The Twilight Zone

2003-07-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 05 July 2003

NEWS
**Khan Younis: Resident Killed in Israeli Booby Trap
**Jenin: Israeli Army Withdraws this Morning after
Military Invasion
**Provocative Measures Escalated in Jerusalem; Major
Settlement Plans
**Tulkarem: Military Order for Confiscation of More
Land
**Hebron: Curfew Imposed on Old City
**Bethlehem: Tight Military Siege and Oppressive
Measures at Roadblocks

FEATURES
**Israeli Soldiers Attack Children and Patients at
Na'alin Military Roadblock
**Dividing Wall. Humanitarian, Economic,
Environmental, Social Catastrophe
**23 Students and Teachers Killed in Hebron during
Intifada

One resident was killed this morning and another was
critically wounded when an explosive device left
behind by the occupation army went off near the
dividing line in Khuza'a, Khan Younis. One man is said
to be missing. Israeli soldiers also opened fire
towards the 3 residents after the explosion went off.

In Hebron, the Israeli army continues to impose a
curfew on the Old City and its surroundings and
escalates oppressive measures against the residents.

Entrances and surroundings of Tulkarem witness heavy
Israeli military presence. Several new Israeli
military roadblocks were set up on the roads leading
to the southern areas of Tulkarem.

Al-Kafriyat junction continues to be closed for the
5th day running as well as all side and main roads in
the area.

The Housan main road in Bethlehem leading to several
villages, including Housan, Nahalin and Wadi Fokin was
closed, while a tight military siege is imposed on
Bethlehem.

NEWS
******

*Khan Younis: Resident Killed in Israeli Road Mine*

The resident Majdi Shallouf (22 years old) was killed
this morning when an explosive device went off in Abu
Ta'ima, northeast of Khaza'a in Khan Younis, left
behind by the Israeli army. Another person, Fuad Abu
Shousha, was moderately wounded and a third, Hamdan
al-Farra is said to be missing.

Palestinian sources reported that a loud explosion
went off in the area, later revealed to be a mine left
behind by the occupation army near the metal
demarcation wire. The explosion went off as three
residents were passing by.

The Israeli army last night fired several missiles and
opened machine gun fire towards homes in al-Mahatta
area near Deir al-Balah. The attack came from 'Kfar
Darom' settlement. Curfew was imposed on the residents
of al-Za' raba area near Khan Younis, where several
homes were raided and searched.
************

*Jenin: Israeli Army Withdraws this Morning after
Invasion*

The Israeli army withdrew from Jenin City at dawn
today after last night's wide scale invasion and
intense military attacks. The Israeli army withdrew to
the outskirts of the city to impose a tight military
siege that prevents all movement in or out of the
city.

The Israeli army invaded Jenin City last night and
opened machine gun fire towards homes in the city.
Israeli tanks invaded al-Mirah and al-Basatin
residential areas and the industrial area as well as
the surroundings of the eastern quarter. Homes were
attacked intensively with machine gun fire during the
invasion.

Today, Israeli tanks and soldier carriers destroyed
vast areas of agricultural land including water
networks, north of Jenin during an invasion. A number
of farmers reported that most of this land is owned by
the farmers of Burqin. This is the fourth similar
attack in the area in the past 14 months resulting in
grave losses.
************

*Provocative Measures Escalated in Jerusalem; Major
Settlement Plans*

Since yesterday, the Israeli occupation army
transferred the city of Jerusalem into what seems as a
military base. Heavy military presence (over 1500
security forces) was reported around Al-Aqsa Mosque
where Israeli military forces work on preventing the
residents from entering the mosque. Even employees
were prevented from entering Al-Aqsa since yesterday.

Military roadblocks were set up around the mosque in
Ras al-Amoud and Wadi al-Joze, preventing the free
movement of the residents.

The residents were surprised at the new unexplainable
Israeli measures.

Major settlement projects are underway at an extremely
fast pace in Jerusalem, including establishing links
(roads and metro) between the settlements of the West
Bank and East Jerusalem, referred to as the 'Greater
Jerusalem' network.
************

*Tulkarem: Military Order for Confiscation of More
Land*

The farmers of Baqa al-Sharqiya town, north of
Tulkarem, were handed over a military order from the
occupation authorities for the confiscation of 100
dunums of land for the purpose of establishing a
dividing wall near the "green line".

