the Industrial zone is Geshuri & Sons, an Israeli chemical factory that manufactures fertilizers and agrochemicals. In 1982, Geshuri & Sons was located in Kfar Saba and was forced by the Israeli courts to close, declaring it a health hazard. The owner decided to move the chemical factory to confiscated Palestinian land to avoid strict Israeli environmental laws, to pay Palestinian workers two-thirds less than Israel's minimum wage and to avoid any labor laws to protect Palestinian workers.

Palestine Minister of Environmental Affairs said the chemical factory, “has been a source of extreme pollution and chemical warfare against the Palestinian people.” Several studies have been done in Tulkarm to measure the environmental impact of the industrial zone and its effect on the citizens of the Tulkarm District. Brown University research shows cancer and respiratory illness in Tulkarm District is amongst the highest in the West Bank. Dr. Kifaya Abu-El Huda of Cairo University has done extensive research on the environmental effects of the chemical factory in the West Bank. "The western basin of the Tulkarm and Salfid area is very important for the rest of Palestinian land. The ground water is very close to the surface making it sensitive to pollution", says Kifaya. She believes all the water in the western basin’s wells are polluted. Air pollution causes respiratory diseases and eye infections in the area’s residents. "Geshuri came to Tulkarm, cancer levels have increased, caused by the toxic fumes", according to Kifaya. And a 2003 study conducted by An-Najah University in Nablus concludes that Tulkarm has the highest rates of lung cancer in the West Bank due to fumes from the industrial area. It states that the areas most affected by lung cancer were Jenin and Tulkarm.

Geshuri & Sons operates for 11 months while the winds blow their toxic fumes towards the West Bank, but the factory closes when the winds blow toxic fumes towards Israel, thus preventing their polluting Israel's environment. Approximately 84,000 Palestinians in the Tulkarm District are effected by the chemical factory fumes. Palestinian workers at the chemical factory are constantly exposed to dangerous conditions. In the last ten years, 5 workers have died and one worker succumbed to cancer. The chemical factory has no sewage system, so their toxic waste regularly seeps under their 15-20 foot razorwire-topped concrete walls, contaminating the local farmers fields and university lands. Geshuri - like Union Carbide in Bophal, India - take advantage of places without environmental regulations to profit at the expense of human life.

Palestine Technical University extends an invitation to universities worldwide to witness their situation. 

Anyone wishing to host a presentation on Meta Peace Team members' experience in the West Bank, please contact metapeaceteam@gmail.com or MaryHanna.MPT@gmail.com

Chemical factory next to local farms

Concrete wall protect chemical factory next to farm

Geshuri borders Palestine Technical University

Mural in Farun

The woman is in traditional Palestinian clothes. The horse caught behind the barbed wire and fire represents a caged Palestine trying to get free. The dove is of peace, but the sad woman fears it may fly away out of the window. The tree stump on the left is a killed olive tree.  The pots on the very left begin a mural of Palestinian culture. 

We would like to be invited to come to your commuinty to talk about our experiences in the West Bank.  Contact MPT 517-489-2607

A 3 panel mural about the pain of imprisonment

It says, "Freedom for Prisoners"

We would like to be invited to come to talk to you about our experiences in the West Bank.  Contact MPT at 517-489-2607

Children of Palestine ask for boycott

We were at the ICRC (International Committee for the Red Cross) in solidarity with the political prisoners when a group of young students (early teens) came up the street visiting each shop.  They were asking shops and customers to support the BDS (Boycot-Divest-Sanction) campaign and not buy or sell Israeli products.  They invited us to a program at their school explaining to the students and parents why it is important to support BDS.

Below are some of their posters. I invite you to join BDS campaign and not buy products whose product barcode starts with 729.

Student explaining importance of boycot. Yellow vests on right are students in boycott committee 

Look at these posters about the big costs of buying Israeli products

Palestinian posters for BDS

We would like an invitation to come to your community and talk about our experiences.  Please contact the MPT office 1-517-489-2607

Oppression Without Bloodshed

November 21, 2015 | Meta Peace Team, Phoenix Jones | Occupied Huwwara 

On a daily bases, Human Rights / Occupation Laws are being broken, by the Occupying Israeli government. One of which is the function of farmers requiring a permit to tend and harvest from their orchards.  A second are settlements erected on Palestinian land.

Act 46: Family and rights, the lives of persons and private property, as well as religious conventions and practice must be respected. Private property cannot be confiscated.

Act 49: The Occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.

