Blood, tears and olive harvest & untold struggles

Blood, tears and olive harvest & many untold struggles

TOI-Billboard - Holon, Oct. 11, 2004

--Stop Killing / Start Talking a week of action in the shadow of killings --Today 11/10 Palestinian olive harvester shot, critically wounded -Again settler brutality against int'l accompaniers of schoolkids --Harvest update, reporting & mobilizing of volunteers -The olive harvest is heating up and we really need you - Arik Ascherman -A group of settlers attack harvesters
- by Yakov Manor --Weekly updates from the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs --Abnaa el Balad leader sentenced to 30 month for meeting a"foreign agent" --Vanunu to receive Lennon Ono Peace Grant Award in absentia

>>link of the week<< --Disengagement to stop all Peace Plans the revealing Weisglas interview ~~~

--Stop Killing / Start Talking a week of action in the shadow of killings

Amidst the ongoing governmental revenge-on-revenge-on-revenge killing spree in Gaza Strip refugee camps, another unforgivable mass killing event with an even more remote rationale, if any, among Israeli and Egyptian Sinai tourists took away all media attention. Forgotten are last week's daily protests organized by peace activists on different locations, demanding the only reasonable way out of the cycle of bloodshed: Stop Killing - Start Talking. Some of it with photos you find at the Gush Shalom website: http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/action5-10-2004.html

On Friday Afternoon, Oct. 8, some 50 Anarchists started a march in central Tel-Aviv, with the banner "Stop the killing of civilians - in Sinai and the Territories". In deference to the public shock after the Sinai bombings, they walked silently and refrained from chanting slogans. Nevertheless, they were confronted aggressively by police, which detained eight of them. The others managed to get to the Ministry of Defence gates. The detainees got released later that evening.

More in detail follow reports on olive harvest, settler harassment and the lame attitude (to say the least) of the Israeli army. ~~~

--Today 11/10 Palestinian olive harvester shot, critically wounded

A Palestinian farmer was shot and critically wounded in his olive orchard near Nablus in the West Bank on Monday. Palestinians blamed Israel Defense Forces, while the IDF said that a Jewish settler fired the shots. read more: http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/486924.html ~~~

-Again settler brutality against int'l accompaniers of schoolkids

Saturday 9 Oct, Ta'ayush report

Two international volunteers were attacked on their way back to Twane, after escorting the pupils of Tuba back home from school. The escort is needed because of recurring attacks by settlers against pupils of the area, the settlers being mainly of the "Ma’on Farm" settlement. On 29 September two int’l volunteers were attacked. Chris Brown and Kim Lamberty. Chris got his lung punctured, Kim had an arm broken and a probable fracture near the knee. Today two volunteers were attacked again. Andreo’s arm was broken and his kidney was hurt. He is hospitalised in Soroka hospital, Be’er Sheva. Donatella got beaten all over. She is of Amnesty International and came to see the situation of the indigenous population.

The volunteers followed the path marked by the army that passes at a mere 20 metres from Ma’on, where the attack took place today, and whose settlers have a long history of being very violent towards their neighbours, the indigenous population. When addressed with questions by Ta’ayush, the Army/Police responded by accusing Ta’ayush in bringing the volunteers, claiming they are guilty because their presence is a provocation! Not a word about why they are there at all, not a word about the IDF's duty towards the occupied population, and the absolute right of the children of the area to education and schooling.

We need more volunteers to escort the children!

Bless you!

Call Ezra – 050 - 5515761 -- see also: http://taayush.tripod.com/new/20041002-tuba.html

See also (with thanks to Dorothy Naor):

Local aid worker attacked Woman escorting Palestinian kids beaten by mob of Israeli teens in the Hebron area.

