[Palestine] Return to Iraq Burin

After a month recess during Ramahan, the weekly Friday protest at Iraq Burin, a small village 6 miles south of Nablus, resumed this week. Seven internationals, including 3 MPTers, were invited to be present. By noon on Friday a group of 200 or more from the region and the village gathered together in front of the village mosque.

Villagers, other Palestinians and internationals prepare to march toward the confiscated land.

All joined in in chanting and clapping.

At 12:15 the march began with flags, banners and the chanting of Arabic slogans. This was to be a peaceful, nonviolent demonstration. As the march approached the area claimed by the illegal Har Bracha Israeli settlement which was built on confiscated Palestinian land (including 25 acres of confiscated Iraq Burin land), Israeli soliders were seen across the valley and others above the hill crest.

Suddenly white clouds were seen on the ground as the Israeli Occupation Forces started shooting tear gas bombs. (For more details on Iraq Burin and the Har Bracha settlement, see an earlier MPT blog, August 22, 2009: http://mptinpalestine.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-08-28T05%3A33%3A00%2B03%3A00&max-results=10

One of the group, a Palestinian woman, took the megaphone and passionately told the Israeli Occupation forces in English that the Palestinians people were there to protest that their land had been unjustly taken away and that the Israeli army had no right under international law to be there.

As some young people began to encroach more into the "off-limits"area (but Palestinian land) near the Israeli soldiers, more than 30 soldiers were visible. A total of about 30 tear gas bombs were volleyed by the Israeli soldiers at the nonviolent protesters. Protesters protected themselves by moving away from the tear gas smoke.

Tear gas bombs were fired by the Israeli army at unarmed nonviolent protestors.

However one young man who had moved ahead was hit in the head by a tear gas bomb and had to be evacuated. (It was later reported that he had a head wound requiring five stitches.) Two other individuals, including a member of the media, were overcome by tear gas and had to receive medical treatment.

Village youth carried the press agent to the ambulance for treatment from tear gas inhalation.

Ambulances were on alert for effects of the tear gas bombs - injuries or inhalation.

After about an hour, demonstration leaders called the group together and advised them to end the protest. The group slowly returned to Iraq Burin, vanquished again by overwhelming force, but satisfied that they had made a statement against the illegal occupation.

[Palestine] Night Raid in Bil'in

On Tuesday, September 15th, MPT was called to assist with a possible invasion of Abdullah Abu Rahme's home. Abdullah is a nonviolent resistance leader in the village of Bil'in.

For three months there have been frequent raids at the home of resistance leaders. These home invasions are carried out by commando-type soldiers of the Israeli Occupation Forces. They gain entrance by jeep or by foot and climb over the gates and walls of the village homes in the middle of the night.

Armed, masked and well equipped Israeli soldiers invade Palestinian homes.

Bil'in has lost sixty-five percent of its village land to Israel for settlement construction. A nonviolent demonstration at the apartheid wall in Bil'in has been taking place for five years. At 2:00 a.m., six internationals, including three MPTers, went to the home of a nonviolent resistance leader, Abdullah Abu Rahme, and found soldiers had already invaded the home and blocked any further entrance. When international presence was noticed, the Israeli commandos radioed for reinforcements.

Israeli occupying forces barred the gate.

From behind the gate, soldiers ransacking the home could be seen and heard through the windows. Two internationals and several Palestinians scaled the fence and tried to enter the home. Other Palestinians pounded the gate and demanded entrance. MPTers called through the gate rebuking the soldiers in the yard and near the gate.

Israeli soldiers forced entry into the home.

Palestinian scaled the gate.

Those who entered the yard were blocked from entry to the home. However, one Palestinian, Mohammed Khatib, slipped in the door when the soldiers were not blocking it.

An additional twelve soldiers arrived and continued with the invasion. Many soldiers mingled inside and outside the gate and in the street.

MPTer confronted one of the invading Israeli soldiers.

Suddenly two MPTers discovered that the next door home of Abdullah's brother was also being invaded. MPTers and other internationals followed the soldiers into the home to provide protective accompaniment to the parents and three small children.

