Anarchism is thriving in the nooks and crannies of Tel Aviv and spreading to other cities. But its latest symbol, the Florentine 'squat,' is living on borrowed time.

The setting is hardly alluring: the small yard of a literally gray, four-story, formerly abandoned, industrial-style building in the mostly shabby but steadily gentrifying Florentine neighborhood of South Tel Aviv. The buffet menu is modest and strictly vegan: meatless cholent, rice noodles, tomato-and-cucumber salad and tehinah, served on an eclectic assortment of china dishes. The loud music that draws one to the place is actually coming from a jam
session in an unrelated storefront across the street. But it certainly serves the occasion of this Friday-afternoon party thrown by the Florentine "squat," which is intended less to celebrate its 11 months of existence than to reinforce its self-styled role as a social and cultural center for the surrounding community. Indeed, the casually dressed crowd of mostly twentysomethings, who evince a body-piercing or two but no punk hairdos or visible tattoos, is laid-back and appealingly hospitable - not at all what one expects from the intense and belligerent image that attaches to the word "anarchists" - though no one is prepared to divulge more than his or her first name to a representative of the "mainstream press," and most are prudently camera-shy.

Leftwing activists and Palestinians have plans to set up a makeshift school on lands Israel plans to expropriate from the village of Bilin to construct the security fence; school to teach Palestinians 'citizenship'

A group of 22 Israeli and Palestinian demonstrators lit Hanukka candles Sunday night at an illegal caravan they set up for a second time near the West Bank village of Bili'in.

The lighting of the first candle at this spot said Yossi Bartal an activist from Anarchists against the Wall represented "the fight for freedom from occupation."

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.

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday evening evacuated some 50 left-wing activists who had barricaded themselves inside a caravan "outspost" built near the West Bank village of Bil'in on land cut off from the village by the separation fence.

The Israel Defense Forces evacuated some 50 activists who barricaded themselves inside a West Bank trailer "outpost" near the security barrier Thursday.

The activists' trailer had been set up near the village of Bil'in, the Jerusalem Post said.

According to police, a group of illegally built houses, containing 750 apartments was located at the site and were scheduled for demolition. Palestinians and Israelis, belonging to a left-wing group called Anarchists Against the Fence brought in the trailer in an attempt to prevent the demolition.

Activists told Haaretz the IDF force numbered some 150 troops, breaking into the caravan with sledge hammers and chains. The trailer was later lifted in the air by a crane to prevent people from returning.