Why, O Cyprus, Why?

Cyprus authorities have just passed a law saying no boats allowed to travel to Gaza from... Cyprus.
Desmund Tutu:"If you choose to be neutral in situations of injustice, then you have chosen the side of the oppressor."

Egypt Intifada

Kifaya opposition movement in Egypt, which includes Nasserites, Muslim Brotherhood, & Leftists against the Mubarak dictatorial regime, organized a demonstration yesterday in front of the People's Council, majles el sha'eb, MP's Office, maktab el naeb, demanding the opening of the Rafeh Crossing. It stayed from 14:00 till 18:00 with Mubarak sending down a hundred of his men to the streets to detain & "control." But, surely you will not be reading about this in Western press.


They are also demonstrating today for opening the Rafeh Crossing [aka Charlie's checkpoint as comrade Haidar calls it], as I write this actually, near Al Azhar area. A comrade tells me it has been going on from the morning & will go on till night time.

The White Man Teaches the Native

SO, did I not tell you about Mr. Finkelstein's discovery of civil resistance and suddenly teaching the Palestinians... "how to fight"?
Off the record, Mr. Finkelstein: the first twenty years of the Palestinian struggle was a civil, non-violent resistance. After 1967, Palestinian civil resistance went hand in hand with armed strugle...
What a dissapointment:


Global march on Gaza - satyagrahis wanted!
by heathlander
Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 03:44:55 PM PDT
"When Gandhi's doctrine of non-violent resistance (satyagraha) is
invoked in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, it is
invariably as a propaganda weapon intended to undermine the legitimacy
of Palestinian resistance and shift the blame for the continuing
occupation on to its principal victims.
Leaving such dishonest rhetorical jabs aside, the question of whether
any of Gandhi's teachings can be usefully applied in Palestine is a
serious one that merits careful consideration. In a fascinating essay
(and talk) based on an extensive reading of Gandhi's writings, Norman
Finkelstein concludes that the application of satyagraha - that is, a
mass campaign of non-violent civil resistance - could yield tangible
results in the occupied territories."

Tarzan in Africa

So, Norman Finkelstein visited the Gaza Strip around a month ago with the Code Pink delegation that came in via the Rafeh Crossing.
Norman Finkelstein in "my" opinion is an excellent researcher, his books on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are widely read...
But, when Norman Finkelstein visited Gaza, "I" [and many other Palestinian intellectuals and political analysts] were... dissapointed.
Norman Finkelstein spoke to Hamas officials in Gaza, and told them "what they have to do," to... "turn down the rhetoric," and accept the two-prison- oops- I mean the "two-state" solution.
Norman Finkelstein decided to call for a breaking of the siege by US citizens coming into Gaza marching to the Beit Hanoun Crossing [known as Erez Crossing on the Israeli side]. So, Norman Finkelstein comes to Gaza for... four days and he: takes on the leadership of the Palestinian civil resistance.

Now... don't get me wrong. "We" welcome any initiative to break this medieval, hermetic siege on Gaza. I mean, if Norman Finkelstein is capable of organizing a march that can manage the oppressive, totalitarian, dictatorial Egyptian regime, open the Rafeh Crossing, break the Apartheid wall, then go to "Erez" to break the siege- we support him!
However, the siege is part of a political umbrella.
The BDS movement shows nowhere on the radar of Norman Finkelstein.
Norman Finkelstein did not show any support for the inalienable right of return for the six million refugees, the core of the... "conflict."
Norman Finkelstein did not admit to the fact that the two-prison solution is a... racist solution, a 19th century idea which does NOT support the INALIENABLE right of return.
Norman Finkelstein: Israel is an occupation; it is the longest occupation the 20th century has witnessed, of the WB and GS, it is a colonization, and is an Apartheid; against the 1948 indigenous population, not to mention its Bantustanization of the GS and WB.
In the last genocidal war against the Palestinians, more than 93% of the Israeli citizens supported war crimes in Gaza. "Israel now looks very much like Germany in the 1930s" says Gideon Levy from Ha'aretz.
"I" mean: who supported a two state solution in Apartheid South Africa? A state for the Black and a state for the... White?
Norman Finkelstein must choose a side: with oppression or against oppression.
Uri Avnery, Peace Now, patronizingly will reply back saying he accepts the return of only... 20,000 refugees. He is anti-BDS and anti-ROR [right of return]. He is... a "leftist" Zionist... from when does the "left" accept a ... religious state? [or state to begin with]. He is like the "master" who decides. "I" mean... am "I" stupid? How can a democratic state exist when it has a... religious identity?! I must be really stupid here Uri, I mean... for me not to understand your "democracy."
Israel must transfer to a secular, democratic state a la South Africa.
Meaning: a state for ALL of its citizens disregarding gender, race or religion.
I mean... I am really dissapointed with Norman Finkelstein's visit to Gaza.
As soon as PACBI was founded in 2004, the Knesset formed a committee which included Ehud Barak, Tzipi Livni and Bejamin Netanyahu, with Uri Avnery behind the curtains, to counteract it.
The worst thing to hear right now is..."let the Palestinians decide what their fate will be." Really? Was that the case with South Afica? The BDS and One Democratic state are UNIVERSALISTIC in their slogans: social justice, secularism, democracy...
In South Africa, no one said okay for Bantustans!

