Report: Security forces beat four protesters near Bil'in village

[Violet_Crumble]

Security forces beat four anti-fence protesters near the West Bank village of Bil'in, and one of them was beaten after he was arrested, demonstrators in the area said Friday.

Three of the protesters were lightly hurt and the condition of the arrested demonstrator is unknown.

The clashes erupted Friday after 200 Israelis, Palestinians and foreigners tried to arrive at Bil'in in order to erect a protest tent against the expansion of the settlement of Upper Modi'in on lands confiscated from the Palestinian residents of Bil'in.

On Thursday Israel Defense Forces troops evacuated some 50 left-wing activists who had barricaded themselves inside a caravan "outpost" built near the Bil'in on land cut off from the village by the separation fence.

The fence cuts village residents off from approximately half of their lands.

<snip>

The caravan was situated on land adjacent to the Matityahu East neighborhood of Upper Modi'in, where hundreds of illegal Jewish housing units have recently been constructed.

Security sources said that it was clear to them that immediately after the evacuation, they would need to explain to the court why they are hurrying to act against Palestinian illegal construction and tarrying on curbing illegal construction in the settlements.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/661809.html

[Tom Joad]

1. This has been one of the most remarkable non-violent campaigns

in the world today. Think the historic confrontation at the Selma bridge confrontation taking place every week, with all the courage and determination of those who were determined to win their liberation, and all the violence of those who wanted a continuation of the status quo.

The demonstrations in Bilin take place at least every Friday... hundreds have been arrested, many have been shot by bullets ("rubber", but really steel thinly coated by rubber), god-awful tear-gas... but still they go out there and struggle for their homes. Children have been arrested and detained... but still they go back the next week. Old people have been beaten... but still they go back. Some have been killed by the occupation forces, still the Palestinians keep the struggle alive.

This campaign is led by the Palestinian villagers themselves, it is they who have everything to lose if this campaign is not successful , if this Wall is allowed to be completed and kept in place. However, the very exciting thing is that they are not alone. They are joined by internationals from all over the world, and by those Israelis who understand that their own future is intertwoven with the future of their Palestinian neighbors... there is no "Us" and "Them"... it is all "us" against the ugliness of the military occupation, opposing ideologies of oppression.

[eyl]

3. If it's a non-violent campaign

how come these demonstrations often end with injured police or soldiers (BTW, given video I've seen of the Bil'in demonstrations.. does slinging stones at the police also fall under "non-violent"?)

[manic expression]

5. It is

mostly. Would you be so oblivious as to characterize an entire movement because of single instances?

Also, stones against heavily equipped police and soldiers vs. beating unarmed people. Can you spot the difference?

Furthermore, perhaps if overt land theft was not being carried out, and perhaps if beatings such as these didn't happen, perhaps THEN people would not be so inclined to sling stones (until then, however, it is not unreasonable).

[eyl]

6. Sorry

but becoming a policeman does not mean you get a "free target" sign hung on your chest. Stones can be lethal; a few months ago, a policeman lost an eye from a stone (also at one of the demonstartions at Bil'in).

As for your first point; there are reports of injuries after most of the demonstratins; it's more than "a few".

As for your last point, you seem to think it's OK to offer violence to police, but not OK for them to respond?

[Tom Joad]

7. The taking of another people's land is a crime. Soldiers have a choice.

Yes, it is sad that Israeli military men and women are injured in their effort to enforce policies that will destroy Palestinian communities, to steal land. However, you must see the violence in context.

First, such attacks against those who are taking your land, who are part of the aggression against you and your community, tragic as it is, is certainly permitted under international law. You may be a pacifist, but you should recognize this. Those who act to enforce crimes are doing a greater violence (even without firing their weapons, and many do fire their weapons).

Second, these soldiers have a choice. They can refuse to participate in what amounts to a war crime. There are things that decent people do not do. Many Israelis have already refused to serve in the occupied territories. They are paying a price, that is true. It is the price they have to pay to do the right thing. http://www.yeshgvul.org

If folks here really care about non-violence, they would do something to make that possible.

First, do everything possible to inform people about the real tragedy that is taking place in Palestine. Make sure your congressperson is aware of your concern. The US should no longer fund this travesty. It should do everything in its power to oppose the taking of Palestinian land.
http://www.endtheoccupation.org Join one of these organizations that are working to change US policy.