By BILL LAYE, CALGARY SUN Sun, October 10, 2004 Threats -- and now a beating -- from militant Israeli settlers has a Calgary aid worker volunteering in Hebron vowing she'll be staying put. Diane Janzen, 28, and an Italian worker, whose name isn't being released, were returning to their quarters at about 3 p.m. local time after walking five Palestinian children home from school in the area south of Hebron city when a mob of eight Israeli teenagers from the nearby Ma'on settlement attacked them with sticks.

read more: http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/CalgarySun/News/2004/10/10/663376.html ~~~

--Harvest update, reporting & mobilizing of volunteers

-The olive harvest is heating up and we really need you - Arik Ascherman

Mon, 11 Oct 2004

Dear Friends,

The olive harvest is heating up and we really need you, especially over the next two weeks.
Just now we heard that a Palestinian was mortally wounded by a soldier after a harvest related altercation in which a number of Yitzhar settlers were also detained.
While the police
have been working hard
and there have been a number of arrests, the army's performance has been mixed.

Plans of coming days, with background:

Tuesday, Oct. 12 El-Jarushiya.
Because most of the villagers don't have permits, we will harvest
for them with one villager who has a permit and others looking on from the Palestinian side of the barrier. For all the promises to let as many Palestinians as possible get permits (and many have recently) there are still many Palestinians who have no permit to get to their land, or where only one family member has a permit. It is not always clear that the refusal to grant a permit is due to pure security considerations.
Even where it is, the route of the barrier is what makes access to these lands a security issue. Leaving Gan Hapamonim, Jerusalem 5:45 AM Rosh Ha’ayin New Train Station 7:00 AM Return to Jerusalem between 17:00 and 18:00

Wednesday, Oct. 13 Emergency Harvest in the South Hebron Hills Residents wanted to wait until the end of the month to harvest, but daily vandalism and destruction of trees has forced us to do an emergency harvest.
The army has told us that Palestinians will be allowed to work, but our presence is a provocation.
On the other hand,
it isn't certain that the army will protect the harvest without our presence.
We are currently looking for a way to protect the harvest without the army declaring the area a closed military area. Joint action with Taayush. Tel Aviv Arlozerof Train Station (El Al early check-in) 7:00 AM Gan Hapamonim, Jerusalem 8:15 AM Return to Tel Aviv between 17:00 and 18:00

Thursday - Jamain
Here also villagers have seen settlers in their groves, although it is not clear that they were stealing olives.

There is tremendous pressure because the army is only providing protection near problematic settlements starting on the 16th, they have not allocated enough days in many of the villages and are claiming that Palestinians are forbidden to harvest near settlements on days that the army is not providing protection.
(Yesterday, after negotiation, we were able to harvest in lower Yanoun in areas that the army does not require protection.
This is after the previously reported attack on a resident on Thursday and the declaration of a closed military area on Saturday preventing an Israeli group from arriving.)

Friday - ?

Saturday. RHR does not organize activities on the Sabbath.
For those interested in harvesting on the Saturday, call Yaacov Manor at 050-5733276 or 09-7670801. Sunday-Wednesday 17th-20th.
The army schedule calls for harvest in Beit Furik, Jamain, and Yanoun on the same days.
We will need large groups in order to have a presence in each place. Please call us and make every effort to volunteer as much as you can.

B'Vrakha, Arik

Rabbi Arik W. Ascherman, Executive Director, Rabbis For Human Rights Tel: 972 2 563-7731 / 972 50 607034 - info@rhr.israel.net ~~~

-A group of settlers attack harvesters
- by Yakov Manor

Today, Thursday, 7 October, a group of settlers of Avri Ran's farm, under the cover of soldiers, attacked harvesters of the village.

One of the villagers was beaten by a rifle butt by one of the settlers, that shot in the general direction of his legs, fortunately he was not injured.

The soldiers responded quickly: the Palestinian beaten and another Palestinian were shackled and put on the ground.

The background of the attack is that the army permits the harvesters to pick olives only in predetermined days that were co-ordinated with the Palestinian authority.