Israeli squadron leader directs the invasion of the home
where small children are present.

Children listened as the soldiers confronted their parents.

Parents and children watched while soldiers searched their home.

The frightened children clung to their mother and father. Soldiers asked the MPTers to "babysit"the children while they ransacked this home. MPTers refused this request as the mother wanted to be with her children and have MPT go with the soldiers.

Four soldiers ordered the father to open the door to every room in the home where they searched for Abdullah. In the basement, the soldiers found Palestinian flags, posters and banners, including posters with the picture of Bassem, a young Palestinian who was killed by a tear-gas bomb in March 2009. These flags and banners, used during the village demonstrations at the apartheid wall, were confiscated by the soldiers.

Soldiers confiscated posters used during the weekly Bil'in demonstration.

MPTers and other internationals interacted with the soldiers with comments such as "You are violating international law!" "This is an illegal invasion." "I am embarrassed that US tax money is being spent like this." "Go home and go to bed."

One Israeli soldier said, "I know what I am doing is illegal." Another said, "This is Israel."

By 2:45 a.m., the invasion was coming to a close. Abdullah was not found, but the Israel army will continue to harass his family and invade his home and village looking for him.

At that time, Mohammed Khatib came out of the house badly beaten with head and abdominal injuries. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Ramallah.

Mohammed Khatib was beaten by Israeli soldiers.

The soldiers left in several jeeps. Internationals stayed in the street to be with the accumulating crowd of villagers.

[Palestine] East Jerusalem:Threat of Violence and Eviction

This past week MPTers spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights providing international presence at a home that is currently under an eviction order in the predominantly Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem. The status of Jerusalem has been one of the most controversial issues in the Israel/Palestine conflict since both Palestinians and Israelis want the city for their capital. According to an article in Haaretz, the United States government includes Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem when calling for a freeze on settlements.

This particular home, which houses three families, has had an eviction order for 37 years and is continuously involved in court proceedings. Shortly after the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, an Israeli settler organization presented the owners of this home with what the Israeli Court has now proven to be falsified documents from the Ottoman Empire claiming the land. This house is one of the homes that the U.N. built along with the Jordanian government for Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war. Although the owner is not a political activist, he told MPT that this issue has affected him his whole life and he is determined to keep the home that he and his three children were born in. The family has decorated the front of the home with banners proclaiming, “We will never leave our home”.

In the past months, the eviction order deadline has become imminent and so internationals have been keeping a continuous presence since March, at the request of the family. Internationals provide support and a peaceful presence to de-escalate the continuous settler attacks and harassment. Israeli police, including undercover officers, habitually drive by the home, intensifying the fear of eviction. Since the home could be demolished at any time, the family must always be present and on alert. This house is just one of the 28 homes under the threat of eviction and demolition by Israel in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. One of the homes has already been demolished.

While MPTers were present at the home, an intoxicated settler came to the house and attempted a forced entry. The owners of the house told him to stay away while internationals positioned themselves around the rest of the house to ensure that he could not enter. The settler kept asking about the signs on the home while trying to look inside. In the past, settlers have forced Palestinians from their homes in order to occupy the property. The settler eventually left.

This tent is inhabited by a family that was evicted from their home and is now harassed by settlers

A half an hour later, MPTers and other internationals were notified that the same settler had gone to a nearby tent that is now the home of a Palestinian woman who has been evicted from her house. The settler attacked the woman with a rock, hitting her over the head. An ambulance was called after she went unconscious for sometime. MPT was informed the next night that all the local hospitals and doctors refused to treat her unless she would change her story, and not speak of any settler attacking her. This woman is now suffering from internal swelling in her head, along with constant head pressure.

The first night MPTers stayed the night, a car of 3-4 young settler boys, aged 14-16, drove by at 4am, stopping in front of the house and throwing objects at the family, yelling and making obscene hand gestures. Approximately two hours later, local municipality officials stopped in front of the home to harass and intimidate the family.