The mayor of Baqa al-Sharqiya Muayad Hussein said that
the decision will transfer the town into a large
prison besieged by the almost finalized dividing wall
to the east, which isolates adjacent areas and places
over 4000 dunums to the west of the wall intended to
be established to the west of the town, which means
that the town would be completely isolated from the
outside world.

The land to be confiscated is considered one of the
most fertile and is cultivated with olive and almond
trees and green houses. The land is the only source of
income for the residents of the town, who suffer from
their inability to reach what is left of the land due
to tight Israeli measures.

On another front, the surroundings and entrances to
the city of Tulkarem witness heavy military presence.
Israeli military roadblocks were established to
prevent the movement of the residents between the city
and surrounding villages.
************

*Hebron: Curfew Imposed on Old City*

The Israeli army imposed a curfew on the Old city of
Hebron and its surroundings and continues to carry out
oppressive military measures against the residents of
the city especially those residing near settlements
and settlement blocs in the center of the city.

The Israeli army had continues imposing a curfew on
Abu Sneineh and Wadi al-Hariya areas as well as the
Old City, and carrying out home raids and searches,
mainly in the city of Hebron throughout the past 2
days. At least 6 people were arrested during the
campaign.

Israeli occupation soldiers also prevent the residents
of Hebron from praying in the Ibrahimi mosque, used
solely by Israeli settlers after the confiscation of
the two quarters of the mosque.
************

*Bethlehem: Tight Military Siege and Oppressive
Measures at Roadblocks*

The Israeli army closed today Housan main road that
leads to the villages of Housan, Nahalin and Wadi
Fokin. A military roadblock was set up on the road to
prevent movement of the residents.

Another military roadblock was set up on the triangle
that links between Bettir and Housan villages to
prevent the residents from leaving their village and
reaching the city of Bethlehem.

Bethlehem witnesses a tightened military siege since
the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the
city center.

Wadi al-Nar road continues to be closed and hundreds
of residents are subjected to humiliating and
oppressive measures at the "Container" military
roadblock set up on the road.
************

*Occupation Closes Main Link between Ramallah and
North*

The Israeli army closed Tayaseer military roadblock,
southeast of Jenin, a main link between most of the
northern West Bank towns and cities with the Jordan
valley, Ramallah and areas south of the West Bank.

FEATURES
**********

*Israeli Soldiers Attack Children and Patients at
Na'alin Military Roadblock*

WAFA - The patient Mohammad Abdel Raouf from one of
the towns around Ramallah thought his age and medical
reports would convince the soldiers based at Na'alin
military roadblock that cut the main road to over 15
villages west of Ramallah. The military captain and
soldier showed no concern when he told them his story
and asked them if he could pass due to an urgent
medical matter. He was not allowed to cross.

Another resident from Badras village said that Israeli
soldiers today practiced new forms of torture against
the people, forcing them to get out of their cars and
wait for long hours under the sun for no given reason.

Another resident from Nakhla family spoke of the
provocations they were subjected to and the bad
language used against them through loud speakers. He
accused the soldier present at the mentioned roadblock
of being completely stripped from all humanitarian
values.

A woman from Rantis Village said that inhabitants of
the village and of Deir Abu Mish'al, Qibya, Badras,
Na'alin, al-Madiya, Deir Amar, al-Laban al-Gharbi and
Aboud are forced to cross this military roadblock and
suffer at the hands of a soldier's moodiness.
************

*Dividing Wall. Humanitarian, Economic, Environmental,
Social Catastrophe*

WAFA - The villages of Mas'ha, Saniriya, Beit Amrein,
Aoun Atma, Bidya and adjacent villages in Salfeet and
Qalqilya are currently under threat of economic
strangulation, and difficulties and risks in movement
as a result of the racist dividing wall project.