By coincidence, a group of Machsom-Watch activists were with
me in the area. Being notified about the attack, we headed for Yanun. On the way there, we reported to the DCO. At the spot more army came, headed by an officer - who made an inquiry and let the shooter go home, and probably because of our presence let the beaten Palestinian go as well. The Palestinians mentioned that it will soon be Ramadan, and the harvest was scheduled for a month from now in that area. They fear that what the rain will not spoil would be ruined and stolen by their neighbours - the settlers.

POSSIBLE REACTIONS:

Harvest on Saturday, 9th October If the Yanun residents will agree, we'll harvest in the area that is forbidden for them. We'll organise an emergency group that will harvest with them, and will have to cope with the challenges posed
by the settlers and the army. If we decide so, please arrive in the Arlozorov train station at 0800. Going from Kufr Qasem at 0830. Equipment needed: working clothes, hat, water, food, ID, cameras for documentation. If you wish to attend please report to the people below.

Solidarity visit on Saturday, 9th October If the activists will wish it, we'll go on a solidarity visit, 0900 at Arlozorov Railway Station, 0930 outside Filfela Restaurant in Kufr Qasem.

Contacts: Omer: 054-3113200, Yakov: 050-5733276

NB: Gush Shalom is mobilizing for the olive harvest at Oct.23, in Salem

--Weekly updates from the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs

http://www.reliefweb.int/hic-opt/docs/OCHA_Weekly_Updates.asp

Down-to-earth UN statistics starting with the fatalities on both sides and continuing with a full week-review of the facts of the occupation. The last week so far covered: Sept. 29 - Oct. 5 http://www.reliefweb.int/hic-opt/docs/UN/OCHA/WBN73.pdf ~~~

--Abnaa el Balad leader sentenced to 30 month for meeting a"foreign agent"

Mohamad Kana'aneh - Abu As'ad, General secretary of Abnaa el Balad Movement sentenced to 30 month of incarceration

[Based on a report by Iris Bar]

Haifa, October 10th 2004 - A panel of three judges of the Haifa District Court sentenced today the Secretary General of Abnaa el Balad movement, Mohamad Kana'ane - Abu-As'ad, to 30 months of imprisonment and 2 years suspended incarceration. The state prosecution had asked for a sentence of 6 years on the charge of contact with a foreign agent (namely, Ibrahim 'Ajweh Abu-Yaffa) in Jordan.

Kana'ane was defended by attorneys Salim Wakim and Mo’nes Khouri, who had based their defense on Kana'ane's political activity, and the political nature of his meetings with Ibrahim 'Ajweh and other political activists in the Arab world, pursuant to his position as Secretary General of the movement.

Kana'ane stated that his imprisonment is the price to be paid for his political positions and activity, and the political activity of Abnaa el Balad movement, and is a part of the persecution of Palestinian masses and political activists inside the 1948 borders. Kana'ane stated his sentencing is to be seen as another step in a policy of suffocation of the democratic political activity.

Large numbers of comrades and supporters attended the court hearing, completely packing the hall and spilling onto the corridors of the judicial complex. ~~~

--Vanunu to receive Lennon Ono Peace Grant Award in absentia

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1317279,00.html http://www.nonviolence.org/vanunu/20040916ono.html

Read also about the "Asylum for Mordechai Vanunu in Ireland" campaign http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66917

further background: http://www.vanunu.freeserve.co.uk/htdocs/action.htm ~~~

>>link of the week<<

--Disengagement to stop all Peace Plans - the revealing Weisglas interview by Ari Shavit

"The significance [of the Gaza Disengagement Plan] is the freezing of the political process. And when you freeze that process you prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and you prevent a discussion about the refugees, the borders and Jerusalem. Effectively, this whole package that is called the Palestinian state, with all that it entails, has been removed from our agenda indefinitely. And all this with authority and permission. All with a presidential blessing and the ratification of both houses of Congress."

full text: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/485929.html

+ read also:

Weisglass' declarations give Peres cold feet - By Yossi Verter

The Labor leader seems to believe Sharon adviser's remarks that pullout will mean an end to peace process [which led it to vote against Sharon in the Knesset's "moment of truth].

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/486971.html

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