The Israeli Army raids Bil’in the fourth time in three days

Today, 09.11.2010 about 3 in the morning the Israeli army entered the village of Bil’in. A number of about 50 soldiers were coming in jeep and by foot. As they arrived to the two targeted houses they ran and took positions outside, while a number of them entered the house of two brothers.

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At first the soldiers were hammering on the door of one house, demanding to see 30 year Ashraf al-Khatib. It turned out they went to the wrong house. They then went to another house — forcing one of Ahsraf’s brothers to show them the way to where Ashraf lives. Soldiers then entered that and his brother’s family’s house, and with the same procedure they woke up the family, again asking for Ashraf al-Khatib. His brother, Haytham al-Khatib, is a journalist from the human right’s group B’tselem and was of the ones woken up by the army. Though they again entered a house where their target does not live, they stayed in there for about 1,5 hour, searching all the rooms. Haytham al-Khatib tells about his 6 year old son’s reaction when he woke up and saw tens of soldiers in his house. “He asked me to close the door, because he didn’t want to see them.” Haytham himself was held back when he wanted to record the raid in his family’s houses — the soldiers simply locked him in a room for more than an hour, away from his children and wife. The children in the houses are aged from 1,5 to 8 years, and this is not the first time they have seen their homes raided at night. However, after 1,5 hour of searching for the target in three houses, two of them where he doesn’t reside, Ashraf al-Khatib was not found. Five weeks ago Ashraf was shot in his leg with live ammunition by an Israeli soldier in a demonstration in Bil’in. The bullet went through his leg, breaking the bone. Even though he was heavily injured and in major pain, the soldiers tried to arrest him. Luckily he was brought to safety and then to hospital for surgery by fellow protesters. This night the army decided to come and take him in front of his wife and 1,5 year old daughter instead. The soldiers retreated from the targeted houses by foot, walking toward the military road that follows the illegal segregation fence in Bil’in, about 4.30 AM. The village of Bil’in has suffered from frequent night raids over the last few years, and a number of villagers have been taken for interrogation and imprisoned for their non-violent resistance to the occupation and segregation wall on Bil’in’s land.

On the anniversary of the Balfour declaration2.11.1917,

On the anniversary of the Balfour declaration2.11.1917, faithful Bil’in insist to stay and continue the struggle against the occupation  Photos By Hamde Abu-Rahma

Today the people in Bil’in were joined by internationals and Israelis to protest against Israel’s illegal Wall that is cutting through the village’s farmland. The protesters were carrying posters of Bilin’s Abdallah Abu-Rahma, asking for freedom for all political prisoners. The Popular Committee sends their greetings to Adalah N.Y, the New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel.

The about 100 protesters walked towards the fence dividing Bil’ins land in two, where the Israeli army waited on the other side. People were shouting slogans in Arabic and English, demanding the Wall to fall, and asking Israel to end the occupation. The soldiers responded with large amounts of tear gas, dispersing the group. There was some symbolic stone throwing, and instead of removing themselves from the village’s land, the soldiers shot tear gas and threw stun grenades against the young Palestinian boys. Many people suffered from inhaling tear gas. The hot tear gas canisters set fire to the olive fields several places, and after a while the fire brigade had to come to put it out. During the demonstration the soldiers came into the village, lining up in brigades, continuing to shoot tear gas and throw stun grenades. The protesters were forced back into the village. The Popular Committee was bringing out a message to Adele New York, which has been campaigning for divestments from Israel’s illegal settlements. The committee expressed that they are thankful for the organization’s hard work. Last week, Africa Israel, the flagship company of Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev, announced this week that it is no longer involved in Israeli settlement projects and that it has no plans for future settlement activities. 

Among the protesters were two representatives from Michigan Peace Team, who before the demonstration handed over a prize to the Popular Committee of Bil’in. Michigan houses the city with the largest Palestinian population in the United States, and the Palestinian Cultural Committee in Michigan and MPT decided together to give an award to Bil’in. This is meant as recognition of the long struggle against the Wall and the sacrifices they have suffered, including the death of Bassem Abu-Rahma, who was shot and killed during a demonstration last year. The Michigan groups praise Bil’in for their non-violent resistance, and for inspiring other villages to follow their example. The head of the Popular Committee Iyad Burnat and the three other members, Samer Burnat, Basil Monsur, and Haytham al-Khatib represented Bil’in to receive the prize. The demonstration lasted for about 1,5 hour.