The dividing wall, which the occupation army is
constructing on 10% of the West Bank with an aim of
annexing these areas to the "green line", imposes
serious danger on humanitarian, economic and political
aspects of life for the Palestinians people, and their
property in the midst of Israel's intentions to impose
new facts on the ground.

The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed in various
reports that the wall would lead to grave agricultural
losses in addition to the threat it imposes on the
environment and the isolation of a large number of
Palestinian towns and villages, especially near
Tulkarem, Jenin and Qalqilya.

A report released by the administration for soil and
water in the ministry revealed that as a result of
uprooting trees for the benefit of the wall, the
average of olive oil production would go down by 2200
tons in the coming years in addition to the decrease
of fruit production by 50 tons, and vegetables by 1000
tons yearly.

Over 10,000 heads of cattle would be lost, in addition
to hundreds of green houses and bird farms.

5% of the confiscated land produced 52% of the West
Bank agricultural production.

Qalqilya alone lost 8600 dunums (1dumun=1000m2) of
land, 72% of its fertile land, in addition to 7
artesian wells.

The dividing wall would lead to the confiscation of
10% of land in the West Bank. 160-180 thousand dunums
of land were confiscated in the first stage, i.e. 2%
of the West Bank., due to its depth into Palestinian
areas occupied in 1967. Changes were done to the first
stage of the plan to include 10 Israeli settlements
and 17 Palestinian villages to the "green line" area.

The second stage, which stretches from Qalilya to
Jerusalem, will include a number of more settlements,
Palestinian villages and fertile land.

11500 dunums of land have been bulldozed so far and 83
olive trees uprooted simply for the establishment of
isolated areas around Israeli settlements. 30 water
wells were also confiscated, main sources of water for
hundreds of inhabitants.

Major environmental implications related to the
quality of air also result from the uprooting of
trees. Over 300,000 olive trees were uprooted since
the beginning of the Intifada.

Over 17 Palestinian villages are now located to the
other side of the wall, which means 5% of the
residents of the West Bank are facing a devastating
economic situation. 25 Palestinian villages are to be
annexed after their economies are destroyed, and
isolated from one another.

The wall will also prevent the movement of the
residents as a result of the ditches dug and curfews
expected to be imposed near the wall.

The second stage of the plan is expected to isolate
Jerusalem from the West Bank, in addition to the
isolation of 200,000 Palestinians within the 'green
line'.

More in a report released by the Palestinian Ministry
of Agriculture.
************

*23 Students and Teachers Killed in Hebron during
Intifada*

WAFA - The Palestinian media center in Hebron revealed
in a report released recently that 23 students and
teachers were killed with Israeli bullets and hundreds
of others were wounded since the beginning of the
Intifada and until the beginning of this month.

Among those killed, 21 are students and among the
wounded, 32 students are permanently disabled.

3 schools were closed down and transferred into
military bases by the occupation army since the
beginning of the Intifada. Additionally, 36 schools in
Hebron were subjected to direct Israeli military
attacks.

The Israeli occupation army also denied 6700 students
their right to education last January by closing down
Hebron University and Polytechnic for 6 months, then
renewed at a later stage.

Hundreds of university and school students and
teachers were also arrested from the city.

----------------------------------

2003-06-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

Palestine Update from Balata 24 June

Nablus
24 Jun 03
Joseph Phelan

Dear Friends,

I have been here five days and I am not adjusted to seeing soldiers with guns pointed at people trying to go home, crossing a checkpoint across a road in their country.

Here is what I learned: Palestine has a gun held to its heart.
Tanks, APCs, jeeps, hummers, f-16, Apaches, checkpoints, new road bocks daily, settlers, snipers, bulldozers, colonial kids with guns, all of it one big gun, the heart of Palestine in the crosshairs, the finger of occupation caressing the waiting trigger.

Today, and yesterday no one is allowed to leave Nablus if you live in Nablus, and no one is allowed into Nablus unless you live here.

We woke up at 4 am today to try and make it to a nearby village before the soldiers could block the road; we were going to start clearing the 8 or 9 road blocks in the road.

