Dismantling Settlements in Gaza and Expanding Them in the West Bank

Dismantling Settlements in Gaza and Expanding Them in the West Bank
ISM Digest


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1. Update on Beating and Deportation of Shora Esamilan, ISM activist
from Sweden
30 Jul, 2005

Shora Esamilan, an ISM activist from Sweden, has arrived back in her
country after being deported from Israel. Five policemen forced her
onto a plane, including two brought in especially from Austria to
subdue one small woman. On her way to the airplane, the police beat
her with batons.

Shora was brutally interrogated by the Israeli General Security
Services (GSS, or Shabak in Hebrew) for over 10 hours on her arrival
in Ben Gurion airport. Israel's expulsion of hundreds of non-violent
activists reflects the fear the Israeli authorities have of
non-violent resistance in Palestine. Activists like Shora are deemed
a 'security threat' because they advocate non-violent resistance to
the brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine. It seems that being
present in Palestinian villages and cities and attending non-violent
demonstrations threatens Israel's 'democracy'.

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2. Vigil at Ofer Military Base for Abdullah Abu Rahme, Peace Activist
30 July 2005

On Sunday, July 31st, Israeli, Palestinian and international peace
activists will hold a vigil at the Ofer Military Base at 3 PM to
protest the imprisonment of Abdullah Abu Rahme. Abdullah, a leader of
the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall has been in detention at Ofer
Military Base since his arrest during a non-violent demonstration on Friday,
July 15, 2005.

Last Tuesday, the military judge at Ofer prison camp decided to keep
Abdullah Abu Rahme in jail until the end of the proceedings against him.

Abdullah was arrested on July 17th at a demonstration in his home
village of Bil'in. Together with Akram Khatib he was charged with
assaulting a police officer. Abdullah is well known to Israeli
activists who have joined Bil'in's inspiring and highly creative
struggle against the wall. Many such activists were with Abdulla when
he was arrested and can testify to his innocence. Even those who have
never met Abdulla might remember his last arrest on trumped up charges
which were so obviously false that the police's own internal investigation
unit is investigating the policeman who testified against him for giving false
testimony.

The current charges are just as ridiculous and the same amount of
evidence proving his innocence (including video, still photographs,
dozens of witnesses etc.) was presented to the court. The prosecution
has hardly made an effort to build a case; they don't need to. When it comes
to Palestinians, the slightest evidence or the least credible testimony can land
them in jail for months.

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3. Palestinians Give the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) a `Gift
House' and Receive Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas in Return in Bilin
by Ninna and Palle
30 Jul 2005

Today's demonstration in Bil'in sent a message to world. "Even though
settlers are being removed from Gaza, many new settlements are being
built in the West Bank." The 27-foot Apartheid wall eats up more land
for existing settlements and tears down Palestinian farms for new
settlements. So, the people of Bil'in built a "settler house" out of
styrene plastic and gave it as a "gift" to the Israeli Occupation
Force (IOF) who protects the wall's construction site outside the village.

The demonstrators also demanded the release of Abdullah Abu-Rahme, a
prominent leader in the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and
Settlements, the group that organizes regular non-violent
demonstrations. He was arrested two weeks ago at another
demonstration in Bil'in and was charged with assaulting a police
officer, even though video evidence shows that he was completely
non-violent during the arrest.

To show their solidarity with him, many people today wore signs
saying: "I'm Abdullah Abu-Rahme". As the 1:00 pm demonstration moved
towards the wall, it was, as usual, stopped by the IOF just outside
the village. Many people sat down in front of the soldiers, who soon
began shooting sound bombs and teargas at the demonstrators and into
the village. Many people moved back, while some young boys threw
stones at the soldiers that were inside the village. After a while the soldier's
aggression stopped, and people were able to go back to the frontline again.

Organizers then decided that people should move back to show that they had
no intention of violent confrontation, and that the violence only comes from
the soldiers. Right after the demonstrators had started to slowly move back,
soldiers attacked again with teargas and rubber bullets.

As the soldiers moved into the village, young boys threw stones, trying to
protect the village. The soldiers arrested three Israelis, and one international
who tried to de-arrest an Israeli. They had all stayed up front in order to protect
the rest of the demonstrators.

After two hours, the soldiers pulled out, and released the four people who had
been detained. Five Palestinians were injured, four by rubber bullets, while one
was hit by a teargas canister.

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4. Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) Tells Lies Again About Non-violent
Resistance
Comments by D, Haaretz article link
30 Jul, 2005

"Israel Defense Forces troops fired tear gas at demonstrators. The
army said that the soldiers used the gas because the demonstrators
burned tires. However, not one burning tire was found at the site, and no
stones were thrown at the soldiers."

This statement above, and the title to the report in the Hebrew
edition, Zahal "(The IOF) Fired Tear Gas At Unarmed Protesters"
suggests a new attitude of Ha'aretz towards the protests against
construction of the wall on Palestinian property. But neither this
article, nor the verdict of the judge the other day that vindicated
protesters and accused 3 border police of lying and of violence will
stop construction of the wall. That's the bottom line.
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Ha'aretz Update Friday, July 29, 2005
Three Israelis Arrested During Separation Fence Protest Near Bil'in
By Amos Harel and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents

Three Israelis were arrested during a protest against the West Bank
separation fence near the West Bank village of Bil'in on Friday.

Israel Defense Forces troops fired tear gas at demonstrators. The army said
that the soldiers used the gas because the demonstrators burned tires.
However, not one burning tire was found at the site, and no stones were
thrown at the soldiers……

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/606444.html