When Norman Finkelstein came forward after an ISM Gaza talk in the Commodore Hotel in the port area in Gaza, he said "gather up students from the US group, and let them get on the borders with cameras- let's see if their [Israeli soldiers] are going to shoot when America is watching!"
Norman... you completely neglect the Palestinian civil resistance that existed since... 1936. Yes, I assure you. We, Arabs did have that going on. But, will the White man ever challenge his standards of "us"?
If Norman Finkelstein flirts with Zionism... then?

Incognito

We are NOT the story

Free Gaza Movement reports on the largest open air prison. After the kidnapping of 21 freedom loving activists, those people of conscience on their way to Gaza, Free Gaza says "We are NOT the story." Well done Free Gaza.

"Since its founding in 1948 the State of Israel has regularly kidnapped and tortured Palestinians, throwing them into forgotten prisons where they can languish for years. Today, over 11,000 Palestinian political prisoners without benefit of due process, some never even charged - men, women, and children endure torture and isolation in Israeli jails, outdoor prison camps, and secret black sites. They come from all walks of life: doctors, journalists, parliamentarians, workers, resistance fighters, homemakers, students and others. They are our sisters and brothers.
From the first night, the Free Gaza 21 have been busy trying to get news out of the prison about the illegality of Israel's actions in relation to themselves and the other inmates inside Ramle Prison who have no voice."

Do Not Partner with Culture of Colonialism and Apartheid!

PACBI writes against Melbourne International Film festival's cultural partnership with Apartheid Israel.

Support this letter & ask that your local civil society organizations write to the organizers of the aforementioned film festival to culturally boycott the Apartheid Israeli state.

People power, civil resistance, Boycott

From the Ramleh Prison

I just got off the phone with Othman at the Ramleh prison from Gaza city. He is well, but stressed out on when the occupation forces would let him out. His trial is due next week and his lawyer is following on procedures. Othman said he was with great comrades in the prison, and the phone he was using was theirs. He told me that this was his fourth trip to Palestine, having only one succeeding in entering which occured on the 9th of Dec. 2008. The other three were unfruitful with Free Gaza. One was when the Dignity was attacked as the FGM activists attempted to break the siege during the massacre in January 2009, another when the boat returned due to technical difficulty and a following one when they were stopped to return back to Larnaca by the IOF naval gunboats.
I had met Othman in Cyprus while he was off to board the fourth SS Dignity trip with Free Gaza... his eyes shined eagerness of leaving to Palestine, his home, to meet with what the occupation has done to it.
He said that the Israeli officers investigated for hours with him, asking why he came on board the Spirit of Humanity. He spoke about the courage and determination of the three women from Bahrain who refused to remove their hijab when the IOF ordered them to after the Spirit of Humanity was attacked by the Israeli naval gunboats and the forcibly got on board the boat. He also spoke of the 68 year old Mairead Maguire who was not so well on the board but despite her weak health defied the Israelis. "I am so proud to have been with such great people," he told me as I listen to his worn out voice. But, Othman did not let me speak a lot and ask questions. For it was him who wanted to know how I got along seven months in Gaza. We both lived the moments of Palestine again...
"Free Gaza will do it again and again and again" he said willfully, "and I will be with them.. again."

Natalie

Al Jazeera Reporter Imprisoned by Apartheid Israel

Othman Bateery, Al Jazeera reporter, who is originally Palestinian and not capable of visiting home as his family was from those who were ethnically cleansed in the creation of the Apartheid state of Israel, had accompanied Free Gaza crew as a reporter for Al Jazeera on the fourth trip, on Dec. 9th, 2008, and was on board of Free Gaza's Spirit of Humanity, when Israeli piracy attacked, arrested and deported (some) of the crew on board of the boat.

Othman is still locked up in the Ramleh prison by the occupation forces. For support, please contact him on 00 972 5 28 163 806
(from Lebanon & Syria 00 972 0 28 163 806)

Shukran, N

Hamas' Political Immaturity

Haidar Eid, independent political analyst, PACBI member and One State activist in Gaza, critiques Hamas' behaviour after Gaza 2009:

[An extract]

"This historic victory against Israel's aggression required a visionary leadership, one with a clear-cut strategy of liberation that divorces itself completely from the Oslo accords and the deceptive two-prison solution. Instead of building on this victory and on the outpouring of international support in the streets of Istanbul, London, Amman, Caracas, Johannesburg and even Muscat -- to mention but a few cities -- the leadership of the Palestinian resistance movement, including Hamas, rushed to Cairo for what turned out to be endless, futile rounds of national unity dialogue. One is not, of course, against any serious attempt for national unity, but one also takes it for granted that the ABC of leadership, especially elected ones, is to be with the masses. The siege, which so far has led to the death of more than 400 seriously ill persons (from lack of medicine or ability to travel abroad for treatment), should have been exposed as the obstacle that prevents the leaders of the resistance from having national dialogue because they, as leaders, cannot and should not leave their besieged, traumatized people and move freely outside Gaza. This should have become a condition. If any Arab dignitary wanted to have a discussion with the victorious leadership, he or she should have been invited to Gaza. One would have expected the Gaza leadership to act as a victorious one; to wait in Gaza for at least one month after the end of the massacre and make it clear that they would welcome any sign of real support and solidarity while they were staying with their people in Gaza. That, alas, did not happen.

This was a step in what I call the "abortion of victory." Instead of coming up with an alternative program to that of the Palestinian Authority, and all the organizations belonging to it, and instead of building on the unprecedented, growing solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza, the leadership of Hamas, in statements made by its leaders and -- more importantly -- letters sent to the US president, have started reinventing the wheel! I will limit myself to a couple of important examples: Hamas' flirtation with the Barack Obama administration and their endorsement of the two-prison solution.

