An extraordinary conference (Uri Avnery)

[Violet_Crumble]

A few weeks ago I was in Berlin. Pieces of the Berlin Wall are on sale in the shops there. I paid 2.50 euros for one of them. The day will come when here, in Bil’in, in the free state of Palestine, one will be able to buy pieces of the Wall that we are fighting against today.

A final score of 1:1 may not be the most impressive, but for the youngsters of Bil’in it was a glorious achievement. For them, it was not the result that was important, nor even the match itself (against a team from the nearby town of Betunya). What was important was where it took place: on an improvised football field that was hastily levelled on the land that was stolen from the village by the Separation Wall.

The match was a part of a unique event. In the poor, little village, with its 1,500 inhabitants, which few had ever heard of before the start of its heroic battle against the Wall, an “International Conference on the Joint, Non-violent struggle Against the Wall” took place. In the framework of this event, which lasted for two days, a range of activities had been organised: reports and debates about the struggle, the award of honour shields to the families of the nine people who lost their lives in the fight against the Wall, the planting of olive saplings on the stolen land, the inauguration of the football field and the match itself.

I had the honour of being invited to deliver one of the opening speeches, before an audience of 300 people — inhabitants of Bil’in, members of the Palestinian parliament, representatives of the struggle in several areas along the Wall, Israeli peace activists and delegates from European solidarity groups. This is what I said:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C02%5C28%5Cstory_28-2-2006_pg3_4

[Tom Joad]

1. Inspiring message! Bil'lin is the center of nonviolent resistance in the

world today. Nowhere else is there such tenacious resistance, against such a violent and powerful foe as in Bil'lin (and several other villages in Palestine). It is a wonderful thing to behold. Folks should consider joining them in their struggle. Decades from now, when those pieces of the Annexation Wall are sold in Bil'lin novelty shops, people will be talking of the history that is being made right now before our eyes.

Other generations have risen to a similar challenge. Salt Marchers walked hundreds of miles with Gandhi, and then faced the cruel head breaking blows of British-hired goons. Nonviolent resisters (including kids from Sunday School) met the fire hoses & vicious dogs of Police Chief Bull Connor, and they did not back down. Freedom Riders rode buses into the heart of racist darkness because they believed that there would be a new day. Their work, as incomplete as it is, changed our world. In many ways, the work of these nonviolent resisters prevailed.

So I hope others would consider going themselves to Palestine, and see for themselves what is happening there. Or supporting the movement with their contributions. International support to make a real peace based on justice is urgently needed. For more info, see http://palsolidarity.org/