Dismantling Gaza Settlements, Expanding in West Bk

Dismantling Settlements in Gaza and Expanding Them in the West Bank
ISM Digest

1. Update on Beating and Deportation of Shora Esamilan, 30 Jul 2005

2. Vigil at Ofer Military Base for Abdullah Abu Rahme, Peace Activist

3. Palestinians Give the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) a `Gift
House' and Receive Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas, by Ninna and Palle

4. Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) Tells Lies Again, comments by D,
Haaretz article link, 30 Jul, 2005

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1. Update on Beating and Deportation of Shora Esamilan, ISM activist from Sweden

30 Jul, 2005

Shora Esamilan, an ISM activist from Sweden, has arrived back in her country after being deported from Israel. Five policemen forced her onto a plane, including two brought in especially from Austria to subdue one small woman. On her way to the airplane, the police beat her with batons.

Shora was brutally interrogated by the Israeli General Security Services (GSS, or Shabak in Hebrew) for over 10 hours on her arrival in Ben Gurion airport. Israel's expulsion of hundreds of non-violent activists reflects the fear the Israeli authorities have of non-violent resistance in Palestine. Activists like Shora are deemed a 'security threat' because they advocate non-violent resistance to the brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine. It seems that being present in Palestinian villages and cities and attending non-violent demonstrations threatens Israel's 'democracy'.

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2. Vigil at Ofer Military Base for Abdullah Abu Rahme, Peace Activist

30 July 2005

On Sunday, July 31st, Israeli, Palestinian and international peace activists will hold a vigil at the Ofer Military Base at 3 PM to protest the imprisonment of Abdullah Abu Rahme. Abdullah, a leader of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall has been in detention at Ofer Military Base since his arrest during a non-violent demonstration on Friday,

July 15, 2005.

Last Tuesday, the military judge at Ofer prison camp decided to keep Abdullah Abu Rahme in jail until the end of the proceedings against him.

Abdullah was arrested on July 17th at a demonstration in his home village of Bil'in. Together with Akram Khatib he was charged with assaulting a police officer. Abdullah is well known to Israeli activists who have joined Bil'in's inspiring and highly creative struggle against the wall. Many such activists were with Abdulla when he was arrested and can testify to his innocence. Even those who have never met Abdulla might remember his last arrest on trumped up charges which were so obviously false that the police's own internal investigation unit is investigating the policeman who testified against him for giving false testimony.

The current charges are just as ridiculous and the same amount of evidence proving his innocence (including video, still photographs, dozens of witnesses etc.) was presented to the court. The prosecution has hardly made an effort to build a case; they don't need to. When it comes to Palestinians, the slightest evidence or the least credible testimony can land them in jail for months.

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3. Palestinians Give the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) a `GiftHouse' and Receive Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas in Return in Bilin

by Ninna and Palle

30 Jul 2005

Today's demonstration in Bil'in sent a message to world. "Even though settlers are being removed from Gaza, many new settlements are being built in the West Bank." The 27-foot Apartheid wall eats up more land for existing settlements and tears down Palestinian farms for new settlements. So, the people of Bil'in built a "settler house" out of styrene plastic and gave it as a "gift" to the Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) who protects the wall's construction site outside the village. The demonstrators also demanded the release of Abdullah Abu-Rahme, a prominent leader in the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, the group that organizes regular non-violent demonstrations. He was arrested two weeks ago at another demonstration in Bil'in and was charged with assaulting a police officer, even though video evidence shows that he was completely non-violent during the arrest.

To show their solidarity with him, many people today wore signs saying: "I'm Abdullah Abu-Rahme". As the 1:00 pm demonstration moved towards the wall, it was, as usual, stopped by the IOF just outside the village. Many people sat down in front of the soldiers, who soon began shooting sound bombs and teargas at the demonstrators and into the village. Many people moved back, while some young boys threw stones at the soldiers that were inside the village. After a while the soldier's aggression stopped, and people were able to go back to the frontline again.

Organizers then decided that people should move back to show that they had no intention of violent confrontation, and that the violence only comes from the soldiers. Right after the demonstrators had started to slowly move back, soldiers attacked again with teargas and rubber bullets. As the soldiers moved into the village, young boys threw stones, trying to protect the village. The soldiers arrested three Israelis, and one international who tried to de-arrest an Israeli. They had all stayed up front in order to protect the rest of the demonstrators.

After two hours, the soldiers pulled out, and released the four people who had been detained. Five Palestinians were injured, four by rubber bullets, while one was hit by a teargas canister.

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4. Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) Tells Lies Again About Non-violentResistance

Comments by D, Haaretz article link

30 Jul, 2005 "Israel Defense Forces troops fired tear gas at demonstrators. The army said that the soldiers used the gas because the demonstrators burned tires. However, not one burning tire was found at the site, and no stones were thrown at the soldiers."

This statement above, and the title to the report in the Hebrew edition, Zahal "(The IOF) Fired Tear Gas At Unarmed Protesters" suggests a new attitude of Ha'aretz towards the protests against construction of the wall on Palestinian property. But neither this article, nor the verdict of the judge the other day that vindicated protesters and accused 3 border police of lying and of violence will stop construction of the wall. That's the bottom line.

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Ha'aretz Update Friday, July 29, 2005

Three Israelis Arrested During Separation Fence Protest Near Bil'in

By Amos Harel and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents

Three Israelis were arrested during a protest against the West Bank separation fence near the West Bank village of Bil'in on Friday.

Israel Defense Forces troops fired tear gas at demonstrators. The army said that the soldiers used the gas because the demonstrators burned tires. However, not one burning tire was found at the site, and no stones were thrown at the soldiers……

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/606444.html

ENDS

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