After US President Barack Obama's much-talked-about speech to the Muslim world from Cairo, in which he had nothing of substance to say about the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, Dr. Ahmed Yousef, a senior advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, in an interview on Al-Jazeera International, was extremely happy with the speech which was, according to him, like Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech! Two nights later, and on Hamas' Al-Aqsa television, the ex-spokesperson of the first Hamas government argued, and I would say with conviction, that Obama's (in)famous speech was a clear indication of the change taking place in the US administration and that "we" need to make use of the "diversity" within the American establishment! This, of course, came after Hamas sent a letter to Obama which Senator John Kerry, who visited Gaza a few months ago, refused to carry."

Haidar Eid speaks about Culture of Resistance in the renown Bil'iin Conference via video conference from Gaza city:

‎The Gates to Hell, what Egyptian regime did to the Palestinians‎

‎The Gates to Hell, what Egyptian regime did to the Palestinians‎

From the experience at rafeh crossing, egyptian side... I have been on the crossing for two days with the egyptian authprities refusing me entry to go back to lebanon.

I was asked many times "what were you doing for seven months in palestine"... "what you didn't do," I answered the mukhabarat [intelligence] officer who has a wicked smirk on his face. "How did you come to gaza?" asked another, "by the boats." "So, now you know why you... can't leave" he answered back.

They punish palestinians, & all who break the siege & stand by palestinians. Now, I am Palestinian... I am a refugee, I am a prisoner, I am living the massacres, the racism i am living the resistance & endurance to all kinds of torture techniques I am still in gaza, & things might get worse with the Egyptian mukhabarat & regime denying me entry.This stops being complicity with the Zionist entity, but rather direct participation in crimes against humanity of which the Egyptian regime and authorities are practicing against the Palestinians.

So, literally, it is an honour to have shared the suffering with the Palestinians on the crossing. Despite the suffering, amidst the suffering, friendship, brotherhood, sisterhood, laughs and jokes were present...
Tears of the women, those who were begging the monsters, and the torture, is something that must be said, whatever the price is... & there is a huge price to pay which is that of not being able to come back. But, we, activists in solidarity, vowed to make this sacrifice.
I could never remove from my eyes the image of my friend, Sitt Firial, whose son is in a hospital in Ain Shams, Egypt, dying. She wants to just go be with him.
They killed her yesterday; her tears fell down, her hand touching the glass window of the mukhabarat [intelligence] offices looking through. 'Please, please. I beg you, show mercy, let me go in.'
Another woman sat by the amn dawla [government's security] office, looking up to the security officer closing the way through. "You promised to let me in," she said with her soft, tired and drained voice. "Please let me in" she repeated calmly with her tired voice, then looked at me with wide, tearful, sad eyes... childlike. I looked at him & vommitted all their acts back on them.
I knew they would take it personally, but Jenny [Jenny Linnell, ISM activist] & I, chose to speak, resist & act. I called them "barbaric" & "savages" straight to their faces, and it felt good. Another woman offered an officer candy after he said he will give her going through another thought. 'Lahza, lahza, tfaddal tfadal' she said as she walked behind him hurryingly. The people are simple, kind, honest, genuine & real. What happens to them on the crossing is left in the soul; killing & stabbing it. They have been taught to accept this treatment. But, as activists, it is our job to break through the silence& scream out the injustice... no matter what the price.
As I was talking to someone on the phone, telling him about the situation, a man of around seventy, an old sick palestinian elderly, just fell to the ground. Saied, from the mukhabarat, came up to me as i came closer to the elderly man as another officer was dragging him. Saeid pointed his index finger at me: 'I will make sure you will never get out of here' his tone cruel, low, and wicked. But, I replied saying 'all that you have done to our people is registered in notebooks." He said to me 'really? we are untouchable' in a vindictive tone.
We resisted... & jenny's voice screaming- I couldn't see her- but saying 'get off me! get off me' gave me strength to stay put, hold on to the window I was holding on to.
Around ten men were around me, looking at them each in the eye, knowing i had to humanize them to humanize myself. 'You have a daughter my age? I am 21... you accept your daughter be treated that way? I am your daughter, & your daughter & your daughter." Amazingly so, the officers there whom I had eye contact with and spoke to, did NOT touch me. Only Saeid & another mukhabarat officer pulled me away.
I couldn't see Jenny & when I was dragged to the return bus, I saw that she had refused to get on the bus not knowing where i was.
As they dragged and pushed us out, the man dragging me by the wrists said 'your lucky my shoe is not in your mouth like they do in Jordan."
A young man who can't speak & who was on a wheelchair, at one point of desparation, hit himself on the chest constantly. "Hmmm, hmmm hmmm!!' he tried expressing himself as they pushed him & the wheel chair aggressively & Jenny kept saying "shway shway!" (take it easy)

I am honoured to have lived yesterday, I am proud. It is a certificate to get killed, to suffer, to endure & resist with all that is Palestine, Palestine, Palestine, with all who fall under the hands of injustice.

The little girl on a bus, said 'mama, can we gather a shekel from each to give to the egytpians to pass through?' The people shared bread & water, shared pain, & tears, shared laughter. Yes, we laughed. Laughter & love under the bombs to laughter & love under racism, degradation, humiliation, under monsters clad in clothes.
What are we now, & what could we be? I sacrifice anything now, now i know what it feels for the suicide bomber... I now know... that point of desparation..

