USA: nonviolent resistance against immigrant deportations

Hundreds of activists of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition and United We Dream surrounded deportation facilities in the state capital Phoenix. Six activists sat before the deportation bus for hours until the expulsion was halted. 

The authorities arrested two, paperless Mexican-American José Patiño and UWD leader Ray José. After a long night of uninterrupted phone calls from the citizenry they were both released.

Patiño stated upon his liberation:

I am doing this because I am so fed up with people playing games with our lives," said Ray Jose. "My mom and my dad are getting tired. My dad cannot do physical labor any more. It is for the sake of my family, who sacrificed so much for me, that I am ready to do this".

Hours earlier four other DREAM activists were arrested after chaining themselves to the ICE complex. They are Yadira García, Francisco Luna, María Castro and Alejandra Sánchez. 

The essential content of these protests is anti-apartheid:

We cannot accept any legislative proposal that would amplify the pain our communities have been subjected to for decades while blocking our families from a path to citizenship," said Cristina Jiménez, Managing Director of United We Dream. "Terrorizing our communities or creating a permanent underclass is un-American and unacceptable".

The civil disobedience organizations describe themselves as follows:

The Arizona Dream Act Coalition is the largest immigrant youth led organization in the state of Arizona. Our mission is to have a nation full of educated and integrated immigrant youth. We are an affiliate of the United We Dream Network.

United We Dream is the first and largest immigrant youth-led network in the nation with 51 affiliate organizations in 25 states that organize and advocate for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status. UWD's current priority is to win citizenship for the entire undocumented community and end senseless abuses and deportations.

Source: Kasama.

Palestine struggle this week

As per Ilan Against the Wall:

Palestine-Israel, The History wheels turn faster and scream as the blood is not oiling enough the axes*

The turmoil in our region express the melting of the world history as we knew it. It accelerate before it reach its end as the axes of the old order can not hold it any more. The Zionist settler colonialist bridge head of the developed imperial countries in the cradle of human culture at the east of the Mediterranean sea is eroded by the resistance of the indigenous inhabitants which recruit supporters all over the world. The cracks in the neoliberal global capitalism which seemed to reach the ultimate victory just few years ago when the end of history was declared... point to the real end of the history of the egoistic and alienated class society. In the day to day struggle here, it is still hard to discern the cracks in the structure of the system, but you can already smell it in the clouds of tear gas of weekly demos and feel the ground tremor under your feet.

Weekly Non-Violent Protests in #Palestine, August 23, 2013
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.580131042033718.1073741871.251098394936986

"Bil'in, West Bank, Palestine

In the wake of the recent massive wave of arrests of Palestinian activists, it is vital that we continue to resist against the Israeli occupation. Last 17th February had marked the eighth anniversary of the weekly non-violent protests against the construction of the Apartheid Wall in the West Bank village of Bil’in.

Bil’in has become a symbol of the power of non-violent grassroots movements in building local and international resistance to Occupation [started 10 years ago in the joint camp of Mas'ha**]. After six years of continuous resistance, Bil’in succeeded in regaining a part of its seized land. But the struggle is not over as long as Palestinians have not recovered all their legitimate rights.
The Popular Struggle Coordination Committee and the Bil'in Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements will hold the 8th International Conference for Popular Struggle from Wednesday 2nd to Friday 4th October 2013.

We kindly invite you to participate in our conference on grassroots popular resistance.

The aims of the conference are:

To show internationals real life examples of the struggles and suffering of Palestinians;

To extend the popular non-violent struggle;

To strengthen the relationship with the international solidarity movements and to find new ways to support and empower the popular struggle

More details and program will be communicated soon.

Follow us: https://www.facebook.com/PopularStruggle"

Friday

Four injured and a field of olive trees burnt by Israeli Forces’ munitions
Three Palestinians and a foreign journalist were wounded alongside with dozens suffering of severe suffocation after the Israeli forces attacked the weekly march against settlement and the apartheid wall in Bil’in.

The march began after Friday prayers from the center of the village towards the Apartheid wall. We were about dozen Israelis with the anarchists against the wall, about two dozen internationals, and dozens of Bil'iners. Participants raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans calling for national unity against the occupation and the release of all Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli soldiers immediately fired sound bombs, rubber bullets and tear gas at participants when they arrived on the liberated land near the wall. Rubber bullets injured Ashraf al-Khatib (33) in his stomach, Kefah Mansour (32) in his thigh, Mohammed Hamad (22) in his right hand, and a Chinese journalist in his leg. In addition, dozens of peace activists suffocated from inhaling tear gas.
Soldiers opened the gate to chase and assaulted demonstrators in the olive groves. Due to the massive use of tear gas and sound bombs a fire broke out and burnt a large field of olive trees.

