Recent Activities

Some 250 Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals demonstrated today in the West Bank village of Bil'in against the Apartheid Wall and the settlements built on Palestinian land. Prior to the demonstration a press conference took place, where a representative of the village's popular committee, a member of the Palestinian Boycott National Committee and world renowned Canadian journalist and author Naomi Klein spoke of the local struggle, of the village's new court case in Canada against Canadian companies building the new neighborhoods on Bil'in land, on the boycott, and of the inability to detach art and politics.

No serious injuries were noted.

Around 50 villagers, supported by dozens of Israeli and international activists, participated in the weekly non-violent march against the Apartheid Wall, organized by the Al-Ma'sara Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements. The protest started after the midday prayer in Al-Ma'sara and moved toward the land that will be affected by the construction of the Wall. The march was stopped by a razor wire military barrier put by the Israeli troops at the settlers' road, which separates the villages from their land where the Wall is going to be built.

Israeli troops using teargas against protesters, al Ma'asara

On Friday - coinciding with the May 1st, International Workers’ Day - Israeli and international activists joined residents of al Ma’asara (near Bethlehem), Ni’ilin and Bil’in (near Ramallah) for their ongoing protest marches against the Apartheid wall, this week with an added emphasis on labor rights. Arrests, teargas projectiles, concussion grenades, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition formed the arsenal with which the Israeli military tried to contain, disperse and suppress the protests against the wall. Several people, both demonstrators and regular residents of the villages, were injured as troops attacked the assembled crowds without provocation. Video inside.

Bassem Abu Rahmeh, moments after being shot by soldiers during demonstration against the wall. Photo: Lazar Simeonov

During the weekly Friday demonstration against the Wall in the village of Bil’in, Israeli soldiers killed Bassem Ibrahim Abu Rahme, a 30 year-old resident of the village. Bassem, who had been standing on a hill alongside several journalists, removed from the main body of the demonstration, was targeted directly and shot from a short distance with an “extended range” teargas projectile - the same kind that critically injured Tristan Anderson in Ni’ilin five weeks ago. Bassem was buried in his village on Saturday, with over a thousand mourners in attendance, including Palestinians from neighboring villages as well as international and Israeli friends and activists. Later on in the evening, more than 400 people took part in a protest march through the streets of Tel Aviv, ending in front if the Ministry of Defense, where they called for an end to the occupation and the Apartheid Wall. Video inside.

Protesters at the Separation Barrier taking cover behind a makeshift shield, Bil'in. Photo: AP/Muhammed Muheisen

On Friday, Israeli and international activists joined residents of al Ma’asara (near Bethlehem), Bil’in and Ni’ilin (near Ramallah) in their continuing weekly demonstrations against the Apartheid wall. Just as before, and while Israel is in the midst of Passover celebrations - also known as “the freedom holiday” - the Israeli military did its very best to trample Palestinian freedom, stifle Palestinian protest and deny these villages the very right to demonstrate against the theft of their lands. Several people were injured by teargas projectiles and live ammunition (video inside).