Report from Palestine

An Nabi Salih Friday Demonstration - 19th March 2010

Marie and Gwen arrived at ANS by our regular taxi at 11am and sat with Bushra and Naji Tamimi and family in their garden drinking coffee and reviewing the situation since we were last there 2 weeks ago. We were told that the soldiers had been present in the village for about 2 hours already and before the midday call to prayer 2 sound bombs exploded very close to the house. Soldiers were in the garden of the neighbour’s house belonging to Basem and Nariman Tamimi. It is unusual that aggressive activity began before the demonstration.

As usual we joined the gathering in the village square near the mosque as the men left it after Friday prayers. Young boys led the way carrying a large Palestinian flag between them, and most people were chanting, responding to slogans over a loud hailer. Villagers were joined by an international presence of about 4 Israelis, 3 from ISM and ourselves. This is a relatively low number of internationals. A reporter and cameraman from Ha’aretz were also present. The demonstration got a short distance down the road and some way down the hillside, all the time chanting and clapping, before the teargas started and sound bombs and rubber coated bullets were used. These eventually pushed the bulk of the demonstrators back into the village and others sheltered in the various houses that line the top of the hillside. For the next 4 hours there was a running battle between the shebab and the military.

Injuries and other Violations

We ourselves were witness to 2 woundings: an elderly man was shot in the hand and blood was streaming from it; a young man was knocked unconscious on the road by a rubber bullet which hit him in the neck. However, by the end of the afternoon we received reports of the following incidents:

1. Ellen from ISM was hit early on after being deliberately targeted from less than 4 metres. She was shot in the hand by a rubber-coated bullet and was taken to hospital in Ramallah with a fellow ISM person. She was allowed home after treatment the same day. She has a multiple fracture of the wrist.

2. 2 young men from the village, ( Omar Saleh Tamimi and Amjad Alkhafeez Tamimi) were arrested.

Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American and a co-founder of ISM, (female) was also arrested.

3. The house of a 90 year old woman with a heart condition was tear-gassed and she had to be taken to hospital.

4. A young man, Raaft Ahmad was shot in the head with a rubber-coated bullet and taken to hospital in Salfit. His condition was said to be satisfactory.

5. A man of 65 (an American citizen) was shot with a rubber-coated bullet in the stomach and admitted to hospital. Last night some of his olive trees were uprooted.

6. Dudi, an Israeli activist, received 3 rubber-coated bullets in his leg and was taken to hospital in Israel.

7. 10 houses had their windows broken by shooting.

8. Yesterday 2 men from Deir Nidham, Hassan and Jamil, were arrested while out walking.

9. It should be noted that Marie narrowly escaped injury today when she stood in front of a house with hands in the air to protect women and children inside. She was deliberately shot at at short range and within eye contact.



Comments:

Ma’an News Agency has described this week as “the most violent week in the West Bank for many years”. ANS should be seen in the context of major disturbances in Jerusalem and at several major checkpoints. Also today the first demonstrations in Bil’in and Nil’in where internationals were under threat of immediate arrest and deportation if found on site have taken place. These orders were defied but it is too early to assess the new situation.

In addition, it is clear that the violence against the village of ANS is intensifying both in the length of time they are under attack and the intensity of attack.



Written by Gwen

Edited by Marie

19th March 2010