The Popular Committee against the Wall and settlements in Bil'in invited all Palestinians and political parties to participate in the march next Friday, the 30th August, in the village in solidarity with prisoners in Israeli jails.

the photo of Rani in the weekly demonstration in Bil'in ...it will tell the whole story of Bil'in struggle 23.08.2013
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=604451819599517

Fires as a result of heavy firing gas in Bil'in weekly demonstration
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=604448632933169


Nabi Saleh

As today's demonstration marched to the spring, Israeli Occupation Forces opened fire with teargas, rubber coated steel bullets and skunk. Several people suffocated from teargas and at least one person has been injured from rubber steel bullet in the arm. IOF have also detained and beaten a Palestinian photojournalist.

Israel Puterman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWmsrPOZxWg
David Reeb http://youtu.be/UqsS9Oj78o4

Qadum

"Dear friends

Even the mosques aren’t safe from the tear gas bombs

Today it was very strong and hard march nearly 50 soldiers attack kufr Qadum at 11am shooting many tear gas and sound bombs.

Tow were shoot directly by bombs one in his hand caused cut wound and the other in his back.

The most important and dangers case that the soldiers who were on the mountain shot bombs targeted the mosque which we pray before the march causing many suffocated cases between prayers of course you know that a lot of old men and children were in the mosque.

After braying we gathered ourselves again and go for the usual march but the army suppress us and shot nearly 300 hundred tear gas and sound bombs.

The wounded are:

Mashhoor jomaa 42 in his hand

Mohammad shtaiwi 24 in his back"

Report: Israeli army firing tear gas into the mosque during prayer time, before the demonstration
Full report and pictures at"http://palsolidarity.org/2013/08/photo-report-israeli-forces-shoot-teargas-into-mosque-suffocating-hundreds-before-start-of-kafr-qaddum-demonstration
https://www.facebook.com/younes.arar/media_set?set=a.10152147040505760.1073741928.531065759

Yotam https://www.facebook.com/alona.cohen.1238/media_set?set=a.689896394358477.1073741857.100000143680183
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1pBvnjQXQI

---------------------------------------

Don’t say we didn’t know #375

Yet again, the “Judea and Samaria” police have confiscated water tankers belonging to Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills region.

On Wednesday, 14th August, 2013 one lorry was confiscated, and on Friday night another one. In total, ten water tankers have been confiscated in recent weeks. In addition, the Civil Administration, IDF and police have demanded that filling water from reservoirs can only take place between 09:00 and 15:00; they have threatened that tankers will be impounded and the filling points closed down. Until now, water operations have been carried out 24 hours a day, to satisfy the demand. The new orders raise concern that tens of thousands of residents will suffer from thirst. Each confiscation entails payment of thousands of shekels in fines, posting of a deposit before trial, as well as payment for removal and storage of the lorry.

At the entrance of Kiryat Arba industrial zone, a tap is operated by settlers selling water to Palestinian carriers at almost three times the normal price. No restrictions there…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On Wednesday, 14th August, 2013, government representatives, escorted by police forces, arrived in Bedouin localities in the Negev to demolish homes. In the township of Kseifeh, three homes and a commercial premises were demolished, in Umm Batin a home was destroyed. The following day they demolished two homes in Abu Qrinat, then they went on to demolish El’Araqib once again.


Questions & queries: amosg@shefayim.org.il

========================================================

* From my blog at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com
See at the blog previous reports about the joint struggles the Anarchists Against the Wall take part in. See also: http://ilan.shalif.com/anarchy/glimpses/glimpses.html http://awalls.org

** The Idea of the joint Israeli Palestinian camp was initiated half year before at a workshop on the struggle in our region in the Leiden 2002 conference of the European People Global Action - in which participated 15 Israeli anarchists and radical activists, with activists of the region and supporters.

