One IOF Violation of Human Rights Intensifies

Thank you Davboz for commenting on my blog. It is always good to engage in debates, especially when it is between a Palestinian blogging and an Israeli who likes commenting on Palestinian and anti-Zionist blogs - and who has no blog of his own, only a bloggers ID. So, I hope to see you here again - with friends if you like - and lets debate.
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The central focus of this post is the Bil’in weekly peaceful demonstrations against the building of the Wall and the annexing of Palestinian land, brought as an example of the violation of the freedom of speech and expression by the Israeli Occupation Forces against the demonstrators.

It seems that the IOF were instructed to harden their blows on the Bil’in demo. It has been the trend, since the July war on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. The demonstrations have been going on since January 2005. Ever since and the demonstrators have been met with rubber-coated metal bullets, sound grenades, gas bombs, physical abuse, verbal abuse and arrest squads.



Basque Nationalist Musical group met with bullets and sound grenades
The Basque musical group joined Palestinians, internationals and Israelis in the Bili’n weekly demonstration on the 7th of July. They dressed in full fest costumes and carried bells on their lower backs, keeping the beat for the march that headed towards the Israeli gate in the Wall, which leads to the villages agricultural lands.
The Basques expressed their solidarity with the Palestinians and support for their resistance; "we too have been fighting an occupation of our lands for generations".
The arm manning the location threw tear-gas and sound grenades at the demonstrators and used rubber bullets. They also intended to arrest twice Iyad Buranat, a member of the Bil’in committee against the wall and settlements. The soldiers physically abused the Palestinians who came to his aid.
The demonstration ended with five reported injuries;
"Ahmed Mohammed Hamad, 55, of Bil’in suffered damage to his right ear from a sound bomb.
Mohammed Katib, 33, member of the Bil’in committee against the wall and settlements, suffered bruises and tears to the skin in his left torso from soldiers roughing him up.
Michael, 23, from the US, suffered tears in the skin of his forearms from shrapnel from a sound bomb. His right forearm was damaged when he was thrown by one soldier against another’s shield with extreme force.
Ashraf , 22, of Tulkarem, suffered a rubber bullet to his upper left thigh as he was walking by the soldiers.
Khaled, 18, of Bil’in, was hit with a rubber bullet in the leg.



Palestinian Wedding as part of the Demo Interrupted
Mansour and Iman, two happy couple from Bil’in, celebrated their wedding ceremony as part of the 14th of July Bil’in protest. The army manning the gate in the Wall to the village’s fields prevented the procession from holding the wedding celebration amongst the olive trees.
Few rocks were thrown at the Israeli military vehicles that said to activate a response from the soldiers. However, the response lasted for an hour and an incursion on the Bil’in village and ended up injuring 26 participants, including the bride.
The soldiers used sound grenades and brutal physical abuse against some protesters.

Injuries - 14 July
The bride was hit in the face, across the right jaw with a baton and afterward dragged back in a chokehold, her dress stained with dirt.
Yosi, an Israeli activist, was severely beaten and immobile.
The first round of injuries were from sound bombs:
Fernanado (35, Euskalaria)—bruising to his right thigh
Koldo (32, Euskalaria)—ruptured skin and bruising to his right hip
Rojay Mohammed (press)—beaten after being injured by a sound bomb; afterward the soldiers broke his camera.

Several injuries were sustained from the batons resulting in welts, bruises
and bumps—some several inches long leaving a few with difficulty walking:
Martin (24, Sweden)—bruising on his legs
Ashraf (22, Tulkarem)—bruising to his legs
Sean (20, Ireland)—multiple bruises to his arms and legs
Shees (23, US)—knees and legs beaten
Waji (50, Bil’in)—right arm and hand beaten
Elad (31, Tel Aviv)—knees and hands beaten and bruised
Woody (27, US)—right arm and left leg beaten
Allen (25, Scotland)—severe bruising to his right arm
Mohammed (35, Biddo)—severe bruising to his legs and knees
Amna (US)—legs and arms beaten
Falah Abu Rahma (30, Bil’in)
Megan (23, US)—hit with baton
Yosi (19, Tel Aviv)—knocked unconscious for a brief time
Othman Mansour (45, Bil’in)—needed to be carried to the village.

In addition the soldiers used rubber bullets which hit a few people:
Yasin Farras (14, Bil’in)—in his leg
Ashraf (22, Tulkarem)—in his back
Unnamed woman (36, Europe)—to the back of her head.



Exceptional Non-Violent Response from the IOF
The 21st of July demonstration was overshadowed with grief. The demonstrators carried posters and a 20 meters long black flag to mourn the killing of 425 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians killed since the 28th of June and until the 20th of July. Demonstrators also had sealed their mouths with a tape; "We are against the Arab and International apathy and silence towards the ongoing Israeli violations of human rights" Mohammed Al Khateeb of the Popular Committee of Bil’in explained.
This demo ended with no engagement from the Israeli soldiers manning the gate and, consequently, no injuries.