The second night MPTers stayed at the house, unidentified police officers pulled up to the house, stopped, got out, and talked amongst themselves, intimidating the family.  No arrests or evictions occurred while MPT was in Sheikh Jarrah.

[Palestine] Assira Qibiliya: Sound bombs, teargas and Settlers Attack

MPT received a call from Zakiraya, MPT’s Palestinian contact person, that settlers from the Yitzhar settlement and its nearby illegal outpost Shalhevet Yitzhar were attacking the village of South Assira. At 7 pm 50 settlers came into the village followed fifteen minutes later by another 100 settlers. Villagers explained that the settlers started a few small fires in the hills of the village while settlers later told news reporters that the villagers started the fire and the settlers came down from their settlement to put out the fires (See http://www.ynetnews.com and http://www.uruknet.info). MPT witnessed the fires but arrived after the settlers had returned to their settlement, therefore MPT was not present at the time the fires were initially started but did see that fires were started on Palestinian land used specifically for the growing of crops.

MPT arrived at the same time as the Israeli Army. A large crowd of villagers had gathered at the top of the hill near one particular house that has been repeatedly targeted by the settlers. The Israeli Army fired several sound bombs and teargas canisters to disperse the crowd, both of which MPT witnessed.

After 15 minutes of continuous firing, the effects of the teargas forced the villagers to take cover behind the targeted house. At that time, the Army descended from the hill approaching the group but continuing to fire, therefore forcing those Palestinians who had moved forward in order to speak to the soldiers to retreat once again. Finally, the soldiers ceased firing on the crowd at which point one of the Palestinians from the village asked MPT members, as internationals, to go to the front of the crowd with their cameras to encourage the soldiers to back away from the house. Two MPTers were able to get to the front where eight soldiers had lined up facing the crowd, with another ten soldiers behind them. Once the soldiers saw internationals with cameras they immediately backed away wherein village leaders were able to talk to the Israeli DCO (District Commanding Officer), the same DCO officer that MPT saw at the vandalized home in Burin. After fifteen minutes of conversation between villagers and the Israeli DCO the crowd began to disperse and the soldiers retreated up the hill. MPT was told that the soldiers, who are not always present at each settlement, would be staying near Yitzhar and Shalhevet Yitzhar for the next two to three days to monitor the situation. The Israeli DCO also spoke to the mother of the targeted house and asked her to call him directly if she experienced any further problems from the settlers.

MPT remained at the house where a family of six people, four of them children under the age of ten, and many other villagers explained how this house and the village have experienced settler harassment for the past few years. The mother of the family had footage of the settlers who had come down earlier in the evening with automatic weapons firing live ammunition.

This picture was taken while the army was firing sound bombs right outside this young girl's home

The family explained that settlers come down every Friday and Saturday to harass the village with increased and surprise attacks during the weekdays over the past three months. The settlers have set a fire on the patio of the previously mentioned house, spray painted the Star of David on the outside walls, and shot at their front window in the middle of the night. Before leaving MPT gave out contact cards so that the family and other villagers could call if they experienced any more harassment. Additionally members of International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in nearby Nablus came after the settlers and army left and stayed overnight with the family in case of further attacks.

Stars of David spray painted on side of home

[Palestine] Urif: Live Ammunition

The Palestinian village of Urif.
The school is a three-story structure located on the top of the hill.

Leaving Burin, an MPTer and Zakirayia, Palestinian contact, drove to the village of Urif, perhaps a distance of 15 miles. Urif is located south of Burin on the other side of the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar. 

Fauzi, the head of the Village Council of Urif, warmly welcomed MPT.

Fauzi, the head of the Urif Village Council, welcomed the MPTer and Zakirayia into his office saying that he welcomed all human rights and peace groups who could witness the attacks the villagers of Urif suffer at the hands of the Israelis. Deployed Israeli ammunition was displayed on a table. This had been collected after an attack two weeks ago by Israeli settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzar. Sixteen villagers were injured in this attack. [Notice that live bullets were used, in the midst of a civilian population, including women and children.]

