Palestinian spring / Printemps en Palestine, March and April 2012

Anne Paq/Activestills.org: Nabi Saleh, Jayyus, North West Bank, Walaja, Marsaba and Wadi Quelt.

Photo 1: a Palestinian youth during the weekly demonstration against the occupation, Nabi Saleh, 06.04.2012 / Une jeune Palestinien pendant la manifestation hebdomadaire contre l'occupation de Nabi Saleh, 06.04.2012

Photo 2: a Palestinian photographer on the ground after he was hit by a tear gas canister in his head during the weekly demonstration against the occupation, Nabi Saleh, 06.04.2012 / Un photographe Palestinien au sol après avoir été touché à la tête par un projectile de gaz lacrimogène pendant la manifestation hebdomadaire contre l'occupation de Nabi Saleh, 06.04.2012


Every year the Palestinian Spring takes me by surprise: yes I am surprised again and again. I am suddenly struck by the beauty of the familiar landscapes being transformed by the Spring. Flowers bloom, green appears even in the desert, water also in places usually dry. A urge to hike and embrace every tree becomes overwhelming. Then after these euphoric moments, I cannot help myself feeling the stings of the occupation. The scars in the landscapes left by the route of the Wall become even more unbearable. The presence of the settlers enjoying a bath in the Wadi Quelt as they own the place also spoils the moment. We just cannot pretend that all is beautiful and never mind the rest. The nature shouts in all places that she is being raped: barbed wires, concrete wall, electronic fences, trenches, settlements look so alien in these landscapes.
A few unspoiled places remain as a testimony that Palestine can be one of the most beautiful places on earth. We will not pretend that everything is fine under the occupation, and we should also take our strength and inspiration from these flowers and beautiful landscapes to continue the spring with a political one.

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Chaque année, le Printemps Palestinien me prend par surprise: oui, je suis surprise encore et encore. Je suis tout d'un coup frappée par la beauté des paysages familiers qui sont transformés par le printemps.
Les fleurs surgissent, le vert apparaît même dans le désert ainsi que l'eau dans des endroits généralement secs. Une envie pressente de randonnée et de serrer dans mes bras tous les arbres m'envahit. Puis, après ces moments d'euphorie, je ne peux pas m'empêcher de ressentir les piqûres de l'occupation. Les cicatrices laissées par le tracé du mur devient encore plus insupportable. La présence des colons qui se baignent dans la rivière de Wadi Quelt commes s'ils étaient les seigneurs de l'endroits gâche le moment.

Nous ne pouvons pas prétendre que tout est beau et tant pis pour le reste. La nature crie dans tous ces lieux qui pourraient être idyliques qu'elle est violée: les barbelés, le Mur de béton, les km de clôtures électroniques, les tranchées, les colonies apparaissent comme des impostures dans ces paysages.
Quelques places restent intactes et deviennent le témoignage que la Palestine pourrait être l'un des plus beaux endroits sur terre.
Nous ne pouvons prétendre que tout va bien sous l'occupation, et nous devrions également prendre notre force et l'inspiration de ces fleurs et de beaux paysages pour poursuivre le printemps, un printemps politique.

Nabi Saleh demonstration, 06.04.2012

(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Nabi Saleh, 06.04.2012

As every week, the villagers of Nabi Saleh, together with some other Palestinians, Israeli and international supporters marched during the demonstration against the occupation and settlements. The march did not last long. As soon as we reach the main road, the Israeli water canon truck rushed to the protesters to spray the infamous "skunk"- a foul smelling chemical weapon. Thus once again, the unarmed demonstration was not allowed, even deep inside the village.

In order not to be sprayed with the "skunk", protesters ran in different directions and tear gas projectiles started to fly. One of the first shot fired hit a Palestinian photographer directly in the back of his head. It was not a mistake. Some tear gas projectiles are systematically shot during demonstrations at head level with the probability of causing serious injuries which can prove also lethal. The clashes started between the Palestinian youth, throwing stones to prevent the invasion of their village and saying a clear message to the occupier; you are not welcomed here. The "skunk" truck continued chasing people and even targeted houses. This is horrible; as the smell takes ages to go away. Tear gas was also shot amidst the homes, and even the gas station was targeted. Clashes had lasted for several hours.

In a vile attempt to provoke the youth of the village, some Palestinians reported that the Israeli soldiers were asking "where is Mustafa"? Mustafa Tamimi was killed by an Israeli soldier in Nabi Saleh on December 9, 2011 by a direct hit of a tear gas projectile from close range on his face. The shebabs kept fighting the Israeli army until the Israeli soldiers kinda of gave up and left the village, but before they charged one more time and injured a 15 year-old child in the face with a rubber-coated steel bullet, a reminder that nobody is safe from the Israeli army.