Hasta la victoria siempre down with colonialism, totalitarianism, imperialism, capitalism, oppression & repression... colonialism the evil of all evils. Down with Arab oppressive regimes, down with Apartheid regimes, down with nationalisms, with borders and boundaries.
La vache qui rit regime will fall...

What i heard the egyptian mukhabarat & officers of amn dawla tell the Palestinians & some to me when i protested against them & refused to leave withouit a reason why denied entry for tarheel (in arabic):

"انته الفلسطينية جبته المشاكل و جيته"
"يلا امشي يلا!" ظابط مصري الى فلسطيني كبير السن
"لما ربنا يساعدنا حنساعدكم" ظابط مخابرات الى سيدة كبيرة السن و هو يتقهقه
"ابو شقرا!! هي خلصت الاسماء ولا ايه؟" وجهه ظابط مصري كريه و لئيم اليّ
"انت... انت مش حسيبك تطلعي من هنا!" ظابط مخابرات الي عندما وقفت الى جانب سيدي المسن عندما اغمي عليه
"مين حيحاسبني؟!" ظابط مخابرات مصري يرد علي عندما فجرت غضبي فيه
"لو كنت في الاردن كانت الجزمة تعتي فوق راسك!" ظابط مخابرات عندما رفضت الخروج من المعبر احتجاجا على تعذيبهم الجسدي و النفسي لي و لزميلتي



Comments from Egyptian citizens:

Mohamed Khorshid

I'm Egyptian and refuse all stupid procedures taked against our brother & sisters in Gaza.don't judge on Egyptians through those stupid officers...theyr r messengers of hell..the opposite side of israeli officersthey do the same with Egyptian citizenswe all support uneed to help Gaza and their brave fighters... Allah with u-------

Ahmed Diaa

please let us all stop referring to the egyptian regime and their security apparatuses as "the egyptians", this is not only degrading to egyptians who hold a firm stand against the siege, but also it legitimizes the authority of the regime and its stooges. remember how abul gheit insisted on tv that ppl should refer to them as the ...egyptians not as the regime? calling them "egypt" or "the egyptians" is as if they are taking the decision in the name of egypt, and as if they are supported by the ppl. u know that there is nothing further from the truth. they are a brutal regime that carries on these practices against the egyptian ppl b4 they do against the palestinians. while reading ur note, i identified, things like this, and worse, happened either to me or to ppl i know, and reminds me of what i saw on march 21st 2003 and in similar occasions in which the egyptian regime decided to lay siege on downtown cairo, just the way they are doing now with Gaza.

Natalie Abou Shakra

Israeli incursion 28th of June, 2009

Israeli incursion 28th of June, 2009

message from ISMer on the field, earlier that day:

"Bulldoser worked only about 70 metres inside and left again outside and to the south.According to local people, the Israeli occupation forces are INSIDE the strip between Khozaa and Abasaan"

Later update on same day, at 7:15 p.m.

"Israelis are at the other side of the fence, at 48 land [...]

Videos from the incursion below:







Note that such incursions sweeping everything close to the border fence occurred in November before the intense 22-day massacre that began on the 27th of December, 2009.

Update: The Egyptian authorities killed my soul

An SMS from Natalie just in:

I have lived the massacre and then a siege...All through which brought no tears to my soul as today...Today the Egyptians authorities killed me, killed us, and I became more furious than ever than I ever were. Never to forgive what happened to Palestinians today...never to forget. Today was a kind of torture a person cannot easily forget, mentally, physically and emotionally. I am so sleepy but no rest comes to a troubled mind.

Received around 3 a.m June 29th

Update: Back to Palestinian land - on the floor!

Additional messages from Natalie:

"Now we are going to stamp our passports that we went to Egypt!"

"Now sitting on the floor on the Palestinian side because I'm so tired. This is torture. Literally torture technique of Egyptian authorities."

Update: They dragged us on the floor

An SMS message from Natalie just in:

They dragged us on the floor out of the crossing. We resisted.. They continued to drag us on the floor outside. The man in the crossing told me "You are not going to cross. Who will sue me??"

Update from the Egyptian crossing: Misery and humiliation by Egyptian authorities

A phone conversation with Natalie:

I have just closed the phone with Natalie. Here is what she wanted to tell you all:

We were able to obtain a permission to cross the border and a coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 3 weeks ago. The ministry said that our names are on the crossing and that we were allowed to leave. Yet we were refused to cross after several attempts to do so, saying that the crossing was closed.

The crossing has been opened ever since the 27th of June. We came from the very early hours of the morning today. We entered the crossing and the Egyptian soldiers were on a tank, smiling at us. We waited until late at night, then once again we were refused to cross. On the first day, up to 150 Palestinians were allowed to cross out of the hundreds and hundreds that were packed on the border. They were patients in need for medical care: elderly people, women and children who are foreced to leave Gaza because they are in urgent need for medical attention. The busses carrying them were packed and overcrowded. Yet many were ordered to go back.

When the border authorities demanded that the people go back, the people did not respond. They protested and demanded to enter. As a result of the protest, they only allowed a few ambulances to enter. The rest remained there for additonal hours until they were all forced to return back. Among them were people who were sick, disabeled or too weak to even stand. They were all treated like animals, even animals are treated in a better manner.

When we gave the Egyptian authorities our passports, they took them in a violent manner and never informed us of what will happen next: are we allowed to cross, how long are we going to wait, what will happen to the hundreds waiting, are we going to have our passports back...many questions are never answered not by a single word.