An array of ammunition, clearly marked in Hebrew as Israeli. Several of these are tear gas canisters which have killed on impact. Others are sound bombs. There is also live ammunition.

A close up of bullet shells and live bullets found after the attack.
Not included here are the bullets left in doors and walls inside homes and elsewhere in the village.

An office assistant showed the visitors a CD of the attack of April 24^th. About thirty settlers came into the edge of the village where the school is located. Fauzi was particularly concerned that settlers attacked near a school. The settlers appeared to be youth, some of whom were armed. The council head said that the village was united in standing against the settlers. The Israeli occupation army was called in to stop the incursion of the settlers, but instead protected the settlers. The array of used ammunition was from the Israeli army. In an attack that lasted about three hours, widows, walls and doors were broken or damaged in homes. One could view bullet holes in the interior walls of homes. Olive trees branches were broken. Sixteen villagers were injured.

The village of Urif has had more than 420 acres of land stolen by the illegal Israeli settlement, Yitzar. Some of the confiscated land is used for settlement housing, but the extension of land outside the actual settlement is left “idle,” for the sake of settler “security.” This “idle land” between the settlement and the village is village land, as is the settlement, but villages are not allowed to farm this “idle land.” The Israeli Court has stated that the Palestinians have a right to work these lands, but the Israeli settlers will not allow Palestinians on the land and do so with impunity.

Fauzi stated that Yitzar was established in 1984. but has now grown to a population of 600. Yitzar has no wall or fence around it since it intends to expand, according to Fauzi. [The UN map indicates that there are outposts – extensions of the original settlement.]

In the past settlers have attacked Urif villagers in their fields, stolen their goats and sheep, broken into their homes, stopped them from harvesting their olives and destroyed their olive trees. Settlers have burned about 300 acres of crops and olive groves and stolen farm equipment, According to Fauzi, two hundred and fifty Urif villagers have been injured by settlers - beaten and shot at - since 2002.

Farmers must work in the fields at given times. If villagers are not allowed in their fields to harvest or to pick their olives when they are ripe, the harvest is lost. Settlers stop Urif villagers from planting, plowing and harvesting on their lands. The village of Urif, as well as the village of Burin would welcome MPTers to be present during the olive harvest.

[Palestine] The Village of Al Walaja and Har Gilo Settlement

The village of Al Walaja with the illegal Israeli settlement, Har Gilo, to the north.

Ata is proud of the many fruit trees he has planted and nourished on his land.

MPT have visited Ata, Fatima, and their four children in Al Walaja regularly over the past two years. Their village was occupied and ethnically cleansed by Israel in 1948. The area is now a park and an Israeli village. Many Al Walaja villagers went to Bethlehem and Jordanian refugee camps; others were forced across the valley to form a smaller village, the new Al Walaja. With less arable land to farm, unemployment is a considerable problem in this village 6 miles from Jerusalem’s center.

[See http://www.palestineremembered.com/Jerusalem/index.html for a map and description of the 38 Palestinian villages that were ethnically cleansed to form West Jerusalem in 1948 and 1967.]

After the 1967 War, the new Al Walaja was annexed to Jerusalem, unbeknown to the villagers. In the late 1980s, the Israel occupation forces began using various means, including home demolitions and arrests, to drive out the more than 2000 villagers. Since then more than 25 homes, several with animal sheds have been demolished. [For photos visit: http://www.caabu.org/pdf/Al-Walaje-appeal.pdf ] The Israeli occupying army’s justification is that villagers have only West Bank IDs [of course given them by the Israelis in 1967], and not Jerusalem IDs, so are therefore living illegally in Jerusalem. In 2006 and 2007 there was strong village support for their demonstrations against the annexation of land and illegal apartheid wall that will soon surround Al Walaja.

Illegal Israeli settlements are increasing despite international protests; home demolition of Palestinians are also a daily concern.  Since 1990, 55 more homes have been under an order of demolition. Furthermore, these homeowners have been fined about $300 a month for not having an-impossible-to-get permit. Some who resisted paying the fine spent time in prison. August 2009 ends the three-year moratorium on home demolitions in Al Walaja.