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Comme chaque semaine, les habitants de Nabi Saleh, ainsi que des supporters palestiniens, israéliens et internationaux ont marché contre l'occupation et les colonies. La marche n'a pas duré très longtemps, quelques minutes au plus avant de se heurter à la répression de l'armée israélienne. Dès que nous sommes arrivés sur la route principale, le camion israélien équippé d'un canon à eau se précipita vers les manifestants pour pulvériser l'infâme "skunk" - un liquide chimique nauséabond. Ainsi une fois de plus, la démonstration non-armée n'a pas été permise, même profondément à l'intérieur du village.

Pour fuir le "skunk", les manifestants se sont mis à courir dans des directions différentes et des projectiles lacrymogènes ont commencé à voler. L'un des premier tir a atteint un photographe palestinien directtement à l'arrière de sa tête. Ce n'était pas une erreur. Certains projectiles lacrymogènes sont systématiquement tirés pendant les manifestations au niveau la tête avec la probabilité de provoquer des blessures graves qui peuvent se révéler aussi fatales.

Les affrontements ont débuté entre les jeunes palestiniens qui ont commencé à jeter des pierres pour empêcher l'invasion de leur village et envoyer un message clair à l'occupant: "vous n'êtes pas les bienvenus ici". Le camion à "skunk" a continué à chasser les manifestants et a même répandu son liquide nauséabonds sur des maisons. C'est horrible quand on sait que cette odeur prend une éternité pour s'estamper. Les grenades lacrymogènes ont été également lancées au milieu des maisons, et même la station d'essence a été prise pour cible. Les affrontements ont duré ainsi plusieurs heures.

Dans une tentative ignoble de provoquer les jeunes du villages, certains soldats israéliens ont demandé "où est Mustafa"? Mustafa Tamimi a été tué par un soldat israélien à Nabi Saleh sur Décembre 9, 2011 par un tir direct d'un projectile de gaz lacrymogène à bout portant sur ​​son visage. Les shebabs ont continué à se battre contre l'armée israélienne jusqu'à ce que les soldats israéliens finalement abandonnent et partent du village, mais avant leur départ ils ont organisé une autre incursion dans le village et ont blessé au passage un enfant de 15 ans au visage avec une balle en acier recouvert de caoutchouc, une piqure de rappel afin de montrer que personne n'est à l'abri de l'armée israélienne.

Land Day, Qalandiya and beyond / Journée de la Terre, Qalandiya checkpoint et au-delà; 30.03.2012

(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Qalandiya checkpoint, 30.03.2012

Hundreds participated to the protest marking Land Day and the Global march to Jerusalem in front of Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah on March 30, 2012. Land Day annually commemorates the events of 1976, when Israeli authorities seized massive quantities of land from Palestinian owners, and then killed six Palestinians and injured dozens, in an attempt to crack down on the general strike called to protest against land expropriation.

The demonstration was chaotic. For a start, the demonstration started earlier than announced and according to different reports; a quarrel erupts between different factions ( between supporters of Fatah, PFLP and Al-Mubadara (the Palestinian Initiative Party of Mustafa Barghouti). The pictures from the beginning show many Palestinian parties flags. This is quite ironic as the Global day for Jerusalem was supposed to be marked by unity. Why do we need parties flags in demonstrations in the first place?

When I arrived, tear gas was already filling the air and the clashes had already started between the youth and the Israeli army. There was no sense at all of people coming together again and trying to march towards the checkpoint. Palestinian youth were throwing stones and the Israeli army was harshly responding by shooting lots of rubber-coated metal bullets at everything that was moving in the street. The coming and going of ambulances was non-stop. Journalists, and medics were also injured. This has lasted for 6 hours. Overall, more than 150 protesters were injured in Qalandiya that day. Two protesters were arrested, one Palestinian and one international. They were not even close to the checkpoint, and clearly were posing no threat.

Irrespective of the chaotic or rather lack of organization of the protest, the Israeli army once again repress with disproportionate violence the demonstration: shooting randomly at the crowd with rubber-coated metal bullets, and tear gas canisters, spreading the infamous "skunk" - an Israeli army water canon spraying foul smelling chemical water- at Palestinian houses, invading the refugee camp, breaking into a building (for which they destroyed the front door).

If overall the protest in Qalandiya was quite disappointing, Land day all over Palestine, but also in Israel and other countries managed to gather a signification number of tens of thousands of protesters. One martyr, 20-year-old Mahmoud Zaqouq, was killed in Gaza Strip; he was shot coldly from a military tower while posing no direct threat: what threat could possibly cause a stone against a 8 meters concrete Wall? In Bethlehem, a brave young man managed to climb the Wall next to a military tower to put on top a Palestinian flag, he was shot to his head with a tear gas canister. In Jerusalem, the Israeli forces brutally attacked the people with horses. See a summary of the events here, and a good collection of pictures and videos here.

What was also interesting is to see that even if the Palestinian authority in Bethlehem and the de-facto government police from Hamas in Gaza did try to stop the Palestinians to protest to the checkpoints, ultimately the protesters managed to by-pass them and challenged the statu quo by which the Palestinian leaderships keep playing the role of keeping their people under control for the benefit of the occupier. This is certainly a significant breakthrough that is worth reflecting on so as to build a global strategy far from the interests of the parties and the ruling elites who benefit from the current statu quo.

