Marking the fall of the Berlin Wall, today, Palestinians tore down a section of the Apartheid Wall

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Tuesday November 10, 2009 00:23

by TD - Free Palestine Campaign

The Department of Defence and CRH are complicit in the building of the Wall

I'm happy to report that, today, on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Palestinians ably assisted by Israeli activists and "internationals" tore down a section of the obscenity called the Apartheid Wall near the IOF checkpoint of Qalandiya outside Ramallah in the West Bank. giving a much needed fillip to Palestinian morale and people of good conscience around the world. The action was noteworthy for its meticulous planning and execution which ensured jubilant success.

Before two ladders were brought to the ill-fitted slab (selected thus for its vulnerability) agile activists had already scaled it, a heavy duty strap was threaded through the eye of the concrete segment, coupled to a 3 tonne truck and then hauled to the ground, the joy was palpable once the wall was breached, then activists accompanied by some obnoxiously pushy mainstream press poured through to temporarily reclaim their stolen land with planted Palestinian flags and proclamations of: "We are going to Jerusalem," tyres were lit and some stand-alone segments were scaled to more jubilitation and infectious joy, after a slow response, the IOF announced their presence with a fusillade of tear gas grenades and aggression, a fast retreat to our waiting vehicle was the better part of valour as it was expected the IOF would subject us to live fire.

Shamefully, CRH and the Dept.of Defence aids and abets the construction of the Wall which snakes its way through 413 kilometers of the West Bank (its intended lengh is 709 kilometers) thieving Palestinian land in the process for the purpose of building illegal Israeli colonies. CRH, through Mashav, an Israeli holding company, has a 25% stake in the Nesher Cement company that provides 85% of all cement in Israel and cement for the construction of the "settlements," their concomitant infrastructure and the Wall.

Even though under International Law Ireland is obliged not to facilitate the building of the Apartheid Wall, the Dept. of Defence is allowing the installation of surveillance equipment manufactured by the Israeli Elbit Systems outfit on the newly ordered armoured cars for the Irish army - Elbit Systems supply the surveillance equipment for what the Israelis term the "Security Fence" (see Related Link).

Besides the much needed fillip, today's action points an accusing finger at the loathsome hypocritical celebrations surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 when, today, the so called "international community" is anesthetized with perverted morality and self-willed amnesia when it comes to the Apartheid Wall and Israel.?

Caption: Video Id: rnHgfAw_Nj4 Type: Youtube Video
A Section of the Apartheid Wall Was Felled on the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

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Comments (9 of 9)

Economy -same Country ?

by Sean Og

Sun Nov 15, 2009 22:01

The Israeli Arabs live in Israel and want to stay there

and the West Bank Arabs want a state in the West Bank

Same Country ? ?

Make up your mind time

Oh dear, Seán Óg,....

by eh man - none

Sat Nov 14, 2009 13:37

your own words betray you. "Since Israeli Arabs have been allowed to travel to Jenin, Tul Karem, Jericho and Bethlehem, these cities have seen a significant rise in retail trade, stimulating the local economies" is what you quote and you don't even see the injustice of a people being allowed to travel in their own country.
You are so far up your own racist colon that you've forgotten what the daylight of justice seems like.

That's just Israeli Propaganda Sean.....

by BullshitDetector

Fri Nov 13, 2009 17:07

Israels commitment to negotiation with palestinians .....blah blah....road opened...blah blah....Tony Blair....blah blah.

Meanwhile, if you look at a time lapse of the erosion of palestinian lands over the past 40 years, you can see what is really going on in palestine. Business as usual with a dollop of propaganda, thats what! Engage the palestinians in meaningless talks while the settlements continue, with the complicity of the US. People reading this thread aren't completely thick y'know Sean.

Meanwhile back at the ranch as they used to say

Thu Nov 12, 2009 21:19

Jalama/Gilboa crossing upgraded for vehicular traffic

Permitting the passage of vehicles and not only pedestrians should lead to increased commercial activity in Jenin and northern Samaria.

Ribbon cutting ceremony of the Jalama vehicle crossing (Photo: Yigal Levy, Maariv)

The Jalama/Gilboa crossing point was upgraded this week from pedestrians only to vehicular traffic. The opening of the upgraded crossing was attended by Silvan Shalom, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development; Avishay Braverman, Minister of Minority Affairs; Matan Vilnai, Deputy Minister of Defense; Tony Blair, Quartet special envoy; Moussa Kadura, Governor of Jenin; and Danny Atar, Head of Gilboa Regional Council. The crossing upgrade was aided by USAID.