People were sitting on the floor, the cafeteria at the crossing had limited quanities of very basic products. It is full of chips, barely has water bottles. Those who were in need for food could not get any even if they have the money to buy it.

An officer calls your name. If you missed it, you're gone. If you're asleep, tired, or unable to listen to him amid the never-ending chaos at the border, your chances to cross are terminated. They write your names with pencil and on papers...beauracracy and backwardness at its best.

Egyptian officers scream and yell at Palestinians, treating them in a highly offensive, aggressive and inhumane manner. They constantly say "You Palestinians! Its all YOUR fault!"

A women cries, an old man sits on the floor, the Egyptian officer pushes him. Right now an intelligence officer told me that they will not let me in because I was talking to you on the phone and telling you about this. They do not want anyone to know about their scandalous, inhumane actions.

People beg to cross the border, some of them go down on their knees, others bang on the glass of the officers' chamber. I see an old man on a wheelchair demanding to cross, only to be faced with an officer who shakes him in great tension. People simply do not want to be here. If there was a hole in the air they would do anything to get out through it. They are forced to come here and are not allowed to move on.

The Egyptian authorities are coinciding with the Israelis, clearly. I'm sorry, I have to go.

That was the conversation with Natalie. In her last message, she said that things are getting worse.

Updates will follow.

Nader

Urgent: Natalie stuck on the Egypt-Gaza border

Dear blog readers and followers,

The main contributor of this blog, Natalie Abou Shakra, who is also a member of the International Solidatiry Movement, is now at the Egyptian-Palestinian border, "The Rafah Border". I have just finished talking to her on the phone: She has informed me that the Egyptian authorities are not letting her cross into Egypt, although she is using a foreign passport. They are intending to "punish" her and her comrades for coming into Gaza by boat, although their mission was purely humanitarian. Natalie and her comrades have been on the border for hours now, and the Egyptian authorities are attempting to force them to go back.

Earlier this night, I have received the following SMS from her:

"The Egyptian authorities have been torturing us for days. They refuse to let us out. We are in the Egypt side of the crossing on Egyptian lands. We are not leaving and it might get violent. We have coordination we have approval from ministry of Egyptian foreign affairs."

And later on the following SMS:

"We are staying in the crossing and if they touch us, the embassy is responsible. Tomorrow if not allowed to go out, we will go on a hunger strike and contact free Gaza movement and ISM and all media outlets we know."

It is clear that the Egyptian authorities intend to punish Natalie and her comrades for their solidarity work and standing by the moral and just cause, the Palestinian cause, what they have been doing for the past 7 months in Gaza. This should not be left unnoticed. I will be contacting the relevant embassies and ministries concerned in this issue to expose this abuse. If things remain the same or get worse, I invite you all to spread the word to the media. Non-violent humanitarian activists have the right to receive utomost respect and humane treatment wherever they go. The Egyptian regime should be held accountable for the never-ending violations and abuse.

Updates will follow

Nader

Beit Hanoun Local Initiative launches its Children's activities

Press Release

Beit Hanoun Local Initiative launches its Children's activities: Let me Play Freely, in Beit Hanoun

On Tuesday June 23, 2009, the Beit Hanoun Local Initiative group organizaed a kite competition with the participation of Beit Hanoun children. Six organization participated in this event, which are from Beit Hanoun: Family Development Centre, Izbet Beit Hanoun Development and Progress centre, Adham Charity centre, Jerusalem Centre for health and society, Taghreed Association for Culture & Development, and the Promising Generation group.
Five children from each organization were chosen to hold big colourful kites, some with the colours of the Palestinian national flag, while other kites had slogans such as: The Children of Palestine Have a Right to Life, a Right to Play, We Refuse Occupation, We want to live like other children in the world, No to the Israeli Occupation.

The "Let me Play Freely" activities was launched in a march beginning from the centre of the town, till the buffer zone east of Beit Hanoun, near Sderot. There, the children released their kites in the air.

Children whom are physically challenged and those with special needs participated in the activity too. They played and and released kites in the air.

Palestine... we shall remain here despite all the damage and the siege

The Beit Hanoun Local Initiative coordinator, Saber Al Zaaneen, certified that the activities and events shall continue in the buffer zone despite the occupation forces' policies that aim at forced removal of familes, and farmers from their places of residence. He called upon the Intenational community to take on a move to stand with the Palestinian people against occupation and neo-colonialism.

On his part, the coordinator of league for activities and events in the Beit Hanoun local initiative stated that the initiative will work during the summer period in organizing and launching children's activities and events.

At the end of the day's activity, the initiative and fellow solidarity workers distributed modest gifts to the children who won the "Let me Play Freely" competition.

Beit Hanoun Local Initiative
Media Committee- Beit Hanoun, GS-Palestine

Shot at Point of Desperation

Shot at Point of Desperation

Ahmed Abu Hashish, 20 years old bedouin, is his parents' youngest child out of three other young men. He worked in a laundry shop, and lived in utter poverty with his mother, father and three elder brothers.

We went to the funeral and his mother, Umm Ayyash, had a few things to say.
Ahmed, as usual, came back home from work at around four o'clock on the 21st of April, 2009. He left home without telling his mother anything about his whereabouts, and did not return. Umm Ayyash fixed his mattress and pillow, and it was around 11 in the evening with no word from Ahmed. After two days of searching the neighborhoods, and checking with friends and relatives with no word from Ahmed, Abou Ayyash went to the Beit Hanoun police station to report his youngest son missing. The family also went to the Red Cross to ask if Ahmed had been abducted and imprisoned by the Israelis. The Red Cross checked with the prison administrators, but no word of Ahmed. The local police found nothing within the Strip about him.