Palestinians defy ethnic cleansing with Galilee camp

From Electronic Intifada:

“This return is permanent” — refugees’ grandchildren defy Israel with Galilee camp

Patrick O. Strickland

22 August 2013

Iqrit village was depopulated and destroyed in 1951 but its youth vow to return.
(Ahmad Al-Bazz / ActiveStills)

Young people with family connections to Iqrit, an ethnically-cleansed village in the Galilee, assembled recently for a week-long “camp of return.”

According to organizers, more than 200 participants between eight and eighteen years old registered and attended the camp in Iqrit, which was destroyed by Israel’s military in 1951.

The village’s vibrant green hills — situated in the northern Galilee region of present-day Israel and hugging the boundary with Lebanon — are dotted with campers’ tents and the decaying rubble of demolished homes.

The “Camp of Return” has been held annually since 1996. For many years, its participants left Iqrit after only a week. Activists have, however, now decided to complement the annual camp with a constant presence in the village.

The camp was “a major success this year,” Nizar Ashkar, a 25-year-old Palestinian activist splitting his time between Jaffa and Iqrit, told The Electronic Intifada.

Over the past few years, campaigners have decided to take increasingly direct action towards realizing the right of return for Palestinian refugees and internally displaced Palestinians who were forced from their land and historic communities in present-day Israel.

In August 2012, approximately two dozen internally displaced youth from Iqrit, deciding Israel will never deliver justice on its own, took matters into their own hands and returned to their ancestral village.

According to Ashkar, “It was the first camp after the youth from the village decided to implement the right of return. It was a special camp in many ways, and so many people have learned about Iqrit in just a year.”

The camp was not limited to Iqrit’s refugees and their descendants: Palestinians from across present-day Israel, Jewish Israelis, and a handful of West Bank Palestinians who were able to obtain permits came to visit the camp throughout the week.

... continue reading at EI.

Basque internationalist arrested in Palestine

Igor Goikolea was arrested by Zionist forces in the town of Ma'Sara (or Al-Masara). In the previous days two other European internationalists (with French and Italian passports) were also arrested in that same town and expelled from the territories under control of the Apartheid regime.

A protest has been called for Monday in his hometown of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Video of one of the arrests:

Sources: Naiz Info[es], Askapena[eu/es], Borroka Garaia Da![eu].

Palestine: Ilan's weekly report on resistance and repression

From Ilan Against the Wall:

Just a pure essence of the Israeli settler colonialist rational: State responds to two High Court petitions to stop planned evacuation of eight villages in south Hebron hills (of the occupied west bank). "Israel: Eviction of 1,300 Palestinians necessary to save IDF time, money" see From the Israeli daily http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.539057 The Bedouin struggle refute the claim that within the 1948 borders Israel is a normal state. The joint struggle of the anarchists against the wall with the Palestinian popular grass root comities against the separation fence and colonialist settlers encroachment on their spaces is a constant call out for international action of solidarity - not for "the national liberation of the self determination of statehood" of the Palestinian elite, but for the end of occupation and transfer of the Palestinian People.

"The Anti Praver Coalition is growing bigger and bigger and is led by a new local independent youth movement from the Negev. They Invite all of us to join tomorrow.

Last week we had a big and very good meeting in Jaffa with many activists from many different backgrounds, most of them independent local Jaffaians. We started bringing up ideas for the summer protest - much help is needed, please write me if you want to join for the next meeting.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=512188128851115

For tomorrow buses will leave from Jaffa Gaza Garden , Tel Aviv Arlozerov train station, Jerusalem, Lod, and Kufr Kasem.

1 August is a 'Day of Rage' against the planned uprooting of tens of thousands of Palestinian Bedouin in the Naqab (Negev). Demonstrations across Palestine, as well as solidarity protests around the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGOY3Fs4I1I

Reports of more than 20 arrests already in Wadi Ara demo!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=661522913877412

http://bit.ly/5xDJ9n

https://www.facebook.com/yuyume/photos_stream

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153097601600511

Israeli police violently dispersing a demonstration Thursday against the Prawer plan, 'Ar'ara

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152356418781549

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPZH9mCwfeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJF0FR8jbwg

israelpnm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7vYGCNM_rw

01.08.2013 Damascus Gate, Al Quds

https://www.facebook.com/guy.butavia/media_set?set=a.10151786827117138.1073741909.779192137

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Jgz-yblxA

Friday, the 2 arrestees from Naqab demo will be released soon. The court hearing was canceled

Bil'in

Friday 441th demo against the separation fence/wall (2/8/2013). 15 Israelis and a few internationals joined the weekly Palestinian demo in Bil'in against the Israeli Occupation and Apartheid. As we approached the wall, the army responded to the threat of dangerous peaceful demonstrators by surrounding us with clouds of gas. Then, when only the non-threatening shabab stayed at the front, the soldiers just stood back and watched them egg and stone the wall. A few similar rounds ensued, and when the demo finally dispersed, we celebrated the publication of Hamde's new photo book by taking a photo of us holding copies against the background of the wall and soldiers. When a demonstrator approached the wall to give the soldiers a copy of the book, they panicked, climbed down and backed away.