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Des centaines de manifestants ont participé à la protestation marquant la Journée de la Terre et la marche globale pour Jérusalem, au checkpoint de Qalandiya entre Jérusalem et la ville cisjordanienne de Ramallah le 30 Mars 2012. La Journée de la Terre commémore chaque année les événements de 1976, lorsque les autorités israéliennes ont saisi des quantités massives de terres à des propriétaires palestiniens, puis ont tué six Palestiniens et blessés des dizaines pour réprimer la grève générale déclenchée pour protester contre l'expropriation des terres.

La manifestation à qalandiya a été assez chaotique. Tout d'abord, elle a commencé avant l'heure prévue et selon différents rapports: une querelle avait éclaté entre les différentes factions (entre les partisans du Fatah, du FPLP et d'Al-Mubadara (initiative palestinienne du Parti de Mustafa Barghouti). Les photos du début de la manifestation montre beaucoup de drapeaux des partis. C'est assez ironique car la journée mondiale pour Jérusalem devait être marquée par l'unité. Pourquoi avons-nous besoin de drapeaux des partis dans des manifestations contre l'occupation? Ne devrait-on pas voir uniquement des drapeaux palestiniens?

Quand je suis arrivée, le gaz lacrymogène remplissait déjà l'atmosphère, et les affrontements entre les jeunes palestiniens et les soldats israéliens avaient déjà commencé. L'armée israélienne tirait des balles de métal recouvertes de caoutchouc sur tout ce qui bougeait dans la rue principale. Le va et vient des ambulances était incessant. Des journalistes, et des secouristes ont également été blessés et avaient du mal à se déplacer. Cela a duré pendant 6 heures. Dans l'ensemble, plus de 150 manifestants ont été blessés à Qalandiya ce jour-là. Deux manifestants ont été arrêtés, un Palestinien et un international. Ils n'étaient même pas été à proximité immédiate du checkpoint, et ne posaient clairement aucune menace.

Indépendamment du chaos ou plutôt de l'absence de l'organisation de la manifestation, l'armée israélienne a une fois de plus réprimé avec une violence disproportionnée la manifestation tirant au hasard sur la foule avec des balles de métal recouvertes de caoutchouc et des gaz lacrymogènes, en pulvérisant le "skunk" - un liquide chimique nauséabond sur des maisons palestiniennes, en envahissant le camp de réfugiés, et en entrant de force dans un bâtiment en enfonçant la porte fermée.

Si l'ensemble de la manifestation à Qalandiya s'est révélé assez décevant, le jour de la terre dans toute la Palestine, mais aussi en Israël et dans d'autres pays, a réussi à rassembler un nombre significatif avec des dizaines de milliers de manifestants. Un martyr, Mahmoud Zaqouq, 20 ans, a été tué dans la bande de Gaza,. Il a été abattu froidement d'une tour militaire alors qu'il ne posait à l'évidence pas de menace directe: quelle menace pourrait provoquer une pierre contre un mur de 8 mètres de béton? A Bethléem, un jeune palestinien courageux a réussi à escalader le Mur de séparation à côté d'une tour militaire pour y planter un drapeau palestinien. Il a été touché à la tête avec une bombe lacrymogène. A Jérusalem, les forces israéliennes ont brutalement attaqué les manifestants avec des chevaux. Voir un résumé des événements ici, et une bonne collection de photos et vidéos ici.

Ce qui était également intéressant, c'est de voir que même si l'autorité palestinienne à Bethléem et la police du gouvernement de facto du Hamas à Gaza ont essayé d'empêcher les Palestiniens de protester devant les checkpoints pour éviter des affrontements directs avec l'armée israélienne, les manifestants ont réussi à passer leurs lignes et ont ainsi contesté la statu quo par lequel les dirigeants palestiniens continuent de vouloir maintenir leur peuple sous contrôle au profit de l'occupant. C'est certainement une percée assez significative que les mouvements de résistance devraient analyser afin de mieux définir une stratégie loin des intérêt des partis et des élites qui bénéficient du statu quo.

Al Ma'sara demonstration and a note on disinformation / Manifestation à Al Ma'sara et une note sur la désinformation, 23.03.2012

(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Al Ma'sara, 23.03.12.

I am posting quite late these photos about the last weekly demonstration in Al Ma'sara, but here they are.
What was striking that day was the number of Israeli soldiers, almost more numerous than the demonstrators who once again were prevented to reach the lands behind the route of the Wall. Even walking one the side of the road was not allowed. Symbolically some olive trees were planted after the protesters finally manage to get through a line of Israeli soldiers and a bit of pushing. The sheep had also problems passing the line. You could see the hesitation of the Israeli soldiers facing with this daunting quesiton: should we let the sheep pass or not?
An officer intervened to open the way to the sheep..but they closed it to the Palestinians who as always still remain in high spirit: the Palestinian women did some singing and dancing and we all went away.