His family supposed that he had tried to cross the fence to get into the 1948 lands to find work and try to surpass their daily income of around 8 shekels, which is around 2 USD. He had spoken previously about his want to find better job oppurtunities and, thus, a better life style. Previously, Palestinians in Gaza used to work in the 1948 lands before the second Initifada, definitely under cheap labor, with discrimination against them being Arabs, and under harsh working conditions. Yet, to many, despite these discriminatory and slavish circumstances, it provided meals on the table with the lack of job oppurtunities in the occupied Strip.

"The day he went missing, neighbors and friends said that there was much shooting near the fence," She stopped to wipe her tears and shake hands with people leaving the funeral. "It was 53 days before sheperds near that area said there was a foul odour near the fence and crows were gathering in the area." She lowers her head, " thank God you found his body, at least we know what happened to him... they killed him, like they kill everything else."

The Red Cross refused to get to the area at the fence, knowing that it is much less than 300 metres. Yet, the Red Cross has previously cooridinated with the IOF in such cases and to get bodies- despite being shot at. The Red Cross paramedics were afraid to get to the fence to search for the body, for fear of being killed or injured as the IOF usually does that despite previous coordination.

It was the volunteers at the Local Beit Hanoun Initiative along with members of ISM Gaza with some relatives of Ahmed who went up to the fence.

If you watch the video below, which was taken by an ISM Gaza, you will notice that despite the soldiers knowing that we are UNARMED CIVILIANS and "searching for a body," they shot at us directly and close, particularly once the body was found. They went out of their jeeps and hummers, thus, knowing that we pose not threat to them, shooting was whimsical. They shoot according to their moods and whims.

"They [Israelis] knew that they shot an unarmed boy. They knew they killed him. They said no word of it!" said Umm Ayyash as she strongly takes a stand. She wipes her tears and looks me in the eye, "they are criminals. They kill children, women and civilians... They killed a pious boy, a respectable person, my little Ahmed. They shot him, he's dead."

We left the funeral hugging Umm Ayyash and holding her hands tight in ours. Her fist was strong, her face was clear, her eyes were wide open. "God will keep you sturdy," Keep strong" her friends, neighbors and relatives told her heartily. She showed no fear as she kept repeating, "they will be judged, they will be judged."

Natalie Abou Shakra

Ex-Pink Floyd rocker wants Israeli wall down

We don't need no..." Zionism?

Ex-Pink Floyd rocker wants Israeli wall down

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ishdHLR8BUX-xm3_3YKRvckBmLMgD98IHN400

AIDA REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP) — The legendary rocker and co-founder of Pink Floyd says he would give a concert in a flash if Israel's West Bank wall is torn down.

Roger Waters made the promise Tuesday during a visit to a Palestinian refugee camp that is hemmed in by the separation barrier's tall slabs of cement.

The 65-year-old co-wrote Pink Floyd's iconic "The Wall" album and performed music from it in 1990 at the site where the Berlin Wall once stood.

Waters had harsh words for the West Bank barrier, which Israel says was built as a defense against Palestinian militants.

The musician says the wall amounts to an oppressive grab of Palestinian land and that he hopes that "this thing, this awful thing, is destroyed soon."

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press.

Hello Mr. Obama - Article by Khaled Saghiyyeh, Lebanon

People, let's hear it out for Mr Obama who has just recognized Islam as a religion! Not only so, but he also recited Koranic passages at his University of Cairo speech!
And we, the "colonized" overwhelmed by permisiveness, did not stop clapping every time we heard a sura recited in English. But, frankly, despite this harmonious wonder between cultures and religions, it is worthy to note that the problem with the American administration was never cultural to begin with, and has not been merely a difference in political perspectives.

The difference lies in the bloodshed of hundreds of thousands that were killed in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan.... either by American-made weapons, American support, or by Americans themselves as is the case with war on Iraq for the so-called struggle for democracy, and the war on Lebanon as a passage to a New Middle East.

However, there's no use crying over spilt milk, for Mr. Obama has thus spoken and has asked us to start over a new beginning. Simply, in a snap of his fingers he asks us to put aside all that without the need for an apology to the victims of these wars. We do not mean to waste the precious time of this new emperor, but is he asking us to be his partners? And, are we supposed to believe him? But, wait a minute... we have a lot to learn from our "big brother." Not only shall he impose on us his democracy, but also imposed on us what he thinks of human rights... O, Mr. Obama, thank you for reshaping the etiquette.

More so, as the first step to this new recipe, Obama asks of the Lebanese Maronites to look onto themselves as minorities, just as the Copts, and he shall be the one who will defend their rights. As for "Hamas", who was democratically elected by the way, he thinks they "represent, maybe, some of the Palestinians." And based on his account of human rights, he emphasized the wrongness of the "violent" resistance. And what is the alternative? The same old talk about the two-state solution and the road map in Palestine, completely ignoring the right of return and the issue of the refugees. As for Iran, it should [according to Obama] abandon its nuclear dreams in the purpose of preventing an arms race in the Middle East- as if Iran was the one who begun the race! Hello Mr. Obama!!

