Un appello dell'ISM per denunciare i continui soprusi dell'IOF e dei coloni israeliani contro i palestinesi raccoglitori di olive.

Tuesday Oct.15,2002
Awartha, Nablus (Hawarra Area)
Immediate Media Release

Gli abitanti di Awartha sono umiliati e percossi ogni giorno dall'esercito israeliano che presidia la colonia israeliana di Itamar vicina al villaggio palestinese.
Gli abitanti del villaggio palestinese non hanno infranto alcuna legge, non partecipano a nessuna azione di protesta, né attaccano la colonia israeliana vicina. I palestinesi che lì abitano cercano semplicemente di raccogliere le olive nei campi vicini a Itmar (la colonia è situata nell'area di Hawarra).
La zona di Hawarra è famigerata per i coloni e l'esercito che li "protegge".
Quando i palestinesi si sono recati di recente a raccogliere le olive nei campi vicino Itamar, l'esercito israeliano li ha circondati e li ha ammanettati, facendoli rimanere per 4 ore sotto il sole e attaccandoli brutalmente.
Una donna palestinese di 29 anni è stata colpita da colpi di arma da fuoco e ferita in maniera grave ed è ora ricoverata in ospedale. Un altro palestinese di 39 anni è stato attaccato dall'esercito con i cani e picchiato selvaggiamente dai soldati israeliani che lo hanno lasciato a terra in condizioni critiche. Anche un palestinese di 75 anni è stato picchiato ferocemente dall'esercito di occupazione israeliano e al momento è ricoverato in ospedale. I volontari dell'ISM sono stati chiamati sul posto e 5 di loro sono riusciti a portare aiuto ai palestinesi, riuscendo a 'tranquillizzare' la pericolosa situazione e accompagnando i palestinesi indietro ai loro villaggi.

Wednesday October 16, 2002
Yasoof, Salfit Area
IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE

Questa mattina i contadini palestinesi del villaggio di Yasoof che intendevano raccogliere le olive insieme a 13 volontari dell'ISM hanno raggiunto gli oliveti nei pressi dell'insediamento ebraico di TapHuac Settlement. Non appena si è iniziata la raccolta un gruppo di coloni si è appostato sulle alture di una collina vicina. L'esercito di occupazione israeliano e la polizia israeliana sono intervenuti quando i coloni hanno cominciato a sparare. La polizia ha arrestato i coloni che avevano sparato e ha informato i contadini e gli internazionali che non potevano più continuare la raccolta. L'area è stata dichiarata area militare chiusa.
I palestinesi e i 13 volontari non si sono ancora allontanati e intendono resistere all'ordine di szgombero della polizia e dell'IOF, preparandosi alla possibilità di un arresto di massa.

Oct. 16, 2002
Three Israelis arrested after altercation with Arab olive pickers
By THE JERUSALEM POST STAFF


Three Israelis were arrested near Tapuah in the West Bank today, after an altercation with Palestinian olive pickers.

One of the suspects is accused of shooting his gun during the scuffle, but apparently causing no injury, Israel Radio reports.

Police confiscated his weapon and arrested him. Two other Israelis were taken for questioning, the radio said.

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Se la situazione fosse stata invertita i chissa' se la pubblicavate la notizia. Bah.

gli israeliani uccidono con una facilità che ha pochi eguali sulla terra, penso agli hutu e ai tutsi, nessuno stato vittima del terrorismo agisce con una simile barbarie inumana, non l'India in kascmir non i russi in cecenia, ma gli ebrei israeliani pensano di essere guidati da Dio nel dare la morte a donne e bambini iccocenti è questa la fondamentale differenza di chi non è umano ritenendosi sovrumano.

Car@ mi@ forse non sai leggere bene. non ho forse scritto "L'esercito di occupazione israeliano e la polizia israeliana sono intervenuti quando i coloni hanno cominciato a sparare. La polizia ha arrestato i coloni..."?
Le precisazioni sarebbe meglio farle quando dietro di esse non si vogliono nascondere sterili polemiche stupidamente di parte.
ciao ciao

This morning Palestinian olive harvesters from the Yasoof village
along with thirteen internationals from the International Solidarity
Movement (ISM) walked to the olive groves located near a Israeli
Jewish-only settlement known as TapHuac Settlement. As the
harvesters and the group of internationals made their way to begin
picking the olive trees a group of settlers stood atop a nearby hill
that overlooks the area where Palestinians and internationals stood.
The Israeli Occupation Forces rushed to the scene along with Israeli
police as shots from the settlers rang out. The police arrested the
settler that shot at the harvesters and internationals then informed
the people that they needed to leave and not continue picking olives
claiming the area a closed military zone. Palestinian and the
thirteen ISM'ers are holding ground and resisting the IOF's orders
to evacuate the area, and preparing themselves for possible mass
arrests.