Clashes between demonstrators and the army eggs and gas:

Yasin:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.488171497942128.1073741850.387324478026831

Haitham Al Khatib:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.431276906917010.96751.431256660252368

Nabi Saleh

4 Israelis arrested in the weekly protest in Nabi Saleh

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.213194275379459.58467.184879698210917

David Reeb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl4K7BsP1HY

Qaddum

Younes Arar:

https://www.facebook.com/younes.arar/posts/10152096488550760

Odai Qaddomi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOCS4pZHKJo

Ni'lin

Friday weekly protest against the wall and the occupation - 2.8.2013

israel putermam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hb871fYfWY

Sheikh Jarrah

The residents of Sheikh Jarrah are continuing their protest vigils in the neighborhood every Friday, protesting their violent evictions from their homes, the taking over of the neighborhood by the settlers, and the Judaization of East Jerusalem.

They call upon each and every person who supports their struggle to join them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don’t say we did not know #373

Over a year ago, settlers from Tel Rumeida, in the Old City of Hebron, planted a garden on land next to a military base. That land belongs to their Palestinian neighbor, Hani Abu Haikal, and the garden is currently the subject of a legal case. Abu Haikal has 50 olive trees on his land. On Sunday, 28th July, 2013, settlers torched the olive trees, probably coming from Tel Rumeida to do so. All the trees were damaged by the arson attack, and three were totally burned down. The settlers’ garden was not damaged by the fire at all. The IDF closed off the road to the site, but internationals managed to get there by a back way, to help to put out the fire. This marks the eighth time that the olive grove has been targeted by arson this way, and as a result, a complaint was laid with the police. The police claim that the fire was accidental.

Questions & queries: amosg@shefayim.org.il

Palestine: weekly resistance report

From Ilan Against the Wall (slightly edited in format only):

The struggle of the Bedouins within Israel against the mass transfer since the 1948 war expand to the whole of Israel and even to the areas conquered in the 1967. In addition to the regular locations of joint struggle in the 1967 areas: Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Ma'asarah, Nabi Saleh, Qaddum, Sheikh Jarah, and South of Hebron hills the Bedouins struggle drew more and more activists of the anarchists against the wall. The Arakib village struggle expand immensely with the Praver plan as the focus. Preparations for the August one actions are in vigor. Previous Saturday, a big joint demo in Rahat - the biggest town of the Bedouin region tens of thousands already transfered to: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=629028177115694
After the demo many activist traveled to the Al-Arakib village already demolished more than 50 times in the last three years.
The village of Al-Arakib was re-built

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KTxdd7IG_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3crZgJ5U0AA

Demonstration against the demolition of the village Al-Araqib. for 3 years this village was demolished again and again and was rebuilt. On Saturday we stood in solidarity with the village people.
Following the first 'Day of Rage' against the planned uprooting of tens of thousands of Palestinian Bedouin in the Naqab (Negev) on July 15, Palestinian activists inside Israel have called a second 'Day of Rage' for August 1. On July 15, thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel along with Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and regional refugee camps, held numerous demonstrations against the so-called Prawer Plan being advanced by the Israeli government. Protesters marched, blocked roads, and were violently dispersed by security services (including several arrests). This second 'Day of Rage' promises to be even bigger, as Palestinians assert their opposition to a plan condemned just this week by UN human rights chief Navi Pillay.