This not the end of the story. Later in the evening I read an article claiming that three women have been injured in Al Ma'sara. The article even claimed that the women "suffered bruising". Soon of course the headline was circulated on tweeter. It was a false allegation. I was there and documenting the whole demonstration; as well as many photographers and cameramen. If some women would have been beaten, then the pictures would have been circulated right away. Of course I am not defending the Israeli army. I have witnessed countless brual acts of attacks against unarmed demonstrated. But during this demonstration, nothing of that sort happened, even if this is true that the Israeli soldiers pushed back some demonstrators who were trying to pass them. I dont think even a woman was touched by a soldier at this particular demonstration (again in other demonstrations; I saw some Israeli soldiers violently attacking some women). I shared the media report with somebody else from the village who contacted the media and told them that this was untrue and later on they changed the report. But this is not the first time that I saw that some Palestinians; sometimes for personal gain of some sort, distorting the truth.

I dont want this to be used in a direction that will re-enforce the feeling that: "see Palestinians are lying all the time and making false allegations". This is rather an exception, and the lies that the Israeli propaganda machine are using all the time are by far more systematic and even further from the truth, usually transforming the victims of oppression to "radical and violent rioters".

I just want to say: exaggering the truth or making out facts is unnecessary and damaging. The situation is bad enough. Sticking to the facts is what we need.

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Je poste assez tard ces photos de la dernière manifestation hebdomadaire contre le Mur à Al Ma'sara, mais les voilà.

Ce qui était assez frappant ce jour-là était le nombre de soldats israéliens, presque plus nombreux que les manifestants. Comme d'habitude; les maniesftants ont été bloqués par les soldats et n'ont pu atteindre leurs terres derrière le tracé du Mur.
Même marcher sur le côté de la route n'a pas été autorisé. Symboliquement, quelques oliviers ont été plantés après que les manifestants aient réussi à passer une ligne de soldats israéliens et un peu de bousculades. Les moutons ont même eu aussi des problèmes à passer la ligne de soldats. On pouvait voir l'hésitation sur le visage des soldats israéliens face à cette question de taille: faut-il ou non laisser passer les moutons?
Mû par un excès de bon sens; un officier est intervenu pour ouvrir la voie à la brebis .. mais elle a été refermée aux Palestiniens qui, comme toujours, n'en ont pas perdu pour autant leur moral: les femmes palestiniennes ont chanté quelques chants et ont dansé clôturant ainsi la manifestation dans un climat plutôt bon enfant.

Ce n'est cependant pas la fin de l'histoire. Plus tard dans la soirée, j'ai découcert à ma grande surprise un article affirmant que trois femmes aient été blessées à Al Ma'sara. L'article a même prétendu que les femmes "ont subi des ecchymoses". Bientôt le titre était repris sur tweeter. Il s'agissait d'une fausse allégation. J'étais là et j'ai documenté toute la manifestation, ainsi que de nombreux photographes et cameramen. Si certaines femmes avaient été battues, les images auraient été diffusé tout de suite. Bien sûr, je ne prends pas la défense de l'armée israélienne. J'ai été témoin d'innombrables actes brutaux d'attaques des soldats contre des manifestants non-armés, certains même qui ont provoqué la mort.

Mais lors de cette manifestation, rien de ce genre ne s'est passé, même s'il est vrai que les soldats israéliens ont repoussé certains manifestants qui tentaient de les passer avec une certaine violence.
Je ne pense même pas qu'une femme ait été touchée par un soldat à cette manifestation (dans d'autres manifestations cependant, j'ai vu des soldats israéliens violemment attaqué certaines femmes). J'ai partagé l'article avec quelqu'un d'autre du village qui a contacté immédiatement les médias pour rectifier, et plus tard ils ont changé le rapport.

Mais ce n'est pas la première fois que j'ai vu que certains Palestiniens, parfois à des fins personnelles, déformer la vérité.

Je ne veux pas que cela soit utilisé dans une direction qui servira à renforcer l'idée souvent propagée à des fins politiques selon laquelle: «vous voyez les Palestiniens mentent tout le temps et propagent de fausses allégations". Ceci est plutôt une exception, et les mensonges que la machine de propagande israélienne utilise tout le temps sont de loin plus systématiques et souvent une distorsion complète de la vérité, le plus souvent transformant les victimes de l'oppression en "émeutiers radicaux et violents".

Je tiens simplement à dire: exagérer les faits ou rapporter simplement des informations fausses est inutile et contre-productif. La situation est assez mauvaise. S'en tenir aux faits est ce dont nous avons besoin.