Imperialism did not always come in the form of violent speeches. But, rather, it usually came in with a stronger sense of allure. Well, it seems that "development" rates will hit the ceilings again. Prepare yourselves for more bloodshed and victims to fall... this time in the name of humanity and progress.

Friday June 5, 2009

Al Akhbar newpaper, Lebanon

Translated from Arabic for Moments of Gaza

Khaled Saghiyyeh is a Lebanese journalist and political commentator
He writes for the Lebanese Al Akhbar newspaper

original article found on
http://www.al-akhbar.com/ar/node/139769

IOF opens fire on a group of farmers in northern beit Hanoun

IOF opens fire on a group of farmers in northern beit Hanoun

The occupation forces opened fire on a group of farmers who were working in their land, harvesting their crops, which lead to the injury of 4 civilians in the back, hands and legs who were immediately taken to Kamal Udwan Hospital and Beit Hanoun Hospital. The farmers were NOT in the areas the IOF previously stated were "security zones"

The Beit Hanoun Local Initiative group condemns this criminal act of violence against Palestinian farmers, and state that the farmers were harvesting their lands and were at a great distance away from the security zone that the IOF claimed to shoot all of whom enters it.

The Local Initiative urge the international community and civil society associations to take immediate action to stop these crimes against Palestinian farmers.

-Beit Hanoun Local Initiative Group

The Beit Hanoun Local Initiative Group are an ad hoc group of volunteers based in Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip. They volunteer to accompany farmers and residents to the buffer zone, and work with children, the development of women;s role in society, and the youth. They document and follow up on IOF violations in the northern area of the Strip.

Please consider supporting them

More shootings and violations of international law

...when the fishermen are abducted (more than 16 have been abducted since March 2009) their boats are also stolen by IOF

The naval gunboats shoot directly at those fishermen, killing them, injuring them, and damaging their boats. They use chemicals with acrimonious odour and which causes irritation to the skin in their extremely high water canons to shoot farmers with (other than snipers), those sink hasakas (small fishing boats) easily, but cause damage to the bigger lange...

When IOF steals the fishermen's boats, they sometimes return them... but, they return the boats damaged, as you can see in the videos below, with the fishing nets torn...




Note:

When ISM Gaza members were abducted in November 2008, life jackets were given to them..."because we are internationals" said one member the fishermen have to be remove their clothing, naked, dive into the sea, and swim to the IOF naval gunboat where they are discriminated against, sheer racism, and arrested

Farming Under IOF Firing & Violation of International Law

Latest farming under IOF firing & violation of international lawareas: khozaa, al-ta'iimatt

This is part of what we do as ISM Gaza, as a way of support to the Palestinian farmer for his right to farm & work on his land but, Palestinians, seem to be stripped of the right to all human rights...

Many farmers are shot dead whilst working on their lands during the 2008/9 Gaza massacre, around 1 km distance away from the borders was savagely and barbarically destroyed by the occupation forces this area was transferred into a buffer zone...
during the attacks, the IOF destroyed agricultural land within the 1km distance, across the strip (so around 40 km in length, with a constant width of 1km from the fence with occupied 1948 Palestinian territories)

Soldiers across the fence know who we are, and know the farmers who come to their land...they know we pose no threat as we do publish press releases, we are regularly accompanying, we wear fluorescent jackets (not all of us though in solidarity with the farmers who don't, and there by rather than targeting a non-local, they target a farmer with us),the soldiers, at one point, took photos of themselves targeting the farmers and activists, they walk around their jeeps and linger in the area
so, they know we pose no threat... and thus, shooting occurs whimsically and according to their unpredictable, violent moods

Yes: Depleated Uranium in Gaza

« Operation Cast Lead »: Dozens of Tonnes of Depleted Uranium and other radioactive substances were spread across the Gaza Strip

Friday 22 May 2009
ACDN Media Release, 22 May 2009

In the Gaza Strip between 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009, the Israeli army conducted a ground and air offensive nicknamed « Operation Cast Lead ».

During the first few days a Norwegian doctor doing humanitarian service in the hospital at Shifa, Dr Mads Gilbert, denounced the presence of radioactive matter, possibly Depleted Uranium, in the bodies of victims. On 4 January 2009, after investigation, ACDN (Action of Citizens for the total Dismantling of Nukes) alerted the press and public opinion with a media release: « In Gaza, the genocide with Depleted Uranium has begun, using GBU-39 bombs provided by the USA ».

This accusation has now emerged with greater strength after several months of investigation carried out in close liaison with the people concerned and with the help of Jean-François Fechino, a consultant on diffuse pollution and an expert accredited to the UN Environment (UNEP). ACDN has just produced a 33-page report concluding that the presence of dozens of tonnes of Depleted Uranium (perhaps as much as 75 tonnes) in the soil and subsoil of Gaza is highly probable.

In April 2009, a four-person mission including Jean-François Fechino went to Gaza under the auspices of the Arab Commission for Human Rights. The samples of earth and dust that they brought back from Gaza were then analysed by a specialist laboratory, which found in them elements of Depleted Uranium (which is radioactive, carcinogenic, teratogenic), particles of Cesium (which is radioactive and carcinogenic), asbestos dust (which is carcinogenic), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs, which are fine particles which endanger health, especially the health of children, asthmatics and old people), phosphates (from oxidation of white phosphorus), tungsten (which is carcinogenic), copper, aluminium oxide (which is carcinogenic), and Thorium Oxide (ThO2, which is radioactive)...