Support those internationals/Israelis who are taking part in these protests. Or go yourself.
http://www.palsolidarity.org International Solidarity Movement
http://www.rhr.israel.net Rabbis for Human Rights

[manic expression]

8. However

being a part of wrongdoing just *might* make you a target for people's anger. Justified anger, that is. If someone is part of a force that is taking land for no reason, as well as beating people for demonstrating against it, then YES, there is a big sign on their chest.

A policemen lost an eye? Does that justify beating four people and continuing injustice in the form of stealing (actions that were being carried out WELL before the injury, I might add)? NO. Why did he get a stone thrown at him in the first place? That policeman would have his eye if these disgusting policies were halted and reversed. That policeman would not be a target if he was not defending theft.

A small group can cause injuries at multiple demonstrations. Is this hard to envision? It shouldn't be.

I think it is justified for people to fight against theft. Collective punishment and wanton beatings are perhaps the antithesis of that, especially when it is FOR that very theft.

Sorry, indeed.

[Scurrilous]

2. IDF raids headquarters of anti-fence organization

<snip>

"Israel Defense Force soldiers confiscated documents belonging to the Committee for the Popular Struggle against the Separation Fence during a nighttime raid on the northern West Bank village of Qafin, a committee activist said yesterday. Apparently, the soldiers located the committee headquarters in a building search and seized documents and NIS 7,000 and 500 dinars from their offices, said the activist."

<snip>

"Activists contended that a large IDF force raided Qafin, north of Tul Karm, Wednesday night, breaking into a building in the village center where the offices of several community organizations were located, including the Committee against the Fence, an agricultural aid organization and a rural women's advancement group. According to neighbors and organization members, the soldiers remained for a little over two hours, tore three iron doors off their hinges and spent some time photographing the rooms.

Immediately after the soldiers left, at around 4:15 A.M., members of the Committee against the Separation Fence and the agricultural organization discovered money had gone missing, which they claimed had been locked up.

The missing documents, which were in a notebook, contained maps, orders for land expropriation and ownership documents, and requests for passage through the fence, among others."

link

[Wordie]

4. The Tent of Defiance (report from Bil'in on the December 23 demonstration)

The Tent of Defiance
December 24th, 2005 | Posted in Press Releases, Bil'in Village

In a demonstration held at noon on Dec 23, the villagers of Bilin erected a tent on land cut off from the village by the annexation barrier. The tent was meant to replace the caravan that was forcefully evacuated and removed the day before by the Israeli military. The tent and caravan are the headquarters of “The centre for joint struggle”.

The evacuation took place a few hundreds of meters away from the construction site of the Matityahu Mizrah settlement where according to the Israeli civil administration hundreds of housing units are being built without permit contrary to Israeli law (not to mention International law).

Some 400 Palestinian, Israelis and internationals, walked peacefully from the village to the soldier’s lines and managed to put up the tent despite the soldiers violent attempts to prevent them. The demonstrates chanted and sang in the rain around the tent.Some of the villagers tried to access their lands across mounds of rocks nearby while soldiers beat them with batons in response. Suddenly a group of soldiers went after one of villagers, Adib Abu Rahma, father of 8 children; they pushed him to the ground hitting his head strongly on a rock and then dragged behind a military jeep kicking him along the
way.

Soon after Israeli activist Yotam Ronnen was also arrested. According to Yotam Soldiers, of the “Yasam” unit, beat him and Adib, focusing on Adib, while the two were sitting on the ground with their hands handcuffed behind there backs.

“Adib was already in a lot of pain from the blow to his head. I kept asking the soldiers to have the military doctor who was there with them check Adib. When they finally did this half an hour later the military doctor concluded that due to his head injury Adib requires hospitalisation. Despite this and the fact that he was clearly in severe pain the military released me after some time but kept Adib.” said Yotam.

Adib was transferred to Givat Zeev settlement police station and interrogated for five hours. At 9:00 PM he was transferred by a Palestinian ambulance to a hospital in Ramallah. He was later release to his home but was not able to comment due his condition.

Israeli activist Leiser Peles and another Palestinian activist were also beaten severely.

The route of the wall in Bil’in was designed to annex Bil’in lands to allow for the expansion of the Modi’in Elite settlement.

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2005/12/24/the-tent-of-defiance/