Because they are not numbers: by Gaza blogger Ebaa Rezeq

Because they are not numbers: A guest post by Gaza blogger Ebaa Rezeq

By Max Blumenthal - Wed, 2012-03-21 04:37- Gadfly

posted on English Al-akhbar

Following last weekend's contribution to this blog from Gaza blogger Nader Elkhuzundar, I am posting a new guest post from Gaza by Ebaa Rezeq, a 21-year-old English and French literature student who blogs at gazanism.wordpress.com and tweets at @Gazanism. In her post on the recent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, Ebaa describes what it is like to live tweet the killing of 12 year old child, and details the inhumane responses from Israeli social media activists who blamed Gaza's government for not doing a better job of keeping civilians safe from Israeli missile strikes.

Before reading Ebaa's post, take a minute to consider Nader's request for donations to help him study abroad. After earning his BSc in Management Information Systems, Nader was accepted to Westminster University in London to pursue an MSc Business Intelligence And Analytics. Unfortunately, he and his family cannot afford to fund his education abroad. So he has taken his plea online. You can help Nader here.

Because they are not numbers
By Ebaa Rezeq

As social media activists, Palestinians always get attacked by Israeli and pro-Israeli Zionists. Their response to the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza proposes that “Hamas is to blame for not caring for the safety and security of Palestinian civilians”. “Hamas is to blame for not building shelters for Palestinians like Israel does!”

What is strikingly laughable is not the weak Israeli argument (or lack thereof) but the sheer ignorance of Israeli public. Whenever there is an assault on civilians in Gaza, the only moral thing to do is to condemn the attacks, not blame the Hamas government for not providing shelter from the Israeli bombs raining on Palestinian civilians. How humane is it to justify the killing by simply saying “Oh, it is legitimate for us to bomb you but it is not our problem you have nowhere to hide?” But when it comes to Israeli violence against Gaza, it always seems easier to blame the victim. We’re always classified as wild animals thirsty for blood and death, so who cares how many of us die?

What outsiders tend to forget is that Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on earth. There are over 1.6 million people literally trapped in this besieged coastal enclave. Bombing them is nothing but a war crime. Our unemployment rate has risen to over 40% with constant water, cooking gas and fuel shortages. Gaza has been under an ongoing Israeli siege by air, land, and sea for 1739 days. So, if we have no construction materials to build the homes of the 80 to 90 thousand displaced people displaced from their homes by Israel's so-called Operation Cast Lead then excuse us if we are unable to build shelters or Iron Domes to meet Israeli “security” levels. We are not funded as though we were America’s 51st state. This attitude reminds me of how insignificant the people of Gaza feel when outsiders tell them to "take care" or "stay safe." Call me naïve, but how do you suggest we do that?

Palestinian victims are not numbers. They once were part of a family. They were loved and granted love. They had people waiting for them at the dining table every day. They had names, jobs, schools seats, friends, lovers, wives and children. They too had a dream of a free country, but it was their turn to pay for “dreaming too big”. A friend, a family member, or even I could have been among these victims. Israel can just call you a terrorist or claim that you were planning an attack against them to coldly put an end to your not-so-worthy life.
When Israel decides you are a threat to its security, Israel would target while you and your whole family are asleep, walking, riding a motorcycle or driving your car. Their blind airstrikes are indiscriminate and then the righteous Palestinian retaliation is all to blame.

One of the martyrs is my friend’s cousin. Nayef Qarmout is a twelve-year-old Palestinian kid who was murdered while going to school. A friend wrote of the killing: "Nayef Karmout, 12 years old, killed by an Israeli air raid this morning while 4 of his schoolmates were injured. Reports say pieces of his flesh scattered along their school bags."

At the age of 15, I remember how important my school bag style was to me. I wonder what was on your mind when that rocket hit! I am sorry Nayef, I won't go to your funeral. But how can I not hope for another life after this one, a world beyond our present reality where no one can end a child's life by pressing a button. But now you are gone and what I hope for does not mean much anyway.

One day prior to Nayef’s murder, I argued with my mother over whether to take my four-year-old nephew to kindergarten or not. Though I knew we were not even safe in our own home, I insisted he should not go. But mom was too stubborn to listen. The next day, we heard the news of Nayef’s murder, his friends’ injuries and the school that caught fire due to an airstrike close by.

Could you possibly imagine the rush of feelings I had while live-tweeting the incident? No, you could not. You have never experienced it, but I have. When our little boy made it home, I cried, hugged him, and wept over Nayef. I could not imagine how his mom must have felt. Her boy could have grown to a handsome young man that would have knocked girls off their feet. He could have been a doctor, a teacher, a footballer. He could have had a beautiful family. He could have been his mom’s spoiled boy. He could have been her only source of support when she grew old. He could have brought her flowers on Mother’s Day. But Israel took away the only flower his mother cared about.

Later that night, my young nephew caught an inadvertent glimpse of the pictures of victims on the news. He asked: "Who are these dead people? Who killed them and why?" Unable to answer or maybe unwilling, I thought to myself, “We really do not raise our children to hate but Israel makes sure they do every second of the day.”