Demonstrators Being Alarmed for the First Time
The demonstrators on the 28th of July carried a coffin rapped in both the Palestinian and Lebanese flags with "The New Middle East" written on one of the sides. They laid the coffin of the barbed-wire of one of the fences blocking access to the village’s agricultural lands. Immediately, soldiers throw sound-grenades at the demonstrators and followed shortly by rubber bullet shots.
There was some fear and suspicion in the air that the soldiers might cause some severe injuries or deaths amongst the demonstrators. "We must be very careful," Mohammed Khatib, from the popular committee, said. "Four internationals were killed in Lebanon and the Israeli military is allowed to claim that they didn’t do it on purpose because everyone believes them." That fear was also attributed to the fact that the media attention was drawn away from a peaceful demonstration by what was happening in Lebanon at the time.
Fortunately, the demo ended with very few injuries caused amongst the protesters. However, the events uncovering in the following demos proved some of their doubts.

Two Scots in their 50s were amongst the injured and extinguishing fire attempt targeted
Palestinians, Internationals and Israelis carried the Palestinian, Lebanese and black flags on the demonstration of the 4th of August, while mourning the killing of more than a 1,000 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians. The demonstrators attempted to cross the Israeli military reinforced fences that separates the villagers of Bil’in from their agricultural lands that are annexed by the Israeli government. They were met with tear-gas bombs, sound grenades and rubber bullets.
Amongst the injured were Margaret, 52, and John, 53, from Scotland. Margaret was shot in the back with a rubber-coated metal bullet, while John sustained facial injuries from a concussion grenade thrown directly at him. Another Spanish participans, Yasir, was also shot in the back with a rubber-coated metal bullet.
During the demonstration, a tear-gas grenade ignited two fires that lasted for 40 minutes. Some participants from the demonstration attempted to distinguish the rapidly spreading fire, but were shot at and gassed by the IOF.



An Israeli and a Dan receive serious head injuries
Each demonstration in Bil’in has a theme and each one demonstrate a creative means of protest. The demo of the 11th of Aug had the title "New Style of Killing". Some demonstrators carried mock bodies of a Lebanese family killed during the war. Even before they reached their destination, which the site of the Wall, the demonstrators were met with sound bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets. That came despite the fact that an Israeli military court decision that people in Bil’in have the right of freedom of speech through "legitimate resistance".
An Israeli lawyer, Lymor, amongst the demonstrators was shot in the neck and head by rubber-coated metal bullet at close range and a Danish national was beaten by an Israeli soldier on the head by the butt of his gun causing sever concussion. Lymor underwent a successful surgery to remove the bullet and shards of his skull. However, his condition remains unstable. Rina, on the other hand, is still waiting for her test results, but is showing signs of recovery.
* Watch ISM film from the demo on the 11th of Aug, showing Israeli soldiers shooting Lymor and Israeli commander shouting "This is Lebanon!" - Click here

Injuries - 11 Aug
Lymor from Israel, shot with 3 rubber bullets at close range, with injuries to head and neck.
Two villagers, El Haj Wa’el Fahene and Nimer Mustafa Abu Rahma were both shot with rubber bullets to their backs and legs.
Gavin from UK, beaten
Martin from Sweden, beaten
Rina from Denmark, hit with a rifle butt on side of head
Jonathon from Israel, shot with rubber bullet
Uri, 20, from Israel, struck by rubber bullet
Rojo Didier, 43, from France, shot with rubber bullet in back and leg
Jonas from USA, struck with rubber bullets on hip and leg
Cheryl, 45, from USA, struck with rubber bullet to the back
Margaret from UK, struck by exploding sound grenade
Yoshki, 22, journalist from Japan, shot by rubber bullet
Abudullah Abu Rahma, beaten



Chemicals
On the morning of the 18th, the Israeli military threatened to use force against the demonstrators in a phone call to a member of the of the Popular Committee of Bil’in. During this demo, the IOF fired blue liquid from a massive tank at the demonstrators, colouring their hair, skin and cloths blue, and causing burning and irritation of skin for at least 7 hours.
"Tear gas was also used against the demonstrators as soon as the water canon was engaged, so it is unclear whether the burning was from gas being absorbed into the wet skin and clothing, or whether the water itself contained a chemical" (ISM 18th Aug report)



Injuries and Arrests - 25 Aug
The latest Bil’in demonstration was met with extreme physical abuse by the Israeli army. Many participants in the demo suffered injuries, one injury of which resulted in a concussion.

Andrianes an Italian activist beaten badly with a baton.
Mansour Mansour the Palestinian ISM Campaign Coordinator was severely beaten with a baton.
Saif Abu Keshek the Palestinian Coordinator living in Spain was beaten with a baton and shot with 3 rubber bullets in the back and one in the leg.
Anna from US suffered injuries on her hand as well as 2 rubber bullets, one in the back and hip.
Lina from Germany suffered a rubber bullet wound on her leg.
Jonathon Pollack from Israel suffered severe beatings with a baton.
Dave from Ireland suffered beatings and a rubber bullet wound to the back.
Magan from US suffered harsh beatings with the baton, including one to her head, resulting in a concussion.
Coby from Israel suffered beatings from a baton.
Adeeb a Palestinian suffered beatings and was detained and later released.
Mohammad Khatib local Popular Committee member was detained and later released.
David from Catalonia was detained and later released.

For more information visit ISM/Bil’in Village