Around 5 am after walking for a while on the early morning sand roads we came across a large APC. They told us the internationals could pass the Palestinians with us could not.
The soldier said he knew we are not a part pf the conflict, that our Palestinain friends are not a part of the "conflict," but orders are orders. We went back to Balata, tired and disappointed.

Today we approached Aseria checkpoint, walking over a hill in the searing midday sun when up the hill, from around the bend, on the dusty dirt road came a hummer.
It stopped sixty feet from us and two soldiers got out immediately yelling at us in Hebrew. We told them we did not understand.
They told us to walk forward and give them our I.D.s and we turned around ignoring their shouts, trying to avoid being detained.

A Palestinian man who walked forward with us walked towards them and gave them his ID, after several minutes he was released and turned around following us up the hill away from the shouting soldiers.

Their guns were aimed at us the whole time, their angry words pressed on our backs like the black hole barrels of their weapon, like the uninterrupted sun.

I have not gotten used to this yet.
I constantly fight my urge born from heavy exchanges with NYPD to do what the soldiers say.
I constantly have to remind myself, overcoming the slowly churning mess
of my stomach, that I, as an international, can ignore them to a point.

Later in the day we went to Biet Iba; another check point hemming in this ancient city.
No one was allowed past the young Israeli soldiers in drab green, hidden behind squat concrete checkpoint huts, squinting through sniper sights at old ladies fainting in the sun trying to get home from the city with small children hanging on their sun browned wind worn fingers.

Again they called for our identification, again we walked away hoping to be useful here in the future.

Here in this prison city the old walls raise up to the unforgiving sun, the dust of history filling the cracks between the ancient stones.
When you see the market center here tucked into the alleys that have held vegetable stalls, butchers and clothing shops for centuries you understand why this war of erasure against the Palestinian people is so centered on land.

These homes, these places of worship, these shops are all heritage, they are not the same as contemporary US homes made of plastic and concrete, ready for resale, release, re-rent.
These are centers of community, homes, and hearts.

There is a bulldozer at the front door of these homes, the gnarled metal teeth crusted with the dust of broken history and the dried blood of family legacy are paid for with US dollars, my dollars.

Later in the afternoon we went to Wahara check point ( the same one I was turned away from five days ago.
The check point was closed when we arrived but through some negotiation with the captain we got it open for people headed into the city with Nablus I.D.s and headed out with outer lying village I.D.s.

The negotiation took a little while.
We had to deal with a soldier who was holding a bullhorn up to people's ears and shouting into it to go away.
He also walked over to a cab and was about to plunge his knife into the tire when we and several Palestinians intervened.
This soldier continued to pull his gun up keeping it at chest level with everyone he was talking with, yelling at.

This one soldier is not an exception; he seems to be the heavier end of the rule. We have encountered some soldiers a little more sympathetic and hating their jobs, but doing it none the less.

I met a young man here who has one year left to study at Bier Ziet University.
He is studying science.
He is a refugee; he wants his land back, a single Palestinian state.
He wants his families land back.
He hasn't been to university in three years, it's a thirty minute drive away but he can't get there.

The gun is cocked; Israel's finger is playfully tugging the trigger.
Every night there is the hum of drones flying across the starful sky.
Every night a families house is occupied nearby, every day we wake up to new roadblocks.

Here the gun is pressed lightly against Palestine's chest, pushing to the heart.
The gun has bullets built on fifty –five years of evictions, land stealing, humiliation, torture, and murder. I feel like this gun is fired every second, every moment there is the chance of death and the only thing shielding this heart
is daily resistance, daily push to live and make a life.

People continue to have tea with friends, study, argue, love and live. I am
amazed as my guts turn to nervous at the sight of a soldier walking towards me his gun swaying with his swagger.
I am amazed by people's will to live and resist.

In Solidarity
Joseph Phelan

2003-06-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Twilight Zone?

All my life we have seen the development of international agreements - an attempt to bind the countries of the world together into a symbiotic whole - a struggle by our Fore-brain which understands the imperative of unity for a species that can destroy itself and all life with it.
But this struggle is lost.
The lusts of our dinosaur hind-brains have won out and we are now spiralling down
into a post-civilized abyss.

Stay Tuned..