For more info please call:
Susan Barney: tel. 055271631
ISM OFFICE:022774602

Wednesday October 16, 2002
Jayous, Qalqilya Area
IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

Palestinian residents of Jayous village along with six ISM
international activists received word that construction of the Wall
of Apartheid was taking place even after the Israeli High Courts
declared no construction would take place until court cases
regarding the confiscated Palestinian land would be settled. When
the internationals and Palestinians arrived at the scene they found
private security personnel hired by the construction company along
with six soldiers from the Israeli Occupation Force present.
The mayor of Jayous also came to the site to try to talk the
construction company out of bulldozing the area which contains
massive amounts of Olive trees owned by the Jayous residents. Talks
with the construction company were to no avail and now Palestinians
and internationals alike are getting ready to block the bulldozers
and excavators from destroying any more of the Palestinian land.

FOR MORE INFO CALL:
JOHN REESE: TEL. 067479167,052693433
ISM OFFICE: 022774602

Activists from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) confronted
armed Israeli settlers at the West Bank village of Yasouf this
morning as
they accompanied Palestinians attempting to harvest their olives.

The 14 internationals, including Americans, Canadians, and others,
arrived
in Yasouf several days ago to assist Palestinians during their olive
harvest. For Palestinians, the olive harvest is made very risky by
armed
settlers and Israeli soldiers who attack them and drive them off their
lands. The ISM is attempting to provide nonviolent, civilian
protection
for the harvesters to make it possible for them to work.

A small group of settlers were on the scene at around 9am when the
activists, along with about 15 Palestinians, arrived at the grove
near the
village. The settlers were firing shots at harvesters when the
activists
arrived. They threatened the activists and began to throw rocks at
them.
The internationals sat and held their ground, stating their peaceful
intentions: "we are here in peace." The settlers replied "so are
we", and
continued to throw rocks and fire their weapons.

The military arrived shortly after, and arrested one settler who had
fired
at the crowd. The rest of the settlers had left by about 11am. The
soldiers then physically pushed the Palestinians off of the grove and
declared the area a closed military zone. In a closed military zone,
anyone can be arrested.

There were no serious injuries. The activists returned to the
village and
went to another grove and are accompanying another harvest now.

Oct. 17, 2002
Mother of Hamas man who murdered PA policeman: I would've killed the colonel with my teeth
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH


The mother of a Hamas member who killed a senior Palestinian Authority police officer last week said Wednesday she was proud of what her son had done.

Imad Aqel, 25, of the Nusseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Colonel Rajeh Abu Lihyeh, commander of the riot police, saying it was intended to avenge the killing of his younger brother, Yusef. He has since been hiding inside the camp, which is ringed by PA security forces.

Yusef Aqel, a student at the Islamic University in Gaza, was shot and killed together with two other students when Abu Lihyeh's force opened fire at an anti-American demonstration in the city to protest against the US war in Afghanistan.

"I'm very happy that the man responsible for my son's death has been killed," said the mother, Aysheh Aqel, wiping away tears. It was the first interview the mother gave since the assassination of Col. Abu Lihyeh.

"Abu Lihyeh took a rifle from a policeman who refused to shoot at my son, Yusef. He then kneeled and fired a single shot that killed Yusef. After the incident he kept boasting that he had killed the three demonstrators and said he was prepared to kill more people like them."

The mother of six told The Jerusalem Post that Abu Lihyeh had also harassed her other son, Imad, who is wanted by the PA. "Imad was arrested several times and held in Palestinian prisons, but he managed to escape," she added.

She said two other sons, Mohammed and Mu'taz, have been in hiding ever since the killing of Abu Lihyeh. "They don t come home because they are afraid of the Palestinian police," she explained.

"The assassination came as a sigh of relief for me. I feel as if a stone has been removed from my heart," the mother said. She blamed the PA for failing to take any measures against Abu Lihyeh for his role in the killing of the three protesters who were expressing their solidarity with the Afghan people against the US military strike.

"Had the PA taken any action against Abu Lihyeh, we wouldn't have had to kill him," she argued.

"The least they could have done is demote him. But they didn't do anything to punish him. That's why we were forced to take revenge. He was very arrogant. If my son, Imad, had not killed him, I would have killed him with my teeth."