Ma'asarah

Friday July 26. Tracking and detention of Palestinian activists // Call for access to water During the weekly protest, on the third Friday of the Holy month of Ramadan, Israeli Forces detained Mahmoud Aladeen (27), member of the Popular Struggle Committee and tracked Mahmoud Zwahre (42), coordinator of the PSC, after questioning him and holding his car for couple hours. As Zwahre was arriving in the village in his car, police border officer immediately recognized him and stopped him for questioning. Zwahre found a way to escape but he was then hunted down for an hour, soldiers entering and searching houses. Aladeen, who was with him in the car, could not get away and was detained for three hours.
The march started after the noon prayer, calling to end the Israeli occupation and its unequal exploitation of West Bank resources, focusing on access to water. For the past two month, there is not a single drop of water reaching Al Ma’asara and other villages of southern West Bank. Despite the high temperature and the particular circumstances of Ramadan, most of Palestinian villages and towns don’t have access to the necessary quantity of water and some are completely deprived.
The Local Council of South Bethlehem area requested Israeli authorities’ explanation about the restrictions on water; they were retorted that the PA is gathering all water resources toward the main cities of Bethlehem, Alhul and Hebron. But from the PA perspective the blame rests on the Israeli authorities who monopolize water for the welfare of illegal settlements.

Bil'in
Today Friday 26.07.2013 - In the demo participated an Italian Parliamentary delegation led by Luisa Morgantini (former vice president of the European parliament). Members of the PSC gave a comprehensive explanation about the Israeli violations in Bil’in for the past eight years; and they explain the strategy of the popular resistance in Palestine.
The march started after Friday prayers from the center of the village toward the Apartheid wall protecting Modiin settlement. The participants: dozen of the AATW initiative, two dozen internationals, and Palestinian villagers raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans calling to end the occupation, to demolish the Apartheid wall and to free Palestinian political prisoners. As soon as the march reached the area near the wall, Israeli soldiers, protected behind the wall, fired rubber bullets, tear gas and sound grenades at demonstrators.
Two were injured during Bil'in weekly protest. Journalist Haitham al-Khatib (37) was hit by a tear gas canister in his back clearly aimed at him by Israeli soldiers; "in the weekly demonstration against the wall, the Israeli army threw tear gas directly at protesters. I was hit by a tear gas canister while I was taking pictures. One other protester was shot at the leg with a rubber coated steel bullet and lots of people suffered from the inhalation of the gas" and Mahmoud Samara (18) was injured by a rubber bullet in his leg. Both are reported to be well now. In addition, it was few cases of suffocation after inhaling tear gas were reported.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBq0NbZoWTc

NABI SALEH
From early morning, Nabi Saleh was declared by the Israeli military as a “closed military zone“. The weekly protest of Nabi Saleh, headed mainly by women and children, calls to end Israeli occupation, and focused today on the prisoners’ issue. Activists chanted slogans in support for the Palestinians prisoners in Israeli prisons, for the hunger strikers among them Abadallah Barghouti and Muhamed Rimawi.

The group marched from the center of the village and attempted to reach the spring which was confiscated by the nearby settlement of Halamish. But as every Friday, the Israeli Forces attacked the non violent protest with a massive use of tear gas and rubber bullets. No injuries were reported.
Regardless, the Popular Struggle Committees will never stop their struggle against the Israeli occupation.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.597885930255891.1073741855.113817528662736

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.665712480124516.1073741827.218774474818321

David Reeb http://youtu.be/H-YYEAFFf9Y

Ni'lin
26 07 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBq0NbZoWTc

Qaddum
Friday, June 26, 2013, weekly demonstration in the West bank village Qaddum - located east of Qalqiliya, against the permanent road block preventing free access to the regional town Nablus, the occupation and the encroaching settlements. There have been regular demonstrations in Kfer Qaddum since July, 2011, protesting the blocking of the main road east of the village which used to link it to Nablus.
During the demonstration in the village Shabab throws stones at an army bulldozer invading village.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=204140209750238

Yotam Ronen https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=674705719210878

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_ePqLr-u6c

Apartheid and genocide against Naqab Bedouins

That Israel is nothing but an Apartheid and Genocidal colonial regime in Palestine is well known, at least to me. But the Zionist hasbara (propaganda) machinery is powerful and well organized and they work hard to hide the facts and spread lies and convenient half-truths. For all these reasons it is important to now and then relearn the hard truths of the Zionist regime. 

In this case it is the so-called Prawler Plan, which intends to remove Bedouins (with status of Israeli citizens, for the record) from their lands and install them in urban slums in order to expand the Jewish control of the Naqab (Negev), which is about 1/3 of Palestine by extension (and therefore more than half what they usually call Israel: the Southern District of this entity has 14,000 km² while the internationally recognized Israel has just 20,000 km²). 

