domingo, 4 de mayo de 2008

Salam aleikum

Not even one week I am in Palestine and already so many impressions, so much anger and curiosity. I guess it’s "time to take time"and share a little bit of what I have seen so far.
I am in Haris, small quiet village between Ramallah and Naplouse surrounded by a few israeli settlements. (Not so many photos yet but hopefully I will improve that).
my first day in Jerusalem: after spending 3h30 at the airport security, answering indiscreet and suspicious questions, it is time to have a look at the hold city. I go through the eastern part (Palestinian occupied) . some Israeli flags identify Israeli settlements inside east Jerusalem. Palestinian people are shopping and chatting in the souk when a group of young traditional Jewish Israeli arrive, singing loudly, dancing and claiming Jerusalem is theirs. Palestinian families watch them silently. Several similar manifestations happen this same day, celebrating the 41th anniversary of Jerusalem occupation... Provocation and humiliation is so obvious, but it seems I am the only one surprised... this was my first-impressive- contact with Jerusalem, I hope to come back soon and seen a happier side of the city, Inch'Allah.

view from Bil'In: the road ( with fences along) separates the village from its lands

Yesterday I went to Bil’In, a village close to Ramallah who resists the occupation on a non violent way, as many villages in the West Bank. Bil’In has reached international support and has organised these days an international grassroots resistance conference. Luisa Morgantini (European parliament vice president) is here, as well as delegations of solidarity movements from France, Italy, USA, Israel.... On the last day the whole conference accompanies the village in its weekly demonstration in front of the fence ( barrier, wall, call it as you like). this fence passes through there lands, preventing them to access their cultures. We can see the soldiers watching at us from the other side. In front of the fence people start singing“ free Palestine”, clapping or raising their hands as a sign of non violence...
After 10-15 minutes, suddenly, soldiers raise their arms and shout. gas canister. not in the air but directly to the crowd. no warning. no reason. Several people injured are evacuated to Ramallah, among them an Italian judge from the delegation. Are you surprised? I am. Are you shocked? I am.
but this is daily life here, nothing new.


demonstration just before shoots start, Bil'In

Exceptionally and because L. Morgantini issued immediately a press release which has been published by international medias, the incident appeared in the national press, with a rather interesting version : “The IDF ( Israeli Defence Forces) said that about 70 Palestinians and left-wing activists took part in the protest and hurled stones at security forces, who used crowd dispersal means in response. Regarding Morgantini's condition, the army said that "those who take part in such protests and violate a closed military zone order should not be surprised to see the IDF respond with tear gas." (...)The army noted that the weekly protest forces it to divert troops from other tasks such as counter-terror operations and defence missions This is great journalism, no?