ISM Journals: Women's March / Gun to My Head

ISM Journals: Women's March / Gun to My Head

1) Jayyous Women's March Report 2) Gun to My Head, Saved on a Whim _ Radhika in Tulkarem 3) Day Off _ Ben J. in Jenin 4) Words Leave My Heart Dry _ Laura G in Rafah

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1) Jayyous Women's March Report The Village Resistance October 25, 2003

Um Ammar, whose home has been isolated from the village by the path of the wall; who lines up twice a day and waits for the soldiers to come an open the gate for her and her three school-age children so they can go to school; who is sometimes forced to wait for 1-3 hours for soldiers to come open the gate; who one week earlier was prevented from crossing back through the gate to her home said "I will be there at the gate every day; I am not leaving my home or my land." Read the full report at: http://www.palsolidarity.org/reports/writings/25Oct03_01_22_22QalqiliaHuwaida.htm

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2) Gun to My Head, Saved on a Whim

Tulkarem

Radhika S.

25 Oct 03 Today I felt a little more Palestinian. Although throughout my months in the West Bank I have witnessed Israeli soldiers harassing and brutalizing Palestinians in countless ways, today I came a little closer to understanding the power the Israeli Army has over the life and death of every Palestinian man, woman and child.

I got to Jbarra checkpoint, outside Tulkarem, and saw a tall soldier I had seen many times in the past screaming at Palestinians. After screaming at a couple of Palestinians to go away, it was my turn and he asked what I was doing in Jbarra village

"Visting friends," I replied.

"I'm surprised you have friends."

"I have lots of friends, because I'm nice to people and try to help them. You on the other are always in a bad mood, and shouting at people."

"Do you think I like this? . Just, give me your passport"

As I reached to open my bag, a Palestinian friend of mine, an amazing woman, crossed the checkpoint and said, "Radhika!" We embraced, chatted for a few minutes and then parted ways. (Thus, proving, I do have friends.)

Since I was already halfway across the checkpoint, and the tall soldier seemed preoccupied, I crossed over. When I reached the other side I noticed 2 Russian soldiers I have seen repeatedly over the past week refusing passage to farmers through gates in the Wall. They screamed at me, which I ignored until one cocked his M-16...

Read the full journal report at: http://www.palsolidarity.org/reports/writings/25Oct03_01_50_24TulkaremRadhikaS.htm

3) DAY OFF October 24, 2003 Ben J. Jenin

Greetings from Jenin, this will be a poorly and rapidly written update as I don't have much time to write. Here goes:

Yesterday me and the other longtermers tried to take it easy for once, while the shorttermers went to pick olives.

Those of us trying to chill went to a meeting with the local rep of a very respected and prodigious Israeli human rights group called B'tselem {well worth looking up online}. We talked for about an hour, much of it him telling various horror stories about soldier atrocities towards Palestinians, largely revolving around sex crimes, obscene acts of humiliation and forced beastiality, Eating of non-food items, humiliation etc. These things happen everyday here, sadly.

After that I was outside of this internet cafe chatting with cab-drivers when another group member called, saying we had an "urgent situation", so I returned home.

Read the full journal report at: http://www.palsolidarity.org/reports/writings/24Oct03_01_34_50JeninBenJ.htm

4) WORDS LEAVE MY HEART DRY

Laura Gordon Rafah

October 16, 2003

If God in his mercy would descend just long enough to explain exactly what part of his plan includes the slow strangling of the hearts of 17-year-old boys by slowly removing everything they have, I still wouldn't sleep through the terror of the night. The sky is filled with whitish haze and the mid-morning sun is too bright for eyes as Hani leaves the office, squinting between swollen eyelids and the sleeplessness of the hours, for lack of food, for phone calls every morning and every night that rob all sense of pride and leave him in shaking sobs falling on the cars parked on the side of the street, or staring blankly into the night.

Read the full journal at: http://www.palsolidarity.org/reports/writings/16Oct03_01_43_23GazaLauraG..htm

Photos of Rafah: The Municipality Fixes Water and Electricity at the Border of the Invaded Area http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=bsocdwp.pvfbmlp&x=1&y=-prqwk6

The Camps Post Invasion http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=bsocdwp.ihnm98d&x=0&y=5bvccn

After the Brazil Invasion http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=bsocdwp.e8krb5p&x=0&y=libben

The Lafis http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=bsocdwp.a6si03p&x=1&y=-765471

Olive Harvest http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=bsocdwp.f6nkb1t&x=0&y=-7kn1e3

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