This demolished home was rebuilt without a permit
so it may be demolished again.

Working with a paid lawyer the village tried to get the documents required to stop the demolitions. Any family who proves that they were living on the land and getting services from Jerusalem after 1967 will not have their home demolished. There are old aerial photos showing homes in the new Al Walaja, but who is to say who was living in these homes, and there are no signs of the many people who sought refuge in nearby caves during this period. Jerusalem did not provide any services to the villagers after 1967 so where would people get such proofs as electric bills? The demand of Israel is such that the people have no way to give proof.

In the village’s Jerusalem municipality court case, the village was allowed to hire an Israeli planner, a man of French-Jewish ancestry, who for $6000 developed a plan so this Palestinian village could continue as part of Jerusalem. The plan is well done, but it does not yet met the demands of the Jerusalem municipal court or the Israeli district planning committee. Will it ever?

Our friend Ata has been active in organizing the village resistance, helping villagers to rebuild demolished homes and to begin to construct a new, adequate school for the children. [The village cannot receive a permit to build the school.] Ata, a very intelligent man who speaks fluent English, Hebrew and Arabic, has a twinkle in his eye that hints of his shrewd sense of humor. In 2007, he was given 96 months [8 years] of house arrest because of his “agitating.” He got the court order rescinded, but lost his full time job. Now he has to renew continuously his work visa to work in Jerusalem, not knowing when it could be revoked.

The residents of Al Walaja had been active in protesting the demolitions, the confiscation of much of their land for Har Gilo, the illegal Israeli settlement at the north, and the encirclement of the illegal apartheid wall around their village. Ata has been unhappy about the interference of outside Palestinian, Israeli and international groups trying to direct the way the village resists. He states that the village must direct the resistance and tell the outside groups how to assist. Now instead of demonstrations every Friday, the village has fruit and vegetable markets. Villagers say, “All is well” because they have a market where both Palestinians and Israelis, even Israeli soldiers, can come buy. Ata feels this is denying the reality that future demolitions are scheduled for 2009. One of Ata’s favorite quotes is “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” [Albert Einstein.]

Ata works in a convent in Ain Karem, a lovely Mediterranean type village that was also ethnically cleansed in 1948. Israelis now live in the homes of those expelled Palestinians. Before the illegal apartheid wall was built in the early 2000s Ata walked to Ain Karem in 40 minutes. With the wall and the checkpoint, which demands a work permit, it is now usually more than two hours and paid transportation. Before the house arrest order and more than two months without a work permit, Ata was the full time maintenance and grounds director. He lost his full time job, but works there now only two or three days a week. Sometimes he finds work for another day elsewhere. He is only able to get short term – 2-3 month work permits, which hopefully will continue to be renewed. In the near future all Palestinians who work in Jerusalem must enter and return through figure printing checkpoints. Lines will be longer, so arriving to work on time will be a problem.

Ata embroidered this during the Gaza invasion.
He saw the invasion and lack of international response
as a destruction of his dreams.

Ata was informed of MPT’s effort to enter Gaza and the invasion of Gaza was discussed. Ata said that Hamas gained power because of the terrible oppressive conditions in Gaza and the West Bank. For Ata and his family the invasion was totally devastating. They saw the world turn its back on Palestinian anguish. Palestinians suffer the invasion and the oppressive occupation and no one cares. Usually a visit with Ata is serious and realistic, but nonetheless hopeful and fun. This time the experience was one of much less hope. The twinkle is no longer in Ata’s eye. His face has changed. His hope now is in his bright children, all four are excellent students and two are exceptional. Their future may be in European educations.

MPT this spring has heard more criticism of the USA than ever before. People here are not as hopeful as they once were. There is a sadness and an anger.

[Palestine] Plowing Olive Groves under Israeli Occupation

The day after the plowing near Jit, MPTers were called to be present at a plowing of an olive grove near the Howwara checkpoint and behind the Israeli army base in the village of ‘Awarta near the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar.