The spearhead of this and other genocidal racist colonization projects is the Jewish National Fund, a Zio-Nazi pseudo-charity dedicated to eradicate Palestinian Natives and plant trees or install Jewish settlements. For a time the JNF was part of the State of Israel, what handicapped its racist genocidal intent, not allowing in theory for racist discrimination. However the JNF is since 2007 again a private entity and therefore allowed under the Apartheid Israeli legislation, which clearly privileges Jews over Natives, to discriminate on grounds of ethnicity or faith. 

The following report by The Real News is a must-watch in order to understand what is going on:

Source: The Real News (via EI).

Palestine: resistance, repression and genocide - weekly report

As every week, Ilan Against the Wall makes a synthesis of the struggles and repression in Palestine (excerpts):

Rass Karkar
Sunday, joint struggle with PSCC. Protesting on the roads of Palestine this morning.

At first we protested by a flying checkpoint the soldiers placed on the way from Deir Kadis to Ramallah. The soldiers shot several tear gas canisters directly at us, hitting in the chest a protester, who was evicted to the hospital, his condition unknown.
Then we went to protest by Nilin checkpoint, where the soldiers eventually dispersed us with stun grenades.

...

Bil'in
Weekly demo 05.07.2013. About 15 with the anarchists against the wall initiative joined few dozens of international activists and Bil'iners. We marched along the wall between the barbed wire fences up to the gate in the wall. There, people removed one wing of the gate of the barbed wire fence, confiscated it, and drag it with a car to the village. The state forces were nearly passive with few tear gas grenade thrown just to keep the pretense of power. After a long while demonstrators got bored and returned to the village.

...

Sunday 07.07.2013 pre down:

Israeli army - about 80 strong unit, entered the village of Bil'in - probably in revenge for the confiscation of the wing of the gate the previous day, and arrested twin brothers Asim Yasin and Mohammed Yasin and took them to unknown area.

...

Nabi Saleh
Israeli Occupation Forces have invaded Nabi Saleh and attacked the regular Friday demonstration against the occupation. IOF are firing teargas, rubber bullets, stun grenades and spraying skunk.  

...

Kufr Qaddoum

...

Friday, Murad Shtaiwi: Dear friends: Nothing new today in kufr qudoom march this Friday, tear gas, sound bombs smoke bombs.

What are new there are very bad comments about Prophet MOHAMMAD and Arabs below the video of today written in English and Hebrew.

...

Um al-Kheir
Two Palestinian women sustained bruises today and three were detained during a peaceful rally against colonial expansion east of Yatta in south Hebron hills. The Israeli terrorist colonists attacked nonviolent protesters kicking them and beating them with rifle butts in Um al-Kheir neighborhood east of Yatta
"I just came back from an arrest in the South Hebron Hills with two Palestinians from Umm al-Kheir and three Israeli Ta'ayush activists. The military decided to arbitrarily arrest a young Palestinian shepherd. It was completely unprovoked, brutal, and under false charges. He was blindfolded and zip-tied with a single zip-tie (against regulations). The military then issued a Closed Military Zone for a different area and arrested the rest of us when we were clearly outside of it. The shepherd's brother was beaten and is now limping on his left leg. In the picture you can see the brave people of Umm al-Kheir coming to protest and resist the military's assault. I was dragged off by four soldiers while sitting next to the woman in black. At the end of the day, we were released and our Palestinian comrades had to submit an outrageous deposit of 1500 NIS (collected entirely by the people of the village). Robbed by law. We all received restraining orders from the area for 15 days. The forbidden area includes a well and a water cistern which is of vital importance for Shepherding. The people of Umm al-Kheir, due to the close vicinity of the settlement Carmel, are considered illegal trespassers on their own land and suffer demolitions, arbitrary arrests, and assaults on a daily basis"

...

The villagers of 'Awarta owned 22,000 dunums of land (one dunum = 1000 sq.m). Israel expropriated some 12,000 dunums, for the benefit of the settlement Itamar (established in 1984).
In early June 2013, 22 farmers from 'Awarta received confiscation orders for some 360 dunums of their land, near Itamar. On 23rd June, 2013 they received more orders, stating that 63.4 dunums were now confiscated.
For years, the farmers have been denied entry to their land near the settlement. They are allowed to enter only two days a year, in order to harvest their olives.

...