Amid all the killing we held Israeli Apartheid Week in Gaza, part of the week of Palestine solidarity events that took place on university campuses around the world. Throughout the lectures and rallies, we listened as Palestinian ambulance sirens blared through the streets, rushing frantically to reach victims at the site of Israeli bombings.

Life went on, weddings were held, universities and schools opened, shops and markets never closed. Israeli aggression continued with the world’s approving silence. But this has never stopped the Gaza Strip from standing tall.

Because they are not numbers…because we Gazans are humans with beautiful and painful stories…We make sure we are remembered…So keep in your memories those names and in your hearts their stories:

1. Zuhair Qaisi, 49, Secretary-General of PRC. Gaza city
2. Mahmoud Hanani, 44. Qaisi's brother/son-in-law and assistant. Gaza city
3. Obaid Gharabli, 22. Gaza city
4. Mohamed Harara, 24. Gaza city
5. Shady Seqali, 27. Gaza city
6. Hazim Awad Qreqe, 20. Tufah- Gaza city
7. Mahmoud Nejem, 22. BeitLahia
8. Mohamed Maghari, 25. BeitLahia
9. Motasem Hajjaj, 22. Gaza city
10. Ahmed Hajjaj, 22. Gaza city
11. Fayek Saad, 28. Gaza city
12. Mohamed Ghamiry, 26. Dier Al-Balah
13. Hussien Berem Hammad, 51. Khanyounis
14. Mansour Abu Nusirah, 20. Khanyounis
15. Mahdi Abu Shawish, 24. Rafah
16. Ahmad Salem, 24. Zaitoun- Gaza city (wedded two days before his murder)
17. Ayoub Asalyia, 15. Jabalia
18. Salman ABu Metleq 24. Khan Younis
19. Refa'at Abu Eid, 24. Khan Younis
20. Nayef Qarmout, 12. Jabalia
21. Mohammed Al Hsoumi, 65.
22. Fayza Al Hsoumi (Mohammed’s daughter) 35.
23. Adel El Issi, 52. Gaza City
24. Bassam el Ejla, 20. Shejaeya- East Gaza
25. Mohammed Thaher, 21. Shejaeya- East Gaza

Demonstration in Nabi Saleh, 16.03.2012

(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, 16.03.2012.

Despite heavy rain, Palestinians together with international and Israeli activists held the weekly demonstration against the occupation in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, Friday, March 16, 2012. The demonstration was held in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoner Hana Shalabi, currently on hunger strike for 30 days, in protest of her administrative detention in Israeli prison.

As soon as the march reaches the main road, it was attacked by the "skunk" -an Israeli army water canon spraying foul smelling chemical water, tear gas and rubber-coated bullets. Palestinian youth tried to prevent any invasion of the village by throwing stones.

The Israeli army did invade the center of the village and fired tear gas canisters at houses. The confrontations spread to the surrounding hills. A Palestinian youth was hit in the foot by a tear gas canister. Later an Israeli activist was hit by a rubber-coated bullet in the head. When the Israeli soldiers understood that she was Israeli, they rushed to find her and surrounded her, pushing away the photographers and Palestinian medics. After they put a bandage around her head, they helped her going down and she was then taken by a Palestinian ambulance.

It was quite shocking to see the different reactions of the Israeli soldiers when they found her she is an Israeli. In December 2011, when Mustafa Tamimi was hit in the head by a tear gas canister, he was left bleeding on the tarmac. It was only after some critical time that he got administered first aid on the spot by an Israeli medical team.




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Malgré de fortes pluies, les Palestiniens avec des activistes internationaux et israéliens, ont organisé la manifestation hebdomadaire contre l'occupation dans le village de Cisjordanie de Nabi Saleh, le vendredi 16 Mars 2012. La manifestation a été organisée en solidarité avec la prisonniere palestinienne Hana Shalabi, actuellement en grève de la faim pendant 30 jours, pour protester contre sa détention administrative dans une prison israélienne.

Dès que le marche a commencé à descendre sur la route principale, les manifestants ont été attaqués par le "skunk", un liquide chimique nauséabond, du gaz lacrymogènes et des balles métal recouvertes de caoutchouc. Les jeunes palestiniens ont alors tenté d'empêcher toute invasion du village en jetant des pierres.

L'armée israélienne a de fait envahi le centre du village en masse et ont lancé des grenades lacrymogènes sur les maisons. Les affrontements se sont propagés sur les collines environnantes. Un jeune Palestinien a été touché au pied par une grenade lacrymogène. Une activiste israélienne a aussi été touchée à la tête par une balle recouverte de caoutchouc . Lorsque les soldats israéliens ont réalisé qu'elle était israélienne, ils se sont précipité à sa recherche et se sont mis à l'entourer, en repoussant les photographes et des médecins palestiniens. Après lui avoir bandé la tête; ils l'ont aidée à descendre et elle a ensuite été emmenée par une ambulance palestinienne.