At 7:15 a.m. an Israeli woman rabbi, member of the Israeli Rabbis for Human Rights, drove the MPTers to ‘Awarta and then followed the tractor for about fifteen minutes to the land of the Palestinian owner who had hired two tractors for the day’s plowing. Upon arriving another tractor appeared and both tractors began work immediately. There was the possibility that plowing would not be permitted by the army, so the owner had all his property documents, dating before 1940, with him. The olive grove was about ¾ down the hill and only a couple outposts of the settlement could be seen at the top of the hill.

The olive grove was near the foot of the hill,

but was considered a desirable addition to the illegal hilltop Israeli settlement.

Soon Arik Ascherman, director of Rabbis for Human Rights, another Israeli, and a Swedish photojournalist arrived. The tractors had completed about 20 minutes of work, when an Israeli army jeep arrived with three soldiers. The Palestinian tractor drivers continued working. Two soldiers, Arik, and the Palestinian land owner with his land documents in hand conversed with the Israeli soldiers.

The Palestinian's papers were in order, but any pretense of

a possible dispute about them would cause hours of delay.

Arik called the Israeli Army District Coordinating Officer (Officer (DCO) giving them all the information from the land documents. [Reception for most cellphones was impossible here.]

The property owner waited but the tractors continued.  First, the DCO asked for more documents, and then decided they needed more time to study the information from the present documents because they said ownership of the land was disputed. The tractors continued plowing.

The Swedish photojournalist who was working on a documentary about Israeli peace activists filmed what was happening. Arik was translating and explaining continuously. One of the soldiers recognized him because he had seen him filming in Hebron. It is probable that the army only allowed the photojournalist to continue because Arik was present.

It was now about 10:00 a.m., as everyone waited.

The soldiers returned to their jeep and a settler came down to them; the soldiers reported to the group that settler claimed that he had bought the land. This day was Holocaust Remembrance Day and all Israeli were to keep a period of silence at 10:00 a.m. The woman rabbi with RHR noted that the settler did not observe this moment of silence.

Finally the Israeli soldiers returned to where the tractors were plowing (and where the Palestinian owner, the three Israelis, two MPTers, and the photojournalist were), to announce that there would be a delay of at least an hour while the DCO looked into the land dispute. There was no guarantee of an outcome favorable to the Palestinian owner or as to the exact time of the decision.

The Israeli soldiers announced a delay of undetermined time, maybe an hour, maybe the rest of the day. This is a common method of harassment.

While the Palestinians decided what to do, the older Israeli man, a retired economist and an Israeli military veteran, talked to one of the soldiers. Later the Israeli man told MPTers that the soldier questioned why he was there supporting Arab terrorists. The Israeli asked the soldier if he thought the tractor drivers were terrorists. The soldier said all Arabs (Palestinians) could be terrorists. He ranted against the Palestinians. The woman rabbi told us the officer corrected the soldier for speaking the way he did to the people in the group or speaking to them at all.

The Israeli man in white attempted to converse with the Israeli soldier. The soldier ranted about Arab [Palestinian] terrorists.

In a short time the Palestinians decided it would be a waste of their time and money to continue in the olive grove and to pay the tractors to wait, when no favorable decision was in sight soon. An MPTer spoke to the Palestinian land owner, a Palestinian teacher, who was angry, frustrated and sad. He had to pay the tractor drivers for work that could not be completed and he had lost a day of teaching since he had taken the day off for the plowing. His right to plow his fields, for which he had legal documents, had been violated. Not even half of the olive grove had been plowed. He was forced to submit to the illegal and illogical decision of the Israeli army.

The Palestinian farmer/teacher accepts his fate, but not without resentment. He has lost time and money for no good reason.  The Israeli army jeep stopped both tractors from plowing the Palestinian's land. A "land dispute" was the reason given by the Israeli army, but harassment was the name of the game.

One of the Palestinian tractor drivers asked the Israeli rabbi and the MPTers to accompany him to finish plowing a field in an area a short distance away. This work was finished about 2:00. MPTers left for the day at that point, while Arik Ascherman and others continued working to secure the rights of the owner at the first location to finish the plowing on his fields.