In the early morning on March 2, 2010, Israeli bulldozers started uprooting ancient olive trees in the garden of a Palestinian family in the town of Beit Jala, North-West of Bethlehem, in order to make room for the construction of yet another section of the Apartheid Wall. Wednesday morning, the family, which had already lost a significant portion of its lands when Israel seized them to build the “by-pass road” 60 that connects the equally illegal settlements, found the little playground for the children in the garden destroyed and three olive trees directly in front of the house chopped off. A red cross was painted two meters away from the front door to signal where the Wall is designed to pass. The remaining olive trees had been marked with yellow-tags, to be uprooted another day.
More markings on remaining trees and on the ground announce that soon, the family might lose the rest of its remaining land including the sight of its destroyed playground, and live immediately facing the massive grey concrete Wall.
Between March 2 and March 3, the bulldozers uprooted an overall of 70 olive trees on the lands of the family and their neighbors, rapidly creating facts on the ground before lawyers could challenge the most recent of a series of confusing orders designed to “legalize” the ongoing land theft under Israeli law. According to Israel’s most recent plan, this section of the Wall would seize another 280,9 dunams of Palestinian land on the property of 35 families.
On March 3, the al-Ma’asara Popular Committee and the Holy Land Trust in Bethlehem mobilized a group of Palestinian, international and Israeli activists to attempt to physically stop the bulldozers from continuing their work. Dozens of soldiers, security personal and border police officers spent two hours pushing and dragging the activists up the hill and away from the operating bulldozers, and finally produced an order to arrest anyone remaining on the family’s land after 9a.m.
On March 4, a group of activists was again mobilized to arrive in the early morning hours to protect the remaining olive trees. One activist chained himself to an ancient tree marked for removal, while others formed clusters around this and other trees. As soldiers and police officers gathered on the scene, activists chanted slogans against the Wall and the occupation and replanted two uprooted trees.
After a few hours, the activists learned that a legal decision had been reached that effectively prohibits any further uprooting until the next court order is ruled. Expecting this impending order, activists continue to prepare for further intervention in case that the bulldozers resume their work.
Beit Jala, March 4 2010
This week's demonstration in Bil'in marked the Global Week against racism in the world and coincided with many popular events against racism and oppression against the peoples and territories - in particular the Palestinian people. The demonstration begun after Friday prayers and marched from the centre of the village, then continued to the western gate of the wall. Over one hundred people participated in the march, including a group from the PFLP (The Popular front for the Liberation of Palestine) and a delegation from the Freedom Theatre in Jenin. The demonstration was headed by people dressed up as three prominent figures in the global struggle against racism and occupation: Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. Palestinian flags were raised as the participants chanted slogans condemning the wall and the occupation.
As the march reached the wall it was met with a shower of tear gas, rubber bullets and sound bombs, then clashes broke out between demonstrators and occupation soldiers. The demonstration lasted for hours as troops deliberately fired tear gas towards crews of journalists from Palestine TV and other stations to discourage the footage from the International Week Against Racism -and the Popular Committee's condemnation of Israel's racist and immoral practices- from being broadcast. In response, the Popular Committee stressed the need for cohesion, national unity and solidarity and highlighted that it was in the public interest for everyone involved in anti-racist struggles to stand shoulder to shoulder with each other.
This week, another 150 people strong demonstration marking international Women's Day and protesting ongoing land grab was held in Nabi-Saleh. The demonstration was attacked by the Army with tear-gas and rubber-coated bullets while still inside the village and from great distance for no apparent reason. Nine other people were injured, including two journalists and an eighteen year old woman who was hit in the neck with an aluminum-made tear-gas projectile.
Nabi-Saleh, March 5 2010
Ehab Fadel Barghouthi (14) was shot with a rubber-coated bullet that struck him in the forehead above his right eye and entered his skull. He was shot by Border Police officers who took over the rooftop of a house in the outskirts of the village and were in no immediate danger. According to eye witnesses, the boy was standing twenty meters away from the house when he was shot, after which he immediately collapsed. He was evacuated to the Salfeet hospital unconscious, and from there transferred to the Ramallah hospital. Numerous eyewitnesses confirm stone-throwing did take place at the time of the shooting, but all affirm Barghouthi did not partake in it.
Nabi-Saleh, March 5 2010
The village is home to some 500 people. Since demonstrations in the village began, nine of its residents, roughly two percent of the Nabi Saleh's population, have been arrested on protest-related suspicions and dozens were injured.
In Ni'ilin, some 100 demonstrators marched from the village to the wall. The march was led by demonstrators holding signs condemming the Israeli government's decsiion to declare the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron and Belal mosque in Bethlehem Jewish National Sites. After failing to convince the soldiers at the gate to allow the village farmers to reach their lands, confrontations between some of the village youth and the soldiers erupted. The soldiers kept firing tear gas projectiles but did not manage to suppress the demonstration. After less than an hour of such confrontations, more than 20 soldiers invaded the village fields chasing the demonstrators closer to the village. The soldiers stormed the fields shooting tear gas projectiles, and occasionally 0.22 live rounds. After confrontations continued at the village border for several hours, the demonstration was declared over.
Ni'ilin, March 5 2010
Some twenty Israeli and international activists joined fifty Palestinians in this week's Friday demonstration against the Wall in Ma'asara. Demonstrators marched through the village towards the route of the wall, and were stopped by an army reserves unit which blocked the road with barbed wire several hundred meters deeper into the village than usual. The group composed mostly out of officers presented a closed military zone order, barring the march to pass the wire. Several demonstrators crossed the line anyway, but decided not to try and push further in an attempt to avoid the violent army attacks which have become common in these non-violent demonstrations lately.
Ma'asara, March 5 2010
And so, standing by the barbed wire, demonstrators carried speeches in Arabic, Hebrew and English. Amongst the speakers was Fatah Central Committee member Abu-Zaki. The Samba band played its new drums, sent in solidarity from their Turkish counterparts, and slogans were chanted in defiance of the occupation and in favor of the un-armed and united Palestinian struggle.
Ma'asara, March 5 2010
The demonstration ended after about an hour, with no unusual events. Earlier in the week, however, a prominent member of the popular committee of the village was attacked upon reaching a military checkpoint. Mahmud Zwahre was beaten by soldiers, and told that demonstrations must cease.
On Saturday, March 6th, about 40 Palestinians, Israelis, and Internationals protested in Beit Ummar against the Israeli occupation and Apartheid Wall. This weekly demonstration was held in opposition to the decision of the Israeli government to declare the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron and Belal mosque in Bethlehem Jewish National Sites.
The demonstration, organized by the Bait Ummar National Committee, started at the village and proceeded to block road 60, the main route that connects Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Hebron. Participants also removed parts of a wire fence, that allows the IOF to impose curfews, and limit the movement of Palestinians in and out of Beit Ummar.
Beit Ummar, March 6 2010
The week was concluded with a demonstration in Yafa against police violence, and a mass rally in Sheikh-Jarrah as part of the ongoing campaign there against the settlers take-over of Palestinian houses in the neighborhood.
Sheikh-Jarrah, March 6 2010