On Wednesday and Thursday last week, Scott, Bud and myself accompanied a Palestinian farmer to his olive orchard in Occupied Huwwara, near the Huwwara checkpoint.

checkpoints are composed of two elements - an infrastructure which impedes vehicular  and pedestrian traffic and permanent presence of Israeli security personnel (e.g. the IDF, the border police, the civil police, a private security company). Security personnel usually check the documentation of persons crossing the checkpoint and conduct searches on their vehicles and their belongings. (United Nations definition)

 Below the Brakha- Samiratian Settlement (Israeli settlements are Israeli civilian communities built on lands occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War.)

On Wednesday, while harvesting a military van parked and the soldiers called the farmer that owns the land down. They spoke to one another.  The farmer returned from the conversation with the solider.  We then, all notice soldiers standing above us on a hill.  The Farmer is called back down by the soldiers to talk.  This time a Jewish - Israeli woman went down with him to try to talk with the soldiers.  As they spoke, we all exchanged glances, aware of the soldiers still standing above us.  As the farmer made his way back up, with the jewish - Israeli woman behind him and the Israeli military behind her.  We were all there standing between the olive trees.  I then came to the understood that the military was saying we had to go, more specifically the farmer had to vacate his land.  How is it that  this farmer could be forced off of his own land.  Israel has made it an illegal act to harvest, prune trees or tend to your land without a permit.  The farmers permit was for Thursday, not Wednesday.

We returned to the farm on thursday, not long after starting to harvest an Israeli truck pulled up, he was speaking to an Israeli settler.  myself along with Bud began taking pictures.  The Israeli soldier called us all down.  With broken english and signals he told those that have reached the gate between them, no pictures.  The Israeli settler is there with the soldiers, telling Bud that he cannot take pictures and he must erase the pictures he took.  I never completed the walk down to the fence.  We all made our way back up to the orchard.  soon after we resumed working, we saw soldiers above us, closer than the previous day. we harvested the whole day with exception to a coffee break and lunch. As the day began to wind down (because the permit was for morning to 4pm) the soldiers became more visually closer.  About 2 hours before the permit expired, the soldiers yelled down from their hilltop in hebrew, I am sure rushing us along.  Maybe an hour before the permit expired the soldiers yelled down to us, once again.  The farmer asked what time is it, when we answered his hands moved a little faster.  The farmers are required to be completely off of the land when the permit expires.  with some minutes to spare the farmers had packed up their supplies and olives and we were headed down the hill.

This is not an isolated incident, nor is it close to being the most overt.  This is what Israel has created, illegally.  All over Palestine laws are being broken by the Israeli government and the human rights of Palestinians are being ignored.  It is the job of the outside nations to hold Israel accountable for their crimes.

Our liberation is bound together, and your solidarity is mandatory!

anyone wishing to host a presentation on Meta Peace Team members experience in the West Bank, please contact www.metapeaceteam.org.

Call of Action to Universities

November 28, 2015 | Meta Peace Team,Phoenix Jones| Occupied Tulkarm, Palestine Technical University

Palestinian Technical University, located in occupied Tulkarm in the northern West Bank, has been actively under attack everyday since October of this year.  During this time 24 students have been arrested (without being charged and will spend at least 6 months in prison) and over 400 students injured from live ammunition, rubber bullets, rubber coated steel bullets, and tear gas.   The University has contacted the Israeli Military several times to request an explanation for the attacks, but none has been given.  On Sunday, November 29, 2015 58 students were injured because of tear gas, 7 injured by live bullets, 5 injured by steel rubber coated bullets, 9-10 rubber bullet, and 1 person is in the intensive care unite in Nablus (live bullet pierced his arm and went into his chest).  All students injured are between the ages of 15 and 20.

The University request that United States’ Universities use their platform to publicize what Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm is suffering from. They ask that the Universities lobby the government on their behalf.  Students would also appreciate the support of universities in developing student exchange programs.

Palestinian Technical University was established in 1903, and became a University in 2007.  Currently the University serves 6,300 students.  When the apartheid wall was built in 2000, 200 dunam of the University's property was taken away from the agricultural college, leaving them with 50-55 dunam for green houses, veterinarian program, vegetable crop, olive and fruit orchard, and aquaculture.  

The military berm was built originally in 1997, on land stolen from the university  when the Israeli apartheid wall was built, the berm was abandon.  3-4 weeks ago the University attempted to level the berm (because the facility has been abandoned for so long), but the bulldozer was confiscated by the military (bulldozer has currently not been returned).  The University Vice - President was detained and threatened to be arrested, while on University property.