The detailed results will soon be made public. Journalists or other persons wishing to learn more are invited to contact ACDN or visit its Website www.acdn.net

Interview with... an Ex-Political Prisoner

Interview with.... an Ex-Political Prisoner

Hi. My name is Mansour Hammad. I live in Gaza. All my life I have lived in Gaza. But, I am originally from Na'alaya, in Majdal. I am a refugee in Gaza, and my grandparents came to Gaza when the Nakba, the Catastropher, occurred.
In 1986 when I was 16 years old, I was arrested by the Shen Bet at midnight, in my home in Gaza.

They came into my house, very quietly, I was asleep, but my mother answered the door. She was terrified with all those guns she saw.

They woke me up and placed a gun in front of my head.

I was wearing my pajamas, and was bare foot.

I was handcuffed, and made to walk around 500 metres away from the house, until I came to the outskirt of the Jabalya Refugee Camp. There they had arrested other boys and men from the camp. They began to beat us up.

I was numbed by the pain, the next thing I knew... my shirt was saturated with blood.
They took us, then, to the Saraya, in Gaza city. They detained us, and began the interrogation procedures.

The demanded I remove every piece of clothing onmy body... "zay ma jabtak ammak", stark naked like the moment of birth.

They made me wear an navy blue overall, which was bloody, sweaty, stinky, and torn. Someone must have been wearing it for a while... I put it on. Then they shaved all my hair off. This is the place that political prisoners call the Maslakh... the slaughtering house. It still drives terror into the soul of many ex-political prisoners.

They beat me up again, and remained for a weak with minimal dirty food and water, and no sleep allowed.

One week later, they took me to Majdal Prison.I cannot ever forget the Israeli soldier who had iron plated his teeth. He was the worse... he did things to me that I have difficulty recounting. Let me just say... that many young men leave their prisons... infertile...

They constantly pressured me into collaborating with them against my people. They would bring in all sorts of pressures. They told me I would be spending around 8~9 years in the prison.

I was transfered from Majdal to Saraya, then to 'Askalan and to Naf'ha prisons. Then, I was placed in the Naqab prison. I was accused of belonging to the PFLP, and being a "threat to the state of Israel".

In the Naf'ha prison, I organized an 18 day food strike with the other political prisoners. The living conditions in prison were inhumane... at some point they would let Israeli convicts in other prisons cook for us... do you know what that means? It means they spit in the food, they would stir the soup with a broom... the pans that they cooked for us with, were extremely dirty... it was more than disgusting
We demanded that they bring to us better food.

During the strike, they would bring us chicken, rice and fruit to break us. They brought in the best of food, to break us. Alhough we were tempted, we did not break in, and we maintained an 18-day food strike.



Imprisonment in the 60s, was different that the 70s, was different from the 80s, and 90s, and now...
In the 60s, for instance, they used to pluck your nails out... no one knew about it, since concerned human rights organizations were non-existent to help and spread the word about our conditions.

Other forms of torture were present, that still are still ongoing till this date.
There were periods whereby they played Radio Israel for us, the Arabic section, where they played Fairuz daily... and we listened with nostalgia...

Prisons makes you... different. Especially for me, I was sixteen and came out of their prisons at 26. I learned Hebrew, and some English of which I forgot most of it now. The political prisoners make better living conditions for themselves there, they strive, strike... to pressure. It is a continuous war between the prisoner and the guards.



We would play games on them... not for fun... but, out of desparation... sometimes, a man would hang himself in the his cell... just as an act of desparation.. He'd pick the time to be that of the guard shift and the checking of rooms... Once the next guard came in to check, he'd go wild thinking a case of suicide happened... they would open the cell and get our comrade out to be medically checked upon... it was desparation... sometimes a demand would be to get in a comb... it is silly... but, immensely symbolic.



Was it daring or crazy? I say a little bit of both... does a soldier think of what he is getting at war? No, if he did, he wouldn't get in... he'd be too afraid just thinking of what would happen... that is the crazy part of it... that you don't think about the coming events. The daring part of it, is that you would be in, and not get out. You stay in, and fight till your last breath.

Narrated by Mansour Hammad
Written, translated and organized by Natalie
Jabalya, Palestine

IOF drops Leaflets, Threatening Palestinians' Livelihood

IOF drops Leaflets, threatening Palestinians' livelihood, injured child in a coma as a result

In the early hours of the morning on Monday 25th of May, the IOF dropped leaflets all over the Gaza Strip... the Leaflets stated that (translating from Arabic, but retaining the lame language used):

(on both sides the same writing but different maps)



To the people of the strip:

The israeli defence forces repeat their alert forbidding the coming close to the border fence at a distance less than 300 metres

Who gets close will subject himself to danger whererby the IDF will take necessary procedures to drive him away which will include shooting when necessary

He who has alerted shall be excused!

The IDF



When the airforce dropped the leaflets in Gaza city they hit a 12-year old boy called Nawras Dughmush with a plated hard plastic container which has leaflets inside hit

Nawras was on his last day of school, Tal el Zuhour school, and he is now in a coma in the Shifa hospital in Gaza city

The IOF has been targeting civilians, of farmers, activists, and ordinary citizens at a distance of 1 km away from the fence creating a buffer zone at around this distance during the latest massacre against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the IOF swept away all human resources presrent within 1km from the borders. This included plantations, agricutural lands, water wells, houses, bedouin tents, hay houses, ... all destroyed
60% of agricultural land is present within the 1 km line away from the border, along the fence with the 1948 territories

Natalie