On Thursday, 27th June, 2013, government representatives arrived, again, accompanied by police, at the Bedouin village 'Atir (near Yatir forest) and demolished three homes and four tents that had been built following the last demolitions.

Palestine: military repression at Qaddom escalating

Among the continuous popular multiethnic resistance to the Apartheid Regime in Palestine (Israel) that goes on every week and every day in many different points of the country and for which you can get weekly information, for example at Ilan Against the Wall, but hardly at all in mainstream media, which clearly censor it, it must be emphasized this week the military repression increase in Qaddom. First person report:

Friday confrontations in Qaddom is escalating in recent weeks in a way that is beyond any previous "norm". Rampant military invasion of the village before the demonstration and during it as if possessed. It is the second week of army thugs occupation the village early morning entering long before the demonstration starts and makes havocs. Shoots in all directions into the houses, the mosque and the village center. Then returns to its camps or like today just lurk near by waiting to the demonstration to start just after the service.

In today demo marched more than two hundred fifty Palestinians, five Israelis and a similar number of international supporters. Even before we reached it the entrance from Khaja was already blocked with barricades set by the Shabab as precaution from of attack by the army from this direction as it did a few weeks ago (after its morning "visit" in the village.

The army entered the village and fired from two centers in the front of the village but much deeper than the position of the blocked road and the left side of the hill. They shot a plenty of a strengthed quantity gas - so terrible that a few people suffocated from gas inhalation.

During the demonstration, they arrested two Palestinian television media man. Suddenly, in the middle of the demonstration they began shooting a massive barrage of "rubber bullets" (do not forget these are really steel bullets coated with rubber).

From this "toy" of theirs four Palestinians were wounded: one injured in his finger nearly completely severed it - he was rushed to the hospital to save the finger; another was injured in his arm and stomach; another was wounded in the chest; and another "only" in the leg.

Then the army entered again the center of the village and covered it with a cloud of gas - literally nowhere to escape. It was so intense and without any restraint.

So much so that even though I'm a Jewish female they invited me to find refuge in the mosque...

→ video.


Also Bedouin homes demolitions continue in Al Akrib. Notice that Bedouins are legally "Israeli citizens" but that does not matter at all for the Apartheid Regime.

At Bil'in the regular anti-wall protest was this week more quiet than past ones, as apparently the soldiers were not in the lazy mood, it seems, permitting the protesters even to march through the "no man's land" only shooting some gas canisters when they reached the wall gate itself.

In the Jerusalem checkpoint of Beit Jala, a group of people demanded to be allowed to cross in order to pray in Al Aqsa mosque, one of the holiest sites of Islam. Soldiers blocked them and a prayer was held at the site of the checkpoint.

In Tel Aviv there were road blockades against privatizations and export of natural gas. A scratching action was held also against the Minister of the Treasury and bankster Ben Dov.

However the low level of interethnic solidarity showed up at Yafa, where a protest against Jewish gentrification of the largely Native city failed to get any support of the so-called J14 movement (a pathetic Judeocentric copycat youth movement). These however did hold a protest in Jerusalem against gas privatization.

Other protests were reported at Ma'asara, Nabi Saleh, Odai Qaddomi, Sheikh Jarrah, Toura, etc.

Source and more details at Ilan Against the Wall.

Palestine: Bedouin genocide by Zionist Regime increases

The Bedouin village of Atir-Umm al-Hieran, not far from Bir al Saba (Beersheva), has been destroyed again by the Zionist Regime, the Apartheid and Genocide Colonial Regime in Palestine. However this time it has been more brutal than ever before: all olive trees uprooted, every single home demolished, even the rubble, including all the belongings of the Palestinian Natives was taken away...

Oh, they are "Israeli citizens" on paper. But does it matter? Not at all. The Zionist Regime does not recognize their villages nor land claims, does not provide water nor electricity to them and regularly demolishes their homes. Still 30% of the population of the Negev, they are being forcibly relocated to small crowded urban settlements, totally unrelated with their traditional way of life, in a genocidal design known as Prawler Plan, condemned by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as well as by Amnesty International, and not even formally approved by the Apartheid legal bodies yet (should be voted on May 27th). 

However the Native Palestinians seem determined to remain in their lands no matter what. According to Abu Ras:

“People are insisting on staying in their lands. They can demolish their houses, but they will stay on the land.”

Source: Electronic Intifada.

Nakba infograph

Very informative: at Electronic Intifada.