Two students give a first hand  account of the first time the military attacked the school in October (both students wish to remain anonymous  because of fear of being arrested for speaking out against Israeli military)

Second year student, studying information science at the PTU recalls

“The first time the military get into the university, we have the first exams.  All the exams were canceled. Everyday they were throwing the gases so the students were afraid to come to the university.  For the students that were shot, and the other who were arrested it made their education hard because they are unable to move on to the next year, they will be forced to repeat the current year.  Just like them if I smell the gases or get arrested it's going to be bad for my educational career.  The same building that we are having the exam or lecture, there is gunshot or a gas bomb.  We hope that the American people and other countries don't support Israel, in any way.”

21 year old Electrical Engineer student recalls

“I remember the first time the army was in Kadoorie.  At first they started at the outside land.  They were making shots in the air.  They were shooting live bullets at the students.  They started to get inside the university more and more.  They throw the skunk water on the library.  There were students being hurt by the bullets.  So many students were shot.  It affects our psychology, we became more afraid.  When we were doing our exams we hear the sound of the bullets and smelling the gas.  It became normal to our body to smell the gas.  We hope the American people do not support the Israelis.”  

4 years ago PTU began planning for the Olive Oil International conference, they invited 26 critical experts to deliver speeches to over 400 participants.  Two months prior to conference the university began checking on the status of the travel permits.  Each time they called the office, they were told to wait another week.  One day before the conference date, the Israeli travel visa office contacted the University, denying all 21 guest travel visa's to Tulkarm.  Most of the experts lived only an hour away.  

Below is a link to video of Israeli Military invading the campus of Palestinian Technical University, on Tuesday November 24.  

https://www.facebook.com/mohammed.qashou.5/videos/924457740980522/

For more information on how to support PTU please contact :

Mr. Azmi Saleh | +970-92-688199 | a.saleh@ptuk.edu.ps | salehazmi@hotmail.com

Omar Jouda | omarjoda@gmail.com

Anyone wishing to host a presentation on Meta Peace Team members experience in the West Bank, please contact www.metapeaceteam.org.

Military shooting from berm

Abandon military berm on PTU Campus

Bullets found on University Campus

PTU School of Agriculture green house destroyed by Israeli Military

Center of PTU Campus

Occupying military at berm on PTU campus

Israeli defense force fatally wounding University students

Going to a University can be challenging for students. Studying, taking exams, working to pay for your classes, transportation and food are all stressful. Palestine Technical University-Khadoorie has the added threat of being shot or killed by the Israeli defense force while attending class. The Israeli defense force practices military exercises on a daily basis at Palestine Technical University using students as targets. Last Thursday the Israeli defense force shot one PTU student in the head and Saturday they shot another in the chest. Both students are currently in critical condition at Nablus Hospital.

The Israeli military has sent over 500 students to the hospital in the last two months as part of their regular training exercises. Many of these students are crippled for life as the world turns a blind eye to the terror Israel inflicts on them as they go to class. The military has no business being on University property. This occupation is part of Israel's grand scheme to use whatever means necessary to move Palestinians off their homelands. As I watched the emergency medical volunteers standing ready by the ambulance, a female student said, “This is the real terrorism.”

Engineering student with textbook

Another student Israeli defense forces injured

U.S. Citizen shot by Israeli defense forces at Palestine Technical University

American citizen, Scott (last name withheld) was shot by Israeli defense forces, while visiting a Palestinian photographic and art presentation at Palestine Technical University-Khadoorie. The Israeli defense forces invaded the campus while Meta Peace Team members were viewing photographs of Palestine and talking with students on Saturday, November 28.

While at the art display, we heard several loud percussion grenade explosions and the room began to fill with tear gas. We ran outside with the students, choking and crying when we saw two Israeli military jeeps parked in the middle of the University campus and then the Israeli defense forces began to open fire at the crowd that was choking on tear gas. Seven students were hospitalized with 5.56 NATO bullets (all 15-20 years old), 10 students were shot with rubber bullets, 5 shot with plastic-coated steel bullets and 58 students were treated for tear gas inhalation, according to one ambulance driver. Scott was shot with a plastic-coated steel bullet in the shoulder and is recovering.

Israel illegally confiscated over 60% of the PTU's campus when they built the “Israeli Apartheid Wall” across University property. Two months ago the Israeli defense forces began shooting and tear gassing students on a daily basis in what some believe is an attempt to close the University and gain control of the land. During the past two months over 500 students have been hospitalized.

Israel defense forces are terrorizing students that are trying to get an education. Israel seems to have successfully manipulated the U.S., discounted the U.N. and controlled the media to prevent the world from understanding what they are doing. 

Percussion grenades and tear gas filled the campus

Israeli military jeeps on PTU campus seconds before IDF fired into the crowd of observers