Il était assez choquant de voir le changement de réactions des soldats israéliens quand ils se sont aperçus de la nationalité de l'activiste. En Décembre 2011, lorsque Mustafa Tamimi a été frappé à la tête par une grenade lacrymogène, ils l'ont laissé saigner sur le tarmac. Ce n'est qu'après un certain temps critique qu'une équipe médicale israélienne lui a administré les premiers soins.

When it becomes even criminal to show your own village / Quand montrer son village devient un crime, Al-Walaja, 13.03.2012

(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Al Walaja, 13.03.2012

Update: see below article by the Harvard students about the incident

Today a visit by internationals of the village of Al-Walaja and how it is affected by the Wall was interrupted and then prevented by the Israeli army. A bus full of US students from Harvard university was stopped by the Israeli army and police when it arrived in front of the house of Hajajleh family. Once the Wall be completed; this house which will be located on the other side of the route of the Wall, will be connected to the village only by a tunnel monitored by the Israeli army. It will have also a special fence all around it.

The tour was conducted by Shereen Al Araj, a Palestinian woman activist from Al-Walaja, member of the local council and the popular committee against the Wall. Shereen is a brave activist who has participated and organized countless popular protests and visits to delegations to her village so that to raise awareness on the critical situation of Al-Walaja. Once completed, the Wall will totally surround the village, cutting it from basic services. From its 18,000 original dunums, Al-Walaja will be left with 2,000 dunums.

The Israeli soldiers boarded the bus. Three military jeeps and a police cars were necessary to escort the "dangerous" bus to the checkpoint where the students were detained. As a Palestinian, Shereen got of course a special treatment and was brought to Atarot; a police station close to Bethlehem for further investigation on her very subversive behavior. There was no charge. But she was warned that next time she will have to pay a 5,000 nis.

This is another clear attempt by the Israeli authorities to prevent the truth to come out, another pathetic way to silence any Palestinian voice who dare to show what is happening on the ground to the internationals and speak up. Now it has become criminal to show your own village and explain the situation. Does it not remind you of any dictatorships that so many people easily criticize? Why Israel should be treated differently? If Israel has nothing to hide, why then it prevented a simple visit by students?

I should add, that while those unwelcomed visitors were kicked out of Al-Walaja, the bulldozers were working full time on expanding the nearby settlement of Har Gilo, which is built on the lands of Al-Walaja and Beit Jala. It seems that the other kind of visitors; the ones who are Jewish and grabbing the lands of Palestinians, are more than welcomed by the Israeli authorities. I dream about the day when these settlers will be escorted at gun point to the checkpoints and be told to never come back.

On Being Detained

By Atul Bhattarai and Eliza M. Nguyen

source: The Harvard Crimson

Being detained by foreign police isn’t on a typical spring break agenda. Then again, the West Bank isn’t a typical destination. As members of the fifth annual Palestine Trek—a student-organized trip to the West Bank and Israel—we witnessed injustices perpetuated by Israel’s occupation of Palestine. There, we experienced a police encounter that has been inaccurately represented in the media. Following the incident in which Israeli authorities detained the group, news outlets reported that we were “provocateurs.” Some claimed we were arrested. The Israel-based newspaper Haaretz, published that the road was “for security vehicles only,” calling the alleged offense a “violation in every sense.” For us, the events illustrated adversities Palestinians face daily under occupation.

Tuesday morning, our group of over 50 Harvard students traveled to Al-Walaja in the West Bank to understand the tensions between Israel and Palestine that have been exacerbated by the Wall and unlawful Israeli settlements. Adjacent to the village sits the Jewish settlement Har Gilo, which is illegal under international law as Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits an occupying force from moving its citizens onto occupied land. Although the International Court of Justice and every government except Israel acknowledges this, settlements continue to expand into Palestinian land. Their populations grow by 5.7 percent annually, and only a small number have ever been dismantled, due to an international body unwilling to hold Israel responsible for its violations. Citing security concerns, Israel has constructed a wall through Al-Walaja, creating a cleavage within the village, which defies the internationally recognized 1967 borders.

The public road through Al-Walaja where we stopped was unsigned and unmarked. Students stepped off the bus to gain a clearer view of the area as our guide Shireen al-Araj—a local activist—showed large unmanned gaps in the structure, contradicting Israel’s ubiquitous justification that the wall is for “security purposes.”

Minutes after we disembarked, two police vehicles approached us. Four officers carrying assault rifles demanded we return to our vehicle and leave the area. When asked why we were being expelled, an officer responded, “because I said so.” In subsequent statements to the media, they reported that we were on a restricted military road.

However, several non-military cars were present, and in most circumstances, declaring areas as military zones requires official documentation and road signs. Wednesday, the Office of the Quartet Representative, Tony Blair, confirmed via email that the area remains open to the public, noting that they have taken many visitors there without incident, including the day prior.