The crossing has been used in recent years mostly by Israeli Arabs going to Jenin to shop.

Since Israeli Arabs have been allowed to travel to Jenin, Tul Karem, Jericho and Bethlehem, these cities have seen a significant rise in retail trade, stimulating the local economies.

Permitting the passage of vehicles and not only pedestrians should facilitate movement of foreign diplomats and international organizations' employees and lead to increased numbers of Israeli Arabs entering the West Bank and increased commercial activity in Jenin and northern Samaria.
It is estimated that 400 vehicles will cross daily, and 600 on the weekend. From January to July 2009, 78,000 Israeli Arabs entered Jenin, compared to 48,000 in the same period the previous year.
Comparing October 2009 and October 2008 shows an increase of 30% in the passage of goods and people
. As mentioned, a large part of these were Arab Israelis going shopping in Jenin. It is estimated that Arab Israelis visiting Jenin, Tul Karen and Nablus alone already account for NIS 8 million every weekend.

At the opening event, the speakers praised the outstanding cooperation that made the upgrade possible.
Mr. Blair stressed that, although the move seems to be simple and normal, its significance lies in its symbolism. “You showed that it can be different,” he said.

The Israeli speakers reiterated Israel’s commitment to continuing the negotiations with the Palestinians. Minister Shalom took the opportunity to publicly urge Abu Mazen and Fayad to return to the negotiating table.

All of the participants took special note of the cooperation and special ties between Gilboa Council Head Atar and Jenin Governor Kadura.
Atar talked about a venture to establish a joint industrial park, which would boost the regional economy and provide thousands of jobs. Kadura expressed his hope that the crossing will soon be open to free passage of both sides.

Helping Bil'in villager, Emad Burnat sow his crops

by TD - FPC

Tue Nov 10, 2009 22:38

Today, all the internationals in beleaguered Bil'in mustered at 7.30AM to assist Emad Burnat, video chronicler of the frequent and violent terror raids of the IOF into his village as he is now largely incapitated due to the serious life threatening injuries he sustained a year ago when the brakes of a tractor he was driving failed at the steep encline close to the Apartheid Wall - Emad's life was almost certainly saved by the commendable insistence of the IOF medic who attended the scene to ambulance him to a Tel Aviv hospital rather than one in Ramallah, the task at hand was the clearance of the stones and weeds on his land to faciliate the sowing of diverse fruits and vegetables to sustain his family. In the afternoon, his brother Iyad and wife and the affable son of Israeli MK Dov Khenin, Edo, showed to assist in the stone clearing where shortly afterwards we downed tools to quiten our sharp hunger at a generous picnic provided by Emad on the concrete cap of a deep reservoir to water his growing crops and then head back to the international house tired but happy.

Edo Khenin

Caption: Video Id: MvLjBiAaomE Type: Youtube Video
Helping Emad : Helping Emad Burnat to sow his crops in the shadow of the Apartheid Wall

It got a mention on "Democracy now"....

by Surfer

Tue Nov 10, 2009 18:56

Amy Goodman mentioned the action on today's "Democracy now"

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/11/10/headlines

( for those interested, "Democracy now" is also shown on sky channel 200 @ 5pm every day)

Free Gaza

by Conor

Tue Nov 10, 2009 04:48

Great footage, thanks

Well timed and courageous action!

by PFJ

Tue Nov 10, 2009 02:31

Good brave and highly symbolic well timed action TD and others. Hope nobody was injured.

On the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Bil'in Protests Against the Apartheid Wall

Tue Nov 10, 2009 01:15

Last Friday same as for the preceding Fridays the past five years, the villagers of Bil'in, their ranks swelled by people of good conscience, particularly from Ireland, Belgium and Spain, marched to the nearby Apartheid Wall to protest against the theft of some 60% of their land for the Jewish only illegal Israeli colony of Matityahu East.

Same as for the preceding protest marches, gratutious violence was visited on the peaceful protesters by the IOF in the form of unrelenting salvoes of tear gas grenades, when the stone throwing youths or Shabab moved to the front and threatened to hijack the demonstration, head of Bil'ins Popular Committee, Iyad Burnat quickly intervened and read the riot act to them, as it were..

Memorial marking the spot where the much loved Bassem Abu Rahmah was shot dead last April with a new high velocity tear gas projectile dubbed the "Rocket"