As we retreated, an officer pushed several students toward the bus. They seized identification from Palestinians traveling with us, and placed Shireen and the bus driver under arrest. We were told we would be taken to a nearby checkpoint to be searched. Two officers boarded the bus as the police vehicles escorted us to the checkpoint. When asked why we were being detained, one responded, “I don’t know,” and later refused to answer. At the checkpoint, Shireen was driven from the premises and later released. No Harvard students were searched or arrested.

As individuals who emerged unscathed, we wish to highlight not what happened to us, but the appalling trend from which this incident stems. Our hour-long encounter with the police was insignificant, yet because we are an international group, the incident was widely publicized. Our detainment is not the important narrative. We were never in danger, but Israel’s misuse of authority means the Palestinians with us could have been jailed indefinitely under martial law. Instead of our story, those of countless Palestinians forbidden from entering their original homes, detained at checkpoints for hours every day, and living in homes with demolition orders should be told.

The police arbitrarily declared the road a military zone. They claimed we participated in illegal activity though they neither cited signs nor provided required documents to justify their assertions. These realities illustrate the oppressive power imbalance that belittles an entire population.

We were appalled by the actions of Israeli authorities and the ensuing media coverage that frames us as protesters attempting to provoke authorities. In a Crimson interview, Assistant Dean of the College Jay Ellison incorrectly stated that we were photographing “areas [we] weren’t supposed to photograph (military installations, etc),” a claim that remains unsubstantiated. In fact, there were no military installations, and the photographer Anne Paq, who initially reported our detainment, was working in the same area without consequence. The media response to the events has undermined the truth and distorted innocent voices of people like Shireen who seek justice. We have become objects of a culture of impunity that has allowed the occupation to occur with little backlash.

We call on fellow students to listen to these untold stories. The oppressive and stagnant status quo must be reformed; this can only be done when the international community holds Israel accountable for its transgressions. The first step to initiate real change is to open our eyes to the realities of the situation, beyond the one-sided version Israel promotes.

Atul Bhattarai ‘14, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a government concentrator in Quincy House. Eliza M. Nguyen ‘14, a Crimson News editor, is a History and Science concentrator in Quincy House.

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Aujourd'hui, une visite effectuée par des internationaux à Al-Walaja dont le but était de mieux comprendre l'impact de la construction du Mur sur le village a été interrompue, puis empêchée par l'armée israélienne.

Un bus rempli d'étudiants américains de l'université de Harvard s'est fait arrêté par l'armée israélienne et la police quand il est arrivé en face de la maison de la famille Hajajleh. Une fois le Mur achevé être; cette maison qui sera située de l'autre côté de la route du Mur, ne sera relié au village que par un tunnel surveillé par l'armée israélienne. Elle aura également une clôture spéciale tout autour du petit terrain autour de la maison.

La visite était organisée par Shereen Al Araj, une activiste palestinienne d'Al-Walaja, membre du conseil local et le comité populaire contre le Mur et experte en droits humains. Shereen est une activiste courageuse qui a participé et organisé d'innombrables manifestations et des visites de délégations à son village pour sensibiliser l'opinion sur la situation critique de Al-Walaja. Une fois terminé, le Mur va totalement entourer le village, en le coupant de services de base. De ses 18.000 dunums à l'origine, Al-Walaja se retrouvera avec 2.000 dunums.

Les soldats israéliens sont montés à bord du bus. Trois jeeps militaires et voitures de police ont semblé être nécessaires pour escorter le "dangereux" de bus au checkpoint où les étudiants ont été arrêtés. En tant que Palestinienne, Shereen a eu bien sûr un traitement spécial et a été emmenée à Atarot, un poste de police près de Bethléem, pour une séance d'interrogation sur son comportement très subversif. Il n'y avait pas de chef d'accusation. Mais elle a été avertie que la prochaine fois elle aura à payer une amende d'environ 1000 euros.

C'est une autre tentative claire par les autorités israéliennes d'empêcher que la vérité éclate, une autre façon pathétique de faire taire toute voix palestinienne dissidente qui ose montrer ce qui se passe sur le terrain aux internationaux et ose prendre la parole. Désormais il est devenu criminel de montrer votre propre village et d'expliquer la situation. Cela ne vous rappelle-t-il pas toutes les dictatures que tant de gens critiquent facilement? Pourquoi Israël devrait être traité différemment? Si Israël n'a rien à cacher, pourquoi alors une simple visite par des étudiants a-elle été interdite?

Je dois ajouter que, tandis que ces visiteurs jugés indésirables ont été chassés d'Al-Walaja, les bulldozers travaillaient à plein régime sur l'expansion de la colonie voisine de Har Gilo, construite sur les terres d'Al-Walaja et Beit Jala. Il semble que l'autre type de visiteurs; ceux qui sont juifs et accaparent les terres des Palestiniens, sont plus que bien accueilli par les autorités israéliennes. Je rêve du jour où ces colons seront aussi escortés à la pointe du fusil aux checkpoint et se verront dire de ne plus jamais revenir.